Oscar

One of the new faces, a man, walked right up to Oscar as he came round from the back. He got in Oscar's face, or tried to. Oscar towered over him like Goliath did David. Despite the height difference, the man didn't seem to be very concerned. "My friends here tell me you attacked them. What kind of pathetic orange player would attack a couple of level five noobs." The man - Chase - shoved him hard. But Oscar didn't budge. Once he planted his feet, he only moved when he wanted to. If his height wasn't intimidating, this was. He took a step back, wilting under Oscar's glare.

"I suppose they didn't tell you what actually happened. Your friends there made a game out of tricking people into going Orange on them and killing them with no consequences. It seemed like they'd done it quite a bit. I'm just surprised they have actual friends willing to go to bat for them. They're garbage people."

Oscar decided to head down to the Town of Beginnings and check on his shop. Leeroy & Jenkins padded along behind him. He strode through the streets of Deepedge and made his way to the teleportation platform. Once there, he stepped onto the stone dias and was gone in a flash of light. Oscar then meandered through the streets, taking his usual route of twists and turns before finally arriving at his shop. He unlocked the door and headed inside. It was time to get put some work in. Before took long, he heard the bell above his door ding. He had a customer. He peered out from the back and saw that a crowd of people had arrived. Why were they here? Was it some sort of celebration? No. Because they saw him and a sneer appeared on their faces. He recognized two of them. Loman and Esker, the two PKers he had thwarted a few days prior. Oscar sighed. Here we go again.

"It took a lot of penny-pinching, I assure you. I went hungry more than a few nights. That's kinda why I'm a cook. This way I can make my own food!" Oscar laughed. The hike was beginning to wear on him. It was probably time to stop and rest. He found an outcropping of rocks and started setting up a campfire to make them a rudimentary meal. Stew was the dish of the day, not hot dogs. He figured Cordelia would be quite grateful for that. He even filled a kettle with crappy camp coffee since he knew she enjoyed it so much. As it all started to boil, Oscar sat down on a rock, stirring the stew occasionally.

"You know, my offer still stands. It's really hard to live in a house that big by yourself. It's just me and the boys right here. I certainly would appreciate your company." He had said "your" company. As in Cordelia's company specifically. It wasn't as if anyone would do. He could certainly see himself rooming with Bahr, but the man already had his own place. Cordelia didn't. Why not share what he had with someone he enjoyed being around?

Hot on Bahr's heels, Oscar dashed in. He stopped just shy of Zylara and drew his blade. His arm moved like a bolt of lightning, merely a blue blur as he whipped up a powerful gale. The wind shear cut into Zylara and sent the hatchling flying backwards into a nearby tree. The impact depleted its pitiful amount of remaining health and it shattered like glass upon the wood. Oscar and Cordelia would receive a loot interface which would reward them with <<Zylara's Quartz>>. This would be the second gemstone out of the series that they would need to complete the quest chain. Oscar sheathed his blade and turned to Bahr with a smile. "You almost had it there. Good thing I was here to clean up." He chuckled and slapped Bahr on the back. The guy was twice as strong as he was, but Oscar was still going to mess with him a little bit. 

"Nor should you be expected to be. It's a lot of pressure to put yourself in charge of everyone's safety. But the man who raised me once said that 'it takes brass balls to show compassion.' Kindness isn't a weakness."

He saw her pause when he mentioned that she was a fine person. For just a brief moment, he wondered if she had taken it the wrong way. Oscar was relieved when she spoke again, changing the subject to something else entirely. She inquired about what he had done for the past two years. "I mostly spent most of my time cobbling together all the Col I could to buy a house. I'd do odd jobs in the Town of Beginnings. After two years of saving up, I managed to snag a Manor up on Floor 7 and add some rooms to it. That was around the time I really started training."

This fight was over! Oscar stepped in and whipped up a whirlwind of epic proportions. This one caused the golem to buckle and it was soon dashed apart by the razor-sharp wind shear. It shattered like glass against the stone. Oscar opened up the Loot Interface and accepted his hard-earned rewards. It wasn't anything spectacular, but he certainly appreciated the Col and materials. They would be added to his house and crafting funds. Oscar sheathed his blade and sat down next to his familiar, absentmindedly petting the creature behind the ears again while his energy regenerated. The beast's tongue lolled to the side as Oscar petted it, eventually exposing its belly. Oscar acquiesced to the belly rubs once more and began playfully scratching the creature's underbelly. As Oscar sat there, he tried to decide whether or not he wanted to go for another fight.

