[PP-F1] The Shadowed Woods (Takao) (Complete)

[Evander 0]

Evander stepped into the darkness of the forest, holding the sword in his left hand up before him. Today, he planned to devote all of his efforts to taking down as many monsters as he could. It would be a beneficial training experience, and perhaps he would get something other than a pelt or the like as a drop. Another reason was that he hadn't killed a monster in quite a while, due to all of the training he had put himself through in order to be able to use a sword with his non-dominant hand. Now, finally, he was proficient enough to wield a blade in his left hand without dying. It was time to test his skills. A wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves. A colorful butterfly landed on his shoulder. Evander smiled a little. A beast growled, somewhere in the bushes to his right. Evander turned calmly, as the butterfly began to lift off from his shoulder and flit about in the breeze again. So, this wolf was to be his first contender. It was large, larger than any other he had encountered, with red eyes and a white pelt. Evander rolled his shoulders. He had been itching for a good fight.

Begin Combat

Evander: HP: 20 Energy: 5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

Edited May 1, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander looked into the wolf's red eyes. There was a slight possibility that its algorithms were different from its brethren, but this was not likely. All he had to do was fight it as if it were some other wolf, and... great, he had forgotten the usual patterns of these wolves. Well, at least he still remembered how to fight a boar, right? Right. Evander held his blade in a defensive position. He wondered if the wolf would attack differently if he was using his left hand, but it didn't matter anyway because he had forgotten the attack patterns. Hmm, what strategy to use, what strategy to use. Well, he had recently been able to perform a new sword art, finishing off the set his first level in his OHSS skill had given him. Perhaps he could try and use that? Well, better now, against a weaker enemy, than later, when fighting for his life. Evander lunged forward at the wolf, as it snarled in anticipation. Evander sailed past the wolf, dealing no damage whatsoever. Shoot! Now he couldn't use his shiny new sword art because he had used up too much of his energy. The only solace was that the wolf had missed as well.

Combat

Evander: HP: 20/20 Energy: 3/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 52744 results:

 Battle: 5 (fail)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander scrambled back onto his feet, holding his sword out, back in front of him again. Well, now he supposed he would just use Snake Bite or something and hope for some extra damage to be done. Eyeballing it, the wolf's defenses looked fairly strong, most likely able to nullify most of his damage. Evander looked down at himself. Yep, he still had no armor whatsoever. That hadn't magically changed in the last 24 hours. He really, really needed to get some armor. Didn't he say earlier that he was going to go buy some armor at a merchant's store or something? He just kept putting it off, he supposed. Wait a second, that wasn't logical. Why would he not buy protection for himself to keep himself from dying? He usually had more common sense than that. Perhaps, subconsciously, he wished to be fully independent? The wolf growled again. Right, he was still in a battle. Looked like his common sense still hadn't kicked in yet. Evander sighed, putting off his thoughts for a quieter hour, and ran forth again towards the beast. He tripped over a rock. Oh no. Oh, please no. It was happening again, wasn't it. Evander punched the ground for his horrid luck. At least the beast missed as well, though that was likely only because he was sprawled out on the ground. Grumbling, Evander stood again.

Combat

Evander: HP: 20/20 Energy: 2/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 52753 results:

 Battle: 1 (critical fail)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander held his blade out, pointing it at the wolf. Why did this have to happen again? Why did there have to be an endless miss cycle again? Evander took a few deep breaths, calming himself. There would be no point in raging about this, as he had done in the past. The wolf obviously looked irritated that his opponent kept wasting his time. Evander ground his feet in the grassy earth. Agh, he knew should have chosen Battle Healing instead of the Light Armor skill, which was, right now, useless to him. Evander looked intently at the wolf. He would not miss, he would not miss. He could not miss. A steely determination appeared in Evander's eye. He inhaled, then exhaled. He would not miss. The sunlight glinted off of his sword. He would not miss. The butterfly still flitted about, over their duel, without a care in the world. He would not miss. Screaming, he charged forth at the wolf. He missed. He missed, and what made it worse was that the wolf had managed to lash out at him. Blech.

