[hider=Dance Dance Online]
For better or worse, it seemed like they were invited to the home of the oni. They didn’t seem to be hostile to the duo. Wary, yes. In all fairness, who wouldn’t be wary of them? Immortals were violent murder-hobos that saw living beings as piles of XP. Riens weren’t much better. Mags didn’t quite make eye contact with any of the oni. She’d rather be the sideshow than get ganked for looking at an oni’s wife the wrong way. She did walk with some bravado, though. Her dance from early never really stopped. It just transitioned to walking dances. 

When she passed the chef oni, Mags quickly handed it off to him. She didn’t exactly know what force she could yeet the meat at the chef. She hadn’t limit-tested her strength yet and she didn’t want to accidentally aggro every single oni in existence over some meat.

Finally, they stood before what Mags presumed was the chief oni. Judging by his unique appearance, he was definitely a fight that Mags couldn’t win.

Probably. Wouldn’t know unless she tried, but her gamer instincts were telling her to not try to game on him. The question was, was what he said a command or a statement?

Well, it didn’t matter. Mags instantly turned to Ames. [color=fff7b0]“Remember how to party rock?”[/color] She asked, already ready to shuffle.

Ames was momentarily stunned that the chieftain spoke English. Or common or whatever. Human translated language. It pleased him to think that with at least one oni that could communicate directly to them, that maybe he could learn the oni language in kind! ...buuuut that wasn't really immediately important at the moment.

[color=C94153]"That's an old one, but... yeah I'm pretty sure I remember it,"[/color] Ames replied, scratching the back of his head. Much the same as his companion, Ames entered the hidden den with respectfulness, trying not to marvel too hard at all the oni and their cultural things gathered there. Every little comment, even in their foreign monstrous language, perked the redhead's ears and he'd turn in someone's direction only to pass his eyes quickly over, returning to the back of their guide until they stood in front of the chieftain. 

And with the sheer virility of someone who would sing that they’re sexy and they know it, [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&t=3m39s]Mags began to shuffle with the as much gusto as she could.[/url] With pursed lips, a whistle that imitated the backing electronic samples that were so iconic to the dance came out of her mouth. Her partner was right beside her, picking the pace up as the steps came back to him. Jeez, talk about vintage, Ames was pretty sure neither he nor Mags were even born when this dance came out. Still, good moves were good moves. It was easy to keep pace when Mags was whistling the haphazard tune, and the bells still strapped to Ames’ ankles filled in with the slap of their feet against the ground.

Throughout the entire display, which was varying degrees of interesting and cringeworthy, the spiderweb-marked oni did not so much as twitch, even if the three other onis swayed and bobbed to what fragmented beats Magpie and Ames formed through their movements and their whistling. At the end of it, with both Immortals soaked with sweat, only a single word left his mouth.

[b]“Why?”[/b]

With a huff and a puff in her breath, Mags was caught in a rare moment of introspection. Why did this entire dance arc of her gaming career begin? It was something about wanting to see if they were friendly. Though, saying that she decided to dance like a moron because she wanted to see if they’d attack her in response might not have been the smartest thing to say. Who knew, maybe the oni chieftain respected honesty above all else.

But Mags was a bit blustered from the chieftain. Really just killed her vibe.

[color=fff7b0]“Seemed like a good idea at the time, really.”[/color] She said as she scratched her head, a slight blush rising as she glanced at the ground.

[color=C94153]"Uh... I mean, don't you all dance too? "[/color] Ames asked, following up on Mags' comment and himself feeling thrown off by the chieftain's question. He caught his breath quickly and stood up straight, puffing his chest out in a meager display of pride before the oni. [color=C94153]"So I guess... why not?"[/color]

[b]“Kuru-Chiba’s Grave is where the weak become meat. Your kind slay ours. Our kind hunts yours.”[/b] The oni turned his head to the side, one hand turning palm-up. The shadows bent, before another oni, clad head to toe in bandages smeared with calligraphy, emerged, placing a bone pipe, smoldering with something that smelled of almonds, into the hand. He dismissed the servant, and smoked from the pipe. [b]“You choose here to dance, though you’ve no qualms with slaughter elsewhere.”[/b]

He breathed out the nutty smoke, and for a moment, the two Immortals could see the cloud shift, from kappas to goblins to wolves, before dispersing into the aether.

