[SP-F6] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Kane -COMPLETE

[Kane 0]

Amazon, the main settlement on the sixth floor. Its NPC inhabitants were female only, and the whole setting felt like an encampment on the edge of the mighty rivers of South America. The deep jungle outside of the village was home to all manner of monster and creature, lurking in the shadows to ambush travelers as they passed.

Luckily, the seventh floor had been unlocked by the front-liners, allowing Players to bypass the jungle on their way up the tower of Aincrad. Still, it served as a place with a wide variety of options for a Player looking to train their skills, and so Kane took it upon himself to do some training in the dark heart of the rainforest.

[Kane 0]

Trudging through the jungle, Kane waved a hand in front of his face. It was high time he checked his equipment. His <> was still in one piece, having kept him safe from harm for the better part of a month now. His <> were still relatively intact, dented slightly but their strength enhancements still held up. His oversized Two-Handed blade, the <>, hung from the harness on his back, and his six <> throwing daggers were strapped about his leg and sheathed on his belt.

[Kane 0]

A pair of eyes was watching Kane. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight up as he somehow felt the creature's eyes on him. He turned and drew his blade, looking to pinpoint the source of his discomfort. "Come out, beastie! Show yourself!" He peered through the ferns, trying to get a better look at whatever was rustling the foliage behind him.

[Kane 0]

Visible in the teeming darkness of the shade covered plants, a pair of golden, slitted eyes appeared, peeking out from behind a tree. In the shade of the jungle floor, it appeared to be just a pair of floating golden eyes, until they started moving towards Kane.

[Kane 0]

The creature was a midnight-dark black cat. It was bigger than a normal cat, more like the size of a lynx, or a similar small jungle cat. However, the most notable difference between this eldritch creature and its real-world analogues was how it seemed to be made of living shadow. As it moved towards Kane, its outline blurred and moved in strange patterns, its tail swishing ponderously between the ferns. He could only tell that it was made of solid matter by the way that the plants were moved out of the way by its tail, and by the small, twitching pink nose. It came up to his knee in height, and it seemed to be more curious than anything in his presence.

[Kane 0]

The jungle cat was sitting on its haunches now, crouching in the way that cats do when they're asking themselves questions about life. Its eyes never left Kane's, and a light pink tongue slipped out from between its lips, licking its lips in apparent hunger.

[Kane 0]

It occurred to Kane that this creature might not want to kill him. It seemed to be weighing its options. He recognized the feline for what it was: An Umbra, mythical animals that could blend with the shadows and hide in the darkness. He noticed that even for a wild animal, this Umbra seemed rather thin. The shape of its ribs were visible underneath its pitch black coat.

[Kane 0]

Bending down slowly, Kane took a knee while the creature's eyes watched him methodically. He could swear it didn't blink the entire time as he opened his inventory, going for the <> item he'd picked up earlier to put on his simple meals. Using the item, he slowly poured the cream into a small pile on a leaf, then backed up to a few feet away. "You, uh... you hungry, shadow cat?" he asked, keeping his voice low and calm.

[Kane 0]

The cat tilted its head to one side, looking inquisitive as it sniffed at the cream. Apparently, the old adage about curiosity and cats held some truth, or at least it had been programmed into the shadowy creature. It crept forward, padding softly towards the cream, its nose twitching rapidly. Its pink tongue quickly took a swipe of the cream, and it closed its eyes for a moment as the data washed over it. Quickly, it began lapping up the rest of the cream, bringing a smile to Kane's face. Well whaddya know...

[Kane 0]

The cat finished its dish quickly and quietly. It sat back on its haunches, and licked a bit of the cream off its paw that had gotten there by its splashing about. It looked up at Kane expectantly, as if to say, You have more, right?

[Kane 0]

Kane sighed, and grinned as he began opening his inventory, intending to withdraw another <>. Suddenly...

A pair of red eyes attached to a gaping maw came into view over the cat's shoulder! It was a <>, a gigantic, immensely strong jungle predator with a horrifying grin stuck on its face. It laughed in a high pitched tone as it approached, teeth pulled back in a grotesque parody of a smile.

[Kane 0]

The shadowy cat by his knee hissed at the creature, its wispy fur standing up straight as Kane drew his sword. For whatever reason, this twist of fate meant that the cat and Kane now had a common foe. Kane whispered to the cat in an urgent tone, "I don't now if you can understand me, but we're in a bit of trouble. I'll get 'im high, you get 'em low, okay?" The cat looked up at him in surprise, but it must have had a basic understanding of what he was saying. It lashed its tail back and forth as Kane prepared to engage the Hyena.

