Oscar

Oscar sheathed his blade. At that moment, the wolf leaped at him, thinking he was vulnerable. The azure-clad man struck like lightning, drawing his blade and carving a deadly arc through the air. His blade sung as it bit into the wolf's hide. The wolf's parting shot was to sink its fangs deep into Oscar's wrist. Between bleed, thorns, and Oscar's direct damage, the wolf was defeated. Oscar sheathed his blade and collected his loot. Then he turned to the pair of women and gave them both a polite nod in greeting. Gob-Gob joined the group, having run off somewhere while Oscar was fighting. He took one look at the two familiars accompanying the women and began to flex, challenging them for dominance. Oscar saw the display and chuckled. 

"I appreciate the offer of help. I think I'll take you up on that. I'm still pretty weak so anything stronger than that wolf and I run into problems."

It was true. Oscar still had a lot of leveling to do in this game before he could be any sort of effective. Which gave him an idea. The resources in this area weren't necessarily finite, but it would be a lot more interesting if the three of them worked together than it would be if they were tripping all over one another. "So a thought occurred. Why don't the three of us party up and gather materials together? We're all here and it'd be a waste not to, in my opinion."

Between Hannah and Ol' Pete, he didn't know which one he viewed with more disdain. Their AI had them both being quite insulting. Maybe it was just Oscar, but he truly didn't like anyone calling him a dummy, NPC or otherwise. He strode down the docks and approached Ol' Pete for the second time. The NPC turned around and gave him a scowl.

"Oh look, it's the dummy. You finally here for some work dummy?"

Oscar sighed and nodded. "What is it you wanted me to do, Ol Pete?"

"What do you think, dummy? I need you to help me fish. I swear, kids these days. Kids in my time used of have some common sense. Asking a fisherman what he needs help with. I can't believe how much of a dummy you are."

"I kinda got that part genius. I meant specifically. Or are you too senile to remember, old man?"

"Could I interest you both in a Hot Dog?"

Oscar had watched the interaction between the two players. It was almost divine intervention how the man Bahr had been talking about just showed up the moment his name fell from Bahr's lips. It was almost like he was the Devil himself. Judging from the man's demeanor, he probably would have loved the comparison. Tensions were growing to a fever pitch, so Oscar decided to diffuse the tension with his delicious meat cylinders. But it didn't seem like either one of them were as enthused about the idea.

"No? Unfortunate."

Oscar opened his menu, switching out his <<Armor of Thorns>> with his <<Librarium Overcoat>>. The deep sapphire coat splayed out behind him like a cape before settling down upon his limbs. It looked like this man where here to bully and intimidate. Oscar really didn't like bullies. He'd probably get his ass handed to him, but he'd get involved. He just figured his only shot was having enough Evasion to not get hit.

"You're clearly here for a fight. So let's do this."

 

Thread Summary
4 SP
1 for Thread Completion
3 for Quest Completion
2760 Col
400 for Thread Completion
600 for Quest Completion
550 for killing Mountain Lion ID: 121404
770 for killing Leopard ID: 121469
440 for killing Leopard ID: 121477
<<Concentration Skill>>
9 T1 Crafting Materials
4 from Mountain Lion ID: 121404
1 from Gathering ID: 121420
4 from Leopard ID 121477
Unidentified Rare Armor ID: 121404
Unidentified Rare Trinket ID: 121477

Oscar sheathed his blade and used a final Tsuji Kaze on the Leopard. He dealt a powerful critical hit before the Leopard expired from bleed. The creature burst into thousands of shards, leaving behind only a loot screen. Oscar looted the fallen enemy and was happy to actually find loot. It was all deposited into his inventory and he headed back to town as quickly as he could. He really didn't want to get involved in anymore combat today. He just wanted to go pick up Gob-Gob from his shop, head home, and sleep in his soft bed. So he did just that. As soon as he made it back to town, he teleported down to the Town of Beginnings from the platform. Upon picking up Gob-Gob, he teleported back up to Deepedge and headed for home. He didn't bother to make anything to eat. As soon as he reached his house, he made a beeline for his bed and flopped down in it. Moments later, he was snoring peacefully.

Oscar decided to try the same trick again. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the jungle around him. His blade made a sharp scratching sound as he sheathed it, his hand lingering over the handle. Oscar listened until he heard the sound of the Leopard advancing. Then he struck. His blade carved through the leopard, leaving a nasty red gash on its flank. It tried to claw at Oscar again, but again he tossed it away. The critical hit had applied a Bleed effect to the enemy. He was definitely making progress. The Leopard would take 12 damage next turn and if both of them managed to land a hit, it was all over for the Leopard. Bleed, Thorns, and his Sword Art would be enough to put an end to this fight. Oscar tightened his grip, ready to end this fight and go home.

