Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by ERode
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ERode Odd One Out

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The Rien working at the San-Li recruitment office only gave a confused look at Lugh as the man said nothing for a whole three minutes, then bowed and walked off. It was certainly one of the stranger encounters they’ve had in recent memory, but after a couple more seconds, they discarded that particular memory. No point in lingering upon the rather average-looking Immortal who’d come into the office, after all.

Gan’Bol, on the other hand, had a much more involved experience with the kiddo before him. Calace’s indignation had drawn more than just a couple gazes in her direction, but the man who she addressed remained unaffected by her braggadocio. For all her words, after all, Calace still had the look of a newbie adventurer to her; unarmed and unarmored, with only her shoes as her noteworthy equipment. So the man chuckled at her vitriol instead, and took another long sip from his gourd. Up close, the stench of alcohol was even stronger, enough that she became a bit woozy just by stepping up to the man. He stuck a finger in his fat ear, digging out some wax, and then looked back up at her.

“Alright, sure, you’ve got spirit, little girlie, but you seem to be getting the wrong idea here,” Gan’Bol drawled. “One, I don’t make it a habit of raising my hand against kiddos, so your ‘stature’ disqualifies you from ‘squaring up’ as well. Two, the Gaku-Rei aren’t exactly keen on paperwork. Everyone’s free to join, ya see, but we’re also free to tell anyone to piss off too. Not like we’re so desperate that we’ll employ children and the dead, after all.”

The man took another sip, holding up his finger as he did so to hush whatever complaints may pop up.

“But tantrums and such would ruin my day, so how ‘bout this?” His tone dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. “All sorts of merchants will be heading off to the Mora-Sho clan. Plenty of targets, y’see. Pull off a raid, get some proof, and I’ll pretend those platform shoes you’re wearing there count as part of your actual height, girlie. These are easy marks, so I'll give you...three days to pull one off. Anymore, and you're too slow to be riding with us. That sound good, or do I have to find a daycare for ya after all?”
@Cu Chulainn@Haha
Hidden 3 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by GreenGoat
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GreenGoat Harmless Flower Person

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[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



Though Ari had become familiar with the market, there was a decidedly different atmosphere amongst the stalls that ringed the area. There were definitely fewer street vendors around now, and fewer Immortals present to buy up wares too. Chances were good still that she could get what she needed, and it was definitely less claustrophobic now that she could walk through the aisles of stalls without having to rub shoulders with others, but it was still strange. The news of war, and the profits that it promised those intrepid entrepreneurs certainly had a strong effect, enough that even the merchants of Nyu-Taro would chase it, when they had a bevy of newly-born Immortals to scam instead.

She wasn’t looking for market stuff however, but a reputable trader. Just like the night markets at home, a nice machete bought from there might be cheaper, but may not be as strong or as durable as one bought from a proper standing shop. Someone who can make, maintain and upgrade a wrist launcher would be good. Of course, she can always turn back to the bazaar if such a person was not available. Perhaps she’d find the merchant she owes money to while searching too. Might as well get that done with as well.

There were a couple storefronts that looked promising from Ari’s perspective. Though she didn’t linger too long at the forges of the ogre and the orc, both who seemed to specialize more in melee weaponry, there were plenty of other establishments that catered to her own desire for ranged weaponry. One in particular, stood out to her: Canopy Creations. Run by a palm-sized fairy and featuring some fascinating architecture that fused trees with walls and pillars, this particular area had quite a few artisan pieces. More than a few other Immortals were browsing the selection, one that contained everything from staves to bows, and after some searching about, Ari found a few wristmounted bows that caught her attention as well. Of course, with 200,000 rishi in her pockets, she could certainly afford to buy all of them, but if she didn’t want to?

Well, considering the ‘no returns’ policy of the shop, she’ll have to make a decision...though a custom-order may also be in the range of possibility, considering her current wealth.

Ironbark Reaper – 65,000 rishi
Rare Crossbow
+50 HP, +10 STR, +5 END
20% chance of reducing defenses of [Armored] targets on hit.
Consume 100 HP and 100 SP. Reduce AGI by 100% and increase damage by your AGI for one attack.


Lucky Number Eight – 70,000 rishi
Rare Crossbow
+5 AGI, +10 LCK
On every fourth attack with this weapon, deal half damage.
On every eighth attack with this weapon, deal double damage.
Increase LCK by 10 for every eighth shot fired. Lasts until the end of combat.


Love in the Crossfire – 55,000 rishi
Rare Crossbow
+100 MP, +3 END, +10 DEX
Consumed 75 MP. Create a [Spiritual Bow] within a 50 meter radius of yourself. On your next two attacks, the [Spiritual Bow] will fire at the same target you’re aiming at, dealing damage equal to your own.
+60% resistance to [Taunt] and [Fear] effects. -20% resistance to [Charm] effects.


These were certainly good choices to look at, but she wanted something she could keep on using. A custom made one sounds better for the long run if she wanted to keep on upgrading it.

“Excuse me,” she approached the fairy, glancing at her other choices. “But is there one that could be custom made for my use?”
The fairy, freckle-faced and dressed in a complex combination of different-colored cloths, tossed her blonde hair back at Ari’s approach. “Oh my,” she said, voice husky. “That I could certainly do, darling, but it’d take some time as well, depending on what exactly you’re in the market for. So I must ask, what are you looking for?”

“A wrist mounted crossbow that won’t interfere with my movement, and shoots anything that I might put in it.” She scrunched up her face for a moment, ears flattening slightly as she tried to elaborate. “Uh, like, rocks, a grapple hook, knife or something. Also I need it to launch them good.”

“That’s a variety for sure, hun. Are throwing those not an option?”

“Yes.” Ari looked at the fairy blankly, unable to see her point. “But I want one that can do that reliably and quickly.”

The fairy lady pulled out a small notepad out between her cleavage, and started scribbling down some notes with the edge of her pinky. “Hm...I can certainly design a launcher, but then I must ask, darling. How attached are you to the idea that this is a crossbow?”

“As long as it shoots anything I put in it, and doesn’t lose its ammo when I move around, it should be fine.” Ari leaned in closer, attempting to peer into the notebook. “How much will this cost me?”

“You prefer to store ammo, rather than generate it?” The fairy lady pressed a finger against Ari’s nose, pushing her head back. “And no peeking until I’m finished, ok?”

Her ears drooped slightly as Ari retreated, feeling a little chastised. “Store? No, generating it is fine. I just want it to be able to shoot things I put in it as well. Hard to aim if things fall out of it if I move too fast.

The fairy lady smiled, finishing off her designs with a flourish, then turned it over for Ari to see. Small as the leaf was, the catgirl would definitely have to lean in close to discern the details. There were three sketches present, and as Ari’s eyes went over them, the fairy began to explain. “First one is the wrist-mounted catapult concept, basing off the idea of a throwing arm without the act of actually throwing. With this knob here, you can adjust the angle of release, and if you’re exceptionally careful with those hands of yours, this can be used to throw spears as well. The second one, of course, is a more basic slingshot model, with a larger cup accounting for whatever you’d like to jam in there. There’s a hole there as well, for slotting in arrows, darts, and what have you, but to make sure that it doesn’t slide through, you’ll need a big head, dear. Now, the third one is where things becomes...intriguing.”
She flew in closer, her butterfly wings scattering a sweet-smelling dust around Ari.

“I’ve recently come from a vacation from Alderamin, and they’ve been developing some fairly interesting new contraptions. A steam-powered arbalest, you see. Compressed air is released on one end, shooting out everything inside the barrel out the other end. I can imagine myself crafting a variation of it that could be fitted onto your wrist, with an adjustable barrel to enable a variety of objects to be thrust out of it, but, in terms of price, it’s certainly more expensive.”

Ari gulped. “How much are we talking about here?”

“Depends on your budget, darling. I could whip up something that’s useful for 70,000 rishi, but if you’re already going out of your way to grab yourself a custom order? Well, you wouldn’t really be getting your money’s worth without spending at least 150,000 rishi.”

Ari’s expression remained neutral but her shock was readily apparent as both her tail and ears straightened and puffed out.
“Will I be able to upgrade it here at a later date when I need to?”

“To bring the quality of a weapon up to a new level would often require a total overhaul of the previous materials used,” she replied, before smiling at Ari. “But if you didn’t, this’ll just become a sunk cost over time, wouldn’t it?”

“T-Then, lets see what you can do with 150,000 rishi.” Her voice was wavering slightly as she confirmed what she wanted. Guess everything else she can wait for. Now to go straight to the merchant to pay off her debts before she gets sidelined by another shiny thing.

“Lovely,” the fairy replied, sliding the leaf-notepad back into her cleavage. “If you could be a dear and pay a deposit of 75,000 rishi, I can start work immediately and be done in two days.”

Counting out the money, Ari held out the amount to the fairy. “Here you go. I’ll come by in two days.”

Exiting the shop, she had a niggling feeling she had done something she shouldn’t. Perhaps it was just her conscience warning her she might overspend and not have any to repay her debts? In any case, she will have to skip the rest of the items for now and see about repaying the merchant first.

“Thank you for your patronage~” The fairy blew a kiss in Ari’s direction as the catgirl left the curious shop, before moving on to attend to her other customers.

As for the seller of ninja tools, however, Ari found herself unable to locate the stall. Perhaps he wasn’t logged in? Or maybe he had already left Nyu-Taro, like so many other street stall owners. She looked over the open markets a couple more times, but could only conclude that the man wasn’t there. Whether that was for better or worse, however, she had no way of knowing.
It was both relieving and worrying somehow that she did not find the man. Relieving, because she could put off the apology, and worrying because she did not like to be in debt to someone.

The only other thing she needed now was a longer rope that wasn’t lumpy like her handmade grass rope was. That one wasn’t too hard to find at least. A general supply shop was easy enough to find after all. 8000 rishi for a 30m long hemp rope was sufficient. As for the lantern and hook? Those were in the same shop, being a relatively common tool. Both costs about 6,500 rishi.

With those finally in her inventory, she stepped out of the shop and sighed. Now to report to the place Zhi mentioned. Hopefully they didn’t engage in any weird hazing rituals.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Cu Chulainn
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Cu Chulainn nuts

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HP 575/575 SP 368/368 MP 410/410


When Lew set off on his quest to seek his friends, he did not realize it would have been soon, moreso with the specific person he had found. Calace, of all people, making some sort of scene at the Gakui-Rei recruitment tent. Lew thought she didn't play anymore, or at least had her own little group to play with. The more Lew thought of it, however, the more he'd rationalize the one thing that would make sense as to why the little healer of their group wasn't with them anymore: She probably got lost, again. Shrugging either way, Lew made his approach.

"Didn't expect you the type to join with the Gakui-Rei, Calace. Does this mean you think you're cooler than us?" Lew asked, trying his best to sound cool as well, possibly failing. Looking Calace over, it seems that Lew is much more well-equipped than she is. He wondered if she was also underleveled like Ari, but quickly realized it probably wouldn't matter. Calace is a healer, and Lew is as close to a tank as he can be at his level and class. All they needed was a primary damage dealer, and they would be set up for leveling.

"Eh, I don't mind helping you out if this is the faction you're settling with. If you need a tank to party with, I guess I'd help an old friend out." Lew scoffed, raising his Nuclei-embroidered arm with a smug grin, although he looked more creepy than anything. Still, Lew allowed the electricity surging within his armband to surge slightly, hoping it'd make him look cooler along with the rest of his gear.

Whatever the case may be, Lew opened his menus and sent the wayward healer a party invite.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Shovel
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Shovel A Shovel is typing!

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Klein

HP 143/400 SP 180/300 MP 0/0




It took Klein a fraction of seconds for his left foot to rise, and another fractions of a second for his right foot to rise while the other to fall. Some say that when in danger, the human's fight or flight system kick in and resulting in the release of epinephrine. This allows human to do impressive feats like lifting a small car or just fighting tooth and nails. Klein doesn't really know if Caco if that natural yet. But for the first time, he felt how fast a 21 AGI character can run. He felt the cold breeze over his scalps and the dead branches pricking beneath his foot with each step he take. And yet, no matter how fast he ran, the sound of something massive behind his back doesn't grow any smaller. If anything, the sound of air being force to move out of way grew more unbearable.

