[PP-F5] <<Earning a Living>> Hunter For Hire - Complete

[Teion 0]

"Hmmm..." Teion stood with a balled hand to her chin, starting intently at a flyer posted to a bulliten board in the fifth floor's main city. She had mulled over sending the message displayed in front of her for a few minutes now. She didn't do a whole lot of farming in parties, and never with a stranger. Tapping her foot lightly on the packed sand, she took a deep breath and pushed the send button:

 

Quote

Hello Hirru,

I saw your message that you're willing to help adventurers hunt for materials. I'd gladly part with some col if you could help me out. I'll be just outside the fifth floor's southern gate if you're free today.

-Teion

Edited January 4, 2016 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

The hunter would get a message as he passed through the terrain of the fourth floor.  Apparently, the smithy that he commissioned a weapon from was seeking help with material hunting.  She must have seen his flyer on the fifth floor bulletin board.  Some recent changes to his abilities needed to be tested, and this would give him the chance to test them out.  Having set everything in order, he went to the warp shrine and said aloud.

"Warp Armadillo!"

A weird sensation of being pulled to and from; up and down.  Something that he never got used to, but it was much more convenient than going through the labyrinths.   Soon he would find himself on the fifth floor, with its dry deserts and cacti.  The hunter would have to make his way to the southern gate where his client was supposed to be.  It wouldn't be too long until he noticed someone by the features that he remembered.  Violet, though more lavender, hair was his first indicator.  The other being the axe that she would carry on her.  An axe that carried quite a bit of memory for him, as it used to belong to an old friend.

"Howdy!"

He would call out to her.

"You must be Teion.  I'm Hirru.  Pleasure to be working with you."

Edited December 6, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

Teion rocked back and forth lightly with her fingers laced behind her back. She stood in front of Armadillo's southern gate, keeping an eye out for the hunter in question. She wasn't waiting long before a voice called out to her. "Ah, hello!" She turned to spot Hirru approaching her, and a smile crossed her face. She gave him a polite nod, "I never really get the chance to meet people with how busy the shop can get. I'm glad I have the chance to do some hunting with someone!" She grinned before turning towards the desert ahead of them, a bit unsure how to proceed. "Would you like to lead the way?"

[Hirru 0]

The hunter would listen to Teion before setting up the party, in his menu.  Depending on what they would encounter, he would need to be the bulwark and stun anything that comes up.  Seeing that was the plan, the hunter changed his arsenal from the crimson blade, Patience, to the azure sword, Time.  Stuns and Paralysis would be their friend out there, today.

"Alright, let's head out!"

He said as they turned towards the vast sands that would make up the fifth floor.  The journey wouldn't be long before something would cross their path.  Though, the term would more be, "fell upon", as the jade hunter found himself falling into the pit of a Trap Fiend.  It was an insect-type creature that lived in the sands of the fifth floor.  They could create shifting sand traps that could pull players into their grasp.  Unfortunately, the only way to kill these creatures was to get caught, and defeat it before you were dragged under.

"Great!"

<<Trap Fiend>> HP 32 / DMG 15 / MIT 8

Spoiler

 

[ID: 41438]
[BD: 1] Miss
[MD: 2] Miss

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 14/16 en] -2 en
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 10/10 en]

[Trap Fiend = 32/32 hp]

 

 

Edited December 7, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

As Teion trailed behind Hirru, she surveyed the familiar desert landscape. They hadn't walked longer than a few minutes before the girl was suddenly alerted by the shifting sands in front of them. A monster had caught Hirru and began dragging him into the sand, reminding her of quicksand. She jumped back a bit in reaction before quickly pulling out her axe. She took only a moment to analyze the situation before charging forward. Her balance was interrupted slightly, but she managed to get in range of the target and the blade of her axe glowed bright blue. She delivered three quick slashes at the bug-like monster, dealing a fair amount of damage as she used the strongest of her sword artes.

--Combat Details--

Spoiler

• ID#: 41468
• BD: 10 (Critical Success)
  • Ultimate Breaker Activated
• Hirru's HP: 64/64
  • EP: 14/16
• Teion's HP: 45/45
  • EP: 10/10 -> 7/10
• Trap Fiend's HP: 32/32 -> 19/32 ([5+2] * 3 = 21 - 8 MIT = 13 DMG)

Edited December 8, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

The immediate danger was beginning to get even... well, it wasn't getting any better.  As the hunter kept sinking through the sand while inching closer and closer to the Trap Fiend, he could only think one thing.

