Katoka

<<Trouble at the Skyport>>

The sight that was the Ladonian Skyport was something that Katoka had only heard in passing. When she had arrived on the 26th floor her sights had been set on finding the structure from the start, that was where the quest she had been on the hunt for was supposedly located. She had managed to get a rumor or two from an info broker but not much else, her usual trover of information at he guild hall had yielded little since this particular quest was fairly new.

Once the samurai had found the skyport she had taken a few minutes to stand beneath it to really take in the sheer architectural wonder that was before her. She had never flown on an airship, let alone been to this floor back when the frontliners had last populated it. From what she knew there had been more than one fight in the clouds on the vessels that she watched sail too and from dock. A small smile touched her lips as she thought of who to invite with her on this grand voyage.

Opening her menu with a gesture she quickly navigated to her friends list and selected the person she thought of like an older brother:

With a jingle she sent the message on it's way and started the climb up the structure before her. She felt a child like delight watching the NPCs as they worked, this was a whole new place for her to experience. She wasn't sure exactly where the Dockmaster was supposed to be at, but she didn't want to get too lost looking for him just yet, especially when she was supposed to meet Freyd. After finding what seemed to be a sort of main hub she found a set of benches and sat down to drink a few potions and see how long it took the Whisper to arrive.

---

Katoka consumes:

Draft of Keen Edge | Tier 1 | Damage 3 | 218087

Katoka | HP: 780/780 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 5 | BH: 42 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Looking out over the pockmarked beach, Katoka felt her breathing begin to stabilize. She was feeling as though the battle was coming to close and her focus as at its peak. It could be over in an instant if she could land the perfect hit. With that the samurai once again rocketed across the sand, making sure to avoid the various holes in the beach so that she wouldn't loose her footing. Even though her hits were not striking as hard as they usually were, she felt that this next attack was going to hit it's mark regardless of it being a crit or not.

The familiar hum of her charged attack followed by a flash of blue light as she swung her sword confirmed her prediction as her attack connected, her blade leaving a glowing wound on the creature before them. Kat did her best to retreat as she watched the HP bar of the vortex drop to a sliver. "Damn." she cursed, turning to Freyd, "You're up spoop master."

Before she could spout another witty remark a tendril of whatever the monster was made of smashed between the two players with lighting speed, sending sand exploding in all directions. Katoka felt an odd sensation in her side as she stood frozen in place. Looking down she observed a liquid spike that had pierced her side, seemingly preventing her from moving. As the sand settled she could see that her friend was also been pinned by a similar attack through the leg. The monster's appendage had apparently sent out several spikes in several directions in an attempt to hit one of them, it seemed as though it had done that an more. With a jerk the spikes all retracted back into the boss and the players watched as it reared back for another attack.

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
(Forgot to roll Rec)

Post Action | ST-I [x15] (12 EN+2 Shift): 14 EN - (Stamina) = 12 EN
Free Action | None

ID:220344 | BD:4+7+1-3=9 HIT | CD:3 | DMG: 26*15=390-140=250 vs Elemental Vortex

ID:220345 | MD: 10 CRITICAL HIT | DMG: 440-163=277 vs Freyd | DMG: 340-138=202 vs Katoka

Katoka | HP: 558/760 (760-202) | EN: 67/110 (75+4-12) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 903/1180 (1180-277) | EN: 83/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1 | VD 129

(2,7) Elemental Vortex | HP: 86/2000 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 160 (-20, 2/3) | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3  (336-250)

• Critical (MD 9): Deals (400) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (240) DMG to every other player.
• Critical (MD 10): Deals (440) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (340) DMG to every other player.

"Right, busy." she mumbled to herself just before seeing Freyd fall face first into the sand. "Now is not the time for a nap!"

Katoka turned her panicked eye back to the blob before them. If she could just find a crit point on the thing she could paralyze it -- no, the risk was not worth it. She would have to resort to a stunning sword art rather than gamble on landing a crit. With a shift in her stance, the samurai's blade began to glow green as she raced towards her target. "Hey!" she called, not really sure if the thing could even hear her, "Over here you poor excuse for an oil slick!"

As she gained speed the sand she kicked up behind her began to resemble a storm, tendrils of electricity beginning to spark from her body struck out at the grains of sand behind her that were floating in the air. Once she hit the water she didn't stop, her feet moving too quickly to break the water's surface. With a loud yell she struck the boss with her charged attack and sent a ripple through it's body, the gathered lighting in her body traveling down her arm and through her weapon. The creature somehow groaned as it quivered from the shock, slowing itself to a near stop.

Kat attempted to adjust the momentum of her body as she continued to run across the sea, managing to turn herself in a curve around their opponent before just barely making it back to the beach before she fell in the waves.

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
CD 6 (no REC proc) ID #220279

Post Action | [x12] TECH-A (13 EN) + (Rested 0/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action | None

ID:220280 | BD:3+7+1-3=8 HIT | CD:3 | DMG: 26*12-140=172 DMG [Stun Activated]

Elemental Vortex is stunned. Stun fades.

