[5F - PP - NK] Dungeon of the Shifting Sands (Calrex) [Completed]

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Swapping gear:

- Pain Drinker (-54 Regen), -1 Bloody Hell (-2 dmg, -24 bleed), + Finder's Keeper (+1 skill rank: search & detect), +Seeking Aura (+3 LD)

ID# 82931 results: Loot: 16 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 21 - +1 Material (4 total) Survival: + 20 HP = 860/880

Shield let out a sigh as the battle wound to its conclusion. He turned to Calrex, finally having more than a moment to inspect the aftermath of the couple of rounds of carelessness that had transpired. He winced when he saw how little health was left of the overall gauge. It was clear that Calrex was not holding anything against him, but it still felt like a serious flub on his part, more so even than his run-in with Cerberus, since it was only himself who was being placed in danger.

He flipped through his menus to trade out the less practical items for the more loot-friendly pieces of equipment. Immediately, his earring was set aglow. Glancing around, he spotted something through the doorway to his left. There on the worn wooden table was a bowl of fruit. In it was an apple that appeared to have an item tag.

Well, not exactly the top place I'd choose to hunt for cooking supplies, but I suppose it serves the purpose it was intended for regardless of where it was found.

He jogged back outside to join Calrex.

"Well, I'm guessing you'll need a rest," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Are we resting on the move or do you need time to recover more than just energy?"

@Calrex

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

(1/3 Turns Out of Combat, 1 Energy Recovered, 20 HP Recovered)

As Shield went to apparently gather some more materials Calrex gave a small sigh, swiping on his menu, "Best not let a similar situation happen again. I'd best get some more armor on."

Swiping on his menu he quickly scrolled through his equipment, seeing a particular one that would be the most effective in the situation. He needed to avoid losing the frequency of his attacks and their chances of success, but at the same time prepare for the chance that he would get another hit. The Tide Pendant vanished from around his neck as the two pieces of the Grand Guard II surrounded his forearms. Slamming his arms into a parallel horizontal position in front of him the tower shield fully formed in front of his vision. Separating them once again the blunette gave a small sigh, "Shadow Explosion doesn't require a free hand to execute like Meteor Break. However, I won't be able to seamless transition to Martial Arts if need be. We'll just have to see how the rest of these battles go."

Looking as Shield made his way over and asked his condition Calrex gave a simple nod, "I think as long as we make sure you take point from now on in terms of combat I should be alright. Of course I'll need to recover energy in order for these battles to not drag on, but at the least with this it won't be as dire should our Hate levels happen to shift."

Tapping his right hand against one piece of his shield the bluenette watched as the first flash of his out of combat energy recovery trigger. At the same time his health bar flashed, some of his health coming back. It wasn't significant in relation to the rest of his large health bar, but anything more than what he already had was appreciated.

Changed Tide Pendant > Grand Guard II

EVA 3 > 1
Loot Dice: 1 > 0
MIT: 30 > 116
Heavy Momentum: 0 > 2

Calrex: 563/1615 | EN: 56/160

@Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 82935 results: Loot: 9 + 5 = 14 - No Materials (4 total)

Survival: + 20 HP = 880/880 - FULL

Shield nodded and with that, he struck out across the cityscape again, wandering between obelisks and domed buildings, guarded at their entrances by stone sphynxes. The further they walked, the more the buildings increased in both the complexity of their design and the extravagance of their size. Soon, they arrived at a large row of pillars framing a gate. On the other side of the gate, Shield thought he could make out a temple framed on either side by gargantuan statues of pharoh-like beings.

"If this place is historically accurate in its design, then likely the temple is going to be the focus of our journey," Shield postulated aloud. "That means likely fighting our way through the outer courtyard and into the temple itself. There's a very real possibility that we'll have to make our way to the 'holy place' and the boss itself will likely be waiting for us in the 'holy of holies,' or something very similar."

He tried to squint ahead, but the dimness of the underground was winning in the battle against his vision. Shaking his head, he resigned himself that the only way to find out was to simply find out.

@Calrex

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

(2/3 Turns Out of Combat, 1 Energy Recovered, 20 HP Recovered)

Following a couple of steps behind Shield Calrex surveyed the cityscape as well, taking in the architecture and various shapes that made up the entirety of the area. As they made it over to the gate that his teammate was speaking about. Seeing the giant pharaoh statues surrounding the temple on the other side the bluenette listened to the man's thoughts.

"Hm...that would sound about right. So we're basically walking in and desecrating some equivalent of a god's shrine of worship with our presence. It's not exactly far from the mark compared to the past dungeons I've been down. Just as long as we don't have to deal with two gigantic pharaoh statues trying to punch us, that'll be just fine with me."

As they continued onward Calrex made note of his eyes seeming to shift in order to adjust to a change in light. "Either something above just recently blocked the source of light around here, or whatever other light sources in the area are being messed with."

"Guess we'd best keep pushing onward. I should be good on energy in another few seconds, so just let me know when you're going to initiate combat and I'll be ready."

Calmly drawing the Grand Blade II he began to let his eyes relax and naturally adjust to the optimal dilation in order to focus. At this point he was aware that darkness generally didn't affect their battles in a mechanic aspect, but heavy enough darkness could in fact hinder combat.

Calrex: 583/1615 | EN: 57/160

@Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 82944 results: Loot: 14 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 19 - +1 Material (5 total)

Swapping gear:
- Finder's Keeper (- 1 skill rank: search & detect), -Seeking Aura (- 3 LD), + Pain Drinker (+ 54 Regen), + 1 Bloody Hell (+ 2 dmg, + 24 bleed)

Shield squinted into the gathering darkness, trying to force his eyes to focus despite having less and less information to work with. As they crossed through the gateway and into the courtyard, the earring Shield wore began to glow with a faint light that grew brighter the further they walked. With the steady light it shed in every direction, Shield spotted a glint of something on the ground. Bending down to inspect, he discovered a piece of flint that had apparently broken off in such a way that it had one smooth, semi-glossy facet that had caught the light. He stored it away with the other materials he had gathered.

As he did so, his earring faded into the darkness, which now seemed to press in on them more heavily than it had before. Suddenly, light roared into view from all sides as flames leaped up from between the scores of pillars that lined the courtyard, enclosing the space and casting light as though it were broad daylight. He took that as a sign to change into his battle regalia.

"I think we've found where the dungeon intended the next battle to be," he called out to Calrex over the roaring flames. "Keep your eyes peeled. I'm not sure what's coming, but whatever it is wants to make a grand entrance."

@Calrex

Edited April 25, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

(3/3 Turns Out of Combat, All Energy Recovered, 20 HP Recovered)

"Well that certainly is a thing in these dungeons right? Only stealth-type creatures get a more subtle entrance."

As the lights from the pillars illuminated their surroundings Calrex quickly glanced at his energy bar. With a single flash the blue rectangle had returned back to full, completely covering the black border outline. His health was still slowly making its way back up, the usually red bar still remaining yellow to indicate that he was below half of his entire health, "Completing the rest of the dungeon like this huh? Well that's certainly to be a first..."

Another flash restored another small chunk of his HP, but still not enough to return it above half. It made the bluenette contemplate leveling up his Battle Healing in the near future, after he grandmastered his inherited unique skill.

His grip slowly tightened around the handle of his sword, his biceps lightly tensed in preparation to come together and form the Grand Guard II should the need arise. Of course with their current strategy, Shield would be the one initiating combat, but there was always the chance that the enemy would act before the armored man had time to execute <<Howl>>. Looking forward Calrex saw that there would be a certain part of the area that would seem like the point where a monster group would spawn. Judging from his past experiences, he could to some level determine the "triggering area," the space around that point where the game would actually spawn the mobs. Right now they were likely on the borderline.

