[PP - F09] «Bandit Camp» Shield & Calypso

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

<<Bandit Camp>>

This quest takes place on Floor 9
This quest is repeatable

Having been told that there is a group of bandits on the ninth floor that likes to control all the good grinding locations, you as a player have been approached by an NPC warrior to clear the area so that everyone can have an equal share of the monsters..

Requirements:
-At least two [2] Pages (21 or more posts)
- In order to complete the quest you must fight four <<Bandits>> that each have 100 Health and Deal 90 Damage A Hit.
- All Bandits MUST be defeated

Additional Information:
In This Quest You have 2 Choices: 

1. You can fight each bandit 1 by 1 by using a stealth factor. Take advantage of the new Hiding skill in order to stay hidden from the entire group and silently take out a single bandit at a time. This will allow time for item usage between fights or to recover your Energy.
2. You can also decide to jump out and try to fight all 4 bandits right away.

Rewards:

1. A Col Value of your Loot Dice multiplied by 25
2. 1 Skill Point

Parties or Groups of low level players are advised.
Recommended Level: 20

 

(Updated for September Patch)

Yōgan Village hadn't changed since the last time Shield had come to the ninth floor. If his memory served him properly, that had been at the request of an info broker who had gone mad and attacked him. It was not the first time he had needed to fell a player in self defense, but it was still an encounter he preferred to not remember. The sooner that @Calypso joined him, the better. Unlike the last quest he had undertaken, the floor was warm enough for a cold blooded creature to come out and socialize. Lilith, his vibrantly colored bush viper familiar, was lazily weaving between his fingers and around the curves of his hand.

"A little more hospitable than Snowfrost, huh girl?" he chuckled to the contented creature. "Well, hopefully we can spend more time on warmer floors, though out on the lava plains, it will likely be too warm for you."

As if in response to his question, the serpent flicked its tongue out into the warm, dry air before resuming its weaving. Its scales slide effortlessly over the leather gauntlets that Shield wore. However, unlike the last time he had encountered Calypso, leather was no longer the only armor on his body. Thin, albeit sturdy plate adorned his chest as well as his shoulders, the latter of which also bore spines to impale clumsy opponents. His Manticore Mask shield hung on his arm, in the strap of which he had hung his mundane straight sword.

As he waited, his eyes drifted out onto the rest of the floor. In the distance, pools of molten rock dotted the horizon, and beyond those, active, smoking volcanoes rose up from the horizon and turned the edge into a jagged set of teeth.

Not a very cheerful floor, is it?

Edited November 29, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

Saying that the past few days had been boring for Callie would have been an understatement. When she had received Shield's message detailing the time and place they would meet up for the quest they had discussed, she was eager to have something to occupy her time again. It had been a while since she had truly felt a sense of paranoia, but after having all of her items forcibly traded away from her, she was quick to cut ties with the crafters and contacts she had previously frequented for exchanges of both items and information.

Her first impression of the volcanic floor wasn't the worst, but it was far from her idea of the best floor she'd visited thus far. Garbed in the same starter gear as their previous meeting, Callie's expression contorted to one of slight discomfort before she shook off the sudden change in temperature. The creature that had been napping contentedly across her shoulders stirred as they appeared in the teleport plaza, tail twitching slightly against Callie's arms and catching her attention.

"You're not used to the heat either?" She chuckled lightly, reaching a hand up to gently run her fingers over the top of the dragon hybrid's small skull. Danesh's beady onyx eyes blinked a couple of times as his perch began to move, but after a few moments he simply curled up again, resting his chin on top of Callie's right shoulder. 

She didn't have to search for her stoic acquaintance, spotting Shield rather quickly after her arrival on the floor. Making her way in his direction, her hands moved behind her, fingers lacing loosely together. "Hello again." She smiled softly, speaking up as she approached. A slight movement at the edge of her vision caused her curious eyes to drift from the man's face, pulling downward until she found the colorful reptile circling around his hand. She blinked in slight surprise before her polite smile stretched a bit more genuinely.  "It looks like familiars really aren't that uncommon." She commented with a light chuckle.

