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[F20 - PP - Shield & Beat] «Pouncing Puma»


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Quest

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Floor 20
«Pouncing Puma»
Recommended Level: 45
Non-Repeatable  | Party Limit: 2
Credit Goes to: @Hikoru

Rewards:

  • 5,500 Col
  • SP
  • Mothra Statue: A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Stealthy Suterusu. When used, it gives +1 Energy recovery for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the old and abandoned ruins found throughout the floor. The sweet plants that grow within the overgrown areas combine to make a pure, sweet scent that can almost be seen as romantic.  A slow, steady rhythm can be heard, echoing over mountains from hidden tribes. Can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

Requirements:

  • Must explore a abandoned temple (3+ Posts)
  • Defeat «Suterusu»

Summary:

Rumours of some sort of leopard are floating around, saying that the creature is hiding within a large, abandoned temple on the twentieth floor. Players have been tasked with going to find it's location, go through the temple, and defeat the stealthy puma. PLayers are warned that the creature seemingly appears and disappears from the shadows, and is sure to be a menacing foe.

Outline:

Image result for Puma fantasy

[Note: «Suterusu» receives his own separate roll from the player]


«Suterusu»

Statistics:
HP: 1,000
DMG: 250
MIT: 25
ACC: 1
EVA: 3

Abilities:

Stealth: Every three rounds, «Suterusu» will enter stealth. An LD rating is not needed to be rolled for this, and it has a base stealth of 18. If the player is unable to find «Suterusu», «Suterusu» will leap from stealth and attack, gaining a +50 damage for the attack. Also, if a 9-10 is rolled, it gains a Partial Phase, ignoring 25% of Mitigation. This will happen every 4 turns.

Cunning Dodge: On a player's natural attack roll of 9, it is not guaranteed as a hit, and is still affected by Evasion and Accuracy.

Unsteady Ground: This fight takes place in a rocky terrain with many broken stones and statues scattered, giving a -1 Accuracy to every player due to the area where they are fighting.

Shield

Spoiler

» Shield, The Immovable Object

  • Modified HP:
  • Modified EN:
  • Modified MIT:
  • Modified ACC:
  • Modified DMG:
  • Modified EVA:
  • Battle Heal:
  • Search:
  • Temp Buff:
  • Temp Buff:
  • Temp Buff:

» Base Stats

  • Base HP: 1850
  • Base EN: 176
  • Base MIT: 169
  • Base ACC: 0
  • Base DMG: 2
  • Base EVA: -1
  • Battle Heal: 85 HP
  • Search: +5

» Items Equipped:

  • Manticore Mask - T3 Perfect Shield - Flame Aura I / Taunt / Mitigation I
  • Stinging Nettle - T3 Perfect Heavy Armor - Envenom (Defensive) I / Thorns II
  • Blessed Greaves - T3 Demonic Heavy Armor - Mitigation II / Holy Blessing II
  • Wedding Ring [+18 MIT]
  • Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7)

» Battle-Ready Inventory:

  • Golden  Keys x3 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests
  • Basic Teleportation Crystal x4 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings
  • Safeguard Potion x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard
     

» Skills:

  • Searching | 5 Ranks | +5 Bonus to LD, +0 to Stealth Detect
  • Battle Healing | 5 Ranks | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (85HP) at the beginning of your turn
  • First Aid | 5 Ranks | +4% HP per rank (+20% HP) on Post Action
  • Picking | Purchased | +3 LD when opening chests
  • Heavy Armor | 5 Rank | +35 Mitigation
  • Energize | Purchased |  Restore 8 EN to target
  • Block | 5 Ranks | +25 Mitigation
  • Howl | Purchased | +2 Hate against each opponent (up to 4)
  • Fighting Spirit | Purchased | +1 Hate when using Howl or Focused Howl
  • Parry | Purchased 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50%
  • Fishing | Purchased | Fish for equipment and gain prestige among old men

» Extra Skills:

  • Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown
  • Familiar Mastery: Healer |  3 Ranks | +135 HP (Does not require post action)
  • Martial Arts | 1 Rank | +1 Base Damage per slot with Unarmed Weapons
  • Meditation | Purchased | Recover an additional 15 EN on Post Action | 3 Turn Cooldown
  • Survival | Purchased |  Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post

» Mods:

  • Athletics: +1 DMG +45 HP
  • Focused Howl: +4 Hate against single target on Post Action
  • Dismantling: +2 LD when opening chests
  • Stone Wall: +Gain 10 MIT and 45 HP from heavy armor. Reduces DOT by 25%. -1 to Evasion.
  • SharpnessGives target +[Target's Tier] to Base Damage for 2 turns | 1 Turn Cool Down
  • Justified Riposte: A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 3 Turn Cool Down
  • Vengeful Riposte: A successful Parry returns 50% of DMG back to your opponent - mitigatable. | 3 Turn Cool Down

Shield's feet hit ground in the mountain settlement of Inti on Aincrad's twentieth floor, and the next moment, they were already pointed towards the edge of town and setting off at a brisk pace. "We're getting close, Beat," he said, impatience beginning to mount in his voice and demeanor. "I wasn't sure if we were going to have time to fit this whole quest chain in before the next boss meeting, but we may just have it licked by then." The NPC's of the town, mainly farmers and tradespeople, practically had to leap out of the way of the focused tank. "That means these next few fights are going to be a little trickier than some of the others we've seen so far. From what I gather from the brokers, the puma we'll be hunting prefers to use stealth, popping in and out of view and using those sorts of guerrilla tactics to keep an upper hand."

They reached the edge of the settlement and began their long trek down the mountainside. The paths took hairpin turns down the mountainside, slowly winding their way to the bottom before being lost in the thick jungle at the mountain's base. "Somewhere down there is temple, and inside of that is most likely our quarry." He turned his head to glance at his partner before turning them forward once again. "Maybe. Apparently, this one is rumored to be a little unpredictable, and has ambushed people near his temple. We'll need to stay sharp."

@Beat

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Beat, The Unstoppable Force

Current Stats: 

Hit Points 1205/1205
Energy Points 116/116
Damage 20
Mitigation 18
Evasion 0
Accuracy 5
Loot Die 7 (3 from items)
Prosperity 0
Additional Buffs None

 

Equipment: 

Item Tier Enhancements
Eagle's Splendor 1 +3 ACC
Spear of Destiny 2 Absolute Accuracy, Holy Damage, Bleed
Watchful Sentry 1 +3 LD
Ring of Strong Will 3 +1 Damage
Vanity Armor 1 None

 

Battle Ready Inventory:

Items Type Tier Quality Quantity Enhancement
Basic Teleportation Crystal Crystal 1 Uncommon 4  
Healing Crystal Potion 2 Rare 3 HP Recovery
Swords Dance Potion Potion 2 Perfect 2 Damage
Safe Guard Potion Potion 1 Perfect 5 Safeguard
Power Bar [Vitality] Snack 2 Rare 3 Vitality
Shi's Talon 2H Spear 2 Perfect 1 Absolute Accuracy, Paralyze, Freeze
Bulwark H. Armor 3 Perfect 1 Mitigation

 

Skills and Housing

 

Skills Rank
Heavy Armor 3/5
Search and Detect 3/5
Charge 5/5
2H Spears 5/5
Quick Change  
Extended Mod Limit 2/3
Fishing  
   
Mods  
Ferocity [2H Spears]  
Finesse [2H Spears] 3/3
Precision [2H Spears]  
Stamina [2H Spears]  
Athletics (Heavy Armor)  
Bull Rush (Charge)  
Tracking  
   
Extra Skills  
Concentration [Extra Skill]  
Survival [Extra Skill]  
Marital Arts [Extra Skill]  
   
Familiar Skills  
Fighter 3/3

Housing: 

Buff Effect Uses
Well Rested -1 EN cost 3/3
Squeaky Clean -25% DOT dmg / turn 1/1
Hard Working +2 Crafting Exp & +1 Attempt  
Filling +1 T1 slot to 1 food Item 1/1
Relaxed HP regen now 45/turn OOC  
Item Stash +1 Battle Ready Slot  
Multipurpose +2 on Certain Rolls/10 Posts  
Delicious Feast from 3 same food  
Skylight (Searching) +1 to LD  
Advanced Training +2 SP for one thread/month  

 

Spoiler

Searching: ID# 145473: 8 + 7 = 15 = 1 T2 mat found

Beat nodded as he opened his own quest log and read through the information that the broker had given them, "oh yeah, we'll be fine on time I think." As he continued reading, he became aware of the fact that Shield was the one setting the pace, which was normally not the case as Beat was normally the one in a hurry to get to where they were going. 