"Well, this is an educated guess, but I'd suggest taking a few steps forward and howling. If my suspicions are right, that'll be right when the creatures appear"

Calrex: 603/1615 | EN: 160/160

@Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Action: Howl - +3 Hate

ID# 83323 results:

 MOB: 9 + 4 = 13 - Hit! - 126 dmg + 1 = 240 - 178 mit = 62 x 4 = 248 dmg

[H:0] @Calrex: 533/1615 | EN: 72/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:3] Shield: 632/880 | EN: 88/88 (4 * (240 DMG+2 DMG - 178 MIT) = 256 DMG)

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 800/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4

Over the roar of the flames and the words of his ally, Shield thought he could make out some noise. It was distant, but there was a humming somewhere overhead. Humming turned into droning as four shadows materialized out of the dark, catching glints of firelight as they descended. With four heavy thuds, the flying beasts landed in the space that had been anticipated as their arrival point. The creatures were massive scarab beetles, easily as tall as Shield was and at least as long from head to thorax. They stood on six powerful, stocky legs as they folded up their expansive blue and green feathered wings under the thick armored shrouds that comprised the protective section of their carapaces.

"Well, we fought the representatives of Anubis," he said with a growl. "No we get to fight the emissaries of Ra."

As if Shield's words had been their welcome, the began to skitter towards the adventurers, thick mandibles like yearling tree trunks crunching together menacingly, sharp, horn-like protrusions angled inward between each pair. Shield took that in turn as his own cue, breathing in until his chest was fully puffed before hurling words and the force of his diaphragm in a booming howl.

"Not that you had a choice, but squaring off with us was the last mistake you'll make, bug-brains!" he crowed, the force of his lings cutting a swath of air that stoked the flames behind the beetles, the flames shrinking down to the ground, but burning with a bright intensity as the extra air fueled the heat. The flames leaped up to their original height, burning at an even greater intensity as the over-sized insects closed the remaining distance.

Apparently, the beetles did not take kindly to his challenge, because each one charged, one after another, ramming their heavy bodies into Shield and forcing him to stumble back several paces. His health bar dropped, though he knew it was no worse than anything they had seen so far.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83203
Battle Dice: 8 (Accuracy +3) = 11
Sword Art <<Shadow Explosion>> Activated / <<Charge>> Activated (18 Energy Used / 142 Remaining)

At the appearance of their next enemies Calrex listened as Shield gave some commentary, giving a nod and a small laugh, "We're just working our way up the food chain."

The booming echo of his teammate's <<Howl>> skill was the signal for the bluenette to act as he quickly lowered himself, spreading his legs further apart to assume the stance needed to trigger <<Shadow Explosion>>. Like clockwork the purple glow surrounded the Grand Blade II before moving the sword, and wielder, towards the creature. Rapidly slashes followed as the sword ripped through their carapaces, reducing their health by a significant chunk.

The Sword Art brought Calrex to the other side of the cluster as he whirled around, preparing himself for the next opportunity to attack, "Let's just hope this goes better than the past ones. Shield's got a decent lead in Hate, but that doesn't mean I won't catch up if I score a few critical hits. One more roar should put us both in a secure spot to not have to worry about swapping out. Should that happen, however, my shield should give me more and enough defense to weather their following attacks."

[H:1] Calrex: 613/1615 | EN: 142/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:3] Shield: 594/880 | EN: 88/88 (4 * (240 DMG+2 DMG - 178 MIT) = 256 DMG)

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1+5 DMG * 9 Art = 171 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1+5 DMG * 9 Art = 171 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1+5 DMG * 9 Art = 171 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1+5 DMG * 9 Art = 171 DMG / Stunned Until Next Turn)

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+54 HP x 4 - Regen, +30 HP - Battle Healing

Action: Howl

MOB: Stunned!

