[F01 | SP] Companions Adhere | <<Feeding Your Enemy>>

[Sakura 0]

Feeding Your Enemy

Familiars. They had become the newest discovery and requirement for any and all players. Aoi had heard talk of their existence within the communication and information lines she maintained, their presence within the game nothing short of a necessity for any player looking to expand upon their own growth and development. Anyone who desired faster skill development, or easier grinding, or even just a less lonely time in Aincrad had taken to finding and accepting the companionship of a familiar within their homes and parties. Aoi hadn’t put off finding one, but rather been unlucky in locating the mobile gypsy woman who provided the beginning of the quest itself. For days she’d searched the various areas of those floors open and available to her, though no sign of the woman had appeared during her various explorations.

It was this lack of success that had driven Aoi back into the wildlands of the first floor once more, hoping that she would somehow come upon the woman’s encampment by pure luck. She’d received notice earlier in the day that the camp had been spotted by players passing the eastern frontier of the floor. The rumour had urged her out of the city, and into the wilds in search of the gypsy, hoping to finally come across the beginning of the quest itself.

Somewhere out here I’ll find her, and get this out of the way. She can’t avoid me forever – if for no other reason than she’ll run out of other players to assist. Aoi waved as she passed the guard at the gate once more, heading off with a determination that bespoke of pure stubbornness and a small measure of desperation. The guard gave no response to her passing, though Aoi noticed that his eyes tracked her until she was beyond his area of concern – whether that was simply a natural reaction of the NPC, or something more personable to this individual’s behaviour, Aoi couldn’t say for sure. She did, however, tuck the knowledge away for further review and consideration, making a mental note of the behaviour and the almost human likeness of it.

---

Sakura uses Spyglass {1} [Reduce Posts to Locate Dungeon/Familiar/Field Boss by 5.]

 

Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [240/240] | EN [42/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10]   Hide contents Notes [Theme] Tier 2 | Tier 2 Equipment Vambrace Crossbow [Hand Crossbow | Tier 2]  Enhancement: Keen [1 Slot] Enhancement: Paralyse [2 Slot] Combat Uniform [Clothing | Tier 1]  Enhancement: Loot Die [3 Slots] Raven Pendant [Trinket | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [3 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Starter Healing Potion {5} [Potion | Tierless | Heals 50 HP] Big Bertha Braciole {4} [Snack | Tier 1 | Vitality II] [ID-NIL] Zackariah's Special Draught {1} [Potion | Tierless | HP Recovery III] [ID-NIL] Teleport Crystal [Crystal | Tierless | Post Action to Teleport to nearest Town.] Spyglass {3} [Reduce Posts to Locate Dungeon/Familiar/Field Boss by 5.] Skills   Hide contents Utility Skills Searching [Rank: 2. Active: Passive. Effect: +1 LD per rank, +1 Stealth Detection per rank.] Night Vision [Rank 2 Searching Mod. Active: Passive. Effect: Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness.] Combat Skills Skill [Active: -. Effect: -.] Weapon Skills Projectile Weaponry [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: +5 DMG] Armour Skills Cloth Armour [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: 12 Mitigation.] Athletics [Rank 3 Cloth Armour Mod. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.] Extra Skills Skill [Active: -. Effect: -.] Combat Mastery Skill [Active: -. Effect: -.] Familiar Skills Skill [Active: -. Effect: -.] Sword Arts   Hide contents [x8] ST-I (8 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x11] ST-II (11 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. [x7] AOE-I (7 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x8] TECH-A (9 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs   Hide contents   [Home] Room [Effect.]

