MISERY

Bleed did the rest, leaving only two to stand in MISERY's path. The scythe founds its way into one of them and ripped its exoskeleton open with a red gash, allowing its contents to spill from the fresh wound and drain its health bar further. Judging by the amount of damage that had been inflicted so far, it seemed as though it would fall in similar fashion to the last. There was no reason to pay it any more mind. 

That left the final bee, which had managed to make it this far without losing a single molecule of its health. Curious that the others had fallen, yet this one had come away unscathed. There was no question that it, too, would meet its end - whether by reflected damage, bleed, or MISERY's own hand. One way or another, it was going down, and MISERY would be the one to reap the rewards.
 

The mobs seemed more tenacious, too. There was never a moment that a member of the swarm wasn't buzzing in his ear, trying to sap away his health to no avail. It was equally as annoying as it was sad. What did they hope to accomplish against a being such as MISERY? If they had known what was best for them, they would be fleeing from him. 

But they were mobs. And they behaves as mobs would behave. Stupidly. Self destructively. There was less buzzing going about the interior of their skulls than there was emanating from their hideous wings. 

They knew not what the future held. How they and their brethren would inevitably bend to his whims. It was better that way, in the end. Why spoil it for them? They would come to understand the true nature of their reality, and their new master, in due time.

Another cleave from the scythe, and another bee was reduced to dangerously low health.
 

As usual, the damage inflicted by the mobs was minuscule. The damage they took back as a result of their insolence was far greater.

Perhaps it was time to test out the new scythe he had recently acquired. Yes, that sounded lovely.

The amalgamation of bones protruded suddenly from beyond the bloody veil, raking their blade across one of the bees' exoskeleton. MISERY wasn't quite sure how it was possible to made an insect "bleed," but he'd somehow managed it. Its HP ticked away, one painstaking value at a time. Enraged, it flew it and sank its stinger into the miserable concoction that shrouded the masked man, plunging the remainder of its health into oblivion.

The loot here was much better than it had been on the first floor, MISERY decided. He was fortunate that he'd decided to take the time to hunt here. Surely he'd walk away with some interesting artifacts as a result.
 

He'd assembled all of the pieces he needed to ensure that everything went off without a hitch. With a variety of items procured with the explicit purpose of making the taming process easier, MISERY was confident that he wouldn't run into too much trouble. That was never a certainty, however, as this quest in particular was notorious hard. 

He'd found the gypsy. She'd seemed a bit perplexed when he explained the type of familiar he was going after, but nonetheless handed over the honey. With the item acquired, he got to work setting things up for the main event. Used the Spyglass. Consumed the Pheromones. Played the Familiar Sight. Everything was in place, and now all he needed to do was find them.

In the meantime, however, he could occupy himself with the larger mobs that roamed about. Such as the small swarm of bees that rested just before him. He stepped out into the pack, drew their aggro, and the battle had begun.

Pheromones consumed. (+1 CD when taming familiar)
Familiar Sight used. (+2 LD when searching for familiar)
Spyglass used. (Reduces the number of posts needed to search for familiar by 5)
 

There it was. The final piece of the puzzle. All that MISERY had had left to procure was something to boost his luck. And in this hole-in-the wall shop clutched by the ghetto of the Town of Beginnings, he found it. The Gloves of Caerus. They were simple, but that didn't matter. What was truly important was the effect that they would have on his quest. As he didn't see the shop owner around, who was most likely in the back of the shop working on crafts, MISERY simply scooped up the item and... "forgot" to pay. 

There was no security. No cameras. And even the Tracking Skill would be useless if the shopkeep never saw MISERY. It was almost too easy. Like stealing candy from a baby.

With the gloves in hand, he made his way out of the shop before the shopkeep emerged from beyond the door.

Gloves of Caerus acquired. (+3 LD)

MISERY had had no illusions about the quality of the Blacksmith's work, but he hadn't anticipated the speed. It seemed that slithering through town and evading the guards had been worth it after all.

"Your work is quick, and of superior quality. I'm sure I will be back again soon."

With that, he procured the items and stashed them away in his inventory. He took another brief glance around the shop, keeping an eye out for anything that might aid him in his quest, but didn't see anything particularly alluring. He'd gotten what he'd come for, and now it was time to depart. Lingering didn't do anybody any good.

The same way he'd come in was how he exited. His form slinked and congealed into a muddled mass on the floor that snaked its way beneath the door and back out onto the streets.