"Stealth hmm?" Beat muttered as he rubbed his chin and ducked under a large leaf from a plant, "I've been leveling up my detection skill, so hopefully that won't be too big of an issue for us." Stelath seemed to be the big equalizer for monsters and players who didn't have the skill or brawn for more direct forms of combat. Beat's eyes found a unique looking blossom sprouting from a low handing branch and plucked it, "You know, I've never really enjoyed stealth dps builds before, I've tried them and even used them as the meta required, but there is something about it that seems cheap. I dunno..."

 

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Temple Search [1/3 Posts]

Searching for Materials -  ID# 145489 results: Loot: 1+8=9 [No Materials found]

Total Loot

None

"Perhaps a little bit," Shield said, his gait slowing as they penetrated the border of the jungle, looking for signs of  the temple. "I feel like its benefits are fine as long as you don't get them all the time, which you technically don't." Through the foliage, Shield began spotting glimpses of a slate grey something. He turned in that direction, keeping his eyes moving through the underbrush and through the trees. There were no signs of the great cat, at least not yet, however, the further he walked, the more he began catching more and more flashes of that same dark grey until they broke through the foliage into a clearing.

They appeared to be standing in some sort of overgrown courtyard, just enough stone work to keep the larger plants from taking root, but not serving as much if any of a hindrance for the ground cover and moss that were creeping to take over the stone benches and statues that decorated the spot. Further ahead, the temple itself rose above the trees, its spires pointing skyward as the many fat, long-earlobed Buddha-like statues peered out from every floor of the outer structure and entrance. "The place definitely has an ambiance."

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Temple post 2/3

Beat scanned the courtyard as they approached the temple. There was no sign of any life other than the moss and general overgrowth that came with a lack of maintenance, "Yeah. Definitely. Wonder where our target is though. Something tells me, he'll know where we are first."

Not that it will help him much...

The moment they crossed the threshold of the temple entrance, Beat's ears seemed to almost vibrate as a quiet snarl lightly echoed through the dusty entry chamber. The ceiling of the temple rose nearly as high as the structure itself and the only light inside came from holes where the stones in the ceiling had crumbled away or fallen down. Old, pews still remained, though some were over turned, others standing up on their side. Further inside, a large stage featuring marble pedestal in the middle remained in pristine condition, save for the thick layer of dust which seemed to cover everything inside. Beat drew his Spear as he scanned the many places where the light leaking inside did not touch, "It's watching us..." he said, his voice echoing off of the stone interior.

 

Edited by Beat
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Temple Search [3/3 Posts]

Searching for Materials - ID# 145503 results: Loot: 11+8=19 [1 Material found]

Total Loot

Materials: 1

"Well, if it's watching us, then let's make sure it knows right where we are," he said, striding down the center of the aisle, crumbling stone benches on either side with occasional vines dangling down, having spilled down through the ceiling. "We may be exposed, but at least we'll be away from any cover it would have to hide behind. It can stalk us all it wants, but if it wants a fight, it'll have to leave its cover and come to us." Shield posted up on the altar at the front, turning in a slow circle to scan the edges of the shadows. At his feet, he spotted a small white flower growing up out of a crack in the stone dais. He carefully knelt and plucked it, tossing it aside so that it shattered, only to reform in his inventory.

"I'm foregoing my defensive damage this fight," he said in lowered tones to Beat. "That will allow me to keep my eyes sharper." He flicked his earring, the trinket letting out a bright clink before falling silent. With that, he unslung the Manticore Mask from his back and brought it up just below his eyes, keeping his vision clear, but his body protected. Slowly, he continued to rotate, looking at each shadow and each shape to see if it gave way to any feline qualities or features.

Now we wait... It'll have to move eventually, and when it does, we'll be ready.

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D.Stampede + charge + Concentration vs Suterusu | -12 EP

ID# 145735: BD 7 -3 + 5 = 9 = hit | 25 x 15 = 375 - 25 = 350 

|H:1| Beat: HP: 205/1205 | EP: 104/116 | Dmg: 20 | Mit: 18 | Acc: 5 | LD: 7

«Suterusu»

StatisticsHP: 650/1000DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

From the darkness in one of the corners of the room, a louder, less concealed snarl echoed through the temple. Beat brandished his spear as his eyes strained to pierce the darkness as the silence returned to the temple. Beat muttered quietly as he began walking out from the stage, his spear in front of him, "I dunno, the broker said it was pretty quick to evade and all of this rubble is going to make it hard for me to land a solid strike, we might need that defensive damage." 

