The wolf was doomed from the start, surely it was no match for a group of coordinated players. However to the end it retaliated furiously. It pounced a short distance, crashing into the Paladin and knocking him down. His small shield managed to protect him from the body slam but it didn't protect him for what was to come. The wolf bit down on the fallen Paladin's leg firmly. However, it was forced to let go when the combination of arrows and spells hit true; the electric spell among them dealing fatal damage as the wolf was already wet from another Mage's aquatic conjuration. It managed to recover to let out a growl and hit the giant rabbit Monster next to him before it was struck by a flurry of sword blades. It's HP bar dropped drastically, down to a fatal point of 0.
Level: 5 Heath: 0/1,000 Mana: 250/300
Action: Greater Howl - User lets out a howl, increasing friendly damage and decreasing opponent's armor. Claw Swipe - User swipes out, dealing damage to up to 2 targets. Snarling Threat - User snarls threateningly, slowing movement speed of nearby opponents.
Status: Dead
Summary:
- Alisea's Fire Discipline burn deals 20 damage. 2 Icicle shots both hit and deals 300 damage in total. Wolf is slowed. - Reylan's Shot dealt 30 damage. - Dirk's attack dealt 40 damage. - Karma's Aquashot hit for 100 damage. - Dubstepp's Totoro dealt 30 damage to the wolf. Finger Lightning dealt 150 damage (extra because the wolf was wet from Karma's Aqua Shot). - Aster's normal attacks dealt 100 damage (20 each).
- Dirk, don't forget to heal. If another player heals you, you get to decide during your post for how much you are healed based on the caster's Stats and such.
- Dirk take 100HP damage from the wolf. - Dubstepp's Todoro takes 150HP damage from the wolf.
You find the following inside the chests:
- Obsidian Tip Arrows (10) - 4 Red Potions - 4 Blue Potions - Wooden Staff - Wooden Talisman - Wooden Totem - Cloth Armor x 2 - Shield (Round) (Common)
(Area C has been chosen - Dungeon run will end afterwards)
After defeating your opponent and claiming the spoils of your effort, you decide to venture further into the dungeon. Another dead-end path leads into a narrow passage, which at the end you see yet another set of opponents to face. The black-furred wolves were significantly smaller and less threatening than the other enemies you have fought this day. However, you know instinctively that you can't let your guard down, seeing how there was a significantly high number of them. Before you can think any further, unlike the other wolves you have seen, the canine beasts charge towards you while bearing their teeth.
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 100/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Summary:
- All 6 Black Wolves are running towards everyone.
______________________________________________________________________________________________ A large sigh escaped the archer's mouth as the sensation of relief overwhelming him, watching the large white wolf howl one last time before shattering into digital pixel-cubes. He nearly had a small heart attack when he saw the way Alisea's face assumed that form that she pulled off way too well. Dub had told them that he was a mage however up until now it seemed that way, but it was clear that he was a summoner which was a bit different. Reylan didn't mind at all so he focused on the joy of victory and the reward that awaited them "Good work everyone. Now its time to reap the spoils of battle!" he said enthusiastically as the chests were searched and examined. While he hoped for Renn, the 10 blackish-purple arrows made his silver eyes' sparkle as he took them. The rest of the loot was divided up based on who needed what and they made their way towards Area C, hoping to find more treasure and mark it as searched.
After that was all taken care of, he took the time to think about their situation critically based on the current situation. Dirk was nearly at half health, which was still almost three times Reylan's HP but with Karma's heal he should be good again. Aster in all circumstances out of mana but had remained unharmed, a testament to her own skill and Dirk's. Karma, Alisea, Dub, and himself had exhausted nearly half of their respective mana pools but have yet to take a single point of a HP...except for Totoro of course but he got healed by Karma too. With the way the game's setup the dungeons, they wouldn't reap the benefits of defeating this enemies until they left. The group may not entirely agree, but leaving the dungeon after this next fight would probably be the safe bet.
That white wolf made him realize something important. Alone that wolf would have killed him, that much was cold fact. The three wolf before would have killed him as well. Now the six black wolfs that came into view, they would kill him...if not for those by his side. Reylan was not strong...not by himself. With no more time to think, he had to continue doing the two things he could: shoot and give orders "Aster! Dirk! Up front now! Everyone else drop back!" He had to buy at least a little time to issue proper orders but before that could happen, he pulled two arrows from his quiver and loaded onto the bowstring. He held his breath as he picked two targets, and let loose a double shot hoping to hit two at once "Hold them off with your shield Dirk! Aster keep Dirk's Flanks secure! Don't let him get surrounded!!" They would do well to take down them quickly, it was roughly a one to one fight. "Alisea and I got the wolves on the right, Karma and Dub shoot the ones to the left. Let Totoro in on the fun too!" The orders were nothing complex yet marking targets was a simple practice in archery. Totoro would be a good damage-soak.