'I hate the fifth floor.'

The sand had enclosed his legs up to his knees, making any movement near impossible now.  Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to attack, but that also meant double for the creature.  It would have to wait its own cycle to get to him, but that wouldn't be long.  The hunter was nearly inches from the snapping mandibles.  Hopefully, the axe wielder had more of a foot hold than he had.

"Keep it up, I'll... figure out something.."

Spoiler

[ID: 41512]
[BD: 1] Miss.. again
[MD: 6-1=5] Miss

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 12/16 en] -2 en
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 10/10 en]

[Trap Fiend = 19/32 hp]

 

 

Edited December 8, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

Teion's ankles began sinking into the sand. Her last attack kept her within range of the target, but her lack of footing threw her completely off balance. Where her last attack critically hit, she tried another swing only to have the blade miss the monster and lodge itself in the churning sands. She pulled back hard and managed to keep it from becoming lost in the sand trap, scowling as she missed her opportunity to deal more damage.

--Combat Details--

Spoiler

• ID#: 41519
• BD: 1 (Critical fail)
• Hirru's HP: 64/64
  • EP: 14/16
• Teion's HP: 45/45
  • EP: 7/10 -> 5/10
• Trap Fiend's HP: 19/32
• Hate: Teion (2), Hirru (0)

Edited December 8, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

The hunter was still sinking when he found the footing to get a stance going.  Time would start to glow a bright red before shooting out towards the Trap Fiend.  The art was a thrusting attack that propelled the user forward more than twice the length of the blade itself.  This power would pull the hunter out of the sand before clashing against the creature.  It screeched in pain causing it to miss Teion with its next attack.  The art, however, had a long cooldown which would make the hunter quite vulnerable.

"Take it out!"

Spoiler

 

[ID: 41582]
[BD: 6+2=8] Hit
[Sword Art: Vorpal Strike] 1x5x5= 25-8=17 dmg
[MD: 5] Miss

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 7/16 en] -5 en
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 5/10 en]

[Trap Fiend = 2/32 hp] -17 hp

 

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

Teion regained her balance for a moment as Hirru lunged forward and cut into the monster, bringing its health incredibly low. The girl grinned as their victory seemed close at hand. She realized the gap between herself and the monster had widened, the shifting sands slowly pulling her farther away. She cursed under her breath, lifting her weapon and attempting a swing that couldn't quite reach its target. "Rrgh, I'm out of range!" Scowling at her wasted opportunity, she pulled at her feet that were trapped under the sand, trying to manuveur through the trap and get herself into a better position if Hirru wasn't able to finish the fiend off.

--Combat Details--

Spoiler

• ID#: 41610
• BD: 1 (Critical fail)
• Hirru's HP: 64/64
  • EP: 7/16
• Teion's HP: 45/45
  • EP: 5/10 -> 3/10
• Trap Fiend's HP: 2/32
• Hate: Teion (2), Hirru (1)

Edited December 9, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

As the blacksmith wasn't in range, it was up to the hunter to take care of business.  The fiend was weak, but that would mean nothing if they were still stuck in its trap.  They could have very well been pulled under by now, but they were prepared for this.  The sword would not blow any particular color, but its own latent ability would be present as the hunter placed a well timed attack against the insect.  It screeched before shattering into many illuminating shards of light.  The sands would settle from then on, allowing them continued passage.

"Are you alright?"

He would ask while catching his own breath.  Though it wasn't a long fight, the sands were hard to maneuver in.  If this was a normal body, they would be in trouble.  They should take rest at this point, and maybe look into the harvest of the flora.

Spoiler

[ID: 41846]
[BD: 9] 5+1=6 Paralysis
[MD: 2]

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 7/16 en]
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 3/10 en]

[Trap Fiend = -4/32 hp] +1 Mat

 

Edited December 12, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 41896
• LD: 17+2=19 (1 crafting material) (1 mat total)

Teion took a couple of deep breaths, kicking her boots together and brushing the remaining sand from her legs. She pulled up on her scarf and let out a small sigh before turning to Hirru and registering his question. "Ah, yes I'm fine. Good job!" She smiled. While she ran her fingers over the leather of her shoes, she spotted a glimmer in the sand by her feet. She knelt down to investigate, finding a material that must have turned up from the churning sands. With a satisfied smile, Teion picked the item up and placed it in her inventory. Standing back up, she took a couple of steps and scanned around the area, a bit unsure of where they'd be headed next.