"GOOD LUCK MATE" Klein shouted from the top of his lungs as he ran away from the soon-to-be center of impact. He knew he has a shield of 520 health, but god know how much damage would this flying meteor cause when it crash landed.

Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Psyker Landshark
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Psyker Landshark return to monke

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Amulak al Acturus (Stanislaw)
HP:942/1000 MP:1174/1440 SP: 216/216





No paralysis. Great. Wonderful. And...an oni crashing down like a meteor towards both himself and Klein.

"Oh wow oh fuck," Amulak murmured under his breath in both bafflement and amazement for a moment as he beheld the sight, before his survival instincts kicked in and he started fucking legging it away from the impact zone.

That wasn't to say he wasn't going to do anything about the situation, though. A wave of his hand conjured up two Magical Mines where he and Klein had been standing before. Hopefully, even if they didn't finish arming by the time the oni impacted, they'd do so as it recovered from the crash.

Given that he had triple Klein's AGI, Amulak rapidly caught up to and outpaced his companion, giving Klein a jaunty wave as he overshot him.

"Try not to die, yes?" He called out to Klein as he passed. "Looks like you need more luck than me!"

(-200 MP)
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by ERode
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ERode Odd One Out

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And thus, chaos.

Magpie’s shovel, empowered by the Brawler’s trademark passive, ripped through the air and shattered the oni’s arm. The metal, never meant to be used as a weapon, warped at the impact, but she carried through regardless, severing off one arm. The oni’s body vibrated in fear and anger as it grinded to a halt behind her. Salty waters churned underneath as it twisted around, swinging its remaining arm at her.

Magpie matched those movements too though. Her AGI may not surpass that of the oni’s, but she wasn’t so far behind that the monster’s movements left her in the dust. Eyes wide open, shovel swinging out for a second strike, she drove the warped edge of the shovel into its arm. They clashed in that instant, the shockwave sending sea water on both sides, but neither gave up an inch.

Then, the cracks began to show.

The wood of the shovel’s haft splintered at the same time the bones of the oni fractured, and with a meaty thunk, both shovel and arm broke, scattering to pieces upon the watery battlefield. Magpie’s improvised weapon may have been of uncommon quality, but it was never meant to be a weapon to begin with, and her passive only improved the damage it dealt, not the abuse it could withstand. Blubbering about her loss, the Brawler turned tail and ran, right as the worm-oni cartwheeled onto the stubby remains of its arms. Blood now frothed within Magpie’s territory, as it spun its legs around to create a helicopter kick of carnage that pursued Magpie with murderous intent.

Ames’s thrust ended up striking only air as well, the one-armed oni twisting out of the way of the flaming sword and releasing a quick jab. It was a maneveur that the warrior had predicted though, and he stepped in tune with the monster’s attack, evading the blow and swinging upwards to the intercept the oni’s arm as it snapped. The incandescent brand sizzled as it carved into flesh, but Ames only managed to graze the monster. It had raised its arm up instead, and the warrior’s sword met empty air instead.

“Stupid zombie oni!”

Spinning on its heel to gain extra rotational force, the oni swung down with a chop, and Ames brought up his sword to defend. The warrior’s knees buckled under the weight of the impact, just barely catching the hand with the guard of the sword. The stench of cooking flesh permeated from where the oni’s hand was pressed against the burning sword, and it squirmed at the heat.

But whatever fear it held within its hive mind repressed, as it grasped onto the sword instead. A high-pitched whine sounded within the infested oni’s body, and it swung its arm off to the side, bringing Ames’s sword away with it.

An opening of a split second.

BOOM!

Ames went flying ten meters back, but only sustained 35 points of damage from the kick that had sent him there. Though his reflexes were slow, the system had not been, and stylish movement kicked in at the last moment to bring the buckler up to block it. He recovered with a mid-air somersault, and as he landed, Raime finally had a clear shot at the oni. With arrows ignited by phantasmal flame, the scout unleashed a salvo unto the oni. Three were blocked by its arm, but one met its mark in its stomach, causing the creature to writhe further. It tore the arrow out of its stomach, but damage had already been dealt: a black, steaming goop began to seep out from the hole.

The creature was not dead yet though, and with a growl, it reached out with the stump of its arm.

But for what purpose?



Klein ran, his heart beating against his chest, his muscles pushing harder than it ever had before. Had he ever even worked out this hard in real life? But for all of Cacophony Concord’s realism, it was still a virtual world, ruled by numbers and truths. No matter how hard he mentally pushed himself, there were hard limits still, limits that ruled him as the slowest individual by far within this encounter. The roar of the dead bull sounded behind him like a train. Perhaps in another timeline, a timeline where his Nuclei had yet to be awoken, this would be where a determination to live opened up a new possibility for him.

Ashwatthama offered vengeful immortality though, not escape from duress.

Amulak cast his own spells before he turned to run, arcane veins flooding out to craft near-invisible bombs at the landing sight of the oni. If his timing was perfect, the mines would arm themselves only after the oni landed, exploding upon the monster instead of the corpse. All he had to do now was run, and in another timeline, yes, the mage would’ve easily outpaced his ally.

They were fighting creatures that infested dead bodies though. Creatures that could manipulate detached limbs. And though Klein had helped Amulak remove the arm from his face, neither of them had done the thing zombie movies always told people to do.

Double tap.

Amulak’s left foot jerked back two steps into his run, and he fell flat on his face as a crushing pressure clamped down on his ankle. Given more time, it wouldn’t have been a problem at all, not with his superhuman strength giving him the ability to move effectively even with this fleshy manacle over his leg, but the mage didn’t have time to get up, and his allies were all too far away or distracted to assist.

The bull fell, and obliteration followed.

A wave of debris surged out from the epicenter of the impact. Magpie, at the very cusp of her own Territory, withstood the shockwave without being carried off, but the Brawler could see Klein’s form ragdolling away. Mid-air, the mountain man’s form was coated with that infernal shroud, but the flames waned successively as his body smashed through more trees. His HP had dropped to 1, and [Ashwatthama]’s HP was only at 69. One more hit from any of the onis would kill him.

