[SP-F6] Steppin' Through My Shadow <<The Gemini>>

[Ronin 0]

"Welp, here goes nothin..." said Ronin, cracking his back and licking his lips.  He sparked up a ciggy to get the day rollin and headed out of his shop.  Marching down the street, he sniffed the air and greeted the sun.  It was exceptionally windy today and he shivered a bit as he puffed at his smoke.   "Damn this wind... someone turn that [censored] down a bit," he grumbled, wondering why on earth someone would set the wind strength so high, or even have the possibility of it reaching those heights in the first place.  It was clearly one of his least favorite elements and he cringed as he moved along.

[Ronin 0]

While the blacksmith didn't have anything really planned today, he had wanted to do a bit of exploring.  He was still exhausted from the night before, in the forest, with the damn bulbous plant like creatures.  "What were those things called again?  Ohh... right... fuckin' Nepents..." he teethed, shaking his head in disgust as he continued along.  He thought of how long he had battled them and how it was no less than a miracle that he was finally able to defeat the boss and retrieve the required loot drop item to finish the quest.  Hopefully that village was happy damnit.

[Ronin 0]

Thinking of the villagers he had delivered the Nepent Ovule to, he wondered if they even knew how to use it, or if they truly needed the medicine at all?  After all, hadn't other players completed that same quest before him?  Hadn't they delivered that precious medicine from the forest to the village that was in oh so desperate need of it?  Hadn't this all just been one continuous, unending, never stopping cycle?  Ronin sighed, feeling overwhelmed as he thought of it.  He was still trying to figure it all out and he still had a lot to learn.

[Ronin 0]

With a huge mountain to climb in front of him, Ronin moved to the teleport platform in town, deciding it was a good day to take it easy, or at least start out easy and take a look around.  While he wanted to grow stronger and improve as quickly as possible, he also wanted to learn the lay of the land a little better.  After all, information was power and in this death game where everything was always trying to kill you at every turn; you couldn't know enough.  Ronin stepped up onto the platform and touched his gloved fingers to his lips, thinking about where to go today.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

"Floor Six?" he voiced, in more of a question than a command.  The system accepted it anyway and in the next instant he was wisked away to a whole new floor that he had yet to explore.  As he arrived there in a fury of lights and whoosing sounds, he smirked slightly.  "So... this is the sixth," he said rather plainly, wondering if any of the floors had any real mystery to them.  Certainly the fourth floor was cool, what with the snow and the christmas village feel to it, but what was the deal here?  He shrugged, unknowing and stepped down from the platform.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

The swordsman turned blacksmith, turned... well, always a chain smoker, decided the best thing to do when visiting a new floor, was just to step outside of town and take a look around.  There was a massive world out there and it amazed him time and time again that it wasn't only on floor one, which he had yet to explore the full extent of, but on every [censored] floor there after.  He sighed, shaking his head and once again feeling so overwhelmed.  Where was everyone?  Wasn't there someone who could help him, guide him through all this?  For now, he was on his own, or so he thought...

[Ronin 0]

As he strolled through town, heading for the outskirts and planning to do a bit of adventuring, he had the strange feeling, that he was being followed.  He was no novice to this sort of game and so he kept from peeking back, knowing if there was indeed someone behind him, this would be a dead giveaway that he knew something was up.  No, the way to play it, was to of course act as though you didn't know you were being followed, then you could march right along and keep a close eye on them, learning what they were really up to, before you made your move to confront them!

[Ronin 0]

Listening closely and paying the best attention he could, Ronin finally dipped between two buildings near the edge of town, once he felt he had broken the line of sight with whomever was stalking him.   Moving through the narrow passage between the buildings, he emerged on the other street and quickly looped back around in hopes of catching a look at whomever or whatever seemed to be hot on his trail.  As he reached the end of the row and peeked around the building however, he saw nothing and sighed.  "Damn... am I going crazy?" he wondered.

[Ronin 0]

Stepping back out into the street, Ronin looked down, noticing his shadow as it stretched away from his feet.  He moved his hand, waving at himself and smirked slightly.  Ah the simple joys of playing around with yourself, with your own shadow... hopefully no one was watching him.  He quickly strained up, knowing if he wanted to have any chance of joining the front lines or even one of the stronger guilds, he couldn't afford to be seen messing around.  There were eyes everywhere and he was probably being watched right now.  "Sure fuckin' feels like it..." he grumbled, moving on.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

After proceeding out of the town and peeking back over his shoulder frequently this time to make sure he definitely wasn't being followed, Ronin headed for a nearby windmill he had seen from afar.  It looked cool enough and he imagined there might be all sorts of cool goodies and trinkets and books left behind inside.  Perhaps someone even lived there?  Perhaps no one at all and just their memories were left behind?  Either way, the swordsman couldn't wait to find out for himself.  He picked up the pace a bit, marching toward it with great interest.

