[SP-F3] <<Search for the Hoya>> Kane COMPLETE

[Kane 0]

The third floor... Kane had never truly felt quite at ease here. This was a mysterious place, full of twists and turns. The Forest of Wavering Mists had a way of confusing the senses, and turning otherwise savvy travelers into blind wanderers.

As he meandered through the fog, Kane waved a hand through the air, bringing up his menu again. He reviewed his mission text, attempting to follow his map to the quest marker. Apparently, screams emanated from this forest every night and the rumor was that those screams were cries for help from the trapped souls of Players who had attempted to retrieve an extremely valuable pendant from the Tomb of King Minos dungeon. But before he could challenge the Tomb's guardian, Kane had to make his way through the forest.

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Keeping his map open, Kane wandered the forest for hours, until he finally made a breakthrough. He realized that the treetops were all pointing in a particular direction... and after following the seemingly random direction, Kane eventually saw the outline of the large stone Tomb.

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The Tomb loomed up before him, stark in contrast against the swirling fog. The trees cleared out into a small meadow before the building, and Kane's head cleared along with the fog as he approached. For a moment, all was silent... until the immense footfalls of an unidentified beast were felt as they stomped out of the tomb. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

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Kane felt the ground shake beneath his feet as the <> emerged from the Tomb.

It roared a challenge at him as it stood guarding the entrance to the Tomb, daring him to come within range of its immense spiked mace.

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Kane knew that this was a do or die situation; he needed to act quickly if he was going to make it out of this mess alive. He unhooked the sword from his back, pointing it straight ahead and keeping the tip firmly directed at the Minotaur. There was no telling what it would do.

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With a loud grunt and a sound like a bull roaring, the Minotaur charged forward at the human that defiantly approached the tomb of its master. It felt like an earthquake as it ran, and it attempted to bull-rush Kane and knock him backwards. No pun intended, of course. Kane decided to take the initiative, and he did the last thing the beast expected: He charged forward.

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His blade clashed with the long, spiked mace, sending a jarring bolt through his hands as he attempted to sunder the much larger weapon. To his surprise, Kane's blade found the creature's side, piercing it through. The monster roared in shock and pain as Kane drew back his sword, ready for the beast's retort.

Kane: 17/17

Boss: 21/23

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Kane die roll: +1

[Kane 0]

The Minotaur was enraged. The sword, though massive, had only slowed it down a bit. Its health was still clearly in the green. It drew back its mighty mace, preparing to bring it down on Kane's head!

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Luckily for Kane, the stars seemed to align on his side. The size of his mighty weapon, coupled with the stopping power from his <>, halted the spiked club in its tracks.

Kane: 17/17

Boss: 21/23

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Boss Die Roll: -2

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Kane circled the beast after blocking its weapon, his blade weaving in and out looking for an opening on the giant creature. It stood almost twice as tall as he, and it frothed at its bovine mouth. Spinning, Kane's sword hummed to life in a crimson blur as he activated his <>, a 3-hit combo. He attempted to score three deep gashes across the beast's hide, under its weapon.

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The beast was a more cunning warrior than he'd given it credit for. As his strikes were riposted off of the metal shaft, Kane realized he'd been lucky with his first strike.

Kane: 17/17

Boss: 21/23

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Kane's Attack Roll +1

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The Minotaur had blocked his previous flurry, and now Kane's guard was down. Rearing back a fur covered hand the size of a milk crate, the beast threw a wild punch at Kane, hoping to strike him in his vitals!

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Kane wasn't expecting the punch, but he blocked the massive fist with a reflexive raising of his blade. The impact made him take a step backwards, but his health bar stayed green.

Kane: 17/17

Boss: 21/23

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Boss's Attack Roll! -2

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Wheeling backwards from the impact of the creature's fist, Kane decided to change tactics. Leaping high above the Minotaur's head using his enhanced <>, Kane charged his blade with golden light, activating the <> skill. His sword arced down towards the monster's skull in a blaze of light!

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Again, the creature moved faster than Kane had thought possible, removing its head from the line of fire as Kane flipped behind it.

Kane: 17/17

Boss: 21/23

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Kane Battle Roll! +1

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The Minotaur spun quickly as Kane landed. The beast was a cunning warrior, and it tried to lash out with its long, bull-like legs with a turning kick, cloven hoof arcing towards his head!

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If it hadn't been for Kane's years of fight training, his head would have been kicked clean off his shoulders by the crushing hoof of the Minotaur. Instead, he had tried to twist his torso out of the way. The kick didn't manage to get his head, but it still knocked him flat as it impacted solidly with his torso. Kane saw his HP gauge in the upper left hand corner of his HUD tick down by a point. "That didn't feel good..." he half joked, raising his sword again.

Kane: 16/17

Boss: 21/23

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Boss Die Roll! -2

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Somehow, the engineers behind Sword Art Online had managed to recreate the feeling of having the wind knocked out of you. Kane was still feeling the impact from the beast's kick, and he needed to buy a moment to breath. Dropping a hand to his leg, his gauntlet found the handle of a throwing dagger. He hurled it towards the beast with a quick snap, hoping to pierce its tough hide.

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Once more, fortune seemed to favor Kane. The throwing knife spun twice in the air, then sunk into the comparatively soft flesh in the beast's neck. Bellowing, the Minotaur clutched at the glowing red wound where the dagger had sunk.

Kane: 16/17

Boss: 19/23

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Kane Knife Throw roll! +1

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Enraged, the Minotaur ripped the <> dagger out of its neck, glowing red pixels painting a deep wound. Without warning, it snapped its wrist, attempting to throw pin Kane through the heart with his very own knife!

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<>

The creature's hand was too big for the throwing blade, which was small even by human standards. As a result, the beast cut its hand as it threw the dagger, which sailed lazily to a stop, point-first in the ground beside Kane.

Kane: 16/17

Boss: 18/23