Edited Tuesday at 11:42 PM by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

Half the day had passed before Aoi had located the gypsy woman’s encampment. A single trailer, sitting beside a low-burning fire and a collection of seats, became visible as she approached the area with a caution that was born of having traversed the fields of the floor many times over. Aoi had long since learnt not to trust anything out of the norm, and this area was of no exception – newly arriving creatures, obstacles or other items within the game could more oft than not be a danger to the player coming upon them, even if they were expected to magically appear where nothing had been times previous. It was that caution that led Aoi to watch the camp for a time before approaching, confirming that the gypsy woman – and she was for all appearances designed to look like a gypsy – was the only thing in camp. Only once she was feeling somewhat more confident, had she made her approach to the woman.

’You’re not hiding very well, you know.’ Aoi froze at the sound of the voice. She’d been approaching from the side, but she’d thought that her movements and general presence was subdued enough to go unnoticed for another few steps at least. Instead, the gypsy woman had clearly noticed her before Aoi had anticipated, and she found herself waiting to see what would happen next – her crossbow arm twitching slightly in anticipation of use. ’Come now, take a seat with me. I assume you’re hear to find yourself a companion, yes? Let us speak about it, then.’

[Sakura 0]

The woman waved towards a seat across from her, and Aoi moved towards it with the same tension in her body that had appeared the moment her presence had been pointed out. She was poised, as much to run as she was to fight, should the moment of its necessity arrive. Whether the woman before her noticed it or not, Aoi couldn’t tell, but the gypsy woman continued speaking and acting as though everything was normal and fine. ’I can help you. With finding a companion, that is. But first…you must convince me that you deserve one. Why is it that you need a companion? What is their purpose in your life, and what is your plan with them?’

Aoi found herself speechless for a time as she considered the questions. She’d never heard of this portion of the quest before, though she knew that it was more than plausible that no one else had bothered to mention it as they found it simply another mechanic in the system. When she did speak, her voice was low, as though she was trying to keep the answer to herself. ’I’m…looking for someone who I can have at my side, to help me succeed. Someone…or something, I guess, who I can rely upon more than anyone or anything else in this world.’

Edited Tuesday at 11:43 PM by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

She was surprised by her own answer, the words sounding closer to the truth than Aoi had originally intended. She’d left out the portion of her answer that declared the desperate need for someone, something that she could feel close to – and yet she had a feeling that the gypsy woman was able to see that thought within her features. Seconds passed as silence reigned, before the gypsy woman suddenly leaned to the side and produced a small pouch. She held it out for Aoi to take, speaking as she did so. ’I have this bag of treats, which has proven to be useful in calling and taming the various creatures one can find within this world. You may borrow it for this task, but I ask that you return it as soon as you are capable of doing so – more than just you require access to this, and it would not do well for them to go missing in the event that others need it.’

Aoi reached forward for the bag, hesitating as her hand came close to grasping it. She wavered for a few seconds, before pulling her hand back and asking the question that had burned in the back of her throat. ’Do I…deserve to take these?’

The gypsy woman seemed shocked at the question, tilting her head slightly and considering the words for a few moments. She’d lowered the bag in response to Aoi’s own movements, having seated it on her lap while she spoke in response. ’Within your words I see a desire that goes beyond that of simple mastery. You are not looking for something to obtain and abuse, but rather a partner to work alongside you. Something that you may eventually call friend, if you are given the chance. I do not see the desire to harm within you, but rather the desire to survive. Perhaps it is clouded by darkness, but it is not inherently evil. I cannot say if you deserve this, but I can say that you should not be kept from it.’

Edited Tuesday at 11:44 PM by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The words were far from the comfort or confirmation that Aoi knew she’d been looking for from the woman. It was, however, convincing enough to cause her to reach out for the small pouch, waiting to receive it from the other if they were still willing to provide it to her. She considered what had been said, and realised that a small part of her may have expected to use the familiar as nothing more than a tool, and the realisation caused her to wince slightly, just enough to be noticeable, and she saw the gypsy woman pause in her own retrieval of the pouch.

