[PP-F9] Of Raging Fires <<Gatekeeper of Fire>>

[Vigilon 0]

            Vigilon had been needing to get to this. He'd slain a weaker Cerberus before, but would he be able to manage it this time? It was around his tier, so if there's anything he knew, this thing couldn't possibly be a pushover of any kind, and it would likely be difficult, if not impossible, to take down on his own. He needed that material it dropped, so he could use it to restore his weapon to what it apparently once was. Something had sealed it's Burn enhancement away, and it could only be restored by fusing it with a weapon containing burn. Just any straight sword with burn on it would do, but to guarantee it instead of grinding for months, he was gonna need that material... 

       Why is it that some things require more than expected to get the full potential out of? There had to be a reason. But for now, he had a dangerous monster to slay, but he didn't know if he could do it alone. Standing in the settlement known as Knorlit Village, he looked to his left, then to his right.

    There had to be a player here somewhere, hopefully one that was strong enough to help him out.

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Main Stats:

 

Level: 32
Paragon Level: 25(paragon stat bonus totals: +100 HP, +10 EN)

Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread.
Lv. 10 | +1 LD to loot and chest rolls

 

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 780(Base[740], Resolve[40])
Energy: 112(Base[92], Energist[20])
Base Damage: 23(SS R5[7], Combat Mastery: DMG[12], SS Ferocity[2], Meticulous[1])
Mitigation: 78(Silver Night[+48], Light Armor R5[+30])
Accuracy: 2(SS Precision, Dragon's Eye)
Evasion: 2(Silver Night, Dragon's Eye)
Loot Die: 6(Searching R5[+5], Dragon's Eye[+1])
T4 Blight: Inflicts Blight on BD 9-10
Fallen Damage: +16 DMG on BD 6-8

Additional conditions:
-2 on all stealth rolls(Light Armor Rank 5)

 

Equipment:

[T4]Kyrkuran(2 Fallen, 1 Blight)[Equipped]

[T4]Silver Night(2 MIT, 1 EVA)[Equipped]

[T1]Dragon's Eye(1 ACC, 1 EVA, 1 LD)[Equipped]

 

[T4]Oathkeeper.

Spoiler

oathkeeper.
FLN II, HLY II (16)

[#207461] | TIER 4 DEMONIC STRAIGHT SWORD | [state]: crafted
| —the wash of starlight, the old paradox.
| it's you. i swear i'd find you in the dark.

 

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

 

Skills:

Straight Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Light Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Searching Rank 5(30 SP)

Extended Mod Limit(10 SP)

Charge(10 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

Combat Mastery: Damage Rank 3(13 SP)

Familiar Mastery: Rending(10 SP)

Survival

Meditation

 

Mods:

Meticulous(4 SP)

Night Vision(3 SP)

Detect(4 SP)

 

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

 

Addons:

Resolve(6 SP)

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

SS Precision(2 SP)

SS Stamina(4 SP)

 

[Dazia 0]

Midnight. Blade. Earthen Sun.

         This lead was starting to become more trouble than it was worth. First there was the Cerberus Lead, then there was that cryptic set of words that must have been left behind by a player, found shortly after assassinating Cerberus. "Midnight. Blade. Earthen Sun. 16." This brought Dazia over to floor sixteen, where she played stowaway in a quest in search of the words' meaning, obtaining a possible location, the Obsidian Cove, located elsewhere on said floor. Then there was reaching and investigating the Obsidian Cove itself, only to be blocked by a gate.

            Those code words turned out to be referring to a bunch of damn keys.

     Would Dazia ever manage to find this "Shrike" of the Sky Swords Guild? What was he even doing? The Obsidian Cove, or whatever the hell was behind that stupid gate, had better lead directly to him.

        But until then, she needed to find those keys. After exchanging with an informant, she was able to get some rumors about the keys themselves. They could be found in different floors, it didn't have to be floor sixteen. As for the Earthen Sun Key, it was a rare drop, found only as a rare drop from powerful enemies in volcanic environments, probably major enemies, quest monsters and field bosses. The stronger the monster, the more likely it was to drop a key, so assassinating lesser Cerberus over and over wasn't an option. Killing the stronger one she'd recently heard of, that one might work. Being a stronger monster, it would have a higher chance to drop the Earthen Sun Key than the lesser.

      Here, back at Knorlit Village again, and who does she find just standing there in the middle of it all? Vigilon. Again.
   It wasn't like he was expecting her, though. So as long as Princess wasn't with him, she should be fine. She walked up to him, her cowl hiding her neutral expression. "I wasn't thinking I'd see you here again." She began.  "Is there anything interesting on this floor I don't already know? My search is coming up with complications." She added, her arms crossed with irritation. "You better have something good, though I won't blame you if you don't." She thought. She knew he wasn't expecting her, so she wasn't going to get her hopes up or act like it was his fault he didn't have anything for her.

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 32

Paragon: 10(Paragon stat changes: +40 HP, + 4 EN)

Paragon Level 5 - Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread)

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 680
EN: 86
DMG: 23(SS R5[7], Combat mastery: DMG[12], Athletics[1], SS Ferocity[2])
MIT: 44(Cloth Armor R5[20], Raven Shade[24])
ACC: 3(Shadow Fury[1], Soaring Shadow[2])
EVA: 4(Raven Shade[2], Soaring Shadow[1], Nimble[1])
LD: 1(Nimble)
Fallen: +8 DMG on nat BD 6-8

 

Additional Factors:

+5 LD on Stealth rolls(Hiding R5)

 

 

Equipment:

[T4] Shadow Fury(Fallen, ACC)

[T4] Raven Shade(1 MIT, 2 EVA)

[T1] Soaring Shadow(2 ACC, 1 EVA)

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

Skills:

Straight Sword R5(30 SP)

Cloth Armor R5(30 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

Extended Mod Limit(10 SP)

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

Hiding(30 SP)

Meditation

Survival

 

 

Mods:

Athletics(4 SP)

Untraceable(4 SP)

Blindside(4 SP)

Vanish(6 SP)

Surprise Attack: Assassin(6 SP)

 

 

Addons:

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

Nimble(6 SP)

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Dazia

[NIGHT 0]

<<gatekeeper of fire.>>

okay. easy does it. she was back on the ninth.

night hated the ninth floor. nothing good ever came out of it. and still, time and time again she would find herself trying to brave its obstacles, just so she could feel a little more than general unease and nervousness when she was on its soil. she was wandering, simply, until she remembered the route she was taking was somewhere down towards cerberus' lair.

or, at least, the stop before it – knorlit village.

it was surprising to encounter players present, but more so that one someone was trying to hunt down. kind of like those wanted posters she'd joked about having, if the ganker had wanted to serve a witch hunt against them for the consumable they demanded from the phoenix fight. maybe it was solidarity, camaraderie, or simply just trying to find familiarity in this hostile environment.

all night found herself doing was approaching dazia, talking to some other player she couldn't quite remember having seen, overhearing her conversation with him.

or... not conversation. it sounded as though dazia was grilling him for intel. one-sided. night but waved to grab her attention. hands in her pocket, her mind made up on the spot for cerberus as her target, at the very least, to let off some steam. 

