Futuristic Zone A

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
On The Way To...The Highway

...Stealth Check Pending... Dullahan's agility is not high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. Due to this, he has encountered a monster! Prince's agility is high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. He can move forward straight to the highway or stay behind and help Dullahan. The choice is his!

Dead Man Walking
"Good question, Prince. I think I can answer that for you. To what you've asked, it wasn't just one person who created all the monsters in the virtual world; it was more than one. Really- anybody who could manipulate code. You see, when the virtual world was first created, there was no such thing as anything abnormal. Nothing you'd see in the virtual world was anything you wouldn't see in the real. However, that all changed when a man named Dr. Rahatan began experimenting with animals and pushing the boundary of their code. He soon moved to animating his own designs and releasing the creatures onto his private property: the Rahatan Preserve. It's quite a famous place actually, a bit like area 51 in America, where you know it exists and people have seen it, but for some reason, that's all you can really find out about it. Despite this fact, news of his amalgamations spread like wildfire. Pictures came out of his creations, stories of them were told by those who swore they came face-to-face with all manner of wonderful creation; it bloomed into a cult-like following."

At this, the lights of the library blew out for a second, flickering for a long while until coming back on as if they'd never missed a beat.

"The actual designers of the world by no means condoned what he was doing, but didn't do much to stop other experts, even amateurs from designing their own creatures as the trend caught on. By their logic, it would be pointless and too time-consuming to regulate all these growing creatures so it'd be wiser to just let them be. If there really was anything against the standards of purity and decency, they would then use their resources to focus on stopping that designer and their creations. So to answer your question, these monsters are a culmination of a lot of people's efforts and AI designing. One particular organization however, MEPHISTO, began taking it to another level...but that's a story for a different day."

​

Whoo. That was some interesting information. Dr. Rahatan and the Rahatan Preserve? Other coders and MEPHISTO creating some of the monsters we now see in the virtual world today? So that's how it happened, huh? Interesting. Well back to running through the streets of Solaris for you, because your mission is on the highw - wait...are you even running? Step-by-step you steady your stride at a pace adagio, seemingly immune (or maybe used to??) to the murmurs of fear and pain throughout the town. Blackberry's staying at base while the others split up and charge towards the other areas of interest on her list. These streets are dangerous and crowded with stuff lurking around every corner. Hope they get there.

It's been quite boring for you (or maybe you're boring??) and possibly a small part of you wishes at least one of them would have looked in your direction. At the very least come by and say hello, you know? Yet you probably wouldn't have minded a nice, quiet stroll to the highway either; it would give you plenty of time to think about the things you like or reflect on your past (or nothing at all??). Well luckily for you (or maybe not??), at least one creature is showing more interest than you have in the life surrounding it and focused its attention on you. Standing up straight and making a beeline towards your location, it seems to widen its face and flails its arms as it steps closer. Looking back over your shoulder you sigh, were so close to the merging lane of Interstate 41 too.

Tch.

What a drag.

(Or is it??)​

Harvester Lv.2

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

5/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
1

PROW:
3
​

​

Harvester (Lv.2)

Dullahan
Lv.15
Edge Lord+

HP: 16/16 (+5 per turn)
PP: 8/8 (+4 per turn)
CDR: 8/8
VIT: 16
NRV: 9
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
White Suicide
Now More Morbid Than Ever II (Passive)
Blood Runner I
Antibody I (Passive)

Items:
- 325 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
-

The One Eyed Bandit
QuirkyAngel
Azure Sky

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Solaris:
On the Way to the HighwayPrince Antonelli

Almost there.

The merging for Interstate 41 was in sights when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the shrubs beeline towards them. At one of the other Codebreakers who'd chosen to follow him to the highway to be exact. An eyebrow arched at the sight. It was easy enough for him to slip away while the monster was distracted. They weren’t exactly in a party, as no invitation had been sent, so it wasn’t as if he had any moral obligations to stay behind. They weren’t even in the same guild. Just Codebreakers doing the same job. In that sense, weren’t they competitors? At the very least, they weren't friends. Co-workers at best.

Prince hadn’t spoken to anyone since he left the library as he was lost in his own thoughts following Blackberry's revelation. Rahatan? MEPHISTO? He hadn’t heard of any of them before, but, then again, it wasn’t as if he had very much interest in biodiversity or monster design. Music had been his calling.

Their calling.

Hands clenched, amber orbs flickered from the flailing piece of wood trying to reach at Dullahan to Interstate 41 in calm, yet quick, analysis. Truth be told, Prince didn’t know much about the dull-looking man other than the fact that he was a member of the guild Pwnies and that he liked looking at people. It was a little disquieting, being stared at so intensely, but it wasn’t as if Prince wasn’t used to it. Those shy on stage couldn’t survive very long in the industry after all. It was a cutthroat environment and part of the reason Prince didn’t have much faith in friends. Those that pretended to like you, but talk about you behind your back. Those that latched onto you, putting up a fake front, only for your parents’ money. Prince didn’t want to deal with them.

Better to be by himself.

Focus on his own future, rather than wasting time worrying about strangers. Get close to them and he'd only get hurt. It wasn't as if he'd come to make buddies with any of the other Codebreakers in the first place. He'd come to do a job and he'd complete it with or without anyone's help. They would only slow him down anyway . The sooner they finished, the sooner all this ruckus would be solved, the sooner they'd get their pay. Besides, if Pwnies was as good as JinX bragged, one little tree shouldn't be too much of a problem.

It wasn't as if anyone actually died in virtual reality.

Resolve hardened, Prince only paused for a moment before continuing forward with a wave. “You’re Dullahan, right? I'll be going on ahead. Good luck and don't push yourself.”

If Dullahan couldn't even deal with the small fries, whatever lay in the highway was probably beyond his league. Better that he kept out of the way. There were too many monsters to help everyone anyway. Death would teach them not to log on with monsters running amok. He had to focus on the bigger picture. Why were citizens being taken? What was causing the monsters to behave so abnormally? More importantly who was behind it all? With any luck, the answer lay in the highway.

Azure Sky White Masquerade

 

[Azure Sky]

Solaris:
On The Way To...The Highway

Dullahan​

It did not take long for Erik to encounter a monster. Or for it to attack him. Agility was not the highlight of his build after all. As the monster tackled him to the ground, Dullahan just stared at it and smiled.

-3 HP

"You are exquisitely grotesque." He said, calmly, still smiling and continuing to fixate his gaze on the creature. It reminded him of one of those eldritch abominations from the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Then he heard Prince's comment about not pushing himself. The man left him behind, not that Erik minded.

The light around him got dimmer.

[Blood Runner: - 5 HP]

He just got up, with the creature already dead, and walked at a slow pace after Prince, towards the highway, keeping the usual poker face. With no flashy effects it just looked like the creature died for no apparent reason.

____________________________
Lv.15

Edge Lord+

HP: 8/16 (+5 per turn)
PP: 8/8 (+4 per turn)
CDR: 8/8
VIT: 16
NRV: 9
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
White Suicide
Now More Morbid Than Ever II (Passive)
Blood Runner I
Antibody I (Passive)

Items:
- 325 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
-
________________________

White Masquerade
QuirkyAngel
Chak

 

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
The Subway

And spells of heat ran up her face.

Hghck. Almost there.

...Stealth Check Pending... Valkyrie's agility is high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. She can move forward straight to the subway.

Girl Wonder
Valkyrie + Blackberry Preserves
Now finally alighting on the ground at her destination in front of the entrance to the subway, Valkyrie stood a bit off from the floor making sure she was not being followed. With her skill, it was easy enough making it through the streets of the city unnoticed, but she still kept a searchful eye on roads around in case she wasn't as deft as she thought.

None to my right. Check. None to my left. Check. Well then I guess I got here alright.

Opening up Code Academy she flipped through contacts and opened a line to the woman pit in charge. "Blackberry Preserves? Yeah, hey. It's Valkyrie. Made it through the streets unharmed and am standing in front of the entrance to the subway right now."

"Good. Copy, Valkyrie. Seen anything weird on the way?"

"No. Everything looked ordinary to me as far as I could tell. Besides all the garbage and broken shit. Ah, sorry. I mean broken things."

"Hm, understood. Then let me know if the situation changes. Stay safe under there."

"Thanks and roger that."

Taking one last scan around her, the Codebreaker entered the portal leading to the world below. Besides one or two rats and roaches making rustling noises in the corners light did not reach, Valkyrie did not move to check out much. Walking past posters, looking at the map of the underground's layout and cocking an eye to the stops she herself used to get to school, Valkyrie searched the subway high and low, but found not a thing. Five minutes turned into 10, 30 minutes multiplied by two and pretty soon it felt like the whole day washed by. Stretching her collar and furrowing her brow, the breaker wiped the sweat dripping down her thigh.

"God. It's getting hot," she mumbled, peering down the range of a darkened tunnel gone by.

"Well that makes sense."

Arms raised, Valkyrie twisted around ready to fight who spoke, only to find....no one else behind her.

"What?"

"You said it was hot. With all this mess going on, the power grid for the subway system is out. The ventilation for the underground is no longer working, so it makes sense you would say it's hot."

"Ah. Yeah. Sorry Black. I didn't realize I still left the communications open. Heh. You know, I've been thinking about what you said by the way. You know, about my power? How each Codebreaker has a unique one to them? I just can't quite seem to get mine though. I've tried everything from meditation, to clearing my mind, to envisioning what I want to happen, but nothing. I'm trying to just 'do it', but I'm still all the same."

And silence.

"Were you going to ask how I discovered mine?"

"I mean if you don't mind sharing," Valkyrie asked, glancing up an escalator that for the time-being, was ensconced in place.

"Hm. Well for me, I found out in my teenage years when I was 13...and it just happened. I tripped and fell down on the playground in front of the whole class and I so embarrassed that I said I wish I could just disappear. And...I did. One second they saw me and the next, I was gone. It was easy as that."

Nodding, the Deviant responded, "Just like that."

"But that was simply my experience. These things are not that cookie-cutter. That was my way of getting there and I'm sure it's not the only one."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm really not."

"No. There are three of those...tree-looking things. Standing right behind me."

"What? Harvesters?"

"Yeah. SHAZAM!"

"Wha-"

"SHOWTIME!"

"Valky-"

"TRY! ON!"

Completely ignoring the woman, Valkyrie squared up at the three beings, yelling phrases to stimulate her body to respond.

"I wish I could slice you to bits!"

"..."

"Ban-KAI!"

And listening to it on the other end, Blackberry couldn't help but to feel dumbfounded at it all. Valkyrie really was just yelling catchphrases.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM!???"

And after a moment of pause, Blackberry heard the sound of footsteps running.

"Valkyrie. What's going on?"

"I-I'm running. It's not going as I planned, so I'm off. After I shake em' I'll try again."

But from the moment it was said, as the time stretched on, she never did.

"Uh, Blackberry. This is kinda weird. Everywhere I go, I see at least one of them. I can easily outrun the things, but it's like they're working to cut me off. When I get too far, they all stop and one looks like it talks to another. It points in another direction, and the next one follows. I swear they're trying to box me in."

Box her in? To the guild-master, the news was disconcerting . So the monsters were in fact communicating then. It was a thing she didn't want to believe, but the signs were all pointing to it. The gatherings, the kidnappings, the working as one...these things seemed to be smarter than she thought. It would have been a manageable case if someone were controlling them- that'd be easy to deal with, but if they were doing this on their own...

"Garbage! Ugckh."

And leaping over the mass, Valkyrie looked down as she soared over, to discover that the lump of trash was crowned with mop of black hair. Stunned, her feet hit the ground and she continued to run.

'Help me', the face seemed to say.

Oh no no no no.

The breaker was far past the body and turned to see if the Harvester was still pursuing in run. Its billowing legs were still turning along down the platform aside to the rail, but she noticed its pace slo down. In that moment, she realized it wasn't going for her anymore. A click of the tongue and the woman screeched to a halt, glancing left and right for the other two lurking around. Likely advancing down another path to block her off up ahead, the woman thought. It was now or never.

"There's a person down here Black. I'm going to be taking one on."

"Valkyrie, are you sure?"

"Yeah. The pressure's on, but it's now or never. That's what I perform better under anyway."

Harvester Lv.3

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

0/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
2

PROW:
3
​

​

Harvester (Lv.3)

Valkyrie
Lv.15
Deviant Artist

HP: 4/4 (+3 per turn)
PP: 2/2 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 6/6
VIT: 2
NRV: 0
AGI: 10
PROW: 19
Skills:
Perfection (Passive)
STRIVE! EX Omega (Passive)

Items:
- 1150 Kirito
- Wanda

Armor / Equipment:
-

A deep breath was took and the Codebreaker started to run in the other direction- towards the Harvester on a path to the victim curled up on the ground. The breaker became lost in thought as her arms continued to pump. She would make it in time. She would be the first person there, but what she could do afterwards was anybody's. Whatever it took though she would kill it. She would just have to kill it. Even if it meant holding it down and biting it till it was dead, so be it.

"I'm so scared," the person croaked.

"Hey. You don't have to be, because I'm here."

Valkyrie jumped back over the mass shaking with fear and threw her arms out to the side.

"No one is going to get through me to you."

Yet, could she really make sure that promise? The Harvester inched closer and closer until it was less than 15 feet away. So as it ambled on, Valkyrie steadied her thoughts.

So this it then? Me against the monster. Win to save a life or lose and waste two. My first true test as a Codebreaker. Man, I sure wish Dad was still around. Ah. Well here goes nothing. What was that thing that guy from that one show used to say...?

And clenching a fist with the monster just feet away, Valkyrie swung it forward.

Ah. Now I remember.

How could I have forgotten?

Spoiler: ????

"SUUUUUUU-MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

SSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"​

And connecting with wood, vapor exploded from her fist, launching with force the Harvester back across the platform and in the same wave, boiled it to a crisp.

Blackberry's Codebreaking powers were activated using words. Since I was a Codebreaker, I thought I should be doing the same and decided that without realizing it. It's really simple!.So simple that I didn't even realize it. It's when I'm under pressure my power escapes me.

And exhaling a mouth full of searing wisps she said, "Codebreaking Valkyrie: Steamed Style!"

Ha. So she finally got.

And unable to contain the excitement in her own voice, Blackberry in on the call said,

"You go girl."

White Masquerade
The One Eyed Bandit

Harvester loses -11 HP​

 

[GasMaskie]

Solaris:
On The Way To...Industrial Complex

...Stealth Check Pending... Joker's agility is high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. He can move forward straight to the industrial complex or stay behind and help Trouble/Stein. The choice is his!

***
​

The sleuth kept his darkened gaze on the two Codebreakers ahead as he followed them from a distance on the way to the Industrial Complex. It seemed, at the very least, that the others would have no trouble on their own. That Prince fellow had an Edge Lord with him, and he'd rather avoid working with Valkyrie. At the very least, he'd want to settle the score with that so-called hitman before he exchanged words with her.

The soft vocals of a long dead singer echoed in his ears as his eyes scanned the area before him with each step he took. With the state of the city, he decided it was best to continue on foot - that luxury car was pricey, and maintenance bills would only skyrocket if he used it more than necessary here. The state of this part of VR was strange, to say the least. Ruination and devastation, by all means, should have been impermanent concepts in a world comprised of 1s and 0s. No one wanted to be reminded of the state of the real world.

He popped a blue confectionary into his mouth, savoring the sweet, synthetic taste as trouble reared its ugly head for the two. His eyes closed for a moment as he continued to advance over the cracked pavement and rubble-strewn street towards the two as they continued to throw hands with the Lovecraftian creature. As horrifying as it looked, it was the sort of creature that his partner could easily best on its own. Another body would certainly be nice to have at his beck and call, but he had a hunch that he'd have more opportunities in the future. Far, stronger stock than the Harvester that practically moved at a snail's pace.

His mouth curled into a small smirk as waited for the two to finish mopping up the encounter. There was another reason that he wasn't being particularly overt about joining them so far. Simple consideration. To say that it'd be irritating to have someone barge in during his time with the pink-haired suspect would be an understatement. The raven-haired man's hand flew to his chin as he recalled something off the top of his head.

"...Two hundred and eighty-nine more times, was it JinX? Tch. What a pain..." The smirk grew wider. Perhaps it was loyalty or familiarity that had drawn him to take on this area's investigation. Even if he wasn't really acquainted with either of them and loosely affiliated with Pwnies, maybe there was a comfort in familiarity. They were a level above complete strangers, to him. If they died, he wouldn't want to be the one to bring the bad news back to their beleagured OL guild leader. And... as much as he hated to admit it, he enjoyed watching their affections grow and boil over.

And, perhaps it'd be something he could speak to that girl about sometime - maybe over dinner.So long as she was alright with cheaping out while he worked on this debt.

( Refaulted The Suspicious Eye ; Mentioned: QuirkyAngel )

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Solaris:
The Subway

...Stealth Check Pending... Genki's agility is not high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. Due to this, he's encountered a monster and has been chased into the Subway!

Echoes. Beat by beat, the sound of footfall slowly begun to fill the subway tunnels. In tandem, both their volume and overtone of panic rose, and gasps of exhaustion joined them as their owner pulled around a corner and into view.

"H-help!" A trail of long, bedraggled hair trailed behind the runner, and practically nipping at its roots was one of the oak-laden monstrosities that had overrun the city. The runner's face, that of a prettier-than-usual young man, was twisted into an expression of proper fear and panic. Sweat ran down his brow, and his voice shook in sync with each and every one of his pursuer's footfalls.

He'd not much of a clue as to why the young girl he was running towards was down here. While his own escapade into the city's depths had certainly been of a questionable intent, but that didn't matter right now. He was smart enough to put one and one together. She'd heard the sounds of combat, screams of passion in their wake, and had then found this girl reducing a Harvester to splinters. She was strong. At least, she was strong enough to put these monsters into the dirt, and that was all the justification he needed.

"Lady! P-please!" He screamed, the virtual beast gaining on him with each syllable that left his lips.

Harvester Lv.3

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

5/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
1

PROW:
4
​

​

Harvester (Lv.3)

Genki
Lv.15
Trojan Horse+

HP: 10/10 (+4 per turn)
PP: 5/5 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 18/18
VIT: 9
NRV: 3
AGI: 5
PROW: 17
Skills:
RAID EX
RMA: Full Coding (5%)

Items:
- 550 Kirito
-

Armor / Equipment:
-

White Masquerade

 

[Chak]

Solaris:
On The Way To...The Highway

...Stealth Check Pending... Nightblossom's agility is high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. She can move forward straight to the highway or stay behind for a bit. The choice is hers!

"Once more into the breach."

The saying had been rattling in Sonata's head since she'd slipped out the door and tailed after Dullahan and Prince Antonelli as the headed towards the overpass. It wasn't really something the girl wanted to do either. Shed come to help people and this was helping people in the long run, but shed had a more 'passing out blankets and making warm meals for families' and less of the 'follow two trained codebreakers into the thick of battle'. Yet here she crept, using the pair ahead as a forewarning advice and ensuring as minimal attention was brought to herself as possible.

That and her first encounter with a Harvester had almost guaranteed that she would be waking up in her own soiled britches later. Not that she planned to admit it aloud to anyone.

Still, foot by foot, step by step.

"Into the unknown, Sonata. Ve have th-"

Her self assuring words cut off as the girl bit off a startled dry as one of the Codebreakers ahead was tackled to the ground by one of the Harvesters. Part of Sonata, the selfless caring side, urged her to move forward and give aid.

The far more human part, however, left her shaking as she tried to urge her body to do anything other than freeze up. Meanwhile the one that had been kind to her, Antonelli, seemed entirely unperturbed by the happening, instead merely shrugging and stating he'd be moving ahead. There was no time to think on the morality of the action either, as just as she tried to wrap her head around the idea of leaving an ally behind, Dullahan up and practically disintegrated the creature with effectively no effort. Just like that, in but seconds, an entire threat was gone.

Nightblossom Sonata didn't even realise she'd been staring at the downed thing for almost a minute until Dullahan was almost one hundred feet away, and the girl suddenly remembered she was effectively out here by herself. As she made to move forward one of the damaged cars had a piece fall off, emitting a obnoxious clang that drew a yelping scream from Sonata and sent her sprinting forward, eyes wide, until she caught up to and ducked past Dullahan, chest heaving and eyes wide as she suddenly realised she'd panicked over nothing but odd noise.