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 75/110 (82+4-11) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1180/1180 | EN: 95/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1

(1,5) Elemental Vortex | HP: 1006/2000 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 160 (-20, 1/3) | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3  (1178-172)

• Critical (MD 9): Deals (400) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (240) DMG to every other player.
• Critical (MD 10): Deals (440) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (340) DMG to every other player.

Katoka watched as the mass of liquid rose from the ocean and assumed some sort of form. She adjusted the grip on her weapon and looked around in a panic, attempting to formulate some sort of strategy. "Freyd how in the hell are we supposed to fight a puddle?!"

In a blur of movement a large tendril of inky oily 'water' lashed towards the players, causing them both to jump in different directions to dodge. The samurai dug her feet into the sand as she slid to a stop, attempting to adjust her trajectory for an attack of her own. Instead she managed to kick off and stumble as a charged sword art sent a spray of ocean water up into the air. Kat cursed under her breath and leapt back as another mass of liquid smashed into the ground.

"All this damn sand is making it hard for me to get a good footing." she called across the beach. She hoped that Freyd would have better luck than she did, he did seem to be avoiding the undulating creature at least. The blonde shook her head and patted her cheeks in an attempted to get her head together, now was not the time to loose focus. "Come on dumb ass, don't worry about the how, just swing your damn sword."

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
CD 7 (REC proc) ID #220185 +8 EN

Post Action | [x23] ST-B (20 EN + 2 Shift EN) = 2 EN - (Rested 0/2; Stamina) = 20 EN Miss -2 EN
Free Action | None

ID:220186 | BD:2+5+1-3=5, CD: 11, MISS Using [x23] ST-B vs. Elemental Vortex

ID:220187 | MD: 1 Miss vs Freyd

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 82/110 (72+12-2) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1180/1180 | EN: 103/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1

(0,2) Elemental Vortex | HP: 1848/2000 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 160 (-20, 1/3) | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 (0) | STUNNED [F] (2000-152)

• Critical (MD 9): Deals (400) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (240) DMG to every other player.
• Critical (MD 10): Deals (440) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (340) DMG to every other player.

The battle raging around the samurai was enough to almost distract her. She knew that she needed to stay focused on her own opponent, but hearing the sound of two of the other enemies being killed was enough to put a smile on her face. "Oh good, the cavalry will be here shortly, but for now let's continue our little dance."

More arrows cut through the air at impossible speeds, the blonde managing to keep ahead of the projectiles as she traversed the battlefield. Despite the helmet setting atop the mounted archer's head, Katoka could tell he was getting frustrated. His shots becoming more erratic and much easier to dodge. A trail of red light seemed to follow the small blonde, reminiscent of a light cycle in Tron; the high pitched whine of her charging sword art ringing from her blade.

Coming to stop once again in front of Pestilence, Kat slid and swung her katana in a heavy arc. The sound of thunder rumbled overhead, however lightning did not strike this time. The samurai clicked her tongue in frustration, not pleased that her strike did not land how she wished. Her eyes shot up to meet the tip of a drawn bow right in front of her face, a hit from this close would surly kill her. Her body reacting on pure instinct cause her to lean back, throwing her arms up in a defensive position as time seemed to slow down. She watched the arrow as it was loosed from the rider's hand, following it's trajectory as it seemed to float through the air between them. It only managed to graze her forearm, but the force of the attack sent her spinning off nearly like a top.

Katoka felt the blight that seeped into her wound almost instantly. When she managed to regain her footing and dodge another attack that exploded next to her she looked at her left arm to see the cut in her arm pulse a sickly black. "Shit, that was a little too close for comfort." she snarled, looking up and over to her companions, "Watch out for the arrows, they're coated in something nasty!"

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
Katoka regains 31 HP due to BH
Cooldowns: Rending Familiar (CD 1/5)

Post Action | [x23] ST-B (20 EN + 2 Shift EN) = 2 EN - (Rested 0/2; Stamina) = 20 EN
Free Action | N/A

ID:220131 | BD:7+7+1-3=12, CD: 11, HIT Using [x23] ST-B vs. Pestilence | 598-50=548 DMG

ID:220132 | BD:8+1-1=8 HIT | CD:5 LD:9 MD:1 | DMG: 150+138=12+50 (Unmitigated) = 62 DMG vs Katoka

Katoka | HP: 633/760 | EN: 83/110 (99+4-20) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40 [Blight: 24 DMG 3/3] (724+31-36-62-24)

Pestilence | HP: 556/1500 | MIT: 50 | DMG: 150 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 [Rend: 28 DMG 1/2] (1132-548-28)

Pestilence (Passive): On any landed hit, add a Blight effect dealing 24 DMG for the next three turns. These effects don't refresh but stack up to 3 effects in total. After reaching 3, it will refresh the oldest effect.
Corruption (Passive): Will always deal at least 50 DMG after MIT.
Plague (Passive): Enemy player suffers 36 DMG every turn.
Call of Corruption: On CD 11-12,  will detonate any Blight effects on the player, dealing their full damage in a single turn.
Disease: On MD 9-10, Deal 100 Extra DMG, and apply two Blight effects instead of one. 
Conquest: The Player that defeats Pestilence will earn the right to mount Conquest, the Black Horse. Conquest’s Rider gains the Pestilence and Call of Corruption abilities.

