[SP-F23] <<Feeding Your Enemy>>

[Kyot0 0]

Kyoto stood at the threshold of the Vale of Ruin, the sheer unnatural atmosphere of Floor 23 pressing down on him. The environment here was a palette of despair: shades of grey and bruised purple replaced the vibrant greens of lower floors. The trees looked less like wood and more like crystallized despair, their branches brittle fingers clawing at the perpetual gloom. A faint, earthy odor mixed with something sharp and metallic, a constant reminder of the magical cataclysm that had devastated this landscape.

The light, well-fitted leather of his Benedikta Projex armor felt appropriate for this terrain; it wouldn't bog him down, allowing the agility he favored. He rested his hand on the pommel of his long sword, Benedikta Harmon, the smooth, cold metal a grounding presence. He was here on a practical errand—securing a familiar—but the prerequisite was a questline steeped in the kind of melodramatic game lore that always rubbed him the wrong way.

He scrolled through the mission summary on his menu, shaking his head. "A legendary NPC who demands a favor... who plants a debt upon you..." He let out a low, sarcastic laugh that sounded brittle and out of place in the silence. “The Cardinal System must have been bored when it coded that one. Another convoluted reason for a player to be inconvenienced. Maybe her 'debt' is just having to listen to her tell my fortune.” He snapped the menu shut. His diplomatic streak meant he would play the part, but internally, he remained thoroughly unconvinced by the Gypsy’s mystique.

His mind briefly drifted back to the real world, to his sister and the overwhelming regret of the accident. He couldn't shake the guilt, the feeling of failing to protect those he cared for. He pushed the thought away with a familiar, stubborn mental shove. Dwelling on it wouldn't get him out of Aincrad. Finishing this quest would.

As a Tailor and a Solo Player, his strength lay not in charging into the most dangerous-looking spot, but in observation and lateral thinking. The Gypsy was a traveler, a wanderer—an NPC designed to be elusive. He reasoned she wouldn't be in the obvious, central ruin, but somewhere quiet, near the transition zone, waiting to be found by someone determined enough to leave the safety of town.

He started his search, moving with a quiet, efficient stride. He focused on the ground, the way the colorless dust had been disturbed, and the contrast between the environment and anything that might be out of place. His eyes, naturally keen from his profession, scanned for any ripple in the environment, any slight color that didn't belong to the bleak palette of the Vale. He was hunting for a needle in a desolate haystack, relying on his training and the subtle edge his gear provided. He needed to find the source of the "Familiar Food" quickly before this eerie, dead zone got to him.

 

Kyoto | HP: 420/420 | EN: 75/75 | DMG: 17 | MIT:66 | ACC:4 | BH:9 | REC: 3 | BLD: 36 | PARA | LD:3

 

 

Spoiler

Name: Kyoto True Tier: 3 Level: 21 Paragon Level: 0 HP: 420/420 EN: 75/75 Stats: Damage: 17 Mitigation: 66 Accuracy: 4 Battle Healing: 9 Loot Die: 3 Stealth Rating: -2 REC: 3 BLD: 36 PARA Equipped Gear: Weapon/Armor/Trinket: - Armor/Trinket: - Shield/Armor/Trinket: - Combat Mastery: - Combat Mastery: Damage R3 Combat Shift: - TECH Shift Familiar Skill: - Custom Skill: - Skills: - Battle Healing R2 - Energist - Light Armor R5 - Martial Arts R1 - Straight Sword R5 Extra Skills: - Assault Mode - Survival - Frozen Hide Inactive Extra Skills: Addons: - Precision Mods: Inactive Mods: Battle Ready Inventory: - Benedikta Harmon x1 - Benedikta Projex x1 - Black Compression Shirt x1 - The "Holy" Cross x1 Housing Buffs: Guild Hall Buffs: Scents of the Wild Totem: Wedding Ring: Crafting Profession: - Tailoring[exp] R1 Gathering Profession: