[SP-F5] Blood in the Sand

[Azide 0]

"Well that wasn't according to plan," thought Azide, as the Sand Fish plunged its beak through his off-arm. "And yet only a minor inconvenience." He plunged his own sword through the creature before it could free itself, shattering the creature instantly and producing a crafting material, which he sent to his inventory. His wound soon healed, and he saw his health bar restore itself to pre-attack conditions, having healed a bit from his last strike.

ID: 9567

BD: 8 (Hit)(Life Steal +1)

MD: 10 (Crit +2)

LD: 2 (Nothing)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base) + 2 (Crit +2) - 3 (Mitigation) = 1 (Min)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 22/24 (-1)(+1)

Sand Fish HP: 0/16 (-8)

*1 material acquired (12 materials acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

Another Sand Fish attempted to surprise him by emerging from underneath his very feet, but took far too long to make its appearance. By the time it shot out of the ground, Azide had long since shifted himself out of its path, allowing him a clean slash against the creature on its way into the air, followed by another on its way down. The creature returned to the ground, with a career-ending injury. If it'd fled now, it might've been able to survive until another player eventually finished it off. But monsters in this game didn't tend to retreat for long.

ID: 9570

BD: 6 (Hit)

LD: 1 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8

Azide HP: 22/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: 8/16 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The Sand Fish soon shot out of the ground once again, apparently failing to learn from its previous attempt. "Then again, I'm not entirely sure if the AI in this game is even capable of adaptive intelligence. Have I actually seen any evidence that would indicate otherwise?" Judging from the countless number of enemies he'd slain, most with little effort, he leaned towards "no". As the creature shot into the air, failing to hit Azide, it was stabbed straight through its side. This last hit sealed its fate, shattering it after a moment spent impaled on the end of his blade, leaving behind a bit of col and crafting material. "Money and materials. Always a useful combination. Thanks for your sacrifice."

ID: 9571

BD: 4 (+3 Accuracy) = 7 (Hit)

MD: 2 (Miss)

LD: 12 (Loot found)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 22/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: 0/16 (-8) [Dead]

*1 material acquired (13 materials acquired, total).

**HP (16) * 5 = 80 col acquired (320 col acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

After a bit more travel, Azide managed to spot a small bush of some sort. Considering the vast and arid desert, which was almost cartoonishly sandy and devoid of life, the shrub was a rather rare find. "In a place like this, it's a bit of a stretch, but there might be some useful berries of some sort. Either way, it's worth a try." After glancing around to ensure that no fish were attempting to spear him, and that no Sand Shark happened to be circling around him, he crouched down next to the bush. Upon further inspection, he managed to find a single clump of berries hidden deep in the bush, which must've gone unnoticed to the desert creatures. "They're definitely dried, but all the more useful for grinding into a powder." He sent the newly acquired materials to his inventory, happy with the find.

ID: 9573

LD: 17 (Material found)

*1 material acquired (14 materials acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

Right as he'd finished inspecting the bush, a Sand Fish appeared out of nowhere and nearly managed to skewer him with its slender beak as he'd stood up. Luckily, however, his reaction times had allowed him to narrowly escape such a fate. "Although to be fair, even if I'd been hit, it'd hardly be a tragedy." He rushed the creature as it burrowed into the ground, the plunged his sword into the sand, feeling it meet resistance, which was likely the creature's flesh. He watched as his own health bar rose, having healed him from the successful strike.

ID: 9574

BD: 9 (Crit +1)(Life Steal +1)

MD: 7 (-2 Accuracy) = 5 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8 (Base+Rapier+Skills) + 1 (Crit +1) = 9

Azide HP: 23/24 (+1)

Sand Fish HP: 7/16 (-9)

[Azide 0]

"One more hit," thought Azide. As the creature shot out at him at an angle, he stepped to the side, dodging its reckless attack completely. At the same time, he rotated his body and slashed at the fish as it flew past him in the air. Before the fish could even hit the ground, it shattered in a show of blue particles, leaving behind col and materials, just as the felled fish before it. "Who knew fishing could be so profitable? And I'm not even a fisherman."