Now where are you?

Almost as if on queue, a bright pair of yellow eyes appeared in the darkness, blinking every so often as if to say, they were no threat to it. Beat smirked as his spear began to glow. He twisted his feet against to ground, attempting to garner as much traction as possible before he kicked off, his charge skill blurring his form. The puma came into view as Beat joined him in the darkness and it darted quickly to the left, but Beat managed to match him, releasing his sword art, having to correct each lightning fast strike as the feline attempted to evade each one. It roared in pain as it slid across to floor, very irritated that this player had come into his home and actually managed to strike him. 

"Yeah, definitely going to need that defensive damage. That was a struggle to stay on target." Beat said, his blood now pumping. 

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Passive [N/A]

Action: Focused Howl > Suterusu [-5 EN]

|H:1| Beat:     HP: 1205/1205 | EP: 116/116 | Dmg: 20 | Mit: 18 | Acc: 5 | LD: 7
[H:6] Shield - HP: 1769/1850 | EN: 171/176 | DMG: 2 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 169 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | THN: 99 | ENV: 18/4  

«Suterusu» HP: 635/1000 DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

ID# 145740 results: MOB: 6+1+1=8 Hit! 250-169=81 dmg, [Flame Aura - 15 dmg]

Rounds until stealth:  2/3

Shield followed the opening attack, keeping his eyes forward and tracking the puma as it attempted to lose itself in the darkness. Fortunately, it was too frustrated to make a solid effort of that, and it turned around, baring its fangs as if to try to retaliate against Beat for blowing its cover and getting first blood. That was his cue. Shield's chest expanded like a bellows before he threw his voice, roaring into the once serene temple. "HERE, KITTY KITTY!" he called out, the deep brass tones of his voice filling the hall and swelling and fading as its waves washed back and forth through the uneven space. 

The puma pivoted, snarling as it dug in its claws and hurtled at Shield. He hadn't had time to parry, but that was hardly surprising. This cat was quick, and it bounded over to him in two sleek motions of its lithe body. Before he had time to posture, it was on him, clawing at his chest. With a swing of his arm, me managed to get his Shield underneath the great cat and scrape it off of him like a spatula. Its pads found purchase on the shield, and he felt the cat leap off over his head. "Lost sight. Is he on my six?" He wheeled around, his eyes peering into the dark to get visual confirmation of the puma.

"Beat, I don't have quick change. I need to ditch an item before I can get my thorns, up," he called out. "Getting Sharpness on you is going to give us a much quicker turnaround on damage!"

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Passive: +1 EP: 

Action: D.Stampede vs Suterusu | -12 EP 

ID# 145758: BD: 7 + 5 - 4 = 8 = hit! | 20 x 15 = 300 - 25 = 275 

|H:1| Beat:     HP: 1205/1205 | EP: 93/116 | Dmg: 20 | Mit: 18 | Acc: 5 | LD: 7
[H:6] Shield - HP: 1769/1850 | EN: 171/176 | DMG: 2 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 169 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | THN: 99 | ENV: 18/4  

«Suterusu» HP: 360/1000 DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

Beat was already running after the puma as it pounced onto Shield. As it dove back into the darkness Beat was already in the air and flying over Shield as his eye readjusted to the darkness. Beat's prompt pursuit caught the jungle cat off guard and it roared in surprise as Beat grinned, his spear already glowing, poised to strike, "Where you goin'!" 

Beat unleashed his attack as the puma seemed much less on the ready this time and readily ate each blow, the final one sending it bouncing across to the temple floor before it rolled and sprang to its feet, roaring once again in furious indignation. Beat walked back into the light and offered Shield a hand, making sure to not break eye contact with the puma, which was now slowly prowling around them, "How about a riposte then? One more shot from me will get it close. I don't think Sharpen will get us there in one shot." 