Oscar rushed forward and used Haku Senpu again. The powerful whirlwind generated by the attack tore through the air towards the Marble Golem. This time, the attack found its mark. He cracked a smile as deep gashes were carved into the stone hide of the golem. Oscar hopped backwards in the nick of time to try and prevent himself from getting hit. He was successful in evading. He kept his sword arm steady and pointed his blade towards the Golem. He would be ending this fight with one final sword art. He focused harder, narrowing his eyes again so the only thing in his field of view was the massive stature of the Golem. It was time to end this. Oscar took a deep breath, preparing for the final round of combat. No more missing. No more mistakes. He just wanted to finish this fight already. It had already dragged on for a turn too long.

Oscar rushed forward and used Haku Senpu again. The powerful whirlwind generated by the attack tore through the air towards the Marble Golem. And missed entirely. Oscar swore and clicked his tongue as the golem raised a mighty fist. Oscar hopped backwards in the nick of time to try and prevent himself from getting hit. He was successful in evading, which activated his Savvy enhancement. He was thankful for that at least. After the last hit he took, he definitely didn't want to take another from the golem. It hurt like heck! He steadied his sword arm and pointed his blade towards the Golem. He wouldn't be missing anymore. That was just far too embarrassing. He focused up, narrowing his eyes so the only thing in his field of view was the massive stature of the Golem. It was time to get to get back to work. The Golem had gotten lucky once. It wouldn't happen again.

His energy had regenerated to full once more. With that brief reprieve out of the way, he decided it was time to throw himself back into the fray. The Marble Golem from before had respawned, so he could think of no better target.. Oscar drew Bloody Howl from its scabbard and rushed in. He delivered a barrage of slices that kicked up a whirlwind. The wind shear would carve into the golem's rocky hide, tearing away dust and debris. The golem reared back to strike but Oscar had already retreated backwards. The mighty fist of the stone creature collided with the ground and sent stone flying in all directions. Like before, he took the time to be consciously thankful that he wasn't on the receiving end of that particular punch. He was at his peak right now. He'd battled the Amphis Serpens and the other golem already. He was completely warmed up and ready for fighting. This wouldn't take long at all.

His familiar returned with the stick in both mouths and placed it down in front of Oscar. The cerberus shimmied and jumped, barking loudly until Oscar threw it again. Then they would dash off after it. They repeated this pattern for quite some time until the familiar had gotten itself ample exercise. Then, it curled back up on the rock and went back to sleep, leaving a slobber-covered stick on the ground at Oscar's feet. Oscar smiled and let his familiar rest. The golem would respawn soon, so it was time to get ready. He probably had enough in him for one more kill before it was time to head home for the evening. This had already been a successful outing so anything extra at this point was just icing. He'd finished a goal he set and earned some Col for his troubles. That was the very definition of a successful day he could take pride in.

A low growl from Jenkins told Oscar that they had had enough pets. Although Jenkins was done, Leeroy was disappointed when Oscar snapped his hand away from the creature and placed it on his lap. Much to Jenkins' chagrin, Leeroy moved his head over to Oscar's lap, demanding more pets behind the ears. Oscar chuckled and obliged, making sure to give Leeroy all the attention he desired. As it turned out, all the attention Leeroy desired was all the attention that Oscar would be willing to give him. The hound loved pets and soon began playfully licking Oscar's face. Oscar began to laugh heartily, trying to fend off the hound from assaulting him with his long, sticky tongue anymore. But it was all in vain. Oscar was covered in slobber before he could calm Leeroy down. But now Leeroy wanted to play. Oscar picked up a large stick and threw it with all of his might. The twin-headed Cerberus bolted off after it, both Leeroy and Jenkins chasing down the stick with equal gusto.

It was time for the killing blow! Oscar stepped in and whipped up a whirlwind of epic proportions. This one caused the golem to buckle and it was soon dashed apart by the razor-sharp wind shear. It shattered like glass against the stone. Oscar opened up the Loot Interface and accepted his hard-earned rewards. It wasn't anything spectacular, but he certainly appreciated the Col and materials. They would go a long way towards his goal of fully upgrading his house. Oscar sheathed his blade and sat down next to his familiar, absentmindedly petting the creature behind the ears as he waited for his Energy to regenerate. The beast's tongue lolled to the side as Oscar petted it, eventually exposing its belly. Oscar acquiesced to the belly rubs and began playfully scratching the creature's underbelly. The dog began to do the thing with its leg that all dogs do, eliciting a smile from its owner.

Oscar rushed in again, delivering another Haku Senpu to the golem. The gust of wind carved deeper into the golem's hide, prying free even more dirt and debris from its craggy form. Anticipating the oncoming attack, Oscar dodged to the left. This proved to be a big mistake because the movement put him right in the path of the golem's fist. It collided with Oscar's side and sent him flying. The Azure Crusader landed in a heap and rolled over on his back. The wind had been knocked out of him with a single punch. The golem advanced, but Oscar quickly rose to his feet. The moment he was upright, the Golem stopped. Oscar hung back outside of striking distance while he tried to catch his break. The attack hadn't done too much, but it certainly felt like it had. Finally, with his breath back in his lungs, he faced the golem and made ready to deliver the final blow.