Amulak’s situation though, was much more dire. Even with his pain settings at such a low percentage, being struck by that bus-sized bull still felt like taking an baseball bat to his entire body. Every inch of his avatar ached, and as the dust settled, he could see that, through his relatively high END and his rare-quality armor, he had still sustained 528 damage.

Insanely enough, he may have been the only member in this party who could have taken such an attack face-first and survived. Now, however, he was trapped, legs crushed beneath the bus-sized corpse, and though the dust still shrouded him from sight, Amulak could still see the silhouette of the oni on top of the phantasmal bull, searching for him.

Three more seconds until the mines were armed.
@Shovel@Searat@Psyker Landshark@OwO@Yankee

Though Ari still knew nothing about how addresses worked in Nyu-Taro, asking the guards worked well enough to get directions that she could actually follow. Her activities in the market had left her low on money, but rich with new toys, and the fact that the ninja merchant she was looking for didn't seem to be around was...questionably fortuitous news. Maybe the procrastination just made the anxiety worse in the future, but hey, Cacophony Concord was a big game. It wasn't totally unlikely that she'd never see him again, and thus would never have to deal with his reprimands!

Maybe.

He was a ninja, after all. He may leverage his unique set of skills to track her down and force her to pay back her loan, plus interest.

Regardless, the address that Zhi-Toren handed Ari pointed her in the direction of the central-western portion of town, to a building that looked just like any of its neighbours. Three stories tall with white walls, tiled roofs, and a dark, timber framework, the 'CCC HHQ', as the wooden plaque proclaimed, didn't really seem to be anything special beyond its anachronistic name. If she focused her hearing, she could just make out the repetitive thumping of wood against paper, and there was a curiously acrid smell lingering in the air as well. Still, nothing was going to happen unless Ari did something though, and with no way but forwards, the catgirl Immortal would do...what?

Loiter around until Zhi-Toren popped out from somewhere?
@Greengoat
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by GreenGoat
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GreenGoat Harmless Flower Person

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[Ranger]Ari Reina Caladis(Theresa)



Well, the building certainly looked as imposing as it was out of place, but that certainly was no reason to loiter around. There was a proverb in her country that states those who do not ask, will remain lost after all.

Going up to the front door as confidently as you please, she opened it and stepped inside.

"Excuse me! Is this the building for CCC? I was told to go here?"
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Haha
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Haha b E a N

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[Mentions] @Cu Chulainn


”Humorous of you to think I would need help, I guess!” Calace spat out, her gaze snapping away from the chunklord that she was speaking to previously.

A click of the girl's tongue punctuated her words, briefly looking back to Gaku-Rei representative before turning his sights back onto Lew. Her amethyst gaze stared daggers right through him. Friend or not, she wouldn't be spoken to in such a frank way - especially when she had just gone through something quite belittling already. Her pale cheeks reddened for a moment as blood rushed into her face, eyelids squinting at him - looking through his exterior and into his soul.


”But, as a healer I would require some form of front line to do the heavy lifting. So if you want to join these douchebags with me, I wouldn't be opposed to it.” Calace's eyes slowly shut, an airy sigh flaring from her nostrils.

With visible reluctance, Calace opened her own menu and accepted Lew's party invitation and silently stepped along past him. With the knowledge given by that fat alcoholic brigand, she seemed to immediately set out to head in the direction of wherever that was - but honestly she did not know. Despite her headstrong attitude, she wasn't much of a leader - especially when it came to directions and questing - that stuff goes way over her head.

Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Searat
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Searat The Aqueous Rodent

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HP: 320/320 | MP: 336/336 | SP: 380/682




The attacks were effective? The attacks were effective!

Despite the majority of the flaming arrows only hitting the zomboni's arm, one struck true and the black ooze that the worms produced and animated the corpse came streaming out like a faucet had turned on inside of it. Raime was about to let out a hurrah out of the sense of achievement, but then the bull finally hit the ground. He would never admit it, but he felt more awe struck than fear as he witnessed the sheer destruction wrought on the battlefield in slow motion. The feeling was akin to the one he felt watching the remastered Gundam Origin's Operation British for the first time in FullDive Gear in his teenage years. Still sends tingles down his spine just by remembering it.

In the aftermath of it, majority of his teammates were at death's door. Klein was practically wedged half-way in if he were to judge. Plans changed in a split second. Instead of preparing more of his makeshift fire arrows, his highest priority was keeping his party mates alive...but he really couldn't leave Ames high and dry. Nocking four more arrows, the scout took parting shots against the zomboni that stuck its stump at him. The attack more to give a distraction for Ames to use than an actual attempt to kill the severely wounded undead monster.

Once he finished providing a distraction, he shoulders his short bow and reaches deep into his pouch to retrieve 12 vials of the burst healing vials. Four in each finger gap in his hands and four more held in his mouth. With his superior speed, drastically slowed perception of time, and active/passive skills to help avoid dangers paired with his dexterity buffed by his bow? Getting to his wounded party mates and administering the goods to Klein, Mags, and Amulak in that order would be a breeze...wouldn't it?









Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Yankee
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Yankee God of Typos

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aмeιa
aмeѕ
aмeѕ

HP: 274/610 - MP: 610/610 - SP: 610/610
_________________ []
_________________
Before the impact, Ames landed with her feet firmly planted, dispersing dust and loose earth from the ground. She still had her shield held tight in her grip, still brought up in front of her as if she expected a follow up blow. She peeked out from above the buckler, glaring at the monster. These worm-infested things were tough, and the nature of their existence was downright chilling, but more than anything right now they were annoyingly difficult to deal with. She'd hoped that the flames of her weapon would be able to dispatch them quick enough, but they moved so quickly, like they were still alive. Plus, after seeing the fire and getting over their initial hesitance, the creatures endured it's burn. Was this the power of thousands of little brains working together? Maybe it would be interesting to someone else, but to Ames it was just revolting.

The oni turned away once Raime kept his promise and drew it's attention, and so Ames moved. Her eyes flitted to a space on the ground a little farther away where her only weapon was lying, the flames that wreathed it flickering and already dying out. Well, crap. There goes one advantage. Still she run towards it, stumbling when the third oni finally reconnected with the earth with explosive force. She turned towards the impact site, shielding her eyes from loose chunks of debris that managed to reach her. After a few seconds of staring Ames redoubled her efforts, scrambling to her sword and snatching it up in her hand. She saw Raime disengage, grateful that he left her a little covering fire as he ran towards where Amulak and Klein... well, hopefully they weren't dead. If they weren't they'd definitely need the help.

Re-equipped, Ames stood and parepared to lash out at the oni. It was wounded and distracted, and she hoped she could finish it off even without the benefit of a flaming weapon. She had to be fast or it would just block her again. Her Combat Stance shifted, increasing her DEX. The fastest way to kill it... even if it was controlled by worms, would decapitation work? It had worked for Mags hadn't it? Ames flicked the blade up, seeking the monster's neck.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by OwO
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OwO what's this?

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Lv. 40
HP: 76/506 SP: 153/450 MP: 30/30
(400) + 60 + 10% (400) + 50 + 0% (30) + 0 + 0%
STR – 202 (130) + 45 + 15% | AGI – 61 (50) + 5 + 10% | END – 63 (50) + 10 + 5% | DEX – 50 (50) | LUC – 39 (29) + 10


Well, she managed to get away from the oni. Turns out, they weren't quite as fast on their stumps as they were as their legs. She managed to make enough space to live, at least. Her health was low enough that making any sort of risky play was dangerous. It didn't help that the worms inhabited corpses. Having a possessed corpse Mags running down the rest of her allies was unlikely to help anything, so a suicide play was less apropos. That was, however, if her corpse lingered instead of being digitized. It wasn't exactly something she was willing to test right now.

So instead of ruining another tool, she just picked up some rocks to hork at the spin kicking oni. She wasn't going to lose her pickaxe. Not yet, anyways.

She would hold a funeral for her shovel at some point.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Psyker Landshark
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Psyker Landshark return to monke

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Amulak al Acturus (Stanislaw)
HP:414/1000 MP:999/1440 SP: 216/216





He'd realized he was fucked from the moment he'd felt something on his ankle. Careening face first into the ground just confirmed it. He was about to eat complete shit.

And as the meteor impacted, that turned out to be completely true.

Pain. Despite having his pain threshold settings turned down, the impact still hurt like hell. Seeing the damage done to his health bar was thankfully not as bad. All that, and it had only taken out half his HP? Fuck it. He still had enough to keep going for now.

Of course, that didn't change the fact that his legs were trapped under rubble. Crap. And to make things worse, the mines weren't armed yet. The oni was right on top of them, presumably looking for him, but clearly hadn't found anything yet. Well, there was only one thing to do in this situation.

Amulak went limp, playing dead. Three seconds until the mines went off. Even if the oni saw him, it'd still need to take time to wonder if he was out of the fight, and that'd hopefully be enough for his spell to detonate.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by ERode
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Fast as any self-proclaimed healer ought to be after such a massive attack landed, Raime was a dark gale as he sped through the debris and dust. A tunnel was left in his wake as he tracked down the individual in the most danger. Klein’s fiery cowl made him easy to spot despite the obscuring dust, slumped as he was against a tree. The Scout skidded beside him swiftly and immediately jammed four healing vials into the Mountain Man’s mouth, tilting the man’s head upwards to ensure that all the fluids went down smoothly.

It tasted like blood to Klein, but his health shot up by 120 regardless. Now he could perhaps withstand a hit from an oni after all. But only one.

Magpie was Raime’s next target, scampering away still at the spin-kicking oni. Bending her knees and clawing against the ground, the Brawler dragged out a handful of small rocks from the earth and hurled them out to her target with such a terrifying force that it sounded like a shotgun blast. Pebbles tore through rotten flesh, but they were too small to stop the oni’s advance. It had to be at death’s door at now though, and if she simply pushed on with the attack like that giant ape from Attack on Titan, Magpie had a re-

A burst of wind from behind, and her mask was lifted, four glass vials were thrust into her mouth! Immediately, her body quaked, muscles shuddering at the taste of blood. Her HP rose by 120 as well, and with that, the monstrous strength the Brawler had disappeared. Who did this, she couldn’t tell, because that instant of distraction was enough for the oni to hop back up onto its feet as well! Surging forward, it leapt into a drop kick, aiming to split her in half!

Things were heating up for Ames as well. The fire of his sword had died when it was wrenched out of his hand, but Raime’s arrows forced the zombie oni to back away as well, giving the warrior the opportunity to re-arm himself. It was a matter of mere moments now, a matter between who had the faster draw as both combatants surged for each other. But in that critical moment, Ames messed up.

It was AGI which determined one’s speed, not DEX.

The corpse-worms vibrated with mind-numbing intensity as the oni wrapped its one arm around Ames, squeezing the warrior against its stomach. The bind was imperfect, more of a squeeze than a bear hug though, and even as 49 HP was lost from the chest-crushing grapple, Ames still had his own sword free, driving into the monster’s neck before swinging it out. The head lolled forward, connected to the neck now only due to some shreds of flesh and skin that remained, and putrid blood oozed out from the hole. The monster’s own grip, however, did not cease to weaken.

This body was broken, and there was a new one pressed right against it now.

Pinpricks of pain pressed against Ames’s stomach, as, from the smoldering hole that Raime had shot, black worms began to wriggle out, digging into his own flesh. Their numbers were small, only 24 points of damage dealt for twenty-four worms trying to infest him, but how would he rip them out, when there was no space between the oni’s stomach and his own to maneuver?

Amulak’s predicament was dangerous as well. Through a glassy-eyed gaze, the mage held his breath as the silhouette of the oni continued to turn. It was only three seconds, but with a dilated perception of time, those three seconds were the longest he ever had to endure.