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+92 HP] Holy Blessing [+48 HP]

Action: Parry - Justified Riposte [-4 EN]

|H:1| Beat:     HP: 1205/1205 | EP: 93/116 | Dmg: 20 | Mit: 18 | Acc: 5 | LD: 7
[H:6] Shield - HP: 1850/1850 | EN: 168/176 | DMG: 2 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 169 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | FAU 15

«Suterusu» HP: 259/1000 DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

ID# 145877 results: MOB: 10+1+1=12 - Hit! 250+2/2-169=1 dmg [Riposte - 250+2/2-25=101 dmg]

Rounds until stealth 1/3

Shield's vanity sword was in hand and at the ready before the cat had even hit the ground after Beat's attack. The cat was faster than he was, and following it with his eyes alone wasn't going to be tenable if he couldn't make good guesses about where it was going and how it planned to get there. At the moment, Beat was blocking the direct route to Shield, so it would have to go around him some way or another.

It's going to skirt around him quite a ways. He's already hit the puma twice, so it's going to want to want to give him a wide berth... It also likes the shadows, so...

To one side of Beat, the ground was hidden in shadow, with fewer cracks in the ceiling trickling light down to the ground. On the other side of Beat, the puma, still sliding along the stone ground, was already scrambling to regain its footing.

That's it... that's the direction its next attack will come from. So...

He held up his blade, preparing to defend himself. The great cat was already back on its feet now, and its dark body melted into the shadows. Still, Shield had not lost sight of the shadowy figure as it surged through the darkness. It pounced, its claws sinking deep into Shield's throat. However, the cat yowled in pain, its chest pierced by the defensive blade that Shield had raised. The cat swiped at Shied's face out of anger and sprang away, regaining its footing.

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Passive [+1 EN]

Action: D.Stampede vs Suterusu | -12 EP 

ID# 145886: BD: 9 + 5 -4 = minor crit! | 25 x 15 = 375 - 25 = 350 + 24 bleed /2 rnd

|H:1| Beat:     HP: 1205/1205 | EP: 82/116 | Dmg: 20 | Mit: 18 | Acc: 5 | LD: 7
[H:6] Shield - HP: 1850/1850 | EN: 168/176 | DMG: 2 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 169 | BH:92 | HB: 48 | FAU 15

«Suterusu» HP: 0/1000 DMG: 250 | MIT: 25 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 3

Beat smirked as he watched the puma's health bar drop into the red as Shield's sword ran it through. He lowered his body as he prepared to read the direction the puma would retreat and quickly moved to intercept as it leaped off of his partner. As he landed and snarled at the party's tank, Beat was there, spear raised and glowing. The ears of the animal turned around and it leaped into the air, spinning around and utterly spooked by Beat's close proximity, astonished that he was on top of it. 

Beat grinned as he glared into the puma's eyes, "Hi there." Beat's sword art riddled the felines body in mid air, blowing red, pixelated chunks out of its body as its health bar emptied completely. The younger player twirled his spear and gave his partner a thumbs up, "Not bad buddy. I honestly thought that fight was going to go much worse."

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Searching for Materials - ID# 145924 results: Loot: 5+8=13 [No Materials found]

Total Loot

Materials: 1

"It very easily could have been worse," he said, looking over the information from Hikoru again. "It's highly recommended that players stack up accuracy buffs for that fight. We started behind the curve and were struggling to make up ground." He dismissed his display and turned towards the door, watching the surrounding area for items of interest. Now that there wasn't a tricky boss hiding in the shadows, he could afford to let his attention drift onto other tasks. "We were going to be fine no matter what," he added, slinging the Manticore Mask up onto his back. "I wasn't even in a position where I hat to make use of Lilith." He raised up his forearm, peering into the semi-dark of the inside of his sleeve. 

There inside, he saw two beady eyes peering right back at him. "Poor Lilith hasn't had much to do lately, has she?" Her blank eyes stared back at him, and her tongue darted out of her mouth, tasting the air, rather unimpressed with Shield's patronizing.

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Searching: ID# 146042: LD: 17 + 7  = 24 

1 T2 Mat found

Totals: 
2 T2 mats 

"Well, maybe the next tier of floors will prove to be a better challenge. It's hard for you and I to find something we can't handle without too much difficulty." Beat said, stowing his spear and picking up the statue dropped by the puma. He turned it over in his hands as he made his way towards the temple exit, "One more buddy. I can't say this quest line has been bad for experience either. I'll take a useful reward and plenty of exp any day. Way better than that dragon hunter quest we did."

