[SP-F8] Shadow of The Pines <<Monkey King>>

[Jomei 0]

<<Quest Details>>

Spoiler

Floor 8
<<Monkey King>>
Party Limit: 3 | 20+ Posts
Repeatable for standard thread rewards and <<Monkey Agility>>
 

Quest Rewards:

• 1000 Experience Points
• Each player receives:
  • Monkey Agility (Uncommon Consumable [potion])
    • A strange potion that boosts the user's Evasion by 1. Lasts for one thread.
• POTENTIAL REWARD | If Sewallus accompanies the party and survives
  • Unlock <<TECH-D>> collected sword art.

Requirements:

• Roleplay speaking with Remington.
• Roleplay speaking with Sewallus.
• Accept or reject Sewallus' offer to join the party for the quest.
• Defeat the Monkey King.

Summary:

For years, the residents of Florenthia Village have feared a legendary creature that skulks about the forest below. Dubbed the Monkey King, this monster has claimed the forest as its own, its territory stretching far and wide. It is rumored to be utterly gigantic, with glowing scarlet eyes and intimidating musculature. Its menacing appearance isn't just for show - the Monkey King is capable of striking with such force and tenacity that the denizens of the floor built their homes into the canopy of the forest, lest it find their camp and decimate it in a furious rage.

When the citizens of Florenthia caught wind that powerful travelers had their made way into the eighth floor, they reached out for help. Though they imagined even the most powerful of warriors would succumb to the likes of the Monkey King, their desperation forced them to swallow back their morals and ask the unthinkable; go out and risk death to bring about peace for our people. Will you accept the challenge and put your longevity at stake for the NPCs of Florenthia?

Outline: 

NPCs:

 

<<Remington>>

Remington is the zoologist of Florenthia, tasked with studying and categorizing the seemingly endless fauna that populates the eighth floor. While Remington is sarcastic and will usually act as though the Player is wasting his time, he is actually quite talkative and enjoys the rare company. He is a habitual smoker, and will puff away regardless of whoever it may annoy. He is intelligent, but has taken this to mean he is always the smartest person in the room.

He will explain to the character his encounter with the Monkey King alongside Sewallus, and his observations of the oversized ape as they fled. The Monkey King's behaviors can be best described as ape-like and overly aggressive. When it has a target in its sights, it will not relent under any circumstances, and will let nothing stand in its way.

If asked how strong or fast the Monkey King was, Remington will always reply with, "All I know is no matter how far or fast we ran, it was never enough. There are now craters instead of trees where we were attacked, and rivers instead of forest where it moved."

Remington will make it abundantly clear to the players that he refuses to leave the village while the beast still lives, which has put his very important research on hold. He urges the players to discover the Monkey King's weakness - or better yet, put it to an end. Only then will the citizens of Florenthia know peace, and he will be able to return to his passion.

When his dialogue has been exhausted, Remington will direct the players to Sewallus for more information.

 

---

Allies:

<<Sewallus>>

Sewallus is charged with the duty of acting as the leader of Florenthia's Guard. Though not rude in his speech or mannerisms, he is not overly friendly, and will always stick to the point. A man of few words, he'd rather save his breath for combat than waste it chattering away with the citizens or players. He wields a two-handed battle axe as his weapon, and those with a high aptitude for speech and clever dialogue navigation will prompt Sewallus to reveal that he was a lumberjack before being convinced to join the Guard. His pride and sense of responsibility won't allow him to say so, but he secretly wishes he could return to those simpler times.

If the players asks Sewallus how he and Remington escaped from the Monkey King, he will reply with, "It is difficult to say. It was not by the grace of our fleet feet, that much is certain. The beast either became distracted, or was otherwise disrupted in some way." He will leave it at that, offering no more details.

Sewallus will offer to aid the players in their hunt for the Monkey King, expressing shame for having fled originally, and a desire to extract revenge from the creature. The Player(s) may either accept or deny adding Sewallus to their party. If they choose to accept, Sewallus will not engage in combat with any mobs aside from the Monkey King, and will use Florenthian Howl as a post action for his first turn. He will attack any turns he is not using Florenthian Howl. Should he become stunned at any point, he will resume his order with the action that would have occurred on his stunned turn.

HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1

Abilities:

• Florenthian Howl | Grants Sewallus +5 Hate against the Monkey King. Requires a Post Action. Sewallus will use this ability on his first turn, and every second post thereafter.
• Shatter | Upon a successful attack, reduce target's Mitigation by 15 before damage is calculated. This effect can stack up to three times. Shatter from outside sources will not increase the stack count, but will refresh the duration. Effect lasts three turns.

 

 

 

---

Enemies:

<<Monkey King>>
Players don't find the Monkey King - the Monkey King finds them. It is aggressively protective of its domain, and will ferociously hunt down any entities that trespass within its territory. Once it has its prey in its sights, it will stop at virtually nothing in its pursuit to annihilate them. So fearful of this creature are the residents of the eighth floor that not even mobs are willing to exist in any locale in which the Monkey King claims ownership. Wild and animalistic, this boss seems to go full offensive with wild abandon.

HP: 650/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2

Abilities:

• If a Tree Falls | On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will pick up a large tree and throw it at the party.  This replaces the Monkey King's normal attack, automatically dealing 120 unmitigatable damage and inflicting stun to each target.
   

 

Isolation. Fear. A fight for ones own very life. 

Feelings the man knew all too well when we had been pulled from his normal life and tossed into solitude. For what reason? Simply revenge and revenge alone. A group made up of evil, cunning personas and murderers attempting to do nothing more than turn a huge profit, exploiting the crafting abilities of players who focused only on their art and not combat. A group that was turned on its head by Jomei and Lowenthal when the slavers had decided to kidnap two friends near and dear to them. He had hoped that, after breaking free from their clutches, they would lose moral and break apart. Listening to the tale of pleading for help, through sobs and shaky breaths, he began to form an inkling that this may not have been the case after all. Jomei knew those feelings all too well, and now even more were going through what he had gone through. This time he knew, enough was enough. 

 

  (170)

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 62 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 880/880 HP | 126/126 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 48 | HLY BLS 19 | BLD 48 | FLN 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Nihilim's Wrath  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

[Jomei 0]

The Eighth floor was one not frequented very often by Jomei, though that could be said about many lands within the mysterious layers of Aincrad. Seeing the beauty that the Treant and Elvish people had managed to create, both alongside and separately in various parts of the floor, he wondered why he did not visit more often. Jomei had come to this floor in search of a possible new plot to put down his roots, at least wherever a towering tree had not already done just that. But what was once a visit out of pleasure and hopes for a possible new place to call home quickly became business.. possibly more personable business than he would have expected. 

What could have been mistaken for a town crier, an NPC blurting out the same lines over and over requesting help, hoping some players would accept their quest and find a solution to this plight, instead was human. More emotion, more meaning to their pleading for help. Their story did not fall upon deaf ears, no instead it fell on players fearing the consequences of stepping up to the task. Jomei, the curious sport that he was, took the bait and walked up to the man, who nearly crumpled into his arms as he told Jomei about the disappearance of his friend. 

 

220

[Jomei 0]

"Alright, I want to help but.. I can't really understand what you're saying. Lets go sit somewhere so you can calm down a bit, and then we can start over." Jomei would place a gentle hand on the man's shoulder to reassure him that everything would be alright. Get the man some water, get Jomei something stronger; that was the plan. A nearby café, built up next to the river that ran through the town, providing some calming, tableside scenery for any that chose to dine outdoors. 

Jomei's eyes remained on the man as he caught his breath, composing himself so he can retell what happened with this missing friend of his. The glass of a dark, amber liquid felt cool to the touch as the ginger gently wrapped his fingers around the cup and brought it to his lips. The quiet murmurs of various conversation around them became white noise, paired along with the trickling of the brook just a few meters from where they sat.

"Okay, so start from the beginning. What happened?"

The fellow player began to explain again, slowly as to not get himself worked up again. A woman he was starting to see, Naru, was scouting out information on The Monkey King, a quest boss on this floor, so the two of them could find a way to easily take down the beast. The player had planned to meet Naru after she spoke with the quest given, and scoped out the forest where the boss usually spawns. However, that was when all contact with her had ceased, and the mystery began. 

266

[Jomei 0]

There really wasn't much evidence to go on to tell what exactly happened to her, so the most logical question came to mind first.
"Are you sure she didn't.. you know.."