[Shield 0]

"Hello indeed," Shield said, inclining his head in a returned greeting. "Good to see you, Calypso. And it just depends. Most players will probably never have familiars, but with the benefits they offer to players who need them, or to those who want a companion, they can be indispensable." He held up his other hand, and Lilith poked her nose into the sleeve, slipping her long, sleek body into the garment and disappearing from sight. "This is actually my second familiar. My first one was slightly less compact and slightly less... tolerant."

Shield cleared his throat and nodded towards the wilderness. His shoulders turned towards the landscape, and his fingers, now free, dragged through the air to summon his menu. His fingers tapped their way through the displays until a large map expanded outward in front of the two players. Yōgan Village was displayed prominently in the center with a small dot towards one edge.

"This is where we're heading," he explained, tapping on the dot, which in turn zoomed the map in on the spot. "It shouldn't take us terribly long, but stay to the path. The areas off to the sides can be a little... hot and molten." His fingers pinched the edge of the map and dragged it to the side, pointing past the display to the horizon where several of the glowing orange pools decorated the landscape. "They aren't really a danger unless you literally walk into them, but keep alert regardless. I should be able to keep the bandits busy when we find them, but you're more than welcome to jump in and take a few swipes as we go. It can only speed things up. Do you need anything before we go?"

He double tapped the map, which zoomed back out, and he promptly closed it. With the quest outlined, he turned to face Calypso, resting his shield against his side and the other hand resting on his belt. Had he not possessed the Survival skill, he might have broken out into a sweat by now, but his skill kept all but a slight warmth at bay.

In the future, it might be wise to tell her about that skill, but for now, we're already here, so it won't really do us a lot of good. Besides, the only place that I remember it being relevant on this floor aside from just comfort is in the volcano where the Cerberus fight takes place.

[Calypso 0]

They exchanged pleasantries, and Callie's head tilted slightly with intrigue as he mentioned taming a different creature before the little viper that slunk out of view. She hadn't much experience interacting with the familiars of other players, but watching Lilith's movements caused her mind to think back to the girl that had helped her take on the quest herself. She thought for a moment how there certainly seemed to be truth to her words, that each tamed familiar had their own personalities and quirks. It was rather impressive, from a gaming standpoint. At first, she had expected them to be mindless pets similar to the how other MMO genres she had seen that featured some sort of beast tamer path were limited to.

She took a half-step closer in order to get a proper view of the map that Shield pulled up and expanded in front of them. "Right." She nodded as he explained, the corner of her mouth pulling up in slight amusement as he noted the dangers of walking into molten lava. Still, his warning was likely well-heeded. She wouldn't put it past this or any other game to have some sorts of environmental effects, or even magma-themed monsters that lurked beneath the surface of the fiery pools.

Following the trend of simple responses, Callie gave a small shake of her head when he asked if there was anything she needed before heading out. She felt the slightest bit of apprehension when he had suggested she join in the fray, but the reaction was mainly spurred by the thought of her embarrassing herself with her lack of combat experience. Ever since the Announcement, she was no longer confident playing the lone wolf with their respawn mechanic taken away from them, and she had no interest in going out of her way to find parties or a guild to provide her with the peace of mind she would have wanted in order to explore the riskier sides of the game. Perhaps now that she had the motivation to pull her sword from its scabbard, she wouldn't mind doing so more often. After all, she had little doubt that she would enjoy such aspects of Sword Art Online if she shelved her anxieties and accepted the new nature of the game.

With nothing else to delay them, the two players started for the edge of town, Callie following Shield's lead as they left the boundary of the safe zone. She felt the vague need to fill the silence, whether it was brought about by an instinctual politeness or a genuine desire to strike up conversation, she couldn't be sure. "So, do you mind if I ask what the frontlines are like?"

[Shield 0]

"They... are not quite what you would expect," Shield said, weighing his words carefully. "I more or less expected front liners to be benevolent and well-meaning, but any of them are petty, many are selfish, and some are altogether dangerous. In the last couple of months, I have both lost a member of my guild to someone I didn't know and found out a friend lost someone they knew at the hands of someone I know." He glanced over at Calypso, wishing he had a more pleasant answer to the question. The corner of his lips twisted in an apologetic half-smile. "You would think mortality would make people set aside their differences, but if anything, it seems to do the opposite."

