[table] [row][cell][h2][color=#00b159] H A N N A H [/color] [color=#00aedb]&[/color] [color=#d11141] Z O E [/color][/h2][/cell] [cell][right][color=#00aedb]7 days and counting to floor collapse Floor 1 Viewers: 0 | Followers: 0 | Favorites: 0[/color][/right][/cell][/row] [/table] [hr] [center][sub][color=#ffc425] .[/color][/sub][/center] [center] [color=#00aedb] [table] [row] [cell] New Achievement! You missed! or not. [hr] Throw a weapon, and miss... but still hit your target! Hitting a target isn't always skill sometimes your just lucky. [hr] REWARD! Bronze Lucky Bastard Box [/cell] [cell] New Achievement! Slice and Dice! [hr] You like daggers, don't ya... Lets see what you can do, Crawler. [hr] REWARD! Gold "That's not a knife" box [/cell] [cell] New Achievement! Easy tiger! [hr] Break 2 weapons attacking the same monster! You can't just go stabbing, stabbing, stabbing with junk! That's how you get tetanus! [hr] REWARD! Silver What is this junk Box [/cell] [/row] [/table] [/color] [/center] Zoe watched as the achievements and rewards scrolled past. She ended up with a few basic bronze boxes, with standard rewards. Gold, Torches, HP potions, and a few mana potions. Only three boxes gave anything interesting. She watched as Hannah and Igva fussed over the smaller human's prizes. She took a sip of her soda, and was surprised to find the sweet and spicy carbonated drink was growing on her. Her whole life Zoe had been quiet, a result of less than ideal parentage... Watching, gauging moods, walking on eggshells. It had lead to a lot of people referring to her as eerily quiet, and a little unsettling. She learned faster by observing, and calculating. Which is why she didn't mind Hannah and Igva going before her. The gold chest was a golden box, with Crocodile Dundee leaning against it holding a large golden Bowie Knife... Damn she wanted that knife, a sturdy, and unforgivingly sharp weapon. The chest let out an animatronic voice "That's not a knife, This is a knife." as the chest part swirled open and a long fantasy-esque dagger revealed itself. It was damn near a short sword, as Zoe examined the blade it's tooltip popped up. It was about 14 inches in length, with a large single edge blade with a wicked curve. The handle was covered by a ornate handguard of a black skeletal hand. It looked scary, enough to make Zoe pause. [center] [table] [row] [cell] [hr] [h3] Kelt's Guiding Hand [/h3] [hr] -1 to Constitution +2 to Strength +2 Dexterity | Dark Secrets | [i]They'll never see me coming[/i] Gain permanent access to the Shadowy Hand spell. You may only cast this spell during combat, even if gained naturally later. Shadowy hand may only target Kelt's Guiding Hand. Shadowy Hand | 3 Mana | No Cooldown Ever wished you had just one more arm? Now you can make that wish come true. This hand can grasp objects, enemies... Well not for you. Luckily for you, this spell has some unique upsides to counter act the harsh downsides. You'll just have to level it up, and find out. | Black Metal | [i]Deadmen tell no one, about your Dark Secrets[/i] Surprise attacks deal 75% more damage. [hr] ATTENTION! This is a unique item! You may choose to unequip it... but if you CHOOSE to do so, it will be destroyed. [/cell] [/row] [/table] [/center] Zoe grasped the handle, and felt the chill enter her body as she mental equipped the dark blade. There was a strange whirlpool of feelings, as her stats adjusted. The dagger came with a sheath, that she strapped to her waist choosing to have the blade in the small of her back. Her attention was drawn back to her chests as the next one burst open with mild fanfare. Some leather armor popped out, it was fur-lined and a light tan color. She examined it, and grinned. It was just +1 strength armor, but she would take it. The bronze lucky bastard box, contained 3 troll's blood potions, which would increase health regen by 200% for 1 minute. [color=#ffc425]"That dagger is a blessing and a curse, ya'know."[/color] Igva said, letting Hannah get back to her food. [color=#ffc425]"Items that change the fundamentals of spells... are wildcards. You get a powerful spell, usually much earlier than normal, with some harsh restrictions. The true nature of the change will become clear as you level the spell."[/color] [color=#d11141]"It seems like a powerful item, the restrictions on the spell are whatever... I am mostly concerned with the -1 Constitution, and my position on the frontline."[/color] Zoe said with a quiet voice, [color=#d11141]"Also I only have 4 mana, so this spell is kind of rough... If I wan't to heal also."[/color] [color=#ffc425]"It does seem to focus on making you choose offence and damage over defense and durability."[/color] The Goblin examined the tooltip for the blade. [color=#ffc425]"I think you should use the knife sharpener on it."[/color] Zoe drew the blade, and turned it over in her hand examining the sheen of the dark metal. She withdrew the knife sharpener and examined it. [color=#00aedb] [center] [table] [row] [cell] Perma-Sharp Knife Enhancement Kit This Knife sharpening kit will imbue a Knife with a random special enhancement. Permanently. This kit has 2 uses remaining. [/cell] [/row] [/table] [/center] [/color] She turned the small black sharpener over in her hand, while looking at Kelt's Guiding Hand. [color=#d11141]"Is Kelt someone important? Shouldn't I save this sharpener?