The player was quick to dismiss Jomei, spawning his menus so he could double check, for probably the fourth time today, that her name was still present on his friends list. They mentioned that they had even taken a trip to the Black Iron Palace on the first floor to check the Monument of Life, coming to the same result that her name was not amongst the dead. The only other thing that Jomei could think, before considering any foul play at hand, was that she had possibly used this as an excuse to just up and leave the man. Let him think that she was defeated by the beast, without realizing the downfall of her plan.

Very sure of himself still, the man explained that the two had a budding relationship and that everything seemed fine between them. His tone of voice suggested that he was offended Jomei would even consider that a possibility. Of course, Jomei believed the man, and dismissed that thought himself. 

If she wasn't responding to messages, and she still appeared to be alive, then where could she have gone?

216

 

[Jomei 0]

A chill made its way down Jomei's spine, like a jolt of electricity that hit him in the nape of the neck. The digital heart in his chest pounded as he began to narrow down on a possibility.. a far fetched one.. but possibly not as far fetched as he wanted to believe. Nearly sending his beer toppling over, the ginger placed both of his fists on the table and looked across at the player, teeth clenching together as hard as the expression plastered on his face. 

"Was Naru a crafter? Did she have a shop?"

Confused, the man answered. Naru was a tailor, with a rather popular store on the seventh floor that specialized in cloth armors. 

A shaky breath escaped from the opening in Jomei's parted lips. 

"It may just be a hunch.. but I might know what happened to her." the life seemingly drained from the ginger as he lazily stared forward, all the tension in his body releasing and causing his shoulders to slouch. "I'm going to go investigate.. see if I can't find anything that'll confirm my suspicions. Don't go looking for her. This is a group of people you'd rather not get on the bad side of... I'm already on their shit list, so this would just be me reminding them I'm still alive."

Grabbing his beer, Jomei would down it the drink as he rose to his feet, wiping any excess that trickled down the corner of his mouth. "You say she was scouting out The Monkey King? Hm.. Guess I'm going questing." 

260

[Jomei 0]

If Naru's last whereabouts were somewhere between meeting the NPC that would provide the quest and the quest boss' lair itself, then the best option would be for him to just take the quest. Sometimes the quest giver would take the players on a road less traveled, or even through passageways normally not accessible without following them. That, and if he had to take on the giant ape while trying to search for clues around its lair... he figured he might as well get the experience for it. Just because he was performing a selfless act of searching for this lost player, didn't mean he couldn't get a bit of extra EXP for himself in the process. 

Asking around town, the locals pointed Jomei in the direction of Remington, a zoologist who was studying the behaviors of The Monkey King when they were attacked. Remington was set up just at the edge of town, conglomeration of different sized tents made of leather and canvas, that housed equipment, books, and sleeping quarters. 

Nearing the camp, the ginger caught a heavy whiff of tobacco smoke caught up in the breeze that traveled in his direction. Dismissing the smog with a wave of his hand, Jomei continued forward to where he found the zoologist sitting at a lantern lit desk, pouring over a book with a cigarette in his mouth. 

227

[Jomei 0]

"I take it your Remington?" Jomei asked as he stepped into the main tent, ducking as to not hit his head on the canvas flaps. 

"All depends on who's asking." the white haired man said in response, not bothering to turn and face the visitor. Another cloud of smoke rose from in front of their obscured face, taking to the wind and slowly dissipating.. the strong smell lingering much longer 

"Jomei, I hear you're the one I need to talk to regarding The Monkey King."

The sigh that came from Remington was heard loud and clear, and the silence that followed revealed his frustration with the oversized ape. Finally spinning in his stool to face the ginger, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, he looked Jomei up and down. "There's not too much talking to be done, other than how The Monkey King is a menace to Florenthia, and my job."

Cocking a brow, Jomei looked at Remington as they took another drag from their cigarette, "I've tangled with The Monkey King once before.. so I don't need all of the information. If you could just point me in the right direction, I'll take care of it."

Remington's expression revealed he was a bit surprised to hear that the ginger had fought against The Monkey King before.. though they could only assume it was a failed fight, since the King still terrorized their surroundings. "Straight to the chase I see, and here I was looking for a break from my research to indulge in conversation.. Speak with Seawallus, captain of the guard in Florenthia. He can help you track the beast down." 