Two seconds now…

One…

The wind howled around the mage, dispersing all the dust around him in an instant. Raime knelt before him, four healing vials jammed into Amulak’s mouth. 120 points ticked up the mage’s HP bar, but for all the comfort that some extra health gave him, all he could do was watch as the oni’s rotten eyes swung in the two Immortal’s direction. Playing dead couldn’t work, not when they were actively being healed by another.

…second now…

It coiled its ruptured legs, drawing in strength that lingered even after death, and kicked off the bull!

Zero.

Behind, Amulak’s magical mines burst, arcane energies surging outwards and eradicating all matter caught up in the radius. The oni’s extended leg was caught up in the blast, turned into a bloody mist, but it still sailed through the air, remaining leg swinging outwards like a ballista bolt!

Glass shattered inside the mage’s mouth as the oni’s ankle rammed itself through his teeth. Another 74 damage was taken by the trapped and now silenced mage, while a meaty hand swung out for the surprised Scout. Though a step fast enough to avoid a hit, the fingers of the oni still snagged against Raime’s clothing, and the sheer strength of the oni was enough to slam Raime into the pulverized stomach cavity of the phantasmal bull. A rib the width of a log skewered the scout’s chest, goring him and dealing 187 damage to the unarmored man, the unfiltered pain enough to almost cause him to black out.

But the system wouldn’t allow him to, and through tear-streaked eyes, Raime could see the oni’s fists raise upwards with savage intent.

Amulak was tough and well-armored, perhaps even tougher than Lugh. Without the ability to move or to incant though, how would he survive the pummeling that was to come?
@Shovel@Searat@Psyker Landshark@OwO@Yankee

Gan’Bol smirked at Calace’s attitude as he waved the two off. “Well, have fun kiddos,” he called. “Make sure you’ve got enough to pay bail!”

And now, Lugh and Calace were on their own, neither of them possessing any acumen for organized crime. The headstrong healer may be eager enough to run off in any direction, but after a couple minutes of fruitless wandering, the duo had to stop and think. How would they actually pull off some banditry or thievery without getting obliterated, and how would they pull it off in a way that Gan’Bol wouldn’t just laugh at their attempts afterwards?

It wasn’t immediately obvious what the answers to the first two questions were, but there was definitely one thing that had to be answered before even that.

How would they find a mark?

There were three options that came easily to mind.

First, they could find themselves a map of Nyu-Taro’s surrounding geography and find a trade route that wouldn’t be populated by too many caravans. Once an easy, isolated mark showed up, they could attack it and hope for the best.

Second, Lugh recalled the criminal organization that Ari had been trying to steal from. Though he wasn’t absolutely certain where they were, he had the general sense that they must be somewhere in the area she was crawling through previously. Maybe with some sweet-talking, the two of them could pick up some nice criminal tips from them?

Third, they could look up the quest wall at the Keystone’s plaza and see which merchant caravans were hiring. With only a group of two, there would probably be other Immortals hired as well to escort them, but perhaps it would be easier to burglar through betrayal, rather than through ambush.

Of course, the hidden fourth option was just to give up and mindlessly grind mobs instead. Even Lugh wasn’t finished maxing out his first class, after all. What chance did they have against any well-equipped party of Immortals? Mayhaps it was better to play it safe than to fall for Gan’Bol’s taunting and end up dead.
@Haha@Cu Chulainn

The smell of citrus hit Ari as she pushed into the office of the CCC. Though the layout of the lobby looked simple enough, with an area immediately beyond the door where one could remove their shoes and swap them for indoor slippers, potted saplings were placed on every corner of the room that she was to step up into, their branches weighed down by small oranges. That explained the smell at least, a smell potent enough that she could hardly catch the stench of oil and ink that seeped down from the surrounding rooms. The noise, however, couldn’t be masked. Muffled voices and the clacking of wood against wood resounded from all neighbouring walls and humans dressed in a variety of outfits went back and forth carrying boxes stacked fivefold upon each other. It was frenzying, and took a moment or two for Ari to not just register all their voices as white noise.

“This bundle’s ready for delivery!”

“What’s the stats on our readership in Ryoku-Jo?”

“No contact from the Mora-Sho sub-branch yet, boss!”

“C’mon, let’s get those interviews out the door!”


In the middle of the room stood Zhi-Toren, the woman now only dressed in collared shirt and slacks. Ink blots marked her handsome face and her hair was done up in a bun as she coordinated the chaos, directing people to go to one room, shouting out orders, or just telling people to pick up the slack. It was a strange sight, one that reminded Ari of those chaotic restaurant sim games that her classmates got into one summer.

Amidst the chaos, though, the purple-haired woman caught Ari’s eye. “Two floors up, third room to the right,” she shouted. “I’ll be up in ten minutes!”

If Ari followed those directions, after some complicated evasions of other Immortals carrying large, unwieldy loads, she would find herself in a room that was much quieter than the rest. A window in the back faced the center of Nyu-Taro, and bookshelves filled to the brim lined up against the walls. In the center of the room was a massive table, upon which a map of Horogi was laid out, accompanied by various navigational tools. Up above, glass lanterns were suspended, their light shining with a magical brilliance.

Leaning over the table with a compass in one hand and a wired telephone in another, was a blue-eyed man dressed in a jet-black kimono. Scars criss-crossed his pale skin, and his aviator goggles held his wiry black hair out of his eyes. He looked up at Ari and stared. One second passed. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

The man frowned, then shouted, "Self-introduction!"
@Greengoat
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Searat
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Searat The Aqueous Rodent

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HP: 33/416 | MP: 332/432 | SP: 280/806




Death waited for the slightest lapse in concentration. In one singular move, the scout’s mortality was made clear. Even before he could react, the monster had slammed his body down into the phantasmal bull’s remains, skewering him.

Raime wanted to scream.

But the rib that completely obliterated his right lung refused him the action. All he could muster from all his effort was a pathetic gurgle as he choked on the blood filling his other lung that quickly interfered with his breathing. Mouth frozen in a soundless scream; tears ran down his face from the sheer amount of pain he was constantly in. He wasn’t even allowed to scream at the pain he was in. That was rather unfair.

He really wished that he could pass out but, alas, the game’s system refused him the pleasure of being unconscious.