’I…believe you may have been right, about not being inherently evil. Sort of. I…think for a time, until right in this moment, I was thinking that a familiar…a companion…would be nothing more than another tool for my own success. A thing that I could use, without the intent for harm, in order to ensure my own success. I…hadn’t considered the impact that could have upon something else…I hadn’t considered how selfish that was until right this moment.’ Aoi waited to see what the other woman would say, dreading the coming rejection that she expected. She could see the flicker of thought and emotion passing the gypsy woman’s face, a roiling wave that she wasn’t quite able to determine the meaning of, could only wait and see what the outcome came to be.

’Your candor is appreciated.’ The words were emotionless, in the way that the woman seemed to simply be making a statement. Moreover, Aoi felt no judgement from the commentary – nothing that would hint towards malicious behaviour or intent. The gypsy woman appeared truly appreciative, if non-committal, about the truthful feelings that Aoi had shared. ’I do not believe you intend to cause any harm towards a companion, and so I see no reason to withhold the right to find and accept one within your partnership. I hold to my decision to provide you the ability and chance to have such experiences within your life.’

[Sakura 0]

Aoi opened her mouth to say something else, closing it only when it became apparent that there wouldn’t be any differing answers from the NPC before her. The system had acknowledged her right to take the quest, and although the figure before her appeared humanoid in physicality, Aoi knew that it was little more than a pre-programmed entity designed to provide human like behaviours, in order to quell her into believing that she was holding a real conversation. And it almost worked a little too well.

Picking herself up from the temporary seating she’d settled into during their conversation, Aoi collected the bag and gave a final bow of thanks, before turning to leave the camp behind. She only stopped as the gypsy woman spoke once more, the words oddly prophetic in sound. ’Do not be afraid of what you find in the search you are about to partake in. There are all manner of creatures and beings available for your companionship, and not all of them will appear in the way you expect them to…accept that, and you will be fine.’

Aoi paused, considering the information for a few brief seconds before deciding she really didn’t need, nor want, an explanation. Instead she gave a nod – whether in understanding or thanks she couldn’t say – before hastily retreated from the woman lest she provide more bone chilling commentary about what was to come.

[Sakura 0]

Once she was beyond the camp, Aoi came to a stop. She hadn’t considered yet what she was going to do to find the actual familiar prior to heading on the quest. The lack of direction received left her to believe that there was something she was missing, and she found herself wondering at her next steps.

Well, for starters, wandering around the grass fields without a plan probably won’t help. Sit, think, then move. Unable to argue with the logic in the thought, she plopped herself down on a nearby patch of comfortable ground, settling back into a leaned position and staring into the horizon around her. Her eyes passed over the various small groups of creatures that roamed the area, none of them close enough to be considered a threat or concern in the moment. Only once she was sure that nothing was nearby enough to be a threat, did she finally relax a bit and let her mind wander some more.

Right, so…companion. Familiar. Whatever. I need to come up with a plan on how I’m going to find one. And I guess it would be important to know what to look for…seeing as I have no idea… She’d seen a few familiars around. Black wolfdogs, various birds of flight, and other small critters that people had strode around proudly with – perhaps not so much as to display them to others, but simply content to have a friend to travel with them at all times.

[Sakura 0]

So, what is it I want in a companion? Aoi considered the various options she’d already seen, her mind passing over animals that had ranged from the smallest of shoulder-sitting cuteness, to larger beasts that could walk alongside her and act as much as a deterrent as a friend. She quickly crossed off a number of simpler creatures that she knew she wouldn’t be comfortable having around – snakes, and other reptiles for certain. Even if I happen to come across them, I’m pretty sure I’d just move on rather than attempt to befriend a lizard…or a snake. A shiver passed down her spine at the thought, and she quickly turned her thoughts towards something else, anything else.

Alright, what about a cat? A cat could be cool…though a bit needy and annoying at times, I guess. She sighed at the indecision, knowing that she was getting nowhere as things were. A part of her knew that she was grasping at ideas, and yet wasn’t even entirely certain what options were available for companions. The only limitation she had seen was that they were never humanoid creations by design, but beyond that the possibilities had remained obscure and without conceptualisation. The exact unhelpfulness that one would expect to receive from a game like this. I guess I’ll simply have to search and hope for the best. Not really any other options to go on here.