"Oh, uh, greetings," Sonata spoke sheepishly as her chest heaved and she realised that there had not been a monster behind her after all, "I, uh, panicked. I am not a forta wampir, being a hero, bold or othervise, is truly not in my nature, apologies."

Honesty, however, was. Sonata had no issue with honesty, and a 'brave warrior' she most certainly was not. Still, she'd come to help, and that meant pulling up from the bootstraps. Just didn't mean she had to be comfortable with it was all.

Still, asight she must've made, being how she was in the field.

With chagrin she regarded the two more vaunted Codebreakers, "Iae ecus, as I vorry I may just add to your burdens. Still, I vill do my best to help you vhile I am out here."

Brief apology in order Sonata began walking to catch up to the front runner Antonelli, all while making a point to avoid checking if she was being stared at.


Note: Italicised 'w's make the 'v' noise, and 'c's make soft 'k' noises whilst. Otherwise I've just replaced most w's with v's.

Azure Sky QuirkyAngel

 

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
On The Way To...Industrial Complex

Harvester Lv.1

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

0/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
1

PROW:
2
​

Harvester (Lv.1)

Stein
Lv.15
Internet Explorer

HP: 11/11 (+4 per turn)
PP: 14/14 (+5 per turn)
CDR: 2/2
VIT: 10
NRV: 16
AGI: 3
PROW: 6
Skills:
Avast Antivirus II
HELP! EX Ultimate
Emergency X-it II
Bookmark

Items:
- 1205 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
-

Trouble
Lv.15
Trojan Horse

HP: 26/26 (+3 per turn)
PP: 3/3 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 21/21
VIT: 4
NRV: 1
AGI: 15
PROW: 27
Skills:
F5 I
Mirror of Fortune I
Slipstream I
Cyber Man Upgrade II (Passive)
NEED FOR SPEED EX (Passive)

Items:
- 90 Kirito
- A short sword
- Sweet sunglasses

Armor / Equipment:
-

Cleaved!

​

Harvester loses -21 HP.

Steel dropped to meet wood, and upon impact, time slowed. In an instant, the blade sliced through the monster's head, back, and down to floor. The Explorer's attack came too late- it sailed uselessly past the deceased creature's spot and into the ground a few feet too wide. Yet it was this miss that caused alarm. Immediately other harvesters stopped in their track, turned and began converging on the lot. From the north, east, west, and south the branches started to sprout from the darkness, intent on adding the memories of Stein and Trouble to their own.

Krrkk...

A sound started and audible noise filled the space while Harvesters drew closer.

Krrkkk...

It growing louder as the pair seemed to be on track to fighting an army of these things near the middle of Solaris. However as luck would have, Trouble's swing was not done. Reaching the end of momentum, time sped back up as the blade hit the ground, cracking the surface and sending shock-waves that could be felt for miles.

KRRRRRRKKK!!!

The land beneath them moved like jelly as buildings shook then toppled over and falling debris crushed the Harvesters gathered by the side. Those that were not crushed, fell into holes opened up by the blow or deep into the depths of the city's rail. Though in time, the commotion stopped and the street fell quiet once more. The threat was neutralized, but no doubt this would draw interest where attention unneeded would abound...

Trouble Has Received Kirito + Exp

You have received exp and 40 Kirito.

Stein Has Received Kirito + Exp

You have received exp and 40 Kirito.

Solaris:
Industrial Complex

tf-abandoned-buildings.jpg

• White Masquerade
• Mar 22, 2020

Industrial Complex

Now arriving at the Industrial Complex, you are quickly put off by something that just doesn't feel right. The building is dilapidated, its outside holding on to vestiges of time past but unable to hide signs of its age. The metal was strong, but undoubtedly worn. The structure was tall, but crooked a bit to the side. The color was grey, but most now weathered away. Eerier still was the area surrounding the infamous warehouse: of monsters, it was completely devoid. There were wooden splints thrashed around and chunks of wood tossed in haphazard piles across the grassed floor, however, certainly nothing there was alive. Well. Except for one thing. A girl. A small young girl staring at the foot of the door. Her locks stood motionless, mind seemingly unaware of the carnage tossed around her. Remarkably, this does not apply to you. Her head suddenly swivels back and studies you all for a minute before pointing at the door.

Blueberry Preserves
"Closed."

And that was it.

Her attention tuned back toward the shut portal, she walked up to the wall and placed both hands the highest her height would allow. "Hrh!" Using all her force, Blueberry started to push. A familiar smell wafted from the steel through the air as Blueberry did so- a smell familiar to those who fought fires or liked to camp out in the woods. Something was cooked. Something was singed. Something was charred away. The girl exerted the pressure she could yet the entrance still did not budge. Maybe it was the door?

...Strength Check Pending... (Current Total: 10/15) What's up with that girl? What's up with that door? She's pushing on it but it doesn't open. Not to mention the other smell wafting in the air. Regardless, maybe the answer to it all is behind that thing. Roll like normal and add your VIT to the highest number. Your roll will be added to Blueberry's and everyone else who pushes. The score to beat is 15. Can you do it?

The Suspicious Eye
Refaulted
GasMaskie

 

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
The Highway

122af4c7c381414243a84c6136c9daa7.jpg

• White Masquerade
• Mar 22, 2020

Abandoned Highway

Finally, you all have made it to the interstate highway. Onto the raised cement you step once getting onto the exit for Grand Blue, the moniker given to the next region over. A bit ironic as the floor lacked any major bodies of water, but perhaps it's that very reason they decided to name it so. Turning back round to look out over the city, winding down the gray and yellow snake, you get a sense of just how large the town of Solaris really is. It's massive and covers a large space of vista- its gray buildings literally covering what drape of the sky ventures to roll down. If it were restored to its original form, you're sure it would've been a sight to behold, but even now in its tattered state, it still holds a kind of sad beauty. Ah. Never mind it though as you tear your eyes away from the smoke rising and slew of buildings toppling...over? Okay. Just what was going on there?

Bloop. Bloop. Bloop.

Bloop. Bloop. Bloop.​

A notification rings within your Code academies as you draw closer to the location Blackberry highlighted on the map. Hm. No check-ins as of yet maybe as the woman has been awfully quiet, but judging from the shock-waves felt now by your squad even coming out this far out, her hands would be full with information quite soon.

"...."

"...."

"...."

Hm? Just up ahead- well not quite up ahead as it seems they're still a good distance away, you all can make out a trio of non-humanoid figures, gathered in close proximity to one another. Two are tall, likely harvesters, and the third is a short being far dwarfed by the other two...yet at this distance you can't be too sure.

"....!"

"...?"

"....."

The conversation (?) is intense and they seem to be mad at each other. One flails its arms and another shakes its head? Really, it's just too far now to figure out. However, this definitely looks like something of interest. If you could possibly get a bit closer, have a good look at who these people are and what they're saying, no doubt it could lead to something you all can use to figure out what's going on. There was only one issue though; this was a highway. What kind of cover could it provide to someone wanting to sneak closer and eavesdrop on what they're saying?

".... .... ....."

"...."

The reality was, none. It was just one of those times where you had to do your best in a losing battle. Hold out until you no longer could. Yes, they had to sneak over to the trio and yes, they would be caught, but the question was how much intelligence could they gather before they were? This was something that didn't require power. This wasn't something that could be handled at the drop of a hat. It required smarts. It required skill. There had to be a control and precision, a tactical movement that'd allow you to literally hide in plain sight. The person needed discipline. Now who would that be? One of them? All of them? Were they suited to such an endeavor or was there one person better-fitted to gathering intel in such a way? Whatever the option, they had to do it fast and they had to do it soon. These people didn't look like they were sticking around much longer.

".... .... .... ..."

"...."

".... ....."

Hold Your Breath

...Control Check Pending... You all can try to move closer and hear what they're saying before being caught, or one person can be chosen to move forward and scout it out for the others. Whatever the option, fail once and the scenario is over. This control check requires planning and discipline! Roll like normal and pray your result lands within range. Now tell me, who's feeling lucky? Just Right: 8 - 12 Roll too low 3 times and the conversation will end. Time Is Running Out! Time Is Running Out! Time Is Running Out! Roll too high 1 time and you will interrupt the conversation. Should've Picked PwnStar! Roll just right 1 time and you will hear the conversation. Not Bad!

QuirkyAngel
Azure Sky
Chak

 

[simj26]

Solaris:
Subway
Se7enIn the end, they quite forgot all about him. Not that he minded, honestly- he would have liked it no other way. As they all filed out one by one, Se7en stood by, watching each and every one of them from his corner, one hand fiddling around with the die in his pocket. Some of them made it quite clear where they were headed, some were much harder to parse. Harder, however, didn’t mean impossible. It was simply a matter of...watching which way they went. Hardly anything an elementary school student couldn’t do. He watched as the other investigator head off away towards the Industrial Sector, and crossed that destination off his list. Two’s a crowd, and he had no doubt that the other investigator was miles ahead of him in certain areas. Logistically, in terms of conservation of ability, just Se7en’s presence was enough to be a detriment to the other investigator.

Once most of the gathering had filed out of the room, he removed the die from his coat’s pocket, and glanced at it. Let this decide where he would go, then. He tossed it into the air, paused, then snatched it out of the air. He opened his hand. He scoffed. Not that he was surprised. Fates were pulling him towards that direction anyway, or at the very least, that was what he felt. He shoved the die and his hand back into his coat’s pockets.

He was heading towards the subway. His lips curled into a lopsided smile. Underground, huh? His favourite kind of place. Lazily, he sauntered out of the library, taking extra care to kick and trip over a few stray books and the occasional table, and staggered away towards the direction of the subway.

 

[Lucem]

Solaris:
The Subway

...Stealth Check Pending... Royal's agility is not high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. Due to this, he's encountered a monster and has been chased into the Subway!.

Elijah Royals
It was as if time paused while he was inside the library. The moment he stepped outside, the crumbling city continued to assault his senses with the same panic-filled screams and smoky air that followed him since his arrival. Everything was stuck on loop, the chaos sure to continue until he and his fellow Codebreakers could bring peace to a recreation of Hell within the sanctuary that was virtual reality. Still, none of the horrific sights or sounds perturbed him. The dark-haired Trojan walked calmly through the ruins of Solaris, observing the aggressive beasts that were responsible for so much destruction.