272

[Jomei 0]

Of course, in the usual quest fashion, as Remington told Jomei about where to go next, the prompt for him to accept the quest popped up in front of him. With movements almost like instinct, Jomei brought a hand up to tap on the accept button, without pulling his eyes from Remington. He offered a determined nod before turning towards the opening to the tent once more, leaving the zoologist to their work.

Back out into the open Florenthia air again, and away from the cigarette smoke that clung to the canvas-laced tent, Jomei began his search for the captain of the guard. A few curious questions to some of the other guards posted about the settlement, and the ginger learned that he was currently on patrol. Jomei awaited nearby for Sewallus and two guards following at each flank to pass by. 

"What is your business?" The captain asked as the three came to a halt, Jomei stepping up before the guard. 

"Remington sent me to talk to you about The Monkey King." The ginger said as he crossed his arms, looking straight ahead at the guard that matched his height. Looking over each shoulder, Sewallus would signal for the two guards to continue the patrol without him. Their armor clanking as they stepped by Jomei, they proceeded to walk the perimeter of the settlement. 

"You wish to hunt The Monkey King? Allow me to join you. I can show you the way, and I'd like another opportunity to see that beast fall."

253

[Jomei 0]

It was not very often that an NPC would ask to accompany a player on a quest, especially one tasked with guarding the city. The forest was large, and dark, it would most likely take him twice as long to hunt down the ape if he were to do it on his own. This added an extra layer to the quest he wasn't sure he wanted to worry about, but the thought of being able to freely search for any clues regarding Naru's whereabouts as Sewallus carved the path for him outweighed any of the cons. 

Jomei accepted the guard's offer with a nod, "Alright. Thank you, I could use the help." 

"Alright, come this way. I'll guide you to The Monkey King's last known location."

Sewallus turned their attention outwards towards the forest, and Jomei followed behind. While the NPC followed his path to where the ape king lied in wait, Jomei would be free to do a quick search of his surroundings for anything that could possibly hint towards Naru's disappearance. He didn't want to put a thought to it.. but it seemed highly likely that this was the same group that had taken Piera and Lee.. and then Jomei himself not long after. Swallowing hard, the ginger followed after Sewallus.

213

[Jomei 0]

The trek through the dark forest was quiet, save for the occasional woodland animal's call, or a breeze rustling the leaves high above them. If The Monkey King was, in fact, nearby, they were able to keep themselves fairly silent for such a large beast. Jomei's attention, however, was not on the impending threat of the big ape, but on anything that could hint towards Naru's disappearance. Emerald eyes slowly scanned the brush for anything. Signs of a struggle may be tough to come by, since most trees and rocks were considered immortal objects, and weapons did not marks on them for long. Even any gashes left within the dirt would eventually disappear, leaving the earth as it was before being disturbed. No, instead Jomei's only hope was to find something left behind.. either by Naru, or her kidnappers. 

It was a stretch, of course. Some items were easily returned to a players inventory if dropped, at least, if the player remembered to retrieve it. Other than that, items like crystals or potions usually shattered when used and dropped.. not like a potion could really help him at this point. Pulling his lower lip in between his teeth, he gently bit down, praying that taking on this important task wasn't a completely lost cause. At least, if all else failed, he could return to the Fourth Floor to where their base of operations had been set up. 

237

[Jomei 0]

A spot of burgundy caught the ginger's attention, just off the beaten path. Gently billowing in the breeze, a dagger pinned a deep red cloak to the bark of a tree. "Gotcha" he said to himself as he began to push towards the hanging fabric, carefully stepping over fallen twigs and bushes. In the end, it was not Jomei's silent creeping that needed to be worried about. No, it was Sewallus, ready for revenge. 

"Show yourself Monkey King! I have returned to exact my revenge! No longer will you torment the people of Florenthia!"

With battle axe readied, Sewallus took a battle stance, readying himself for the ape's arrival. Jomei with wide eyes rushed over to the guard, "What the hell are you doing?! I thought we were tracking the Monkey King!"

Before any response could be delivered, the ground shattering footsteps of the boss could be heard. One... two... and then rushed as it took to a quadrupedal charge in their direction. Against the dark canvas of the forest, it was nearly impossible to spot the beast, save for two, burning embers for eyes that got larger and larger as the pounding of earth became louder. Its fists, each as large as a Florenthian homestead, gripped onto two tree trunks like swords, ripping them from the ground and tossing them to the side with ease. Its lowered head glared at the two before letting out an ear piercing roar, exhaling a hot, gale wind breath that caused Jomei's hair and coat to whip behind him. "Oh man.. you're a lot bigger than the last time we met." Jomei said, shocked as he gazed up at the massive beast. "To arms!" Sewallus shouted again

284

[Jomei 0]

"Once before I ran in fear of you, but not anymore! Fight me! I will stand tall for my people!" 

Sewallus shouted in The Monkey King's face, holding his axe up high for the ape to see. The burning, red eyes shifted to look at the man, nothing but a nuisance from its oversized perspective. Rising up onto its hind legs, the Monkey King would pound its fists into its chest, one after another. Each impact like an explosion, causing the very ground they stood on the rumble and quake. With rage filled eyes and razor sharp teeth, the monstrosity grabbed another tree, tearing the wooden giant from the ground and rearing it back, preparing to toss it at Jomei and Sewallus. 

Green eyes went wide, anticipating the devastating attack. Ripping Nihilim's Wrath out of its scabbard, Jomei utilized his charge skill to clear the distance between himself and the Monkey King before they could follow through with tossing the tree at them. The tip of Jomei's rapier collided with the ape, giving off a similar boom to the Monkey King's pounding, a golden shockwave expanding out at the point of impact. "Adere! Get him while he's stunned!" Jomei shouted at seemingly nothing, until his familiar shot from the trees above, clawing and pecking at an eyeball just as large as she was. 

"Probably best you stop trying to get its attention!" Jomei would shout to the NPC paired with him, "I'd rather not see you get taken out by one of those trees!" 

254

Sewallus uses Florenthian Howl
ID 205438 | BD 4(+4)(-1) | MD 9  Stunned
Tech-A + Charge = 23 +5 x 16 = 448(-60) = 388 + 28 REND
14 EN  + 12 EN (- Rested 1/2) = -20 EN

(2) Jomei: 880/880 HP | 106/126 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 48 | HLY BLS 19 | BLD 48 | FLN 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. | REND 28
(5) Sewallus: HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 | Florenthian Howl (+5 Hate every other turn) | Shatter -15 Mit 

The Monkey King: HP: 234/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | REND 1/2
If a Tree Falls | On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will pick up a large tree and throw it at the party.  This replaces the Monkey King's normal attack, automatically dealing 120 unmitigatable damage and inflicting stun to each target.

[Jomei 0]

"Hah! So you can hold your own after all!" Sewallus called over to the ginger after landing an attack, ignoring the request Jomei made about not using howl to draw the ape's attention. "Now its my turn, hyaa!" As the NPC's axe connected with The Monkey King, it gave off the image of a glass wall cracking. A small icon under the boss' health indicated a status effect, <<Shatter>>, which knocked down The Monkey King's mitigation a bit. 

Jomei chuckled, "Hey, that's a pretty neat trick. Should make taking them down a lot easier." 

As the ginger prepared a sword art, which he calculated should easily wipe the board of whatever health remained on the boss, Sewallus shouted out, "Don't underestimate our enemy! I've seen this thing wipe out a score of fellow soldiers!" 

Jomei was already on the move, leaping over the thick, fallen branches in his path. Using a large rock as a spring board, he launched himself into the air, his rapier pulled back and at the ready. Now face to face with the king of the jungle, Jomei's blade plunged forward with a powerful attack, digging deep into the thick forehead of the beast. The Monkey King let out a shrill cry of pain that caused Jomei's entire world to shake and tremble, before a large eruption of glass like shards shot out in every direction from where the King once stood. 

236

Sewallus: ID 205447 | BD 8
75 (-45) = 30 DMG

ID 205449 | BD 5(+4)| MD 3
CD 9 on previous roll 
ST-B: 23 x 20 = 460(-45) 415
20 EN - 2 Rested = -18 EN

Jomei: 880/880 HP | 92/126 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 48 | HLY BLS 19 | BLD 48 | FLN 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. | REND 28
Sewallus: HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 | Florenthian Howl (+5 Hate every other turn) | Shatter -15 Mit 

The Monkey King: HP: 0/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 45(60) | ACC: 2 | REND 2/2 | Shatter 1/3
If a Tree Falls | On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will pick up a large tree and throw it at the party.  This replaces the Monkey King's normal attack, automatically dealing 120 unmitigatable damage and inflicting stun to each target.