Blood Veil acquired. (MIT | MIT | Thorns)
Unsettling Mask acquired. (Thorns | Regen | Regen)

Ceres would find that the cloak MISERY wore wasn't a cloak at all. The tar-like liquid would slip between her fingers and fall, splatter against the floor, then slowly crawl back to reunite with the rest. MISERY, of course, ignored her ignorantly forward demeanor and remained steadfastly in place. She new not the dangers she threatened to intertwine into her life.

"I don't suppose you'd be considering selling something like that?"

There were other words that whirled around the inquiry, but MISERY paid them no heed. An opportunity had just presented itself. 

"I may be willing to part with it, if you'll do me a favor," MISERY replied, voice heavily modulated through the mask he wore. "Send me a message so I'll know how to get in contact with you. When the time is right, I will call on your aid." 

With that, he issued a small nod to Ceres, collected his items, and left the shop behind.

Ruby Life acquired. [T1 - Trinket] (Life Mending 1 | Keen 1)
Fleeting Prosperity acquired. [T1 - Trinket] (+1 ACC | Prosperity 1)
Invenient acquired. [T1 - Trinket] (+1 LD | Taunt 1)
Admordeo acquired. [T1 - 2HBA] (Bleed 2)

Like cosmic ooze, MISERY poured into the shop. He hadn't even bothered opening the door. Rather, he slid beneath it, his shape indistinguishable from a puddle of viscous tar. It wasn't the most convenient way to travel, but with a fresh orange cursor and guards afoot, he couldn't afford to maneuver around the city without the use of stealth any longer. It just so happened that his version of stealth was... unorthodox.

A discount for beginners? How convenient. MISERY would be a fool not to take advantage of that.

Ah. It was only for materials. A shame.

His sludge-like form slowly materialized into that of a cloaked man as he approached the counter, taking the order forms and scribbling his commission onto them. With the scraps of paper, he left the col necessary to complete the transaction. By his estimation, he owed no more than 4800 col, but left 5000 instead. Half as a courtesy, half for discretion.

"I'll stay until they are finished, if you won't mind,"MISERY stated flatly, remaining unmoving from his position at the counter.

5000 col sent to Macradon.
 

QUEST COMPLETED

MISERY Rewards
{Killer Route followed}
3 SP
15200 col
Cassim's Golden Ring [T1] (LD | LD | +1 Stealth Rating)

Cordelia Rewards
{Hero Route followed}
3 SP
15200 col

Reluctantly, Ali obliged. After taking a moment to ruffle through his pack, he produced two sacks of gold and placed them into the hands of his hired mercenaries. It looked as though he had something to say, but instead, he turned and began walking toward the door. At its threshold he stopped, turned and looked back at the pair, then shook his head and departed.

"That's the end of that," stated MISERY. He turned to face her. "And the end of this, I suppose. Thank you, again. And goodbye."

It was time for him to depart as well. He followed the same path that Ali had taken to exit the tavern, not bothering to look back at Cordelia. He, in all likelihood, probably only had seconds before the mirage surrounding his cursor broke. So he stepped outside, produced a crystal. Whisked away on the breeze, and left Cordelia alone to ponder the outcome of their journey.

There were few things that one could not acquire in this world, so long as they had the coin. Pleasure, company, power, even love. But MISERY had no need to purchase such things. Only the artifacts necessary to facilitate his wicked machinations.

One item in particular caught his eye. A Spyglass, with which he could cut through the veil of mystery and locate the object of his desires. He picked up the item, turned his masked face toward the woman running the shop, and silently produced the col necessary to buy it.

"There are also these," he added, placing a collection of items on the counter alongside the col he'd dropped. There was nothing spectacular about them, but they were a start. One didn't reach their final form overnight.

Items to Identify

Spyglass purchased.
2400 col sent to Ceres.

It was important that MISERY procured the artifacts he would need from the Town of Beginnings before it was too late to do so. Despite his proficiency in the way of stealth, he knew it would be foolish to venture within the walls after his cursor had turned orange. In accordance with this sentiment, he found himself in the gallant knight's pharmacy, perusing his wares in the hopes of finding something he needed desperately.

And there it was. Pheromones, a special concoction that would make acquiring a familiar significantly easier. Without saying a word, he scooped up the precious resource, placed the materials needed for payment on the counter, and strode out the door.