Oscar found his center and sheathed his blade. He closed his eyes, focusing not on the enemy, but his surroundings. He heard the calls of the birds, the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves, and the crash of water. Each of them blended together to create white noise when his eyes were open, but now that they were closed, he was keenly aware of each sound. He heard the patting of the Leopard's feet upon the dirt ground. His eyes snapped open and he drew his blade. Bloody Howl bit deep into the Leopard. It tried to claw at Oscar, but the sword buried in its shoulder kept it at bay. Using both hands, he flung the Leopard off his sword. It landed in a heap on the ground but then slowly rose to its feet. Oscar reaffirmed his grip on his blade and leveled the weapon with the Leopard. He was making progress now. Hopefully next turn would push him closer to victory.

After a beat, both Oscar and the Leopard charged at one another. Oscar sheathed his blade and attacked the Leopard with a drawing strike - Tsuji Kaze. But, unfortunately, the two of them were moving too fast to really get a clean hit on one another and they both missed their attacks. Oscar wheeled around and adopted his fighting stance again. His rage wasn't doing him any favors. He needed to get his mind right and focus. That was the only way he was going to win. That, or the Leopard Thorns-ing itself to death. Even if he relied on the latter, he still needed to focus. His health wasn't full and that made him nervous. Two missed attacks having almost halved his Energy Bar made him even more nervous. He couldn't afford to miss too many more attacks or else he'd be stuck with Basic Attacks for the rest of the engagement.

The mysterious form leaped from the shadows and pounced on Oscar. It clawed him across the chest before yelping in pain as Oscar's Armor of Thorns bit into it. Oscar quickly got to his feet, adrenaline numbing the pain. He drew his sword and leveled it at the enemy. He almost swore when he saw it was another leopard. In his anger, he let fly a wild Tsuji Kaze, which missed the creature was able to see coming a mile away. As a result it dodged out of the way. This combat was off to an awful start. Oscar had suffered a critical hit and missed his attack. He took a breath and calmed himself. Taking his blade in his hands, the leveled it at the enemy. Screw finding a material. He'd take it off this leopard's corpse, go home, and make a leopard dog for dinner. His eye seethed with rage as he stared the enemy down. This wasn't an enemy. This was lunch.

Oscar's exasperation grew as he feverishly searched for materials. He couldn't find anything to save his life. If Kayaba had come up and threatened him with instant death unless he produced a freshly-gathered material, Oscar would have just jumped off the cliff on the spot. He even doubled back towards where he fought the Gemini. Even then, he was unable to find any materials to use in crafting. He knew better than to let out another roar this far away from town. It was almost certain to attract an enemy and he really didn't want to fight. Even as he did this a pair of blue eyes watched him from the shadows, following his every move. Oscar didn't know it yet, but he was in for a fight whether he liked it or not. The eyes disappeared as a shadowy form slinked through the foliage, the rustling of leaves dampened by the sounds of the jungle.

Before he entered the town proper, Oscar wanted to scavenge for some more materials. He was running low and every little bit helped. Try as he might, Oscar couldn't find anything of note. He searched high and low, growing increasingly more frustrated with each passing second. Finally, he flopped down on the ground and let out an exasperated roar. "WHAT KIND OF JUNGLE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MATERIALS TO GATHER?" First the Leopard and now this. It was too much. He sat up and huffed, riding out the tail end of his tantrum. He couldn't let it get the better of him. He continued the search regardless. He wouldn't be satisfied until he found at least one crafting material. Until that happened, he refused to go home. Gob-Gob was probably making a mess of his shop, but he didn't care. He would have his materials even if it took him the entire night!

Oscar drew his blade again, using his final Tsuji Kaze. The Critical Hit also applied bleed. The Leopard yelped in pain and then burst into a shower of glass-like shards. He looted the enemy and was disappointed when he only found Col for his loot. He sighed dejectedly and sheathed his blade. That was about enough of that nonsense. He fought that hard for a pittance of loot and honestly, unless he was attacked first, he wasn't going to waste his time. He was content with what he had obtained so far. He was especially pleased that he would walk out of this quest with a new skill. His time adventuring on floor six was at an end. It was time to go back to his shop and update his stock. The town gates could be just barely made out in the distance. Soon he would be back on familiar ground. He couldn't wait to see Gob-Gob, who he'd left tending the shop. That little guy never failed to make him laugh.