[Jomei 0]

With nothing to keep the emerald duelist suspended in the air anymore, his body began to plummet. A small flip of his body an he hit the ground with a three point landing, letting out a huff of air as he made impact. A shower of data fragments littered the ground around him as they slowly drifted like a calm snowfall, immediately vanishing into the earth and not lingering long. 

As he rose to a full standing position, a panel appeared in front of him, congratulating him on completion of the quest, and offering any rewards associated with it. A heavy clasp on his shoulder, and he saw Sewallus now standing beside him, helmet removed and huddled in the crook of his opposite arm, and a thankful smile plastered on his face. "You've done Florenthia a great service, adventurer. On behalf of the entire village, I thank you. As a token of my gratitude, allow me to show you a technique that's been passed down through my family. It can help you break through the pesky armor of your enemies."

The lesson was short, very short. Sewallus performed a couple of generic swipes with his axe, and another panel prompted Jomei to accept the unlocking of an additional sword art, this one with that same <<Shatter>> effect attached to it. "Thank you, Sewallus. Happy to have helped." 

227

[Jomei 0]

With the quest completed, The Monkey King out of the way, and Sewallus on their trip back to the safety of Florenthia proper, that left Jomei to be able to investigate the mysterious, hanging cloak without any interruptions. The tree that had the fabric pinned to it was knocked over by the giant ape during the battle, but luckily enough was close enough for him to find. Lowering himself to sit on the broken bark, he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the dagger and shimmied it free. The weapon appeared custom made, with an orange tint to the sharp edge of the blade and red wrapping around the handle. He hummed curiously as he set it aside, reaching down once again to retrieve the cloak he saw drifting in the wind. The color was recognizable, the image of it quite clear against the dull, stone walls of the castle. A scowl formed on the ginger's face as he turned the cloak over, revealing an embroidered symbol on the collar; a circle with four triangles, reminiscent of a four pointed star.

A free hand ran through his hair, his lips pursing together in frustration before he let out a heavy sigh. Gaze turned upwards towards the canopy of branches coated in pine needles high above him, he sat there in silence for a moment. Placing the cloak into his inventory, and the dagger into his belt, he made the slow walk back towards the village. 

246

[Jomei 0]

The name of the other player who requested his help never came up, they were too busy talking over the details of Naru. So Jomei figured it might be near impossible that he would easily run into the man again. Keeping a keen lookout as he patrolled the village, looking into every group of players standing around or passing by, he found the player in the place he least expected.. but should have looked first; right where he left him. Now with a beverage akin to what Jomei had partaken in earlier sitting in front of them, mostly untouched, and their face buried in their arms. With a silent sigh, Jomei entered the cafe once more, and joined the player at the table. 

"O-Oh you're back. Did you find anything?" they shot up once they felt the presence of another join them. 

"I did, yeah.. Do you recognize this dagger?" taking the knife out from his belt, he would twirl the weapon between his fingers and gently place it on the table between the two. The other player did not need to look at the weapon for long, before their face dropped. They revealed that they were the ones that crafted this dagger, and that he had made it as a gift for Naru specifically. 

"I found it jammed into a tree, pinning down a cloak." With a swipe of his hand, he drew open his inventory and the burgundy fabric materialized into his hands. "This wasn't hers, I hope." 

250

[Jomei 0]

It took the player a bit longer to look at the cloak to see if he identified it or not. When he saw the symbol, however, he dismissed it as never seeing it. Definitely wasn't Naru's, he said, and he'd never seen that symbol in his life. 

That was a relief on one hand, that Jomei didn't have to reveal to the poor player that the girl he was sweet for was part of a player-enslaving guild. On the other hand though, that meant that she was now in their clutches. "I may have a better idea of where she is now.. but you're not going to like it." Jomei said, emerald eyes filled with compassion as his brows pinched together. 

The ginger went into a vague explanation of the group, and what he knew about them. How they would kidnap players and use their crafting abilities to turn a profit, that they had an old castle repurposed on the fourth floor, deep in the middle of an ever raging blizzard, and how some would not shy away from killing a player if needed. 