Combat

Evander: HP: 17/20 Energy: 1/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 52756 results:

 Battle: 3 (fail)

 MOB: 6 

Mob DMG: 3 DMG done

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander sighed. Just his luck. And, what was worse was, by looking at both of their healths and the estimated defense of the wolf, he would die to the wolf unless he got some insane criticals or the wolf missed while he hit. Now, he wasn't a coward, but unless this battle began to shape up, he would have to hightail it out of here. Okay, let's see, what was acceptable risk? Hmm, okay, so, if he hit the next attack while the monster missed, he would continue to fight, but if the monster got another hit before its health was low enough, he would have to run. He just hoped he wouldn't die while trying to run away. That was a good plan. After catching his breath, fighting a few weaker monsters, perhaps he would return to face this beast. Evander looked squarely at the wolf for a second, focusing himself, then attacked. Agh, it was on his face, his face was being clawed! Evander managed to rip away. Why did this have to happen to him? He needed to run, now. The only problem was, if the monster got another hit, he would probably be too weak to even get away! This, this was a troubling conundrum.

Combat

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 0/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 52757 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 10 (Critical +2)

Mob DMG: 3 + 2(critical)= 5 DMG done

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. If the monster got another hit on him, he wouldn't be able to run. Agh, curse his luck, curse his stubbornness, curse that monster's critical to the face. Why, oh why must you torment me so, Lady Luck? Okay, here was a plan. He could bluff, look like he was about to attack, then run the instant that the monster believed he would lunge forward. Yeah, that was a good idea, this may actually work. Evander began to hyperventilate. What if the monster hit? What if he couldn't run? What if he was pinned down, fighting a hopeless battle? What if he, if he... actually died? What if all the work he had put in so far had been for nothing? What if he was condemned to a useless death because of his stubbornness? No! He couldn't think about that. That would just weigh him down, make the chances of it actually happening much, much greater. Evander prepared his bluff and prayed that it would work. Wincing, Evander fake lunged forward and jumped back. Wait a second, did it actually work? Evander cracked open an eye. The wolf had missed! Hope began to dawn in Evander's eyes again.

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 1/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 52759 results:

 MOB: 2 (fail)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Yes! YES! It worked! He wasn't going to die! Oh, wait, he was being stupid again. Why was he just standing here gloating and celebrating, when he should be running? The danger wasn't over just yet. There was still a large chance that he would get hit. Evander turned out to the fields and began to run, as fast as his legs could take him. Legs churning, he weaved through the trees. Evander felt elated. Thank you, everything that is good and kind in this world. Thank you so much. There it was, the light at the end of the tunnel. If he could just get out there, if he could just make it into the plains, he could escape. His pace quickened even further, his spirit bolstered by this new hope. Trees blurred together, as he moved faster and faster. He was actually going to make it! He was actually going to... And he just tripped over a root. At least the monster hadn't caught up to him yet.

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 2/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 52760 results:

 Craft: 5 (fail)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander hurriedly pushed himself back to his feet. Run, run, he had to run, before the monster could catch him. Why did he have to trip over a root? Just when he thought he was going to make it. Evander built up his speed again, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He could hear the wolf, growling, loping after him. Fear rose again inside of Evander's heart. Come on, the light was so close, safety so close to hand. He had to make it. He had to. He could smell it now, the fresh air of the plains, and freedom, just beyond that last tree. Evander shuddered. Even though he was so close, he was more afraid then ever before. He pushed himself to go even faster, faster, he needed to go faster! He could practically hear the wolf breathing down his back, though it was likely farther back. This was the hardest he had ever run in his life. Ah, fear. It pushed mankind beyond their limits, beyond their capabilities. Wait, what was he even thinking about right now? This was no time for philosophical thoughts! Evander guessed his mind was beginning to become delirious from the strong emotions pumping through his entire body. He was almost there, almost at the light... and he fell yet again. Agh, why was fate conspiring against him? Why did he have to be so close, yet so far? The wolf was gaining on him.

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 3/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 52761 results:

 Craft: 6 (fail)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited March 23, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander scrambled back onto his feet and pushed off again, running at breakneck speed. He had fallen twice in a row. What were the odds of that happening? High, I guess. The end of the forest was seriously just right there, so why couldn't he make it? Why couldn't he just escape? The monster was now literally breathing down his neck. He could hear its panting. At least it hadn't been able to hit him yet. Evander began to lose his freshly kindled hope. Why was it, that, whatever he did, the world would find ways to oppose him? How come he couldn't just succeed? Why did he have to fail in every single possible way except one, death, then be let go of by the whims of fate? Evander shook his head while continuing to run. Get over it, you whimpering pansy. Life isn't fair, so don't moan and groan over what happened, just deal with it. In spite of the false bravado he had raised up in his mind, he was still weak and afraid. Afraid of death. Evander continued to run. A branch smacked him in the face and he fell backwards. He looked back for a second, and- wow, the wolf was actually fairly far away, okay, he still had time.