Oscar sheathed his blade and then quickly drew it again. He sliced at the leopard, his blade whistling as it carved an arc through the air. It found its mark, biting into the Leopard's hide. The creature yelped and jumped back, pausing for a bit as it mimicked the sensation of being in pain. Then, it turned its sharp gaze back to Oscar. It lunged forward, clawing him across the chest. Oscar howled in pain as the claws dug deep into his flesh. Then, it dashed off behind him. Once the pain had subsided into a dull throbbing, Oscar turned and leveled his blade with the feline enemy. The two of them danced around each other, neither one wishing to take another hit due to the pain. Oscar, especially. That had really hurt. He tightened his grip on Bloody Howl. The next turn would decide the fight, he was sure of it.

Oscar heard a low growl behind him. He leaped up and whirled around, drawing his blade in one fluid motion. Without even looking at what it was, Oscar dealt a drawing strike to the Leopard. Tsuji Kaze dealt a healthy chunk of damage to the Leopard's HP bar. He repositioned, making sure his back wasn't to the ravine, as the Leopard dashed forward, attempting to claw him across the chest. He managed to dance out of the way of the blow and whir around to face the Leopard. He hoped the Leopard would go flying off the edge to its doom, but he wasn't that lucky. Oscar corrected his posture and grasped his blade firmly. He then slowly backed up, forcing the Leopard to follow him. This way, he would be away from the edge and away from falling to his death if he managed to completely botch his attack and bite the dust.

With the Gemini defeated and the quest complete, Oscar headed back towards town. The Gemini had disappeared shortly after the quest had ended, so there was no further dialogue between the two of them. Not that it was needed. It was kinda trippy to talk to himself like that. He was, however, hung up on the "I spare you" bit. It was almost symbolic. He was feeling much less depressed and suicidal these days. Perhaps this was him turning over a new leaf. "A man can hope."

He pushed onwards. Then, he decided to double back and head back to the vista he saw earlier. The roar of the waterfall could be heard even this far away. The loud crashing was music to his ears as he looked down the ravine to watch the dancing colors as the rainbow shifted and the fruits danced in the breeze. He could use a little rest while his health regenerated anyway. It simply wasn't a good idea to go traipsing through the jungle at half hit points.

And, just as he expected, the Gemini found its mark. Too bad it wasn't actually a reflection of Oscar or else it might have used a potion or held off on its attack. But, alas, it wasn't that smart. It's own AI did it in as it dealt a standard blow to Oscar, but depleted its own health bar in the process. It fell to one knee, stuck at one HP and began speaking. "You have bested me! Spare me and I shall confer knowledge of the <<Concentration>> skill. Or kill me and you will learn the <<Disguise>> skill. What do you choose?"

A window popped up in Oscar's field of view. <<Concentration>> increased his Accuracy by one for a single round, while <<Disguise>> increased his Evasion. It was a tough call, but Oscar didn't have the heart to kill someone that looked like him. So, as the Paralysis wore off, he sheathed his blade and said with a smile, "I spare you."

Oscar used yet another Tsuji Kaze on the Gemini. His blade cut deep into the enemy, a critical hit. This activated the Bleed Enhancement on Oscar's blade, adding additional unmitigated damage every turn for a short while. The Gemini moved to strike and the Bleed took effect, dealing a hefty 12 DMG to it. The Gemini struck and Oscar was frozen almost immediately. A yellow lightning bolt appeared on his debuff bar. He'd been paralyzed and suffered a critical hit. His health bar tanked a massive 40 damage, but he was still over half. Paralyze also didn't really hinder him that much. True, he couldn't attack next turn, but the Gemini's health was so low that if he managed to get a clean hit, then Thorns would end the fight. If he didn't, Bleed would knock him down into a range where a final Tsuji Kaze would put him down. 

Oscar sheathed his blade again, preparing to use another Sword Art. He stepped forward and lashed out with his weapon, carving a bloody arc through the air. His blade bit into the Gemini who danced backward and attempted to use an attack of his own. Oscar had put enough space between him and his opponent that he was able to spin out of the way. Dodging the attack activated Savvy, which would make him more accurate on his next turn. He corrected his footwork, planting himself firmly on the ground. Then, he grasped his blade firmly in his hands and maneuvered around the Gemini. The Gemini turned and mimicked Oscar's motions, but in reverse. The two of them circled one another in their deadly waltz, coiled to strike like fanged serpents. Each looked at one another, unblinking. Blinking provided an opportunity for the opponent to attack and neither one wanted to be on the receiving end of the other's blade again.