"Do not go after them." Jomei demanded, his tone as serious as the expression they wore. "I shouldn't have told you where they were set up... but I've dealt with them before. They aren't friendly. And you could get yourself killed. It's been a long time since I've had a run in with them.. and last time their numbers were a bit smaller. But they could have grown two or three times as large now. Do you really think you could take on that many players on your own?" Jomei rose to his feet, meeting the glaring gaze of the other player. "Do you think you'd have it in you to strike down another player? Take their life if need be?"

305

[Jomei 0]

It took a few moments, but eventually the other player plopped back down into their chair limply. Their eyes fixated on the center of the table, nothing in particular. Most likely mulling over the loss of Naru, and what he could further lose if he tried to get her back himself. Jomei remained standing for a few seconds after before joining him, sitting down once more. "I'm not telling you to stay out of it so I could claim all the glory.. I'm not in it for that. I just know what its like to live with that weight on your shoulders... killing another player. Even if they're in the wrong.. even if you're just defending yourself. Its still a life. Another human being that isn't going to get up out of that bed when we clear the 100th floor. They just made the wrong choices is all. That could have been you, or me, even Naru." Another heavy sigh escaped Jomei as his eyes clamped shut, shaking his head from side to side. 

Swiping a hand upwards, Jomei would send the man a friend request. "Keep me updated, okay? I doubt they would kill her unless she tried anything foolish. And without her trusty dagger, I doubt she will." he smirked, trying to add a bit of light to a dire situation. "I'll do the same. I want to gather some more information first.. see if I can't reach out to get a few helping hands. But I'll help you get her back, I promise. Her and anyone else they're using for their sick game. This time, we won't give them the chance to rebuild." 

276

[Jomei 0]

Yoriro was his name. A good name for a good kid who cared deeply for those important to him. Lips curled into a soft smile as the friend request was accepted, and the unknown name added itself to the small list of people Jomei could currently count on. Despite this friendship being mostly for business reasons, it was still nice to see another player on there. "You take care of yourself, Yoriro.. And don't worry, she'll be okay."

Jomei could only hope that was true. This group he fought against.. that was months ago, possibly years? He could never keep count. Sometimes it felt like the days were going by faster while they were in here.. but after this long, his body just got used to it. But in that amount of time, anyone could change, including this guild. He still didn't have a name for them, either official or unofficial for him to refer them by. Player-Slavers was the only thing that really came to mind, and he supposed it would fit for the time being. That title did not sit well on his tongue, and left his stomach churning at the mere mention of it. What was most important was that he find a way to take them down, hopefully without bloodshed... though that was a far fetched hope. Sadly, deep down, he knew that at the end of this all, there would be a few more names added to the Monument of Life with Jomei's name etched under them. A constant reminder that the ginger had slain them, with a reason unknown to most. 

He knew that he would do what was necessary, so it wasn't his name engraved into the monument instead.

286

[Jomei 0]

Stepped from the river side cafe, Jomei made his way back through the town of Florenthia to the teleporter that would take him back to his current home on the eleventh floor. He would slowly walk the streets of Taft, his coat tails trailing behind him with every step, his eyes glued on the path before him. The composure he barely clung to almost held out as he neared the front door to his house, but that string snapped just moments before. Stumbling forward, Jomei met his front door with a thud, both of his fists colliding with the wooden entrance. His knuckles turning white as his fingernails curled tighter into his palms, almost enough to take a point of damage. Rolling to the side, he would press his back into the wall beside the door frame, and slowly lower himself down until he was sitting on the floor. Hands met his face, masking his expression as he took deep breaths into his palms. Fingers pushed through his hair, lifting the bangs from his face, which he held above his head as he stared forward into the cracks of the cobblestone roads. He couldn't believe he had to deal with this again.

"Fuck me." he said to himself under his breath

211
 

 

Thread Complete
4909 Total Words
4909 / 30 = 163 * 5 = 815

Jomei:
 9150 EXP | 8150 (Thread)  + 1000 (Quest)
1772 Col | 400 (1 Page) + 1372 (Paragon)
Monkey Agility (Uncommon Consumable [potion]: A strange potion that boosts the user's Evasion by 1. Lasts for one thread.
Unlocked <<TECH-D>>