[H:1] @Calrex: 613/1615 | EN: 72/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] Shield: 878/880 | EN: 88/88

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 629/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4

Calrex had gotten off his charge attack, and in the process, each of the scarabs had been frozen in place. Shield gave a nod, taking a step back to take in one more breath of air, squeezing his rib cage inward on his lungs to pressurize the air before its release.

"If this is the best your god has to offer, then he must be pitiful indeed!" he bellowed, goading the insects to abandon any and all thoughts of turning against the player who would in fact be their biggest threat.

"That should put us in pretty good shape," he said to Calrex, letting his lungs take in a normal, less forced breath after his second consecutive howl. Truth be told, he was a little sad that the stun had lost him an opportunity to contribute more to the damage by scoring some extra thorns damage, but considering how far out of his league he was with such strong mobs, he was better off just accepting the situation for what it was.

I'm not terribly far from the end of the tank skill tree either. I can't imagine what combat is going to be like on higher floors and at higher levels. The only insulation I'll have from death would be a large pool of hitpoints rather than the defenses themselves.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83326
Battle Dice: 3 (Accuracy +3) = 6
Sword Art <<Shadow Explosion>> Activated (18 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 125 Remaining)

It seemed that Calrex's opening attack successfully bought the duo some breathing room, giving Shield a moment to safely use his <<Howl>> skill and recover without needing to preparing for the next barrage of attacks, "One thing's for sure, these creatures are certainly accurate. They managed to hit Shield a lot, but I also had an evasive build a few moments ago, and those monsters managed to lay into me pretty well. Guess I'll need to prepare for these situations. Note: Prepare for high accuracy and high damage builds, heh."

Reactivating <<Shadow Explosion>> the bluenette shot back towards his teammate, dashing through the four beetle creatures while rapidly slashing through them with the glowing purple Grand Blade II. Becoming more riddled with slashes from his attacks the creatures' health bars showed the result of his efforts. At the same time the marker for the Stun effect began to fade as they began to move again, "Whelp, better get ready for some retaliation again."

[H:2] Calrex: 623/1615 | EN: 125/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] @Shield: 594/880 | EN: 88/88

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 503/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stun End)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 503/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stun End)
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 503/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stun End)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 503/800 | DMG: 126 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stun End)

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83327 results:

 Battle: 1 - Miss

 MOB: 7 + 4 = 11 - Hit! - 240 - 178 mit = 62 dmg x 4 = 248, Thorns - 28 dmg

[H:2] @Calrex: 623/1615 | EN: 125/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] Shield: 630/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4

"I'm always ready for retaliation," Shield insisted. For the most part, that was true. It was only a handful of times since the game began that he had ever really been unprepared for an attack, at least not in the sense of not being properly geared and leveled for a fight.

As the first of the beetles came back in to strike, Shield stepped forward to meet it, swinging upward across his body from hip to shoulder. With a flash of the brilliant blue and green wings, the large foe had taken flight to dodge back out of the way. Meanwhile, the other three sets of wings on the battlefield were carrying insects towards Shield. They hit him one after another, the shock waves of each blow rippling through his body. Finally, the first beetle which had dodged Shield's attack had made good on the promise of retaliation as well.

With a sense of accomplishment, Shield looked over their health bars, seeing minor drops in each of their HP bars. He had taken his licks as well, but it was nothing he wouldn't gain back, at least the vast majority of it.

"Gonna have to do better than that, boys," he taunted, holding out his shield in front of him as a show of preparedness for whatever else they had in store. They had already landed a critical hit on him this fight, and seeing as standard mobs don't have hidden move sets, that gave him a good idea where he stood in this fight. 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83328
Battle Dice: 2 (Accuracy +3) = 5
Miss Occurred (2 Energy Lost / 1 Recovered / 124 Remaining)

Calrex gave a nod as Shield took his turn to try and attack, his weapon striking air as the attempt missed. What was strange was that the beetles' carapaces were slowly starting to open and close, as if they were readying their wings. Lowering himself in try and quickly reactivate <<Shadow Explosion>>, the bluenette shot forward as he tried to preemptively stop whatever action they were going to take.