The sounds of battle erupted around them all, bits of rock and dirt flying in every which way, the clangs and smashes of weapons ringing in Katoka's ears. She watched as her opponent adjusted he adjusted the grip on his bow. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face in anticipation, when it reached her chin and dripped off there was an explosion of sound and earth where she was standing. Pestilence had, in a fraction of a second, drawn and loosed an arrow at her. However when the dust settled the only thing that remained was a crater and a few crackles of electricity.

The samurai was now standing five feet to the right of where she had originally been standing, her body sending off tendrils of energy as if she was a rolling storm that had blown into town. She grinned, "Better luck next time pal."

The ground once again erupted where she stood, but she was still faster. Streaking back and forth as the diseased archer attempted to hit her with his strikes, the Cerulean Storm laughed as she skid to a stop in front of the mounted knight. "Hanami, lend me your fangs!" she yelled as she swung her katana, the hidden tattoo on her right arm shining with a blue light and sending a surge of energy up and into her blade. Her strike cutting deep into the flesh of Pestilence's leg and causing him to pause in place ever so still, his actions paralyzed by her hit.

Flecks of the creature's tainted blood landed on Kat, causing her skin to sizzle from whatever was flowing through his veins. She hissed in pain as she attempted to wipe it from herself.

----

Post Action | [x15] ST-I (12 EN +2 ST Shift) 14 - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN 
Free Action [skill] | Rending Familiar (CD 0/5)

ID:219752 | BD:8+7+1-3=13, CD: 12, HIT Using [x15] ST-I vs. Pestilence | 390-50=340 DMG, [Paralyzed]  applied [ST-B Unlocked]

Pestilence is Paralyzed. Paralyze fades.

Katoka is afflicted with Plague. Katoka takes 36 DMG.

Katoka | HP: 724/760 | EN: 99/110 (110-11) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40 (760-36)

Pestilence | HP: 1132/1500 | MIT: 50 | DMG: 150 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3 [Rend: 28 DMG 2/2] (1500-340-28)

Pestilence (Passive): On any landed hit, add a Blight effect dealing 24 DMG for the next three turns. These effects don't refresh but stack up to 3 effects in total. After reaching 3, it will refresh the oldest effect.
Corruption (Passive): Will always deal at least 50 DMG after MIT.
Plague (Passive): Enemy player suffers 36 DMG every turn.
Call of Corruption: On CD 11-12,  will detonate any Blight effects on the player, dealing their full damage in a single turn.
Disease: On MD 9-10, Deal 100 Extra DMG, and apply two Blight effects instead of one. 
Conquest: The Player that defeats Pestilence will earn the right to mount Conquest, the Black Horse. Conquest’s Rider gains the Pestilence and Call of Corruption abilities.

"Right, crab bake at the beach time." the samurai said quietly, attempting to psych herself up.

With that she let out a battle cry, running through the sand and circling the first crab once more. Her blade gave off a light green light as her sword art charged, the whining noise of the system drawing the attention of her crustacean target. As the armored creature turned towards her she slid underneath it's belly, striking at it's legs and cutting them out from under it. The momentum of her attack carried her towards the next crab, her body seemingly moving on it's own as she jumped into the air and landing on it's back. Her katana piercing the thick armored shell and sending out a crack of thunder across the beach. The monster trembled and seized as electricity coursed through it's body, it's mouth opening and the black viscous liquid of blight poured onto the sand below.

With a tug Kat removed her weapon from the beast and let it's body crash to the ground before shattering into the all too familiar polygonal fractals of a defeated enemy. The woman landed easily onto the sand and gave Freyd a thumbs up before returning her katana to her side.

----

Looting:

Colossal Coral Crab 1: ID#219744 | LD: 6 | CD: 12
Colossal Coral Crab 2: ID#219745 | LD: 2 | CD: 10

11550*Col
T4 Rare Trinket #219744a
 

Nari's quip about her weight made her snort before turning to Freyd, "How insensitive could you be?" She shook her head, attempting to act disappointed, her grin betraying her tone.

Katoka turned to the four enemies that stood before them, her eyes rested on Pestilence astride his horse. She grimaced at the sight of him, the living incarnate of disease and sickness. Every fiber of her being wanted her to leave and vomit at the same time, not something she would have bee too keen on doing simultaneously. She noted that her opponent carried a bow, meaning she would be better off fighting as close as she possibly could to the rider. With a deep breath she pushed down her anxiety and attempted to get her nausea under control, the time for spewing the contents of her stomach could come later. 

