[F05 | SP] Sand, It Really Does Get Everywhere | <<Grind Thread>>

[Sakura 0]

Deserts had always appealed to Aoi, in an odd way. She’d found fascination with their entire existence, the way that a barren, dry environment could continue to maintain and provide for life somehow causing an impression upon her. Now that she was in one, however, she found herself reconsidering the interest. Sand blew by her face, leaving her wondering why she had come here in the first place – and more important, why it got everywhere. There’s really no safe haven from it here. It gets everywhere, and you can’t avoid it. Definitely not an ideal, relaxing place…and the heat. This is no beach. It’s no wonder people die here…

She’d made her way beyond the walls of the bazaar and surrounding town in the hopes of finding something quieter, knowing that she could resupply her stocks at the same time. A bonus, if she were being entirely honest with herself. The recent rush that she’d made towards propelling herself into the frontlines, and the more advanced areas of Aincrad, had left her feeling disconnected in a way – even Kaie’s continuous assistance in the shop had only buffered it slightly. Though without that little bot, I think I’d have been overwhelmed by the work and orders quite some time ago. Kaie’s really been…more help than I can even suggest.

Aoi considered what she could do for Kaie in repayment, knowing almost immediately that the little bot wanted nothing more than to simply help. Kaie would probably be happy if I gave more work, honestly. That little bot seems to love to assist, in any way it can. Though I do need to keep it away from the kitchenette… She remembered with a grimace when the bot had attempted to make Aoi lunch while she had worked on a difficult piece of armour, the smoke from the resulting mess of a meal causing the store to require all doors left open for hours afterwards, and a number of possible patrons driven away by the mere smell that rolled out onto the street beyond. She knew that Kaie had meant well, and she had spent hours afterwards attempting to cheer up the little bot when it seemed entirely disappointed by its attempt.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [340/340] | EN [52/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | 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 {2} [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.] Nimble [Rank 5 Cloth Armour Add-on. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 Evasion while wearing Cloth Armour. Gain +1 LD.] Extra Skills Skill [Active: -. Effect: -.] Combat Mastery Evasion [Rank: 2. Active: Passive. Effect: +1 EVA per rank.] Familiar Skills Profession [Active: Passive. Effect: Your familiar is adept in the ways of your profession, and supports you. +2 crafting/gathering EXP per attempt, and one additional crafting attempt per day (two additional crafting attempts per day if you’re at max crafting rank).] 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.]

[Sakura 0]

Whatever thoughts Aoi may have had about cheering up and thanking Kaie were driven away as the howls ripped across the otherwise open desert area, quickly turning into a collection of yips that sent an odd chill down her spine. Aoi shifted her footing, turning in an attempt to locate the position that the sounds had come from, knowing that the danger would appear from the sands without warning if she wasn’t careful. The crossbow on her wrist was already loaded and ready to go – modified recently with a pull-string that allowed her to fire it single handedly, a small addition that she had made to it herself.

Over there? She turned and faced the sudden shifting sand, noticing as it lifted itself from the place it had hidden within until just that moment. The creature was large, slightly bigger than the wolves that Aoi was used to facing on the first floor – and it was coloured to blend in almost perfectly with the sands around it, an off beige and brown colouring that flowed across every part of its form in an almost camouflage like covering. Brown eyes, filled with an animalistic nature, stared out at her from beneath the otherwise shifting furs, and she could see the sharp teeth hidden beneath curling lips.

Not ready to be outdone, Aoi took a single look around, confirming that another was coming from her left side, before making her move. She rushed towards the creature, bolt loaded and her hand coming up as she closed the distance and aimed for the thing’s side. She knew that the element of surprise would give her the benefit here, and rushed to close the distance before it could do anything more than growl at her and brace itself.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [290/340] | EN [41/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -11 EN | -50 HP |
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [155/204] | DMG [68]
Sand Hyena 2 | HP [141/204] | DMG [68] | Paralysed

ID245706 | BD [3+3] = 6 | <<AoE-I vs. Sand Hyena 1>> | Hit [7x7] = 49 damage | MOB [10-3] = 7 | Major Critical Hit [{68+2}-20] = 50 damage
ID245707 | BD [10+3] = 3 | <<AoE-I vs. Sand Hyena 2>> | Major Critical Hit [{7+2}x7] = 63 damage | Paralysed | Keen [1]

Edited 3 hours ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The crossbow bolt slammed into the side of the hyena, causing the creature to scream slightly and lash out sideways towards Aoi’s form, catching her and throwing her against a nearby rock formation. For a split second she felt the pain rip through her body, before she remembered the lack of pain filters within the game itself. Struggling to her feet, her mind still reeling from the believed pain more so than any actual physical impact, Aoi reloaded the hand crossbow on her wrist and brought it up to fire once more. It was only during this movement that she realised the second hyena had closed it, the jaws opening as it rushed towards her.