Despite being monsters, they appeared to be more organized than a rabid pack of beasts. The tree-like creatures were capable of communicating with each other, and they had been kidnapping people instead of simply slaughtering them. It remained to be seen if they were as intelligent as humans, but he didn't have any interest in sticking around long enough to find out. Even if they were smart enough to communicate with humans, they didn't appear to have any interest in talking. That was one thing that made this mission more difficult than others.

Until now, he'd been able to get by without having to get physical with people. Whether he was dealing with slimy politicians or prank-loving terrorists, he was always able to smooth things out with words. However, the chances of resolving the current conflict with a quick chat didn't seem very high. Monsters probably wouldn't have much interest in a silver tongue unless they were eating it.

While he had been watching the Harvesters, Elijah didn't fail to notice that he had caught their eye as well. Despite his best efforts to remain stealthy during his leisurely stroll, one tentacle-toting tree had picked up on his presence. There was still a fair amount of distance between them, but it likely wouldn't take long for the monster to catch up. Unfortunately, he wasn't the greatest runner. He moved around just fine under normal circumstances, but he had a feeling that outrunning this thing was beyond his capabilities. There was only so much he could do with one leg.

Being all by himself in the open didn't do much to raise his chances of escape. Rather than accompany his fellow Pwnies members to the industrial complex, Elijah opted to investigate the subway. At the time, only one person decided to go there, so he chose to go lend a hand where it was needed. Fewer people would lead to a higher chance of something going wrong, so he wanted to avoid that if he could help it. Unfortunately, that didn't matter if he died before he arrived.

Mulling over his options as death approached, he soon noticed the commotion coming from the dark tunnels ahead of him. Sounds of a scuffle let him know that Valkyrie was already dealing with a problem of her own, but something else needed his attention before that. A young man had dashed into the underground abyss just a bit before him, his cries echoing and mixing with the sounds coming from the pursuing Harvester. It seemed like he and that guy were in the same boat.

Elijah followed after him, the loud cries saving him the trouble of searching for Valkyrie. He was a Codebreaker, but he ran from the Harvester instead of taking it on. Well, he couldn't criticize him for it. After all, he was doing the same thing, just at a slower pace. He'd have a fight on his hands either way at this point, but going after the monster with its back turned seemed like less of a hassle.

As soon as he removed his hands from his pockets, rainbow-colored threads shot out from his fingertips, casting a faint glow in the darkness. The colorful weapons found their way to the large target, slithering like multi-colored snakes looking to bite its back. Each injected a shocking venom into the Harvester's code, trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. He wasn't a fan of things like this. Dealing with fights and all the stuff that came with them was too troublesome.

Elijah set his half-closed eyes on the bespectacled woman as the threads receded. Placing one hand back inside his pocket as the glow faded, he spoke with his usual calm tone, a touch of playfulness injected into his words. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to steal the spotlight from you." He wasn't sure how she'd take to him just showing up out of nowhere to deal with that after the other guy already asked for her help. "If it bothers you, you'll have another chance pretty soon." A slight smile appeared on his face as he pointed behind him with his free hand, knowing that his own predator wasn't too far behind.

Harvester Lv.3

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

0/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
1

PROW:
4
​

​

Harvester (Lv.3)

Royal
Lv.18
Trojan Horse+

HP: 16/16 (+7 per turn)
PP: 2/2 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 21/21
VIT: 18
NRV: 0
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
F5
Mirror of Fortune II
RMA: Full Coding (15%)
Slipstream
Anti Body (Passive)
I RUN THIS GAME! EX

Items:
- 60 Kirito
- White Pill
- Bottle of Alcohol

Armor / Equipment:
-

Skills used this turn:
RMA: Full Coding (15%) (0 CDR)
Short Circuit V (10 CDR)
Markdown I (3 CDR) - Tim Tams

White Masquerade The One Eyed Bandit

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Solaris:
A block away from the Ruined Library
JinX + Celeste Welton

Encased in a wispy aura of translucent fuchsia, a pink-haired maid in a Japanese-styled ensemble materialized within the boundaries of [Solaris: The City Upon the Hill], eyes closed and hands layered in front of her in the proper, harmless gesture one would expect of someone in the hospitality business. Instant travel always gave a bit of a tingly, nauseous feeling, but Jessika trained herself to get used to it.

Sort of.

Blinking her rosette orbs open, Jessika Xanders, otherwise known as JinX, took in her surroundings with mild interest. The smoke. The broken buildings. The rubble. It would seem the rumors regarding Floor 10 were true after all. Solaris had become a city infested by monsters.

How dreadful.

It would be a lie to say that JinX cared deeply about a city that wasn’t her own, but she could only imagine the number of businesses that had to be shut down because people couldn’t log on.

Money mattered in the virtual world as much as it did in the real world, after all.

In JinX’s case, she needed 2850 kiritos to complete her desired build—according to the Code Academy. Whoever wrote the damned thing needs to make skills less expensive. Between her little side business, her part time job, and whatever Codebreaker work she squeeze in between her studies, it wasn’t nearly enough to make the amount she desired.

Especially considering how expensive DuChamp was.

JinX sighed, swiping the air to pull up a map of [Solaris: The City Upon the Hill]. It was easy enough to tell where her friends were. Joker, Royal, and Prince were all indicated as pretty little dots on the map.

“Oooooo, you really do know Prince Antonelli!” The green-hair girl beside her squealed.

“Yes, yes, I’ll take you to meet him soon…” The best blind dates were the unconventional ones. Knowing Prince, he would procrastinate meeting with Celeste anyway. “But first we need to go to the [Solaris: Ruined Library] and accept the job.”

No point working without pay.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too far. Just a block away.

Unfortunately, the two girls found their path blocked by a grotesque-looking trunk monster from a horror film. A beautiful blade appeared in the maid’s hand. “I’ve got this—,”

“A HARVESTER!?” Emerald eyes brightened as the green-haired girl with the long ponytail ran to the front. “I’ve only seen one in books! Let me catch it? Pleeease?”

“Celeste…”

“Just one. To add to my collection.”

JinX rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just one.”

She was already late anyway. No need to rush. Neatly taking a seat on the hood of a demolished car, JinX took off the [RMA: Full Coding (5%)] surrounding her and messaged her friends while keeping her eye on her roommate who was attempting to [Wrangle II] a Harvester with a blow of a kiss. Hearts of multiple colors manifested and smacked themselves like bubbles into the glitch creature, though whether it had any effect was still to be seen. More might come if they didn't act quick enough. They weren't in a tourist spot. They were in a dangerous city full of who-knows-what. However, JinX didn't have the heart to tell her friend.

Knowing the OS Phantom, it would only excite her more anyway.

Private Message from JinX to Joker

Here's 3 kiritos~

I see you're near the Industrial Complex. Guess where I am^^

GasMaskie White Masquerade

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Solaris:
Interstate 41

Prince Antonelli
An eyebrow rose when Dullahan and Nightblossom Sonata caught up in a relatively efficient manner. The dull-looking Edge Lord hadn’t taken very long to deal with the Harvester either. “Hehhh. Not bad. Guess JinX was right about you Pwnies not being weak at least.”

He didn’t see how it was done, but it seemed quick.

Hazel eyes traveled ahead to where two non-humanoids argued. Were the two monsters talking to each other? Two Harvesters…and a dwarf? Monsters didn’t do that normally, right? It was definitely suspicious. Unfortunately, the distance was too far to make anything out and there was no place to quietly investigate on the highway. Prince didn’t trust his stealth either—especially not in plain sight. He didn’t turn himself invisible like Blackberry Preserves or anything. For once the blonde codebreaker wished he’d partied with JinX for the mission. The Trojan would’ve had some sort of trick up her sleeves.

Private message from JinX to Prince Antonelli

Attached to this message is 3 kirito. Thanks for your patronage!

Are you working hard btw? AXE is. Their new single just hit the market today. This is an image of the cover:

Teeth gnashed, Prince's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't go as far as to say he saw red. However, fire burned within him and he couldn't tell if JinX was doing this purposefully or not. He looked to the only female in the highway bunch. Prince Antonelli might like working with others, but he liked failure even less. “You. Sonata Nightblossom. You want to help, yes? Can you approach them and try figure out what they’re arguing about? I get the feeling the little dwarf thing will run away if it sees someone like me approaching.”


A small-looking girl was more inconspicuous and more likely to draw out information. Not exactly sure if feminine charms would work against a monster though. Could they even talk to it?

Well. It was worth a try.

Prince jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “At the very least, I think you’ll be less intimidating than the creepy-stare guy.”

From what he’d seen of Dullahan’s ever-strolling pace, the guy won’t even reach the monsters before they leave. “We’ll back you up if something goes wrong.”

Party invite sent to Sonata Nightblossom and Dullahan

Prince Antonelli invites you into a party. Do you accept?

By ‘we’ he meant him since he had no idea what Dullahan's thoughts were on the matter. Prince would use his own judgment in that regard. Honestly, it’d probably be faster if he went up and confronted the dwarf himself. However, if they were digging for information, Sonata was probably their best bet…assuming she didn’t run away or knew how to keep up a conversation. This was the same girl that screamed at nothing after all. “Keep the voice channel in the party chat open and we’ll be able to hear the conversation to a degree. We can check your status and the state of your health as well. Think you can handle it?”

He wanted to hear her honest assessment. If she didn’t think she could, didn’t think it was a good idea, or was too frightened to go alone, then he would just go up himself. Not like there was much place to hide in the Highway anyway. Chances were they would ALL be spotted as soon as noise was made. Better the pretty girl took the lead.

Prince’s eyes flickered to his surroundings. Empty. No signs of an ambush…but they were also on an open road. Prime targets for a sniper if the shooter games he played with his former friends were anything to go by.

Honestly, he didn’t even like shooter games.

He played because his friends did. Signed a contract with his family’s agency because it was what his friends wanted. All for the good of the group. Prince mentally snorted, arms folding. Better to be by himself and do what he wanted. Unfortunately, in the current situation, what he wanted, the answers to the questions he sought, he couldn’t achieve on his own. Along that same line of thought, he wouldn’t mind that much if she did what she wanted either. Just as he had chosen to leave Dullahan behind if the EdgeLord couldn’t make it to the Highway on his own, he wouldn’t mind if others acted for themselves either.

That was why he could be ‘friends’ with JinX.

There were no strings attached and nothing tying him down.