"so is this with regards to that cove of yours?"

---

NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | AA | FLN: 16 | VAMP-O | Stealth Rating: 6 Spoiler notes. for party consumption:  Smores (2) | EVASION II  Yaki Hatahata | T4 | (2) | MITIGATION III Crème Brûlée (2) | ACCURACY II  Beef Stew (2) | OVERHEALTH III  Breakfast Fry (2) | PROTEIN II  Liquor of Light (2) | DAMAGE III Spoiler equipment: adjudicator. ABS ACC, VAMP-O, FLN II signet. ACC III, EVA regards. EVA II, HB II battle-ready inventory: Teleport Crystal (3) Imugi's Inspiration (5) | MASS HP RECOVERY Imugi's Inspiration (5) | MASS HP RECOVERY skills. Spoiler mod count: 6/7 2HSS | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 emergency recovery ENERGIST QUICK CHANGE SCOUTING FAMILIAR CHARGE EXTENDED MOD LIMIT extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs. Spoiler statue BIALAS | +TAUNT consumables  Smores (1) | EVASION II  Crème Brûlée (1) | ACCURACY II  Breakfast Fry (1) | PROTEIN III filling.  Liquor of Light (1) | DAMAGE III  Beef Stew (1) | OVERHEALTH III paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts. Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-F | x8 | AOE STUN  TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by NIGHT

[Vigilon 0]

              Vigilon couldn't tell what his luck was. Was this gonna be good, or bad? He'd had a few escapades with Dazia, some willingly, some conveniently over a common goal or point of interest. They never went entirely as planned, of course, so he wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to come to him for something.

        And yet, for some reason, here she was, walking up to Vigilon, asking him questions if he knew something of interest in regards to this floor that she didn't already know. Vigilon would shrug. "Well, unless this floor's field boss, or the stronger Cerberus I'm actually considering hunting down, is something you don't already know, then uh, nope, nothing."  He answered. "How's your lead going, by the way? Ever since you found those hard to notice, player made etchings in the cavern walls, I haven't seen you around for a long while." He added.

      Another player would approach, and ask Dazia about some cove. If this was connected to her search, it would make sense. Dazia didn't seem like one for beaches anyway, she would only ever show up to social events hoping to find either someone like herself, or a possible ally...but who could possibly be anything but the latter in this case? Vigilon would wait for this next interaction to finish, for if there was enough common interest, that would already be three for hunting down Cerberus, which might be enough if this unfamiliar player was tier four like Vigilon and Dazia were. All he needed now was an incentive to make a request.

[Dazia 0]

       A restrained sigh came out of Dazia upon hearing Vigilon's answer. She wasn't mad at him, just disappointed. It could just be towards this floor only, but she was really hoping that he'd improved in the aspects of information...and intelligence. Vigilon asked Dazia how her lead was going, to which she began with a glare from under her cowl. He wasn't mocking her or anything, but the search was becoming a bit sore. "It's...not going as well as I'd hoped. it's starting to look more like a goose chase than a shrike search." She responded, the irritation clear in her voice.

               The moment she looked to the side, originally out of frustration, she noticed a familiar face waving over to her. Then came a question. "...Yes. The Obsidian Cove exists, but only the shoreline is accessible at the moment, the area proper is blocked off by a damn gate." She revealed. "I need to fight strong monsters in a volcanic environment if I hope to get the Earthen Sun key, as it's apparently a rare drop from monsters of said environment, though the chances of it dropping are better the stronger the monster in question is." She explained. "Lesser Cerberus won't do in this case, so something else..." She continued, before looking back to Vigilon. "Such as a greater Cerberus, might have better chances at dropping the damn thing." 

     She looked to a different direction, spotting a familiar but unwelcome sight to Dazia's gaze. Set upon a pole, was a poster containing a remarkably accurate drawing of Dazia, along with...

Wanted: Dazia
Guilty of four unjust Player Kills, two within duels, two outside of duels
Extremely dangerous, contact any one of the following players if you happen to find her:
Krysta, Aerigor, Axeril, Khal
 

     No mention of Oku this time, which seemed to suggest he'd seen the light and left the chase alone. The lack of the name "Derenze" was indeed her fault, however, as the monument of life could easily prove. No, the only remaining contact options were Princess and the remaining three players from that party of idiots with an ulterior motive. Most likely, it was that trio that made this poster at all. Regardless, her response to it would be the same. Remove it in any way currently preferred...
        And Dazia was in the mood to cut it down. With an irritated sigh, she knew she needed to vent. "Stand back." She warned, despite this being a safe zone, and drew her weapon. Within two seconds, there was no poster left, not a trace of it to speak of. Sheathing her weapon, she would proceed to remark, "I normally just rip these off and dispose of them later, but this goose chase has left me in a less than desirable mood. If you're hoping to fight something like Cerberus, count me in."

[NIGHT 0]

oh, so they both had reason aplenty to hunt down cerberus, then. just night's luck. she was contemplating on backing out until the swing of dazia's sword had caught her off-guard – night wasn't exactly paying attention in the middle of brief thought, and she quickly forgot about revising her earlier decision. the whole expedition was in search for something to destroy to begin with.

so what better way then punishing some monster in lieu of helping someone else out?

night shrugged upon hearing of dazia's toss into the ring. "i'm game if you are," she added with a shrug. "i've got a fowl mood to get rid of, too. the upgraded cerberus needs some form of preparation, however." the player was quick to pull out some consumables, preparing them on her hand before she examined the players before her. she already knew the assassin – or not? – was capable, but the other, the male...

she tilted her head, examining him up and down. his attire didn't seem to show for much, unless he was a practical guy – which gave her reason for doubt, since most would lean towards complete casual wear or plated metal fashion. leather armor existed, but at least, she believed, they were much showier than this...

liquor of light in hand, she tossed the potion up and down. bistro would've wrestled it out of her hands if she knew of her nonchalance with her efforts, but night held a heavier weight than the burden of a broken bottle, now. she gestured to the male with a hand. "hey, er, you... – what's your name? how's your equipment like?"

night's gaze then shifted over to dazia's, holding the bottle firm in her hand as she offered it, cork-first to the player. "what about you – do you need this?"

