[EV-F1] "Get Spooked!" (pt. 3)

[Arabelle 0]

Since we're nearing the end, let's have a recap, shall we?

The night started off normal. Arabelle remembered leaving the marketplace after seeing through some errands. The specifics weren't worth mentioning, even some parts of the ludic girl's daily life had to be absolutely uninteresting - else she would never be able to distinguish what was fun and what was not. How did that philosophy go again...? There can't be rainbows without the rain, or something. Arabelle didn't particularly care. She remembered the nice peaceful walk back to the teleport plaza. She liked the silence sometimes. Even though she liked being constantly surrounded by noise, she had to know what a lack of noise was so that -- oh, whatever. Moving on.

And then... zombies appeared! Gasp!

No, really. She knocked down a few, wondered why there were hostiles inside the safe zone in the first place, then went running toward its source. And then she found her best friend and picked up a semi-useless but altogether cute and friendly teammate, and they fought against the horde. For... no, she didn't even know how long at this point.

But it definitely wasn't morning yet.

Arabelle's scythe flickered with the reflection of the torchlight as she rose to her feet, holding her weapon behind her with both hands. She was lucky they found a safe place; her event partner desperately needed to rest, even if just for five minutes. In front of them though, the battles endlessly raged and the event boss in the center showed no signs of going down soon. Summoning her inventory, she pulled out an item and took a small bite.

Currently, they were halfway to the spot where they saw their friend disappear.

Spoiler

Consumed 1 Funnel Cake.

~~~

LEVEL 23 - 65 SP
460/460 HP | 46/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM

~EQUIPPED

• [T1 - Perfect] Shikama Dōji, Remastered -- Enhancements: Damage, Damage, Damage
• [T1 - Perfect] Insignia of Retribution -- Enhancements: Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy
• [T1 - Uncommon] Leather Coat -- Enhancements: Light Momentum

~BATTLE-READY INVENTORY

• [x2] Spider Cider - Heals 90 HP
• [x1] Teleport Crystal
• [T1 - Perfect] Imperial Demon Army Uniform -- Enhancements: Mitigation, Evasion, Evasion

~SKILLS
Rank 5 - Two-Handed Battle Axe (+7 DMG, access to rank 5 sword arts)

E - 

~SWORD ARTS
Two-Handed Battle Axe
Rank 1
» [x2] Whirlwind (2 Energy) - A single sweeping attack so powerful that it sends forth a shock wave to hit again.
» [x2 AoE] Smash (2 Energy + 2 per target hit) - An uppercut aimed at opponents head to send them reeling.
Rank 2
» [x3 AoE] Lumberjack (3 Energy + 2 per target hit) - Three wide sweeping strokes aimed at multiple targets.
» [x3] Ultimate Breaker (3 Energy) - A pair of uppercuts that finish with a vertical slam to the target's head.
Rank 3
» [x5] Torque Wave (5 Energy) - A sweeping strike that tears into the opponent.
» [x6] Crimson Blood (6 Energy) - Three sweeping spinning slices keeping the same momentum.
» [x6 AoE] Trample Act (6 Energy +2 per target hit) - An attack that starts with a shoulder barge, then does two large sweeping attacks.
Rank 4
» [x7] Crescent Avalanche (7 Energy) - An advanced mixture of slices, hilt stabs and thrusts at an opponent.
» [x8 AoE] Ordinal Cleave (8 Energy +2 per target hit) - A flurry of eight vicious slashes that hits and targets multiple enemies.
Rank 5
» [x9] Dynamic Violence (8 Energy) - An attack of three slices, which is finished by a shock wave created by the power of an empty swing.
» [x14 AoE] Explode Catapult (14 Energy +2 per target hit) - Two powerful sweeping strokes in alternating directions that concludes with slamming the ax into the ground.
» [x13] Screw Dimension (12 Energy) - Does one slice with the ax, which then releases in a burst of energy, doing the damage again.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 80/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 12/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 120/150
Consumables Used: 11/13

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

--She tossed the last empty spider cider bottle to the ground and coughed.

"I don't even know whyyyy you even asked me to do that," she giggled, words slurring into one another. That was weird, it tasted like plain apple juice, but everything was getting all loopy. "But whatever it is, I don't think it worked."

