F05/SP <<Bloodstained Land>>

[Oscar 0]

Oscar would brave the sands of Floor Five one final time. There was a powerful field boss on this floor. Defeating it would mark the end of all known quests on the floor, which would then save Oscar from ever needed to put up with the sands here ever again. He consumed his buffs, each of them serving their own unique purpose. Together, all of them would make Oscar a formidable opponent for any boss. He had heard rumors of the boss's power, the deadly might it wielded. But he was unafraid. Oscar was ready. All of his training would be put to the test in this single fight. And he would not lose. Teleporting from Deepedge to Floor Five, Oscar was immediately greeted by the sweltering heat. Even in town, it was simply oppressive. The air was thick with sand, which dried his mouth out instantly. Thank goodness for the Survival skill. He truly didn't want to add unavoidable damage on top of the heat he was going to be dealing with. He hoped that once he lost himself in the heat of battle, that the heat of the floor would escape his notice.

FOCUSED CHILI DOG CONSUMED [+1 ACC, +2 DMG, -20 MIT]
FOCUSED ELUSIVE DOG CONSUMED [+1 ACC, +2 EVA]
EDGE SHARD CONSUMED [+2 DMG]
HEARTY DOG CONSUMED [+35 MIT]
YUI'S GRACE CONSUMED [+1 SP TO THREAD]
 

Spoiler

Oscar - Lvl 30
600 HP
60 Energy
4 Accuracy
5 Evasion
19 Base Damage (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +6 Weapon + 4 Consumable)
51 Mitigation 

Items
Yukianesa ............ // +6 DMG
Librarium Overcoat ................. // +3 EVA
Plated Azure Tights ............... // +36 MIT, +3 Recovery

Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar ............. // +2 Accuracy

Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal .............. // 
Empty Inventory Slot  ............ // 
Empty Inventory Slot ............ // 
Empty inventory slot ............. //
Empty inventory slot ............ //
Empty inventory slot ............ //

Buffs
Rested ........................... // -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Filling .......................... // Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed .......................... // Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Consumable Buffs ..........// +4 DMG, +2 ACC, +2 EVA, +15 MIT

Skills
Katana                         | Rank 5: +7 Damage
Light Armor                | Rank 1: +5 Damage Mitigation
Concentration                   | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown)
Survival                   | Heal 20 HP when out of battle
Familiar Mastery: Accurate | Rank 2: +2 Accuracy

Skill Mods
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1

Edited September 23, 2019 by Oscar

[Oscar 0]

Oscar struck out into the desert, searching the sands for his target. Sweat dripped from his face and limbs as he struggled to climb the dunes. It was slow-going with the sand threatening to take from him his foothold with every step. But, he pushed onward. Slowly. Carefully. Until finally, he came to a suspicious clearing. It was flat. Free of sand dunes. The ground was criss-crossed with deep gashes, as if something were clawing its way from beneath the dirt. Oscar slid down the dune and was immediately met by his adversary: Land Shark, the Terra Firma. Four health bars wrapped around it, signifying that this was, in fact, a boss. It had burst from the sands the moment Oscar entered its "arena." He merely placed one hand on his blade as the beast charged him. Its deadly claws glinted in the sunlight as it advanced. When it got close, Oscar drew his blade and struck with the same fluid motion. Both of them missed their attacks. The Land Shark dove under the ground and began to circle Oscar. Oscar sheathed his sword and made ready for the next round.

Spoiler

Oscar 600 HP | 59 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124450
Iai[x11 STUN] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD5+3-5. Miss.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
LD11. Assault Mode Activates. MD2+4-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

It was hard to track something that moved so swiftly beneath the sands. If he couldn't see his opponent, how could he possibly defend himself against it? But it mattered little. Oscar remained calm. He bent down low, tracking the undulations of the earth triggered by the movement of the beast. His hand gripped his blade, ready to strike with powerful force at beast the moment it emerged from beneath the sands. Suddenly, the shifting of the sands ceased. The creature must have dug down deeper. But where would it have gone? He got his answer as the ground began to shift beneath him. Before he could react, the Terra Firma's long claws were slicing through his avatar, sending him flying into the air. The damage was significant. Oscar landed in a heap and rolled over onto his back while he waited for the pain to subside. When it finally did, he clambered to his feet and adopted another fighting stance. No way was he going to take another hit like that again.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 58 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124451
Iai[x11 STUN] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD2+3-5. Miss.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
LD11. Assault Mode Activates. MD10. Deal 252 DMG.