"Alright you living boil, I guess it will just be you and me huh?" she glanced above his head and took not of his health bar. "You chuckle fucks better give me a hand when you finish with your boyfriends. This guy has so much damn HP."

With those final word the samurai settled into a comfortable stance, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana ready to draw in the blink of an eye. "Let the games begin."

----

Katoka Challenges Pestilence

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Pestilence | HP: 1500/1500 | MIT: 50 | DMG: 150 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

Pestilence (Passive): On any landed hit, add a Blight effect dealing 24 DMG for the next three turns. These effects don't refresh but stack up to 3 effects in total. After reaching 3, it will refresh the oldest effect.
Corruption (Passive): Will always deal at least 50 DMG after MIT.
Plague (Passive): Enemy player suffers 36 DMG every turn.
Call of Corruption: On CD 11-12,  will detonate any Blight effects on the player, dealing their full damage in a single turn.
Disease: On MD 9-10, Deal 100 Extra DMG, and apply two Blight effects instead of one. 
Conquest: The Player that defeats Pestilence will earn the right to mount Conquest, the Black Horse. Conquest’s Rider gains the Pestilence and Call of Corruption abilities.

"Nope! Both somehow alive." Katoka shook her head and grinned. It was a wonder that all they had walked away with was some singed hair and a bit of sand in their clothes. Then again, the sand might prove to be a bit more annoying than anything else.

Just when things seemed to be calm, the beach began to rumble. The sand under their feet rippling and shifting as two large mounds began to rise from beneath them both. Kat dove off to the side as the mounds shifted into the forms of large crabs, their back covered in greenish coral not unlike the piece that Freyd had just picked up previously. The creatures clicked and moved their mandibles, turning about to focus on the players nearby. They both snapped their claws, the sound of large blades scraping against one another ringing in the air. Katoka's eyes widened as she saw the crab claws, the insides of them sharpened to fine edges that glinted in the sun.

Deep down she knew that she should use another AOE attack to hit they two of them, but her body reacted before her mind could catch up. With a flash of blue light and an upper slash from ground to sky, the small samurai let out a yell as she attempted to crack the large crustation. "Shit," she cursed, "I panicked a bit. Your turn to smash!"

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
CD 3 (No REC proc) ID# 219288

Post Action | ST-I [x15] (12 EN+2 Shift): 14 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action | None

ID:219287 | BD:6+5+1-1=11, CD: 4, HIT Using [x15] ST-I vs. Collossal Coral Crab 1 | 390-120=270 DMG        

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 72/110 (79+4-11) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1180/1180 | EN: 121/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1

(1,0) Colossal Coral Crab 1 | HP: 430/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 (700-270)
(0,0) Colossal Coral Crab 2 | HP: 700/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1

"I swear if you attract fish on the rotten floor I will leave you behind." the samurai chided, remembering all the aquatic instances of ridiculousness.

Kat nodded as Morning relayed his lack of experience with this quest. She too had not tried to take on the horsemen after finding out how girthy their health pools were, not to mention the multiple fights that would take place afterwards. She was not looking forward to the slog fest in their future.

The blonde tried not to show any sort of reaction to Freyd mentioning the storm of shadows, however one of her eyes did twitch ever so slightly. "I guess we will have to see how things go huh? Though with Freyd's luck, I wouldn't be surprised at any glitches showing up. Cardinal loves to throw things his way." This remark was just as much a jab at her making fun of him, as well as her way of letting him know that she would be ready regardless.

Katoka made note of Freyd's strategy, making sure to pay attention to the seasoned player's words of wisdom. Though when he mentioned her and what she assumed as Sam, the samurai quickly cut him off with a well placed elbow. This time was a little harder than usual, the pop-up for anti harassment flashing for a moment as she walked passed the Whisper with a look of satisfaction on her face. "Demon's Rectum right?" she called back to the party.

Crawling from her newly minted hole in the ground, Katoka coughed up some sand and looked out over the beach. Her eyes fell on the floating jellyfish that were making their approach and she rolled her eyes. "How. How do you mange this? I swear your luck is astronomical." With a few grunts of effort the blonde pulled her self out of the ground and brushed what sand she could from her body. The two sea creatures glided ever so slowly across the land, sparks of electricity snapping from their tendrils as they did so.

A grin pulled at the corners of her mouth as Kat drew her katana, "Hey, I can do that too." Her muscles tensed and electricity of her own crackling around her before she launched forward across the beach, sand spraying behind her as she ran. Her sword art struck the first monster, causing it to jiggle and wobble like jello fresh from the mold. The second strike that hit her other target was a better strike, shattering the gloopy thing as if it was made from glass.