As they walked, pools of lava began to slide past on either side, becoming more and more numerous the further they walked. Eventually, one of the spires on the horizon began to separate itself from the others. This was not a volcano or a distant mountain. Instead, it was simply a black stone spire that rose above the lava plains. He remembered it clearly from his last visit. He only wished he had not needed to bail so suddenly, but that was neither here nor there. He was here now, and he had a fight to win.

"The bandits camp at the base of that spire," he said, lowering his voice as their destination grew nearer. "I can handle myself, but you can help out if you like. Up to you. I'm going to Howl first thing to draw their focus. They shouldn't so much as look at you after that unless you hit them a hell of a lot, and I mean a lot. Got all that?"

[Calypso 0]

His initial hesitance fueled her curiosity, but as Shield continued to describe the darker side of the frontlines her brows unconsciously knit. She, too, assumed there was a certain level of camaraderie among those players who fought alongside one another against what she had only imagined were incredible boss monsters. Perhaps it was a bit foolish--or at least naive--of her to think of such pure scenarios. She wasn't a stranger to an end-game: the competition, impatience, and elitism caused her to roll her eyes at some points, and spend an extra hour grinding at others. But these weren't a bunch of kids hiding behind the safety of screens anymore. The toxicity was out in the air for all to breathe in. The more Shield spoke, the more Callie felt as though the world was some sort of drama wherein tragedy and betrayal were more commonplace than not, and she had simply been living in a bubble that she had created. One that only recently been cracked to allow a bit of the darkness to seep inside.

She let out a dry chuckle, Danesh's tail twitching lightly against her collarbone with the sudden movement of her shoulders. "I shouldn't be surprised, really." Her volume dropped to a mumble as she continued to think out loud. "I'm willing to bet there are some people who still think it's all a hoax." At this point, those few and far between that still denied the actual death of those whose avatars were destroyed were likely deemed crazy by the rest of the population, but something told her there were still players out there like that. Perhaps even those who would kill indiscriminately under those beliefs.

Coming to approach their destination served as a good distraction from the topic, and Callie's expression managed to soften a bit once she was given something else to focus on. Shield's run-down caused a small smile to surface on her features, and for once a small sense of excitement couple with a bit of nostalgia bubbled within her. "Got it." She replied with a note of confidence.

[Shield 0]

With one final nod to Calyps, Shield stepped out from behind the spire. There on the other side, in an clearing in the plains covered in rich, volcanic ash, sat a small collection of tents. In the center, four men sat in a circle playing cards. Their heads were wrapped in cloth so that the only parts of their faces that were visible were their eyes. Shield paused, taking in a long breath before compressing the air in his lungs and propelling it forward with the power of his core.

"Hey, lowlifes!" he bellowed, kicking up ash with the power of his lungs and causing all four of the men to jump out of their skins. "Guess who's back!"

Shield brought his sword arm across his body, clashing his weapon against the shield on his arm to further taunt the NPC villains. Taking to their feet, the bandits bounded the distance over to Shield and drew small daggers, sinking them into the intruder, or at least attempting to do so. Only half of them succeeded in piercing Shield's defenses, and those two paid dearly for it, their health meters dropping instantly below half. Shield's health, on the other hand, only lost a slight sliver.

"Calypso!" he called out over his shoulder. "If you plan on fighting, target whoever is hurting the most!" He sank into a lower stance, bringing up his sword in front of them. "Whichever one hits me next is probably not gonna live to get another turn." With a flick of his wrist, he beckoned the bandits forward, his eyes darting from one to the next in anticipation of their next attacks.