[Oscar 0]

Oscar made a mental note that if the Land Shark disappeared like that again to be ready to dodge. He did not possess the largest of health bars and if he took another hit like that, he would be forced to teleport away. He might have been a stubborn man, but at least he had some sense of self-preservation. That being said, Oscar truly didn't want to have to flee the battle. All that would do was prolong his suffering here on Floor Five. Thankfully, the beast seemed satisfied with the damage it had done and didn't burrow again. A head-on attack was simple enough to sidestep, even if he had to give the creature a wider berth to avoid the gnashing fangs and talons. As it passed, Oscar attempted to use another Iai on it, but he knew he didn't have a prayer in hitting it. He would have to rely on dumb luck. The creature was too elusive, too fast, to be hit conventionally.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 57 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124452
Iai[x11 STUN] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD1+3-5. Miss.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
MD2-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

Much to Oscar's chagrin, the creature burrowed again. Round and round it circled Oscar until, finally, the ruts it was carving ceased being created. Oscar then noticed the pattern of the boss. It would go for a head-on attack. If that failed, it would then attempt to attack from below. True enough, the ground beneath his feet began to shift. Oscar leaped backwards just in the nick of time. He could feel the wind off of Terra Firma's claws barely missing him as he pushed himself backwards. He landed lightly on his feet and skidded back a few inches in the sand. The creature roared and glowered at Oscar who rushed in and attempted another Iai. It saw the attack coming, however, and dove back underground. As Oscar's blade sailed past where the beast used to be, it re-emerged some distance away from him, fury burning in its eyes. Oscar must have made it angry.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 58 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124453
Iai[x11 STUN] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD2+3-5. Miss. CD9. Recovery Activates. +3 EN.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
LD14. Assault Mode Activates. MD6+4-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

If the pattern held up, Terra Firma would be charging right about... now. The beast surged forward, kicking up dust and sand in its wake. Oscar sheathed his blade and bent low. Every muscle in his arm was tensed with anticipation. Just a little closer now. Closer... Now. Quick as a flash, Oscar's blade left its sheath and completely missed his target. But he got close. He got really close, actually. He had found the pattern, he just needed to handle the execution. Thankfully, the Terra Firma's aim was off as well. Oscar definitely couldn't afford to take a hit like he'd taken earlier. The creature burrowed again and Oscar got ready to dodge. Honestly, he wasn't doing too badly in this fight. True, he couldn't land a hit. But neither could the monster. He just had to wait and have some luck on his side, he supposed.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 59 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124454
Iai[x11 STUN] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD7+3-5. CD9. Recovery Activated.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
BD1. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

The Terra Firma burst from beneath the ground. But it could only watch as Oscar - from a safe distance - readied his most powerful Sword Art. His blade glowed a deep red as he reared his arm back to strike. His sword was a blur as he delivered and powerful onslaught onto the creature. He managed to hit it, but his blade bounced off the creature's hide. He went through the full combo, dealing zero damage to the creature. Unfazed, it lashed out with its powerful claws, trying in vain to hit Oscar. But the Azure Crusader was also elusive. He was also fast. He danced in between the blows deftly, repelling those that he couldn't outright dodge with his blade. For what seemed like hours, Oscar weaved in and out of the Terra Firma's attacks before he saw a gap in the onslaught and hopped back to gain some distance. It looked like he was finally making progress in this fight.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 58 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124455
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD7+3-5. 

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
LD17. Assault Mode Activates. MD6+4-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

Two more San Ge and the Terra Firma would be slain. Oscar was quite pleased with how the fight was going so far. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but due to his skill and, honestly, simple pattern recognition, he was able to get the upper hand. Now he intended to keep it. After the Terra Firma concluded its berserker rage, it dove under the ground. As it grew closer to death, it seemed to move faster and faster. It was certainly harder to keep track of. But all Oscar needed to keep up with was the shifting of the sands beneath his feet. The moment he sensed the movement, he dodged out of the way, leaving the Terra Firma hitting nothing but air as it surfaced. Oscar landed lightly and dashed back in, his blade glowing crimson as he attempted to land a San Ge. He missed, of course, but he just had to keep pouring on the pressure.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 57 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124456
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD3+3-5. Miss.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
MD6-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

Next was the charge. Oscar had better luck hitting the thing when it was charging. But he couldn't bank on doing it safely without a stun. He wasn't certain at this point whether or not he would even be able to stun it again. So he had a choice to make. Either he could dodge the charge and try to use San Ge. Or he could stand in the creature's path and attempt a stun. The latter seemed too risky. It wasn't worth putting his advantageous position on the line just to get a little damage in. So he decided to go with the former. As the Terra Firma charged, Oscar spun out of the way. He then quickly charged up San Ge and let it fly, just barely missing the creature with his strike. In the end, it was of little importance. Oscar still had the advantage and he wasn't going to sacrifice it on a stupid call. Slow and steady would win this fight.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 56 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124457
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD5+3-5. Miss.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
MD2-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