ID: 9575

BD: 4 (+3 Accuracy) = 7

MD: 4 (Miss)

LD: 12 (Loot found)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8 (Base+Rapier+Skills)

Azide HP: 23/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: -1/16 (-8)

*1 material acquired (15 materials acquired, total).

*HP (16) * 5 = 80 col acquired (400 col acquired, total)

[Azide 0]

"Same old, same old." Yet another Sand Fish propelled itself at the lone player, although Azide had to give credit where credit was due. This fish had actually come quite close to hitting its target, although in the end, it'd missed all the same. "On second thought, I'll have that credit stricken off the record." Before the fish could reach the ground, he'd lunged forward and stabbed the creature with Quantum Slicer, then drew his blade back. He watched as the creature flopped around for a moment before finding its way back underground.

ID: 9578

BD: 3 (+3 Accuracy) = 6 (Hit)

MD: 7 (-2 Accuracy) = 5 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 23/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: 8/16 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The resulting peace and quiet didn't last for long, however, with the Sand Fish soon rising valiantly from the ground once again. Its emergence, however, proved to be vastly ineffective. It leapt out of the ground at a much slower pace than before, lacking all of its earlier vigor, and ultimately allowing it to be dodged. At the same time, this also allowed Azide to slice the creature in two as it nearly floated by him, shattering it immediately. The creature left behind a crafting material, as well as more col. "One can never have too much col," reflected Azide.

ID: 9581

BD: 5 (+3 Accuracy) = 8 (Hit)

MD: 3 (Miss)

LD: 15 (Loot found)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8

Azide HP: 23/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: 0/16 (-8) [Dead]

*1 material acquired (16 materials acquired, total).

**HP (16) * 5 = 80 col acquired (480 col acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

"Wow, who would've thought? Another two bushes, out here in this barren desert." After deciding that there was indeed a pair of bushes in the distance, rather than some cruel mirage, he made his way over to the shrubbery and crouched beside one to give it a close inspection. He was surprised to find yet another clump of dried berries, albeit these were of another sort than the one's he'd claimed earlier. "Just as dry, but they have a somewhat spicier fragrance. Hot as the desert, perhaps? In any case, peppers do have remarkable pain-killing abilities in our world. Perhaps these might be of use in a potion of some sort." He sent the materials to his inventory, then continued toward the second, though he didn't expect much. Luck tended to fall short with him, and he felt as if his had been exhausted for the time being. "And yet, still no Sand Shark to be seen for miles. I feel like Captain Ahab himself. Except without the whale."

ID: 9582

LD: 16 (Material found)

*1 material acquired (17 materials acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

"Wow, today must be my lucky day," thought Azide. He pulled out yet another clump of dried berries from the neighboring bush, which seemed to be of the same species as the previous ones. "In all honesty, I can say I didn't expect my efforts to be three for three." And he really meant it. With no more bushes to be seen, he felt content to carry on with his "fishing", sending the crafting material off to his inventory. "I'll definitely get to studying these back at the lab, and seeing if I can find any more information on them from those books I have on the shelf." The reference books proved to be helpful, and he'd slowly accumulated a wealth of alchemical knowledge from studying them. He stood up, in search for both more Sand Fish, as well as the king of them all.

ID: 9583

LD: 18 (Material found)

*1 material acquired (18 materials acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

What emerged to attack him was not the Sand Shark, but was instead yet another Sand Fish. The creature flung itself at him recklessly, but missed as the player simply maneuvered himself out of its linear path. "These sort of approaches tend not to be effective. They rely too much on the element of surprise, which grows weaker with every fish that throws itself my way.' He slashed at the creature as it passed by him, cutting its health bar to half in the process.

ID: 9588

BD: 8 (Hit)(Life Steal +1)

MD: 6 (-2 Accuracy) = 4 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 24/24 (+1)

Sand Fish HP: 8/16 (-8)

[Azide 0]

Another swing from Azide brought the creature's life to an end. "Or rather, its imitation of life. Nothing in this world is truly living, aside from the players that remain trapped here. Everything else is a pale attempt that claims life, but has never been alive." He'd dodged the creature's final assault, then brought his sword swiftly through the passing creature, shattering it in the process. It left behind crafting material and col, just as many of its fallen brethren had done prior. "Am I finally going to spot the Sand Shark any time soon?" he wondered. "Assuming that thing actually eats these fish, I'm assuming I'm at least having some sort of effect on his food supply..."