4 Materials (T1) paid
Pheromones acquired

She shrugged at him and scowled, though MISERY knew that she couldn't possibly discern his expression. He simply stood on, motionless, before issuing a curt nod. "Looks like we're done here," he stated flatly before taking steps forward and past her. "I thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you. But..." He stopped. "I'm on a time crunch. I hope you understand."

They made their way back to the tavern in relative silence. Ali's face lit up when he saw them enter, but the smile faltered as he realized it was them, and only them. Had MISERY the heart of a typical person, he'd find it gripped and wrenched by the expression. Even more so, knowing he was the reason. But beneath his mask, where he knew no prying eyes could see, he grinned. Crookedly, heinously. He knew the pain he had caused. And though Ali was nothing more than a packet of data, that expression of guilt and dread and mourning brought serendipity and happiness and glee to MISERY's.

Oh, what a monster he'd become.

"We found evidence that they held him, but he was gone by the time we got there," MISERY informed Ali. "Like I said. You shouldn't have expected good news."

It seemed that MISERY had underestimated just how unstable this woman was. Was she talking to her sword? And flipping it off? MISERY had seen many strange things in his life, both inside and outside Aincrad, but seldom did he come across a character so mentally disjointed. Even as a killer, he felt his mind was more intact than hers. And that was saying something.

She'd only killed one of the bandits, though, and another waited in the wings. MISERY certainly wasn't going to fight it. No, it would chop him into bite-sized morsels in an instant. It would be best to wait until she'd dispatched it herself. "Missed a spot," he gibed, gesturing toward the remaining mob. He had no doubt that this would anger his partner, but perhaps she could redirect the energy from that rage into their final foe so they could move onward.

In the meantime, he idly thumbed the ring he had acquired beneath the veil, out of sight. It wasn't a nervous tick, though he was nervous. He didn't have much longer until his orange cursor revealed itself. But keeping his hand steady on his prize made stomaching the unease a bit easier.

"Certainly. I'll let you lead the way," he replied, crooked grin hidden behind his mask. It seemed that, for now at least, his rouse had been successful. Now they just needed to make their way out of the cave and back to Ali. They'd collect their rewards, part ways, and never speak of this again. Hopefully.

The trek back to the entrance of the cave took about as long as the trek inward had taken. No words were shared between the pair as they marched back. No words needed to be shared. MISERY could feel Cordelia's discomfort and skepticism. But from what he had gleaned in the small time they had known each other, he knew that she wouldn't attack him outright without an evidence. They just needed to part ways before his vanity shield for his cursor expired.

Easier said than done. There were thieves patrolling up ahead. "Looks like we've got company. Would you like to do the honors?" MISERY inquired, gesturing toward the mobs with a bob of his head.

Caged like an animal, he found Cassim at the end of the tunnel.

"Oh, thank God! I knew someone would come for me!" the imprisoned man exclaimed as he rose to his feet and clutched the iron bars. "I promise, you won't regret this! We have coin, and much of it!'

MISERY remained silent as he strode past the cell and to a ring of keys hanging on an adjacent wall, a bony appendage protruding from beyond his bloody veil and scooping them up before retracting back and out of sight.

"What is your name?" Cassim beckoned. "Please, I must know who it is that has saved me."

There was no response. MISERY approached the cage, unlocked it, and allowed the crooked door of the cell to slowly roll open of its own accord. Cassim started to move to exit his cell, but stopped and issued a perplexed look to MISERY as he stood in the way, unmoving. His eyes widened as the reality of the situation dawned on him and, in a swift gleam, found a talon of pure bone. It sank deep into his stomach, and in a flash, his health was depleted. Before his body disintegrated, a real hand, pale and sickly, extended from beyond the cloak of blood, snatching the ring that rode Cassim's finger. Then, he scattered as the verdant of MISERY's cursor shifted to a deep tangerine.

It was a few minutes longer before Cordelia arrived. It was plenty of time for the azure fractals of Cassim's body to fully evaporate, MISERY to hide the ring, and use a unique consumable that hid the fresh orange of his new cursor. To the trained eye, one might see the occasion flicker of orange beyond the green mask, but they would be none the wiser if they weren't looking for it.

Finally, she arrived.

"Either he escaped, or they killed him already," MISERY explained, lying through his teeth. "I won't lie, I would have loved the opportunity to slay him myself. But it seems as though that opportunity, too, has slipped through my fingers." A pause. "Do you think Ali will still pay us?"