His energy had regenerated to full. So now it was time to get to work. Oscar came across a golem made of pure marble. It was smaller than the Greater Golems that he had been fighting but it was still at a slightly higher level. Oscar drew Bloody Howl from its scabbard and rushed in. He delivered a barrage of slices that kicked up a whirlwind. The wind shear would carve into the golem's rocky hide, tearing away dust and debris. The golem reared back to strike but Oscar had already retreated backwards. The mighty fist of the stone creature collided with the ground and sent stone flying in all directions. He sure was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that particular punch. It seemed really nasty. He pointed his blade at the golem and made ready for the second round. After his workout with the Amphis Serpens, Oscar was feeling loose. He had this fight in the bag.

It was time to get up and get going. Oscar had sat down so long that he leg was falling asleep. He still had to double back to where the higher-leveled Golems spawned in. In the interim, Oscar would try to hunt down some crafting materials. There wasn't a whole lot of things he could craft that benefited him if they were a higher tier. Mitigation food was about the only thing. So he really needed Tier 1 Materials if he wanted to get his shop stocked anytime soon. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything useful despite searching high and low for something. He was a bit dejected, but he was almost to the Golems. He was getting about tired of fighting them, but they were familiar and he knew their moves. Therefore, they were his go-to targets until he leveled up to a point that he couldn't grind them anymore. As he approached his usual farming area, Leeroy and Jenkins knew what was up and curled up on a rock. They would doze peacefully as they waited for their master to finish his daily grind.

Now it was time to wait on his energy to regenerate. His most favorite part of any adventure is where it stops because he doesn't have the EN necessary to continue fighting enemies. He groan and sat upon a rock as the blue bar ticked upward at an achingly slow rate. He just wanted to have some fun to day. Waiting on his energy was the very antithesis of "fun." Oscar understood that it was an intended game mechanic and that managing your Energy was a skill that had to be mastered. But that didn't mean that he had to like it. It was a good thing that he loved the scenery so much. He could sit here and watch the clouds for hours. No two clouds ever seemed to be exactly the same. Which was saying something because the skyboxes in most games that had no effort put into them. It was refreshing to see. Kayaba really had tried to get this game as close to the real world as possible.

Oscar delivered the final blow. The wind whipped up from Haku Senpu cleaved the creature in twain. The bisected serpent fell to the ground and shattered into a thousand fractal pieces. Oscar sheathed his blade and smiled. That was definitely a good workout. He sat down on a rock and began to let his energy regenerate. He still had plenty of daylight left. So why not go ahead and get some grinding done while all of these buffs were still active. He added one more buff to the list. He devoured a Super Prosperous Hot Dog to increase the amount of Col he got from drops. The Amphis Serpens wasn't high enough level to drop loot, but it still posed more of a challenge than the monsters that would. He attributed that to its absolutely insane mitigation - something most monsters didn't have. Oscar rose from his seat and began to wander about looking for an enemy to defeat.

Oscar felt like a broken record with how much he was spamming Haku Senpu. But it was the only Sword Art he had that could deal damage through the boss's Mitigation. He whipped up another whirlwind which slammed into the Amphis Serpens. Each blade of wind cut deep into the creature's hide. It was on its last... belly now. The serpent struck, but missed Oscar by a mile. He hopped back and made ready to deal the final blow. He was certainly glad that he waited to gather up as many buffs as possible before taking on the Amphis Serpens. He wasn't certain he could have pulled it off if he hadn't stacked all those buffs together. By his estimation, it would have taken almost seven uses of Haku Senpu to bring the beast down with his base stats and he only had the energy for five. But now, here he was, with a little over half energy, ready to deal the final blow to the creature.

Oscar affirmed his grasp on his weapon and swung the blade about wildly. The wild slices resulted in a strong whirlwind being generated. The wind shear was razor sharp and cut deep into the serpent's hide. Enraged by this, the serpent lashed out and sank its venomous fangs into Oscar's shoulder. A critical hit. He could feel the venom searing through his veins. For all of one second, that is. Thanks to the Negation Dog he ate, the poison was cleared from his status bar and the Antioxidants effect disappeared. It was quite fortuitous that he had thought to eat the Negation Dog before coming here. He just had to make a point not to get hit like that again if at all possible. He definitely didn't want to see what the serpent's poison could really do. The beast was well under half health now. He could end it in two rounds if he stayed focused on the task at hand. No sense worrying about the poison now.

Oscar knew exactly where to look for the boss. It was an area he had avoided like the plague ever since he set up residence on this floor. Also, it was marked in his Quest Tracker, which made things super easy. He heard a loud hissing behind him as he entered the area. The two-headed Amphis Serpens loomed high over him. Oscar drew his blade and immediately jumped into the fight. The serpent's body kicked up much sand and debris, which made it harder for him to hit and dodge. Luckily, Oscar had eaten a food buff that dealt with that issue. Haku Senpu whipped up a powerful whirlwind that carved deep gashes into the creature's hide. A Critical Hit! He watched as the creature's health bar had a healthy chunk removed from it due to the attack. The boss reared back and tried to sink it's fangs into Oscar, but he spun out of the way in the nick of time. This was a good start to this battle.

There was a boss on Floor Seven that Oscar had wanted to take out for a while. Unfortunately, it was a touch too strong for him. But now, he felt he could do it. First things first, however. He needed buffs. He downed a Focused Elusive Hot Dog for plus two to his accuracy and plus one to his evasion. Then came the Hearty Meal for some extra Mitigation, a Burning Edge Potion, an Overhealth Potion, and finally a Negation Dog. It was probably far too many buffs, but Oscar believed in being thorough. With that done, Oscar headed out. Leeroy & Jenkins padded along behind him. He was ready to hit Tier 2 already. That meant challenging himself. The Amphis Serpens would be the perfect test. It resided right in his backyard. He he couldn't let that pass. Floor Seven was his favorite floor and thus the field boss had to go. He looked to his familiar and smiled. "Alright buddy, let's do this thing." 

HEARTY MEAL CONSUMED - +15 MIT
FOCUSED ELUSIVE HOT DOG CONSUMED - +2 ACC + 1 EVA
BURNING EDGE POTION CONSUMED - +2 DMG
NEGATION DOG CONSUMED - ANTIOXIDANTS APPLIED
YUI'S GRACE CONSUMED - +1 SP TO THREAD
T1 OVERHEALTH POTION CONSUMED - +15 HP
 

Oscar had run low on his trusty Chili Dogs. As such, he was searching for a new way to boost his damage. That's when he noticed it. There was an alchemist on the same floor as his shop. He was absolutely giddy with excitement as he perused the stock. True enough, there were three Burning Edge Potions - all with the Damage enhancement - in stock. Oscar immediately slapped 1200 Col down and walked away with enough damage boosts for several outings. He'd have to make a point to frequent this establishment. Alchemist damage buffs were way better than a Cook's

-1200 Col
+3 Burning Edge Potions

Oscar could get behind her line of thinking. Other than the constant looming threat of death and being forced to stay here, there wasn't much to worry about. No bills to pay, no job to go to. It was kinda liberating. He still wanted to go home, but there was simply no way he would have this kind of adventure back home. Perhaps it would be best to focus on enjoying the ride. Oscar chuckled and shook his head. "You have a point. Responsibilities are almost nil here. I'm only responsible for keeping myself and the people next to me alive. It's definitely not the worst thing I ever did." He was beginning to move past his initial infatuation, caught off guard by the sudden wisdom offered by the blonde-haired girl to his left. But he couldn't help but notice that she skirted the question. Perhaps she didn't like talking about what she was in the real world. Oscar was forthcoming with the information regarding his past, but a lot of people were more tight-lipped about it. He wanted to address it, but didn't want to press her for any information that she wasn't willing to offer on her own. Without taking his eyes off of where they were going, he spoke. "You were really vague about your past though. You don't have to go into any detail, but I just want you to know that it's not going to change my opinion of you. I think you're a fine person regardless."

Oscar took a deep breath. It was a bit of a sore subject, even after all this time. But if he wanted anyone to know, it would be her. "I was a social worker. I worked with at-risk youth in the inner city. These kids had it rough. But I'm proud to say that with my help, a lot of them were able to move past their circumstances. It was hard work. Really emotional work. But in the end, it was worth it." Oscar left out the parts about Tyson. He didn't really particularly want to dredge that up again. So he shifted the subject. "How about you? What were you in the real world? If I had to hazard a guess, I'd probably say a model or something. You're really quite stunning." He almost stopped dead in his tracks. How could he have been so cavalier about that. The best thing to do was to let it ride, but it was such a difficult thing to do. All he could do was hope she didn't read too much into it.

That's cute, Oscar thought as the dumb grin spread across her face. He chuckled at her last quip about the Survival skill. "If only we didn't have to brave the God-awful heat to put it to good use!" He frowned at the thought of braving the heat of the beast's lair. But once he was in a fight, that would probably be disregarded. Especially because of the Survival skill preventing him from taking any actual damage. Which reminded him. He pulled out a Negation Dog and handed it to Cordelia. "Sorry it's a Hot Dog. I made it to sell in my shop, but I think it'll be of use here. I enhanced it with Antioxidants, which will negate some Damage-Over-Time effects. Might be useful fighting a fiery three-headed dog." He had another two he could use, which meant they could go into the cave fully buffed and ready to rock. "Let's get going then!" And off he marched.