As they stepped out of the temple, Horus was perched on a nearby bench, piercing eyes staring at the pair of them with a small animal in his beak. Beat giggled and walked over to Horus, who dropped the rodent at his feet, "You...wait..." Beat knelt down and tapped the rodent, revealing the material tag, "Alright, if you say so...Nice find Horus." He said, shrugging and stowing the item away. 

This game is weird...

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Searching for Materials - ID# 146211 results: Loot: 14+8=22 [1 Material found]

Total Loot

Materials: 2
5,500 Col
Mothra Statue

Shield eyed the 'valuable' find that Horus had returned to Beat and shrugged. "Maybe its innards can be used to alchemical reagents," he offered, not knowing what else to make of it. "It's certainly not enough substance to be of any use to a cook." The jungle surrounded them on all sides, as did the various items that could be harvested. A particularly brightly colored mushroom grew on a tree beside the path, which Shield plucked and harvested.

"It's impossible to say what the new tier will hold," he said, his brow furrowed. "The bigger concern is just what to expect of the floor boss. I know it's been on my mind a considerable amount, but it's supposed to be a significant fight. I can't imagine what Kayaba is going to have waiting for us at such a milestone. Could be anything. Could be the mechanics will change. It could be that suddenly the rules bend and put us in more danger..." Shield did not like any of the possibilities that had been playing out in his head. A lot of them ended up with players unprepared and sometimes even dead.

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Searching: ID# 146467: LD: 9 + 7 = 16 [1 T2 mat found]

Totals: 
3 T2 Mats

Beat laughed as he held out his arm for Horus, who happily stepped onto his new perch, "You know, sometimes I cook for this guy. It's probably why he brings he stuff like that, honestly." Horus was already looking elsewhere, no longer amused by their conversation now that he had delivered his hunt and obtained a ride. "I suppose that is normally the big worry, the floor boss, I mean." Beat's brow furrowed as he though back to the Elven Council fight, "I really hope the frontlines have changed for the better. I know we've hash this out a lot since returning, but we really can't have people sympathizing with the floor boss." Beat glanced to Shield, giving him a nonchalant wave, "I can handle a rule change or two. Unless the boss fight really turns it up, I think we should be fine. It's the people I don't trust."

I trust a game more than people. That fits with the real world at least...

Horus raised a taloned foot and pointed towards the ground as he clicked softly in Beat's ear. Beat took the queue and saw what his familiar had spotted almost immediately. A brightly colored flower with almost crystalline petals shimmers lightly in the sun. Beat steadly stooped down to get get, making sure to keep Horus's perch level, "Nice find buddy." 

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Searching for Materials - ID# 146472 results: Loot: 9+8=17 [1 Material found]

Total Loot

Materials: 2
5,500 Col
Mothra Statue

"You say that," Shield said, thinking the words over in his head. "At the same time though, if those rule changes are fundamental or pivotal things, such as how mitigation or enemy targeting works, or how healing skills or god forbid Teleportation Crystals work," he said, spinning every angle he could think of - many of which were separate nightmares he had experienced when it came to the upcoming fight. "What if Kayaba himself shows up and decides to just straight-up cull the front lines?" This was incredibly unlikely, and he knew that. Kayaba had never directly interfered, at least that they were aware.

The trees were beginning to thin, though the undergrowth remained dense, perhaps moreso with the extra sunlight that could reach down now with the thinner foliage. At the base of a tangle of vines, there was a cluster of the fungi that he had seen a moment ago, which he readily harvested. "I'm not taking chances. I've been grinding for weeks. I will be likely doing the same all the way up until the fight. If I'm going to be caught unprepared, it's going to have to be something extreme, to say the very least."

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Searching: ID# 146504: LD: 8 + 7 = 15 [1 T2 mat found]

Totals: 

4 T2 mats

 

"Oh yeah, you only gave me 25 eggs, but I heard the rumors about Shield, the human egg dispenser." Beat said, laughing as he continued to wade through the lighter vegetation. "You definitely carried your habits from Crossreign over. They translate well and I should probably grind a little harder than I do." It was no secret that Beat had a much more laid back approach to gaming, allowing his talent to carry him. This worked in Sword Art Online, to a degree, but spending excess time to harvest the rewards the game had to offer certainly paid dividends. 