With a few off balance hops the samurai retreated to a safe distance from the monsters, her footing not as solid on the sand. The last remaining jellyfish shot forward at Freyd as if it was fired out of a cannon, the sudden acceleration causing Kat to nearly loose her footing as she shift out of it's trajectory. Looing to her companion she saw that it had thankfully missed him as well. "Careful now! I'm guessing this thing packs a bit more punch than a bit of static shock!"

----

Looting Squishy Jelly Fishy 2: ID# 220393 | LD: 11 | CD: 8

2200*Col
2*Materials
T4 Rare Weapon #220393a
T4 Uncommon Consumable #220393b

The rituals of everyday life were unnecessary here in this virtual world. You didn't need to shower, to brush your teeth, or wash your clothes. These simple tasks were mundane when you could just automate everything in game windows with the touch of a few buttons. However, the act of going through these motions helped Katoka feel more grounded. To make this world feel like it was more of a home than the prison that held them all in. So in the mornings she would shower. She would brush her teeth and hair, put on fresh clothing, cook a simple breakfast, clean her house, and even perform simple maintenance on her weapon. If she was going to keep an ounce of sanity in this floating castle in the sky, she would do it by routine and a stubborn will.

After one such morning routine the small blonde received a message notification. Checking the contents she arched a brow, from what she knew of the 13th floor it was a nasty place all together. Though she had never tried the quest mentioned, if Nari was reaching out for assistance then she knew it was something that would prove to be difficult. After a quick once over of her gear she left her home and walked the all too familiar route to the teleport gate.

***

"Oh ew." the samurai couldn't keep the note of disgust from her voice once she had set foot on floor 13. The rotting corruption that grew about the floor was something she was not accustomed to, especially the smell. Her nose wrinkled and her footsteps were hurried in an attempt to reach the appointed destination as quickly as possible. Kat's face spread into a smile when the members of her party came into view. She was familiar enough with Nari and Star that she gave them both a quick bow in greeting and an apology for being the last to arrive. Her smile grew wider as she elbowed Freyd playfully, "Trying to make me look bad by actually showing up on time?"

She was confident enough in her own abilities, especially after the success of her first floor raid, but there was something about being in the company of others that she trusted that let her shoulders loose that last bit of tension that she didn't realize was there. "Well gang, are we taking down some bronies today?"

----

Katoka Consumes:

Draught of Safeguard | Tier 4 | Mitigation 3 | 214723
Draft of Keen Edge | Tier 1 | Damage 3 | 217533
Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (5/6) - takes 1 portion

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

In an utter state of confusion Katoka whipped her head around to look her friend dead in the eyes, "What do you mean don't hold on? Freyd?"

She looked completely dumbfounded as she watched Freyd wind up and punch the sinking vessel, sending the small blonde rocketing into the air as if she was a stuffed animal that had been sitting at the other end of a seesaw. Once she had reached the apex of her climb, Kat attempted to control the speed of her decent by throwing her arms and legs out as far as she could, catching the air as she fell. The winding whipped past her causing all sound to be replaced with the roar of her approaching the beach at terminal velocity.

Katoka let out a primal yell that was definitely not filled with fear whatsoever as she braced for impact, slamming into the sand and causing a geyser of beach to shoot upwards. As the sand fell around her, the samurai now rested in a crater that was almost cartoon shaped to fit her size.

"I'm going to kill him." she coughed, attempting to get as much sand out her mouth as she could.

"How did a hole get in the boat?" Katoka groaned as she started scooping water with her hands and tossing it overboard, "How the hell are we supposed to deal with this?!"

She felt panic grip her as the water began to rise. She couldn't run across this water without having some sort of solid ground to build up speed on first. She was not too keen on them having to swim back, as that might attract the attention of some other sort of water monsters. As her brain ran through as many scenarios as she could think of she continued to toss water out of the boat with her hands, not that it helped much at all. "Now would be a great time for one of your wacky game breaking things to happen so that we don't drown or get eaten by a big ass shark!" Kat grabbed the oars and attempted to begin rowing them back to shore.

Whirling around frantically while looking for the next enemy to attack, Katoka felt her shoulders relax as she came to realize that the school of demented fish had been taken care of. The sound of a splash and the now missing body of Freyd sent a jolt of panic through the samurai, causing her to leap towards the rippling water. Her arms penetrated the dark ocean in a frenzy, she called out to Elora as she felt her fingers brush against what she thought was an arm, "Elora! Man overboard! Give me a hand!"

With their combined strength they managed to haul the unconscious form of their companion back on the raft, the sight of a comically large bump on his head causing Kat to stifle a laugh. "I uh, think you might have given your boyfriend more than a love tap there." she poked his cheek to attempt to wake him, seeing his health bar barely affected she nudged her elven friend with an elbow. "Maybe you can wake prince charming with a kiss eh?" she grinned wickedly.

"Big bois are my specialty!" Katoka called to Freyd as she watched the large angler fish emerge from the void like water before them. Adjusting her stance she leapt off the raft, landing on top of the monster in order to hit it more directly. However she hadn't calculated her sandals, or the slippery skin of the fish. She slid forwards, down the spine of The Lurker as she hit it with a few haphazard swings of her katana. It wasn't the blow she had hoped for, but she saw it's health bar dip considerably from her strike.