A third arrow was retrieved and loaded, pulling on the string adjusting for the wolf's approaching speed before firing a normal arrow. He would keep the obsidian arrows for a special occasion, that and they were bound to be more expensive than his standard ones. As the wolves approached closer, he prepared to switch to his rapier in case they got close to defend better against an attack. He felt less 'squishy' than before, but didn't like his chances in one-on-one combat. Dirk, however, was certainly living up to the attitude in which he carried himself. =========================== OOC: For reference, Wolves 1-3 will be the right wolves and Wolves 4-6 will be the left wolves Summary: - Equips Cloth Armor - Gives Orders - Loads two arrows, fires double shot (50 MP) at Wolf 1 & 2 - Give Orders - Loads third arrow, fire at Wolf 3
The white wolf's body slumped, then shattered. Dubstepp laughed under his breath. He wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Totoro did take some damage, but fortunately, he remained alive. Dubstepp eyed the health meter of his monster. By the look of it, his rabbit could still withstand another battle; although, there would be a risk. The musician sighed, not expecting the game to take this long. How many battles would follow after this?
The scattering lights were like a beacon, heralding the end of the battle. Alisea sucked in a breath and straightened her shoulders. Then she rounded on their secret trainer. Her gaze was fierce as she marched right up to him, close enough to make the two inches she had on him felt.
Dubstepp noticed the female mage approaching him. She fast-walked through the party and her gaze was directed at him. A single eyebrow picked up at her action. Dubstepp felt her actions were odd. "Can I help you?" Before he could say anything else, Dubstepp felt a sharp pain on his ear. Finally within arm's reach, the magess snapped her hand to the side of his head to seize his ear in a vice grip.
"If you are a trainer, you should have said that!" she shouted, tugging his ear toward her to be sure he heard her words clearly.
The woman grabbed his entire ear -- tuggging the earlobe and all. He didn't even have time to react before she yanked his ear, pulling it aggressively. "First of all, I don't know who you are to be doing me like this! What are you? My mother?" He said, waiting to see if she would let go of his ear or if he was going to have to wrestle out of it. "I'm a mage, like I said."
'No, not "first of all"! It hardly matters which of us does this, what matters is why you would lie and parade around as a mage when you're supposed to be capturing monsters!' Rather than say all that out loud, Alisea glared daggers through the renegade's face. She could see the discomfort she was causing to him; with her grip she could pull his head even closer. And if she were to twist his ear further around--
Abruptly the magess released her hand and stepped back, her eyes wide in shock. The world returned around her, flooding back into her perception. She regained her composure quickly and resumed giving Dubstepp a hard stare, but the edge was gone. "You are not a mage. You are a trainer. You were given nine choices for class when you signed in--the same choices we were all given--and you did not select mage. If you expect to fight on a team, you should be able to be honest about your class." At this point Alisea didn't even care what his reasons for hiding it were.
Dubstepp felt the pressure lessen around his ear. Once she had removed herself, Dubstepp pulled his head aggressively and snorted. He wagged his finger immediately after -- almost as if to put more fire in the situation. Hissing through his teeth, he started with a rebuttal. Dubstepp utilized hand motions to emphasize his words.
"I'm sorry, excuse me? I "summon monsters", I am basically a mage. Basically." He held his hand over his forehead. "I don't know why, but you are really blowing this into proportion." Dubstepp shrugged his shoulders.
"Is there anything else important you have failed to mention?" 'Because if there is and you don't say it now, you have no place fighting alongside any of us,' Alisea thought, but she doubted she needed to voice that warning. The ice beneath his feet was dangerously thin as it was, and only a complete imbecile wouldn't notice that.
"I can rap. Will that be useful in battle?" He said with sarcasm. He then put his hands on his side. "Y'know Aura was the one that recruited me, and she's gone so..." Dubstepp rolled his eyes to the floor and crossed his arms. He sighed and looked back at the Alisea. "...I don't know. Let's just finish this dungeon and pick this conversation up later."
Dubstepp did not want to pursue the conversation any further. He did his best to refrain from speaking and hoped Alisea would follow. She did; as unrepentant as Dubstepp remained, the magess saw no reason to speak any further. Turning away, she followed Reylan back the way they had come and around the next hill.
Six small wolves. This dungeon certainly had a running theme. These wolves were black, and they were as angry as Alisea. As soon as they had sighted the party all six attacked. That in itself was interesting; the other wolves had waited for them to engage combat. Reylan, of course, was quick to react. Following instructions, Alisea turned her attention to the right. Starting at the furthest edge, the wolf most likely to move around Dirk, Alisea began to cast a storm. The first wolf received a powerful Icicle Shot. The next was subject to a Frost Bite, then a Fire Burst in rapid succession.
That put all her assault spells on cooldown for the moment. She stayed close to Reylan, ready to help when one of the wolves broke through the front line. "Now's your chance, trainer," Alisea called over her shoulder. "Tame one of these." Summary: Cast Icicle Shot on Wolf 1 Cast Frost Bite & Fire Burst on Wolf 2
The wolf bit down onto Theo's leg, giving it a good grip to toss him around like a rag doll. This was by far the worst pain he had experienced in the game thus far - not the most damage, perhaps, but having a creature bite you in the leg and trapping you is pretty scary. A quick glance at the top of his vision gave Theo a sense of slight relief, however - it looked like he took no damage. He hadn't looked earlier, but that healing beam from Karma must have healed him a decent amount - enough that the damage from the wolf brought him back to the Health he had before the heal. Luckily, a flurry of arrows and spells caused the creature to loosen the wolf's grip, and Theo was able to push the monster off of him. Just then, Aggravate wore off, and the wolf leapt at the opportunity - metaphorically, and literally. It pounced onto the wolf summoned by dubstepp, before Aster managed to slaughter the monster with a whirlwind of blows. It crumpled into pixels, and the way to the chests was clear.