Chak Azure Sky White Masquerade

(not doing anything...yet)

 

[Lucem]

Solaris:
On The Way To...Industrial Complex

...Stealth Check Pending... Canon's agility is not high enough to make it through the streets of Solaris unhindered. Due to this, he has encountered a monster!

Edward Philips
With a tight grip on his handlebars, Ed drove through the burning city, keeping an eye on the fedora-wearing man's distant figure. Sigma said he had a bad feeling about him and the tall, cloaked person accompanying him, but he still decided to investigate the industrial complex. Didn't you say not to get involved with that person? That'd be tough if they were working together.

That was before I knew he was a detective. He was still suspicious of the pair, but he wasn't blind to the opportunity that presented itself. He came to this place for the sake of gathering information, but the guild leaders weren't the only people who could provide it. Someone in his position should know a lot about what goes on in this world. Although, that could end up being problematic...

As the winged creature trailed off, Ed gave him a curious look. What do you mean? Instead of an immediate answer, he received silence. Sigma must've been thinking to himself again.

Just be careful. Don't make anymore mistakes. He still hadn't forgotten about the slipup, and the lingering pain in Ed's side made sure he wouldn't forget either. Information aside, there's something about the industrial complex that interests me. It used to be a place for manufacturing motorcycles. There may be a few leftover parts we can use to improve that piece of junk.

Don't call it junk. It's gotten us this far. Before he could spend too much time defending his moped, disturbing noises began to mix with the low rumble of the machine. Thankfully, it wasn't the sound of the engine dying, but the momentary relief vanished as soon as he spotted the actual source. They managed to escape a bloodthirsty tree earlier, but now one of them was blocking the path ahead.

It doesn't look like we can avoid it this time. We're gonna have to fight.

Ed silently nodded as he gently squeezed the brake, causing the bike to stop just a short distance away from the Harvester. Just like earlier, he could hear the thunderous pounding of his heart as he put his feet to the ground and removed his helmet. Sigma hovered right above his head, but he still struggled to hear him as he focused on the threat in front of him.

This thing is no big deal. Just stay calm and remember what I taught you.

Right... Sigma taught him the basics, but he'd never been in a fight before. He hadn't thrown a single punch in his entire life and now he was supposed to go up against something like this. It was only natural that he'd be nervous in this situation, but there was something else that unsettled him. There was an unpleasant sensation that worked its way over his body as he positioned himself, back lowered and arms outstretched. It was as if he'd taken this stance many times before, something that was natural for him to do. That made his skin crawl. His head was starting to hurt.

Pay attention!

The sound of Sigma's voice quickly brought him back to reality, forcing him to snap out of whatever state he had fallen into. R-Right! Just like that, he had forgotten all about it. Now, he was trying to shake off his nerves as he prepared for his first fight.

Harvester Lv.3

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

5/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
2

PROW:
3
​

​

Harvester (Lv.3)

Canon
Lv.15
Os Phantom+

HP: 8/8 (+2 per turn)
PP: 7/8 (+3 per turn)
CDR: 15/15
VIT: 5
NRV: 8
AGI: 2
PROW: 7
Skills:
Wrangle II
Right of the Wild
Zero Hunt
RAID EX (Fusion Mode)

Items:
- 125 Kirito
- Moped
- Camera
- Headphones

Armor / Equipment:
-

Skills used this turn:
Right of the Wild (PP Cost: 1)

 

[Chak]

Solaris:
The Highway
"Think you can handle it?"

'Kirwe, is he insane?'

"-less intimidating-"

'Obviously, I'm barely pushing 4'11, I probably veigh half as much as you '

"-back you up."

'Back up what? All less than a hundred pounds of me as these things carry me off to Moon and Sun know where?'

These of course were only a fraction of the thoughts rebounding violently through Sonata's head, which is why even she could resist a titter when she realised her mind defaulted to something it knew to at last answer the man. Something stable, and solid.

"Nightblossom Sonata, Antonelli, not the other vay 'round. Still, ve've only just met, so no hard feelings."

Still, it didn't answer his question. Could she do it? Could she put herself out there for the betterment of others, laying her neck on the chopping block for others? The easy answer was 'obviously', but the real answer was, even without permanent consequences, could she do it again?

She couldn't hide her jittery knees or shaking hands, nor the hair on her arms and neck standing on end. She knew her eyes likely resembled those of a deer in the headlights of a too-late-to-dodge car.

That answer was harder to parse as fear of the unknown crept into her. These harvesters didn't just kill, they took. The where and why? Those answers lurked in the darkness, hiding malicious eyes and fearsome, rictus grins as they waited for you to be dragged to them, kicking, screaming or otherwise.

With only that in mind, the answer would have been absolutely and positively 'No'.

But then that wasn't the only thing in her mind. Instead crying children, dragged away or seeing their kin dragged away. Forced to witness these terrors personally. That wouldn't leave her mind. The idea that it could be her mate or padr losing their children, or Moon and Sun forbid her dear sostre, who Sonata would brave a thousand deaths to protect. Because that's what mattered, her parents, her sister, those she cared for most.

And these monsters were destroying that for thousands.

Her hands stopped shaking as her eyes shone in determination, and while she wouldn't say she'd steeled herself, she wouldn't let herself merely break from fear alone.

She could break, but she could not.

"Right, I vill be friendly, approachable, vere, myself is all I need to be. But instead, should trouble occur let me lead off the two beasts, should they follow, so that the pair of you may focus in getting to the little one."

As she stood she offered quick prayers asking mere guidance and tranquility, as well as the courage to face what now laid before her. It was little to ask, and she had faith that Patr Solee and Mate Lunee would not just aid her, but hopefully aid her new friends as well.

It still took a moment to get her legs to cooperate, but in seconds she was underway. In truth once she'd walked from the cover Antonelli and Dullahan enjoyed she had already begun to try to find which way to run if it became a fight. In spite of her fear walked softly until she was certain she'd been noticed a waved a hand vigorously, as if a villager greeting a good friend.

"Salw priyat! Hello friend, how fares your day?"


(Making foolish decisions. Realising that orchards are a lot nicer than abandoned cities filled with monsters the hard way.)



White Masquerade QuirkyAngel Azure Sky

 

[Azure Sky]

Solaris:
The Highway

Dullahan​

Erik was surprised by the young girl that popped up after he'd finish with the Harverster, she seemed polite. And sheltered, by her reactions. As she apologized for her lack of experience and how she wasn't used to this sort of thing, Erik smiled. "Neither am I." Was his response, but the young girl hastingly followed after Antonelli, and Erik's words fell like silent rain drops. Indeed, Dullahan was not fearless. It was like being an actor in a horror movie. The Harvester did scare him, but, like the horror movie, it was not real. It posed no real danger to him. That was what he told himself everytime he went out on a mission. The monsters are just code. Nothing more, nothing less. With that in mind, he went forward and his own pace.

He got to the highway on time to witness the little tin can man, and hear both Prince and Sonata's prepositions for an action plan. They simingly agreed to let Sonata talk to the tin can. That was fine and dandy with Erik. As both of them finished talking and he watched Sonata walk towards the little thing, Erik just smiled and continued to walk. At a slower pace, behind Sonata. He still had trust issues. Too little information on both Antonelli and Sonata, while the latter also seemed a bit naive.

[Prince Antonelli invites you into a party. Do you accept?]

[Yes]

Dullahan still accepted Prince's party requested. As he saw no disadvantage to it, trust aside.

Turning his attention back at the little creature, Dullahan took a few moments to think it over. It could have been a trap, or it could have been a vicious monster monster in disguise. Regardless...

"...It's just a piece of code." He said, devoid of any emotion, looking at the tin man as if he were worthless.

[Blood Runner: -10]

As the light around him became dimmer, Dullahan attacked the tin can.
____________________________
Lv.15

Edge Lord+

HP: 3/16 (+5 per turn)
PP: 8/8 (+4 per turn)
CDR: 8/8
VIT: 16
NRV: 9
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
White Suicide
Now More Morbid Than Ever II (Passive)
Blood Runner I
Antibody I (Passive)

Items:
- 325 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
-
________________________

White Masquerade
QuirkyAngel
Chak

 

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
The Subway
Valkyrie + Blackberry Preserves
"Ha. Steam, huh?" The woman mused, twisting across herself to check the steam out. "Not a bad power at all."

Valkyrie Has Received Kirito + Exp

You have received exp and 5 Kirito.

"Yes I agree. Good job Valkyrie- turns out you had it all taken care of by yourself. You didn't need me at all."

"Ahg, I wouldn't say that," the breaker snickered. "You set me on the path Black; I just needed to move forward. Heh. I don't think I'm gonna be stopping now though. This right here is pretty cool. I'm going to see just how far these powers can go. I have a feeling society is going to start seeing a lot more of Valkyrie."

No noise came through the line of communication, but If Cho could see the guildmaster now, she'd have mirrored the same big grin slapped across her face. The reality was that Codebreakers were in high demand. Most didn't even realize they were, let alone acknowledged it. Those who did, usually went through harsh childhoods or kept it under wraps for fear of being ostracized or bullied. When things like this happened, it was always cause to rejoice when a Codebreaker picked a side, the right side, and Valkyrie sounded like the few who'd chosen to do so.

"Glad to hear it Valk. I'll be checking in with the other Codebreakers now to make sure they're doing alright. When you're done there, head on back to the library so we can be ready to move once we know enough to plan the next step. Like usual, let me know if anything comes up."

"No prob and aye aye, Captain. Valkyrie out."

So. It seemed like things were just about done here. Not quite seeing as there were still two Harvesters lurking somewhere around the corner, but at least she got the gist of what happened here: they were smart. She'd better be careful the next time dealing with them- they all should.

"But I want to check on you now. Are you alright the--wahh!" And throwing up her hands while jumping back, Valkyrie in an honest fright couldn't believe what she was seeing. Right before her very eyes, the person she thought she saw huddled on the ground was changing.

Holy.

In a curious, grotesque mix of dirt and garbage, the person struggled to get up, then collapsed back down in a pool of metal and junk. Moments passed by with Valkyrie still on her guard, yet after nervously checking over her shoulder and the eyeing the scene in front, she eased off the tension a bit. It was then a noise came from the left. In a damp tunnel a hundred feet below the surface, a violin began to play. Her eyes hopping around, Valkyrie tensed up again with arms raised seeing a silhouette and shadow hidden in the dark of a railway.

"Oi! Who are you?! Show yourself!"