An... was feeling a bit better. It was no full night's sleep, not even the nap they took on the stage earlier, but it was enough. Only after she actually sat down to take a five minute break did she realize she hadn't gotten any real pause ever since they got separated from Mishiro.

"You know, Araaaabelle, I kind of like you~," An continued with a lopsided grin. "But there's something a bit different about you. I dunno, just a small gut feeling. That you're..." She paused, crimson eyes straying to the rest of the audience area, at the mobs they still had to get through and all the weird goop on the floor. "Different? I don't think it's a good thing or a bad thing but-- alright, alright, I'm getting up too!"

Wait, what the f*** did she just say--

The silver-haired player refreshed her buff and drank some water. She adjusted the white button-up shirt that she wore underneath her leather chest guard and tugged a brown blazer looeely around her shoulders. Her short red battle skirt flared as she leaped down from the high place they had found to stand beside Arabelle.

"I'm all good now," she said, cheeks burning red. She watched the girl out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge her reaction. "Let's go?"

Spoiler

Consumed 1 Funnel Cake and 7 Spider Ciders. ...you still okay, An?

********

LEVEL 5
100/100 HP | 10/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

SKILLS

• Rapier -- Rank 1

EQUIPPED

• Dawn -- T1 Perfect Rapier -- [x3] Damage -- [reference] Marking the first steps of a young adventurer's new journey. A rapier that is rather plain in every aspect except for its elegant swept hilt made of brass.
• Starter Light Armor -- T1 Rare Light Armor -- [x2] Mitigation -- A leather chest guard that offers minimal protection to the wearer.
• Dice of Blessing -- T1 Perfect Trinket -- [x3] LD --  [reference] The modern adventurer's mark of providence or misfortune - depending on how much Lady Luck likes you. The trinket itself is an acrylic D20 painted brown with gold numbers and an attached chain that allows it to be clipped onto the user's clothing. When thrown, it often lands on '20'. 

BATTLE-READY INVENTORY

• [x1] Teleport Crystal

SWORD ARTS

Rank 1

[x2] Rip Ravine (2 Energy) - Two quick slashes into a target

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 64/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 7/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 5/25 OR 2/15
Consumables Used: 13/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

"Oh... nothing," the small purple-haired girl hummed innocently. She didn't even expect An would get tipsy; SAO's system did not allow for items to actually have an influence on its players' mentality, but it didn't stop players from getting into a certain state of mind because they believed it would influence them in such a way. Who knows, maybe An unconsciously thought that drinking too much cider would get one drunk. "I did some little scouting around while you were resting earlier, in case you didn't notice. Just the little concession stand right beside us."

And there, she found a very curious thing: special limited items that could be bought with points earned from completing achievements. That was completely new. All their zombie slaying hadn't been completely pointless after all! 

Now put an achievement shop in every grinding hell event after this or we riot.

But An kept talking. Her sweet, flattered smile at the girl's admittance grew dim as the other girl went on. 

'Different.'

"Lovely. I've been ready for a while now. Try not to fall behind!" Arabelle summoned her scythe and looked over her shoulder with a smug smile. "Or hey, you can sit back and enjoy the view. I don't mind either way, but make sure you still try to kill the ones I can't, alright?"

It wasn't long before a group of zombies that had shambled into their path were mowed down by flaming shockwaves from the small reaper's scythe.

Spoiler

ID: 127222 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 1 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 81
ID: 127223 | BD: 5 + 4 = 9 | LD: 1 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 82
ID: 127224 | BD: 3 + 4 = 7 | LD: 20 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 83
ID: 127225 | BD: 8 | LD: 3 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 84

6 + (2 * 4) = 14 EN

[H:1] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 32/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 10/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 81: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 82: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 83: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 84: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 83/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 12/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 120/150
Consumables Used: 11/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

And then, before she could say anything even dumber, the condition was conveniently gone. Faster than she would expect. She thought she recalled something her former mentor had once said about drinking... that it didn't work the same way as it did in real life...? Now that she was aware it was the hard cider loosening her tongue, it had gone and went.