Quote

Action: Howl [-10 EP, +4 Hate]

ID# 91373 results: Craft: 6 - Recovery Proc! [+6 EN]

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 114/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:0] Calypso

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91378 results: Craft: 9 - Recovery Proc! [+6 EN] MOB: 2 [2+1=3 - Miss]
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91379 results: MOB: 5 [5+1=6 - Hit! - 90-166=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg]
<<Bandit 3>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91380 results: MOB: 7 [7+1=8 Hit! - 90-166=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg]
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90 -  ID# 91381 results: MOB: 1 [1 - Miss]

Edited November 30, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

Callie hesitated behind the cover of the imposing spire. As Shield engaged with the group of bandits, her hand subconsciously traveled upwards towards the handle of the claymore over her shoulder. Danesh's onyx eyes blinked open, perhaps stirred by the commotion of the fight that had broken out, and his long body gave a couple of light twitches while his head raised into the hot air.

Carefully watching as blows were traded, Callie blinked in surprise as two of the bandits' health bars dropped dramatically. 'H-he didn't even hit them...' She thought in disbelief. Before her mind could travel back to the memory of something he had mentioned about 'defensive damage' during their last encounter, Shield's voice calling out her username jolted her attention back to the present. As his instruction registered, her fingers curled around the handle of the blade sheathed at her back, carefully pulling the weapon free.

With both hands tightened around the hilt, Callie steeled her nerves and took a step away from the rock formation at her side. She took a couple of slow steps before breaking out into a short run, circling around the group of five figures to place herself at the bandits' backs. She turned to face her targets, but just as the sole of her left boot twisted on the ground it somehow failed to gain the traction it needed and her foot skidded to the side against the ash-covered rock. Her right knee bent and crashed into the ground, left hand parting from the hilt of her sword to catch the rest of her momentum and keep the rest of her from falling. Just as her shoulders had dropped, Danesh hopped from his perch and the small dragon hybrid hovered in the air, his long body bobbing gently in a wave while his head tilted down to observe Callie as she recovered.

The faintest of pink hues brushed her cheeks while her brows furrowed in frustration at her own fumble. "If we could just pretend that didn't happen..." She trailed off, using the mumbled words to shake off the embarrassment while she picked herself up and readied her blade.

ID#: 91387 | BD: 5 - Miss! (-2 EP)

[H:4] @Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 114/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 4/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 3>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90

Edited November 30, 2017 by Calypso

[Shield 0]

"No time to be embarrassed!" Shield called out over the sounds of scuffling feet, not missing a beat as his eyes followed the movements of the four darting bandits. "This is what grinding is for! Focus on your target, wait for the sword skill to activate, then time your attack for the right moment!"

Shield's sword was out and at the ready, prepared to handle any bandit lucky - or rather unlucky - enough to land a hit. The first two, seemingly spooked by the mysterious health loss by those who struck before, swiped and missed altogether before springing back and out of the way. The third, however, tucked in behind the point of his knife and lunged forward. Shield spotted the motion and turned the edge of his sword, catching the blade and knocking it off-course, meanwhile, aiming the point of his own sword into his attacker's center of mass.

The bandit dug in its heels, but it was too late to stop. His momentum carried him forward regardless of his efforts to stop, and he stumbled straight onto Shield's blade. His body contorted into a twisted mass of limbs before vanishing in a burst of light blue polygons that melted into the air. Meanwhile, a fourth bandit, thinking he was clever, slipped in behind Shield. He stabbed at the tank's back only to flinch away, his own health dropping well below half like the others had.

Quote

Action: Parry [-5 EN]

Passive [+1 EN, Battle Healing: +61 HP]

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 110/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 4/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91424 results: Craft: 2 - No REC,  MOB: 1 [1 - Miss]
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91425 results: MOB: 4 [4+1=5 - Miss]
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91426 results: MOB: 8 [8+1=9 - Hit! - Parry proc! - (90-166)/2=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg, Riposte! - 90/2=45 dmg]
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91427 results: MOB: 8 [8+1=9 - Hit! - 90-166=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg] 

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

Callie was able to return her focus quickly, rising back to her feet and taking the hilt of her weapon in both hands again. She eyed her available targets as they came at the tank for a second wave of attacks. Her gaze locked onto one of the bandits that had failed to meet his mark--more specifically, the one whose health was already well into the yellow.

While Shield's own sword sliced into the third attacker, she dashed towards her target with his back conveniently turned to her. Without another blade to clash with or the available awareness with which to dodge away from her attack, she pulled her arms up before slashing downwards across her body. The sharp edge of her claymore sliced along the bandit's back, leaving a diagonal crimson gash that was generous in size.

Despite the damage that the strike seemed like it was capable of, her opponent's hit points only dropped by a fraction of the damage that Shield's defenses had done to him moments ago. Reminding herself of what she was sure was a sizable level difference, she didn't bother letting the numbers discourage her. Instead, she took just a moment to breathe before she would keep at it. "Just a bit more engaging than pressing the same key over and over again, huh?" She joked with a small chuckle.

ID#: 91431 | BD: 7 - Hit! Straight (x2) Active (-2 EP)
(7 base) x (2 sword art) = 14 DMG

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 110/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:1] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 3/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 100/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 24/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90

Edited December 1, 2017 by Calypso

[Shield 0]

"That's it!" Shield called out, urging Calypso on into the fight. "They're more than half way done. We just need a little luck and they're dead!"

His sword was out and at the ready, but as the first of the bandits circled back around to attack, it slipped to the side of his defensive sword stance. He corrected just in time to connect with the incoming blade, but the sneak had managed to bypass his passive defense. Fortunately, he had not managed to avoid Shield's active defensive damage. The bandit looked down only to see the tip of Shield's blade buried in his side. Springing back once again, the bandit collided with the remaining two, and all of them fell into a comical heap of bandits. Shield sighed.

"It's a good thing that these guys are weak, because watching these morons miss all day would be infuriating."

The cowled brigands struggled to their feet, once again taking a stance to be able to properly defend themselves.

They're nervous. We might have to work a little harder to catch them off guard now...

Quote

Action: Parry [-5 EN]

Passive [+1 EN, Battle Healing: +61 HP]

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1224/1225: EP: 112/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:0/1/0/0] @Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 3/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 54/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91434 results: Craft: 12 - Recovery Proc! - [+6 EN] , MOB: 10 [10+1=11 - Crit! - Parry proc! - (90+2-166)/2=1 dmg, Riposte! (90+2)/2=46 dmg]
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 24/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91435 results: MOB: 3 [3+1=4 - Miss]
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90 
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91436 results: MOB: 4 [4+1=5 - Miss]

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

"Dani, why aren't you helping?" Callie spoke in a lower volume as she cast a sideways glance at her familiar, an expression growing close to an annoyed pout resting on her features. Danesh simply stared back at her, causing her to quickly shift her attention back to the three remaining bandits.

'Alright, let's try something a little different.' She thought while centering her blade in front of her avatar. She came forward again, pulling the tip of her claymore to her right as the blade began to shimmer with the affect of her other available sword art. The game carried her and her sword through the motions, drawing across all three bandits before turning and slicing back through.

At the same time, Danesh's long body snaked through the air to keep his distance from their targets. The dragon hybrid's small mouth opened to reveal a set of tiny, razor sharp canines. More noticable, however, was the miniscule ball of swirling winds that began to form inside of the creature's open mouth. After half a second, an almost-visible blade of wind extended forward, growing in size and slicing past the right-most bandit that Callie had managed to catch in her area attack.

"And it's a good thing you're not relying on me to do all the damage, or we really would be here all day." Callie aired with light-hearted tone.

Blast (x2 AoE) Active (-4 EP)
<<Bandit 1>> - ID#: 91438 | BD: 10 - Critical Hit! (7 base) + (2 Critical) x (2 sword art) = 18 DMG
<<Bandit 2>> - ID#: 91439 | BD: 5 - Miss!
<<Bandit 4>> - ID#: 91438 | BD: 4 - Miss!

[H:4] @Shield - HP: 1224/1225: EP: 112/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:2/1/0/0] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 0/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: 36/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 24/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90 
<<Bandit 4>> HP: 40/100 | DMG: 90

Edited December 1, 2017 by Calypso

[Shield 0]

Shield watched the little struggle between familiar and player and had to work very hard to suppress a little smile. It reminded him of trying to make a certain not-so-little turtle cooperate with him, or at least not continually bite off parts of his finger. He checked the party HUD and noticed that she had spent the last of her energy. He tucked his sword into the strap of his shield and focused his attention on his free hand which began to glow with a pale blue light. As he opened his palm, a blue ball of light hovered just above his palm. He snapped his arm and tossed it at Calypso.

"Take this! This will get you back in the fight!" he called out. "Keep up your attacks! You're doing fine!"

Hopefully she has better luck with her first little familiar than I did.

The bandits seemed to be back in their rhythm now, having only seen one of their comrades drop so far, they either forgot the threat due to lazy programming or reasoned to themselves that the danger had passed. The former seemed to not give them enough credit while the latter seemed to give them too much. He then glanced down and realized that his sword was no longer in his hand.

Is that what they saw as the threat?

As if in answer to his question, they leaped at him. Two of them struck and immediately turned to glowing polygons, vanishing in the hot wind of the ninth floor. The last one stopped on his front foot and paused, having been caught completely off guard that there was even a danger to attacking.

Someone didn't program this encounter well.

He sighed and drew out his sword again, preparing once more to parry. Even if the bandit avoided his thorns, he would be able to finish him off with that.

Quote

Action: Energize > Calypso [Shield: -10 EN, Calypso: +8 EN]

Passive [+1 EN, Battle Healing: +61 HP]

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 103/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:2/1/0/0] @Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 6/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: -24/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91441 results: Craft: 4 - No REC, MOB: 6 [6+1=7 - Hit! - 90-166=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg]
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 24/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91442 results: MOB: 2
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90 
<<Bandit 4>> HP: -20/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91443 results: MOB: 7  [7+1=8 - Hit! - 90-166=1 dmg, THN: 60 dmg]

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

With slight surprise at the orb of light that was tossed in her direction, Callie wordlessly pulled a hand from her sword in order to catch whatever it was he was handing over to her, assuming it was an item or something similar. As it moved to land in her open palm, however, the light spilled past the sides of her hand and through her fingers, similar to how water would flow from a balloon that had burst at the contact. The light snaked through the air before wrapping itself around her forearm, and a split second later her avatar was coated with a faint blue glow that vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

Briefly overcome with confusion, Callie's eyes flickered to the corner of her vision to see her energy level rising back to full. Putting two and two together, the corner of her mouth hooked into a small smirk while she brought her hand back down to place its grip beside her other. "Thanks!" She called back. Two more bandits were felled by Shield's defenses, leaving just one hesitant creature remaining.

Spared the annoyance of waiting for her energy to regenerate naturally, Callie was able to push forward with another empowered attack against the bandit. The double-edged blade shimmered once more as she delivered another downward slash to drop their target's health further down into the red, leaving him with a second gash across the length of his back that intersected with the last.

ID#: 91470 | BD: 7 - Hit! Straight (x2) Active (-2 EP)
(7 base) x (2 sword art) = 14 DMG

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1223/1225: EP: 103/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:2/2/0/0] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 4/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: -24/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 10/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 4>> HP: -20/100 | DMG: 90

(will add pretty colors laterrrr)

Edited December 1, 2017 by Calypso

[Shield 0]

They were nearing the end of the fight now. Shield was impressed with how wall Calypso had kept up. Her hit rate had not been one hundred percent, but that would have been an unreasonable expectation. He almost hoped that the remaining bandit missed him so that she would have another chance to deal the final blow. For someone who had avoided combat since more or less day one, it might be just the boost of confidence that she needed.

Regardless, he couldn't just stand there. He bent his knees slightly and held out his sword, staring down the last bandit. Between the loss of his companions and the now real threat of being killed by either of the players, the little bandit was understandably nervous. He shifted back and forth, not sure which enemy to focus on.

I wonder if I can create an opening...

Shield lunged forward, stopping on his front foot as a feint. The bandit lurched to the side and stumbled, realizing too late that the move had not been a legitimate attack and scrambling to divert his focus once again to the other player.