[Sakura 0]

Aoi wasn’t entirely happy with the conclusion. She’d achieved nothing as she’d sat and contemplated, aside from wasting time. She’d come no closer to finding a companion, and certainly hadn’t come any closer to making a decision about what she was looking for in her quest for a permanent friend. Well, that’s not entirely true. You crossed off some obvious ones from the list of possibilities that never existed. That’s…something. She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts, wanting to laugh and yet feeling the dryness of the humour remaining too harsh to provide anything more than a groan of annoyance.

Get up, sitting around here isn’t doing anything. Better to keep going and see what we come across in the wilds of the world. Though she didn’t feel ready, nor willing, to get up from her seated position, Aoi knew that she needed to head onwards and continue with the quest. She had a long path ahead of her if the current situation was any signifier, and sitting around whining about it wasn’t going to get her anywhere – except perhaps a point of annoyance and failure.

[Sakura 0]

The fields around her were chillingly empty. Aoi could see the movement far into the distance that signified the various creatures that roamed and existed within the environment. Aoi could see the oddly shaped outlines, but knew that none of them were anywhere close enough to be approached before they moved away, let alone a danger to herself. Moreover, she found the area immediately around her void of any life – digital or otherwise. The grasses swished in the wind, whispering softly in a way that mimicked almost perfectly the sound of fields in the real world, drawing her into a realm of peace that seemed both welcoming, and somehow alarming at the same time.

In a game where you’re constantly fighting just to stay alive, peace and quiet seems almost…foreign. Dangerous, even. How ironic. Aoi tilted her head as she leaned back against the dirt behind her. She knew that she shouldn’t spend too much time lounging around – there was still work to be done on attempting to find her familiar, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the spot just yet. She’d spent numerous days rushing around Aincrad, attempting to scrounge up just enough col to survive another night, before repeating the pattern the next day. She was tired, a level of exhaustion that went beyond just the physical and into something more. As if I’ve spent weeks working on a project, only to collapse upon its end…though I’m nowhere near the end of that project yet.

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Post Action: Familiar Search
ID245450 | LD [6+5 = 11/15] | Result: Failure [LD -3]

Edited 7 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

If she wasn’t more aware, she may have labelled it as a stress reaction. In a way, it was. A continuous stress reaction to a dangerous situation – and yet, somehow it was different in a way that Aoi couldn’t explain. She didn’t want to die, but somehow she’d come to terms with the possibility that she could be facing eventual death. She hoped, in some small part of her heart and mind, that she would escape the world that they were trapped in and make it back to the reality that they had all first sought to escape by coming here.

Another irony. How many came to Aincrad to escape reality, only to attempt to fight their way back to it? How many of us came here because we couldn’t deal with our old lives…and now we look to escape back to what we left behind. Who wouldn’t be happy living out a life here…? It was odd to think about, Aoi knew. Most were scared of dying, many others simply had something beyond the game waiting for them – families, friends, some purpose in their actual life that had been placed on pause until they returned. Or worse, lost entirely even should they escape. As much as they spoke about escaping the world beyond the virtual, when they had been trapped away from it, they had all reacted the same – fear, horror, and a desire to get out. What does that mean about our will and desires?

[Sakura 0]

Musings as complete as they were going to be, Aoi pushed herself to a standing position. She had a lot to do, and sitting around considering their fate – and the aspects of the various responses to the aforementioned fate – wouldn’t help her any more than sleeping all day would. Let’s do something useful, then. She checked her equipment quickly, confirming that the crossbow was loaded and ready to go, and that she hadn’t forgot any pieces of equipment that were important. As content as she was going to be, she turned to face the wide open horizon.

