[F02 | SP] Stone Reflection | <<Breaking the Unbreakable>>

[Nymoria 0]

Breaking the Unbreakable Quest

Nymoria's nose itched. It was her first realisation as the morning came about, and she slowly forced her eyes open to figure out what had caused such a strong feeling. It was there, before her very eyes, that she saw the weasel standing upon her chest, it's nose mere inches from her own, and the whiskers spreading from it tickling her nostrils in a way that caused a severe desire to sneeze. Pulling her head back slightly, she groaned at the sudden wake up call that Musei had provided, wanting nothing more than to return to her restful moments. She still felt exhausted from the previous day's combat with the wolves, her body aching in places she thought it should've long stopped aching in. The weasel, however, was persistent, moving up to the other side of her face and using it's tail to gentle tap her on the side of the head. Knowing she would now have to give in, she rolled over onto her side, signing in response to the weasel even as she prepared herself to rise for the day. I'm up. I'm awake. Breakfast soon.

Content with the fact that she had at least begun to wake up, Musei retreated to the cabinet beside the bed and awaited her completion of her morning routine and ablutions. Nymoria wasn't quick to move - even if her body was entirely digital, each area of her body felt sore in response to how much she had pushed herself and the beaten she had taken against the wolves. She was still proud of her success, but she couldn't help thinking that she may have overdone it a bit. I should look into maybe strengthening up a bit. I swear there was a quest about that...maybe I should look into that one?

With her morning routine completed, she returned to the main room, collecting her few belongings and making her way to the door. She signed at Musei as she approached, collecting the weasel on her arm and letting him run up to her shoulder as his excitement spread through his body at her suggestion. Pancakes today?

Nymoria consumes breakfast fry. | TIERLESS MEAL | PROTEIN II

  

Statblock

Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 11 | P. 0 | HP [220/220] | EN [40/40] | ACC [3] | DMG [13/5] | MIT [14] | BH [+6]  Tier 2 | Tier 2 Equipment Nymoria's Sabre [Sabre | Tier 1] Enhancement: Damage [2 Slots] Beginner's Chestplate [Light Armour | Tier 1] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slots]  Hearing Aid [Trinket | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [3 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Starter Healing Potions {5} | Tier 1 | Potion | Heals 50 HP Field Rations {1} | +12% Max HP Health Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | HP Recovery III Teleport Crystal {1} Hearing Aid [Trinket | Tier 1] Enhancement: Keen [1 Slot] Skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.] Weapon Skills Sabers [Rank: 4. Active: Passive. Effect: +6 DMG] Armour Skills Light Armour [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain Mitigation based on your rank in Light Armor. You can only benefit from one armor skill at a time (the respective armor type must be equipped). Your mitigation is capped at 2 enhancement slots.] Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills  N/A Combat Mastery Damage [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 * Tier additional Base Damage per rank. Ranks of this Skill obey Damage enhancement caps.] Familiar Skills N/A Estate Buffs N/A Sword Arts Spoiler [x10] ST-I (10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x13] ST-II (13 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x17] ST-B (17 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, this CD check applies to only the first roll. [x9] AOE-I (9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x12] AOE-II (12 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. [x10] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria had been tempted to make their daily morning meal pancakes, but she'd fought against the idea knowing that it would only ruin the experience for them both. After a minor amount of discussion - mostly her signing, and Musei swishing his tail in argument - they'd agreed to limit the experience to twice a week, or those days where they had a lot to celebrate. She'd only managed to convince the weasel of the idea due to a promise to find something else that was almost as good, but a bit healthier, for the other days. As well as making a promise that she wouldn't return them to the previous bland and horrid morning breakfast that she had been eating up until their sudden change in status. 