Using the ginormous fish as a spring board, she launched herself off its side and into a run across the sea water. Her trajectory curving so that she could return to the raft before she skipped across the water like a stone again. Luckily she found her destination in the dark thanks to the sparks and flashes of her friends dealing damage to the various fossil fish that had begun to crop up around them. Once again Kat hadn't put much thought into her actions as she landed on the raft safely, her momentum transferring to the water craft and sending them all spinning across the waves.

"Shit! Sorry guys!"

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
CD 2 (no REC proc ID#218827)

Post Action | ST-II [x15] (13 EN+2 Shift): 15 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 12 EN
Free Action | None

ID:218828 | BD:1+5+1=7, CD: 12, HIT Using [x18] ST-II vs. The Lurker | 23*18=414 - 50 MIT = 364  DMG | ST-B Unlocked!

Katoka | HP: 720/720 | EN: 87/106 (+4) (-12) | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 8 | BH: 31 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 83/104 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 98 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 132/148 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 103 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 7 | BH: 62 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8

(1,1,1) The Lurker | HP: 122/850 | DMG: 125 (+20 minor crit; +40 major crit) | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 (486-364)

• Upchuck | On CD of 11-12, the Lurker submerges momentarily to fill its gullet with water. When it resurfaces, it spits a wave of water on the battlefield as a Free Action. All players receive a -1 to evasion and accuracy for one turn. This ability also heals surrounding Fossil Fish, restoring 50 HP to each still alive.

(0,0,2) Fossil Fish #4 | HP: 135/500 | DMG: 100 (+10 minor crit; +30 major crit) | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2

The blonde had managed to gain her sea legs faster than she had initially imagined. With the large fish breaking the surface and causing waves, on top of her and Freyd jumping about (or in Freyd's case flopping about) their little boat was rocking back and forth enough to make most people loose their balance. Katoka however bent her knees and rode the vessel as if it was a large surfboard. She let out an almost maniacal laugh as the boss before them couldn't move at all.

Once again she vanished in a flash, this time reappearing on top of the creatures head with her feet planted firmly. She plunged her sword into its skull with a thud hard enough to send a shockwave of force outward in all directions, the water beneath them rippling in perfect circles. She then with all her strength ran from the head of the fish to it's tail, dragging the blade through it's upper body as if she was filleting it for dinner.

"One Fillet o' Fish, ready for the grill!" she called to her companion. She knew that if he missed his attack this round that her lingering effects would finish off the beast with little issue. With a quick jerk she removed the blade and leapt once more back onto the sea vessel to let Freyd take a final whack.

----

Katoka regains +4 EN
CD 3 (no REC proc ID#218825)

Post Action | ST-II [x15] (13 EN+2 Shift): 15 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 12 EN
Free Action | N/A

ID:218826 | BD:2+5+1-1=7, CD: 7, HIT Using [x18] ST-II vs. Mōretsuna | 26*18=468-85 MIT = 383 DMG        

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 91/110 (+4) (-12) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1180/1180 | EN: 135/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1

(3,2) Mōretsuna | HP: 67/1100 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 125 (-40, 1/2) | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 (0) | [BLGT: 32 (1/2] [Paralyzed] [STK: 40 (1/2)] (450-383)

Abilities:

• Drown | On a CD of 10+, <<Mōretsuna>> will attempt to drag down the player instead of attacking. The player, on their next turn, will need to make a separate LD roll (as a free action) of 10+ to resist being dragged down. If the player fails, they lose their current turn and are dunked deep into the water, where they take 150 unmitigatable damage. The damage repeats at the start of the player's turn until they spend a post action to return to the boat.
• Splash | On an attack roll of a natural 9-10, along with its basic attack, <<Mōretsuna>> will splash water onto the player, bringing them to their knees and stunning them their next turn.
• Struggle | On an attack roll of natural 1, <<Mōretsuna>> will flail and automatically hit each player for 50 unmitigable damage, but also deals 50 unmitigated damage to itself.

The sight of the boat in front of Katoka cause d her to grimace. It looked as though it was far past it's prime and that one good wave would turn it into splinters. She turned and gave Freyd a pained grin as she climbed in and took a seat. "Should I write my Will now or are you more confident in this things structural integrity than I am?"

The two cast off as Freyd filled Kat in on the dealings in his relationship, she of course ate up every bit. A gasp escaped her mouth at the last bit of information and a high pitched squeal that could have shattered a glass erupted from her, "YOU'RE BUILDING A HOUSE TOGETHER?!" If she wasn't afraid of falling though the floor she would have jumped up and danced around, it was about damn time that Elora stopped living in the same room at the Inn.

