Kura

Seeing the player charge straight at them only heightened their desire for battle as the wasps began to zip towards what they perceived as their prey. Crashing into each other, the battle soon became a melee of stinger and hammer as both sides tried to gain the upper hand. But for all their agility and ferocity, Kura was simply faster than the wasps.

He swung his hammer at unnervingly accurate timings, striking down two in a single blow and taking down another when it tried to exploit Kura overextending. The leader of the squad immediately grasped the situation, and ordered the only other standing wasp to retreat to the hive and alert the Wasp Queen.

The fifth wasp did so, racing as fast as it could back to its home to gather support for their squad leader. However, the leader knew that this was an unwinnable battle. But they would damn themselves if they didn't delay the intruder for as much time as possible. They had to ensure that their fellow warrior had enough time to retreat.

Kura wasn't idle however, and tried to pursue the fleeing wasp. The leader wasp immediately crashed into his exposed side, jabbing their stinger into Kura and ripping into him with their mandibles.

[9/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Combat)

(Looting)

Underneath a beautiful blue sky the wasps flew, scouring the area in search of their objectives. They themselves held none of the anxiety that the second Wasp Queen had, believing in the ferocity of the first Wasp Queen. They were convinced that the first Wasp Queen was being escorted by the other five back to the hive, or something along those lines. For all of them to fall in battle was ridiculous to them.

Then, they saw Kura in the distance.

Confused on how a player could reach so far into their territory, they idled for a moment. While their objective was to find their missing comrades, defending their homeland was always the priority. Hesitating no longer, they fanned out and prepared to charge the unsuspecting player.

The buzz of their wings were hardly the most quiet of things however.

Hearing the wasps a mile away, Kura turned to regard his new opponents, who looked ready assault him. Bracing himself for battle, Kura began to charge forward once more towards the fray.

[8/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out of Combat Regeneration)

The wasp nest meanwhile, was anxious. One of their queens had yet to return after pursuing a couple intruders into their lands. Their was also the fact that five of their warriors patrolling around their borders have yet to return to be relieved of their shifts. The second and only other Wasp Queen of the hive was worried for her sister queen. It was not like her for her to be this late.

The wasps that we're supposed to go on patrol were on stand by, awaiting the second Wasp Queen's orders. She bid them to move as one unit and search for her sister and the missing warriors. They obliged immediately, leaving the hive in order to fulfill their orders. Meanwhile, the Wasp Queen began to rally her subjects into formations. There was something strange going on, and she refused to be unprepared for whatever it was. For the sake of the hives future, she readied her soldiers and herself for battle.

[7/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out of Combat Regeneration)

Taking out the wasp that looked to ambush him after the fight, Kura continue to look around for any more threats. A moment or two passed, until he finally relaxed. Dismissing the notifications for the drops he just earned, Kura began to make his way towards the direction that the wasps came from. He doubted that those five and the queen from earlier was it, with wasps being social insects.

And from this recent battle, Kura now had a new objective in mind instead of just farming. He now looks to exterminate this wasp nest terrorizing this area of floor one. They were dangerous, and his mind flashed to the NPC he saved yesterday. Leaving these creatures roaming around with people so close nearby left a sour taste in his mouth. And so he pressed forward, not caring whether or not his goal was appropriate for his level. All on his mind was the elimination of this hive.

[6/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out of Combat Regeneration)

There was another wasp that lagged behind the other four, said wasp was the one that went to gather allies a few moments ago in order to kill the invader. Believing their numbers to be enough, they set off. Due to the obstacles in the terrain however, this wasp was slightly separated from the group. It raced towards the location where Kura was last seen to find their allies closing in on Kura. 

Then saw them fall one by one, without even landing a single blow.

Instead of fear, this wasp felt unbelievable amounts of rage for an NPC. How dare this trespasser come into their lands, slaughter their people and having the audacity to not bleed on their stingers. It was no longer going to run for assistance, it was time for it to take vengeance by their own means.

Zipping towards Kura, it extended their stinger towards him, looking to end this bloodshed once and for all.

And they died a heroes death.

[5/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Combat)

(Looting)

Kura readied himself once more for combat, but his movements felt a little off. So used to the buffs of the "Gold Rings" that he became reliant on the agility that he gained from its enchantments. In return however, he oddly felt a little more lucky. He pushed that aside for now however, and readied himself against the onslaught. The wasps dove in unison, attempting to overwhelm the player with sheer numbers.

But even four wasps together couldn't come close to the attack speed of the Wasp Queen.

Even without the Gold Rings boosting his maneuverability, he was able strike each down one by one before they could even get close enough for an attack. This was not for lack of effort on the wasps part, just that the reach of Kura's hammer far surpassed the short effective range of their stings and they couldn't simply dodge it like the Wasp Queen. And so the strike group fell to Kura in a matter of moments. Once again, after the battle Kura observed his surroundings for further aggressors.