"The concession stand...?" Oh, where the items from the treasure chest came from. An had never gone there personally; they were right in the middle of a zombie raid or whatever, who still had the time to casually browse goods? That wasn't stopping her from wondering what was being sold there other than buffs though. "I guess I zoned out for a bit. Did you find anything interesting?"

She blushed. Oh, now you've done it, Harriette. Dumb, dumb, Harriette. Now she probably knows everything, and now you're going to be shot down without a thought. Who even ends up liking someone they've only known for half a night, anyway? 

"Well..." An scrambled for something, anything, to salvage this mess. "Why not? I can take a few lessons from your fighting."

Yeah, no. She was a noob, but she at least knew there was a huge difference between a scythe and a rapier. Following after her event partner, she watched three more fall and immediately zoned in on the last one.

Time to show how much a fully recovered An could do!

--The zombie slipped away from her and struck her teammate with its arm.

Spoiler

ID: 127226 | BD: 1 | MD: 9 | 20 DMG on Arabelle

[H:1] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 32/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 8/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 83: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 67/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 7/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

"Achievements. Completing them gives you points that you can use to buy special items with," she said simply. "If you open your menus and look around the 'quest' sub menu, you'll find an event section. I think... the trigger for it appearing was that entrance fee we paid earlier. I mean, it seemed like a pointless part of the event at first, right? Like, what difference would our experience be from the players who never paid the entrance fee but still encountered the zombies outside the tent?"

What the hell was An thrusting her rapier at? Air?

The only zombie that survived her attack threw a punch at her while her guard was down. She felt its fist whiz past her head, but the other hand grabbed her by the throat. Oh no, you don't. She didn't like being on that receiving end of that fetish, sorry! 

Arabelle flicked it with the hilt of her scythe and the hand around her neck disintegrated. Turning to another group of three drawn in by the fight, she used up the rest of her Sword Art to wipe the two who came closest.

Spoiler

ID: 127240 | BD: 9 | Trample Act: (14 + 1) * 6 = 90 - 10 = 80 DMG on Zombie 83
ID: 127241 | BD: 8 | LD: 8 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 85
ID: 127242 | BD: 1 [light momentum]
ID: 127243 | BD: 3 + 5 = 8 | LD: 12 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 87

6 + (2 * 3) = 12 EN

[H:0] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 21/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 8/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 83: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 85: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 86: 50/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 87: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 86/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 120/150
Consumables Used: 11/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

Achievements... An took her chances and opened her menus even though they were mid-combat. She didn't really care, the rest of the zombies closest to their group were already being taken care of by the other players and Arabelle's attack had left one with full HP - one she really couldn't deal with even with her recent level-up. The last zombie was now going in for an attack and it was almost as if An was completely invisible. She didn't want to wait either. An never liked waiting.

An was already too curious!

She navigated to the quest submenu as her teammate had so helpfully instructed and, as expected, came across the event section. Three achievements out of six. Her crimson gaze lingered on the achievement for using consumables. Was the number '13' just a random number or a number that was assigned specifically because it was a Halloween event? 

"I see, I see. So SAO is finally starting to implement that part of a typical RPG! I never really understood why there wasn't an achievements section before all this," the girl commented. No wonder Arabelle had dared her to drink all seven ciders earlier; she thought it was a prank or something. "Did you really have to make me drink all seven in one sitting though?"

Spoiler

ID: 127251 | MD: 2

[H:0] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 21/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 86: 50/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 70/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 7/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

"Right? I thought I was the only one who missed that part of RPGs." Oh, achievement sections. By Internet terms, she was more of a completionist. There was nothing more beautiful to her than seeing a fully completed set of achievements but it also followed that what irked her the most was being absolutely unable to complete certain goals. Especially the ones that were locked behind past events she didn't get to join but still somehow appeared in achievement sections of new players anyway. "Once you reach max level, max equipment, that becomes your end goal. I mean, if you don't have any more content to give those types of players, why not just give them something that encourages them to keep repeating already cleared content just to get it? I think it's smart! And it also makes for good bragging rights."

Arabelle deflected an attack.

"Though... SAO doesn't need endgame content. Or anything that encourages us to keep playing."

That's right. The only goal was to clear all one hundred floors and then they would probably be logged out and the game would, presumably, go poof. Much to the relief of most players who would survive, probably. They would never want to see this place again.