The samurai's excitement was cut short as she felt the boat rock. She crouched down the steady herself as she noticed the dark shadow in the water beginning to get larger as it rose to the surface. A fish that was bigger than anything she had seen before broke the surface, sending a spray of water in all directions. Katoka frowned as she drew her katana, "Thanks for ruining the moment fish breath."

Disappearing in a flash the after image of Katoka faded from the boat, the vessel rocking back and forth from her leaping into the air. A moment later she reappeared several feat above the sea creature, her sword drawn and emitting sparks of electricity as she hung in the air. As if she was kicking off from an invisible platform, she rocketed downward, plunging her blade into the fish's head. With a crash of thunder, electricity struck from the sky and hit her blade as if it was a lighting rod. Black ichor then spurted from the wound in all directions as if she had hit some sort of artery filled with tainted blood. This was the full destructive power of Raijin's Corruption.

With a graceful back flip, she jumped back onto the rickety vessel that was their boat and flicked her blade to the side, sending any remaining blood from the fish before them into the water. She clicked her tongue with dissatisfaction. Despite the devastating attack, Mōretsuna's health bar only moved a fraction of what she had expected.

---

Post Action | ST-I [x15] (12 EN+2 Shift): 14 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action | N/A

ID:218729 | BD:10, CD: 3, CRIT+2 Using [x15] ST-I vs. Mōretsuna | 15*28=420-105=315 DMG, [BLGT: 32/2] [Paralyzed] [STK: 40/2]  applied      

Katoka | HP: 760/760 | EN: 99/110 (-11) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 7 | BH: 33 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1180/1180 | EN: 152/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 64 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | DOTE: 1/1

(2,0) Mōretsuna | HP: 785/1100 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 105 125 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | [BLGT: 32/2] [Paralyzed] [STK: 40/2] (1100-315)

Abilities:

• Drown | On a CD of 10+, <<Mōretsuna>> will attempt to drag down the player instead of attacking. The player, on their next turn, will need to make a separate LD roll (as a free action) of 10+ to resist being dragged down. If the player fails, they lose their current turn and are dunked deep into the water, where they take 150 unmitigatable damage. The damage repeats at the start of the player's turn until they spend a post action to return to the boat.
• Splash | On an attack roll of a natural 9-10, along with its basic attack, <<Mōretsuna>> will splash water onto the player, bringing them to their knees and stunning them their next turn.
• Struggle | On an attack roll of natural 1, <<Mōretsuna>> will flail and automatically hit each player for 50 unmitigable damage, but also deals 50 unmitigated damage to itself.

Katoka looked around as darkness enveloped them, "Uhh, wasn't the sun setting like a few seconds ago? It shouldn't be this dark already." Her voice had a hint of concern in it as she placed a hand on the hilt of her weapon. She was glad that she kept it equipped for situations just like this. Cardinal was a fickle thing that could take a nice environment and turn it deadly in a blink of an eye. This was beginning to feel like one of those situations.

"Freyd?" she asked as she exposed about and inch of her katana, electricity sparking from the weapon and giving off a soft blue glow that illuminated very little around them. "How bad is this going to be?"

The samurai's attention was drawn to the right side of the raft, the water sounding as though bubbles were rising and popping at a rate that was more in tune with something living rising from the depths. Gripping her weapon she exposed more of the blade, her anxiety building and the weapon responding in time by rapidly snapping and cracking the energy that seemed to be housed within it. Taking a step towards the edge, the light of her blade moving with her to shine on the rippling water.

A small light seemed to glow from under the water just before the head of a hideous looking angler fish broke the surface. Katoka let out a yelp of surprise and ripped her sword completely from it's sheath, the gathered energy of her now fully charged sword art connecting with the monster in front of her. She sound of thunder rumbled above them just before a bolt of lightning crashed down on the fish creature, the area around them lighting up as though it was day time. The monster seemed to sizzle before them as kat panted heavily, still not completely recovered from the surprise it had given her. "We have company!" she yelled to her friends.

---

ID: 218730 | CD: 8+2=10 (One Fossil Fish appears)

Post Action | ST-I [x15] (12 EN+2 Shift): 14 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 11 EN
Free Action | None

ID:218731 | BD:9, CD: 5, CRIT+1 Using [x15] ST-I vs. Fossil Fish #1 | 15*24=360-25=335 DMG, [BLGT: 32/2] [Paralyzed] [STK: 40/2]  applied

Katoka | HP: 720/720 | EN: 95/106 (-11) | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 8 | BH: 31 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 98 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 8 | STK: 40
Freyd | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 148/148 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 103 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 7 | BH: 62 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8

(2,0,0) Fossil Fish #1 | HP: 165/500 | DMG: 100 (+10 minor crit; +30 major crit) | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 | [BLGT: 32/2] [Paralyzed] [STK: 40/2] (500-335)

A grin spread across the blonde's face as she looked over Freyd's fishing gear. "I don't know why I still manage to get surprised by the goofy outfits and disguises you manage to put on these days. Also, you and any sort of monster having beef is not surprising at all. I would be more shocked if we didn't fight something that ended with us in some wonky dungeon or dealing with a error coded nightmare."