[Vigilon 0]

               Vigilon nodded his head understandably. "I see...yeah, that does sound rough." He noted, trying to sympathize with her...not that he knew whether or not it would be effective, but it was worth a shot, he'd just have to do so without patting her head, for she seemed to hate headpats. Maybe she prefers to be intimidating? It would make sense, and Dazia's height wasn't doing her any favors, not that she had any control over that.

          When Dazia made her explanation to the other player that showed up, Vigilon was able to get a better understanding of Dazia's situation. "Well...that sure puts a monkey in your wrench." He remarked. Dazia looked back to him, and noted that the stronger Cerberus might have a better drop rate for one of the three keys she was looking for. "I see..." Before Vigilon could continue, Dazia spotted something that pulled aggro on her, so to speak. A wanted poster that was against her. Vigilon only had a few seconds to study the paper before Dazia's attack destroyed it, leaving marks of damage on where it was posted, to boot. If there was one thing Vigilon knew, it was that these posters were not Krysta's idea, for she would spread it through word of mouth when Dazia was mentioned or brought up. Maybe those other names were other adversaries of Dazia who had sided with Krysta? Who knows.

           Dazia decided that she was up for fighting Cerberus if either of the other two were. "Sounds good, I need a drop from it too, so I guess we now have a common enemy." He noted. The other player would proceed to also offer to help fight Cerberus, and would proceed to pull out consumables from her inventory. This other player would then look Vigilon up and down before asking his name and equipment.

          "I'm Vigilon." He began. "I'd say my equipment's decent enough to get the job done for most enemies, though I would agree that an upgraded Cerberus wouldn't be 'most enemies'. My current sword should do in terms of damage, but depending on what this thing can do, having some consumables wouldn't hurt, especially defensively." He explained. He would then draw Kyrkuran from its sheath, looking over the weapon once again. It was full of mystery, this thing. "I'm actually after the drop because something happened to this weapon, it's less than it used to be, apparently. A fusion with a weapon containing the right enhancement should do the trick, but since I lack any such weapons at the moment, I gotta get an item that guarantees the enhancement on a single weapon." He added. The hilt's center would open to reveal a crystalline eye that had a watchful gaze on Vigilon.
                                     He then sheathed the weapon, and pulled a different one out of his inventory. "I don't know how you both are on weapons, but I can offer this, if you need anything strong." He offered. 

[Dazia 0]

         "No shit, Sherlock." Dazia remarked when Vigilon commented on her explanation of the situation to Night.

   All three players had a common enemy. This was just what Dazia needed, no sarcasm included. Night would pull out some consumables, for this would not be an easy task. Dazia knew this, otherwise she wouldn't be needing a party. Night asked about Vigilon and his equipment. Vigilon gave his explanation, including the fact that he would probably need some consumables for this coming fight. "This," Dazia began, gesturing to Vigilon, her eyes closed as her face showed, or, rather, what little her cowl let into vision, irritation. "is my idiot cousin. As I've noted before, he happens to be dating my current nemesis...speaking of which..." She then looked to Vigilon. "Have you convinced her to get over it yet, or is she still out there trying to find and kill me?" She asked, glaring at him as she did so. She was really getting tired of this whole charade.

         Vigilon drew his weapon to look at it, as if he was still studying it. This was the first time Dazia was seeing this weapon. He explained his reason for wanting to fight Cerberus, that apparently he needed a material it dropped in order to make a sacrificial item to repair it with by using the fusion process. She didn't know what stats it had, though the explanation gave her a hint as to what enhancement was missing.
              Night would offer a potion to Dazia, asking her if she would need this. "It would definitely help, I know that much." She answered, before accepting the potion. "Thanks."

             Vigilon would pull out a weapon to offer in case either of the other two had a weapon that was found lacking. "Unless it's better than a Rare weapon with accuracy and fallen, I doubt I'd-"
                                  Dazia's answer was cut off by the recognition of the weapon. Whether or not unique items could have duplicates was unknown, though this was an MMO, but current evidence would suggest that for there to be more than one of a particular unique item would be unlikely. "Where did you find that?" She asked. Then she looked over to Night. "Night, isn't that yours? I remember seeing you using it back on floor sixteen."

 

Consumed:

-Liquor of Light(3 DMG)

[NIGHT 0]

 "I'm Vigilon. I'd say my equipment's decent enough to get the job done for most enemies, though I would agree that an upgraded Cerberus wouldn't be 'most enemies'."

oh, alright. it was better safe than sorry in aincrad, anyhow, and seeing how his weapon appeared to be somewhat of an unusual make proved it to night that he was likely better than he looked. fair enough. "so what exactly does it need?"

and in the most casual sense, she was to pull up some additional consumables. and they were there, summoned on a platter, with the player knowing best how to present a number of consumables to different players. but the moment she saw vigilion swap his weapon, she stopped. she stared, instead, mouth agape.

"Night, isn't that yours? I remember seeing you using it back on floor sixteen."

"... i'm surprised you even remembered."

night would admit, she had been trading around her valuables as much as possible back when she'd disappeared from activity – the zero was a bit different in terms of negotiations, so no amount of col nor materials would have got her anywhere. a vehicle, especially personal, often meant equipment.

so to see it circulated back into someone else's hands made her wonder what exactly the transaction had meant to its traders in the first place.

the light of her blade remained trapped in night's eyes, and now that annoyance was gone (well, most of it). so in turn, she held out her tray for dazia to hold, before summoning adjudicator, a white trail circling her hand as it was brought to life.

"vigilon, i'd like that sword back, so i'm making you an offer."

the player held out the fallen sword, length set against oathkeeper's own in parallel. the two swords crossed each other, edges meeting. "this is adjudicator. i'm not sure if you need another sword, but i'll trade it to you if you're willing to hand oathkeeper back."

her gaze went down towards adjudicator's guard as she raised it, considering her deal twice.