Almost reactively she fired the crossbow, watching as the bolt slammed into the hyena and tore through it, halting and changing its forward charge into a sideways drift as it struggled to remain on its feet, all while peeling away from her. The damage she had inflicted was minimal at best, and yet Aoi could see as the creatures shuffled to the side, suddenly wary of her and the weapon upon her wrist. She wasn’t about to give them the advantage of regrouping, and quickly reloaded the weapon before rushing forwards, intent to use her own agility and capabilities to overcome the pair of them as quickly as she could.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [290/340] | EN [35/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -8 EN | -0 HP | +2 EN
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [155/204] | DMG [68]
Sand Hyena 2 | HP [85/204] | DMG [68]

ID245708 | BD [3+4] = 7 | <<ST-I vs. Sand Hyena 2>> | Hit [7x8] = 56 damage | MOB [8-3] = 5 | Miss | Keen [1]
ID245709 | <<Sand Hyena 1 vs. Sakura>> | BD [4-3] = 1 | Miss

Edited 29 minutes ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

Her sudden charge seemed to take the hyenas by surprise, allowing Aoi to slam her right hand into the side of the more injured of the two and release another bolt into it. The creature yelped and retreated slightly, making its way away from her as it limped back in feigned pain. Whether it was truly in pain or not, Aoi couldn’t say – and in the moment, wouldn’t have cared. She’d already taken a brutal beating from the creature, and she wasn’t ready to give either of them pity at this point in time.

Taking a deep breath, she leapt backwards, landing on her feet a few steps away and retreating further in order to give herself some time and space to react to any counter attack that might come from the pair. Instead, the creatures circled slightly away, moving alongside her path in what was clearly meant to be a feinted opening to draw her back in. Calmly, using the time she had, Aoi instead reloaded the crossbow and moved in tandem with them, creating a widening circle that gave her more and more distance – which meant an advantage for her ranged weaponry, over their need to get in close. They’re going to charge soon.

How she knew, she couldn’t quite say, but as the hyenas leapt forward, Aoi moved backwards to put more distance and attempt to give herself time to aim. The crossbow in her hand came up, and she aligned the thumb of her hand towards her target, attempting to use it as a pseudo sight for her weapon. Seconds flashed by, and Aoi flicked her wrist to trigger the firing mechanism only once she was confident in her shot.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [240/340] | EN [35/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -2 EN | -50 HP | +2 EN
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [155/204] | DMG [68]
Sand Hyena 2 | HP [85/204] | DMG [68]

ID245713 | BD [1+4] = 5 | <<ST-II vs. Sand Hyena 2>> | Critical Miss | MOB [10-3] = 7 | Major Critical Hit [{68+2}-20] = 50 damage 
ID245714 | <<Sand Hyena 1 vs. Sakura>> | BD [3-3] = 0 | Miss

Edited 27 minutes ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The spring within the crossbow snapped forward, launching the bolt into the air and sending it flying towards the pair of hyenas. Aoi watched in slow motion as it soared, hoping that it would meet its mark and bring her to a moment of safety, only to see as it slowly drifted lower and slower. Mere breaths from the hyena she’d been aiming at, it landed in the ground and imbedded itself. As if emblazoned by the failed shot, the hyena rushed forward with a burst of energy and slammed into Aoi’s form, once again sending her tumbling into the dirt and knocking the wind from her. She coughed slightly, pushing herself up just in time to see the second creature leap into the air. Without a thought, she dropped herself back to the ground and rolled slightly, watching the form of the hyena pass overhead and beyond her, to land steps away and carried onward thanks to the momentum it had gained in its charge.

She was quick to her feet, reloading and retreating in a slowly developing pattern. She fumbled the bolt into place, the smoothness of the motion lost ever so slightly as she saw the dip in her health bar once more. She wasn’t at a point where she would need to escape immediately, but the continued damage she was taking was putting a nerve on her desire to fight, causing her to question her capabilities and choice in the hunting mission she’d taken for herself.