Theo collected his portion of the loot, equipping the new shield gleefully. With this, he could sell the buckler - that would be a pretty chunk of Renn, which would be all the closer to the plate armor he desired. As the loot was handed out, Alisea and Dubstepp got into a heated argument... Normally, Dirk probably would have interjected with a word of good nature, but the timing felt off - it might come off as him taking dubstepp's side over Alisea, rather than being impartial. Luckily, the argument died down, and they continued on their path.
They stopped relatively soon, when a massive number of wolves laid in front of them. They quickly rose, and combat started. Reylan, as he did in the prior fights, called out expected orders - Moving as quickly as he could, the paladin moved forwards, doing his best to block as much of the hallway as possible. There were far too many wolves for Aggravate to be effective, so Theo instead used the environment - the hallway, compared to the prior locations, was narrow, and considering his relatively large size, Theo could cover a decent amount of it. The wolves would likely be intimidated and unwilling to sneak underneath him - but even if they made it around him, Aster was waiting for them.
Two arrows hit the wolves to Theo's right, followed by a third shortly after. Alisea shot out her own spells, hitting Wolf 1 squarely with an icicle shot. Immediately after, a flaming ball and icicle attacked Wolf 2, before she addressed dubstepp. Theo looked to his side, seeing Wolf 3 attempt to run around him. Theo slashed at it, but allowed it to pass - now that it was relatively weaker, perhaps Dubstepp would have an easier time taming it? Theo quickly moved back, delivering another slash at wolf 1. If he was lucky, he could block most of the other wolves before they attacked his allies.
Summary: Equip shield Block hallway Slash Wolf 3 Slash wolf 1
After minutes of fighting the White Wolf finally succumb tp barrage of attacks that rain down on it. Thus Another trial survived and another battle remains to be fought. Karma sighed with relief before turning over to Dubb and give him an angry look. Alisha then took over the scolding and took the words out of his right out of his mouth. So apparently Dub claimed that he was a Mage because he Technically is one but character design??? Did he really not know how the classes work. Karma then took a moment to think about it a bit. "Really Dubstep? Cut the bullcrap you were hiding your class the whole time!" Karma accused him of thinking back to all of the signs that dub was hiding something.
Both it seems time to debate was short, 6 blacks wolf soon blocked their path starting the group next trial. "We will talk about this later Dubstep just note that you lost my respect." Karma told him coldly before getting into his battle position. Karma then moves a few feet behind the left side of Aster and took the staff off his back. He carefully aimed the end of his staff at the middle wolf(wolf 5). "Wind Blade" Karma summons a dense Razer wind to slash at the middle wolf once before doing the same the two wolfs besides him.
Dubstepp shook his head after the tussel with Alisea. He attempted to clear his mind and acted accordingly to the sharing process of the loot. The party split the rewards evenly; Dubstepp became impressed on how each item had a purpose for its owner. Dubstepp managed to receive a mana potion and a wooden totem for Totoro. "I have no idea how this thing works," Dubstepp thought to himself.
Dubstepp inspected the item and immediately gained an ephiany. He remembered that Totoro had a similar charm that looked like him. This particular wooden totem was plain-looking which suggests that Dubstepp needs to tame another animal for this to work properly. Dubstepp put the charm into his pocket for future use. The thought of having another pet would grealty aid him in battle. Even then, the second item proved to be benefical as well.
Looking at the liquid in the jar, he was grateful for the mana potion. Summoning and healing a monster took a lot out of his blue meter. Although, he probably wasn't going to need it given the party felt like leaving anytime soon. After two battles, the group appeared tired, which only says a lot for in preparation for a dungeon boss.
Dubstepp placed both of the objects in his inventory. He walked behind the team and called out his Totoro to follow. The musician followed along until the group met another monster, or a pack of monsters. Dubstepp clenched his teeth when he noticed more wolves. The fanged beasts started to become annoying more than threatening. Before pushing Totoro into battle, Dubstepp gave him more mana and health via magic spells.
Once the aid was given, Dubstepp sent him forward to the front to stun the wolves. Trying to focus on the battle, everyone tried to talking to him at once. People wasn't thinking straight, or they just tried to keep digging. Dubstepp scoffed, "That's not how it works. I cannot do what you are asking and even then, I wouldn't. Do you really think it would be most beneficial to tame a 100HP wolve? There is a reason why they are fighting in a pack of six!" Dubstepp attempted to explain to Alisea.
He couldn't tame the wolve even he could. He would have to level up to three in order to gain a new spell for an additional companion. Dubstepp won't be able to acheive that until he leaves the dungeon. The wolf looked too weak to become any use in the future, anyways. After speaking to Alisea, Dubstepp turned over to the other person that mentioned his name, Karma.