"after tomorrow. i need this for a fight i can't concede, but i'm willing to hand it to you once i'm done with it. 'two fallen, absolute accuracy, and a vampiric.' it's not another oathkeeper, but oathkeeper's a rare forgery to come by."

but beyond her concerns over her bargaining chip, night quickly realized her focus on its likely non-importance to dazia, and went back to picking up the tray of food again. she waited for the assassin to eat her fill before holding it out to vigilon. "and these, if you need them. on the house."

---

from notes, for party consumption:

•  Smores (2) | EVASION II
•  Yaki Hatahata | T4 | (2) | MITIGATION III
• Crème Brûlée (2) | ACCURACY II
•  Beef Stew (2) | OVERHEALTH III
•  Breakfast Fry (2) | PROTEIN II
•  Liquor of Light (1) | DAMAGE III

[Vigilon 0]

                  The other player would ask what Vigilon's sword needed. "Based on what's been grayed out as well as crossed out on the weapon's stats, I'd say the missing enhancement is Burn, which I've heard is supplied by that drop the Cerberus we're after has." He answered.
             Dazia asked Vigilon if he was able to convince Krysta to give up the chase. He ended up scratching the back of his head nervously. "Weeeeelllll..."

Spoiler

                [Memory...]
"Can we talk? It's...about Dazia."
       "How so? have you found her latest whereabouts?"
   "Um...Floor Thirteen."(Lie) "Do you think, maybe we could tal-"
             "Then we're off to Floor Thirteen, we haven't a moment to lose!"
        "O-ok!"

        "Let's just say my last attempt didn't go as well as I'd hoped, she's still too heated to lower her guard about the subject..." He admitted sheepishly.

 

                   Every mood changed when Vigilon pulled out the weapon he'd found. Dazia asked where he found it, then asked the other player, referring to her as Night, if that was her weapon. Based on Night's reaction, it seemed that it was indeed the case. Before he could speak another word, however, Night pulled a weapon out of her inventory and offered a trade, stating the stats and terms of the weapon she was offering in exchange for Oathkeeper's return. Vigilon smiled. "I will gladly accept the trade, and return this blade to its rightful owner." He stated, handing the weapon over to Night. "So let me just make sure I've gotten this straight, you're saying you'll give me Adjudicator after dealing with this fight you have after tomorrow? Did I get that right?" He asked, making sure he understood how this trade would go, even though he'd already held to his end of the bargain by returning Oathkeeper as soon as the trade offer was made.

                      The moment the terms were cleared up, there came some abruptly spoken words from Dazia.

   "I want it."
                 If it weren't for the trace of confusion in Vigilon's expression when he turned to look at Dazia, it would have been a blank stare. "...Come again?"
            "You heard me." Dazia began. "Adjudicator. I want it. You can already handle yourself well with the weapon you're working on restoring, right? You'd have less use for Adjudicator at that point, it'll just be sitting there in your inventory."
                              Vigilon let out a sigh, then seemed to be in thought for a moment. "If Night's fine with it, I suppose we can work something out, but as she explained when mentioning its enhancements, it's a fully unique weapon. That's gonna cost you." He decided. "If you don't have an item of close enough value, we can easily negotiate col, I think about twenty-two to twenty-five grand would be fine, what do you think?" He offered, and from his perspective, this amount of col could be grinded easily at Dazia's level. Dazia would then make a preposterous counter offer of six grand. "Ok fine, how about just solid twenty grand, then?" Vigilon shot back. Another counter offer, this time it was nine thousand. "For a high tier unique item like this, both the power and value would, at least at this point in time, be considered as over nine thousand, like maybe eighteen thousand." He remarked. Yet another counter offer, this time it was ten thousand. "Erm, close but not quite, I'd say sixteen thousand might do." He considered.
             "Thirteen thousand, and that's my final offer." Came Dazia's response.
       Vigilon took a few seconds to consider it. With a mild sigh, he made his decision. "Fine by me, but since it's Night's item, I think she should have the final say on it." He looked over to Night. "You cool with this?" He asked. Since Night was Adjudicator's current owner and the one who offered to trade, she should have a say in this.

 

     Once Dazia had her consumable fill, Vigilon would be offered the tray of consumables to take his pick of what was left. 
               ...If only they tasted better, though. "....You got this from that wandering camper, didn't you?" He asked. The tasteless and near-tasteless foods were familiar enough to make a guess on. Taste wasn't exactly the best, but it got the job done when there was no one else supplying buffs in the area. When he got the chance to down the potion, however, that was a different experience. With a chuckle, he'd remark, "Well, at least this makes it all go down smoother."

            Once he was finished, he looked to the two other players. "Are there any preparations left to take care of, other than forming a party?" He asked, hoping he'd made sure the three players were finished before setting out.

-Given [T4]Oathkeeper to Night

 

Consumed:

-Smores(EVA II)
-[T4]Yaki Hatahata((MIT III)
-Creme Brulee(ACC II)
-Beef Stew(Overhealth III)
-Liquor of Light(DMG III)

[Dazia 0]

                     Dazia wasn't too pleased when Vigilon admitted that he'd failed once again, though he did offer a hint as to these constant failures: Princess wasn't letting her guard down enough in terms of the situation. All it takes is a mention of her name, and Krysta's ready to fight. Is that princess really triggered by her name like this? what was up with that woman?

           Night made a trade offer as to have the weapon returned to her. Vigilon would agree, but Dazia couldn't help but be attentive to the scenario, and the offered weapon, as she started on a consumable or two. The offered weapon was far better than what Dazia currently had, and if what Vigilon had explained earlier was true, then he wouldn't be needing it anytime soon. It didn't look like Princess would ever dare use it, anyway, so what purpose would he possibly have for it? If she didn't speak now, she might never get the chance...well, no time like the present to be reckless.
            "I want it." She blurted out.