Beat's eyes were drawn to a grouping of fungus that was resting in the nook of a tree. The material tag popped up as they approached and he happily stored a handful into this inventory. He looked ahead, brow wrinkling as he considered Shield's words on the next boss fight, "I mean, I still don't see something that would cost us our lives, short of that Kayaba thing you mentioned." Beat shook his head and looked over to Shield with a smile, his tone jovial, "You worry about things you can't control old man."

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Searching for Materials - ID# 146509 results: Loot: 15+8=23 [1 Material found]

Total Loot

Materials: 3
5,500 Col
Mothra Statue

"First of all," Shield said, almost puffing up at being called a 'dispenser,' "calling me as such sells short my business acumen. While I made sure that those eggs all found good homes, I made sure that items that would have otherwise gone to waste found their way home with me." Shield swiped down through the air, holding out his hand which immediately filled with brightly colored Easter goodies. "There's enough stuff here to turn my set demonic and turn half of the slots unique. You'd better believe that the next time we end up with a seasonal event that turns out the same kind of loot that I will be all over it just as heavily."

He banished the items back to his inventory and closed his menus, turning his eyes back to the overgrown jungle trail. He scanned the ground, then slowly up towards eye level. He came to stop just below a vine that hung overhead. The center of it bowed under the weight of a piece of fruit that hung in the center. He pulled it from the vine and stored it away with the other items he had collected.

At Beat's mention of his serious treatment of the upcoming fight, he frowned. It was all he could do to turn the statement right back around, accusing Beat of not being concerned enough with what was to come. However, that discussion would likely prove fruitless, at least in the span off their outing.

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Searching: ID# 146514: LD: 20 + 7 = 27 [1 T2 Mat found] 

Totals: 

5 T2 Mats

Beat's eyes snapped to the handful of easter goodies the Shield held out. He shook his head and laughed again as they exited the forest, bringing the settlement into view, "I can always count on you to take advantage of the laziness of others. That fishing quest you can repeat is nuts for that event." Beat's have waved through the air and a shimmering snowflake appeared in his hand, "I just hope I make out alright for trading mine away for this." 

It can't be a bad thing to have on hand, right? 

He stowed the snowflake as his eyes spotted another unique flower blooming along the main path back to the settlement, this time, it was a fiery red and orange blossom with the scent of oranges, "I feel like I'm living in Willy Wonka land sometimes Shield." He said as he stopped down and stashed the flower into his inventory. 

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Searching for Materials - ID# 146546 results: Loot: 10+5=15 [1 Material found]

Total Loot

Materials: 4
5,500 Col
Mothra Statue

"Beat, my friend," he sighed. "I spent the better part of a month obsessively fishing for gummy fish - using gummy worms for bait, I might add - to gather chocolate eggs," he said, shaking his head. "Then again, we've spent a lot of time in relatively safe areas as of late. Before long..." Shield trailed off. "Well, we'll get plenty of reminders about what the underbellies of Aincrad can really look like. And not just creepy looking weaklings for that have been uglied for aesthetics..." he said. His eyes continued to wander through the thinning brush of the jungle's edge. Eventually, they settled on a cluster of creeping ground cover that seemed to be growing small yellow flowers. Sure enough, they bore an item tag, and he picked them for later use.

"You ready for one last boss in this quest line?" Shield said with a deep breath. He was eager to have it over, but he was not without concern for what lay ahead of them. "Supposed to be a tough fight."

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"Is it weird that I'm sort of looking forward to this next floor boss?" Beat said as they entered the settlement, the small number of people in the street paying them passing attention, "I mean, I don't like the idea of risking our lives, but that's already a foregone conclusion. That will happen, so I feel like it is the most exciting part of this game." 

Gotta take the enjoyment where you can, right? 

Beat smiled a little bit as he decided to change the topic somewhat, "Yes! I'm ready to get this last statue and complete the chain!" He bounced with each step as he pulled up the information for the next fight, "Yeah, he won't be quite as simple as the others have been. The puma was disappointing, but I don't think that possibility exists here." Beat stepped onto the teleporter and winked at Shield, "Let's give this guy something to remember eh?"

 

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[Thread Rewards]

[Shield]

5 SP

4 T2 Mats

2750 col

Mothra Statue

 

[Beat]

5 SP

5 T2 Mat

2750 col

Mothra Statue

 

 

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