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 4/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 52762 results:

 Craft: 8 (fail)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Edited March 24, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander got back up onto his feet and began to run again, rubbing at his face. That had actually quite hurt. The good thing was, he still had a lead on the wolf. To be honest, he had no idea how he was outpacing a wolf, but he wasn't going to argue that point. He began picking up speed again, and finally burst out of the forest into the bright sunlight of the plains. At least, now, there were no roots or branches to randomly knock him down while he was trying to escape. The bad thing was, the wolf was still bounding towards him. It was quite a persistent little bugger, wasn't it? Did he actually have to get all the way to the safe zone before he could lose the tailing wolf? The city was quite a far way off. That was quite a lot of running he would have to do. Evander quickened the pace even further. He had no idea how fast he was going right now, but he was sure that he was going to burn out soon. He hadn't really trained for any running- he had just assumed that he would be able to solve all of his problems with the sword. Note to self: Never make assumptions. Hmm, perhaps he could get far enough away from the wolf's spawn point, and it would begin to go back? He really didn't want to have to go all the way back to the city. Evander risked a glance back. Wait, what? His plan had actually worked? He had actually been blessed in his endeavor by fate? That was a first. Thank goodness. I'm not sure if I could have gone on any longer. Evander slowed to a halt, panting, gasping for breath. He collapsed back onto the grassy earth.

Evander: HP: 12/20 Energy: 5/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 52937 results:

 Craft: 10 (success)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited March 24, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Immediately, Evander felt an onrush of shame. He felt weak, craven, for running away from the fight. It was the pragmatic thing to do, and likely the only way he would have survived, but, it was just... he didn't know. Perhaps he had expected more out of himself? Perhaps some part of him wanted him to stand his ground and fight to his death, instead of running like a coward? Whatever the case, he was safe now. It was stupid, idiotic, to even consider feeling this way. Evander sighed. He should be feeling relieved right now. Whatever. Evander got back onto his feet, and looked around. There wasn't a single monster as far as the eye could see, disregarding the wolf that was loping back into the forest. Argh, he hadn't even been able to lay a single scratch upon it. Why was he so weak? Why was he so disgustingly weak? He needed to train more. However, that could wait until later, until after he caught his breath again. In the meantime, he may as well just look around for some mats and do something actually useful for once. He had no high hopes, but he might as well try, right? Hmm, that herb over there looked promising. Evander put the shoot in his inventory and continued on his way.

+1 mat from plains

Evander: HP: 15/20 Energy: 5/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

 ID# 52952 results:

 Loot: 18

Edited March 24, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander kept glancing back at the forest. His mind kept goading him to go back in, but the sensible part of him knew that that was a stupid idea. Geez, what had gotten into him today? Why was he being so idiotic? Was it because he just couldn't accept failure? If so, he sorely needed to excise that childish part of his personality. He wasn't always going to win. He needed to learn how to lose. Alright, now that that was all fine and dandy, he could get back to the extremely necessary and gutless task of mat gathering. Evander sighed and put his face in his hands. Why was he so uncooperative with himself, so disjointed today? He needed to focus. Evander closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Opening them again, he began searching for another useful material in the grass.

Alright, there was definitely nothing. Whatever. It's not like looking for mats was terribly useful for him anyway, considering how he was probably never going to get a profession.

Evander: HP: 18/20 Energy: 5/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

ID# 52954 results:

 Loot: 12

Edited March 24, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander looked back at the forest for the umpteenth time this day, squinting in the bright light of the noonday sun. Okay, enough was enough. He was going to go in and absolutely destroy that wolf. Evander began to determinedly march back towards the forest. A faint breeze, almost impossible to feel, blew towards the looming trees. Evander stepped back under the canopy. The butterfly from earlier fluttered about above his head again, but did not land on his shoulder. Evander drew his sword with his left hand. The shade cast by the trees helped make it easier to see. He heard a growl again, from his left. Evander whirled towards the noise. Ah, there it was. The source of all of his fury and anger and frustration today. The white wolf stepped out from the brush. It was time to fight yet again.