The music stopped abruptly and after a moment's hesitation, the figure began to run.

"I SAID HEY- tsk!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!​

Valkyrie lost her footing and stumbled as a big roar filled the tunnel with cavernous noise. Pieces of the subway's ceiling dropped to the floor and the Codebreaker took her eyes off the figure to avoid them- only to find that when she checked again for it again, it was gone. Whatever it was though would have to wait. Judging by the noise coming from down the lower end of the tunnel, it seemed that there was someone else she would have to fight.

"H-help!" A trail of long, bedraggled hair trailed behind the voice, and practically nipping at its roots was one of the oak-laden monstrosities that had overrun the city. The runner's face, that of a prettier-than-usual young man, was twisted into an expression of proper fear and panic. Sweat ran down his brow, and his voice shook in sync with each and every one of his pursuer's footfalls.

"Lady! P-please!" the man screamed- the virtual beast gaining on him with each syllable that left his lips. Then...if a Harvester was chasing him, maybe he was one of the good guys? Or at least not bad. She didn't recognize him from the meeting with Blackberry Preserves though. Whatever. Shaking it off she decided trouble was trouble and that this person needed help. So once again she concentrated and imagined pressure building in her fist, the air around her starting to whip as heat rose up to overlying brick.

On the run huh? Never aimed his thing before. Let's see how that goes, haha.

Though this time she wouldn't have to. A familiar face made its way directly after the young man and a loop of multi-colored threads identified the user as none other than Elijah Royals: a fellow member of Pwnies. He made quick work of the threat and quieted down the subway for the moment, at least until he spoke back up again.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to steal the spotlight from you. If it bothers you, you'll have another chance pretty soon," he said while pointing behind him as another Harvester wasn't far behind.

"Christ." She talked back. "The first time you show up to a party and this is what you bring, Elijah?" Laughing it off, the breaker was actually happy to see another member of Pwnies. Valkyrie wasn't one to be wary of new people, but he was a person she knew almost nothing about, and that was exactly why she liked him. He was handsome enough, but Valkyrie always felt good around an introvert. They were a joy when they opened up and you got to see what was inside. If one day you didn't feel in the best of moods, they would be more than happy enough to shut up and leave you to your own devices. Elijah however, rarely attended the more social functions of the guild while she'd been there, and the girl was always up for getting to know someone who preferred living on the edges.

Royal Has Received Exp and Kirito

You have received exp and 5 Kirito.

Hopping forward, the Deviant came to a stop beside Royal, though a bit away from Genki. After all, even though he was running from a Harvester, it still didn't explain why he was down there in the first place.

"Yeah," she said eyeing him. "I get you were in trouble and I'm all for helping, but why were you down here in the first place? I can tell from your user you're not an ordinary human- you're a Codebreaker right? Trying to clean up the city by yourself?" she asked, cocking her head. "I'll tell ya honestly, that's not a good idea. These things can think. They tried to box me in when I got here and I have the feeling they tried to trap me with bait."

It felt kind of silly hearing that said aloud, but the Codebreaker wasn't crazy; she knew what she saw. And it was for that very reason her eyes kept jerking back to another corner of the underground station.

"This mission is starting to have me on edge man," she whispered to Royal. "I swear somebody is there!"

Though for now a trio of other things would begin making their way to the trifecta out of the dark. Three harvesters, one behind Royal and two in front of Genki slowly appeared.

"Let's finish this up so we can get back to the surface guys," said the woman, starting to steam up for the 3rd time so far. "I've had enough of being down here."

• Harvester 1
• Harvester 2
• Harvester 3

• 
  Harvester Lv.4
  
  "Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."
  

  

  
  
  5/5
  (+1 Per Turn)
  
  AGI:
  1
  
  PROW:
  5
  ​
  
  
  Harvester (Lv.4)
• 
  Harvester Lv.5
  
  "Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."
  

  

  
  
  5/5
  (+1 Per Turn)
  
  AGI:
  1
  
  PROW:
  6
  ​
  
  
  Harvester (Lv.5)
• 
  Harvester Lv.5
  
  "Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."
  

  

  
  
  5/5
  (+1 Per Turn)
  
  AGI:
  1
  
  PROW:
  6
  ​
  
  
  Harvester (Lv.5)

Valkyrie
Lv.15
Deviant Artist

HP: 4/4 (+3 per turn)
PP: 2/2 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 6/6
VIT: 2
NRV: 0
AGI: 10
PROW: 19
Skills:
Perfection (Passive)
STRIVE! EX Omega (Passive)

Items:
- 1155 Kirito
- Wanda

Armor / Equipment:
-

Genki
Lv.15
Trojan Horse+

HP: 10/10 (+4 per turn)
PP: 5/5 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 18/18
VIT: 9
NRV: 3
AGI: 5
PROW: 17
Skills:
RAID EX
RMA: Full Coding (5%)

Items:
- 550 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
-

Royal
Lv.18
Trojan Horse+

HP: 16/16 (+7 per turn)
PP: 2/2 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 21/21
VIT: 18
NRV: 0
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
F5
Mirror of Fortune II
RMA: Full Coding (15%)
Slipstream
Anti Body (Passive)

Items:
- 65 Kirito
- White Pill
- Bottle of Alcohol
- Tim Tams

Armor / Equipment:
-

Se7en
Lv.15
Pwn Star+

HP: 6/6 (+2 per turn)
PP: 17/17 (+5 per turn)
CDR: 2/2
VIT: 0
NRV: 15
AGI: 19
PROW: 5
Skills:
Dress For Less I
3rd Chance Dance
Talk Shit: Get Hit
Encore

Items:
- 50 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
- Armor Not
- Halbirb
- Mahadharma
- Mahapadma

simj26
Lucem
The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Refaulted]

Stein
HP: 11/11
PP: 14/14
​

The Industrial Complex
Stein only felt hot shame rush up to his face as they arrived at their destination. Memories of his very first mission with Pwnies flooded to the forefront of his mind, reminding him of his early failures. Back then, he had always been too slow to even act before the rest of the members of the guild took down threats that stood in their way. He had felt like he was holding them back, not quick enough on the draw to serve a purpose for the team. He had thought for so long that he had made some progress, able to help others when he couldn't take the initiative. He had dedicated himself to that role, but in his excitement to be working with Trouble again, and his panic over such a minor thing, he had made a mistake. A nearly fatal one to the two of them. Would he just end up being dead weight again? Had he grown at all in the last two months?

He felt like he couldn't even meet Trouble's eyes, afraid of the disappointment that he would see there. Instead, he had to focus on the mission they were given, and he had to make sure he didn't mess up again. He would redeem himself, and starting now, he had would not make any more mistakes. Dwelling on his failures wasn't going to help him now, and being distracted would only cause them more grief if he wasn't paying attention. He turned his attention to the land around them, noting that no stragglers from their previous encounter had managed to follow them.

It was no wonder, though, after Trouble's insane display of power. It was almost like he could still feel the vibrations from the attack in his bones. He had seen strong Codebreakers, his fellow members of Pwnies showing off incredible growth, and Trouble was no exception. Whatever training she did during her time away from the guild, he would have to try out for himself. it was definitely effective, to say the least. He wanted to ask her, but now was not the best time. He doubted she really wanted to deal with him too much right now.

A voice reached his ears and brought his attention to what was a young girl, standing at a door that lead into the large building that was their destination. it was a rather strange sight, and Stein felt at first like it was a trap of sorts. He took another look around, hoping to see no player-killing bandits lurking around, but he didn't see a single form of life. Not even one of the Harvesters from another part of the city. It was completely barren, which made Stein even more suspicious. At least, until he looked to his feet and picked up one of the wooden splinters, observing it closely. It was entirely possible that someone had come along and killed some Harvesters, and what wood was scattered along the ground was what was left of a probably very dangerous scuffle. Still, that meant less Havresters for them to deal with. He couldn't let his guard down, but he at least felt a little better not having to deal with the beasts.

But now he had to think about the little girl in front of them. From what he could gather, she must be a Codebreaker. How else would a girl her age be able to make it to this part of the city without any supervision? Still, a kid just wondering around the city on their own didn't sit right with him, Codebreaker or not. He turned to Trouble and pointed in the direction of the girl. "You think this is weird, too, yeah?"

He turned and walked up to the girl, who was pushing on the door with all of her effort, trying to pry it open. Stein looked up at it, scratching his head. A terribly strong smell struck his nose, and he recoiled slightly. The smell of something burning was certainly not a pleasant one, at least in this situation. If there were things burning inside the building, then it was possible any information they could gather was smoldering along with whatever was left inside, and their venture to the complex was fruitless. The wise thing to do was to report back to Blackberry, and see what she thought. He opened up his menu, quickly writing a message to the Guild Leader.

Spoiler

To: Blackberry Preserves

Sorry to bother you, Blackberry Preserves, but I thought you'd like an update, as we've just arrived at the Complex. It seems there's a young girl here at the Industrial Complex trying to break her way inside. As far as I can tell, something inside is may be burning, so I don't have a lot of hope on finding anything insanely useful on understanding these monsters. There is also not a singe Harvester in sight around the Complex, and they may be dead due to splinters we've found on the ground. If you are able to, please send me a message back when you have a moment. Thank you.

White Masquerade

As Stein finished the message and sent it on its way, he wondered if he made it too formal. He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the girl, looking the building up and down. "We could leave this place be and be safe. It's entirely possible that whatever we could find in there is either ruined or blocked by whatever is burning on the inside..." He placed one hand on the door, still speaking to himself. "But...if we move now, we may be able to salvage whatever is inside." He looked over his shoulder his shoulder to Trouble. "I know all I've done is mess up so far, but after all this, I don't want to go back empty-handed. You can do what you would like to, Trouble, but I'm going inside."

With that, Stein took a deep breath in, thinking up a silent prayer, and pushed on the door with the little girl.

Dying from fire was probably better than dying from one of those monsters, right?

The Suspicious Eye
GasMaskie

Dice Roll: 5 + 10(VIT) = 15

 

[simj26]

Solaris:
The Subway
The subway's entrance resembled an entrance to a fantastical kingdom more than it did one to an actual subway. Overgrown with lush greenery, Se7en was half-expecting to be greeted by knife-eared pale faces when he peered into the darkness. Nothing much to say about the uninviting darkness, he supposed. A few wild animals moved out of his way as he approached the entrance, apparently only just noticing presence. They didn’t make any attempt to scurry away as he approached. He had a certain charm with animals, he liked to believe. He only wished he had the same charm with the ladies.