Katoka began to walk towards the edge of the settlement, she had looked at a few maps beforehand to get an idea of where to go. The two needed to find a local dock with a boat, then they just had to catch the fish and pull it close enough to the surface for them to fight. Easier said then done of course. As they edged closer to their destination Katoka looked over to Freyd, "So how have you been since the fight? Things been going well?" She wasn't terribly worried, but she would be lying if she had said she wasn't a bit concerned after the incident with the shadow clones they had to fight just before the raid.

Standing confidently with her hands on her hips, Katoka looked across the ocean as the three of them began to sail across the waves. She was impressed that they had managed to fashion something as sea worthy as their raft had been, she had a sneaking suspicion that the system would have found a way to intervein in some way. Though now that the thought had crossed her mind she frowned a bit, there was always time for something to happen to them. She quickly began to look over the logs and the knots they had made just to be sure.

Turning to her friends as she picked up one of the improvised oars she started giving orders, "Elora, keep an eye on the raft. Let us know if anything begins to degrade or come loose. Freyd, grab the other oar and help me steer a bit. The sail will only get us so far."

While the samurai had never captained a boat, let alone sailed one, her brain went into analyze mode and felt the need to keep things in order. "I'm not sure how well the raft will fair in any water that's rough, so let's stay vigilant."

Katoka smiled at Elora's joke, "I'm thinking of a nice house boat. Something with a main room with a sectioned off bit to sleep in. Preferably a nice wrap around covered porch."

She took Freyd's instruction and severed the felled trees in order to double the surface area of their soon to be raft. She lined them up the best she could before taking a few of the vines that were gathered and began to braid them into a rope like fashion. "I'd rather be safe than sorry, this should help strengthen them a bit more." She lashed the logs together with Freyd and Elora's help and stood back to observe their work. It wasn't bad considering the lot of them, at least to her knowledge, had never built a sea fairing vessel before.

"Not too bad for a bunch or nerds huh?" she grinned and bent down to start pushing the raft into the water, "Let's get her on the waves land lubbers!"

A sharp whistle pulled the samurai's attention towards the shore once again. She dove under the water and swam in the direction of her companions, feeling happy that her parents had forced her out of the house at various points of her life to make her go swimming. If she hadn't been too focused on games she probably would have joined the swim club in school.

"Think we could chop a few of those down?" Freyd asked, gesturing towards some trees on the shore.

"We building a raft or something?" Kat asked looking quizzically at the trees and then back to her friends. "I'm sure we can rig something together for sure."

Katoka returned to the shore and equipped her katana as she approached the palms to inspect them. She was certain she could fell them with little effort, especially with a well aimed sword art. "How many do you think we need?" she called as she drew her weapon and charged an attack. The small cluster that was near their picnic wouldn't be enough for a full raft but it would be a start. With a flash of blue light the four trees in front of her fell to the sandy ground with a few loud thuds.

"Right. Ready, set--" Katoka was standing on one side of the shore in a running starter position, a grin plastered on her face as she eyed the opposite shore. "Go!"

The ball of her foot dug into the sand as she pressed all of her weight into her right leg, a sizable crater appearing beneath her before she disappeared in a blur of motion. The only visible trace of her was the spray of water that railed behind her body as she rocketed across the ocean. She felt confident hat this time she could make it to the other side, but that confidence quickly left her as she crashed into the waves, sending an explosion of water high enough in the sky that it rained back down on her friends as if there was a passing shower.

The samurai emerged from the sea with a gasp of air and smacked the water in frustration, "Damn! I felt like I had that one!"

She looked over to Elora and Freyd, a small knowing smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I'll let them have a few more moments before I race over and water bomb them." She dove into water and swam the rest of the way to the opposite shore in order to try one more time.

Katoka giggled, not directly at Freyd of course, but at the situation itself. The thought of him accidently turning into a chicken or a donkey when trying to slip away had flashed in her mind. She composed herself and turned to her friend, "Hopefully things won't get too crazy for you."

"You look all grown up."

The samurai looked down at herself, inspecting her clothes and equipment before smiling warmly. It felt like she had travelled down a long road to reach this point in time. She had been to afraid to leave the inn she stayed at for so long before she finally took the first steps she needed to spread her wings. Now she was the captain of a well known guild and a member of the frontlines. Where had the time gone? It had seemed just like yesterday that she had fought a boar with shaky legs and a set of starter equipment.

"I guess you can call it my post raid glow up?" she looked to Freyd, one of main pillars in her life now. He had taken her so long ago with a few other new players through the desert of floor five and, as he had done so many times with her present, killed the sand shark with a single blow. She gave him a grin and threw her fingers up in a V for victory.

Kat stapped up and gave him a light punch to the arm, "Well? Shall we go fillet a fish?"