Begin Combat

Evander: HP: 20/20 Energy: 5/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

[Evander 0]

Evander wanted to rage out at the wolf that had been the source of all of his indignation. He wanted to smash it into a pulp. The sensible and knowing part of his mind receded back. Evander glared at the wolf, while its red eyes looked back calmly, passively. Evander began to growl in the back of his throat. He was going to use the sword art he had wanted to earlier, and it was going to work. He would make it work. The butterfly fluttered away to greener pastures. Evander's eyes were set with a wild fury, barely unrestrained by the constraints of civilization, and all the world appeared offending to his eye. His field of vision narrowed, until only the wolf could be seen. For all he knew, a dark abyss lay to either side of him. He clenched his right fist, and leapt forth in an animalistic fury. He had lunged too far to the right. He crashed into a nearby tree, then steadied himself with a clawed hand. The wolf tripped over itself while trying to attack Evander. The world grew darker around them.

Combat

Evander: HP: 20/20 Energy: 3/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 52959 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 1 (critical fail)

Edited March 24, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander screamed, a wild howl of fury. Red tinged his vision. His hands were shaking. He had had enough! He was going to rip this little, minuscule, worthless monster to shreds. Evander glowered at the wolf, while it just stared calmly back, infuriating him even further. Evander's humanity became dormant within his soul, the chains of civilization snapped, and the beast inside came out to prowl. The abyss on either side deepened. His grip tightened, even as he began to shudder in rage. The wolf calmly sat, awaiting his attack. Evander's eyes narrowed. How dare this small chunk of code act so aloof, so unafraid, so uncaring? He would make it pay, if it were the last thing he did. Evander's right hand began to bleed from his tight clench, the nails digging into the flesh. For a moment, clarity returned to Evander. Why was he so worked up about a single monster? The pain receded. It was just a single monster, nothing to get so frustrated about. Except, this monster had wasted a lot of his time, and made him run away like a coward. Evander's eyes narrowed. He charged forward for an attack. He stumbled on his dash there, and was subsequently unprotected as the wolf lashed out at him.

Combat

Evander: HP: 16/20 Energy: 2/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 10/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 53771 results:

 Battle: 4 (fail)

 MOB: 9 (critical +1)

Mob DMG: 3+1(critical)= 4 DMG done

Edited March 29, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

He had missed again. Again. Another failure, to be tossed on to the heap of evidence that Evander was worthless before the system, powerless before death. Anger began to swell in Evander again. Rage clouded his vision. He was just a little irritated at the hand luck had dealt him. He had not been able to hit this beast all day. Not a single scratch had been laid onto the beast. Whereas, in comparison, he had been gored multiple times. Evander put a hand against his stomach, feeling the deep, unnatural, pixelated gash in his torso. All at once, his anger seemed to subside as horror dawned on his face. What was he even doing? Why was he here, facing off against the same monster that could have killed him? He knew he wasn't strong enough, he knew all of that, so why was he here? He had let his emotions and frustration control him. He had let his rage descend into wrath. He had ignored any semblance of rationality. Now, he was faced with a choice- fight till one of them were killed, or to flee, and potentially live to see another day. Evander shrugged. Whatever. He was here anyway, may as well fight. He charged forward and lashed out with his blade. And- wait, did he actually hit the beast? Evander was elated for a moment, until the wolf clawed at his face. That hurt. Quite a bit. And now, he was probably going to die. He was soon going to be too weak to even flee from battle. Great.