"Now!" he called out, hoping she had read the maneuver properly in order to react without his prompting, but that would remain to be seen.

Quote

Action: Parry [-5 EN]

Passive [+1 EN, Battle Healing: +61 HP]

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1225/1225: EP: 105/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:2] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 4/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: -24/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: 10/100 | DMG: 90 - ID# 91476 results: Craft: 10 [REC Proc! +6 EN], MOB: 3 [3+1=4 - Miss]
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90 
<<Bandit 4>> HP: -20/100 | DMG: 90

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Shield

[Calypso 0]

The last bandit stood between them with just a small fraction of his health remaining, and watching him distractedly try to split his attention between the two players caused Callie to raise a brow ever-so-slightly. It was strange, and still a bit surprising that the monsters in this game seemed a step above the mindless programming of the 'attack it until one of you dies' mindset that she had grown so used to. Or perhaps it was just humanoid creatures that got a bit more programming attention in that regard.

For a moment, Callie wasn't sure if the bandit would perish before she would get the chance for another strike. When Shield moved forward with his false attack however, she watched him closely while her arms extended her blade out to her left side. Her wrists turned, letting the steel hover parallel to the ground under her feet. She had nearly moved forward on her own, spotting the opportunity for the follow-up, and so Shield's prompting caused her to continue without any hesitance.

Her sword cut through the hot air, slicing into the bandit's side while his expression contorted in pain before the whole of the creature took on a bright white glow. Leaving her claymore suspended in the air after the figure it had struck vanished in an explosion of pixels, she withdrew after a second and raised the tip of the blade over her shoulder before carefully sheathing the weapon at her back. The corner of her mouth pulled up into a small smirk. It hadn't been her first kill in the game, but it was the first in quite a long time. A small window appeared in front of her, notifying her of the experience she had gained for felling the bandits, leaving the woman with a feeling of satisfaction.

"Now that I actually have a reason to level, I have to say it's actually pretty fun." She chuckled, paying no mind to her choice of words as her chin turned to the wingless dragon that moved to land and drape himself across her shoulders, as was typical of the familiar. Her hands now empty, the right raised to give Danesh's head a gentle scratch.

ID#: 91477 | BD: 8 - Hit! Straight (x2) Active (-2 EP)
(7 base) x (2 sword art) = 14 DMG

[H:4] Shield - HP: 1225/1225: EP: 105/118 | DMG: 1 | EVA: -3 | MIT: 166 | BH:61 | THN: 60 | REC: 6 | TNT: 1
[H:3] Calypso - HP: 60/60: EP: 3/6 | DMG: 7

<<Bandit 1>> HP: -24/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 2>> HP: -4/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 3>> HP: -65/100 | DMG: 90
<<Bandit 4>> HP: -20/100 | DMG: 90

Edited December 1, 2017 by Calypso

[Shield 0]

Shield returned her look of satisfaction, banishing his own sword to his inventory and loading his shield onto his back. He took a step closer to the other player and gave her a light jab in the shoulder. It had been a decent fight, and much simpler than when he and Aoda had attempted it once before.

"I'm glad you have your motivation," Shield said, closing the victory window that appeared before him. Without the display, the view of the volcanic biome was unobstructed. His eyes traced the horizon, its many peaks framing the ashen sky overhead. "If you don't have something worth fighting for in here, things start happening to you. It sounds like you had some motivation to at least excel at your business, but still. This world is not as kind to those who have not leveled."

He returned his eyes to Calypso and motioned for her to follow him. He turned his shoulders back towards town and began walking. He had not always been the most talkative of people. Silence had never been a fear of his, but he did not protest to other players filling silence if they felt the need. His main adventuring companion and - technically - spouse, Beat, was definitely the type to do so. As they walked, Lilith poked her snout back out into the hot breeze, testing the air with her tongue. Before the silence had stretched on terribly long, a thought did occur to Shield.

"Do you have plans for your build?" he asked, gesturing towards the long blade on her back. "You definitely seem to have taken the path of a DPS build, but it seems like that decision may have been made long ago and may no longer be a clear indicator."

[Calypso 0]

'Something worth fighting for...'

The words echoed uncomfortably in her head, and for a moment a small twinge of guilt touched her heart. She felt as though she might never truly fight for her--and in turn, Shield's and everyone else's--freedom from this game. Giving a sideways glance to her companion as they started walking back to town, something occured to her. An obvious thought from someone who would have criticized her inaction, she had tried not to dwell too much on it in the past. As she paced her steps to walk beside the man in a short silence, Callie tried not to let her expression show the troubled feelings bubbling inside of her. 'I'm being selfish, aren't I?'

In a most basic sense, she was incredibly selfish. Her wants were placed above those of the thousands of other players in Aincrad, but that was just how things worked in her mind. In most circumstances, putting oneself first was nothing to be looked down upon, and Callie had refused to look at this as an exception.

Shield's voice broke the silence, allowing her to remind herself that this was neither the time nor place to reflect on such matters. She pushed them to a corner of her mind, turning her chin up to properly engage in conversation as he inquired about her build. A more genuine smile appeared, half in appreciation for the distaction as she replied. "Yeah, straight DPS sounded like my style. Still does." She chuckled lightly as her eyes turned back to the path ahead of them. "I'll admit I haven't scoured all the build paths this game has to offer. I usually gravitate towards a basic warrior or fighter-type in other games, so this felt like the best fit." She brought up a hand in a quick gesture to the two-handed blade at her back.

[Shield 0]

"Well, the weapon is one of the more balanced offensive options," Shield agreed, nodding towards the sword. "Straight swords in general don't top the charts in any one area, but they do a little of everything."

It was a little odd that Calyso had kept silent for a while there. On their first meeting, she had been quicker to fill the silence, though she could have easily just been trying to make a first impression. In the end, Shield decided not to worry about it too much. If he had misspoken or offended her somehow, then there would undoubtedly be time for water to pass under the bridge until she felt comfortable saying something. In the mean time, they had pools of lava along the way that needed to be avoided.

At his wrist, Lilith emerged properly, slithering her way up around Shield's arm like a tree limb and coiling around his shoulder. Her slit pupils stared at the strange being that was draped across Calypso's shoulders. She tasted the air further to try to make sense of it, but this seemed to yield very little helpful information. Shield glanced over at the colorful, serrated head of his familiar, noticing where she was looking.

"I think someone is curious," he said, reaching up his hand, which Lilith took as an invitation to get on board. He lifted the serpent closer to Danesh, careful not to invade the space of either Calypso the little dragon more than was warranted. The serpent's nose inched closer to the creature, pausing about a foot away, holding herself erect in the air as she sought to study the queer being. "Be polite, Lilith. Make sure she wants to say hello before you get too friendly."

[Calypso 0]

"Mm." Callie nodded in understanding as Shield offered some more insight on her choice of weapon. "Sounds useful, at least." She commented, thinking of little else to add on the matter. A few moments passed, and the curiosity of the colorful serpent on Shield's arm caught their attention shortly after.

Getting a better look at the support familiar herself, Callie smiled softly with her own interest. Her golden eyes shifted from the viper wrapped around Shield's hand to the furry face of her own companion. "Well?" She prompted, lifting her shoulder to slightly jostle the creature. "Want to make a friend?" Not expecting an answer from him, Callie paused from walking, hoping Shield didn't mind the short delay for a more stable introduction.

Danesh had been staring back at Lilith with dark, beady eyes, his head lifted from Callie's shoulder with his own mild interest. She turned her upper body just slightly to face the lazy dragon towards the viper, and his nose began to lightly twitch while his head inclined closer to Lilith. "I found him outside of Nimbus on Floor Seven." She explained, carefully watching the interaction beside her. "He's labeled as an 'Ermine Sky Dragon', so I guess he's a hybrid creature of sorts? He doesn't make a sound, and he's possibly the calmest creature I've seen in this game. But I think we suit each other." She added with a half-chuckle. "I call him Danesh." She added, shifting her gaze back to the serpent. "Lilith, was it? She's very pretty."