’That way?’ Aoi spoke aloud, surprising herself as she jumped in reaction to her own voice. It had been too quiet, and she found herself shocked at the sudden noise that echoed out around her. Nothing seemed to respond to it, however, and after a few seconds of glancing about nervously, she headed off in the direction she’d originally taken after leaving the gypsy woman’s encampment behind. She wandered aimlessly, no real path or reason to her advancement, only a desire to make some sort of progress on her search that could be seen and acknowledged – even if it didn’t exactly lead to immediate success.

[Sakura 0]

Grunting caught her attention, and Aoi turned as she recognised the sound of a hoof slamming into the ground repeatedly. Her eyes widened as she spotted the form of a boar slamming its right front hoof into the ground in warning, the creature’s tusks shifting back and forth as it prepared itself to charge towards the player that had accidentally walked across its current feeding ground.

Aoi moved almost instantly, her mind still processing the sudden appearance of the creature as she lifted her arm, sprinted away from the spot she had been standing, and prepared to fire the crossbow into the boar’s side. It had entirely caught her by surprise, and yet somehow hadn’t managed to get the upper hand in the fight by attacking her when she wasn’t looking – a fact that she was thankful for, as she moved out of the immediate path of its coming charge. She rolled to the ground as she pushed herself further away from it, tucking and coming up out of the roll on the left side of the creature’s body as it began to turn around to follow her.

Aim. Take a second to aim. Make the shot count, otherwise this will be a whole lot worse for you. She knew the logic behind it, but as the boar leapt forward, she found herself moving again, sacrificing any chance for a quick shot she might’ve had in the desperate hope to put distance between herself and the boar’s tusks. Spinning while in motion, she released the bolt as soon as the thing came into view and she felt she had a somewhat decent shot.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [240/240] | EN [34/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -8 EN
Boar 1 | HP [80/144] | DMG [48] | Paralysed

ID245535 | BD [9+3] = 12 | <<ST-I vs. Boar 1>> | Minor Critical Hit [{7+1}x8] = 64 damage | Paralysed | Keen [1]

Edited 7 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The bolt struck true even as Aoi rolled out of the way of the creature’s sudden charge. Momentum carried it onwards a few steps, before it came to a sudden, rigid stop mere steps away from where Aoi had been standing before she’d rolled. The entire form of the creature had locked up as the paralysis from her bolt’s impact rippled across it, leaving it entirely defenceless – but more importantly, giving Aoi the time she needed to carefully reload her crossbow with a new bolt from the vambrace’s ammunition compartment.

The boar shook itself after a few seconds, the paralysis washed out of its system and freeing it from the statue it had been temporarily. Aoi stepped back, placing more distance between herself and the boar, deciding that it was best if she circled around and took caution, rather than daring, to win the fight. She knew she could bring it down with one powerful attack – but she needed to be able to aim and strike the boar, if she wanted to be lucky enough to end the fight quickly. Just be careful, take your time…don’t over do anything and put yourself into trouble.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [240/240] | EN [25/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -11 EN | +2 EN
Boar 1 | HP [3/144] | DMG [48]

ID245538 | BD [7+4] = 11 | <<ST-II vs. Boar 1>> | Hit [7x11] = 77 damage | Keen [1] | MOB [4] | Miss

Edited 6 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

Another twang echoed into the air as Aoi released another shot into the side of the boar, slamming into it hard enough to knock it off the path it had begun charging in towards her. She side stepped further, ensuring that the faltering movement of the boar went well wide and far from her, and began reloading the crossbow again as she placed more distance between herself and the creature.

She could already see that it was almost defeated, the creature dragging on the air as it tried to fill lungs that were simulating intensive pain and damage – though Aoi doubted that it actually felt anything, simply acted in a manner that the system assumed would be accurate for the situation. They’re just computer created things…they don’t actually feel anything. She knew she was trying to convince herself, and though she believed it, another part of her wondered if she was trying to distance any doubts she may have, knowing they would hinder her ability to continue fighting the creatures.