So if striking while the Terra Firma was charging was not a valid strategy, then he needed to mix it up. He hadn't had much luck hitting the creature as it emerged from its burrow, but he thought he had the distance figured out now. Perhaps he could take a slight risk for a major reward. He readied his weapon as the Terra Firma burrowed and circled him. Eventually, it disappeared from view. Oscar knew what was coming next. Instead of waiting to leap away a the last moment, he took two steps backwards as the sands began to shift. The creature missed him by a mile, but he was in an opportune position to counter attack. A fearsome barrage of slices cut deep into the Terra Firma's hide. The final chop, combined with the onslaught, left it on just a pip of health. If not for its innate Mitigation, Oscar would have used a weaker Sword Art to finish it off. But no, it was time to finish strong.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 45 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124458
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD9. Critical Hit. Deal 263 DMG. CD7. Recovery Activates. +3 EN.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 387/650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
MD1-5. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

 Oscar managed to keep up his assault, despite the creature's speed and elusiveness. A second San Ge found its mark in the creature's hide, chunking it for massive damage. The creature roared in pain and dove under the ground in an attempt to escape from Oscar. He felt the ground shifting beneath his feet and hopped backwards, keeping himself well away from the beast's razor-sharp claws. He danced with the creature for a bit, dipping and dodging between the creature's blows. The creature attempted to carve Oscar up like a well-basted Thanksgiving turkey. But this turkey wasn't cooked yet. And he could move. The Terra Firma just couldn't land a clean hit. Oscar finally deflected the incoming blows, leaving the creature open for a final onslaught. With its health as low as it was, he just needed one more clean San Ge to finish it off.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 31 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124459
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD10. Critical Hit. Deal 278 DMG.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 109/650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA
MD6. Miss.

[Oscar 0]

The creature was taken aback by the sudden strike and hesitated for a moment on gaining some distance. That moment was all that Oscar needed to finish this fight. He drew his blade back again, the crimson aura blazing to life around his blade. And then he struck. Oscar delivered a final fearsome barrage that would spell the end of Land Shark, the Terra Firma. The final chop caused the creature to shatter like glass. Oscar breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the Congratulations text appeared. On top of that, he had received a Last Hit reward for defeating the boss. A <<Sandstone Armor Potion>> and <<Terra Firma Scale>> were deposited into his inventory. Oscar sheathed his blade and headed back towards town. The sooner he was permanently out of this godforsaken heat, the better. No way was he going to stick around for that thing to respawn either.

Spoiler

Oscar 348 HP | 17 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124600
San Ge[x15] to Land Shark, the Terra Firma. BD8+3-5.  Deal 210 DMG.

Land Shark, the Terra Firma 0/650 HP | 250 DMG | 75 MIT | 0 ACC | 4 EVA

[Oscar 0]

Oscar groaned as he navigated through the dunes. This heat definitely wasn't doing him any favors. But, silver lining! At least he never had to come back here again. Unless one of his friends suddenly needed something done here. Like not doing a quest. Probably exactly like the one he just finished. Why didn't he bring anyone along again? Ah, yes. Machismo. He just wanted to show off. But, to be fair, it was quite an achievement to take down a boss scaled to a small party that was higher leveled by one's self. He wouldn't let it go to his head though. The heat was already taking care of that bit. He needed to go back home and rest after a day like today. The cool mountain air would feel extremely refreshing after all of this heat. He only had a couple miles of desert trekking to go before the end was in sight. Just a couple miles. Such a tiny distance. Especially when your brain is slowly baking inside of your skull and the cacti have started dancing.

[Oscar 0]

Despite the hallucinations and the unbearable thirst and the sand everywhere, Oscar finally made it back to town. Exhausted from the heat and completely dried out from the sand, he made a beeline back to the Teleportation Platform and headed back to Deepedge. In a flash of bright light, Oscar disappeared from Floor Five, hopefully for the last time. He manifested back in Deepedge, the cool mountain air almost instantly perking him up. From the Teleportation Platform, he headed straight for his favorite stream to wash up and wet his parched throat. With that done, he relaxed by the riverside and closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze whisk away the sweat from his exertions in the desert. This was about as close to air conditioning as he was going to get. When he finally opened his eyes once more, he saw that he had plenty of daylight left. Perhaps a hunt would be in order. He had all of these buffs, but nothing to use them on anymore. 

[Oscar 0]

Just as Oscar rose from his seat, he heard the snap of a twig behind him. He moved just in time to see an Assault Spear sail harmlessly past him. For a moment, he thought Pinball was attacking him. But then he saw the person that the spear was attached to. He was surprised to see that it was the troublemaker from Floor 2, Esker. He seemed stronger now. And he was complete with a yellow tag. Who had been unfortunate or unlucky enough to wind up PK'd by this guy? Oscar drew his blade and dealt a swift blow in one fluid motion. Iai found its mark and stunned the man, dealing heavy damage in the process. Oscar's eyes narrowed on the yellow icon. "I told you what would happen if I found out you were up to your old tricks, Esker. If nothing else, I'm a man of my word." Then Oscar kicked the man away from him.