It worked for the last...while...although I guess I wouldn't be too upset about eating a bit better. Musei was right, in that it was fairly bland and not overly appetising. She'd settled into a small booth towards the back of the area, placing her order - one tray of pan cooked cakes for the each of them - and then scrolling through her quest list as she waited. She'd been considering focusing on training Musei on his own skills today, but the morning had made her question the idea. She needed to bring up her own power and skillset, and while having the small weasel hunt down treasures for her would be useful, she doubted that it would benefit her in the immediate moment. 

Breaking the unbreakable. Here it is...it seems easy enough. I need to head up to the second floor. That'll be new territory...but not necessarily horrible. Hmm... She swiped the menu around, showing it to the weasel before asking his opinion of it. The beady eyes watched her hands for the few seconds it took to communicate, before tapping it's right foot on her shoulder a couple of times, a sign that Nymoria had come to learn meant agreement to the idea. With the decision made, she closed the menu and leaned back to await the arrival of their breakfast. Tomorrow we can look into training up Musei. He can have one more lazy day, before we put him to work. She grinned at the thought, doubting that the weasel would be against the idea. The more she had thought about it, the more it seemed like her companion was longing for something to do to break the boredom.

[Nymoria 0]

Her legs were burning again, as she continued walking towards the mountain that would lead up to the supposed monastery where she was to begin the quest. She'd begun a small climb up the very lower edges of the mountain a while after leaving the main settlement, and although she had made some headway, it seemed like the mountain's peak was no closer. Her eyes continued to glance up towards it, the structure towards it's higher portion obvious even from her current position at the base, as if taunting her. The growl in her throat caused Musei's face to appear, and she had to give him a few motions of comfort before he had settled, his eyes shifting around in search of danger.

I know I said I wanted to get stronger, but isn't there an easy way to do it? One that's...less painful? She knew her griping was pointless. There was no way to cheat herself into a stronger position; she would need to put in the time and effort to get there, otherwise she'd never get rewarded for it properly. Even if it meant a measure of pain, it would only make her success that much more enjoyable once she arrived there. Still, as her eyes glanced upwards once more, she couldn't help but wish there had been an elevator leading up towards the top of the mountain. And from what information I could gather, there's a lot more that goes into this training...the walk up the hillside is just the beginning. And likely the least painful of it all, if you believe the rumours that everyone says about it...

She had originally considered buying further information about the quest from some of the information brokers she knew, before realising that it would be a waste of money. The quest was aimed at new players, and she knew for a fact that it had no actual concern of death - one of the only free pieces of information that had floated to the general public about it. In fact, it had drawn in many players simply because of that reason, which had likely been why the information brokers had chosen to release it to begin with. It's just long and tedious and tiring...although maybe you could die from exhaustion doing the quest? Is that a thing?

[Nymoria 0]

Her musings had carried her a decent distance, and as she looked up to the peak above her, she noticed that it had grown closer. She could begin to see some of the detail of the structure she was heading for, the form taking a better shape as she grew closer to it. The building appeared eastern in design, similar to many of the temples she had visited in the real world. She wouldn't have been surprised if she reached the top, only to see the familiar face of one of the monks she had come to know at her local shrine. The thought brought a smile to her face, if only for a temporary second. 

I wonder if I'll ever see them again. She disliked the line of thought, and instead decided to focus on the experience from the day before. She had analysed the fight with the wolves time and time again, coming to the same conclusion - she had quickly run out of energy, and been left in a precarious position. Not that she had been in extreme danger - her high health had saved her in the specific instant - but had she been facing anything stronger, she would've been in a problematic situation. The issue is the way in which I burn through the energy so quickly. Being able to hit everything all at once is nice, but it's super costly...especially when they aren't brought down instantly, but can instead retaliate against me. So I need to get to a point where they can't do that, or I can instantly regain the energy I've burnt. Or...maybe both.

She knew there were a collection of consumables that could help with both problems, but those cost money that she didn't necessarily have to spend yet. Which meant that, in the mean time, she would also need to focus on creating for herself a position of power from her own skills and capabilities. Her gaze rose towards the temple getting closer with each step, a desire to find out if the quest she was embarking on would do that for her or not. She knew that the answer lay ahead of her, but the closer she came to it with each step, the more she was beginning to worry that she was heading in the wrong direction.