Now isn’t the time to consider it. She scowled at herself for letting her thoughts distract her. Already the boar had moved forwards, looking to close what little distance she’d managed to make between them. Her eyes darted around, confirming that no other threats were nearby. Sighing to release the breath she’d held without a second thought, she brought the crossbow up once more, aiming it and hoping that she could bring the boar down with a single, final shot.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [240/240] | EN [26/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -1 EN | +2 EN
Boar 1 | HP [3/144] | DMG [48]

ID245541 | BD [1+4] = 5 | <<Basic Attack vs. Boar 1>> | Miss | MOB [4] | Miss

Edited 6 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The boar leapt forwards suddenly, seeing the crossbow brought up and preparing to fire. Aoi was forced to lean backwards, losing her balance and releasing the bolt into the open air as she avoided the sudden charge that had come her way. She could hear, after a few seconds, the sound of the bolt embedding into something solid not too far away – though it clearly wasn’t the form of the boar, as it rushed past her and continued onwards to safety.

Missed me as well, so at least that… She circled further away, reloading once more as she went – and noticing that the ammunition loops on her vambrace had finally run empty. Though she had more tucked away, she knew it was far more difficult and time consuming to load them from the pouches on her thighs, or worse off her inventory itself, than the vambrace’s own ammunition containers. Here’s hoping that I can bring it down with this shot, then. She hadn’t considered the plausibility of needing – or rather, wanting – to bring down a creature due to nothing more than an inconvenience, and she found herself grinning in response to the situation.

With nothing else holding her back, the crossbow was loaded and prepared to fire before being brought back up into an aiming position. Aoi waited for the boar to shift around, facing her once more and starting in her direction as she planted her feet and shifted her grip, hoping to get an easy shot as it charged towards her once more.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [210/240] | EN [26/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -1 EN \ -30 HP | +2 EN
Boar 1 | HP [3/144] | DMG [48]

ID245548 | BD [2+3] = 5 | <<Basic Attack vs. Boar 1>> | Miss | MOB [10] | Major Critical Hit [(48+2)-20] = 30 damage

Edited 6 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The ground shifted beneath her feet slightly, and Aoi caught her thumb before it released the bolt into the air again, looking down to confirm she wasn’t falling into a hole of some sort. The distraction was everything that the boar needed, and she felt as it slammed into her head on at full speed, the tusks thankfully missing her form as she was launched into the air and away from the creature’s form.

Slamming into the ground, she rolled twice before coming to a stop and pushing herself slowly to her feet. Though the system refrained from implementing any sort of pain into the attack, some portion of Aoi’s brain filled in the missing feeling – leaving her sore and limping slightly as she stood, hovering on her feet for a second as she tried to bring the crossbow up to fire. She noticed, belatedly, that the bolt had fallen out somewhere, and sighed to herself as she moved backwards away from the creature and reached into her thigh holster in search of another piece of ammunition. Seconds flashed by before she scrounged up another, slowly and carefully loading it into the crossbow once more.

Let’s not repeat that, yes? Her sarcastic nature gave no restraint against the words, and Aoi found herself scowling deeply in response to the thought. She hadn’t tried to let the boar strike her, but now that it had happened, she would have to suffer the consequences in the form of internal torment. Deciding the best she could do would be to ignore it, she instead focused on preparing for another shot at the boar – this time keeping distance and a slight angle to it in the hopes of avoiding a repeat attack.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [182/240] | EN [27/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -1 EN \ -30 HP | +2 EN
Boar 1 | HP [3/144] | DMG [48]

ID245556 | BD [2+3] = 5 | <<Basic Attack vs. Boar 1>> | Miss | MOB [7] | Hit [48-20] = 28 damage

Edited 6 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The boar turned to follow her, and Aoi found herself falling into a collaborate dance as the two of them attempting to align, and un-align, the boar’s line of attack. Aoi raised and lowered the crossbow numerous times over, finding and almost instantly losing the shot she wanted to take as the boar continue to push her further and further into a large wide circle as she danced and wove to avoid its gaze and tusks.

Gotta just take a risk. She knew there wouldn’t be any resolution if she just continued to move around and around with the thing, and decided to simply place all of her luck into a single second of pause. Stopping her movement, she brought the crossbow up to aim, thumbing the firing mechanism and watching as the bolt headed directly towards the boar – except the boar simply slammed into the ground, ducking to avoid the shot before leaping up and charging her just hard enough to throw her to the side.

I’m gonna hate bacon soon enough. Aoi cursed as she rolled to her feet once more, the boar’s attack cutting into her health bar again and leaving her struggling to get back into a position of attack. She reloaded the crossbow, slower than she had before, and brought it up once more in a desperate attempt to simply pepper the thing until it died.

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Sakura | Lv. 12 | P. 0 | HP [182/240] | EN [28/42] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [0] | MIT [20] | LD [5] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -1 EN | +2 EN
Boar 1 | HP [0/144] | DMG [48]

ID245562 | BD [6+3] = 9 | <<Basic Attack vs. Boar 1>> | Hit [7 damage] | Boar 1 defeated

Loot Rolls
ID245563 | LD [16+5] = 21 | CD [6] | 1,008 [432+576] col, Perfect Armour/Shield [1], Perfect Trinket [1]

Loot Totals
1,008 col
Perfect Armour/Shield [1] | ID245563
Perfect Trinket [1] | ID245563

Edited 5 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The bolt crossed the small distance between herself and the boar, putting the creature to rest as it slammed into the thing’s forehead and caused it to explode into a collection of shards. A small goodbye, that did anything but confirm the danger she’d been in mere seconds beforehand. Aoi let the crossbow drop, her arm suddenly extremely tired. The weapon remained unloaded for the time being, and although Aoi considered the fact that she should reload it to ensure her safety in case something else attacked her, she couldn’t bring herself to complete the movement.

I should sit down for a few minutes. She moved almost instantly, settling into a nearby open patch, the exhaustion from the conflict rushing over her as the adrenaline left her. She spent a few moments doing nothing but staring into the sky, her eyes tracking absolutely nothing and her mind entirely blank. Something eventually stirred her back to consciousness, and she began the slow movements of reloading weapon and wrist bandolier.

I could go to sleep here and now. She knew it was a bad idea, and although she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and let rest take over her, she fought against the desire. Few adventurers had taken the risk of sleeping out beyond the safety of the various towns and settlements – and those few who had, usually hadn’t been heard from again, for one reason or another.

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

A sound caught Aoi’s attention as she shifted in place. Scratching, skittering noises that sounded similar to claws running over hard rock, or something similar. Her head snapped around, the adrenaline coursing through her once more as she brought the crossbow up and into a prepared position again. She half expected to find another of the boars standing before her, waiting to charge her once she turned to face it – as if it would want to see her expression as it rushed towards her and brought about her end.

There was no boar, however. What Aoi’s eyes caught left her baffled for a few moments. The shape and form of it was entirely unnatural, and at the same time reminded her of an arachnid or similar creature. Long, spider like legs stretched out from a elongated body that contained oddly proportioned claw like protrusions by where a face would be, a tail-like contraption coming up over the top of its body – and a single, red glow that could have been an eye stared at her. The entire thing was made of a metallic substance, and it was anything but a creature of the woodlands that Aoi would have expected to find here.

What the- She twisted herself slightly in confusion, trying to make sense of the thing before her, and failing almost as miserably as she had in her last few firing attempts. Her head cocked to the side, taking the thing in and noticing how it dropped it’s one side, as if mimicking the movement ever so slightly. Is it…copying me?

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Post Action: Familiar Search
ID245564 | LD [16+5 = 21/12] | Result: Success | Familiar Located