     Vigilon gave her a nearly blank stare with traces of confusion, then asked her to say it again. "You heard me." Dazia began. "Adjudicator. I want it. You can already handle yourself well with the weapon you're working on restoring, right? You'd have less use for Adjudicator at that point, it'll just be sitting there in your inventory." She explained. It would likely meet a similar fate that Oathkeeper nearly did, unless it was given to a better set of hands that needed it.
            Vigilon sighed and seemed to be in thought, before noting that it would be fine as long as Night was also fine with it. However, due to the item's tier, quality, and enhancements, it would be costly. He put the starting col offer on twenty two to twenty five col. "You don't seriously think I was born this morning, do you? Six thousand would be just fine." She shot back. Vigilon would then try to suggest a payment of a solid twenty thousand. Dazia shook her head. "If you really want more, I could offer nine thousand." She countered. Vigilon would make a stupid reference as he tried to turn the tables and try for eighteen thousand. Dazia scoffed. "Are you really going to nickel and dime me like this? No. Ten thousand." She stated. Vigilon then suggested sixteen thousand. Dazia was getting tired of this already. "Thirteen thousand, and that's my final offer." Dazia decided.
                        Vigilon decided he would be fine by this, though once again, it would only be fine as long as Night was willing to allow this. Adjudicator was originally Night's, after all, and was a necessary weapon for a coming battle she would be in.

 

       With all the necessary consumables taken and consumed, the platter of consumables was handed to Vigilon for him to take his pick. He took one of each, aside from one. Funny how both players didn't think they would need the protein enhancement for the coming battle. Then again, they had both taken the damage potions, so it may have once again been a decision of better safe than sorry, due to the protein enhancement's trade off of mitigation for damage. Vigilon then asked if there were any other preparations to make, other than forming a party. "I don't care who leads the party, as long as the job gets done." Dazia stated.

 

Consumed:

-Smores(EVA II)
-[T4]Yaki Hatahata((MIT III)
-Creme Brulee(ACC II)
-Beef Stew(Overhealth III)

[NIGHT 0]

"So let me just make sure I've gotten this straight..."

and night listened and nodded, pulling up a friend request for vigilon with a few slight hand movements; her personal mastery at the interface. "if things go well, you'll see me at an important event real soon. i can hand it to you then. otherwise, just contact me directly. i mean to uphold my end of the deal, after all – "

"I want it."

"'scuse me?'"

it wasn't so much as though it was an objection. night was simply taken aback. from the banter between the two relatives, she was learning much about both parties, and if she had anything to admire, it was dazia's forwardness about the things she'd wanted. optimal. communication without underlying intent, from her perspective. from vigilon, the attempt at being a mediator.

but the next thing she realized was their family was dirt poor.

the trade offer would boil down to a col amount that night could make enemies cough out with a few minutes of combat. no sound appraiser would've entertained the offer. such was the economy –

"i'll consider it if you'll considering joining the raid against the floor boss."

– but her time in the zero had her spilling out sentences of stupidity, because who did care about col? yet that was no sound offer for any regular player to have made to another. she wasn't sure if either of her party members would ever feel suitable for such a fight, and their lives were much, much more precious than a bit of equipment to hold while they were still alive.

so she backed up her offer, just a little. "no col. just give the raid some thought. it's cool if you say no. contact me on the day after tomorrow, and i'll be open to hand it to you where you feel comfortable."

it was still unreasonable, night was sure, but it was worth a try. she just wasn't interested in fighting a floor boss alone.

from vigilon, night quickly accepted his trade offer, before swapping out adjudicator for oathkeeper. better for her stats, though her grip still felt foreign to it, having felt its absence for so long. two party invites were sent to her companions then ("eh, i'll do it."), as night started down the path to cerberus itself. they would pass a desolate waste, landscape punctured with cliff faces and volcanic vents, before they got to its entrance.

along the way, night made the terms of her leadership clear – "i'll strike last. so get in there fast and hit them where it hurts; leave the tanking to me. i know best how cerberus works."

---

accepting oathkeeper and swapping to it.

NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 | Stealth Rating: 6

[Vigilon 0]

         Night sent a friend request to Vigilon as they were finishing up on the terms of the agreement, to which he accepted.

                     Night would state an unexpected set of terms for Dazia when she attempted to get her hands on Adjudicator. The floor boss raid...
             Vigilon looked to Dazia. He knew that the frontlines were gonna need all the help they could get, but was Dazia really willing to risk her life for a sword? He knew enough to guess that she wouldn't throw herself blindly into the fray, and was likely to bail if things got too dangerous for her. He'd seen her fight in raids before, but not a single one was a floor boss. Vigilon himself had considered the thought of helping out at the frontlines from time to time, but he wasn't feeling super confident back then. Now, he knew that he might stand a decent chance if there were enough people. This would be more difficult of a request for Dazia than for Vigilon.
                   "...I mean, it wouldn't hurt to give it some thought." Vigilon pointed out. "You've fought in raids before, did well in plenty of them, only the first one you were in gave you any trouble." He recalled. "And, well, we're both at the maximum tier and level, paragons excluded, I know I've got twenty five paragon levels to my name, I'm sure you've got a fair number yourself." He continued. "Many hands make light work, and there is strength in numbers. I'm sure you'll be fine, and if things start to go bad, well, you've always got a teleport crystal, right?" With a sigh, he would continue. "This Cerberus is a bit of a toughie in terms of offense, from what I've heard. Maybe you can consider this a test of survival, help you mull over whether you can last or not. Should help with the decision, at least." He finished, placing his hand on her shoulder. Hopefully this didn't trigger her over height or anything, he just wanted to encourage and reassure her.

               Regardless of what Dazia's decision might be, it was time to move on and continue the quest. He would accept the party request sent to him, and the journey would begin. There wasn't much room for words along the trip, aside from the strategy that Night suggested. Vigilon nodded in understanding. It wouldn't be long before the trio would arrive at the cave's entrance.

[Dazia 0]

                           If failing to get the most advantageous pricing for an item didn't hurt Dazia, she was definitely ill prepared to handle the words that came to her ears.
      "i'll consider it if you'll considering joining the raid against the floor boss."

                Dazia's expression was a blend of shock and scowl. Join the front lines? Was this woman for real?

Spoiler

[Four Floor clears ago...]

      As the young player Sunova noted of the current condition of the party they were with in the fallen event boss raid, that Dazia left behind and Sunova was "killed" in, she remarked how she couldn't bear the thought of leaving the party to die just because she was helpless and could do nothing. Dazia, of course, had a response to this.
         "...I see this as a taste of what the frontlines are like, something designed for our level, but still dangerous nevertheless. It is no different from actual war. People go, and they either die or come back wounded, mentally or physically, and I sure as hell won't die out there, being slain for a cause I cannot fight for. It's too risky for me. Granted, leaving the safe zone for the first time was a necessary risk, but the dangers of bosses like these are far too much for me to be at ease. I intend to survive, by any means necessary, so I've made my choice to leave so I may live to fight another day. You were brought back from the dead, so I'd say you have a chance to carefully consider, is the price of war really worth it all?"