Dubstepp peered over to Karma's direction and then to the battle. "Careful, Karma. You should hold onto your Renn. I don't think I asked for your two cents." He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't know how I will ever get through the day. I might as well kill myself now," Dubstepp sarcastically referred to Karma's comment about respect.
"I met you like two days ago. Calm down," he passively yet aggressively scowled. Dubstepp's expression showed annoyance and irriation. He wondered if what happened was worthy of being spoken again. Dubstepp did not appreciate the tone given to him. He wasn't one that liked being on the fence. _______________________________________________________________
Staying focused in battle was a good sight harder than Aster had expected. By a long shot, actually. So much was going on all at once; from her teammates yelling orders or witty insults back and forth, to giant bunnies appearing, to a small pack of wolves assaulting the little team. It was enough that she almost wished she could disable the audio function. The whole 'wolves as enemies' thing was kind of rubbing her wrong, too. She had a dog back home, and it didn't feel right to be killing canines. Her dog, a corgi, didn't give off the same sense of intimidation as wolves did, but it was still pretty similar, right?
As difficult as figuring out the right way to attack might be, other things were easier. Once she chose a target, she was quite capable at keeping focused on it. That's what she did now, nodding once to Dirk to warn him of her forthcoming onslaught, then leaping forward to deliver an overhead blow to Wolf 4. She then turned to wolves 5 and 6, throwing herself into another flurry of triple strikes with abandon, body launching forward towards the snarling beasts.
In the edge of her vision, Aster saw her mana bar, something she'd never paid much attention to due to her focus on physical combat, blink urgently to notify her that she didn't have enough mana to execute the action. Too late. She had already thrown herself bodily forward, trusting the ability to catch her and take hold of her instincts. It didn't. She hit the ground hard, on one shoulder, skidding slightly from her impressive momentum. she somehow kept tenuous hold of her katana, though her arm felt a bit numb from the hard landing. She looked up as the wolves closed in, and swung the weapon desperately towards them.
Summary: Strikes wolf 4 with basic strikes Attacks wolved 5 and 6, but fails to activate ability and lands prone Swings from prone position at wolves 5 and 6. Is embarrassed at failure.
The wolves, while obviously smaller and weaker than their more powerful brethren, were fast and agile. Before the players could react, some leaped into the air with blinding speed, aiming for any and all players in their paths. 2 of the wolves were immediately taken out in mid-air after being subjected to arrows and magical bolts. The 3rd wolf didn't leap but attempted to bolt past the Paladin guarding is teammates. However, before it could make it, a well-aimed sword strike dropped its HP down to 0. The remaining 3 wolves were dispatched with roughly equal haste but not before they were able to retaliate. After beingslashed by a dense mass of wind launched by the Mage, all three leaped into the air. 2 of them managed to close the gap between themselves and the offending Mage, while the 3rd somehow crashed into the Swordsman nearby. All three growled menacingly before swiping out with their sharp claws. However, before the second set of attacks could follow through, the thundering stomp of the giant rabbit crashing down onto the ground knocked them all off of their feet. A few slashes of blades was all that was needed afterwards to finish the furred beasts off.
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 40/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 40/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 50/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 40/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 40/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Level: 1 Heath: 0/100 Mana: 40/50
Action: Leap - User leaps forward a short distance. 10MP.
Status:
Summary:
- Black Wolf 1 is killed by Reylan and Alisea. - Black Wolf 2 is killed by Reylan and Alisea. - Black Wolf 3 is killed by Dirk. - Black Wolf 4 is stunned by Todoro and killed by Karma and Aster. - Black Wolf 5 is stunned by Todoro and killed by Karma and Aster. - Black Wolf 6 is stunned by Todoro and killed by Karma and Aster.
Your first dungeon experience was... however you make it out to be. Good news is no one died, bad news is you didn't beat the dungeon. But testing the waters, getting to know the game's systems, knowing how to be prepared for the next time, etc were all invaluable information to be had. Considering how you didn't see any Players near the dungeon nor much players at all when marching down to the place, you probably figured you and your party are some of the very first people to try out this particular dungeon. Of course, the Newsletter did state that another dungeon had been completely beaten somehow but it could just be possible that your party just happened to pick a dungeon that is significantly more difficult than the other one. Plus... rewards from the dungeon run were due. As soon as you exit the dungeon, a message screen pops up.
Your tactical leadership was impressive... but you'll need more than that. Leadership is everything and nothing. Keep an eye on your new friends and know who you can trust. Here are some gifts from me. - Admin
Telescopic Monocle - Grants user the ability to have telescopic vision up to 300m. Korax’s Lost Arrows (3) - Has a 50% chance to instant-kill target. Deals no damage.
Seems like you know what you are doing... and I don't mean that in a gaming sense. Anyways here are some gifts for you. Do enjoy your experience with Talrae, Ms. Alice. - Admin
Air-Walker’s Sandals - Grants user the ability to take up to 5 steps in the air. Magic Scroll (Miracle) - Magic Scroll item. Contained spell: Miracle - Grants any 1 wish of the player. Consumable.
Something tells me you are here just for the ride... well, it's not like you are here by choice. Take these, they may be useful. - Admin
Ring of Ballius - May cast 1 spell for free mana cost per day. Thrice-Blessed Tome of Healing - User may cast 2 spells simultaneously if both spells are healing spells.