"What?" Arabelle laughed. She swiftly dealt another blow to the zombies that came in to take the place of their deceased allies. "I thought it was funny! Besides, I was curious to see if you were one of those people."

Spoiler

ID: 127252 | BD: 3 + 4 = 7 | LD: 13 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 86
ID: 127253 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 17 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 88
ID: 127254 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 13 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 89
ID: 127255 | BD: 2 + 4 = 6 | LD: 18 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 90

6 + (2 * 4) = 14 EN

[H:1/1] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 8/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0/0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 86: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 88: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 89: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 90: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 88/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 120/150
Consumables Used: 11/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

An dismissed her menus. Lucky for her, none of the zombies even seemed to realize she existed. They were all steadily focused on the much stronger player killing them in droves and while every attack coming towards the purple-haired girl filled her with instinctive worry, she had already seen that even four of them dealing criticals at the same time wouldn't even faze her. 

"Really? I think they're an important part of the game, but I really didn't pay much attention to it." Once again, Arabelle's scythe cut a path through the horde - separating zombie heads from bodies like an executioner and gracefully leaving the rest with near-fatal wounds. "I think bragging rights are cool, but the grind is totally boring! I mean... you can only go through a game's content so many times without getting sick of it, you know? But to each their own! Even though I don't have much interest in it, I can understand wanting to be the very best at something."

Pokemon reference unintended. An was just having trouble stringing together better words mid-combat.

"Those people?" Unconsciously, her lips were forming into a pout. "That's super vague! Should I be worried?"

Her rapier penetrated through skin, going straight to the zombie's non-functioning heart. The thing was practically half-dead already, where she already hit it didn't entirely matter, but she always thought her attacks had more impact when she went for the vital spots. Adding in that kill... she had to be at eight last-hits. 

An was not going to go out and hunt forty-two more. But there was another achievement she had completed by accident - like how she did with her other video games - and that was attributed to her having to fight without armor on.

Blessing in disguise?

Spoiler

ID: 127256 | BD: 10 | 8 + 2 = 10 - 10 = 1 DMG to Zombie 88
ID: 127257 | MD: 2

[H:1] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 8/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 88: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 90: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 73/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 8/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

Her remark on SAO's probable reason for lack of an achievement system didn't need any additional comment. 

"Makes sense," she agreed. There were, indeed, certain times when she just wanted to throw her laptop against the wall upon failing to attain an achievement she thought she had worked hard for. Her completionist mentality was not going to apply here though. Just cutting through these mobs to get to their third teammate's last known location should be more than enough to yield her the points she needed to get that lovely Fallen Weapon Voucher, and it wasn't like she was sitting snugly on her soft chair with snacks at a nearby table. No, their lives were actually at risk; one unfortunate move too close to that boss and she was toast. Plus, this was actually physically tiring as hell. "So, usually, how many playthroughs of a game do you do?"

An killed one. The other remained. But, wait... there was another challenger stepping into the ring!

Big mistake, Zombie No. 91.

With a strong blow from her weapon, she knocked the unfortunate creature out of the playing field before it could even make its move.

"Oh, those people? The ones who get drunk out of some Placebo effect instead of any actual influence from the alcohol consumption. You really can't get drunk off the hard drinks here, if you didn't already know.

"It's not a good thing nor a bad thing. It's just a thing I occasionally get curious about."

She mimicked An's previous words with a shrug.

Spoiler

ID: 127258 | BD: 9 | Torque Wave: (14 + 1) * 5 = 75 - 10 = 65 DMG to Zombie 91

[H:1] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 4/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 90: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 91: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 90/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 120/150
Consumables Used: 11/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

"For single-player RPGs, only one. Ah, but if there's bonus content on replays or branching paths, I'd end up doing as many as needed just to play through them all." If it was something new to look forward to, something that would add onto and even change her experience of the game, another thirty hours of repeating the main story was worth it. An secretly smiled to herself as her event partner took care of another mob that drew near. This conversation was flowing nicely, even though they were mid-combat. She felt like she was learning more and more about the girl in front of her!