Raime’s left hand darted to the massive rib. His hand groping the blood-stained bone, as if he would have found some hidden critical weakness he could exploit to help his escape. It didn’t take him long to realize something. He couldn’t move his right arm. A quick glance over revealed that a few of the fingers on his right hand simply twitched in response to the neurons firing. He should have known, the log-sized rib that proudly jutted out of his chest had already destroyed the bone joints and severed the major muscle groups that dictated its movement.

The shadow above him moved and his eyes shifted away from his now useless arm. If the situation wasn’t already looking grim for him, he saw the zomboni looming over his broken body; fists raised savagely above its head. No doubt, intending to pulverize the incapacitated scout into a chunky red paste among the stinking remains of the phantasmal bull corpse. Perched upon the very precipice of death, he was given the true test of his will. Would he hold fast or would this be his second death to mar his CaCo record?

No fuckin’ way he was dying like a bitch a second time.

Biting on his sleeve to prevent accidentally breaking his teeth or biting his tongue off, Raime drew his warg tooth blade and cut through the remaining strings of tendon, sinew, and muscle as he jerked his body away from the rib in one swift motion. Amputating his right arm and worsening the already immeasurable pain he was in...but also letting himself escape from the jaws of certain death. Mere men couldn’t stomach the thought, let alone act upon it. But Morenos were not mere men.

Upon shaking and unsteady feet, he stood as tall as his body allowed him to; his blood slowly pooling beneath his feet from the gaping wound on his chest. The sleeve he had bitten into lolled out of his mouth, coated with saliva and blood. With a dagger in hand and eyes filled with unyielding resolve to live, Raime smiled defiantly at death.

But it soon dawned upon him that the undead creature would still try to kill the pinned caster now that he was no longer available for execution. He didn’t expect the vials to backfire so badly, then again he did think that Amulak had passed out and warranted immediate action. Regardless, he felt responsible for the predicament Amulak was in. Leveling his blade once more, he prepared to fight against insurmountable odds.

He was exhilarated from the immersion. Not once in real life had he reached the limit of his will. But not only has CaCo allowed him to see how far his determination sent him, it even allowed him to break past his limit. Truly CaCo was a once-in-a-lifetime game.

And as he stood, knees buckling under the weight of his body, dagger grasped with a hand that became paler and paler by the moment, Raime’s blood began to glow. A dim light to begin with, but brighter and brighter with ever-increasing intensity. Becoming motes of light, the blood and flesh that he had cast aside turned to light and rose to the sky, piercing through the clouds to reveal the azure that the ever-present fog sought so desperately to hide.

A spotlight, just for him. A recognition of what he truly was, what he had been. A supporter? Nay. A healer? Nay! The blood that his heart pumped through his body could never be satisfied by protecting others. The blood that he shed without regret or remorse could never be satisfied by healing others! Seeking the world beyond the boundary of his own perceptions and limitations, beyond the town that he was destined to live out his days, he would surpass everything, no matter what he had to endure.

And with a gush of flame, a hiss of steam, black plates interlocked over his left arm, the hardened magma of his blazing heart!



Fate had given him a miracle. No point in wasting it.

Dropping his dagger, Raime aimed his nuclei at his undead foe as it began to glow and radiate a brilliant white light. "God-Searing Light!" The scout roared out in defiance. Pushing through the stabbing pain his partially filled lung experienced as he sacrificed 100 HP 100 MP and 100 SP in equal amounts to activate his nuclei's skill. Allowing the gravely injured man to fire a beam of pure light five kilometers long at point-blank range.

For a moment. Only a moment.

The radiant pillar of hope parted the thick gloomy clouds above. Burning away all the despair and darkness of the grove had...and for once the sun's rays and azure, cloudless, skies graced this accursed land.









Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Cu Chulainn
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Cu Chulainn nuts

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HP 575/575 SP 368/368 MP 410/410


Sighing, Lew thought more about their current task at hand, particularly what it would entail. While Lew was open to helping Calace out, joining the Gaku-Rei was another question entirely. He would be on the clan's good graces for sure, but he's also worried they might take his help as something that shows him officially joining their ranks as well, given their disorganized nature. There also seemed to be the issue of his relations with the Mora-Sho. It seemed that many of their group was planning to join that faction given their Discord conversations, so that's another conflict to consider.

"Quite the predicament you've gotten yourself into, huh?" Lew exhaled, crossing his arms. "Well, between our gears and our levels, it's likely we aren't at any match to do some banditry just yet. Perhaps we should try to grab a quest and max out our classes first before anything? I don't even have a good enough weapon, yet."

Lew looked down at little Calace once more, thinking about her current class as well, and what it could do. He did some reading on Mikos briefly on CCC given their connection with the other classes given at the Shin-Yu Temple.

"By the way... Are your talismans capable of being used by other parties, or yourself only? If you have any to spare I can use, I can certainly make good use of it." Lew stated, showing off the capabilities of his Nuclei. As he had cycled through the items in his Nuclei, he held the kodachi once more. Ari came to mind again, and Lew wondered where she could be, or if he should reach out to her first and foremost...

... Nah. He's already carrying this midget.

"Maybe we should look for someone who could do DPS for us, or at least someone who may know what merchants we can hit up the easiest. That actually reminds me, but I do know a gang nearby, might have an idea on their hideout. If we're already doing petty banditry, it wouldn't hurt if we went on and joined some organized crime, wouldn't it?"

Lew chuckled, clearly joking. If it was clear to Calace whether or not he was joking wasn't up to him, however.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Haha
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Haha b E a N

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[Mentions] @Cu Chulainn


”Another damage dealer would definitely be helpful.. I wouldn't be opposed to increasing the workf- I mean party.” The purple-clad lolita tapped her foot on the floor a few times, surges of anxiety rushing to the forefront of her mind - aware of her impoliteness and the typical outcome of such behaviors. She didn't mean it though, most of the time.

The question about the talismans was then asked of her. Her eyes widened as she had forgotten she could've been stockpiling the damn things this entire time - or she could try to, rather. She hadn't even bothered making more than absolutely necessary during her time with the previous party, being quite costly on mana and all. Though, now of all times would be the opportunity to sit and sap through her entire mana pool to get a fat stack of talismans to spam spells with.