[b]“Why?”[/b]

Mags didn’t quite expect this to lead to an actual moment of introspection. Really, why did she treat the oni different? Well, the kappa attacked her first. The fight against the martial frog made her think that there was more to encounters than just murder-for-XP. Though, she was still very indifferent to the entire murder thing. It was just a game, after all.

[color=fff7b0]“I [sub]kinda like [sub]the dadbods.[/sub][/sub].”[/color]

Ames hadn't heard what his friend mumbled, which might have saved her some embarrassment in the long run. He thought about what kind of answer the oni leader was really looking for. 'We didn't know you guys would be cool' didn't seem to be that strong of a reason and, like Mags, Ames didn't think 'it was the set up for an attack' would fly either. 

[i]Waaaaait a second[/i], he thought, was this one of those really upfront moral choices that used to be popular in games a few years back? The kind that admonished the player for playing the game? Wasn't killing monsters the best way to level up in games like this anyway? ...it was fair to consider, but after a moment Ames thought it probably wasn't. It was still early on in their CaCo game time, but he was reminded that the game's selling point was how realistic it was. So they probably really didn't need to go around killing everything, and if they did those things they killed would probably be upset.

...then again he did really want to level up.

[color=C94153]"...I guess we didn't know there was another way?"[/color] Ames said slowly, chewing on his own words. [color=C94153]"It's like, fighting stuff is normal for us humans and it can be kind of fun honestly. But it was fun dancing against your tribesmen too. If you could get stronger just making friends instead that would be cool."[/color]

Another long moment, another narrowing of the eyes, before the leader of the onis removed the pipe from his lips. He did not speak a word as he turned it around, then offered it first to Magpie, then to Ames.

Mags was not going to turn down the chance of ripping a fat toke. After all, she spent hours inefficiently grinding to figure out apothecary stuff the day before. Getting the chance to light up some magic hindsight stuff? No way in hell she was going to miss that.

So she took a puff from the pipe.

The pipe tasted of rotten wood, mixed with the faint flavor of alcohol and a stronger stench of burnt mushrooms, a combination disgusting enough that Magpie almost gagged on it. Whether through personal experience with recreational drugs or just a desire not to look like a loser, however, the brawler held on, heaving in a lungful of it and feeling the smoke settle into her veins.

Around her, the world began to darken, tinged in a light blue that blurred the edges of whatever she saw. Numbness settled into the tips of her fingers, and her spine felt electric, oversensitive to the fabric rested against it. As her gaze turned up to see the oni remove the pipe from her hands, however, Magpie could see shadows lingering behind him. Countless individual shadows, humanoid in shape but unclear in form, clinging onto his sinewy form. It was like looking into the depths of an oceanic trench, a darkness that swallowed your mind whole. Others in the room too held such strange darkness, including Ames, but only the oni leader had it in such density, such concentration.

And as the buzz faded, Magpie’s vision returned to normal.

Mags didn’t really learn anything from doing that. If she had to hazard a guess as to what she saw, it would be their power levels. She didn’t really think too hard about it considering how she had to try incredibly hard to not vomit everywhere and look like a dweebus. All she could really do is look at Ames. She didn’t say anything, but the expression on her face told the red-headed warrior everything. [i]Don’t do it. It’s like huffing a tree’s ass.[/i]

Ames looked between Mags and the oni chieftain, eyeing the pipe apprehensively. Magpie was uncharacteristically quiet after the huff of... well, whatever was in the pipe, and the look on her face read clear regret, if just for the taste.

[color=C94153]"Um."[/color] Ames smiled widely, unsure. Would refusing enrage the chief? If possible Ames wanted to keep these nebulous friendly relationships going. At the very least he wanted to leave the oni's den alive. He had a lot of shit to do today in the game after all. 

[color=C94153]"A... peace pipe?"[/color] Ames tried asking a more subtle inquiry as to just what it was, gingerly taking the pipe but not indulging just yet. 

[b]“Heightens one’s awareness, briefly.”[/b]

[color=C94153]"Oh!"[/color] Well, that didn't sound that bad. The face Mags was making didn't bode well, but Ames could probably survive a sour taste in exchange for "heightened awareness." He put the pipe to his lips and inhaled. 

And immediately choked.

It must have gone down the wrong pipe, or he must have done it incorrectly, or he simply did not have the same fortitude as Magpie, or perhaps he was simply inexperienced with this whole drug-smoking thing, but Ames didn’t even last one second before his body twitched, spasmed, and coughed out the rotten-wood-smoke. What buzz might have been felt was overwritten by sheer disgust instead, and the pipe fell out of his hand as he wretched forwards, lungs heaving out with violent force.

The purple oni caught the pipe before it struck the ground, and gave Ames a look that mixed disappointment and amusement.

[b]“Try again?”[/b]

Wheezing and eyes watering, Ames harshly nodded his head. The red head hadn't smoked a day in his life (well except that one time last semester... but it was just a trial run!), and didn't really plan to start, but one: this was a videogame. Two: he really couldn't stand that hint of disappointment in the chief's eyes. It irked him more than being laughed at ever could. To impress the cool demon philosophical dudes he'd have to take another drag of that disgusting concoction. [color=C94153]"Goddamnit,"[/color] he hissed weakly. It was seriously gross. Ames reached out for the pipe again, cutting a quick glance to Mags fishing for sympathy.

Mags could only look at her with frigidity. She told the red-head so.

[i]Really should've listened to her, yuck,[/i] Ames thought, but he also felt it was probably worth it. With the rancid taste already lingering in his mouth, the second try wasn't as bad. Ames felt the hairs on his skin stand on end, every little sensation amplified once the smoke entered his body. The blue tinted visions of shadows haunting everyone in the room reached Ames the same way they had Magpie, and they faded away just as quickly.

[color=C94153]"Wow, that was..."[/color] [i]Totally disgusting.[/i] [color=C94153]"Um, strong."[/color] Ames blinked away the last of his darkened vision, rubbing his eyes briefly. [color=C94153]"That was heightened sense? What was with the shadow people?"[/color]

[b]“I am,”[/b] the purple oni said, reclining once more against his throne, [b]“a spirit-seer. All under the heavens, excepting the foreigners, grow strong through no other manner than the vanquishment of others. Through battle, we make the might of others our own.”[/b]

The three oni who had initially led Magpie and Ames here were slowly slinking off now; whatever weight the conversation had was lost on them.

[b]“That is to say, there is no other way. Knowing this, what does your future look like?”[/b]

[i]Spirit-seer. That sounds cool.[/i] Ames listened to the chieftain, and from what it sounded like... the oni was just reconfirming what the warrior already thought was true - that you basically had to keep defeating enemies to get stronger. Ames could feel himself deflating a little bit. All that mystery and nasty smoking just to hear [i]that[/i] come from the head oni's mouth. Still, it occurred to Ames that the chieftain wasn't exactly shaming the humans for killing earlier as he'd previously thought, but that he was genuinely confused as to why the hell they'd decided to follow through with a non-aggressive approach that time. It kind of made Ames feel like the whole experience was going right over his head. His face colored lightly. 

[color=fff7b0]”I don’t know, I’m kinda stupid.”[/color] Mags frankly said. If that was a vague threat, then her head would probably be popped like a grape in a minute. No real point in fighting it. If those shadows were dead people, then they were thoroughly outmatched.

[color=C94153]"Come on, you're not stupid, just headstrong,"[/color] Ames said. Magpie could be a genius so long as it came to better serving herself, or so Ames thought. The red head looked back towards the chieftain, meeting the oni's eyes. He didn't exactly know what his future held per se, but he did have a goal in mind.

[color=C94153]"Being able to talk with you was cool, but I'm not gonna stop fighting stuff. Like you said, it's the only way to get stronger, so... in my future, I'll become a strong and cool magic knight."[/color] Yup, his goal was really as simple as that, for now anyway. [color=C94153]"And I want to learn a bunch of stuff about the world, like species languages and cultures!"[/color] 

The purple oni nodded, his inhuman expression unreadable. [b]“Was it only you two who followed?”[/b]

[color=fff7b0]”Probably, yea.”[/color] Mags replied, her hands almost shielding her eyes from Ames’ sunny disposition. [color=fff7b0]”Unless you count the shadow people that surround us, apparently.”[/color]

[b]“Then I will leave [i]them[/i] to you.”[/b]

Rising from his throne, he raised his right leg up into the air and stomped downwards, an action that caused the entire tribe to stand up straight. A guttural roar sounded out, and immediately, the cavern became a flurry of motion, horned oni of all shapes and sizes grabbing what valuables and consumables were available. The chef oni, in an impressive display of might and endurance, raised his massive pot of stew over his heat, apparently unbothered by the searing hot bottom of the cookware. The three hunter onis that had initially invited Magpie and Ames over were bundling up weaponry and essentials as well, while the mothers were similarly in a frenetic hurry, herding up children and leading them off into smaller tunnels.

And as for their leader? With a murmured incantation, the skeletal throne clattered to life, unearthing its true form: the reanimated skeleton of a giant, three-headed snake. Stepping up and claiming his place upon the central head, the purple oni looked down at the two, as the cavern quickly became less and less ornamented.

[b]“Our kind dance together as a part of a mating ritual,”[/b] he spoke, flashing, for the first time, a toothy grin. [b]“Though there are many other tribes within Kuru-Chiba’s Grave, if you wish to speak again to me and mine, approach an oni and ask after ‘Rashasta’.”[/b]

Above, the booming of some arcane force resounded, causing dust to fall from the ground.

[b]“Bring good food, good drink, and good stories. And if you wish to take my strength as well, then prepare to wager your own.”[/b]

Oh. So that explained a lot. No wonder the dad-bodied oni hunters were so interested in strange humans dancing like that. It was one hell of a culture shock that sent Mags to a crouching position, her hands covering her blushed face. She almost engaged in ERP. Wild.

Still, after the throne revealed its true form, Mags couldn’t help but announce how fucking cool he was.

[color=fff7b0]”God, he’s so fucking cool. He’s so fucking cool!”[/color]

[color=C94153]"Can't argue with that,"[/color] Ames said. He was taking the whole mating ritual reveal a lot easier than Mags. Poor girl was developing a serious crush, but Ames wasn't one to judge. He committed the chieftain's name, Rashasta, to memory and watched the tribe go about cleaning house. Their efficiency was impressive, and Rashasta's parting words were equally so, but...

[color=C94153]"Uh, wait, what do you mean [i]’them’?[/i]"[/color][/hider]
The answer to Ames’s question was answered, not by the departing onis, but by a much louder explosion, followed by the groaning of an old tree being torn apart. Heavy footsteps sounded out, and within moments, five adventurers practically burst into the cavern. Their vanguard, replete in full body blackwood armor enameled with gold, bore a hammer made of translucent amber, from which some demonic insect was sealed within. Bringing up the flanks were two swordsmen, one bearing a straight sword with a lion’s head as a stylized crossguard, the other a dual wielder clad in a smouldering wushu robe, whose steps left fire in its wake. From behind, tattooed arm raised and mana flowing within, was a dark-skinned caster who wore a bearskin cloak over their shoulders but had nothing but a scrap of hide to conceal her rippling chest muscles. Amongst the hubbub of the four’s dynamic entrance, Magpie and Ames almost missed the core of the party, a sallow miko with bagged eyes, tangled hair, and a stained vestment that looked more like a painter’s apron than a holy woman’s dress.

The five looked around immediately, but the oni were long gone, the cavern bereft of any sign at all of previous inhabitants, and with a growl, the heavily armored vanguard pointed at the smaller tunnels within the walls, some Magpie and Ames knew would lead to communal rooms, others of which the oni tribe had taken to escape from. [b]“Oi!”[/b] he called, voice echoing off the walls, [b]“You two! Where did those oni go? Charmed ‘em into leading you to their den, yeah?”[/b]

If they played their cards right, the brawler and the warrior may be able to join forces with a party that looked consistent enough to actually stick together while farming, and practically [i]feast[/i] on EXP once they hunted down those oni! May be a little rude to do, but on the other hand, Rashasta hadn't ever told them [i]not[/i] to do as Immortals often do, had he?
[sub][@OwO][@Yankee][/sub][hr]
With the selection made, Ari could almost instantly feel a surge of power shoot through her body, the fur of her tail standing on end as she leveled up eleven times over, the reserved EXP she retained from her fight with the two kappas and the centipede woman finally coming into play. The AP that she had now could certainly go a long way in ensuring that she could adventure with her friends without dying instantly…but on the other hand, she could skyrocket herself to 100 AGI instead with that amount of points.