Spoiler

Oscar 408 HP | 46 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124585
Iai[x11 stun] to Esker. BD10. Deal 231 DMG

Esker 369 HP | 60 EN | 10 DMG | 2 ACC | 0 EVA | 0 MIT
Stunned

[Oscar 0]

Without missing a beat, Oscar stepped forward and began assaulting Esker with a furious barrage of slashes. The man's health bar was devoured by Oscar's Sword Art, with the largest chunk of damage coming on the heels of the powerful vertical chop that ended the combo. But Esker wouldn't be outdone. He attempted to use a Dimension Stampede, but completely missed. He staggered past Oscar and as he did, he could see tears in his eyes. Why was he crying? And then he saw them. The gang that Esker and Loman had sicced on him earlier. At the helm was the same brute of a man. They all had the same malicious grin on their faces. The smile of a killer. Their orange tags hovered over their heads. What had transpired since he last saw them? Then he came to a sudden realization...

"Esker. Where's Loman?"

 

Spoiler

Oscar 408 HP | 32 EN | 19 DMG | 4 ACC | 5 EVA | 51 MIT | ID: 124586
San Ge[x15] to Esker. BD5+4. Deal 285 DMG

Esker 84 HP | 58 EN | 10 DMG | 2 ACC | 0 EVA | 0 MIT
Dimension Stampede[x15] to Oscar. MD4-5. Miss.

 

[Oscar 0]

"THEY MADE ME KILL HIM!" Esker's words stuck in him like a knife. How had he let this happen? He didn't think anything of it when he left the pair to those people. Just desserts and all that. Oscar set his jaw and started towards the group. He was at half health and half energy but there was no way in hell he was going to let these [REDACTED] get away with this. It was one thing to PK another player. Murderers exist regardless of whether you're in Aincrad or the real world. But forcing someone else to kill their only friend. Even if he was a no-good Player-Killer, Esker deserved better than that. And judging from their orange icons, they probably didn't let Loman die slow either. Righteous fury burned in his chest as he readied himself for battle. They made a mistake in attacking him. They wouldn't be leaving this place today. Not if Oscar had anything at all to say about the matter. He truly hoped that they had made peace with their god. They'd be seeing him soon.

[Oscar 0]

They had their weapons drawn by the time Oscar reached them. He didn't care. The first, the smallest of the bunch, lunged at him. Oscar deftly repelled his blow and dealt a nasty slice to his back. Next, two came running at him. Oscar danced between their blows, slicing them both across the chest in one fluid motion. Finally, there was the leader. He wielded a nasty-looking battleaxe, but Oscar could tell he was weak. He probably got Esker to cave by breaking him down so he would be more receptive to doing his bidding. Esker was the same level Oscar was. He could have taken these guys at any point. That was fine though. Oscar would deal with this problem for him. He man rushed forward, swinging his battleaxe over his head. Oscar made no effort to dodge as the blade bit into his avatar. His health bar barely moved. Being level 15, fighting a level 30 had a tendency to do that. Oscar struck him with the pommel of his blade, dealing more damage with a lovetap than the man had done to him with the blade of his axe.

[Oscar 0]

"Esker! You might want to pay attention. They aren't as strong as you think they are!"

Esker looked up to see Oscar dancing with them. What blows they managed to land did barely any damage to him whatsoever. Meanwhile, he was shredding through their health bars with basic attacks. It didn't take long before they got the memo. Oscar wasn't one to be trifled with. Their line was beginning to break. They wanted to retreat. But Oscar wasn't about to let that happen. Just as he began charging an <<Amatsu no Homura>> to finish them off, Esker rushed in. With a single <<Weeping Moon>> all four of their avatars shattered like glass. Esker had a different look about him. A mixture of anger and relief. Oscar let his Sword Art go and then sheathed his blade. He placed one hand on Esker's shoulder and sighed.

"I'm sorry for your loss. We might be enemies, but I truly don't think you deserved that."
 

[Oscar 0]

Esker merely grunted and headed towards the edge of a cliff. Oscar watched in abject horror as, without one whit of hesitation, he threw himself off of it and into the ravine below. Oscar rushed over, hoping in vain to find the man clinging to the edge. But, alas, he was gone. Not even a body remained. Hot tears stained his cheeks as Oscar slowly backed away from the cliff. Tragedy happened when he didn't take action. First Tyson and now these men. They didn't deserve what they got, even with all the lives they had taken. They still had a chance at redemption. They still had the potential to change. Oscar wiped his eyes. It had taken some time but finally the lesson had stuck. Oscar would no longer stand idly by and let bad things continue to happen. It took the lives of seven people to make him realize that he had to do everything in his power to change things around here.  He would rise to the top. And from there, he would leverage his position to help everyone he could.