Combat

Evander: HP: 11/20 Energy: 2/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 9/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 54359 results:

 Battle: 7 

 MOB: 10 (critical +2)

Total DMG: 2-3(MIT)= 1 DMG done

Mob DMG: 3+2= 5 DMG done

Edited March 31, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander began to hyperventilate, ragged breaths coming in faster and faster. He was going to die. He actually, really, was going to die. The monster was too strong. One more hit, and he wouldn't be able to run. A hit while running, well, he would fall and be at the mercies of the beast before him. He began to shudder. Death knocked at his door. The shuddering stopped. Well, might as well give it a good fight. He forced his breathing to slow. He squinted at the wolf. He held his sword out before him. Might as well go down giving it his all. Well, the good thing was that few to none would mourn his death, unless some person was some sentimental, philosophical wimp that just mourned for everyone, like him, and even then, it wouldn't really be for him, only for the idea of his passing in general, and yeah, he was probably rambling. The point was, he had made basically no friends in this game. That was good, so that he didn't have to burden anyone else. In real life, pretty much only his family and perhaps a few of his buddies would even care that he died. SAO victims probably died everyday. He was practically dead to them now. Evander took a deep breath. He needed to stop thinking. He jumped forward, leaping towards the wolf. And... he missed. Of course he missed. At least the wolf had missed as well.

Combat

Evander: HP: 11/20 Energy: 1/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 9/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 55051 results:

 Battle: 4 (fail)

 MOB: 2 (fail)

Edited April 3, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Right now, his biggest enemy was himself. He needed to stop thinking. Seriously, what was he doing, distracting himself with all of these sad thoughts and ideas? What was he doing, trying to depress himself to suicide over his sad stupid life or something? He had a great life. He had a happy family and childhood, which was already better than half of the people on this planet, he had survived thus far, which was better than about two thousand people, he was living the good life up in here. All he had to do was just survive this stupid wolf. Evander took a deep breath in, out. He was ready. He was focused. He was centering himself. Odds were that he would miss his next attack, but try, try again, right? He hadn't even used any of his sword skills yet. What was he thinking? Well, he was pretty soon going to run out of energy altogether, so perhaps he should save Snake Bite for when he had an opening. Whatever the case, waffling about wasn't going to help him now. Evander got back to his feet, and charged at the wolf. He scored another hit, but was promptly hit back. Great. Now he was even in health with the wolf.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/20 Energy: 1/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 8/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 55053 results:

 Battle: 8

 MOB: 8

Total DMG: 2 - 3(MIT) = 1 DMG done

Mob DMG: 3 DMG done

Edited April 3, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Hmm, why was he even here again? Hadn't he gotten away once? Perhaps it was time for some rapid fire self-reflection. Ah, yes, that's right, he became infuriated for some infallible reason (seriously, it was just a monster, there was no shame in fleeing to live another day), and promptly decided to let go of himself and become beast-like. Well, this was actually a serious problem. How could he hope to even control himself if he was constantly becoming angry and losing his humanity? Now that Evander thought about it, he actually had a lot of flaws that needed to be excised. It probably wasn't going to be easy, trying to become a better person, but if he meditated and thought daily- and, oh yeah, he was still in a fight. The wolf actually looked kind of angry, now that it had been hit a few times. It probably assumed he was going to be an easy kill. Well, he would try to prove that thing wrong. However, he was currently even in health with the beast, and if the battle continued at the same rate, he would likely be killed. Yeah, maybe he would die to the wolf. Wait, ha ha, funny little joke mind, trying to get him to be all depressed again. Wasn't going to work. He couldn't let it work. Evander charged toward the wolf and slashed out with his blade. Shoot, and he missed again. As predicted. At least the wolf did too. He needed to focus.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/20 Energy: 0/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 8/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 55055 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited April 3, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander's thoughts grew shorter, more clipped as he began to cut out any extraneous thoughts, focusing on the battle. He had run out of energy. That meant no more sword arts. Which, in turn, meant he would have to do this the old fashioned way- hacking at it until it died. However, chances were that he would die long before he even managed to get close to killing the beast. He was going to die. There was no doubt about that. The only question was, how much damage would he be able to inflict before going out? This was likely to be his swan song. He had to make the most out of it. Short breath in, short exhalation. Luckily, he had already somewhat come to terms with his mortality. Somewhat. For, what was death asides from a passing phase? Evander looked back a little wistfully at his wonderful childhood, at his loving family, and everything he was going to leave behind. Alright, enough stalling. It was time to do this. Evander stepped forth with his blade. At that exact moment in time, a branch dropped from a tree and startled him, knocking him off balance. He fell onto the floor. Well, at least the monster was surprised as well.

Combat

Evander: HP: 8/20 Energy: 0/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 8/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 56574 results:

 Battle: 1 (critical fail)

 MOB: 4 (fail)

Edited April 26, 2016 by Evander