But of course, she still had to step off this cloud nine. There was one zombie left and it was at one HP. It wailed at the loss of its fellow undead and tried to attack Arabelle, but An was already there to meet it. She sunk her rapier into the vermin's throat and got rid of the blood and foul-smelling liquids on her blade with a swift flick. Her crimson eyes shone with pride and a little bit of anticipation as she briefly looked over to her event partner.

That one actually felt natural! 

Notice me, Arabelle-senpai.

"Ehh? So you were trying to get me drunk on purpose?" Her head whirled and she knew, she definitely knew she was pouting. "Arabelle, you meanie! You're not being a very good senpai! What if I actually got even more drunk from that?" 

Spoiler

ID: 127259 | BD: 9 | 8 + 1 = 9 - 10 = 1 DMG on Zombie 90

[H:] Arabelle: 440/460 HP | 4/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 90: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 75/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 9/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

The dilemma: should she compliment An or should she not? Doing the former had always inevitably jinxed the other girl to fail her next few attacks - and it wasn't just plain superstition either, she had that backed with evidence! Arabelle didn't know, maybe the rapier user was feeling too pressured to keep it up. Most of her misses so far, had been a result of trying too hard. But, there was a counterargument to that which balanced out the scales - if not totally tipped it!

An actually smiled when she received praise.

Friendship ended with Mishiro. An was her new best friend.

Screw it. It's not like An would miss her attacks forever. From what she could observe, the new girl was actually improving.

"Right when I needed it!" the small purple-haired girl said with a smile when bright, expectant crimson eyes landed on her. "I wanted to get out of combat so I can regenerate my energy a bit earlier. From here on, we're going to do our usual and try to avoid fighting the zombies, alright?"

You know you've failed as a senpai when your kouhai - who did not at all seem like the pretentious know-it-all type - schools you on 'Being a Senpai 101.'

"Alright, alright, hold your pitchforks!" Arabelle had sheathed her scythe at her back, so she could now hold up both of her hands in an 'I'm innocent' gesture. "I didn't expect it was actually going to happen! I think I've only met... two people who actually get "drunk" in here so far. Oh, but now that I think about it... one of them was a boy who kind of looked like you. White hair and red eyes and all. Think it's related? Do you have a brother, An?"

Besides, if An had actually gotten too drunk, Arabelle could have just urged her to teleport to another floor or did the teleporting herself.

Spoiler

Consumed 1 Spider Cider (+20 HP). 1 Remaining.

[1/3 full energy regen]

[H:] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 5/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 91/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 140/150
Consumables Used: 12/13

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

An tried and failed to withhold her blush. 

"Th-thanks," she mumbled. Was she grinning? Gosh, she must looked so stupid right now. "You did really good, too. As always."

They were going to do it again: running to their destination while trying to make sure Arabelle wasn't hit by anything. Unexpectedly, An found that it was easier than it sounded. Without her scythe and the need to make attacks, the small purple-haired girl was adept at darting out of every mob's reach and still leaving the slower An with enough space to attack and defend herself. But, that meant Arabelle was fast enough to lead her behind - and An thought she was the one supposed to fight mobs in case they drew any of them closer? "Wait, waiiit! I can't cover you if you're right in front of me!"

That was an interesting coincidence.

"I have a brother, but he's definitely not here." He didn't like video games. As a matter of fact, none of her family really did; the video games she had only came from her performing well on tests or birthday gifts or what she bought with her own allowance. She had that freedom, at least.

But, God, did she miss them.

"Besides, my hair color isn't natural!" Duh. "But hey, what if it actually comes with the appearance?"

[Arabelle 0]

"Interesting theory," Arabelle murmured with a devilish smile. "I'll test it out later! Let's see... I think three should be enough."

Now where to find cute silver-haired, red-eyed players to experiment play with...

"We're fiiine," she insisted. The small purple-haired girl looked over her shoulder and urged An to go a bit faster. She was going at full speed now, even hopping over a practically half-dead zombie on the way. When more mobs groaned and dragged themselves up upon seeing her, she quickly changed course and disappeared behind a line of players. They were now nearing the center stage where the large fight was ongoing, but the horde was thinner on this side. Players were striking down the smaller mobs faster than they spawned to make way for the boss battle. Just a few more bursts and they would make it! "I don't want to stop now, An! So either speed up or I might end up leaving you behind!"