Edited December 12, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

[2 turns until Energy Recharge]
[ID: 41942] [LD: 17+1=18] +1 Mat

The hunter dusted himself off before looking towards his client.  She should be fine as long as they didn't come across anything that would hit hard enough.  The desert sands would make things quite hot, but certain skills were able to relegate that.  Unfortunately, the skill's quest giver was a wandering npc on this floor.  The best way to find them was to wait at one of the villages until they came, but that would take days.  Then there were the people that would go searching for the npc.  That was a story for another day.

"Let's keep going.  We'll probably find something easier to handle along the way."

He would say as he cut open a cactus.  They were great sources for thorn based armor.

Total = 3 Materials

Edited December 13, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 42017
• LD: 7+4=11 (no loot) (3 mats total)

Teion took another quick scan around her, hoping to find something else laying around. With no luck, she turned back to Hirru as he cut into a cactus and collected some of its materials. She nodded at his words, "Mm, yeah. I'll let you lead the way," She twirled one of the ends of her scarf through her fingers idly as she took another glance around. The desert around them was pretty barren, but the churning sands usually allowed for new treasures to be found every so often.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

[1 turn till Recharge]

[ID: 42215][LD = 4+1=5] Nothing...

Nodding towards his partner, they would continue through the desert while the hunter lead on.  The sea of sand had one thing that would always make it worse than any other floor: nothing.  A whole lot of nothing.  As this would probably just make for a horrible time for him and his client, he decided to try and strike up a conversation.  Taking that, he would take a glance at her name again, Teion.  That would be when he would see something with her name, but it was probably just a coincidence.  Though, her axe would fan those flames of intrigue.

"Hey, Teion!  Mind if I ask you a question?"

He wouldn't really wait for her to reply.

"I don't know if you still are, but are you a Crimson Blade member?"

Edited December 16, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 42342
• LD: 16+4=20 (1 crafting material) (3 mats total)

Teion trailed behind the hunter, keeping an eye out for more surprise monsters they might encounter. In the process, she managed to spot a single material half-buried in the sand. She stopped a moment to retrieve it before jogging back to her place. When Hirru spoke and asked her an interesting question, Teion fumbled slightly with her words. "Oh, ahh..." She hesitated a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "I mean, I guess technically... Although I never completed the initiation." She mumbled the last words, reflecting back on her acceptance of Mack's proposal. She had agreed to join the Crimson Blades, but now that she thought about it, she had been so wrapped up in her shop that she hadn't completed a single quest with her "new" guild. It seemed the other members had been scarce lately, likely off doing their own things, but her curiosity nagged at her now. Tilting her head slightly, she also wondered where the question came from. "Why do you ask? Do you know someone with them?"

Edited December 17, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

[Energy Recharged]

The hunter sighed in relief.  Teion was still apart of the guild, though, she didn't know what to do about it.  Many of the previous members had gone silent since he was gone, but that didn't mean that they were missing in action.  Some just didn't know where to go from there.

"Yeah, I know the entire council.  They're all my friends, and I'm searching for them now."

The last part was solemn as it meant that most of the members were scattered to the far reaches of Aincrad.  They would need to continue building up their craft before long, while also retaining their members.

"I've found Beoreson, and we've been trying to find all of the other members.  Seeing if they're still willing to continue the cause."

As they talked the ground beneath them would shake to reveal a scorpion nest.  Multiple scorpions would erupt from within.  The hunter would unsheath Solace to deal with them.  

<<Scorpion>>
HP 32
DMG 15
MIT 8

Spoiler

[ID: 41846]
[BD: 7] 
[Sword Art: Sharp Nail] 3x2x7=42-8= 34 DMG
[MD: 1]

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 4/16 en] -12 en
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 10/10 en]

[Scorpion 1 = 0/32 hp] +1 Mat
[Scorpion 2 = 0/32 hp] +1 Mat
[Scorpion 3 = 0/32 hp] +1 Mat
[Scorpion 4 = 0/32 hp] +1 Mat
[Scorpion 5 = 32/32 hp]

Total Treasure = 8 Mat

 

Edited December 17, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

Teion blinked in surprise at his words. She had lost touch with Mack what felt like ages ago, and she hadn't properly met any of the guild's other members. She tilted her head, curious. "Oh, but you're not a guild member?" After she asked the question, she realized it was a silly one. She was still very unsure of how guilds worked in SAO, but surely she'd have some notification or something about him being a member of the same guild...right?