[4/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Combat)

(Looting)

Steady ground was found at last as Kura trudged on a rare flat area of the mountain. Glancing at the clock in the corner of his vision, Kura found that a decent amount of time had passed between his little duel between the Wasp Queen and himself. And then he realized something as he remembered the battle. A queen would indicate subjects, and he remembered that wasps lived in hives with others of their kind. So with that in mind, he wondered where were the other wasps.

Then he heard the buzzing in the distance.

A squadron of four wasps were flying towards him. None matched the speed nor bulk of the Wasp Queen but what they lacked in individual strength they made up in numbers, as well as fury. They were not pleased for Kura intruding into their lands, much less killing one of their matriarchs. And they were about to close the distance.

[3/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out Of Combat Regeneration)

As Kura entered the "Rough Mountains" area however, his pace began too slow to a crawl much to his displeasure. The mountains were just simply too rough as their name would imply. Luckily for Kura there was a trail nearby, but the term trail was used lightly, being a sort of clear path that one could maybe traverse without slipping. It was all he had however, so he began to head towards it. Scanning around him, once more, he found no threats nor mobs to farm. Idly, he flipped through his inventory and pulled out his "Platinum Shard" from his main inventory, replacing his "Gold Rings", for no other particular reason than to observe it and pass the time.

However, in the distance, a wasp that escaped Kura's notice would be quietly noting Kura's progress. It knew better than to challenge the player that dueled their matriarch and emerged victorious... At least, not alone. Flying back towards a patrol of wasps, it looked to gather reinforcements to repel this intruder from their territory, as well claim vengeance for Kura killing not only their kin, but one of their precious queens.

[2/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out Of Combat Regeneration)

(Item Switch)

Kura was bathed in pixelated light as the Wasp Queens body shattered into fragments. Remaining on edge, he check his surroundings multiple times, refusing to be ambushed after his battle. Once it was clear however, he waved the loot notification away. He would have plenty of time to look through his rewards from battle once he was in a safer area.

With plenty of the morning still ahead of him, Kura continued to move off the beaten path in search of more mobs to combat. Quietly he wandered through the mountainous terrain of floor two. It was unlike the plains of floor one he's grown so accustomed to. The terrain was uneven, and sometimes awkward to traverse. He managed however, making good pace as he traveled through the floor. No monsters however, which felt strange to Kura, but he disregarded it. What he didn't know was that he was encroaching on the wasp's territory, and luckily for him, they have yet to take notice.

[1/15 Turns Before Field Boss Cool Down Refreshes]

(Out Of Combat Regeneration)

For as much as Kura wished to counter attack, he was pushed onto the defensive. The Wasp Queen, while fast before, was like lightning now as she continued to rain attacks onto him. Yes, she was over extending, however the sheer amount of attacks she was putting out was able to act as a shield, with the promise that if would take a single step forward, he would be met with her stinger. But eventually, she over stepped.

The Wasp Queen knew her time was running thin, eventually he would find a opportunity to counter attack. So she looked to end the battle in one final decisive blow. She zipped towards Kura, practically face to face as she went for the throat.

Kura's would smash his weapon into her as she rushed in, knocking her down to the ground. Now with his enemy prone, Kura lifted his hammer high above his head. Exhausted from her attacks and unable to take off once more, she buzzed in one more show of defiance as the hammer fell upon her.

(Combat)

(Looting)

For all the agility that Kura possessed, he was not exactly the subtlest fight. His next blow was painfully telegraphed that the Wasp Queen maneuvered beautifully out the way, and once more thrust her stinger at Kura. But he had learnt his lesson from over extending in a previous battle. Not being caught flat footed, he weaved through the Wasp Queen's counter attack with exceptional grace.

The amount of bloodlust that the Wasp Queen emanated sky rocketed, not having landed a single blow. Rather than retreat to fight another day, she attacked with even more ferocity. She began to forego any notion of a defense for a ruthless offensive, trying to get underneath Kura's iron clad guard. She knew that this player would fall to a few well placed blows, and so she assaulted with little care to her own well being.

But she never landed a single one, forcing the continuation of this savage dance of a battle.

(Combat)

For the few brief seconds that maneuver of his bought him, Kura consumed the "Chocolate Truffles" he purchased earlier. His energy was running low, and while he himself was perfectly fine, his body felt the exhaustion of battle, no matter how much Kura willed it to continue to fight. He felt the energy coursing through him as the vitality enchantments took affect, and once more he was ready to fight.

That gave the Wasp Queen an opening however. With Kura in no position to attack back, she looked to pressed her advantage and slaughter her prey. Diving back into the fray, she took advantage of her altitude and rained blow after blow from above. Kura remained too slippery to catch however, still some how weathering her blitz by simply not getting hit. It was frankly absurd that a man wielding a hammer as big as himself could move so fluidly, however Kura pulled it off. He even managed to disengage for a moment, find his footing, and charged right back in, ready to continue the fight.