ID: 9589

BD: 7 (Hit)

MD: 5 (Miss)

LD: 12 (Loot found)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8 (Base+Rapier+Skills)

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Fish HP: 0/16 (-8) [Dead]

*1 material acquired (19 materials acquired, total).

**HP (16) * 5 = 80 col acquired (560 col acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

"Oh boy, another fish. Just come on over and die already, won't you?" He wondered if they were even capable of comprehending what they were doing in attacking him. It resembled the fish that would leap into passing fishing boats, as if offering their lives in order to make easier the lives of their hunters. What he hadn't been expecting, however, was for the fish to actually make its mark. He felt a stabbing sensation in his leg and looked down to see that the creature had lodged its beak through his its lower sections. "Damn you," he thought. He plunged his blade though the creature from above, then used it to pull the creature off of him. The burning in his leg soon faded, and the red wound quickly vanished, and suddenly he was in possession of one less health point.

ID: 9590

BD: 7 (Hit)

MD: 9 (Crit +1)

Damage taken (Azide) = 1 (Base) + 1 (Crit +1) - 3 (Mitigation) = 1 (Min)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 23/24 (-1)

Sand Fish HP: 8/16 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The Sand Fish ended up missing by an almost hilarious margin the second time around, leading Azide to believe its earlier hit to be a one-time fluke. On the other hand, Azide's hit had been nothing short of perfect, reflecting a high amount of precision and technique. His blade plunged straight through the creature's mouth, then continued through the length of its body for as far as its length would allow, completely obliterating the beast. It shattered a short while later, leaving behind yet another crafting material that was quickly sent off to his inventory. "What're you waiting for, Sand Shark? he shouted, cupping his hands together. "Come on already, just reveal yourself! I've been out here forever, and I'm getting bored very quickly!"

ID: 9591

BD: 10 (Crit +2)(Life Steal +1)

MD: 1 (Miss)

LD: 7 (Nothing found)

Damage taken (Sand Fish) = 8 (Base+Rapier+Skills) + 2 (Crit +2) = 10

Azide HP: 24/24 (+1)

Sand Fish HP: -2/16 (-10) [Dead]

*1 material acquired (20 materials acquired, total).

[Azide 0]

Almost as if on cue, a tremor traveled from somewhere up ahead, shaking the desert sands. Azide stuck his arms out, attempting to maintain his balance as the rumbling began to intensify. "Finally come out to play?" He watched as something much larger than the fish sped his way, with part of its body sticking out above the sand. The red flag of this feature, was of course, its distinctly shark-like fin. The earth continued to shake as the creature closed in on him, then suddenly disappeared completely under the desert sand. He shifted his eyes around the perimeter, making sure that he would not be caught off guard. Feeling the rumbling increase underneath his feet, he made a mad dash away from the area, which proved to be the right decision. The massive creature soon erupted from the ground, sending sand flying in all directions, but its opened jaws failed to find their way to Azide. Before the creature could return to the underground, Azide lunged forward and stabbed it cleanly with his blade, then withdrew as it began sinking back into the sand.

ID: 9592

BD: 8 (Hit)

MD: 7 (-2 Accuracy) = 5 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: 42/50 (-8)

[Azide 0]

Azide began to run as he felt the familiar rumbling. "The creature's on the move again. But as long as I don't allow it to catch me, I should be fine. Better to stay on the move than wait around to be attacked." With a quick glance over his shoulder, he spotted the iconic dorsal fin once again, signaling that the creature was currently near the surface. He could feel the earth tremble as the creature burst out of the sand, this time at low angle. It emerged from the sand in a low arc, attempting to nab the player in its teeth and disappear back under the sand in one motion, but missed. Azide rolled out of its way, thankful to cleared its landing spot. He quickly picked himself back up, then sprinted over to the burrowing creature and slashed at its tail before the desert could swallow it up entirely. "Slowly but surely, this thing is on its way to hell. Why don't you dig a little deeper and speed up the process?"