[Nymoria 0]

The final leg of the climb had been the most painful. Nymoria had felt the burning throughout her legs and calves, and although she'd managed to push through it, she had nearly collapsed as she reached the front gates of the temple. Deciding that she needed a moment before heading inside, she'd settled onto the steps at the fore of it's entry way, leaning back against the stone of the mountain and taking in the sight around her. There was a crispness to the air that somehow made her think of Mount Fuji back home, and a trip she had once taken to the mountain's trails. A flicker of a smile touched her face as she thought about the trip, before she was drawn back into the moment by a flash of movement.

Her eyes rose to find a white haired man, who to Nymoria's eyes, appeared to be a spitting image of every single martial arts master in any film from the last few decades. White hair tied atop his head into a tight braid, with a similar flowing white beard reaching from his face towards the top of his chest, and an expression that was anything but welcoming. She pushed herself to her feet as he came closer, letting her hands move as she introduced herself and explained her reason for being there. Good morning, my name is Nymoria. Spelt with the...nevermind. I'm here to learn to be stronger, in the hopes that you may have something that you can show me that will assist me in my continued adventurers towards the top of the tower world.

His eyes gazed at her for a long time, his hand stroking the beard as he seemed to consider her words. When he did finally speak, his voice was filled with a tone that might have implied wisdom to many, but fell short on Nymoria's ears. She did, however, see the meaning behind his eyes as he glared at her, a look of contempt that spoke more to her than anything he could've said aloud. "You are weak, in mind and in spirit. I will train you, but only once you have proven yourself worthy of such training. You shall complete the tasks I set before you, or you will leave this mountain and never return."

[Nymoria 0]

"You may refer to me as Master Yunxiang. I am the head of this temple, and should you prove yourself worthy, I will teach you a skill that will make you much more powerful." Nymoria listened intently, her eyes never leaving the man's face, as he explained the first step of the process - the necessity of training the body in order to be prepared for the journey ahead. Her eyes had, quickly, glanced towards the trail that had led her up to the temple itself, wondering if that hadn't been training enough, but her unspoken question was answered before she could truly finish thinking it. "The journey up may have been taxing, but it is only the very first step towards honing oneself. You must now prepare for the true physical prowess...and it will not be easy."

He had left her then, returning to the temple itself after explaining the areas she could enter and work within. She'd made her way towards what appeared to be a small training courtyard, various weaponry and tools that looked similar to olden aged exercise equipment caught her eye. She glanced over a collection of weights and assorted ropes that she had no concept of purpose for, before settling on a set of what was likely meant to be skipping ropes. She grinned slightly to herself at the sight of them, realising that she could, at the very least, work on her cardio in order to empower her endurance. 

Picking up the rope, she tested it in her hands, giving a couple of quick skips in order to ensure the length was appropriate and her movements were capable of handling it. Once she was certain that her grip was good, and there would be no interference, she took a deep breath in preparation. Just like school all over again...except this time no one is watching me and jeering at me. I think. Not that it matters...I just need to focus on this, nothing else. Letting the breath out, she gave a quick snap of her wrists to get the rope in motion, the vibration of it hitting the ground felt in each hand, and the way in which her feet impacted lightly on the floor beneath her.

ID222740 | CD: 5 | Body Training | Result: Failure [0/2]

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Two jumps. She'd managed two jumps before the rope had slapped - rather painfully - into her shin. It had taken her another five minutes to nurse the wound to the point where it, and her pride, had stopped hurting in a way that prevented her from continuing. She'd sat on the ground, rubbing the shin and glaring at the rope the entire time, thinking back to how good she had been in her school days when she'd been attending her physical education classes, or playing outside. Those were your school days, though...and it's been a long time since you've been in school. It kinda makes sense that you wouldn't be as good now as you were then. Give it another try, and maybe you'll find that it works out for you. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Her eyes had shifted down to the small red spot on her shin, as if to tell the voice in her mind exactly would could happen if she tried again.