Decisions, decisions, decisions…

Lugh, on the other hand, spent a quick scan of the planks nailed to the wall once more, but unfortunately hadn’t yet found anything that seemed to scream San-Li Clan to him. While there were some merchants hiring to go in that direction, it didn’t appear as if there were any bounties out for monsters that the San-Li particularly wanted dead. Perhaps, as a neutral city-state, Nyu-Taro had strict controls over what sort of quests each of the five clans could advertise out in public? Upon a second glance, however, the warrior was able to find two quests posted by members of the Shin-Yu Temple.

One had to do with collecting ‘Spirit Grass’, grass that looked perpetually covered in frost, which when exposed to direct sunlight, would wilt and dry up into a dark red shape. Though it paid well, it was also found in the Thunderstruck Grove; whether Ari was fit for such an encounter now that she was properly levelled (to a degree, at least), was up for debate.

The other quest was simpler, that being a journey through the wetlands bordering the Goldspun Fields and the Pearl Bloom River to collect a certain package from a hermit that lived in the area, and then to deliver it unopened to the Shin-Yu Temple. Certainly, it was an easier task, but on the other hand, there were kappas, and could Lugh’s mind truly survive another round with those slippery bastards?

In the absence of both these quests, however, there was always the option of just killing monsters like they’ve always had. The simplest trade of an Immortal was one that dealt in mortalty, after all.
[hider=Class Search: "Swordsman" "Katana"]
[b]Sword Warrior[/b]
[sub]+15% SP | +10% STR | +5% DEX[/sub]
[quote]A warrior devoted to the study of swordsmanship, capable of both skillful and brutish maneveurs.[/quote][hider=Requirements]
Achieve Max Level in Warrior.
STR and DEX combined is greater than or equal to 150.
Vanquish 50 monsters with a sword.
[/hider]

[b]Sohei[/b]
[sub]+10% MP | +5% END | +15% DEX[/sub]
[quote]Warrior monks sworn to the protection of their faith, whose virtues are made manifest in their skill with the blade.[/quote][hider=Requirements]
Achieve Max Level in Monk.
SP is greater than or equal to 1000.
Earn the recognition of the highest ranking priest of your temple.
[/hider]

[b]Samurai[/b]
[sub]+5% SP | +10% STR | +15% END[/sub]
[quote]Noble weapon masters, sworn to a clan to slay the champions and scatter the infantry.[/quote][hider=Requirements]
Max SP equal to or greater than 100.
Slay 5 Ogres in solo combat.
Join a Clan and obtain recognition from the Clan Leader.
[/hider]

[b]Exorcist[/b]
[sub]+10% HP | 5% MP | 5% SP | 10% STR[/sub]
[quote]The slayer of ghosts and the purger of curses, wielding blades capable of laying to rest those that have yet to pass.[/quote][hider=Requirements]
Max MP and STR equal to or greater than 100 and 10, respectively.
Defeat 5 monsters, utilizing a spellcasting weapon as a martial weapon.
Learn and perform the Daikagura at Shin-Yu Temple.
[/hider]

[b]Blacksmith[/b]
[sub]+5% HP | +5% SP | 10% DEX | 10% LCK[/sub]
[quote]Hammer-bearing craftsmen who refine ore and shape metal.[/quote][hider=Requirements]
END and DEX combined greater than or equal to 20.
Obtain a Personal Forge.
Receive training from an individual with Max Level Blacksmith.
[/hider]
[/hider]
[sub][@Cu Chulainn][@GreenGoat][/sub][hr]
There were only two benefits to this.

One, Immortals apparently didn’t have anything in their bowels or their bladders, so Amulak wasn’t immediately hit by the stench of Raime’s taint.