[/color] It felt like an item she should save, but if this weapon was something she was gonna use for awhile... It could be extremely valuable to use it now. [color=#ffc425]"Well yes. It is something you won't have to worry about for a long while... but Kelt is a god, and while they are extremely important to the crawl... It's not a subject worth covering for now. Just know that like this dagger, aligning with a god is a double edged blade. This weapon will follow you for a long time, it would be useful to use the sharpener now."[/color] Zoe took a deep breath and dragged the dark metal blade through the sharpener. [color=#00aedb]"Would you like to use both charges?"[/color] She mentally clicked yes. She briefly wondered if both points would be used together for the same upgrade... and she had to guess that was the case. +2 intelligence, was the buff her blade got. Which was a comfortable upgrade! having 6 mana, was actually something very useful. [color=#ffc425]"Intelligence! That's actually a very good upgrade."[/color] Igva said with grin. Zoe equipped the leather armor from her inventory, and was amused by the armor just appearing on her. [hr] Hannah was dying to try her new spell, as she watched Igva and Zoe go through the boxes. [color=#00b159]"Igva, while we were traveling earlier the monsters were getting harder to kill. Do you think we should keep working our way into their territory? Is there like a boss?"[/color] She asked as they finished up their conversation. Hannah eyed the long, and dangerous looking weapon Zoe now possessed. Igva nodded, turning to look at Hannah. [color=#ffc425]"Oh, there is definitely a boss. There might even be two."[/color] She said, before hopping down from the table. [color=#ffc425]"As good as it would be to kill a boss on the first day, I think it's too dangerous. You should avoid bosses, until you get some more equipment. When you head back out, try working your way out of the 'territory' of the Wily."[/color] [color=#d11141]"Would a boss be that difficult to kill?"[/color] Zoe asked standing from the table, and stretching. [color=#d11141]"I'm not saying we should fight a boss, I'm just curious how hard the fight would be..."[/color] Zoe added seeing the look on Igva face as the goblin turned around quickly. Zoe gave a smirk, and raised her hands in joking surrender. [color=#ffc425]"It could be difficult, it could be a push over... It's always hard to tell, the boss isn't always themed around the mobs in it's territory... though there will be clues around it's lair. You should be able to tell a bosses lair from it's surroundings. Atleast on the first two floors, after the that... they expect you to be fighting bosses."[/color] Igva said as she walked back to her chair, with the book she had been reading. [hr] Zoe and Hannah had talked for a few minutes about their options... and had decided to take Igva's advice. They were going to backtrack out of Wily territory, and try to encounter another monster type. Immediately after leaving the safe room, Hannah cast her new spell. 12 smooth stones of varying sizes, but all small, formed around her right wrist. She held her right hand out, and willed one of the rocks to launch. It flew from her wrist like... well like a bullet. When it collided with the wall, it made a sharp noise before ricocheting off into the distance. [color=#00b159]"Woah."[/color] She wondered how much damage it was going to do... it sounded and looked impressive, but it was just a rock... right? [color=#d11141]"I don't think we should avoid fights, while we backtrack... We need the EXP, I still think we could hover in this area, and hunt the stronger Wilys."[/color] Zoe said, she had been a bit stubborn. Call it overconfidence, but she thought they should look for the boss. [color=#00b159]"We can slow roll it, out of Wily territory... but it couldn't hurt to know what other mobs are around. Igva said there would be a janitor mob... and we haven't seen anything like that. Only Wilys."[/color] Hannah said, her eyes moved to the dark blade on Zoe's lower back. A new weapon seemed to embolden Zoe, or atleast... made the woman more confident in her combat ability. Zoe was thinking about the achievement system, and had made the argument while they had been inside with Igva... That there was probably still time to claim the "Trailblazer" version of the boss killing achievement. Igva disagreed. [color=#ffc425]"Some lucky bastards have already lucked into a boss kill, by now."[/color] Their guide had said, and Hannah had to agree... all her impressive achievements had come from luck, a lot of luck. [color=#d11141]"If Igva is right, and she probably is... finding a farmable experience source, would be our best option."[/color] The older woman agreed, but she still didn't much care for the idea of tucking tail and running before seeing the boss of the Wily zone. Though she could tell, Hannah while being the voice of reason... agreed with Zoe, the smaller girl was just following the safer idea.