Alright, but sitting here staring at your leg and the rope isn't going to get you anywhere. Master...Xianyung?...said that you needed to train your body in order to prepare for his actual training. Which means the longer you sit here, the longer that's going to take...the longer it takes for you to actually get stronger. So stand up, get the rope, and maybe stop proving everyone else right? The final words cut deep as Nymoria forced herself to her feet once more. She felt the flash of depression rising and grabbed the skipping rope once more. She knew that the exercise, whether it was more pain or not, would help distract her from the dark thoughts that lingered at the edge of her consciousness. If nothing else, the skipping rope could become a refuge from the darker parts of her mind that were hoping to rush forwards and pull her into their depths. Just focus on skipping. That's it...get good at this...by focusing.

ID222763 | CD: 9 | Body Training | Results: Success [1/2]

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She wasn't sure exactly how long she'd kept it up, but eventually she found herself out of breath, her legs burning from the consistent movement and the snapping of the rope against her thighs and shins every so often. She laid the rope down, before keeling over onto her side and letting out an audible groan. From within her pocket, Musei had shakenly stumbled out onto the floor beside her, clearly still suffering from the experience that he had just endured without any input or questions asked. 

Oh shoot, I forgot he was in there! She wanted to laugh at the thought, but a mixture of embarrassment, sympathy and exhaustion stopped her from being able to do so. Instead, she laid and watched the small weasel as it slowly shook off the impact that it was having from the experience, before collapsing onto the ground beside Nymoria with a heavy sigh - the chest of it's body rising and falling dramatically showing Nymoria the sounds she couldn't hear. Pulling her hands up, she touched the top of her head, before chopping outwards with the blade of her hand. Sorry, I forgot.

Rolling onto her side, Nymoria pushed herself into a sitting position. She knew that she still needed to carry on with the training that she had begun, and yet she wasn't sure where to start. Her eyes glanced over the various pieces of equipment in the area, and not for the first time she realised just how little exercise she usually did. Well, most of my exercise comes from cardio-based activities...I'm not really into weight lifting or anything...maybe I should just stick with what I know? With no better ideas, she pushed herself shakily to her feet, heading into the corridor and glancing around. Once she had confirmed that it appeared to go somewhere, she decided that it would be best to try a bit of actual running, the activity that she used for endurance in the real world. Maybe it'll be easier, because of that?

ID222764 | CD: 2 | Body Training | Results: Failure [1/2]

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Her legs burned, her breath came in ragged gasps, and she wanted nothing more than to simply quit and go home. It became apparent very quickly that her running skill in the real world made little to no impact on her abilities here - especially after she'd already gone through the skipping rope workout. The experience was only made worse when she realised that the entire building was built in an odd way that her feet seemed to impact the ground extremely hard, and her first pathway had led to a dead-end after only the second turn. 

Tired, frustrated and wanting to simply give up, she'd returned to the original room to consider another activity. She'd laid down in the mean time, determined to at least give herself some rest and recuperation after everything she had just pushed herself through. As her head had laid in her hands, the idea came to her suddenly. Isn't there some core building exercise that uses...like a push up, but not moving? I should try that! I swear I've seen people do it before, maybe that'll help with...who knows, something? It can't be that hard either, right?

It took her a few moments to find the right position - a nearly straight back held up by her arms and toes, but once she was in the position she could see how it would be considered a core building exercise. Her already sore muscles complained as she forced herself into the position and held it. I won't get stronger if I can't learn to ignore those pains...so I need to keep this up...as long as I can. I can do this...for a while! Come on! She kept the mantra up in her head as she tried to maintain the position, refusing to consider how long it had been.

ID222765 | CD: 1 | Body Training | Results: Failure [1/2]

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Her hips hit the ground suddenly, and she could feel the sweat pouring down her face. Weird, I didn't know we could sweat in this world. She glanced up at the timer she'd started, wondering how long she'd managed to hold the position. Her eyes widened slightly in shock as she stared at the numbers, feeling the tears beginning to creep to the edges of her vision. Nine and half seconds? Come on...that's pathetic. Elementary school kids can do better than that! That's all you could do?! She berated herself silently as she flopped on the floor, her drive and motivation all but disappearing beneath the silent voice. 

At some point the voice had faded, leaving Nymoria alone in a measure of peace and quiet. She wasn't sure how long ago it had happened, or if it had been all at once or immediately, but she knew that when she looked up it was gone. She was still within the training room, and she knew that she still needed to work hard to complete the initial task given to her by the local Master of Martial Arts, but as she glanced about, she had little motivation to do anything else. One more try. The sigh that escaped her was exasperated, with little determination or any actual energy to it - and yet she found herself rising onto her arms and toes once more, some unconscious determination or desire to cause pain upon herself bringing her up into the position.

Hold this for one minute. One minute...you can do that. Then you can be done. Once you hit one minute...all at once. She knew it was a lot to ask, especially considering how her first attempt had ended up, but she also knew that if she didn't set a goal she would simply give up again. She knew, deep down, she wasn't quite ready to give up. Not yet, at least.

ID222766 | CD: 9 | Body Training | Results: Success! [2/2] | +4 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Almost as soon as she'd hit the minute mark, the Master of Martial Arts had returned. His eyes passed over her form, splayed out on the ground and absolutely exhausted. There was no real judgement to them, as if they simply took in her form, and moved on, but his voice was filled with a contempt. "Acceptable, I guess. If this is all you can muster it will have to do. You've prepared your body as much as you can, but you still need to prepare your mind. Strength comes not just from the physical, but also from the mental - and from the looks of you, your mental strength is not only lacking, but non-existent. We shall fix that."

She stood and followed the man as he motioned, leading her out into a courtyard, and then the area beyond. She could feel a growing vibration as they followed a small footpath deeper into the mountain's interior, and it wasn't long before they turned a corner into what appeared to be a large pond, with a waterfall on it's far side. She could see, beneath the falling water, what was clearly a well-worn rock above the water. It was here that Yunxiand motioned to with his hand.

"You will sit beneath this waterfall, and steel yourself against it's flowing tides. Meditate upon yourself, and learn how to strengthen your mind by not bending to it's will. Control yourself, and once you are ready...then I shall come and retrieve you for the final task." He left without another word, and Nymoria watched him go before turning back to the waterfall. She hated the idea, but knew that she would need to head beneath it - and from the looks of the pool, the water itself would be rather cool. I guess I'd better get out of these... She took one last glance around, before removing the majority of her clothing and adopting a secondary, lighter set that she was more content with having soaked through. Once she had changed, she moved across the pond towards the small path leading out to the rock, steeling herself for what was to come next...

ID222767 | LD: 17 | Mental Training | Results: Success [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

The water was cold, and as Nymoria's first toes touched it she felt a hiss escape from her mouth, the vibration passed from her tongue to her toes as her entire body shook in response. She'd anticipated the fact that it would be something unpleasant, but as her skin actually came into contact with it she knew that it was going to be brutal. He did say I'm going to have to steel myself, mentally. I guess part of that is going to be heading into the freezing cold water and forcing myself to...stay. She'd sighed again as she realised this was likely to be as painful as the physical training had been; her one saving grace being that she had managed to overcome that, however painfully it had been in the moment.

Oh this sucks. So much. She'd stopped long enough to deposit Musei on the edge of the pool, figuring that the weasel would prefer to remain outside of the water. Once she had placed him down, she'd moved to the waterfall - carefully crossing the rocks that made up the slippery pathway between pond's edge and central sitting rock. Slowly, closing her eyes as she did so, she'd entered the waterfall itself. There was a moment of blindness - her vision closed off with her eyes, and all normal feeling erased - as she entered the falling water's core. Carefully, she'd lowered herself to the ground, finding a location where she could keep her nose and mouth just beyond the water's reach in order to remaining breathing without issue.

Now I just...wait? She was no foreigner when it came to meditation, but she found the idea of it all odd in this instance. Sure, she was meant to be training her mental prowess, but sitting beneath a waterfall and simply letting her thoughts run wild seemed counter productive to the entire experience. I guess I could...focus on breathing, to start? Isn't that how this all usually begins?

ID222768 | LD: 12 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Attempting to focus on her breathing proved even more futile than she could've imagined. The beating of the waterfall, the lack of any sensory input aside from her own physical feelings, and the general darkness that she found herself in all led to a single conclusion; she had absolutely no issues losing herself entirely. She awoke, some time later, from her daze with the realisation that she had completely drifted off. Not that she had fallen asleep, but instead, she had simply lost herself into the nothingness that came with deep meditation. 

Somehow I feel like losing myself isn't actually what this wants. Maybe it's more along the lines of being able to retain awareness, while also not paying attention to the waterfall beating on me? Like being aware of your surroundings, while also...not? The irony of the situation hit her hard as she thought about it. She would've relied on her ability to see here, which would've left her capable of ignoring the falling water - she couldn't hear it as it was, and although she could feel the water falling around her, she felt like it wasn't bothering her at all. Is it really that simple? There's no way a simple disability, something that hinders me so much, could actually benefit me here. It must be something I'm missing. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with any other explanation. 

Fine, if you've got nothing else to go on, do what you know. Or think you know. She slid forwards in the water, just enough that it stopped running over her head and allowed her to open her eyes. The area around her looked unchanged, except for the fact that Musei had, at some point, slid into the water and begun floating around casually. She smiled as she spotted the weasel. Well, at least he's enjoying himself. That's good to see.

ID222769 | LD: 10 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Her eyes followed the weasel across the pond and back, watching as it made small laps in the water, playful in nature and yet somehow relaxed and comforting. She'd not yet seen the weasel so engaged with it's environment; it had always been watching her, trying to follow her motions and desires. It was nice to see the change as it floated around as if in it's own natural habitat and world. Eventually Musei noticed her watching him, and twisted itself around to swim her direction. He made no quickening of his pace, instead lazily coming to the edge of the stone she sat upon before twisting again and waving a paw at her in a flimsy, half-hearted manner. The movement and action brought a laugh from Nymoria, and she found herself waving back in a similar, almost limp like mannerism.

Musei sure does know how to break me out of those reveres. It's nice having him around, even if it's not necessarily helping complete the quest...it feels wholesome. The weasel drifted away a bit, rolling around as it got a few metres out and slowly pushing itself back towards her. She watched for a while longer as he continued the movement, seemingly content to simply lounge in the water while she sat underneath the water falling from above. It would be nice to simply drift around here for a while, wouldn't it?

She shook herself suddenly, knowing that she'd allowed herself to become entirely disconnected again while she'd watched Musei. Hunching her shoulders, she pushed herself back into the proper seated position, trying to put the image of Musei drifting around out of her mind. How is this proving harder than the physical training? It's like there's something in my mind that I'm trying to avoid...wait, is that...?

ID222770 | LD: 5 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

This isn't working at all. She'd tried for a while to think about everything that she could be trying to avoid, but her mind continuously drifted away any time she came close to the numerous problems. She was aware, acutely, of the various issues and problems she had within herself - a fact that she had been trying for numerous years to overcome without success. No small period of time sitting beneath a waterfall within a video game prison is going to change that. So if that's what the game is expecting of me, it's going to be sorely disappointed and I'm just wasting both our times.

She stood, pacing on the rock in a careful manner so as not to slip into the water, or worse onto the rock itself. She kept herself beneath the waterfall unconsciously, as if afraid that leaving it would somehow nullify any progress she'd made and put her right back to the start of the quest's requirements. There's no way the game would require that in-depth of a situation, otherwise no one would be able to complete this quest. I must be missing something, something simple...I just need to figure out what that is, and then I can continue onwards. Something simple, related to mental preparation and training... Her pacing had brought her to the edge of the rock, still within the waterfall, but at a point where she could see the water disappearing beneath her. For a split second, she'd considered jumping in, letting herself drift away and over to wherever the current took her, but she resisted the urge as she considered her accomplishments so far. It's not all for nothing...is it?

ID222771 | LD: 3 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Frigid temperatures were all that came from her consistent thinking, her mind feeling as cold and empty as the water that fell upon her and flowed out around her. If there was one thing she was learning from this quest, it was that she wasn't ready to develop herself mentally - there were too many issues, too many roadblocks and things she didn't want to face within herself. It was better, easier even, to ignore the voice in her mind, the constant thing at her subconsciousness that she wanted nothing more than to ignore forever. The calling that it did, out towards her, causing her to retreat even further from it. She wanted nothing more than to simply exit her mind, to stop hearing it all, to leave everything behind.

That running gets you nowhere. It's why you can't even do this. It's why you've never been able to do anything. But that wasn't true, she'd accomplished some things in her life. Things that she could be proud of, even if others wouldn't consider it worthwhile. Have you though? Have you done anything for your family? For those people who you call your friends? Have you done anything for society? What about for yourself? The final word hit like a shock, coming over her as with the force of a tsunami wave. She felt herself retreating further from it, looking to escape even as it pursued her. 

ID222772 | LD: 6 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She screamed, the noise causing a disturbance in the area of the waterfall - but not reaching much beyond it. She could see Musei shift, the sound likely reaching his sensitive ears as his companion released everything that had been bottling up inside. She pushed out of the waterfall and dove into the water, deciding that she had enough of the quest. She would simply leave, return home to the inn that had become her new residence, and figure out another way. As the water swallowed her form, she let back the tears she'd been holding in, the feeling of overwhelming loss and despair taking over her mind and body, and she drifted wherever the water took her.

She opened her eyes as she surfaced, pulling herself slowly from the reprieve she had found beneath the surface. She'd managed to float towards the edge of the pool, and as she glanced upwards, she saw the white haired form of the Master of Martial arts standing above her, an almost disappointed look upon his face. "Many struggles reside within you. You have not solidified your mental affinity for the arts, and I don't know that you ever will. Perhaps this is as far as you can, or will, ever come. So be it."

She was certain that he would leave her there, but as he turned away his hand gave a motion of beckoning. Hesitantly, she stepped from the water, collecting Musei before following the Master back into the depths of the temple. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, and as she trailed behind him she wondered if he was personally going to remove her from the grounds now that she had failed the test. I wonder if I can come back, once I've...gotten more resilient? Maybe I can try again later.

ID222773 | LD: 10 | Mental Training | Results: Failure [1/3] | +6 additional final damage. 

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

Their path led them to the centre of the temple, and as the Master turned to face her, Nymoria felt a sudden reservation. She couldn't help but wonder if there was another purpose to her being led her, but as her eyes roamed over the room, taking in the few sparse trees and the large boulder in the centre, she couldn't quite figure out what sort of traps or punishments would be in store for her. When the Master finally spoke, his voice was filled with a measure of patience, and Nymoria found herself following the words with confusion.

"This is the third and final task. Before you is the true proof of strength within yourself that you have been building up to this point. A challenge that you must overcome using what determination and power you have found in your previous training. These tasks and trials that you have faced have all led to a singular point; here." He stepped to the side, a hand raising to gesture the large boulder in the centre of the room. When he continued, his voice was even and level, a single comment that was left hanging in the air as Nymoria tried to figure out if he was joking or not. "You shall break this stone, with nothing but yours fists, and determination."