Unfortunately, his attempt was in vain, as the dark purple glow surrounding the Grand Blade II vanished the instant the first slash also sliced merely the space where the first beetle was. The four hovered in the air for a moment, just long enough for Calrex to fail his attack, ending up on the other side of the group with less Energy and no damage dealt to the monsters. "Well, these things are certainly trying to be nimble. Let's just hope those wings keep them out of striking range for long."

Turning around to face their enemies once again the bluenette began to scan the environment for ways to close the distance quickly while still being able to use his Sword Arts on the beetles. The small alleyway was lined with diagonal walls, meaning that he could use either side as a jumping point to get closer.

[H:3] Calrex: 633/1615 | EN: 124/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] @Shield: 630/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 475/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+54 HP x 4 - Regen, +30 HP - Battle Healing = +246 HP

ID# 83341 results:

 Battle: 10 - Hit! - 3 dmg + 2 = 5, Bleed - 24 dmg / 2 turns

 MOB: 3 + 4 = 7 - Hit! - 240 dmg - 178 mit = 62 dmg x 4 = 248, Thorns - 28 dmg

[H:3] @Calrex: 633/1615 | EN: 124/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] Shield: 876/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 418/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 - BLD 1/2
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 447/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 447/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 447/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 

It was unfortunate to see Calrex's sword art fizzle, but there was no time to dwell on that now. In the mean time, there were still four enemies above half health, and they needed to do something about that.

Shield grit his teeth, knowing that another powerful impact was likely inbound. While it was not painful in the traditional sense, it was still not pleasant to undergo the kind of punishment that came with strong impact, and then to watch as one's life force dropped dramatically, even if said loss would soon be recovered nearly in full. Still, he was still alive despite his countless beatings so far, and there would be countless more if he had anything to say about it.

With a heave and a grunt, he threw his weight forward towards the nearest insectoid foe, bringing his Bloody Hell axe to bear directly down on its head. With a rush of relief, red blood-like pixels gushed from the gash he had opened, the outlines of the wound glowing with a similar angry red light. Chittering angrily, the scarabs bucked their heads, slamming their protuberant pincers into him like great, horned clubs. However, even as they did so, the appendages took on dozens of matching red scratches, indicating that his Thorns had done their job as well.

That's as well as I could have hoped to do.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83435
Battle Dice: 5 (Accuracy +3) = 8
Sword Art <<Shadow Explosion>> Activated (18 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 107 Remaining)

With Shield's successful attack with his axe, striking the first scarab and inflicting Bleed upon it. At the same time he was able to successfully endure the following assault from the four once again, weathering their blows before his Regen triggered and brought his health back up to near maximum. Giving a small nod the bluenette looked at the creatures once again, "Better capitalize on the opportunity while I can."

Rushing forward Calrex kicked up, landing with his feet planted on the diagonal surface before triggering <<Shadow Explosion>>. Crashing down on top of the beetles the dark purple aura-coated Grand Blade II rapidly sliced through, ripping away another chunk of health from the health bars. At this point they were well past half health, meaning that the battle was supposedly about halfway over.

"Should be down in three more strikes if things go right. Let's keep this up!"

[H:4] Calrex: 643/1615 | EN: 107/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:6] @Shield: 876/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 292/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 - BLD 1/2 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG / Stun End)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 321/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 321/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 321/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+30 HP - Battle Healing

Action: Howl

ID# 83436 results:

 MOB: 4 + 4 = 8 - Hit! - 240 dmg - 134 mit = 62 dmg x 4 = 248 dmg, Thorns - 28 dmg

[H:4] @Calrex: 643/1615 | EN: 107/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:9] Shield: 632/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 240/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 - BLD END
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 293/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 293/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 293/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 

The give and take of the successful attacks by his current companion was that the battle was closer to ending, but so too was Calrex closer to drawing the attention of the foes. With a slight exhale, Shield opened his lungs to pull in as much air as they could hold once again. Tightening the muscles of his chest like iron bands, he pressurized and released the air.