Or, he just had the same effect on animals just as he did with people in general- he was nothing more than a solid body that may or may not be obstructing them.

He scoffed at the idea. There might be some truth to it. That was why he was successful at his job, he supposed. He could blend in anywhere, any place, any time, just because he was just so frighteningly invisible even when someone was looking straight at him. His feet subconsciously navigating across the grass and vines noiselessly, stepping in between gaps and small clearings, he made his way down the subway’s entrance. He was a ghost, and that meant he could go and be anywhere with just the right attitude.

That having been said, he didn’t exactly have the right attitude to be strolling through abandoned subway tunnels, nor did he have the right clientele. Active subways, perhaps, but not overgrown holes in the ground. He made his way to the parapet of what looked like the remnants of an escalator, then swung himself over the parapet, sliding over the barrier, and dropping to the floor below. He dusted his hands, and shoved them back into his pockets, stepping towards the empty railway. There was no way he was taking those escalators. It wasn’t some misplaced sense of style- he just wasn’t going to take a risk that they might collapse underneath him. Better to take a route that he knew he was going to land on his feet.

He looked down the empty tunnelways, and hopped down. Which way was he supposed to be heading again? He withdrew a pen from his pocket, and depressed a button on its side. The rear end of the pen lit up, and he directed the beam of light towards the ground. If he wasn’t wrong, there should have been some human presence around here only just recently. It didn’t take him long to note some displaced gravel, as if some weight had been shifted around. Animals didn’t make their way down into this darkness. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that these caverns were probably crawling with things that didn’t seem all that friendly. Still, this didn’t tell him enough.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance at his own indecisiveness. A detective ought to trust in his instincts as much as he did in his intellect. Each second he used making a decision was a second wasted. Aiming his penlight forwards, he made his way down the path he had chosen.

It didn’t take him long to finally meet some human contact. More accurately, he heard them first. A male, high-pitched, panicking. Se7en quickened his pace, as noiseless as ever, switching off his penlight as he proceeded forwards. He rounded a corner, and was greeted by the sight of a small group of others, surrounded by three lumbering creatures. Slow, dumb, tentacle-like creatures. Harvesters, Se7en recognised. He had the misfortune to encounter one before during one of his investigations, but they was a stupid things. Anyone who got caught by them deserved it, honestly. Besides, a lot of their victims got out of their problems relatively scot free. They always respawned about a day and a half later. The less known about them, the better honestly,

Still, the group seemed like they were the ones who were even stupider to have been ambushed by them. Se7en pressed himself against the wall beside him, staying out of sight. None of them seemed to have noticed him, including the other players. He could just slip past them, unnoticed. That would be the most reasonable action to take. He wasn’t some fighter, he wasn’t built for fighting. He was built for running away and slithering around like a snake.

Still, he was a hot-blooded man, not a cold-blooded snake. That bespectacled lady in the midst of them didn’t look like she needed any help handling the problem, and Se7en wasn’t one to take on jobs for free. However, he was willing to give the ladies a discount or two. He’d just take the pay from whatever the monsters dropped.

He pushed himself away from the wall, and reached into his bottomless pockets. He withdrew a small switchblade. With a click, the grim, curved iridiscent blade revealed itself. He took a few slow steps forwards, getting as close as he can, before he broke into a dash, casting off the shroud of stealth from himself, his kerambit aimed directly at the Harvester’s back.



He wasn’t going to do a lot of damage, not by a long shot, but as long as he took the attention off that pretty face for just a few minutes, he was probably good. That much he hoped.

White Masquerade The One Eyed Bandit Lucem
Targeting Harvester Lv. 4

 

[GasMaskie]

Solaris:
The Industrial Complex
***

Spoiler: BGM

***
​

"...So, this is the Industrial Complex?" The detective muttered those words under his breath as he followed the two Codebreakers into the abandoned structure. His nose wrinkled slightly as he gingerly stepped over the coiled remains of what was once a chain-link fence and entered the premises. Something was burning. From what he recalled, the industrial complex produced motorcycles back when Solaris wasn't a mess. A gloved hand moved to his chin as he advanced.

Perhaps someone or an organization were using the facility to produce something? Or maybe there were simply oil-drum fires further in where people may be taking shelter. With how large this structure was, it'd certainly make for a good shelter if one could plot escape routes and hiding places in the no doubt endless chain of rooms within. His ruminations, however, were interrupted with the sound of a bell ringing within his head. He opened up a menu as he approached the three who had assembled in front of the shut portal.

"...Mm? JinX? And here I was sure that she'd just tally all of that up towards the end." He smirked, adjusting his fedora to hide the expression on his usually unreadable face. Pulling the virtual display downwards, the freelance inspector began to type out a reply as he joined the others and made his presence known. With how her abilities worked, perhaps just saying her name was enough for her to normally catch a beat on where someone was. Or, perhaps she revealed her true colors already and slipped a tracker on him during their last dinner together.

Private Message from Joker to JinX

You're on the same floor, I take it. I figured you'd just sit out the rest of this chapter back on floor 1, but I guess curiosity dragged you over. Take care. There are more things to worry about here than just Harvesters.

Joker cleared his throat as he approached the group. His steady gaze moved to the door that both the girl and the bespectacled Codebreaker was pushing. There was no doubt in his mind that they'd manage to open it with the amount of force they were putting on it. Behind him, the cloaked Daemon followed, finally stepping out from the space between data and into their 'reality'. Glancing over to the girl, he vaguely remembered exchanging words with her once.

"...There's no telling what we'll find in there. Could be a creature stronger than a Harvester. Could be a group of malicious hackers assembling new vehicles. Best bet is that it's just a bunch of people taking shelter inside." His mouth had returned to its normal, thin line of a frown as he adjusted his hat. A hand moved to his coat pocket, confirming the contents once more as if preparing for combat.

( White Masquerade , Refaulted , The Suspicious Eye )

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

"I... Hah... You see..." The young man's shoulders heaved rhythmically, and he spoke in between sputters of breath. "Um. Not exactly, I- Ah, how to say, was investigating. You see, I mean, I'm not from this floor, and..." His voice trailed off, and a light of revelation flickered across his features. No no no, he lectured himself, an introduction like this was terribly unbecoming. He took a moment, flashing the other breakers an indication of pause, to collect himself.

Quickly enough, the rapid contractions of his chest slowed, and the breaker's breathing returned to a normal pace. He took the time to take in the appearances of his saviors. A plucky young woman, and a suave old man.

"Mmm. Okay, okay... That's better." Now refreshed, a hint of pluck returned to the young man's voice, and he shot the other breakers a grin. "Now now, then, before anything else, I gotta say- Thank you! Um- You see... I'm not normally much for fighting, you know? I actually just came here to look around... A floor in chaos is, uh, a bit of a hotspot, you know?"

The boy's body lit up with a splay of animation as he rambled on. Each bop and jerk of movement betraying whatever intention he was trying to communicate with his muddled speech.

"Ah, sorry! Where are my manners today... Um. I'm Ge-" He half spoke, before being interrupted by the arrival of a fresh platoon of Harvesters. His mind was racing with questions, but it looked like those would have to be put aside for the moment.

RMA: Full Coding (5%)

At the behest of a synaptic command, Genki's finger twitched and he felt the the invigorating flow of code run through his veins. He wasn't kidding when he'd said that fighting wasn't his cup of tea, but he was backed into a corner here. Running for help was one thing, but abandoning his saviors, well, that probably wouldn't do.

Just as he was about to move, somebody else beat him to the punch. A garish-looking man broke into the battlefield, not speaking a word as he engaged the Harvesters bearing down upon them. Genki had to admit, his sudden appearance had almost alerted him more than the threat at hand, but...

It looked like he was here to help.

Refining I (Failure) => Extendo

Overclock I

Quietly, the boy's blood rippled with cool-black code, and colorless roots shot out from his fingertips as he snapped at the beast. They trailed behind the nameless breaker as he lashed out at the Harvester, taking advantage of his distraction to entangle themselves within the beast's own overgrown brambles. Like a parasitic fungi, they dug into the creature, lapping up the very code that composed it and disseminating it out into the virtual atmosphere. By the time they were done with it the beast would be grey and withered, a shadow of its already hideous self.

White Masquerade Lucem simj26

Genki
Lv.15
Trojan Horse+

HP: 10/10 (+4 per turn)
PP: 5/5 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 18/18
VIT: 9
NRV: 3
AGI: 7 (5+2)
PROW: 17
Skills:
Concencrate
Cyber Man
RAID EX
RMA: Full Coding (5%)

Items:
- 130 Kirito

Armor / Equipment:
- Extendo (+2 AGI)

 

[The Suspicious Eye]

TroubleSolaris: Industrial ComplexFeeling the crackling energy of Steins attack brush past her cheek Trouble's mind sparked an new thought. Whoa she was impressed by the power of his attack as she ran past it. As it got the ground behind her she leapt up and lowered her blade down on the monster. Cutting through the monster with a swift chop, her blade slammed down against the concrete. Cracking the ground with her blade the shockwave expanded before her feet touched the ground.

"Fuck yeah! I'm awesome!" Trouble said hopping up bouncing with childlike excitement, genuinely excited with her achievement. Snapping back to her current situation and company, Trouble blushed and tried to regain what little cool she had. Looking around to see the new Harvesters coming towards them she hissed out a quiet. "Shit," as they were suddenly completely surrounded. Quieting as she heard the crumbling of buildings she looked in awe to see the Harvesters around them to be toppled by broken buildings and fall into holes. Staring at the sudden clean up of the additional enemies Trouble was genuinely surprised.

Whistling as she sheathed her blade, she spoke out. "Wow, that was lucky."

Red appeared beside Trouble and rolled her eyes, "yeah totally lucky, not orchestrated at all."

Looking over at Red she noticed Stein begin to walk off. She wanted to check if he was alright, but he had the right idea it was best to move as quickly and quietly as possible. "Come on." Trouble told Red with a few quick step she moved over walk behind Stein. This time she was going to keep him in her sights at all times. She wanted him to be safe and didn't mind the view from behind. Almost visibly drooling Trouble snapped back to attention as the made it to their destination.