A quick bite of her lip, and Aoi brought the weapon back up into a ready position. Already the hyena’s were circling back towards her, and she knew that she would only have a split second to line up her shot and take it. Move in, get close. You can’t miss if it’s point blank. The thought surprised her, and yet she found herself moving before she could think of the consequences of such an action, her feet carrying her closer to her target even as she brought her arm back and up in preparation.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [240/340] | EN [26/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -11 EN | -50 HP | +2 EN
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [155/204] | DMG [68]
Sand Hyena 2 | HP [8/204] | DMG [68]

ID245715 | BD [3+3] = 6 | <<ST-II vs. Sand Hyena 2>> | Hit [7x11] = 77 damage | MOB [5-3] = 2 | Miss | Keen [1]
ID245716 | <<Sand Hyena 1 vs. Sakura>> | BD [8-3] = 5 | Miss

Edited 19 minutes ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

The bolt snapped out of the crossbow as she impacted with the creature, using the force of her hand to push it away even as she shot directly into its underside. She’d slid slightly to the side at the last second, and with her momentum and strength she managed to force the hyena into its companion, stopping any chance that it could lash out back towards her – a lucky coincidence that she hadn’t considered when making the movement.

The moment she was certain the bolt was clear and she could do so, Aoi picked up her pace and moved onwards and beyond the hyena’s reach, spinning as she went and circling away from the pair of them as they untangled themselves. She thumbed another bolt into the piece on her wrist, deciding that she would need to configure a better loading mechanism on her newer design – when she got around to that.

That one’s almost dead…if I can line it up right maybe I can hit both of them? She knew that it would be a much less powerful attack, but considering her situation and chances, she figured it was well worth the risk. Sliding to a sudden stop, she changed direction and rushed towards the pair, hoping they would remain side by side as she closed in with the intent of firing through the first of them.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [191/340] | EN [17/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -11 EN | -49 HP | +2 EN
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [155/204] | DMG [68]
Sand Hyena 2 | HP [0/204] | DMG [68]

ID245717 | BD [1+4] = 5 | <<AoE-I vs. Sand Hyena 1>> | Miss | MOB [9-3] = 6 | Minor Critical Hit [{68+1}-20] = 49 damage
ID245718 | BD [3+4] = 7 | <<AoE-I vs. Sand Hyena 2>> | Hit [7x7] = 49 damage | Keen [1] | Sand Hyena 2 defeated

Loot Rolls
ID245719 | LD [10+6] = 16 | CD [1] | 1,020 {612+408} col, 2 materials, Rare Consumable [1], Rare Weapon [1]

Loot Totals
1,020 col
2 materials
Rare Consumable [1] | ID245719
Rare Weapon [1] | ID245719

Edited 10 minutes ago by Sakura

[Sakura 0]

One of the hyena’s exploded in a collection of shards as Aoi slammed the bolt into it. The projectile, however, fell to the ground as its momentum came to a dead stop halfway through the hyena’s previous form, and Aoi found herself face to face with the second creature. Before she could react, the hyena’s jaw had clasped onto her arm, shaking her harshly to the side and tearing something within it. She screamed in fear and psycho-derived pain, before being tossed aside by the creature and rolling away.

Slowly standing, or at least slowly for how she felt, Aoi moved through the motion of reloading the crossbow through sheer muscle memory alone. Her mind reeled, snapping back into place only once the motion had been completed and she realised she was still in a fight for her life. Planting her feet, Aoi took stock of the situation. The hyena had circled slightly, apparently uncertain now that its companion was gone. Alone, it looked more fearful than it had when outnumbering her, and Aoi wondered if she had scared the pair into attacking her.

That doesn’t matter. It’s you or it, and you’re not going to die here. I don’t want to die here. I won’t die here. Shifting her weight slightly, she brought the crossbow up to position, steadying her hand and taking a deep breath before snapping her hand to activate the firing mechanism within the weapon.

---

Sakura | Lv. 17 | P. 0 | HP [191/340] | EN [10/52] | ACC [3] | DMG [7] | EVA [3] | MIT [20] | LD [6] | SD [2] | Keen [1] | Paralyse [8-10] | -9 EN | -0 HP | +2 EN
Sand Hyena 1 | HP [99/204] | DMG [68] | Stunned

ID245720 | BD [4+4] = 8 | <<Tech-A vs. Sand Hyena 1>> | Hit [7x8] = 56 damage | Stunned | Keen [1]

Loot Rolls
ID245719 | LD [10+6] = 16 | CD [1] | 1,020 {612+408} col, 2 materials, Rare Consumable [1], Rare Weapon [1]

Loot Totals
1,020 col
2 materials
Rare Consumable [1] | ID245719
Rare Weapon [1] | ID245719

Edited 3 minutes ago by Sakura