"For such proud and regal bugs, you're not too far above the red," he taunted with a howling gale of force. "Looks like your god is about to be very disappointed in the lot of you!"

Whether eager to get retribution for the taunt or simply following the protocols of the hate system, the beetles lifted the plate-like sheathes that contained their wings and began to flutter them in a rapid, angry buzz. They took to the air, a blur of brilliant cover streaking through the firelight behind each of them as they gored Shield with their horned pincers.

Like every other strike before these, the health bars of everyone involved in the collision began to drop, only the one that dropped the most dramatically also began to rebound almost instantly.

"I do commend you on your persistence though," he mumbled to himself, resisting the urge to smirk a little at the predictability of the AI.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83820
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10
Sword Art <<Shadow Explosion>> Activated (18 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 90 Remaining)

"Heh, E for effort on my part. They're certainly not falling down waiting for it to be over."

As <<Shadow Explosion>> charge up to maximum once again Calrex rushed forward, the dark purple light of the Grand Blade II ripping through both air and carapace. Quickly slicing through the creatures once again the bluenette completed his attack, quickly scanning the group as each's health was reduced again. It looked like the one scarab that Shield had attacked previously was one attack away from dead, but the remaining three still had another weaker strike left.

"Just a couple more rotations and we should be done here. That leaves another three I think before the dungeon boss appears."

Lowering his stance the he quickly began to prepare his most powerful Sword Art once again. After using it so many times in the past fights it was reinforcing the "muscle memory" being instilled in his avatar. "Once this is over if I start doing this out of nowhere I'll know why."

"Think you can get another clear shot on these things?"

[H:5] Calrex: 653/1615 | EN: 90/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:9] @Shield: 632/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 114/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 167/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 167/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 167/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+54 HP x 4 = Regen, + 30 HP - Battle Healing

ID# 83844 results:

 Battle: 10 - Hit! - 3 dmg, Bleed - 24 dmg / 2 turns

 MOB: 10 + 4 = 14 - Hit! - 240 dmg + 2 = 242 - 178 mit = 64 dmg x 4 = 256

[H:5] @Calrex: 653/1615 | EN: 90/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:9] Shield: 838/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 114/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 140/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG) - BLD 1/2
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 167/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 167/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 9 Art = 126 DMG)

"Let's find out," Shield growled in response, dashing forward and slamming his Pain Drinker shield against the next of the scarabs. Using the strike as a distraction, he swung his axe from the side, catching the towering insect in the side of its head. Red particles gushed from the wound, swirling through the air like motes of dust in a red tinted sunbeam. "I guess that's a yes."

His satisfaction didn't last long, however. Being directly in the center of the creatures, four sets of powerful pincers wrapped around him. They all bit through him simultaneously, their horned edges disappearing into his flesh. Although he did not give any ground, the sensation was beyond unpleasant. It felt as if dozens of hands were squelching around in his innards. He screwed up his face, pushing each of the beetles away from him as he fought to free himself from their grasp.

"That feels so gross," he groaned, failing to free himself from their grasp. "The least they could have done was trigger my thorns damage while they were at it..."

Edited May 4, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83848
Battle Dice: 9 (Accuracy +3) = 12 (+1 Damage)
Sword Art <<Shadow Explosion>> Activated (18 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 73 Remaining)

As the critical hit on Shield occurred Calrex looked for a moment as the man was able to quickly push them off, giving a comment. The bluenette gave a laugh and a nod, "Or at least give you enough col to buy dinner. Either way, these things will be down in another rotation."