ID: 9593

BD: 4 (+3 Accuracy) = 7 (Hit)

MD: 5 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 8 (Base+Rapier+Skills)

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: 34/50 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The Sand Shark peeked its head out of the ground tentatively, as if hoping the player would simply walk into its mouth. "Well I'm afraid I won't be granting you that level of cooperation today," thought Azide. He came speeding towards the beast, easily dodging its pathetic attempts at snapping him up in its jaws, then leapt atop the creature's head and plunged his sword downwards. He drove the blade all the way to its hilt before immediately freeing it from the creature's flesh, then leapt off before the creature could exploit his precarious position. It replied with a sound somewhere between a shriek and a roar, as if it were confused about whether it was the predator or the one being preyed upon.

ID: 9595

BD: 10 (Crit +2)

MD: 2 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) + 2 (Crit +2) = 10

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: 24/50 (-10)

[Azide 0]

The Sand Shark came charging at him, this time without leaving the comforts of the sand. Instead, it simply opened its mouth and rushed near the surface, intending to simply swallow whole all that fell in its path. Unfortunately enough for the shark, all that it'd been able swallow had been a bunch of sand, as Azide handily evaded the maneuver. In fact, he'd been able to find his way behind the creature, then slashed at it while he was out of its sight. It wasn't exactly a mortal blow, but the creature was another step closer to death. "It won't be long now," he thought.

ID: 9603

BD: 4 (+3 Accuracy) = 7 (Hit)

MD: 3 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: 16/50 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The creature dove underneath the sand before quickly shooting back to the top, attempting to catch the player by surprise. Azide had been mildly surprised by its quick pace, but not nearly enough for it to actually catch him off guard. By the creature emerged for the sand, he'd already escaped to a safer location. "You don't exactly have the most discreet means of transportation," he taunted, aware the creature probably couldn't understand him. "You were never going to surprise anyone by sneaking up on them. Sorry buddy." Having failed its initial attack, the shark began swimming through the surface of the sand, only to be outmaneuvered yet again. After evading a bite from the creature's massive jaws, Azide slashed the creature yet again, watching as it faltered. "One more hit."

ID: 9604

BD: 5 (+3 Accuracy) = 8 (Hit)

MD: 4 (Miss)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) = 8

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: 8/50 (-8)

[Azide 0]

The creature turned, but its hulking body made the movement unnatural and sluggish. "It's mobility is less than impressive," thought Azide. It moved far too slow when not moving directly forward. "In other words, decent speed and acceleration, but horrible handling." By the time the Sand Shark had finished turning to face the player standing behind it, Azide had been fully prepared to take it down. The creature lunged forward and snapped at him, but missed as the player rolled out of its way. Knowing how long it would take the beast to perform another spin, he walked calmly over to the other side of the creature, then slashed off its tail. The creature roared fiercely, but was still alive.

"Now that I can ensure no unexpected difficulties, I think it's time to wrap things up around here." He jumped atop the creature, then stood above its head. He raised Quantum Slicer high into the air, so that the blade reflected the harsh desert light. "Farewell, friend. You were never even a threat." And with that, he slammed the blade down into the creature's skull with both hands, then stomped down on the hilt to shatter the creature altogether.

He landed on the ground with a roll, so as to ensure that he didn't sustain any fall damage, then dusted himself off. As the remnants of the creature scattered and drifted off around him, he was pleased to find that the creature had left him both a sizable sum of col along with a craft material. "250 col, and a Sand Shark's tooth? Good haul." He sent both to his inventory, then began making his way out of the desert, when suddenly he spotted a treasure chest- the first that he'd laid eyes on.

ID: 9606

BD: 9 (Crit +1)

MD: 4 (Miss)

LD: 17 (Loot found)

Damage taken (Sand Shark) = 1 (Base) + 3 (Rapier) + 4 (Skills) + 1 (Crit +1) = 9

Azide HP: 24/24 (-0)

Sand Shark HP: -1/50 (-9) [Dead]

*1 material acquired (21 materials acquired, total).

**HP (50) * 5 = 250 col acquired (810 col acquired, total).