At long last, he'd managed to get away. It was helpful that Cordelia had eradicated the rest of the poor whelps, forcing him to turn his attention to his soon-to-be assailant. It gave MISERY the opportunity he needed to slink away.

The cave was a rather long one, multiple branching paths splintering off from the main corridor. MISERY was assured that these were distractions for the completionist, rather than a guessing game of which tunnel to follow to find Cassim, by the torches that lit the main walkway. Because of its impressive length, it was a bit of a journey, but MISERY didn't mind. A leisurely stroll before a cold murder always felt nice.

Speaking of, that looked like the end of the tunnel up ahead. MISERY hadn't spotted Cassim yet, but he knew he was closing the distance. Very soon, he would have the object of his wicked desires in the palm of his hand.

Stealth IDs: 135862
LD: 17
Result: Success

No matter which way he undulated, shimmered, or crawled, the thief's attention remained steadfast on MISERY. Was it because he was still paralyzed that he could divert such acute attention to the viscous shape shifter? The true answer eluded MISERY. But as another of the thieves fell, he felt competent that his new "partner" would free him up soon enough.

She hadn't even seemed to notice that he'd slithered past them. Too wrapped up in combat, perhaps? Not that it mattered. It was better this way. If MISERY could get to the end of the cave and kill Cassim before she arrived, he could simply tell her that he'd found the man that way. Then they could each go on their merry way and never think about each other ever again.

That was the hope, at least. Only time would tell how this whole situation would play out, and whether MISERY could acquire the treasure of his desires.

Stealth IDs: 135853
LD: 3
Result: Failure
MD: Paralyzed

As the fight broke out, MISERY became very quickly and acutely aware of how under leveled he was for an exchange such as this. Luckily, it seemed his more experienced counterpart had things handled. If he took advantage of the situation now, while they were distracted, he could slink past the grouping of thieves and make his way into the cave.

In accordance with this, his viscous body began to morph. He became a puddle on the floor, quite literally, and began to slither along. Like a shadow with a mask, he snaked his way between the feet of their adversaries and past. Despite how elusive MISERY was, it seemed that one of the mobs managed to notice the bizarre spectacle, his visage crossing with confusion and fear as his paralyzed frame shook in an effort to avoid the black mass that was approaching him. Then, a sigh of relief as MISERY slid beyond.

MISERY knew that he would still need to slip out of that mob's site before he could fully continue, at least if he didn't want anyone following him into the cave. But it was a good start, and the other mobs seemed none the wiser.

Stealth IDs: 135845, 135847, 135848
LDs: 20, 5, 13
Results: Success, Failure, Success
MD: Paralyzed

QUEST COMPLETED

Rewards
2 SP
870 col
11 Materials (T1)
Familiar Sight
Performer Profession
Standard Performer Shop

Loot

"Back so soon!" Alyssa marveled as MISERY strode through the threshold of the studio. It seemed almost comical that she seemed completely oblivious to MISERY's cryptic choice of clothing or icy demeanor. Such was the condition of NPCs, he supposed. "Are you ready to begin? Now that we have the materials, it's time to see what your voice can really do!"

"I don't think so," shot MISERY, his gravely voice modulated through the mask he wore. "I'm not a singer."

He eyed the piano in the corner of the room. It was dusty and unused, seemingly forgotten by Alyssa and the players that occasionally took the quest. A single appendage of pure bone poked from beyond the veil of black and red toward the ancient instrument. "I believe that will suffice."

As he sat down, he could feel the familiarity. He had no recollection of ever playing a piano before, but he knew that he had. He could feel it. His true hands extended forth and gently kissed the keys, before a melody began to take shape. It was dark, foreboding, and beautiful in its own sinister way. By the time it had concluded, a crystal remained in its wake. A perfect craft.

"Thank you for allowing me to procure this talent. Feel free to keep the remainder of the materials I provided for you," MISERY stated flatly before proceeding to the door.

It was all coming together. One piece at a time.

Crafting ID: 135844
CD: 12
Familiar Sight Crafted

There it was. The last shreds of its health completely obliterated. And not a moment too soon, judging by the rapidly diminishing light. MISERY inspected the loot screen, dismissed it, then started on his merry way back to the town. 

It didn't take him long to reach it, and he wasn't accosted by any more mobs on his way there. It seemed that he had fulfilled the day's work, and Aincrad was now smiling its graces down upon him. It seemed that even an entity so malevolent as Cardinal was willing to cut its denizens some slack every now and again. Which was fortunate, because MISERY was certain that he wouldn't have fared so well against another grouping of ravenous animals or flora.

The walk back to the studio would be a long one, considering the town's size, but it was a journey he could take in stride. Safely. Beyond the prying eyes and sharp tusks and stinging nettles of the mobs of the fields.

IDs: 135842
BDs: 3
Results: Miss
MDs: 8
Results: Hit
DMG to MISERY: 1 | HP: 7/20 | EN: 0/2
9 DMG reflected against Plant 3
Loot ID: 135843 | CD: 9 | LD: 10 = 60 col  and 2 Materials (T1) and 1 Rare Trinket (T1)
Plant 1: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 2: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 3: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 4: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG

Things were going spectacularly now. One of the plants lashed out, took the reflected damage, and perished. Reduced to nothing more than azure dust that was carried along on the breeze. It had had more health than its remaining counterpart, but had squandered it flippantly. Now all that remained was MISERY and the single remaining mob. But it would be gone soon. Just as all the others were.

It had taken longer than he would have liked to dispatch these creatures. The sky was beginning to adopt a tangerine glow, and MISERY knew that he needed to return to safety soon. There was no telling what types of enemies would crawl out from the depths once the sunlight had been drained from the land, but they would almost certainly be more powerful than the pitiful amalgamations MISERY had contended with thus far. Safety was of the utmost importance, and MISERY knew better than to tempt fate.

IDs: 135839, 135841
BDs: N/A, 5
Results: N/A, Miss
MDs: 8, 5
Results: Hit, Miss
DMG to MISERY: 1 | HP: 8/20 | EN: 0/2
9 DMG reflected against Plant 1
Loot ID: 135840 | CD: 11 | LD: 1 = 30 col  and 4 Materials (T1)
Plant 1: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 2: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 3: 1/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 4: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG

Perfect. Two of then torn to shreds by Thorns in one fell swoop. MISERY's confidence in the fickle enhancement was beginning to return, slowly but surely. With the loot they dropped, he felt confident that he had indeed gotten a worthwhile haul for his efforts for the day, as well. After clearing the final remaining two, he would be poised to truly start his journey. Perhaps even with an actual weapon. Wouldn't that be something?

Not that he particularly needed one. Not yet, anyways. For now, he was perfectly content with what he had. Well, no perfectly content, per se. There were kinks to work out. But without the ability to even perform the most basic of Sword Arts, a weapon would be more an ornament than anything else.

Two more. That was all that was standing between him and shelter. He could make it, if he kept going just a little bit longer.

IDs: 135813, 135814, 135816, 135817
BDs: N/A, N/A, N/A, 4
Results: N/A, N/A, N/A, Miss
MDs: 1, 7, 4, 6
Results: Miss, Hit, Miss, Hit
DMG to MISERY: 2 | HP: 9/20 | EN: 0/2
9 DMG reflected against Plant 2
9 DMG reflected against Plant 4
Loot ID: 135815 | CD: 12 | LD: 18 = 100 col  and 1 Rare Trinket (T1)
Loot ID: 135818 | CD: 7 | LD: 15 = 30 col and 4 Materials (T1) and 1 Uncommon Consumable (T1) and 1 Rare Weapon (T1)
Plant 1: 9/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 2: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 3: 1/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 4: 0/10 HP | 3 DMG

With the next go around, Thorns worked exactly how they were supposed to. A plant lashed out with its grotesque vines, whipped MISERY, and found that it had inflicted more damage to itself than the other way around. Now three of the mobs sat on the edge of death, while the last was closer than it realized. This seemed like a superior set up to the last pack of mobs he had encountered, but given how long one of the last pack had hung on, he wasn't about to assume another.

He lashed out with an attack of his own, which missed. It was embarrassing, but there was nobody else around to witness it, so he shook it off reasonably well. A few good hits from either side would end this bout quickly. If he focused, he could get it done. The end was in sight, and he just needed to endure the gauntlet for a bit longer.

IDs: 135809, 135810, 135811, 135812
BDs: N/A, N/A, 2, N/A
Results: N/A, N/A, Miss, N/A
MDs: 5, 6, 5, 4
Results: Miss, Hit, Miss, Miss
DMG to MISERY: 1 | HP: 11/20 | EN: 0/2
9 DMG reflected against Plant 2
Plant 1: 9/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 2: 1/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 3: 1/10 HP | 3 DMG
Plant 4: 1/10 HP | 3 DMG