Arriving at the Industrial Complex the unsettling feeling she already had, seemed to triple. Her eyes traced the crumbling structure and could feel a haunting echo coming out from the location. She was on edge especially as the scene showed cleared signs of a huge fight, but only leaving one small child in front of the large door. Inspecting the girl Trouble instinctively didn’t trust her, too much of the Shining and cute girl avatars who turn out to be monsters or creeps. Wondering if she could push a bit of her code around to peek inside, her train of thought stopped as Stein turned around.

Jolting as the girl turned to looked at them she genuinely didn’t want to open that door. Looking over to Stein as he pointed to the girl Trouble nodded. “Oh yeah definitely.”

Before she could offer the option to enter from another angle Stein bravely made his way towards the girl. Watching him move towards the creepy girl she listened in awe to Steins words. Blushing as he looked back at her she couldn’t help but think about how cool he was in that moment. As he pushed open the doors and walked through Trouble was stunned in her admiration of him. He's so brave!

Red looked back over to where Joker was and her golden eyes sharpened. "Head's up girlie, you've got company."

Trouble looked over at Joker as he walked up, surprised that another member was following them. Would have been nice to get a heads up earlier. Giving an annoyed glance to Red, Trouble looked over to Joker and raised a brow at his company. Hearing his idea of what was inside made Trouble really want to go in at a different location, or at the very least scoping out the complex before going in. "Joker right? It's been awhile." Trouble said trying to place where she met him. Scratching her head she nodded, "yeah. Whatever it is I can't let him go alone so I'm heading in." Taking a breath she stepped forward past the open doors of the Industrial Complex.

Please don’t let this be a haunted house, creepy kid thing. I hate that so much. Trouble quietly prayed to herself before she walked through.

( White Masquerade , Refaulted , GasMaskie )

 

[White Masquerade]

Solaris:
On The Way To...Industrial Complex

Harvester Lv.3

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

0/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
2

PROW:
3
​

​

Harvester (Lv.3)

Canon
Lv.15
Os Phantom+

HP: 8/8 (+2 per turn)
PP: 7/8 (+3 per turn)
CDR: 15/15
VIT: 5
NRV: 8
AGI: 2
PROW: 7
Skills:
Wrangle II
Right of the Wild
Zero Hunt
RAID EX (Fusion Mode)

Items:
- 130 Kirito
- Moped
- Camera
- Headphones

Armor / Equipment:
-

To Canon

Harvester Loses 7 HP.​

Not knowing what happened, if one were to look at the carnage left behind in the wake of the Phantom's attack, they'd assume it was destroyed by a wild animal. Wooden guts with splintered limbs adorned the area and Edward's face slowly crept back to the innocence it held just moments prior. Sigma floated there content, neither shocked nor displeased with what had transpired- only sticking to the fact it had to be done. Whether Canon felt the same way...only time would tell, but for now at least they'd be able to make their way to the industrial complex unhindered.

Canon Has Received Kirito + Exp

You have received exp and 5 Kirito.

Lucem

 

[Lucem]

Solaris:
The Subway

Elijah Royals

​

"The first time you show up to a party and this is what you bring, Elijah?"

The small smile remained on his face as Valkyrie came closer. "Then I guess it's for the best if I keep staying away from them." He still didn't know the steaming woman very well, but he was more than willing to engage in some playful banter with her. It was a nice change of pace to have someone he could go back-and-forth with.

While he knew little about his guildmate, he knew even less about the strange CodeBreaker in front of them. They seemed to be the type of person who got easily flustered, obsessing over little details and stumbling over their own words. It wasn't very surprising to see someone like that running from a Harvester. However, Elijah had his doubts about the long-haired young man actually being that sort of person. He was never an optimist, never taking things at face-value and usually thinking about how they could go wrong. Of course he would find this situation strange. Still, he wouldn't do anything about his suspicions. There wasn't much point in doing so right now, especially when he didn't have any proof or a potential motive. It was better to leave that sort of thing to detectives. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to look hard to find one on this floor.

Valkyrie didn't seem to have much interest in questioning the man for very long, her attention now elsewhere. Once again, she got in close, whispering into his ear to keep her words from leaking to the bumbling stranger. As her hushed voice warmed his skin, his half-closed eyes focused on the shadowy tunnels. If someone was really wandering around down here, they'd have to tell Blackberry. Going after a subway ghost with their current group probably wasn't the best idea, so he was fine with returning to the library for now. Although, a shuffling trio of trees seemed to have a problem with that plan.

His party favors had finally arrived, but that wasn't all. Jumping out from the shadows with knife in hand, Se7en made himself known by stabbing at one of the approaching Harvesters. Having another person around was definitely useful, and it seemed like the man named Ge agreed. The stranger was quick to take advantage of the detective's assault by launching his own attack, the two ganging up on one of the beasts.

Looking over his shoulder, Elijah followed up by sending his threads after his own target. Once again, the colorful weapons dug into the monster's flesh, each one carrying a deadly electrical current. While stunning shocks assaulted its body, he looked to the steaming Valkyrie. "Can I leave the last one to you?"

[Short Circuit V, Markdown I- Tim Tams]

"Sssrrrk Sss

Harvester Lv.5

"Sssrrrk Sssrrrk."

5/5
(+1 Per Turn)

AGI:
1

PROW:
6
​

Harvester (Lv.5)

Royal
Lv.18
Trojan Horse+

HP: 16/16 (+7 per turn)
PP: 2/2 (+1 per turn)
CDR: 21/21
VIT: 18
NRV: 0
AGI: 1
PROW: 3
Skills:
F5
Mirror of Fortune II
RMA: Full Coding (15%)
Anti Body (Passive)

Items:
- 370 Kirito
- White Pill
- Bottle of Alcohol
- Tim Tams

White Masquerade The One Eyed Bandit simj26

 

[Lucem]

Solaris:
The Industrial Complex
Edward Philips
As the last bits of the Harvester's remains fell on the asphalt, Ed let out a deep breath. "I-I did it." His voice was just as shaky as his legs, and the young man looked like he'd fall at any moment. All the pressure left his body at once, and the sudden relief made him forget about the bad feeling that had been brewing since the fight began. Right now, he was more focused on the fact that he somehow managed to win, and that he was still alive. Sigma, however, didn't have much of a reaction.

"That thing was a weakling. You could've easily defeated it without my help. Then again, you might have tripped over your own feet if I hadn't lent a hand." As one would expect, the bat didn't have any words of praise. A single Harvester was nothing to get worked up about.

Ed could be clumsy at times, so he couldn't blame Sigma for expecting something like that. However, in that moment, the thought of making a mistake never crossed his mind. The jitters he felt before and after the fight disappeared completely while it was actually happening. Looking at the mess of splinters and wooden innards, he thought back to how calm he was, how clear his head was. Thinking about it made him feel unnerved, even more than when he was preparing to dive out in front of the monster. He swallowed whatever feeling was starting to crawl out from within him, knowing that Sigma would probably get on him for staring into space again.

"Let's go. We're already behind the others."

Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning away from what remained of the creature. This fight would probably be the first of many. If he wanted to help the people on this floor, he'd have to go through this several more times. He couldn't get distracted right now. Whatever that feeling was, he'd try to ignore it. He could think about those things once everyone was safe. Nodding to himself, he chased after Sigma and grabbed the helmet from his moped's handlebar. "Right."


"That should be the place." Even for a building in the middle of an apocalyptic city, the industrial complex looked dilapidated. It appeared as if nobody had been here for decades, allowing the greenery to take over the damaged, gray exterior. The only people that would think about coming here at a time like this were the Codebreakers who gathered outside the entrance. Remember what I said earlier. Once again, Sigma slipped inside Ed's jacket and hid his presence. He didn't want to expose himself to these people unless necessary.

Got it. Ed responded to the voice inside his head as he brought his moped to a slow stop, parking the vehicle a short distance from the entrance. Thankfully, none of the Codebreakers had gone inside yet. He had been worried about missing them after getting held up by the Harvester. Removing his helmet and placing it on the handlebars, he made his way to join the group.

As he got closer to the people surrounding the open door, he noticed a familiar scent emanating from the building. It's burnt wood. He spent a lot of time outdoors to capture the scenery, so he was pretty sure he was right about this.

Are you a dog?

A soft shade of pink dusted Ed's cheeks as he looked down to hide his embarrassment. Sigma didn't pay much attention to the reaction, focusing on his surroundings instead. If it was burning wood, that would explain the lack of Harvesters in the area. A fight may have broken out before they arrived. It was also possible that a group of survivors had started a fire while hiding out in the abandoned building.

Approaching from behind, Ed greeted the group. "Sorry for arriving late. I came to help out. I'm Canon. It's nice to meet you." Ordinarily, he would've been more nervous when talking to new people, but he was mostly focused on trying not to mess up like last time. He really didn't want to get bitten again.

The people here were the same ones from the library, but there was one person he hadn't noticed earlier. Looking down, he spotted a young girl with long hair. He didn't see her at the meeting, so she must've been a late arrival. Maybe she was already here during that time. Either way, he couldn't ignore that she was in a place like this.

Bending down to her level, Ed offered the girl a friendly smile. "Did you come to help too? That's really brave of you, since it's so scary out here. To be honest, I'm a little scared myself. What's your name?" He always had an easier time speaking with children. His nerves didn't act up the way they did around people he wasn't familiar with. The same went for animals and the flowers he often talked to at work.

What are you doing?

She's just a kid. I can't leave her alone.

There's no way a normal kid would be in a place like this. She's obviously a Codebreaker. You should be able to see her username. Even in his current state, Sigma could still see the hovering text. With a name like that, she's most likely a member of Loli Pop. There's no reason to concern yourself with her.

But she's still a little girl.

That's not our problem.

Even if she was a Codebreaker, Ed was still worried about her. This was no place for a child to be wandering around. There were no Harvesters around at the moment, but more monsters could eventually show up. He didn't want her to get hurt. "Do you want us to take you back to the library after this?" Ed spoke with a gentle tone, contrasting the gruff voice that echoed in his head.

We have a job to do here, and it isn't to play babysitter. Sigma was already cautious about the detective and the cloaked partner at his side, but it seemed like he'd have someone else to worry about. While it was convenient at times, Ed's kind nature could also be troublesome. He'd have to put more effort into reigning him in. If anything, he was the babysitter here.

White Masquerade GasMaskie The Suspicious Eye Refaulted