[center][abbr=Therion][img]https://i.imgur.com/af5E4Ko.png[/img][/abbr]
[color=BC8DBF][sub][i]Thursday Afternoon[/i][/sub]
Word Count: 226 (+1 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]10[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 368/100 
[b]Location[/b]: Bamboo Forest, the Forbidden Kingdom[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color]●[color=gray]●●●[/color][/center]
The android was down thanks to the impromptu combo attack, and it did not take long at all for those fighting it to gather around and attempt to put it out of commission permanently. Even Therion was emboldened to get up close again, though that was still partly necessity. He didn't have the BP to pull off his divine skill (though he thought it might be overkill in this situation, he could have used it to destroy all of the Jacks left including the downed 8 in front of them), and the Jack-8's prone form would make further ranged attacks a hassle with Anji, Junior, and Mimi surrounding it. 

He came up beside the Koopa prince with a phantom blade wrapped around his arm. He passed it through Mimi's electroball swiftly but suddenly, turning the weapon into a lightning saber - which he promptly empowered further with another single battle boost, the flowing aura surrounding the thief and his wraith blade. 

He wasn't sure if these things had the same vital points as a human even if they were shaped like one, but he figured he couldn't go wrong just attacking its center mass where several lights and tubes seemed to intersect. He stabbed the sparking blade into the Jack unit following the pokemon's attack, power flaring as Junior kept it laid out on its back.

[indent][/indent]

[center][abbr=Ace Cadet][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img][/abbr]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 777 (+2 exp)(+15 reward)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 484/90
[sub][i]Thursday Evening[/i][/sub]
[b]Location:[/b] Alpine Foothills, the Frozen Highlands[/color][/center]
It was far from the first time that the Ace Cadet wondered how exactly this 'Midnight Walk' came to be. It had taken them through some really interesting areas, most abandoned to nature or unnatural inhabitants, with more than a few paths that would have been impassable for the average person. Was it a route so old and seldom trodden that no one bothered to find an alternative? The mountain must not get many visitors in that case. Or... maybe the area was prone to change like the Land of Adventure, and the walk was just one of those unchanging parts? That would explain a lot of what they'd run into so far, including this high cliff that stood like a sturdy wall blocking the path in front of them.

Following the carriage's second bathing in the ghostly fire he'd done his best to try and shake off that feeling of dread. He'd considered retreating inside of the coach, but he knew that despite how cozy it'd gotten he wouldn't actually be able to relax - he'd feel better out there, ready to jump to the group's defense at a moment's notice. So he'd stayed put on the driver's bench with one arm wrapped around himself until the worst of the jitters subsided, and when the coach parked he hopped down over the side of it into the piling snow.

As other Seekers gathered to inspect the wall and the tunnel to one side, Ace let out a low whistle while he tried gauging how tall the cliff face was. There was a dark shape up above them that stood out against the overcast sky, so at least they could see the top of it. That was good news since it meant they weren't going to be scaling blindly. Of course some of the Seekers didn't need to climb at all.

[color=salmon]"Be careful up there!"[/color] Ace shouted after the fliers of the group as they ascended. A harsh, frigid gust of wind blew in at the same time, so the hunter had no idea if it had carried his voice to them or swallowed it up entirely.

As for himself... he could stay at the base of the cliff with the coach and wait for someone else to figure out getting that lift working, but since he'd already figured they'd be in for a climb that's what he was going to do, and honestly? Some simple physical activity would be great for wiping the rest of the embers of loathing away. Not that climbing the cliff would be simple - or safe, for that matter, as slipping and falling would be a dangerous risk. But as it turned out, the Cadet was currently perfectly adapted to the task thanks to his outfit: the snow would not impede him as he moved even if it ended up waist deep, the freezing weather conditions did not make it past his outer layer at all so he was at a comfortable temperature, and he even had a little extra wind resistance so when the gusts swept over the area they wouldn't affect him quite as much as anyone else. 

There wasn't much enthusiasm for climbing among the Seekers in general, save for their TV-headed entertainer who was quick to jump right into it. Ace blinked at the sudden appearance of the shadow guys as all of the cartoonish crew went right over to the cliff and started up it. Then he found himself grinning. 

[color=salmon]"Now that's the right altitude,"[/color] he commented of Tenna's eagerness. Not to be outdone, Ace jogged over to the cliff to get started on his own ascent. He chose a different spot from Tenna, a little more discerning in his starting point.

Another thing that gave Ace an edge was his trusty slinger. As part grappling hook, and a very strong one to boot, the hunter could haul himself up the rock face fairly easily. He took aim, arm extended, then launched the metal claw up at a spot that looked sturdy enough. The slinger clamped down around an outcrop and a moment later its chain retracted, growing taut before reeling Ace in towards its anchor point. He flew up past a few rocky, icy obstacles, releasing the slinger's hold when he landed on his feet on a wider boulder part way up the cliff. 

There was still a long way to go, and the angle of the cliff being practically straight up and down meant it would be too tricky to completely rely on the slinger, but it was definitely doable. Now it was just a matter of how quickly he could get to the top.