She stared at the Master, then the boulder, her eyes moving back and forth between the two as her mind tried to register what was occurring. The man had made one thing clear in his commentary - weaponry would not be permitted. Stepping forwards slightly, she moved up to the boulder, eyeing it in a confused manner before placing a hand on it. Her palm touched against the cold, hard surface, and she wondered whether this was simple another test, or if there was something more to it. What...do I do?

Combat

Nymoria | Lv. 11 | P. 0 | HP [220/220] | EN [39/40] | ACC [3] | DMG [11] | MIT [14] | BH [+6] | -1 EN
Boulder | HP: 64/75 | EVA: -2
ID222774 | BD: 3+5=8 | CD: 4 | LD: 14 | <<Punch Rock>> | Hit: 11 damage

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She stared in a mixture of further confusion, as well as excitement as the boulder beneath her fist cracked ever so slightly at the impact of her palm strike. She'd meant to do nothing more than slap it, but the movement had turned into a slightly well aimed martial strike, leaving an indentation in the boulder that couldn't be denied as the first of many breaks it would receive. Her eyes widened suddenly, she felt the excitement course through her as she realised that she'd had success within the first real attempt. 

Maybe I can do this after all? She didn't want to hope, didn't dare to hope in actuality. There was too much chance it would be taken away, destroyed before she could even begin to enjoy the feeling, and yet she could see the results right in front of her. Hesitantly, she glanced back towards Master Yunxiang, noticing the slight nod her gave her. The edges of his mouth seemed to be holding back a small smile, and the look gave Nymoria the permission and determination she needed. I may not have succeeded fully at the waterfall, but I still have a chance here. I need to show him I can still do this...that I'm still capable, even if I'm broken.

She centered her weight, shifting on her feet until she was properly squared against the boulder. She'd taken few martial arts classes in the real world - mostly those that had been held at her high school as a form of physical education - but what little she did remember she was determined to apply in the moment. Even if it did little more than make her appear more capable, it was enough to give her the push she needed to throw herself into the challenge before her, with the thought that there was a chance for her to actually succeed.

Combat

Nymoria | Lv. 11 | P. 0 | HP [220/220] | EN [39/40] | ACC [3] | DMG [11] | MIT [14] | BH [+6] | +1 EN | -1 EN
Boulder | HP: 53/75 | EVA: -2
ID222775 | BD: 5+5=10 | CD: 2 | LD: 15 | <<Punch Rock>> | Hit: 11 damage

Edited April 16 by Nymoria

[Nymoria 0]

She had to repress the squeal of excitement as another strike landed and split the boulder even further. Already she could see it splitting and moving towards the top, growing in a slower manner than she would've liked - but growing nonetheless. It was enough to give her the drive she needed to continue, and Nymoria found herself thrown into the task before her with a sudden amount of energy that she hadn't felt since beginning the trial in earnest. Smiling to herself, she swept her feet around to better balance herself, lowering her weight slightly and taking time to prepare herself for her next strike. She closed off her mind to the thoughts of the Master of Martial Arts watching her - it no longer mattered, she'd struck it, and begun the path towards cracking it in half, and she was determined to complete the task her had given her.

Even if it takes me all night, I'll stay here and strike the boulder until it's split in two, just like he wants me to do! I won't give up, no matter how hard it gets! A small part of her couldn't help but wonder if that was what the previous challenges had been truly teaching; the tenacity to remain with the task until it was complete, rather than the actual physical requirements of it all. She figured, even as she pulled back to strike the boulder again, that if the purpose of it all was simply to teach tenacity, then the trials did make sense. Fine, then I'll prove to you, through this final task, that I'm not one to give up just because things get hard. Not again. Not ever again. I almost did that once, and...not ever again!

Combat

Nymoria | Lv. 11 | P. 0 | HP [220/220] | EN [38/40] | ACC [3] | DMG [11] | MIT [14] | BH [+6] | +1 EN | -2 EN
Boulder | HP: 53/75 | EVA: -2
ID222776 | BD: 1+5=6 | CD: 12 | LD: 10 | <<Punch Rock>> | Critical Miss.

Edited April 17 by Nymoria