Her eyes burned with determination.

They were going to find their missing teammate.

Spoiler

[2/3 full energy regen]

 

[Andromeda 0]

"I'm right behind you!"

An was not right behind her.

No matter how much she tried to put some more speed to her steps, An always found herself falling behind the smaller, much more agile girl. At that point, she was barely paying any attention to her surroundings - not even when they gradually drew closer to the boss mob - and kept her red eyes on the girl in front of her. Arabelle knew where to go. If all An did was follow her, she could keep up the pace just fine--

Her event partner took a sudden turn and An almost crashed straight into a group of zombies. 

She very inelegantly skidded to a stop and righted herself. "Sorry!" she yelled to a group of nearby players whom she'd cut off from their targets. Spinning around to face the right direction, An took off after her faster teammate once again. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

It was practically right in front of her eyes now. 

Arabelle put on another burst of speed, leaping over a wandering group of zombies, and suddenly dropped down to the ground like a stone. She ducked her head down as the zombie boss's large hand harmlessly passed over her.

Lovely. It had to be at half HP already, but thing had AoE attacks. Just another concern to add to her growing pile.

The small purple-haired girl righted herself slowly. They were right where her friend has disappeared. Where was she...? Arabelle scanned the immediate area, ashen eyes glancing over the wandering groups of undead and the big guy taking up a large portion of the stage. No PMs, and she hadn't caught sight of Mishiro anywhere else earlier; Arabelle had been keeping an eye out. She was absolutely sure her friend was somewhere here. 

Nothing. 

Spoiler

[3/3 full energy regen]

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

Was this the place?

An had shouldered past a group of zombies and almost had to turn around to attack them when a nearby group of players took over. They all looked stronger than her, so she turned right around and followed Arabelle after giving them a few quick words of gratitude. No, for a fact, she felt like everyone in here was stronger than her. Even after all those level ups she got.

Her crimson eyes sort of glazed over. Harriette, you weakling. If you just went out and killed stuff earlier, we wouldn't have anything to worry about right now. We would have been killing mobs niiice and easy, and we wouldn't have been complete deadweight to Arabelle.

She joined Arabelle in her search. Where could one player have disappeared into amid that chaos...? An didn't want to consider it, but-- everything had happened so fast and the girl had been a bit too close to the center...

"Arabelle, remember the hole I almost fell into earlier?"

Edited October 30, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

Oh, that hole. The one that suddenly opened up and caused all this mess in the first place. Might be a decent guess considering An's experience, but here's a bit of a problem: the stage in question was elevated only a mere few inches from the ground. Not too high, or the circus goers would have had to tilt their heads up to very uncomfortable degrees just to see everything that was going on. Most other circuses she knew of didn't even have an elevated stage. 

Whatever. It's not like that NPC had planned to hold an actual circus act or anything.

The point is, there was no way Mishiro would have fallen into a shallow hole and gotten stuck for the entirety of the time they had been looking for her. She voiced this all out to An, as nicely as possible.

"But we have nowhere else to go, so we might as well look into that," Arabelle added. "Hmhm~. It's not like we have much of a choice now that we're here. If it all turned out to be pointless after all, we can go ahead and say that we really tried! ...and the extra kills would be extremely useful."

She was referring to the group that had spawned around them. 

Flames consumed her scythe. She smiled and guided it toward their enemies. One, two spinning sweep attacks, and another entire group of zombies were dead.

Spoiler

ID: 127306 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 8 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 92
ID: 127307 | BD: 5 + 4 = 9 | LD: 12 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 93
ID: 127308 | BD: 3 + 4 = 7 | LD: 5 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 94
ID: 127309 | BD: 2 + 4 = 6 | LD: 2 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 95

6 + (2 * 4) = 14 EN

[H:] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 32/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 10/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 92: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 93: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 94: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 95: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 95/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 140/150
Consumables Used: 12/13

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

An looked at Arabelle. Then at the wooden stage. Then back at Arabelle.