If I were to be arrogant and predict the future, I'd say you'll either be very successful or be a complete failure. But what kind of a limited dichotomy prediction is that? I'm curious though... either way, take these. - Admin
Heartstring Lute - When played, increases chance of "Tame" spell's success. Green King’s Horn - Restores all friendly Monsters’ HP or MP to maximum when used. Can be used once a day.
A double mask... very funny. Remove the masks and will you finally show your true face? Make your decision quickly, for in Talrae, you may find yourself being melded into your mask... permanently. Until then, do enjoy these gifts. - Admin
Rosary of Courage - Grants user resistance against negative emotions. Abyssal Mask - Can be activated twice a day to instill great fear in target for up to 2 minutes.
Swords and adventures... how marvelous. No need to see an inch past your nose when you truly are alive... life is more than that. Take these and have some great adventures. - Admin
Owl’s Eye Band - If worn over eyes, grants perfect night-vision. Kadeen's Dagger of Teleportation - Small dagger. When stabbed into the ground, creates a magic circle of 10 meters diameter that teleports all units inside after exactly 1 minute. Units are teleported to Genesis City square no matter where they are.
✧DAY 3 - Midnight - Genesis City✧
The march was long and arduous. But there was no danger or problems on the way, just tiring and boring. At least the views of the night sky were grand; the crisp sharp stars shining like little gems lit up against a mysterious, black background. You doubt you'd ever see such a sky in real life. The stars you see in Talrae seem more real and close than any celestial bodies you may have experienced previously.
You make it back to Genesis City just fine and decide to lodge up in the same inn your party all previously met. Not that there weren't any competing business in the district, it just was convenient to be in a place you have been in before. Plus it wasn't like your stay last time was unsatisfactory by any means. You walk into the inn to see some familiar faces of NPCs. Although it's only been a day or so, the way you feel now makes it seem like it's been at least a week or so.
"Hey, if it ain't the mighty adventurers!" The innkeeper from behind the desk hollered out without getting up from his seat. "Back so soon to throw me some shiny pennies eh? Not that it was terribly missed, got lots o' of your kind in here now." True to his words, the inn seemed a little more full than the last time you stayed. Considering how its late night, about a quarter of the tables being filled with diners made it seem like business was doing fine. "Well, good to see ya all, Inn-Master Hans likes customers. Find yourselves a seat, I'll send one of them lasses over after finding yall some rooms." The plump man stood up and hollered out some orders while scratching his mustache.
Lodging (1 night): 2 Coppers Bath: 1 Nickel
On the Menu: Fish and Chips - 1 Copper Shepard's Pie - 1 Copper Beef and Cabbages - 1 Copper Chef's Special Stew - 1 Copper Mutton Chops - 2 Copper Roast Beef - 2 Copper Ale - 3 Nickels Beer - 5 Nickels Fresh Water - 1 Nickel
The party was halfway home and pondering in silence grew to be too much. Alisea grabbed Aster by the hand. “Come! I want to climb up one of those,” the magess declared, pointing at one of the discs of land floating above the landscape. She gave her companion a gentle tug to pull the swordswoman off their path.
Aster was startled by the sudden tug on her sleeve, but at this point had pretty much decided that Alisea's ideas were usually the best ideas, when it came to enjoying the game, so she followed happily, her face set in a neutral expression despite her growing excitement. While she looked at the game as another layer of world, Alisea seemed to see it as a chance to have adventures, to explore the outer limits of what the world could offer them. That was admirable, in her mind at least.
The magess led the way up the stairs, her steps hastening the nearer they came to the summit. Cresting the top, a glade at the center came into view. Surrounding the trees was a stretch of grassland dotted with flowers. A few odd mobs wandered near the treeline--a few elk, a fox, a bear--but the edge was occupied only by the two players. Alisea felt an urge to attack the nearest elk, unleashing spells until her mana was depleted. Instead, she smiled and remained at the edge. Her purpose in coming up here wasn’t to battle.
The young woman turned with her friend and looked out over the world. It was breathtaking. Verdant grasslands and forests stretched for miles below. A large, shimmering lake was visible far to the southwest, and in the east ranged majestic, snow-capped mountains. Between ranges rose one city, the only sign of civilization amidst a world of untamed wilderness.
“This is amazing,” Alisea breathed.
Aster looked out at the enormous world that lay before them. It really was amazing; so detailed that it was impossible to discern a difference between it and reality. If anything, this might be better than reality.
”Aster,” Alisea began, her voice somber. ”If you could go back right now, would you?”
"I..." Aster hesitated, trying to judge whether her answer would upset her friend. Were they friends? It wasn't something she had much experience with. "No. I wouldn't. I'm... better in this world. Stronger. I'm kinder to others, for one thing. Back in the real world, I was kind of a..." She blushed slightly at her hesitation "I was kind of a bitch, to be honest. And... I didn't see things as clearly as I do now." She looked over to Alisea, face questioning. "How about you? Would you want to return?"