[Ronin 0]

"Wonder what I'll find in here?" he asked of himself, reaching the windmill and realizing it was much bigger than it appeared from far away.  As he had approached it, moving through the field and getting his weathered boots all dirty, he had watched it grow, almost appearing to double and then triple in size as he neared it.  He couldn't believe it when he finally reached the thing, just how big it was.  He wondered if an entire family might have lived inside, or a small army for that matter.  He moved to the door, noticing the weathered wood and some scratch marks near the bottom.  *Knock Knock*

[Ronin 0]

"Hello? Anyone home?" he asked, pushing on the weathered wooden door and entering into the dusty old windmill.  It was no longer operational and from the looks of it, no one had been inside in a very, very long time.  The swordsman pushed his way through the front door and then slowly closed it behind him, not wanting to disturb too much of the interior with that howling wind outside, threatening to blow everything away.  He was actually surprised that the blades outside weren't turning in all this wind, or at least, not that much...

[Ronin 0]

With no answer coming from inside the windmill and no sight nor sound of anyone around, the blacksmith chain smoker moved throughout the bottom floor the of the massive tower, peeking his head into little rooms and sniffing at the dusty air.  The dust instantly entered into his nasal passage and provoked a powerful sneeze, one which knocked him backward into a bookshelf and cast a single work of literature onto the ground.  As it hit with a thud, Ronin looked over and crouched down to investigate what it was.  It was something by a guy named... "Maynard?"  Meanwhile, the stranger that had followed Ronin launched a swift and silent sneak attack against the unsuspecting smoker, but the attack landed against Ronin's shield, resulting in some damage to himself, while the blacksmith didn't even notice he had been engaged.

ID# 55001 results:

Battle: 4

MOB: 8

= -14 mob HP, -1 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 30/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

Ronin wasn't sure who this author was, nor what the book might be about.  The title read something like Forty Six and Two?  He shook his head, not really understanding at the moment, but thinking someday, he might.  He rose to a stand and chucked the book over his shoulder, turning to look around a bit more before he suddenly heard something.  The book smacked into the stealthy stalker's face, causing him to retreat back into the shadows. "Huh? Someone here?" Ronin asked aloud, listening carefully to see if anyone answered back.  The last thing he wanted was to be intruding on someone's home, but he felt pretty confident that no one had been here in ages.

ID# 55000 results:

Battle: 10

MOB: 2

= -1 mob HP, -0 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 30/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

Listening carefully and holding his breath for a moment, Ronin moved back to the doorway and peeked back into the main room of the bottom floor.  There were a few desks up against the walls and the staircase leading up to the next floor, but aside from a bunch of dirt and dust and filth, he didn't see any signs of anyone or anything that might be causing such a ruckus. He pursed his lips in thought, deciding maybe he ought to head up to the next level and have a look around there.  Stepping into the main room with the book still under his arm, he didn't have any idea what he was about to experience.  Nor what he was already experiencing, still oblivious that he was under attack, as the stranger missed with his next strike.

ID# 54999 results:

Battle: 2

MOB: 1

= -0 mob HP, -0 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 30/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

"Excuse me," said a stranger's voice suddenly, from the doorway that lead back outside.  The sneaky intruder missed again and ground his teeth together, knowing he had to rethink his strategy if he wanted to beat this idiot who didn't even realize he was being engaged.  Ronin peeked back over his shoulder, completely oblivious to the fact that the front door of the windmill tower had even been opened at all. He lifted a gloved hand slightly to shield his eyes from the incoming light that poured into the room.  All he could see beyond his squinting and his lifted hand, was the silhouette of someone standing in the doorway.  "Yes?  Who's there?  I didn't mean to intrude... I was jus' havin' a little look around," ensured the swordsman.  "I'll be outta' here in a flash, sorry..."

ID# 54998 results:

Battle: 2

MOB: 2

= -0 mob HP, -0 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 30/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

"Ah ah, not so fast... I don't think you understand," began the stranger, trying once again to race through Ronin's shadow and deliver an unseen strike to the idiot blacksmith.  He missed again and his fury only grew, before he was forced to slink back through the shadow and return to his silhouetted form in the doorway.  "...Erm... You see, I'm just a wanderer, like you.... and I've been traveling the land, looking for a friendly little duel.  Would you care to accept?  It would really make me happy..."  Ronin pursed his lips, taking it all in an considering the idea.  It all sounded a little creepy to be honest, but he couldn't help but feel a little excitement toward the prospect himself.  He hadn't gotten to fight against anyone else yet, especially not someone that looked to be of his own size and build.  This could be fun... "Alright... you're on!" he agreed.

ID# 54997 results:

Battle: 1

MOB: 2

= -0 mob HP, -0 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 30/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

Ronin kicked at his shadow on the ground in confusion, unaware that it was connected to this stranger and would actually do him some damage.  There was something odd, even after Ronin agreed to the duel with this stranger and the silhouetted figure began to enter the room.  He tried searching for it, spotting it, but couldn't see the man's name listed anywhere.  Usually you could at least spot it floating above their head somewhere, near their player icon or something, but not with this person.  He shrugged, wondering if perhaps there was a feature or skill that simply allowed you to hide such information.  That might come in handy, if you didn't want others knowing who you were.  "So then, shall we begin?" asked the stranger, stepping forth and preparing himself for the duel.  "Alrighty... let's rock," answered Ronin, readying himself and then rushing forward to launch his attack!

ID# 54996 results:

Battle: 8

MOB: 2

= -1 mob HP, -0 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 43/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

The Stranger: HP 29/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

As the two faced off, the stranger suddenly lowered his guard for a moment, once the duel had been accepted by Ronin.  "Oh, by the way... a little detail I forgot to mention... this duel is actually... to the death..." he explained, causing the smoker to lower his guard in disbelief.  He stood up straight, blinking his eyes and looking toward the stranger in horror.  "Who the hell are you?  What do you mean to the death?  Why are you out here trying to kill people?  Don't you know we're all trying to clear this game together and get back to our lives?"  Ronin was getting pissed and he still couldn't get the best look at this guy.  "Step up and show yourself!" he growled.

"Alright..." agreed the stranger, stepping forth to reveal who he really was.  As he did, he raced forth across the floor, covering the gap between them in an instant and trying to attack.  Ronin managed to lift his shield at the last second and defend against the savage assault, dealing more damage to the attacker then he himself received.

ID# 54993 results:

Battle: 3

MOB: 6

= -14 mob HP, -1 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 42/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

Gemini: HP 15/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin

[Ronin 0]

Right away, Ronin saw the man emerging into view through the bright light and his expression turned from one of disbelief, to one of horror.  "But... you're..." mumbled the smoker.  "Yes... I'm you..." finished the stranger, stepping forth with a little discomfort and revealing that he was a perfect clone of Ronin himself.  The swordsman blinked repeatedly, still unable to believe what he was looking at.  His hand quivered and he reached for his rusty shiv, knowing this freak was just [censored] with him. 

"Stop!  I'm warning you!  What the hell is this, some kinda' joke?!" cried Ronin, trying to figure it out.  "No need to get so upset... you'll be dead soon enough," promised the clone, smirking devilishly and then racing in to engage Ronin again.  Gemini was growing desperate now, knowing that while Ronin had been oblivious, he himself had taken a lot of damage already.   If he weren't careful, he would surely be slain and this idiot would continue on without even knowing what really happened.

He raced inward, hoping to avoid the swordsman's shield, but was caught off guard as Ronin's shiv emerged into view and slashed him during his approach.  With this mild distraction, Gemini tried his best to follow through with his own attack, striking hard at Ronin, but catching some of his shield in the process.  As soon as his attack landed, he grit his teeth in pain, knowing what had happened.  "GAH!  DAmn that shield of yours!" he cried out, before bursting into a hundred tiny crystal shards.

ID# 54989 results:

Battle: 9

Craft: 12

Loot: 20+2 = LD: 22+ Rare item of your choosing. (Must be submitted for approval), +Disguise Skill

MOB: 10

= -17 mob HP, -5 ronin HP

Ronin: HP: 37/44 DMG: 2 MIT: 27 THRNS: 14

Gemini: HP 0/44 DMG: 3 MIT: 11 = dead

Bleeding Sword of the Dingus

Item Type: Two-Handed Straight Sword
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: 2 Slots

• Bleed

• Bleed

A surprisingly light two handed sword which looks almost identical to a starting weapon.

A stretch of red cloth has been wrapped around the hilt and a cross-eyed coyote adorns the pommel.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ronin