Thoroughly trounced and missing one arm amongst them, the party headed for the Pearl Bloom River instead to do their grinding. Though the loot there would be less and the EXP gain slower as well, it was out of necessity that such decisions were made. After all, they had no healer, were low on healing potions and now they had no ranged physical DPS either. The drain of resources in the Thunderstruck Grove, as well as the overall increased aggressiveness of the monsters there, would have bled them dry too quickly to make for efficient grinding.

The River, thus, was the perfect place for the fledging party to make themselves feel like they were strong again. Alongside so many other players in the area, they worked to end life after monster life at the scenic river and the hills surrounding it, cleaving through scores of lesser monstrosities. It would be dangerous, really, if they encountered another ‘anomaly’ like that frogman martial artist though, so they stuck to only the hunting areas close to town. Amulak’s Nuclei aided greatly in the efficiency of their fights, enabling the SP-focused players to unleash more skills throughout, so long as the mage was willing to foot the bill. Klein’s steadily rising stats enabled him to become a more effective tank overtime as well, the Mountain Man finally possessing physical ability that allowed him to contend with the others. It was a very front-loaded party, really, with even Raime forced into melee due to his inability to use his arm, but they encountered few ranged enemies that Magpie couldn’t rush down immediately, and those that couldn’t were handled readily by Ames, who, with his Stylish functions active, could automatically cut down the projectiles that flew in  the direction of their sole backline.

Overall, it was a comfortable, even calming feeling; it might have to do with the fact that half the party was already above the level bracket recommended for the area though, and in the end, with little fanfare, Amulak and Ames both reached it to LVL 50, and the party found themselves at the Keystone plaza once more. A beam of light shot up from both the players when they attained their second job, a surge of new energy surging into their veins, but beyond that, no other sensations moved within them.

Perhaps, with time, such advancements would become more celebrated.

As for now, however, the party was once again at a crossroads. Somewhat richer, somewhat more well-equipped, but mostly just higher-levelled, what path would they pursue?
[sub][@Shovel][@Searat][@Psyker Landshark][@OwO][@Yankee][/sub][hr]
After Ari had ended up selling her soul to the nameless man up in the room with maps, Zhi-Toren came into the room, still looking somewhat out of it after the noontime rush of news, news, and more news. The woman bore a complicated expression as the man explained all that Ari had signed up for, but ultimately, there must have been some sense of hierarchy present, because she sighed, brought the catgirl out of the room, made a couple calls, and then briefed her on what was to happen.

Ari’s main weakness right now was her lack of knowledge of the world beyond Nyu-Taro, her incredibly low levels, and her lack of equipment (Zhi-Toren had a laugh when she learned about the custom-order). To amend all these problems at once, the CCC would be sending her on a caravan escort quest that already has a party in place, for Ari to leech EXP while travelling out into the broader expanses of Horogi. The specifics of the quest were simple enough, thankfully:

[quote]A merchant dealing in carpets and cloths plans on taking the Zen’Toji route to the northwestern side of the Mora-Sho’s territory. Though a longer route than what the main road provides, it’s a relatively smooth and flat traverse. The monsters that they were expected to encounter should be manageable either in terms of combat or in terms of escape. The journey would take two days total before the merchant reaches the Mora-Sho’s railroad system, from where the quest would be fulfilled, and the cost of board for the inns that the group would be staying in during this escort will be footed by the merchant as well. As customary for most low-risk escorts, the merchant would be paying 75,000 rishi per adventurer at the end of the trip, and they’ll be expected to figure out their own methods of returning to Nyu-Taro, if they wish to do so.[/quote]
Ari, of course, would definitely wish to do so if she wanted to pick up her new weapon.

…

At the western gate, the wagon that Ari was assigned to escort had just finished loading. It was a simple design, a round frame covered in canvas and filled to the brim with rolls of cloth. There was no space at all to sit inside, but the dress of the merchant, embroidered silks and jewelry that didn’t befit a man so pudgy as himself, made it clear that his disinterest in upgrading his wagon was probably rooted somewhat in his interest in ‘investing’ in himself. Ari’s Immortal colleagues were also loitering around the area, some more impatient than others. There were four in total, and compared to her own meager equipment, they certainly looked more adventure-y than herself. At the catgirl’s approach, the merchant pulled out a little bell from the folds of his robes, and ringed it back and forth to grab everyone’s attentions.

[b]“Many gratitudes once more, my fine and mighty warriors, for accepting this humble request of mine. Though it may be a mere two days on the road, I do pray that we all get along and enjoy ourselves as much as the circumstances allow for.”[/b] The merchant placed his hands together. [b]“To start with, shall we share introductions? My name is Man Joji Zleto, a merchant of the cloth. Though I’m fine with allowing all of you free agency when it comes to dealing with whatever monsters or ruffians we encounter, I kindly ask of you all to keep your hands off my merchandise as well. Let those who know their roles play their roles, yes?”[/b]

[b]“Bortz Godfaller,”[/b] a heavily-armored man grinned, hefting a hammer whose head was made of a demonic insect fossilized in amber. “[b]I’m 100% the toughest, baddest motherfucker here, so y’all just let me do the tanking, yeah?”[/b]

The tattooed shaman with a bearskin cloak over her head rolled her eyes. [b]“Just call me Droko. Ignore the bighead; dude’s still getting off his high of finally reaching his next job’s requirements.”[/b]

[b]“And I’m Vatorious Elemessio!”[/b] chirped the swordsman with the flaming shoes. [b]“Real pleasure to meet y’all ladies. Gets tiring to hang with muscle-chicks all the time, so it’s nice to see a couple with an eye of aesthetics like you two.”[/b]

And as Ari’s eyes settled upon the last person, the catgirl noticed something. That design, that hairstyle…that was all familiar, wasn’t it?

The last person for this quest was Calace! What a coincidence!
[sub][@GreenGoat][@Haha][/sub]