[Kane 0]

<> has joined your party. +2 Evasion.

The cat by his leg began to transform into a wisp of smoke, its long black fur turning into dark, charcoal grey as it swirled in a cat-shaped blur. The smoke began to envelop Kane, creating a lingering fog that clung to his armor. The Hyena never stopped smiling, but it looked curious as Kane realized what was happening. The Umbra's power as an animal companion must be obscuring its partner in battle, increasing their evasiveness.

Kane: 19 HP

Umbra: 15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 40 HP

[Kane 0]

The Hyena's hideous laughter pealed out in waves as it circled Kane, and he knew that it was only a matter of time until it attacked. He decided to take the fight to the creature preemptively, and leapt forward, swinging his immense blade. "Hiyah!"

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(+1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

(Roll= 6+1= 7) Hit

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Kane's blade cut through the monster with little effort, causing its laughter to turn into pained chuckling as he drew a pixellated line across the creature's torso. It recoiled, preparing to attack.

Kane: 19/19 HP

Umbra: 15/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 35/40 HP

[Kane 0]

The Hyena laughed madly, dashing to and fro . It was a hard target to pin down, its movements erratic because of its constant chuckling. Kayaba had not been kind to this creature when he'd created it. It leapt forward, snapping at Kane with its huge, gaping jaws!

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(Hyena: +2 Damage)

(Kane: +1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

10= Critical, bypasses defenses.

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Kane and the Umbra cried out in unison as the Hyena sank its teeth deep into his collarbone, piercing him to the bone. It gripped tightly, and shook its head, tearing his flesh but freeing him in the process. A phantom burn spread up his shoulder and neck where the damage had been done.

Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 35/40 HP

[Kane 0]

Kane grit his teeth, tapping into the white-hot fury that comes with a life-or-death situation. He somehow felt the Umbra echo his emotions, its rage tasting like ice and scorn. Charging his blade with light, Kane sounded his battle cry as he attempted to bisect the creature with his war blade.

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(+1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

(3+1= 4) MISS

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The creature laughed in his face, dancing out of the way and fueling Kane's rage further. "ARRRR!"

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Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 35/40 HP

[Kane 0]

The Hyena had tasted Kane's virtual blood, so to speak, and it attempted to bite him again with murderous glee. Leaping forward, it aimed its jaws for his leg, trying to lame him.

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(Hyena: +2 Damage)

(Kane: +1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

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(Roll= 5-5= 0) MISS

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Its jaws clamped down on nothing as Kane danced out of the way. His mantle of smoke that the Umbra provided had obscured the beast's vision, causing it to misjudge its distance.

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Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 35/40 HP

[Kane 0]

Kane grinned wildly, appreciating the Umbra's ability to aid him. The swirling smoke allowed him to move more fluidly, and he could somehow feel what the cat was thinking. Its mind felt strange, as Kane remembered it was really an AI. He tried to concentrate on the fight at hand, whirling his sword in a tight arc at the Hyena's face.

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(Kane: +1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

(6+1=7) HIT

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Kane's blade chopped through the giggling fiend's shoulder, making it giggle all the louder. Freaky.

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Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 30/40 HP

[Kane 0]

Though he was wearing the creature down, Kane was far from civilization, and help would not be coming. He'd need to trust in his new friend to back him up. He felt its satisfaction at doing damage to the beast. The hideous "thing" tumbled towards him, its laughing face ready to sink its teeth into his arm!

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(Hyena: +2 Damage)

(Kane: +1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

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Not even close. The Umbra's smoke tendril'd out, grasping the leg of the Hyena and tripping it, denying the mad beast its balance.

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Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 30/40 HP

[Kane 0]

Kane was losing his typical cool, filled with a feeling of power that he hadn't experienced in this death game yet. The Umbra seemed to feed off of his emotions, egging him on in its own way. Raising his BFS, Kane unleashed a Sword Skill: <> (At least 7 to hit)

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(Kane: +1 to Attack, -5 to Enemy's Attack, +4 Damage, Soak 4 points of Damage.)

(4+1=5) MISS

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He missed, the Hyena skipping wildly away out of reach. The Umbra's disappointment was felt as deeply as his own. The cat seemed to hate the beast as much as he did.

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Kane: 15/19 HP

Umbra: 11/15 HP (When in smoke form, Umbra takes any damage that Kane does.)

Hyena: 30/40 HP