[PT] [PP-F16] Seaside Vacation (For Real This Time) <<SotW: Fighting Fish>>

[Pollux 0]

A rare peaceful day at the Trackers HQ. Yue Hua was on a walk, eyes half-closed and basking in the slowness of it, when she heard echoes of activity from a nearby room. The sound of a heavy impact, one after another after another. She strolled over to the door, curious.

Light slanted in from the training room’s tall arched windows. Everything was vibrant, stirring Yue Hua from her indolent mood. At the center of the hall, Morningstar was in a stance in front of a punching bag, his fists covered in boxing gloves. Yue Hua watched him strike the bag, sending it swinging backwards on its chain, then adjust his angle to meet it with another powerful strike upon its return.

He was deep into his routine. Quietly, Yue Hua settled against a wall in his periphery, painted hands tucked between her back and the wall. She waited until he finished, and when she greeted him in the thereafter, she had shrugged her coat onto her thin shoulders, uncomfortably aware.

There were some things her potions couldn’t fix.

“Leader,” she started joyfully. “Might I suggest taking down a real target instead?” Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Her tail wagged in anticipation. Through neither of their faults, it had been too long since they made any progress on the tablet quest line. Floor 29 had overloaded the Trackers’ leader, and one of its most active members, with work. “T’would be wise to have the rewarded buffs for the impending boss fight. As much as we have on our plate at current, we also need to step back, re-examine ourselves, and ensure that we are better equipped to deal with this floor’s unique threats.”

---

-> FISHING FOR MORETSUNA: 251108: CD 6: Fail.

Edited August 26 by Pollux

[Morningstar 0]

 

Hide contents Morningstar | Lv. 92 | P. 58 | True Tier: 10 | Guild Rank: 1 HP: 920/920 | EN: 128/128 | DMG: 22 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | HLY: 16 | AA | FRZ notes: // equipped Yellow Dragon, Red Tiger HLY 2, AA, FRZ Inner Focus EVA 2, REC 2 Sapphire ACC 3, EVA battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo Teleport Crystal Bear Trap x2 skills   Hide contents MARTIAL ARTS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: aoe COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 UNHINDERED ENERGIST FOCUSED | RANK 6 SPECIALIZATION extra (active) SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   Hide contents consumables # # paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

♦ms.

Years ago at a party, Morningstar bested players he had no right to face in duels that disallowed system mechanics. Under normal circumstances, Morningstar would have lost. Their levels were six times his own, but with Sword Arts restricted, each player was left to rely solely on their individual skill as a swordsman. He realized that day how reliant they were on hand-holding. The system guided them through the motions of attacks, corrected their form, told them where to aim and when to strike. Very little of a player's strength in combat came from themself.

He should have lost in his first round, when the bracket placed him against Hirru, and again when he faced Astreya. But players, so accustomed to the game carrying them, seldom trained beyond what was required of them.

Having the <<Martial Arts>> skill did not make Morningstar a martial artist. Practicing martial arts did. Observing Willow made clear the difference between someone who was proficient in combat and someone who wasn't.

Frontliners, he determined, were dangerous because the system made them so. People like Willow were dangerous regardless.

His fist sunk into the bank, protected by his cushioned glove. He adjusted him self, rotating his torso slightly as he punched with his dominant arm. A chain jangled as the bag moved. His routine was consistent and developed. It had taken shape before the game, and he had perfected it inside. He made time to train at the guild hall nearly every day. Rarely did he see anyone else there. The training room didn't get the use he hoped it would. He huffed between jabs, and when he repositioned himself at another end of the bag, he noticed a spectator.

"Oh, Yue Hua."

He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a moment to catch his breath. She suggested they go after something real, and he immediately knew what she was referring to. He pulled off his gloves and placed them on a shelf at the end of the room. "What do you have in mind? Scents?"

He agreed that the extra buff would be an asset for the coming raid. "I need a bit to shower and eat. Meet me on 16 in an hour?"