"I knew that. I wouldn't have suggested it if there wasn't something different about it," the silver-haired player answered with a slight pout. Having stayed still a bit longer than necessary earlier, she had seen... and she knew the area beneath the stage was a bit different from what one might expect. Her mood, at her idea being rejected by Arabelle seemingly without much consideration, instantly brightened at the girl's addition. "Yeah, I'll show you where it is!"

She said, as an angry group of zombies spawned around them. The silver-haired player quickly fell behind Arabelle and grabbed her rapier, paying close attention to the fight. 

Her event partner swung her scythe... and all of the zombies disintegrated at the smaller girl's attack.

An lowered her rapier with a sheepish smile. Useless Harriette is back at it again!

Spoiler

[H:] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 32/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 10/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 79/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 9/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Andromeda

[Arabelle 0]

Well, this was fun.

...She meant that sarcastically.

Now that the two players were here, these pests were spawning in droves. That was fine and all - she felled another group with a chain of swings and blunt-end slams with her scythe, nice and easy, and the fact that she was still in pristine condition even as she fought without her armor equipped spoke volumes of just how strong she was compared to these event trash mobs. She was killing mobs before they could even damage her. A very different experience from the Rain Minion event! Yeah, it was really called something else, but she didn't care, it was forever 'Rain Minion' event in her head. 

But Arabelle did know they came here for an objective. And with these persistent little freaks spawning around them, it was harder to get it going. She would send An to creep a bit closer to the stage and check things out, but...

There was one left alive from her attack. At 1 HP. It was irking her.

"One for you, An!"

Spoiler

ID: 127494 | BD: 6 | LD: 14 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 96
ID: 127495 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 15 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 97
ID: 127496 | BD: 4 + 4 = 8 | LD: 10 | Trample Act: 14 * 6 = 84 - 10 = 74 DMG on Zombie 98
ID: 127497 | BD: 9 | Trample Act: (14 + 1) * 6 = 90 - 10 = 80 DMG on Zombie 99

6 + (2 * 4) = 14 EN

[H:1] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 19/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:0] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 10/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 96: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 97: 1/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 98: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT
Zombie 99: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

~~BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 2

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 98/100
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 13/25 OR 1/15
HP Restored (Self): 140/150
Consumables Used: 12/13

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Arabelle

[Andromeda 0]

"Yeah, I've got it!"

An got this. She attacked it with her rapier and watched in delight as it gave a wail of pain and exploded into red pixels.

Now that sounded horribly morbid.

Yet another round of mobs had spawned around them and all but one were completely eliminated by Arabelle. Call her a bit selfish, but she was secretly glad one of them survived at 1 HP; An still felt as if she was a bit lacking in terms of contribution so far so any chance to land a last hit on a mob was gladly welcomed! ...if she didn't just end up stealing Arabelle's last-hit achievement or something. She knew the girl had to care: she was the one who had seen the rewards and thought they were important enough to persuade her teammate into chugging seven spider ciders in rapid succession for her own achievement point, and she seemed like the type who was keen on leveling up.

Not everyone could reach that amount of damage output without having put in a lot of effort first. That took a lot of dedication!

"How are you achievements going, Arabelle?" She backed up, keeping closer to her teammate. "Just asking. I've got most of the ones I can possibly get, minus the kill total."

Spoiler

ID: 127509 | BD: 6 | LD: 8 | 8 - 10 = 1 DMG on Zombie 97

[H:] Arabelle: 460/460 HP | 19/46 EN | 14 DMG | 4 ACC | 1 LM
[H:] Andromeda: 100/100 HP | 9/10 EN | 8 DMG | 18 MIT | 1 ACC | 3 LD

Zombie 97: 0/50 HP | 15 DMG | 10 MIT

Special:

• Deals 20 DMG on a 9 or 10
• If the Zombie would be killed by a weapon or defensive ability, and the LD is equal to or higher than 15, the Zombie is instead reduced to 1HP. This ability is ignored if the attack that reduced it 0 was a critical hit or the weapon/armor used has the holy or holy blessing enhancement.

***BINGO BOOK

Spoiler

AP: 3

In Progress

Zombies Killed: 83/100
Last Hit on Zombies: 10/50
Critical Failures OR Critical Evasions: 6/25 OR 2/15

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Andromeda