”Uh ... No, I haven't bothered making them yet. I was sort of just, making them as I needed them in combat. As for giving them to other people, I believe if the other player's class can use them, you could?” Calace's eyes slowly shut, an airy sigh flaring from her nostrils.

Cal's shoulders raised for a brief moment before extending out her right hand with two fingers extended out, channeling her mana into the desired digits with the intention two conjure two talismans holding [Restraining Rite] in each of their paper consumable. Four-hundred points of mana chunked away as they manifested, beads of sweats trickled down from her forehead down her brow and upon her cheeks. The same hand then extended out towards Lew, offering the talismans over to the familiar person.


”Try it out.”
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Cu Chulainn
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Cu Chulainn nuts

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HP 575/575 SP 368/368 MP 410/410


Lew looked at Calace's talisman creation curiously. The process was quite interesting, although Lew wondered how permanent talismans would be crafted if the economy was as simple as this. If there are no materials required to make talismans, then would this potentially crash the economy? Things such as these were an interesting thought, with Lew considering just how it would be like once he became an Exorcist, or even a Kekkaishi. For a brief moment, he considered whether or not it was good he went Warrior instead of Mage first. Their party, after all, had more pure melee fighters than it did mages.

Taking the talisman from Calace, Lew soon realized why these talismans were so easy to make in bulk. Slapping himself with the [Restraining Rite] Talisman a few times, Lew frowned to see that the talismans, in fact, did not work as intended. Sighing, Lew handed Calace the talisman back, crestfallen that he was unable to utilize the talisman on himself. It seems that this will continue to be a money sink until he could become an Exorcist.

"A shame, but oh well. It could be good to make some extra talismans for where we're going, though, especially if we're unable to find ourselves a third member..." Lew stated, before walking over to the quest boards. Surely, there was someone looking for a tank and a healer to join them. That's how MMORPGs worked, right? No one plays tanks and healers, so they had more priority when it came to party finding?

After a bit of thought, an idea came about to Lew's mind as he turned to Calace.

"Maybe we should get a job with one of these merchants going to the Mora-Sho. That way, we can understand their inner workings, and perhaps even convince some other members on the job to sack and betray the merchants in the end. At the very least, we get money and experience for doing the job, and we could find some allies on the way. What do you think of that?"
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by OwO
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OwO what's this?

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Lv. 40
HP: 196/506 SP: 13/450 MP: 30/30
(400) + 60 + 10% (400) + 50 + 0% (30) + 0 + 0%
STR – 156 (130) + 5 + 15% | AGI – 61 (50) + 5 + 10% | END – 63 (50) + 10 + 5% | DEX – 50 (50) | LUC – 39 (29) + 10


Well, she still had super human strength. Even though she lost the 40 strength juicer, she was still the strongest one out of the group. Well, onis excluded. She didn't exactly know how strong they were. Still, she ripped off a head and didn't get her head ripped off. Wait. It wasn't the time to think about things like this. She didn't exactly have the time to make a plan to avoid the worms. She wasn't about to sacrifice the pick to keep herself safe, either. There was a flying oni dropkick and she needed to deal with it.

With a deep breath, she took a daring leap towards the side of the dropkicking oni. Even if it glanced, she'd probably survive. What was important was that the oni didn't have the means to protect his upper body anymore. He wouldn't be able to avoid a sick guillotine drop used as a counter. But Mags wasn't done there. No, she instantly went into another blow after she landed. A magpie special thrown down at the oni's skull. If it was inaccurate and hard to hit, then all she needed to do was toss it out when the enemy couldn't dodge.

Regardless of if it hit or not, she shot up to her feet and ran again after these blows. She wasn't going to deal with those worms more than she had to.

She looked at the situation. Ames was pummeled. Amulak was pinned. Raime was about to get crushed. Then he got a gat and beamed one of the onis to high heaven.

Ames it was. Again. Really, the two were becoming some kind of bizarre duo at this point. Well, Raime's fault for getting a cool nucleus this time.

In an almost 5-head moment, she charged at the oni bear hugging Ames. From there, she went for a simple flurry of two hits from the power hour. Damage wasn't the intention. She learned pretty quickly that the oni didn't really notice the 20 blows of power from last time. No, this time, she used it for the knockback. It'd get Ames out. Maybe. She wasn't exactly sure. If there were worms at his breast, then they might be knocked away too. Either that or she'd just knock all the worms out of the oni and onto Ames. Only a comically non-existent depraved and sadistic designer would do that, right?
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Psyker Landshark
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Amulak al Acturus (Stanislaw)
HP:460/1000 MP:1025/1440 SP:216/216





Oh, come the fuck on. The mines seriously hadn't been enough? The healing vials jammed into his mouth had been appreciated, but backfired almost immediately as the oni's remaining leg smashed itself into his mouth, causing him to taste glass. Thankfully, that part of the experience was far worse than the actual HP damage he'd taken.

Shit, shit, shit. Silenced, pinned, and about to be pummelled, Amulak desperately tried to think of a way out of his situation...only for Raime to just vaporize a motherfucker.

God damn. Was that his Nuclei? That's rad. Thank god for this man, because he'd just saved Amulak from a beatdown and a 24 hour break from the grind.

Still unable to speak through the glass shards in his mouth, Amulak settled for congratulating Raime by clapping enthusiastically for a moment to get his attention before flashing him a thumbs up. Followed by a motion for help, gesturing towards his legs still pinned under the rubble.
Hidden 3 yrs ago Post by Shovel
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Shovel A Shovel is typing!

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Klein

HP 124/400 SP 150/300 MP 0/0Shield 60




Save by skin of his teeth, Klein was adamant that would be all he give for this fight, seeing how there is only 1 Hp and 60 shield point remain. Even with Mountain Wind active, it would take him about 132 ticks to be full health. But with a breeze of wind and something moves so fast between the tree branches, his health is back to 124.

"Shite, guess that means I have to fight again." Klein growled before standing up from the bed made of dead tree trunks, branches, and twigs he collected during the collision. His pace was slow till a flash of light near the battleground force him to pick up his pace.
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