Alisea stayed silent as seconds ticked by. ”I don’t think I would,” she answered at length. ”I probably should. All of this,” Alisea stated, sweeping her hand across the landscape below, ”is fake. My spells, my skills, the monsters we kill--none of it is real. When we beat the game and go home, all of this will disappear. The only reality will be the time lost in here--time at school, playing basketball, preparing for college, shadowing at jobs, volunteering-” Alisea cut herself off with a shake of her head. ”The longer I stay here, the farther I will fall behind. But even knowing that,” Alisea smiled sadly, ”Even knowing that, I want to stay here. I want this world to be real, for as long as it can.”
Aster nodded in decisive agreement. "No, you're right. This world... it's real enough that I'm not sure we're missing anything. Still... It kind of feels like we have a duty to beat the game, right? I mean, people keep dying, and they will until we win." She sighed, her expression clearly mournful. "I hate to lose all that I've gained by being here, but we kind of have to keep going for the good of everyone else, right?"
Alisea was glad she wasn't looking at her companion right then. Her face froze, the expression of a surveyor locked in place. Duty; people; for the good of everyone else; all these were the words she had told herself, many a time. She could even hear it in her mother's voice: "You have a duty..." Did she, though? Did Alisea have any shred of responsibility for the thousands of fools trapped within this world? If she had any duty at all, it would be Alice's duty to her mother, to her school, to her future. But Alice was gone. The magess had resolved such from the beginning.
She would play the game. She would win the game. But she knew she wouldn't do it for others; she would win because she wanted to win.
She almost said as much aloud. 'Wrong. No. Not right. They should know how to take care of themselves.' Instead, Alisea simply left the potentially rhetorical question unanswered. "If we hurry, we can catch up with the others," Alisea stated. She could see their party, small as ants below, traveling across the prairie. "We need to practice and better prepare, but we will conquer that dungeon next time." Again taking the lead, Alisea began the descent and brief jog back to join the ranks. By the time the party finally arrived at home, the sun had set.
Alisea smiled at Hans's warm welcome as they entered the inn once more. Rather than simply sit (as much as her feet and legs begged her to), Alisea stopped at the innkeeper's desk. "Do you offer shared rooms? We plan on staying in town for three nights, and my friend and I were hoping to stay together."
His arms felt heavy like iron. His legs cried for rest. His mind flooded with incomprehensible thoughts. His heart raced and threatened to explode from his chest. All these hit Reylan like a figurative brick wall as he exited the dungeon leading the party out of it's pathways. He cheered out loud at the large reward that popped up on a message screen, that was a TON of money! And all that exp to boot? Suddenly the physical qualms he had were evaporated into the digital air, this was what a hard-fought victory felt like. It was addicting, he admitted to himself. However, that was not all he received.
His eyes read the message once, twice, and then three times over as they group made their way back. The admin was watching them? He didn't know how to take this new information. The same man who condemned them to die had given him a gift and very valuable ones at that. Was was his angle? Why do this at all? Having the interest of the admin could mean their assured and swift deaths or a potential resource that could help them end this...nightmare? He struggled to call this that. This world was everything he ever wanted from a game. A perfect escape where he could be something greater...something better. People died in the real world every second of every day. Silver eyes glanced around at everyone walking with him, catching Alisea and Aster move out to climb one of those strange things. Things were already starting to feel like normal here, as if this was his everyday for years instead of only a couple days. He could live every last minute of his life in a world like this.
Yet that was a false hope that could never be. It left only one course of action if he ever wanted to experience this life once more. Reylan, if he ever made it out of here alive, would climb the ranks of the development world and craft his own 'Talrae'. He had started taking animation and computer aided design classes at college before coming here, now he knew what he wanted to do with his life. A small laugh escaped his lips as he pulled himself together, why did he always have such grandiose thoughts? The world outside did not matter. Not right now.
Reylan entered after Alisea and Han's greeting served to pick up his mood. Mighty Adventurers? He did like the sound of that. At least nobody was going after Dub right now, he felt like he was going to have to intervene after that last fight. Karma had surprised him with that remark he gave to Dubstep, it was kinda out of nowhere. Hunger had slowly crept up on him since the morning and now it was begging to be silenced, so he found himself a seat. Of course when he sat down he realized it was the same table that only yesterday he met Aura and the others. I'll find you, whether you like it or not he said to himself as one of the 'lasses' came over to him "Ah, I guess..I'll have the roast beef and a water! Oh! And mark me down for three nights here." Of course he would still get nervous talking to new people, that didn't change from becoming the leader. What it right for him to call himself that? He had basically just assumed the role when the dungeon started and rolled with it, he wanted Aura to be their leader from the start. It had to be a one time thing surely. Reylan hated to admit it but being the leader felt natural and he wanted to know everyone wanted him as leader. Before entering town, he told the whole party to send him a message with their current spells and actions so he could give better commands. After that, he declared that they would try the dungeon in a few days when they were higher leveled and were properly prepared.
Fortuna stretched her arms and back as she sat on the bar stool. It had been a long three days. She, and four others had gone into a small dungeon, but never really found anything other than money. Although, money wasn't something to be sneezed at. Especially for someone like her. The past few days had been too busy for a spot of gambling, and her brain wasn't really up for it. Perhaps tomorrow she'll try her luck, but for now, she was pretty ready to get drunk. "One pint of ale and three nights stay." She requested curtly to the barkeep, placing the payment on the counter.
Being as self aware as she was, she knew how messed up her mind was. The death of a comrade meant almost nothing to her. Sure, she felt bad that he died, but ultimately she told herself that this was a survival game now. If you die, you're done. There was no time to mourn. No matter what, she had to keep living. Her reasons being.. Somewhat trivial to others. Perhaps not. 'It's all his fault.' She thought to herself, brooding away as the barkeeper put the pint down in front of her. Her means of escape had become a trap.
She shook her head before taking a deep gulp of the ale, sighing as she placed the tankard down. Hopefully things start picking up soon. She needed to get out of here.
After getting confirmation about shared rooms, Aster took a deep breath, and readied herself to do something that was both uncomfortable and, in her mind, necessary. Standing as tall as she could, she called out over the sounds of the inn "Umm. Everyone who was together for the dungeon today, please, if you would just lend me a moment of your time, I'd like to talk about something important!" She moved a bit closer to a table, where ideally they could all converse on equal terms.
Once everyone who was going to gather, had, she said hesitantly "So... I think we did something amazing today. We, as a team, beat foes that could have killed any of us. That's incredible to me. I don't know about the rest of you, but back in the real world, I'm not this good at... much of anything. Today I was able to use talents I didn't even know about to help protect others, and I had my back covered at the same time. This is supposed to be a death game, but with everyone's help, it... wasn't. We all survived, we grew as people and as a team, and we gained some awesome loot!"
She was growing steadily more confident as she spoke. "What I'm saying is, I think we all make a great team." She looked to each of the team members in turn.
"Dirk, you're one of the bravest people I've met, and you keep the whole team safe. Without you, I'd be all alone on the front lines. There's no one I'd rather have watching my back."
"Reylan, you're a fantastic leader, and your strategies allowed us to survive encounters that should have been much more difficult than they were."
"Dubstepp, I'm not the sort of person who laughs at everything that seems funny to me, but your sense of comedic timing, and the way you keep everyone's spirits lifted, that's a real gift, and it keeps all of us a bit more sane in this crazy world."
"Karma, you literally keep us alive out there. Knowing that I have you there to heal me if I go to far is a lot of what keeps me fighting. You're vitally needed."
"Alisea... you're a pretty great magess, and you're also the person who first took the effort to be my friend, when I myself wasn't willing to make the first step. You're the best friend I have in this game, and it's been an honor, and a lot of fun fighting alongside you."
She looked out at those assembled. "Everyone... I think we make a great team. I think we could be more, though. If everyone is in agreement, I'd like to suggest that we form a guild. I don't have any idea of a name, or positions, or any of that, but I think that it's the next step, and if you're willing, I'd like to take it."
With that, she blushed deeply, then folded her hands in her lap, looking down and away from everyone else.
And on the third days, Karma got a taste of the front line when the black wolf suddenly leap between the middle of the party, Thankful Dubstep pet was able to knock down those wolfs before they could attack but Karma hesitates for a few millisecond in fear before Aster move to finish off the down wolfs. it was at that point Karma found the strength to fight and took his staff at hand, knowing he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he allowed Aster to take up all the danger alone.
And with that, the group finally finished testing the waters of the first dungeon and decided to head out to be greeted with rewards...and a surprise message from the villain himself. "Wait is he watching us?" Karma stated out loud after reading his message. Though he wondered what the messaged was trying to get out. Karma could help but walked back to Genesis City distracted thinking about what the message meant. On occasion, Karma would find himself looking around as if he was looking for signs that the group was being watched. Not that he would likely find something, hell he knew he wouldn't find anything but he would be damn if he didn't try.
After hours of traveling the group, the group finally made it to the inn where Reylan had the arrangement made to have everyone sleep at the same inn. Karma then offers Reylan his hand to shake. "Good leading out there, not everyone can keep there heads cool in situations like that." Karma told Reylan before scratching behind his head. "how do you do it?" Karma asked Reylan out of curiosity.
Karma like everyone else in the group was then praised by Aster. "Oh that? That nothing. I was just doing my part to keep the team alive, I guess you can say i was just fulfilling my namesake. You, Dirk, and Reylan are the real heroes." Karma modestly told her as she begins scratching his neck when he realizes he said something he shouldn't have. He gives them clues to his real name, oh boy...
"Also while we are at it i'm sure i'm not the only one who thinks Dupstepp's joke of hiding his true class was...a bit tasteless." Karma pointed out sounding disappointed and yet profession. Though Karma came to the facts that he may have overreacted in the dungeon...he didn't exactly make a mountain out of just a molehill now did he?
Even two full days of trekking couldn't exhaust an adventurous spirit; if anything, it fed it. Alisea ordered the Chef's Special Stew prepared to accept whatever it may turn out to be. While the party waited for their food and rooms to be prepared, Aster surprised the magess by standing and gathering everyone's attention to herself. The normally quiet girl wanted to make a speech of sorts. It wasn't long, and it wasn't wordy; it was, however, sincere and from her heart. As her friend offered up praise, Alisea met the swordswoman's gaze with a warm smile. And the conclusion of her own portion, Alisea gave an appreciative nod to let Aster know her feelings were accepted.