It wasn't long before the Frontliners' battle had come to a close, and all who were "Killed" returned to the courtyard alive and well. As the conversations began, Dazia began to wonder why the defeated players were even resurrected in the first place. "They should be dead after that. Why aren't they dead? I've had to kill in a duel twice out of self-defense, and they didn't return... So just WHY is this happening?" She thought. The question puzzled Dazia for a bit of a small while. She thought it over as she gleaned what words she could hear from the overlapping conversations.
           When she came to a conclusion, she would say out loud for a few, or several to hear, "I believe Kayaba is toying with us. This is either a joke to him, or this is, to us, a taste of the dangers yet to come. I bet he's laughing his head off over what we all just went through, and what they might go through as well." She said as she gestured to the ongoing fight against Miraak, the view now concealed in black fog. "The result of what you endured has only proven my own opinion on the frontlines. It's a war I'd rather not get involved with. Risking my life in such a way would be unlike me. Some are willing to risk their lives for all players in Aincrad, but here, I, and all of you, have been reminded of the price of war today." She explained, with a serious expression on her face. "The exact events that occurred here, should not be omitted, if you are to tell anyone. Spreading lies and hiding truths will only get more players killed. There may be less casualties if they know of, and are prepared, for the price they may have to pay." She couldn't leave the courtyard, but she would go off on her own for a bit. No doubt that someone may have been angered by what she had said.

          The memory of that day became as fresh as if it were yesterday. The day when Aincrad tested as many players as possible with an event that determined the fate of a floor. It wasn't for the faint of heart, but Dazia was ill-prepared for the battle she found herself in.

           It was unknown if either player in the present vicinity would be ready for what came next. "And why should I?" Dazia exclaimed, though her outburst had only just begun. "I don't know if you're with the frontlines, or how long you were involved if so, but the last time I saw the frontlines, they were barely surviving off of luck, cocky enough to underestimate their enemy, foolish enough to die in easily avoidable ways, and just hardly competent in general!" She claimed, based on what little she could remember from the words she heard back on that day. "I was there when a floor's entire fate was on the line, players of all available tiers were brought in to fight against the threat. I wasn't ready, so I fled by using a teleport crystal, even though it took me back to the courtyard instead of the place I'd specified, due to the ongoing fight that the frontlines were having against this 'fallen angel' that almost won its battle, I SAW PEOPLE DIE IN THAT FIGHT!" She explained. Her expression was filled with the emotions of that day. Irritation, shock from having seen the mistakes of others nearly doom the lives of people in the fight she was involved in, exasperation, disgust and aggravation as to how poorly the frontliners did, despite winning their battle. "And when they thought it was over, they'd realize that they never truly won, they had a deus ex machina save their asses, and what did they do? They played it off like they won the fight, like it was all them and that other being that saved them from the monster that would have killed them, didn't even exist! To make matters worse, some of the players, including some who had 'died' in that battle, were going to lie to the playerbase in hopes of adding to their numbers, claiming that there were no deaths and that everything was perfectly fine! Because, oh, 'the frontliners are these perfect, fearless warriors that are going to save everyone! You can be one such perfect hero too, just sign here and agree to put yourself at death's door until the reaper agrees to take you quickly!' THE MAJORITY OF THE FRONTLINERS WEREN'T BRAVE, THEY WERE ACTUALLY F**KING STUPID!!!"
                   Dazia took a few seconds to catch her breath after the climax of her rant had passed. Even so, she wasn't done. "So why should I risk my life tangling with the most dangerous bosses in the whole game? For them? Hell no." She continued. "For the weapon? That depends on the risk. For the few within this world that provide any hope for humanity? I might if I knew I was strong enough. But definitely not for them." She declared. "Let me know when or if the frontlines have become a different or better group, even if the timing is as miraculous as 'right now'."
                 Vigilon would proceed to offer his thoughts. If what he said about the teleport crystals was true, that even frontliners could escape sticky situations, than maybe this risk could be controlled enough for Dazia to tolerate the frontlines, just this once. Dazia would continue listening, and when the thoughts were over and done, Dazia would act upon her current thought process.

          First, Dazia glared at Vigilon, then, she closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "...Fine."
       She opened her eyes, this time her gaze lacked a glare and her expression lacked a scowl. "I'll tolerate it, just this once. alright?" She decided. "If Cerberus hardly gives us any trouble, I'll go." She said, looking to Night. Then she turned back towards Vigilon. "But as long as you come and help too, you hear? Just know that I won't be in whichever party you'll be in, because I just know that you'll bring Princess along, and we both know she'll never heal me, she'd rather see me die." She added. "Is that clear?"

          With that out of the way, it was time to start the quest.
   Dazia accepted the party invite and listened to Night's advice. Vigilon nodded, and so did Dazia. "Whether its Cerberus or it's minions, they'll never know what hit them..." She noted as she began to enter stealth. All she would need was the right timing, and whatever would come out first, if they survived the other players' actions, they certainly wouldn't be ready for Dazia...

 

ID# 213418 LD: 19+5=24(succeeded against passive stealth detection)

Edited July 20, 2023 by Dazia

[NIGHT 0]

night hadn't expected an outburst. in hindsight, maybe she should've.

still, she listened – in shock, before with intent, especially at the realization that dazia had been there herself before. the fallen angel wasn't a fight she was familiar with – the furthest back she could recall was tales of the twenty third from hirru – so she made a note of it mentally while hearing what she had to say.

very quickly, everything she'd experienced from the other veterans was beginning to make sense.

"So why should I risk my life tangling with the most dangerous bosses in the whole game? For them? Hell no. For the weapon? That depends on the risk."

change of tactic. night had never liked the strategy of the push-to-fight, and she wasn't going to continue that narrative of sending players to their deaths, if they hadn't the will to stomach it. she folded her arms, speaking only when dazia's outburst had died down.