Two, even Immortals were worth EXP, and the mage, for all his efforts, gained another level, putting him at a nice, round, 40.

Those were the only two benefits, and with Raime’s refusal to set his pain levels down to 0% for this grim, and frankly unexciting task, Amulak had a wholly fantastic portrayal of an adult male being slowly choked to death by magical chains, complete with spasming limbs, terribly strange facial expressions, and a complexion that changed from red to purple as drool slobbered out of Raime’s mouth and his fingernails were chipped and torn by his body’s instinctual attempts to tear the magically-constructed chains off his neck.

But the scout’s strength was insufficient, and after five long, weird minutes, Raime died, leaving Amulak with a corpse that was warm and sweaty, but at least relatively uninjured. Thankfully, the mage still possessed the strength of four humans in his body, and with only some difficulty, he hefted his dead friend on his shoulders and started striding off into the mist once more, leaving the bundled baby to whatever fate awaited them.

Alert for nearby monsters and constantly taken refuge behind trees or rock formations, the mage carefully made his way towards the Blasphemed Tunnels, reliant only on directional instructions that were no longer too clear to him, after so many detours within these desecrated woods. As luck would have it though, Amulak found his way after all, spotting landmark in the form of a tree pierced seven times by massive, iron nails and travelling southwestwards after that for another five minutes, to find himself at the mouth of the tunnel.

Dark, purple moss clung over the top of the tunnel, which leered partway off the ground like the jaws of a snake. Heavy ropes were littered about all around the opening, their talismans burnt or torn by those who wished to enter regardless of what taboos they’d be committing. It was all for the sake of power, after all, all for the purpose of being able to live a particular fantasy. A ghostly wail, or perhaps just the subterranean wind, blew out from the Blasphemed Tunnel’s entrance like the sigh of a forgotten god, bringing with it the smell of damp and rot.

Before he could delve into the depths though, a footstep sounded behind him.

[b]“Oh shit, you’re trying for that thing too, aren’tcha?”[/b] A beautiful youth (though really, what Immortal [i]wasn’t[/i] beautiful?) stepped out from the fog, his hair as white as freshly fallen snow and his eyes as red as rubies. Stitchmarks (perhaps real, perhaps tattoos) crossed his face, and he wore a ragged cloak that partially hid his studded, leather armor underneath. A brutish axe, rusted and chipped, was held in his right hand, while in his left, he dragged a wooden sled with him, from which a short-haired archer with stitches wrapping around her neck laid, complexion as pale as death.

[b]“Looks like we’ve both not got a party or nuthin’, so wanna party up for this?”[/b]
[sub][@Psyker Landshark][@Searat][/sub][hr]
His SP continued to drop, until it reached zero, and after that, his HP began to drop too, every second bringing him closer and closer to death. The roots sealed him in darkness soon, and only the sensation of gravity could inform the muscled warrior which way to swing his cleaver. The space became smaller and smaller, the air becoming humid with his breath. Small roots tangled his limbs, but he could still get out of their grasp. But he was being smothered still, the exhaustion slowing his body down more than the entangling roots ever could.

Like being stuck in a swamp. Like being suffocated by a pillow. Like being only half-asleep, unable to muster up the strength to wake up.

His health drained. His limbs slowed. His body began to shut down.

Within the Thunderstruck Grove, there once more was a large tree, its branches budding with petals stained by the blood of the Immortal trapped within. There it stood, offering deathly repose for those who carelessly wander by. For within these desecrated woods, it was not merely monsters and ghosts that sought to rend your soul for your body. Trees too were…

A fist, alit with demonic fire, burst out from the trunk and tore it open in a display of bestial fury. The tree quaked, but the damage that it had already taken from Klein’s nearly single-minded desire to smash it apart had yet to be regenerated from, and it was certainly in no state to deal with the mountain man [i]again[/i]. Whatever status effect afflicting Klein had been removed the moment his Nuclei’s ability triggered, and with that, his body regained strength, strength enough to turn this grotesque mass of roots masquerading as a tree into naught but charred woodchips and ash!

Really, it was a bit concerning, how he was reliant on his Nuclei’s ridiculous power even after getting levels and a job, but oh well.
Least he leveled up from it, right?
[sub][@Shovel][/sub]