Teion shook her head lightly. Opening her mouth to respond, she stopped and tensed up as the ground began shaking and a group of monsters emerged. Hirru reacted quickly, unleashing a devastating sword art and eliminating four of the scorpions at once. Amazed, Teion grinned, grabbing her own weapon and activating her strongest skill. The monster's thick hide absorbed most of the damage, but she managed to drop it's HP a bit.

--Combat Details--

  Hide contents

Scorpion-- HP: 32 DMG: 15 MIT: 8

• ID#: 42467
• BD: 6 (Success)
  • Ultimate Breaker Activated
• Hirru's HP: 64/64
  • EP: 4/16
• Teion's HP: 45/45
  • EP: 10/10 -> 4/10
• Scorpion's HP: (5 * 3 = 15 - 8 MIT = 7 DMG)
  • 32/32 -> 25/32
• Hate: Hirru (1), Teion (1)

Edited December 18, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

He would smile when she said that he wasn't a member.  It was true that he never held the guild symbol on his health bar like most others did.  The only other way for such knowledge and friendship to be had within a guild would be if they were a...

"No, I'm not.  My title is only words alone, but they mean much to my brothers."

The last scorpion would be giving her trouble.  It would seem that her attack wasn't as powerful as he would think.  Possibly because of her being so busy in the forge that she couldn't level up as much.  He would need to rectify that, if the Blades were to become prominent.  All of the remaining Blades needed to come back together!

The hunter's blade began to glow red yet again before bursting forward in a thrust attack which would propel him forward several feet into the scorpion, causing it to shatter into pieces.  It would be their lucky encounter as that fight netted a fair amount of material.  He would give the materials to Teion, as that was what she would need while keeping the col.

"Would you like to keep going, or would you like to return with the materials gained today?"

Spoiler

 

[ID: 42978]
[BD: 4+2=6] Hit!
[Sword Art: Vorpal Strike] 1x5x7= 35-8=27 DMG
[MD: 2]
[LD: 20+1=21] 1 Mat + 160 Col

[Hirru = 64/64 hp // 0/16 en] (+1 en / -5 en)
[Teion = 45/45 hp // 4/10 en]

[Scorpion 5 = -2/32 hp] + 1 Mat

Total Treasure = 10 Mat + 160 Col

 

 

Edited December 23, 2015 by Hirru

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 42451
• LD: 10+4=14 (no loot) (10 mats total)
• Teion's EP: 4/10 -> 5/10 (1)

Teion brushed herself off again and sheathed her axe behind her, letting out a deep breath as the battle came to an end. She smiled as Hirru briefly explained his relationship with the Crimson Blades. She felt a little nostalgic, and a little sad that she hadn't tried harder to be more involved with the guild. It felt like everything had been pushed to the back burner as she spent all of her time crafting new gear. Of course, she wasn't exactly eager to change that, but she felt like she should be putting more of an effort in. 'I suppose you could say I'm not very good at being a guildmate...' She thought, disheartened. Turning her attention back to the Hunter and his offer to continue or call it a day, she gave a smile and opened her menu, pushing a few buttons to send the man a friend request. "I think I'd like to head back now, if you don't mind. I'd be grateful to have your help again in the future, if you're available." She added.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Teion

[Hirru 0]

[ID: 43557]
[LD: 14+1=15] +1 Mat (11 Mats Total)

Nodding to her wishes, the hunter would start leading them back to main city, Armadillo.  It would take some time as they had traveled a fair distance into the desert, but they should be back into town by early evening.  The scorching sands would glisten as they passed by several cacti and possible mobs/traps.  The only reason why they were not getting caught by them this time, was because of the hunter.  He wanted to be caught to get the materials.  Though, he would admit that the Trap Fiend was quite a surprise for him too.  Thankfully, none of the scorpions were able to use any paralysis attacks, or they would be there all day.

As time went on, they would reach Armadillo as the light began to dim across Aincrad.  Before dissolving the party, the hunter would hand over a small emblem to Teion.

"Teion, take this emblem to any of the council members.  This will promote you to the rank 'Soldier'."

As he said that, he would smile before turning to leave.

"Whatever happens in the future, just remember: The Blades are there for each other."

 

Edited December 28, 2015 by Hirru