"... you're absolutely right. though i don't remember ever agreeing to be such a hero you believe they claim themselves to be. not because i'm noble, but because i don't remember ever signing up to be 'with the frontlines' in the first place. no contracts, no recruitments." she held up an open palm. "i can change the terms of the deal then. i did say you could say no. one of my friends is an information broker, so i'm sure she'd be happy to take note of what you'd said about the turn of conduct on... whichever floor boss fight that was. a fallen angel, is that right?"

even after listening to vigilon's reassurance, and dazia's reluctance on accepting the terms of the trade as mentioned earlier, night was still wary. it was sensible to consider one's own survivability in aincrad, after all. but part of her dilemma was in the fear that other players weren't going to show up, and she toyed with the secrecy of her own undertakings. should she mention her own vulnerability earlier, or not?

night decided to wait until later to disclose it, if she felt more certain, then. "if you're sure," she iterated. "you're still free to back out of this condition, and go with the sharing of information instead. i'll ask you again once cerberus has gone down, alright? there's no need to rush to meet death, after all."

and, as a joke, "of course, if vigilon's got your position covered in the raid, then i'd also consider that a deal done." but maybe that was more in selfishness than jest. when night turned around, checking in on dazia, her form was absent – she must've been in stealth, night figured. and she would've followed along, too, but with oathkeeper in her hand, she felt free to be loud, and brash, and reckless.

seeing the hound minions come out to play once they'd entered the cave, night gestured them out to vigilon. "whenever you're ready."

Spoiler

Infernal Hell Hound#1 | HP: 450/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK
Infernal Hell Hound#2 | HP: 450/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK
Infernal Hell Hound#3 | HP: 450/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 
Dazia | HP: 782/782 | EN: 86/86 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 8
Vigilon | HP: 897/897| EN: 112/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 4 | BLI: 32, -20 MIT | FLN: 16 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by NIGHT

[Vigilon 0]

                 Vigilon thought carefully about what he'd said after taking Dazia's outburst into thought. He could have easily passed it off as just Dazia being angry on a regular basis, and he probably did, but when he really put the words to thought, he realized some key details. He might not have seen what she did, but he was there, too. "That was...that was the fallen event on floor thirteen, wasn't it? I wasn't there in time to see the frontliners' battle, since I was busy helping the non-frontliners that showed up fight a demon-possessed priest. Could you explain more of what happened if you really saw it?" He asked. If anything, this information could be helpful, even if it's just a memory of what things used to be on the front lines.

     Vigilon began to reconsider his words as Night spoke. From what he could guess, the satirical sarcasm that Dazia displayed may have gone completely over Night's head, though the initial point Dazia got across was clear: She didn't want to fight for the frontlines she knew of. Vigilon nodded his head. "I can see why you'd want nothing to do with them. From the perspective you shared, they'd probably get you near death if not killed. I saw them after my end of the double raid ended, and I didn't see Night among them, maybe the frontliners roster has become more reasonable? I'm not pushing you to join them, I'm just saying things might have changed since that day, not that I've been in touch with the frontlines either so of course I can't guarantee." Taking a deep breath, he would gather his thoughts before continuing. "I'm in agreement with Night on this one, this isn't a matter we should rush each other with." His expression would be calm, yet serious. "We certainly wouldn't want to get ourselves wiped or chased off for being reckless, after all."
                         His last two cents in this matter were more his personal thoughts on the matter. The enemies of the frontliners never messed around, thus selfishness, recklessness, or arrogance on anyone's end could potentially be a fatal mistake that could turn a battle in the enemy's favor. Every decision counted.

 

             Dazia vanished from sight, probably to finish the first enemies quickly with an attack from stealth. Night would gesture to the enemies, for the players were just outside their aggro range...all Vigilon needed to do was catch their attention with a first strike, and the other two players would do the rest.

            Vigilon roared out as he charged towards his enemies, then unleashed an area of effect sword art. The first Infernal Hellhound would jump back, barely escaping Vigilon's attack. The other two, however, were not so lucky. Dark power erupted from Kyrkuran, blasting the second hellhound into nothing in a burst of fallen energy, and afflicting the third with blight.

      Yeah, this wouldn't take long.

 

[Charge used. +8 Energy Cost, -1 Accuracy, and +3 base DMG for this Sword Art.]

ID# 213530 BD: 3+4-3=4(miss)

ID# 213531 BD: 8+4-3=9(hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 213532 BD: 9(Critical, +1 Base DMG, Inflicted Blight!)
 

Draco Rend(AoE-I):

45x15-50=625 Damage to Infernal Hellhound 2!

30x15-50=400 Damage to Infernal Hellhound 3!

Thorns Damage: Vigilon takes 50 Damage

 

Infernal Hell Hound#1 | HP: 450/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

Infernal Hell Hound#2 | HP: 0/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

Infernal Hell Hound#3 | HP: 50/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK [T4 Blight: 2/2 turns, 32 DMG, -20 MIT]

[0-0]NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 
[0-0]Dazia | HP: 782/782 | EN: 86/86 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 8
[0-2]Vigilon | HP: 847/897| EN: 87/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 4 | BLI: 32, -20 MIT | FLN: 16 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

               Once again, Night was in agreement with Dazia. While her words were taken literally rather than figuratively, Dazia's point had gotten across. Vigilon asked for more details, and Night took back the necessity of joining the raid, offering an alternative in case Dazia would remain averse to joining the raid after seeing how she fares against this greater Cerberus. "...It's true, Vigilon. I don't know what you thought of the frontliners during those days, but they definitely weren't what you think they might be. That black haired Tank you spoke with, who also addressed the players who gathered...Hestia, was it? She was killed in that fight against Artamiel. The nature of the event allowed her to come back for some damn reason, but the fact remains that her HP was reduced to zero. I saw the fight from the courtyard. Ever since the boss we ended up fighting forced me to flee with a teleport crystal, I was stuck watching the frontliners almost halfway wipe, with plenty of damage on them all to boot." She revealed, from what she remembered, her arms crossed as she remembered how they clearly weren't ready, and would have been crippled as a group if the unexpected nature of the event did not bring back the fallen. "When the boss was 'defeated', its HP bars corrected. All that effort, just to take down only a sliver of its actual HP. They were never meant to win that fight, they never could." She added. "As I said before, it was something else that removed the boss, tearing open a rift into somewhere, throwing the boss into it, then closing the rift and disappearing." 
              She then looked to Vigilon. "I don't know if you know this Hestia, but since you talked with her, I feel like you should know, it was she who wanted to lie about the frailty of the frontliners." Dazia took a deep breath, and continued. "She told a player named Baldur to keep the events of the fight under wraps, that as far as they were concerned, no one had died. She wanted the frontliners to be seen as 'the shining beacons of hope for people', that they couldn't do that if people knew they were killable by bosses and the like. She wanted to be seen as invincible so that people would put their hope in her." She added. "Pshh, only a woman who can't have or bring hope would do such a thing. She wanted to remove reality from the picture to be seen as unstoppable and loved by all. If she were to have her way like that, she'd not only put herself at risk, but she'd drag the playerbase down with her. She should have stayed dead." She remarked, nearly growling with that last sentence. She then took one more deep breath. She couldn't overdo it unless only enemies were around, and the fury that always boiled within her was starting to leak out. She had to stop talking.