(Combat)

The Wasp Queen viciously attacked Kura, circling him at dizzyingly rapid speeds and stabbing when she felt he let his guard down. It was beautiful in a strange way, the Wasp Queen dancing in and out of Kura's reach, the constant buzzing of the wasp's wings, as well as the sheer amount of bloodlust the Wasp Queen was emanating. There was a reason why it was feared as a field boss.

Kura however, would never falter.

He kept up with the Wasp Queens barrage of stings, with not a single blow landing upon him. It was like he was dancing to a melody, dodging and parrying the Wasp Queen's attacks to some unheard beat. Realizing that being cautious against this player was a fools errand, she went for a more aggressive stance, dipping into his reach in order attack from an undodgeable angle.

That's when Kura's hammer slammed into the Wasp Queen, she being flung high in the air from the momentum. She was no longer surprised however, and immediately angled herself to re-engage Kura.

(Combat)

Seeing what he could make out to be a large wasp of some sort, Kura sought to close the distance between him and his new target. Sprinting his way towards his first battle, he internally wondered why this mob had more than one life bar. Shrugging it off, he slammed his hammer into "The Wasp Queen", surprising the unaware field boss.

On the "Wasp Queens" side, she was just returning after chasing off a few players from her hive. Not expecting a hammer head to seeming materialize in her side, it was flung a decent distance, though she still maintained her airborne status. With aggro officially drawn alongside a desire for revenge, she would thrust her stinger at Kura. But he long danced out of her reach, preparing for another charge. Furious, she would zip towards Kura to close the gap as he did earlier. Hesitating at charging a four foot wasp that was lightning fast and charging at you was the normal reaction.

Matching the charge was Kura's answer however.

(Field Boss Spawn)

(Combat)

Kura once more made his way to the second floor, trying to find a decent hunting spot once more to satisfy the bottomless pit known as crafting costs. The amount he has gathered so far in the past few days was better than he's ever done since starting the game, however his expenditures were growing at a faster rate. If it wasn't crafting, it was consumables for hunting, and if wasn't consumables it was equipment.

Instead of being more frugal and slowing down his craft, instead he's actually spent even more on it. He's already decided that he would pursue the performer craft, and once his mind was set on something there was little that could be done to stop him. And so he's set out to do things out of his level range, now trying his hand at the higher levels for better mob drops. While safety was a concern, he cared little. There were few other methods that would allow him to generate enough material for his craft, and fighting was the only one he knew.

So he set out once more into the unknown.

(Player Stats)

Meandering through the mountainous terrain of floor 2 was a new experience for Kura. Running into Damien was not, however it was no less pleasant. Finding him in some random nook away from the beaten path, Kura would approach him with a wave. 

"Your food tasted good last time, mind if I buy more?"

Perhaps to others it tasted bland, but with Kura who normally subsisted on a diet of porridge and cheap liquor, Damiens food was top class. He would happily go through the motions of purchasing things that once more caught his eye, as well as a few of his favorites from last time. And with a wave and a thanks, he would be off once more.

Purchasing 1x "Crème Brûlée", 1x "Mousse", 1x "Macaron" and 2x "Chocolate Truffles" from @Daemien for 2150 Col

After another day of grinding, Kura was walking through the Town of Beginnings, the sun setting behind him. It was an exciting day with him dipping his toes in higher floors. However, that mattered little to him currently. No, right now he looked to make good on the promise he made himself after his first purchase at the Cintamani. And as soon as he stepped inside again he caught the aroma of his desire.

"Coffee."

Coffee indeed. It was late in the afternoon, no time to be having any caffeine of any sort. Kura didn't care. Going through the motions, he purchased a few drinks that caught his interest as well as the grand prize, a "Cold Brew Coffee". The joy in his eyes would be palpable as he made his purchase, a little too happy with his drink of beans in hot water. But happy he was, walking out and nursing his new drink with great care.
 

Purchasing 1x "Cold Brew Coffee", 1x "Liquor of Light" and 1x "Dragon's Breath" from @Bistro for 1850 Col in total

5/28/2021 Rank 1

+ N/A Item
+ 15 EXP
+ 2 Materials (Salvage)
- 4 Materials

5/27/2021 Rank 1

+ 1x T1 Support Song Perfect

+11 EXP

-2 Materials

While waiting for them to finish talking to the NPC, he quietly tried to judge the dynamic between the two friends. The white haired girl seemed to be the leader in their little duo, guiding along the nervous pink haired girl. They seemed friendly enough, though Kura would be the first to admit he was not an expert in social deduction.

Then Yuurei threw a curveball, from at least Kura's perspective, that came out of nowhere.