Right as <<Shadow Explosion>> built up to maximum again he rushed forward, the Grand Blade II glowing with the dark purple hue of the Sword Art. Rapidly slashing through the creatures one of the four vanished into crystals as it was vanquished by the attack. The rest remained, barely holding on by a small sliver of health, "These things could go down very quickly now. With the Bleed on the second one, it's going to go down in a moment. Should the remaining two not die from Shield's Thorns attack, it'll require another AoE."

"If you can get one more of these guys that should only leave one left, if I'm checking correctly."

Loot Roll:
ID: 83851
Loot Dice: 14 (Search and Detect +2) = 16
Craft Dice: 11 (2 Materials Found)

Loot List:
2 Materials

[H:7] Calrex: 663/1615 | EN: 73/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:11] @Shield: 838/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 0/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: 5/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG) - BLD 1/2
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 32/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 32/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)

Enemies Remaining: 6/15

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+54 HP x 4 = Regen, + 30 HP - Battle Healing

ID# 83849 results:

 Battle: 4 - Miss

 MOB: 10 + 4 = Hit! - 240 + 2 = 242 - 178 = 64 x 2 = 128 dmg

[H:7] @Calrex: 663/1615 | EN: 73/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:11] Shield: 710/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 0/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: -19/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG) - BLD END
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 32/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 32/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)

ID# 83850 results: Loot: 16 + 1 = 17, Craft: 5 - 3 T2 mats + 2400 Col

Having failed to free himself, Shield attempted to swat the oversized bugs away with his axe, but the blade failed to bite into their thick carapaces, glancing off harmlessly in the process. Meanwhile, before getting a chance to continue with the pincer attack that they had begun moments ago, one of the scarabs succumbed to the bleed damage that Shield had managed to inflict, and with it went the extra pair of scissored protrusions that had pierced his body.

The remaining however, continued their squeezing attack, biting even deeper into Shield's torso with their branch like pincers. He grunted again, fighting to extricate himself, only just managing to squirm free with the reduced number of offenders. He fell to the ground as he popped out from between them, scrambling to his feet and turning back to the mobs with his defenses raised.

"This dungeon sucks," he griped, shaking off the phantom sensations of the piercing bites.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Shield

[Calrex 0]

ID: 83852
Battle Dice: 7 (Accuracy +3) = 10
Sword Art <<Vertical Square>> Activated (8 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 66 Remaining)

"Yeah, makes me glad you're taking the hits this time around. Hopefully we won't be dealing with any more of these types, although there is the chance whatever we fight next is worse."

Seeing that only two remained, Calrex switched his stance to trigger a weaker Sword Art, one that's strong enough to eliminate the two without using an excessive amount of Energy. The Grand Blade II blazed light blue as <<Vertical Square>> began to charge, triggering when it was fully readied. Rushing forward, the bluenette performed a quick spin as he cut four times, tracing a square standing up on one side, the cuts ripping through the rest of the beetles' health.

As they burst into crystals the Ultramarine Knight resehathed his sword back into its scabbard, "Alright...that's done and over with. Guess it's time to take another breather before the next group."

Loot Roll 1:
ID: 83853
Loot Dice: 15
Craft Dice: 2 (Rare Weapon)

Loot Roll 2:
ID: 83856
Loot Dice: 4 (No Loot Found)

Loot List:
1x Unidentified Rare Weapon

[H:8] Calrex: 673/1615 | EN: 66/160 (10 Battle Healing)
[H:11] @Shield: 710/880 | EN: 88/88 | MIT: 178

Scarab Beater 1: HP: 0/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG)
Scarab Beater 2: HP: -19/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1+1 DMG * 9 Art = 135 DMG) - BLD END
Scarab Beater 3: HP: 0/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 4 Art = 56 DMG)
Scarab Beater 4: HP: 0/800 | DMG: 240 | ACC: 4 (13+1 DMG * 4 Art = 56 DMG)

Enemies Remaining: 3/15