It was a tragedy that warm moment had to end so quickly. Karma, for reasons Alisea could only assume were petty, had to bring up Dubstepp. The magess could have cursed her fellow mage then and there, if only she had known a good hex. She had planned on waiting until after dinner--until after everyone had warm food in their bellies and contentment on their features--to pull Dubstepp aside and talk one on one. Trying to bring this up with everyone was only going to cause discomfort. There had been plenty of time to think about it on the journey back, and the conclusion Alisea had reached was that, though Dubstepp probably didn't mean harm, his pride wasn't going to let him admit fault easily.
Pride was a silly reason to give up such a useful ally.
"Yet it was Dubstepp's summon that held the White Wolf in place; without it, we in the back would have been attacked and possibly killed. If anything, it is I who must apologize for what happened." Alisea looked to Dubstepp directly, catching his eyes before inclining her head to him across the table. "I do hope you can forgive me."
Dubstepp crossed his arms behind his head. This battle turned out to be a cakewalk. Totoro finished a couple of the wolves with his area effect attack. Despite how he felt before entering the dungeon, Dubstepp became confident enough to push on through. The strongest enemy of today was no doubt the giant white wolf. If they chose to head back, level 7 or 8 is an appropriate rank to return. More than likely, they will be able to push on through as if they were fighting boars.
Dubstepp sighed, the group already decided to return to the city. He eyed his giant bunny creature; the trainer chose not to return him back into a wooden charm. His speculation was that he would have to save up for some of the spells that unlocked after reaching certain levels. The boy was confident he leveled up more than once during his journey through the wolve's den.
The trip back was almost silent. Dubstepp wondered if the rewards were worth the long trip; they must have traveled over 50 miles. The musician looked at his inventory; he did not feel comfortable with the lack of items he received. After a while of discreet moping, he noticed an email from a mysterious person.
Weirdly enough, the message came from the master of the game. Dubstepp read the message--then he read it again. He deleted the message from his inbox. "What an asshole," he muttered. "I'll show you," he threatened. Dubstepp realized he would have to help the game master come to a decision: that Dubstepp is a success.
Dubstepp yawned at the inn. He couldn't believe he made it. Walking felt so tedious after some time passed. Dubstepp was glad he returned with some new stats, money in hand, as well as a better understanding of how to play the game. Dubstepp looked up at the innkeeper once his ears caught something a bit odd. The teenager's cheeks showed a flushed color.
He observed his surroundings to see if anyone else heard it. Coughing, he decided to speak to the innkeeper. "So there are escorts in this world? That's surprising given I thought this was a family game. This raises a lot of questions no doubt. Is there an extra charge that goes with it? Can I accidentally have a little NPC Dubstepp running around if I don't wear any protection? What about an STD, man? I need to know these things..." Dubstepp spontaneously jumped into a barrage of questions that the innkeeper probably did not have the answers to.
"What's an STD?" asked the Innkeeper.
"Nevermind, I'll do it when I'm ready or not. I don't know." Dubstepp forced a smile and stared at Hans till it became awkward. Alisea and Karma proceeded to mention Dubstepp; it was nice timing given the weird exchange with the innkeeper. Dubstepp looked at Totoro who was basically standing still; the rabbit constantly breathed heavily. Dubstepp nodded, "Past is the past. I walked all of my it off. Though I might still write you guys in my journal and diss yall," he shrugged his shoulders. "I think I might go visit the local pet shop. I need to find another beast to train, but before that, I need like to do a million other things. Trainer probs."
Walked inside the inn, Paralyze let out a heavy sigh. His steps were heavy as he slowly approached a stool next to Fortuna, one of his comrade. They have spent maybe 2 days to clear a small dungeon along with Sam the Tinker, Polak the Trainer and TrueLove the Marauder. A smirk appears on Paralyze's tired face as he try to remember about TrueLove and found out that he knew nothing about that guy. No number. No real name. No nothing. The guy just straight up getting killed after the group approach the small dungeon. And his body just disappear out of the plane of existence. Although Paralyze could swear that this seems to violate some law of Physics, the true nature of this game reveals itself very clear with that guy “removal."
Handing the Inn owner the money for his food, Paralyze smile. Although he did not felt any burden or regret using the money that involves his comrade blood, the thought of how this simulation work just like the same old real work surprised him. It surprised him that tomorrow he will have to wake up, performing quest, receiving the paycheck, and to spend it to complete another quest. How complex could this become as the players further their level? Would some choose to sell their bodies as a mean to earn a living? Would they decide to stay here forever due to their fear of death? The possibilities and variations seem endless as Paralyze continue to think.
While thinking, Paralyze constantly filled himself with the chips and fish that he just bought. Sometimes, he drank the cool fresh and clean jug of water that placed beside him. And when there was nothing on his plate or in his cup, Paralyze just stared at the empty dish that lay before him. The Inn was loud and filled with cheered. Some sighed and some cries while trying to fill their sadness with these cheap alcohol. But Paralyzed could not spend attention to any of those rubbish, he is too busy thinking about the future.