Oscar sheathed his blade and then used Tsuji Kaze. Despite using his most powerful Sword Art, Oscar only did a pitiful seven damage to the Gemini. The Gemini did considerably more than that and swung in for a health 32 damage. But, thanks to Oscar's Thorns and the Potion of Immolation he used, Oscar was able to match the Gemini's damage output. With his larger health pool and Mitigation, it looked as if it would only be three more turns before he was taken down. Oscar dropped back into his fighting stance, the sun glinting off of both Bloody Howls' keen edge. This battle would be decided in three turns if the Gemini could successfully hit Oscar. Although, since it was dependent on the Gemini dealing damage to him, if the Gemini was unable to hit him, this battle would drag on as Oscar whacked it for seven damage a turn. He truly, truly hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

His quest tracker led him to a grove of trees. The moment he stepped into the grove, the Gemini walked forward with a sly grin on his face. "Hope you're ready," he said. Then, he pulled off his cloak to reveal a carbon copy of Oscar, down to his sword and armor. This was more than a little trippy, but Oscar had to applaud Kayaba for the attention to detail. Then, all of a sudden, the Gemini attacked! He rushed forward, prompting Oscar to draw his blade and duck under the copy of Bloody Howl. He counterattacked with a thrust, but in his haste missed as well. The two stepped past each other and then turned on their heels to face their opponents. Even their stances were mimicked. Oscar pointed his blade at the Gemini and the Gemini pointed his blade at Oscar. Oh, this was going to be a tough fight.

Day 8

"Alright, thanks Mac!" Oscar accepted the Voucher to Macradon's shop before heading into the kitchen. It was time to get to work for the day. He worked like a culinary whirlwind, cranking out dishes faster than you could say "I'd like a Hot Dog, please." By the time the word "I'd" had left your lips, a hot dog was flying at you at Mach 4 speeds. When he finally stopped, he had a lot of duplicate crafts. But it was duplicate garbage. Only the best could go into his shop. Anything that wasn't at least rare quality went straight into the garbage can.

As Oscar neared the location marked on his map, he instead detoured further down the path he was following. The path came to an abrupt end next to a great ravine. He peered down into the Abyss and marveled at the sight. A great waterfall roared down into the gully. On each side it was flanked by trees with the most vibrant blossoms upon them. From this distance, he could even see a rainbow forming from the mist as the water crashed against the rocks below. He gave a calm smile and drank the vista in. As his energy ticked back up to full, he turned on his heels and headed to go fight The Gemini. Taking the small detour was well worth it. It gave him a sense of calm and serenity, two things that were much needed before going into a boss fight. It also gave him something to fight for. After all, if he died, then he wouldn't be able to see sights like that anymore.

Floor Six was just one big jungle biome. Like the real world, the dense foliage and thick brush hid myriad dangers. But it also obfuscated the millions upon millions of wonders. As Oscar strode through the narrow jungle path, a swarm of butterflies - bluest he'd ever seen - flew past him. They traveled up toward the canopy towards the sun and then disappeared, fluttering above the treetops and out of sight. Oscar smiled at the majesty of nature. He really needed to make a point to stop and smell the roses. He noticed a plant with bright blooms upon it. As he approached and moved his head closer, the blooms snapped at him. He leaped back and drew his sword, expecting a fight. But when the plant returned to its previous state, Oscar tentatively sheathed his blade and let out a relieved sigh. He noticed a petal from one of the blooms on the ground and picked it up. It may prove to be a useful crafting material. He was still resolved to stop and smell the roses. Just... from a distance.

Oscar drew his blade. With the Mountain Lion's HP so low, a single attack would do it in. But Oscar wanted to be sure. A pink aura winked into existence around Bloody Howl's ebon blade. Oscar stepped forward and sliced downward, the rose-colored aura tracing a line in a downward arc following the tip of his blade. Bloody Howl bit into the enemy and Oscar used the entire length of the blade in the slice to deal as much damage as possible. Then, he did the same attack, but in reverse. Han'ei was more than sufficient to end the Mountain Lion. Oscar looted his slain enemy, finding himself a mint in Col and Crafting Materials. He also found an unidentified piece of rare armor. It was of poorer quality than his own equipment, but perhaps he could hope for a Unique Enhancement. More important than that, however, was the fact he needed to regenerate his health and energy before fighting the Gemini. Perhaps he would take the scenic route to give himself time to get back to full resources.

 

Oscar sheathed his blade and continued his deadly waltz with the Mountain Lion. Twigs crunched under his feet with every step. His eyes remained locked on the Mountain Lion, unblinking. Blinking was weakness and weakness would get you attacked. The Mountain Lion blinked, and Oscar dashed in, drawing his blade and using the full length of his body for a long-ranged slice. His blade bit into the Mountain Lion, causing it to yelp in pain. Then, it dashed forward and sunk its claws into Oscar's leg before backing off. He winced in pain, but was thankful for the armor Bahr had made for him. It managed to absorb some of the damage. The Mountain Lion slinked backward, dropping down low. It's tail twitched as it eyed Oscar, making ready to pounce. Oscar dropped down low as well, his hand on his blade. One more blow would decide this battle. The Lion was on its last legs and Oscar still had quite a bit in the tank.