He was never much one to hesitate though (aside from interacting with other people), and so when she posed her question he answered back with little delay.

"Sure, gonna assume you want to take on the quest with the three of us?"

It was a first for Kura, having someone else along for the ride, two someone elses no less. This trip was probably for the best, with Kura's social interactions boiling down purchasing items at local merchants and NPC's. There was also the safety in numbers, as well as the added bonus of probably making his objective of making money easier, but Kura didn't see it in any of those ways.

No, he wanted to see how to fight in a party, something that Kura had never done before.

When Yuurei called out to him with a polite smile and a well spoken question, it took Kura a moment to actually realize that she was calling out to him.

Pouring over his memories, he remembered an NPC greeting him as he entered the village, him waving back, and leaving before any more words could be exchanged. The Cardinal System, however, thought Kura was still talking to the NPC, leaving it in this awkward state where it was talking about the Hoya to a player that wasn't there. And when noticed the quest notification in the corner of his vision, he could put two and two together.

"Ah, that NPC might be glitched out right now, thinking that it's talking to me after I left during its spiel and neither confirming nor deny the quest. Hold on."

He would flip through his menu and quickly accept the quest. Then, the Cardinal System believing that the conversation with Kura was over, moved onto the next people in the queue, namely Yuurei and friends. Larbrook would come jogging along, waving to the two.

"Hey there! Sorry, I was talking to someone else when you entered, and I didn't get the chance to greet you."

The NPC would then go onto its normal spiel. And Kura, bless him, was uncertain whether or not it was appropriate to leave right now in the conversation, and so he stayed around as well, internally feeling a little helpless.

Kura was once more slowly making his way up through the levels in search of better hunting grounds. He loved the first floor, calling it his home for who knows how long, however his performer profession made a serious dent in his finances that the mob drops of the first floor couldn't fulfill.

And so he's been hopping from floor to floor, searching for something that could tide over his expenditures for a little longer. Something like the quest that he undertook with Landon, though the materials gained from those times were spent long ago on his craft, and items that on a whim purchased.

Regardless of Kura's lack of economic sense, he was broke and wished to fix that. And for that reason, he entered into the town of Aruryt. It was a beautiful day to be out and about in Aincrad however, the beauty of the forest surrounding him and the charm of a village suspended in the tree tops did make for a lasting first impression. However, his mission right now wasn't to admire the beauty of floor 3, and so he walked across the various bridges, touring the town for anything of interest.
 

(Player Stats)

Eventually they reached the town, with Kura gently shaking Koko awake. After making a noise of complaint for being woken up, her drowsiness immediately disappeared as she saw that it was her hometown. And right in front of the entrance of Urbus, was Choshi, pacing back and forth with a distressed look on her face.

"Mama!"

"Koko?! The player?!"

Koko would slide down Kura's back instantly, then sprinted forward into tackle hug at Choshi, much to her delight. They would then go onto go with spiel of the epilogue, however Kura wouldn't be there to see it. No, with his objective complete, he would quietly leave the two to their own. At the part where Choshi would thank the player, Kura would already be gone. Choshi was extremely thankful to Kura, however she still sighed at how quickly he went off again. Shaking her head, she would send the quest rewards by way of menu to Kura with a small smile.

"Thank you, player."

QUEST COMPLETE

 

(Let There Be Light Col Reward)

(Summary)

Kura's silently moved along the path, trying to avoid waking the child from her well deserved nap. Constantly he scanned his surroundings for any threats as well, but none appeared. It was just simply a calm day outside, which was probably why Koko was playing outside in the first place. 

Speaking of day, he glanced at the time in the bottom left corner of his view, seeing only a mere hour passed during his little quest. Idly, he thought the little girl was quite tenacious, being able to survive in a cave full of monsters with no weapons or skill for that long. Though she didn't appear it from how she was beginning to snore, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. 

After gently walking towards his destinations for awhile, Urbus slowly came into view. Kura was about to wake up Koko to tell her, however, for once he actually held back. Koko deserved to nap at least a little longer.

By the grace of the Cardinal System, no mobs were on the path towards Urbus, allowing him to spare him fighting with a handicap. Fighting with Koko piggybacking on him limited his movements, even forcing him to abandon her for a moment to fight off the group of mobs that caught up. That moment in particular left a sour taste in his mouth, but he pushed it aside as it all worked out in the end. 

While he was musing over about what just happened, he heard a yawn over his shoulder. Koko, having probably been through a little too much excitement for today and now safe, was struggling to keep awake.

"You can sleep, I'll wake you up when we're next to Urbus."

"You promise? I'll see mama?"

Randomly, Kura thought that Koko's tone of voice was the exact same as her mother's when she confirmed that he wanted to help her. Wondering if he was just that untrustworthy, he nodded.

"I promise."

And with that, Koko closed her eyes, having no doubt in her heart that Kura would bring her back.