               

           With the players now having reached the cavern, Night gestured to the monsters arrival, and that was the cue. Vigilon came at them up close and personal, grabbing their attention. Perfect time to make use of a surprise attack while they were distracted. Dazia's attack would be swift and deadly, killing one and severely wounding the other. Just about any attack should finish it off at this point.

 

Action Taken: Surprise Attack(Assassin)

ID# 213625 BD: 3

ID# 213626 BD: 2

 

Infernal Crescent(AoE-I): (28+4)x15-50=430 damage to Infernal Hellhounds 1 and 3!

Thorns damage: Dazia takes 50 Damage

 

Infernal Hell Hound#1 | HP: 20/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

Infernal Hell Hound#2 | HP: 0/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

Infernal Hell Hound#3 | HP: 0/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK [T4 Blight: 2/2 turns, 32 DMG, -20 MIT]

[0]NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 
[1]Dazia | HP: 732/782 | EN: 61/86 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 8
[0]Vigilon | HP: 847/897| EN: 87/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 4 | BLI: 32, -20 MIT | FLN: 16 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Dazia

[NIGHT 0]

oh bet. she should've been taking notes, like the fact that dazia's story had been about the thirteenth floor – night figured it was related to one of the older fights around the twenties. and so too was she considering the nuggets of information that didn't seem too relevant, at first; night remembered how absurd it was to hear the name hestia from hidden's own mouth a long time ago, and to hear that story only added salt to the fire. being haunted by a zombie was way less cool than being haunted by a ghost, night thought.

and then night had to contemplate the absurdity of the story, because now another name she could recognize was involved. baldur? no way. in fact, the entire conversation was to such an unbelievable degree that night was even willing to pull up her logger directly, just in case she'd distrusted her companions' words too much to be able to recall it later. she typed faster than she could register dazia's story. especially when she was considering...

"She wanted to be seen as invincible so that people would put their hope in her. ... She wanted to remove reality from the picture to be seen as unstoppable and loved by all."

... that despite not wanting to have that same imagery, she did want the same goal – to instill hope in the others that hadn't done jack for a year, just so they'd get out of here faster. night only realized the similarity in judgement, then, once she'd pulled her fingers away from the board, holding a newfound distress in her heart.

ew. she did not want to become another hestia, at all. and as for the deception... she had baldur to investigate next.

the error in processing her own thoughts had caused her, then after, to miss the strike against the hound. oathkeeper in hand. now she remembered why she thought it liable to trade away. but part of her also figured, through her grip on the blade, that the sword was just as justified in being mad at her for having abandoned it for a ship.

"you know what?" night growled, holding her sword ahead of her, trying to lead the hound's attention towards herself after her initial attack, "i think i deserved that one. vigilon, tag back in!"

---

ID213754 | bd1 | crying in da club fr.
ID213755 | md7+2-6 = 3 | -> NIGHT

-2 EN.

Infernal Hell Hound#1 | HP: 20/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

[0] NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 144/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 
[0] Dazia | HP: 732/782 | EN: 61/86 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 8
[0] Vigilon | HP: 847/897| EN: 87/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 4 | BLI: 32, -20 MIT | FLN: 16 

Edited July 22, 2023 by NIGHT

[Vigilon 0]

                      When Dazia explained further, it was apparent that Dazia saw a side of someone Vigilon was acquainted with, a side he'd never seen of her. "Hestia..." He thought aloud. "That was...her...? I...how could she do such a thing?" He added. Hestia had seemed like a good person at first, from what little he knew. However, from what Dazia was suggesting, maybe she was a bit misguided? Dazia seemed to present her in a manner that made her seem like an arrogant perfectionist who wanted to be the main hero. This, however, was an MMO, so in actuality there never was any "Main Hero", just a bunch of imperfect people striving for freedom and survival. Vigilon wasn't sure what to think of Hestia anymore, but he wouldn't agree with Dazia's statement of "She should've stayed dead."

                      Night failed to strike down the last Hellhound after Dazia's attack, so she left that straggler to Vigilon. He nodded in agreement, and with a simple sword art, he finished off the last Infernal Hellhound. "There. All that's left to figure out now is if there are any more of these minions, or if the next fight is Cerberus himself." He remarked.

 

ID# 213786 BD: 4+4-2=6(hit)

Wyrmslash(ST-I): 26x12-50=262 Damage to Infernal Hellhound 1!

Thorns Damage: Vigilon takes 25 Damage

 

Infernal Hell Hound#1 | HP: 0/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | THORNS: 25/40 | MD9/10: +25/50 DMG | BURN ON ATTACK

[0] NIGHT | HP: 1242/1242 | EN: 144/146 | DMG: 27 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 6 | BH+HB: 122 | HLY/FLN: 16 
[0] Dazia | HP: 732/782 | EN: 61/86 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 104 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 6 | FLN: 8
[0] Vigilon | HP: 822/897| EN: 79/112 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 138 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 4 | BLI: 32, -20 MIT | FLN: 16 

Edited July 23, 2023 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

      Night's attack missed, and Vigilon saw fit to finish off the last Infernal Hellhound at Night's request. Dazia waited to see if any more Infernal Hellhounds would show up...

         But nobody came.

   "Seems that was all of them." Dazia observed. "If this is anything like the progression of the weaker Cerberus's quest, the Target should be just up ahead, deeper into the cavern." These Hellhounds seemed tougher than Dazia expected, not that any of them managed to deal any damage except through what must have been thorns damage. In terms of damage taken, the Hellhounds were slain as easily as anticipated. Dazia would proceed to blend into the shadows, she wanted to see if she could wait for another chance to execute another surprise attack. Who knows, maybe if she gets the chance she could try to see if Fallen won't trigger. Only one way to find out, of course, but Dazia would wait until the target was in range with its three gazes initially looking towards someone else...

 

ID# 213917 LD: 13+5=18(succeeded against passive stealth detection)

Edited July 24, 2023 by Dazia