Reinforcing Bonds [Slime Hunt!]

[bunji]

Those fox ears of his that rested atop his head would twitch around as they captured the sound of the surrounding wilderness, this sound in particular being the branches high above in the tree tops that rustled around with the forceful push of the wind causing the branches to crash against one another. With shut eyes the red haired Fox Tail would enjoy the sensation of the nice refreshing winds against his exposed skin although he was not just here to enjoy the relaxing winds under the welcoming shades of these trees. No, he was here to meet up with the woman he had worked with before, the sorceress named Arkice the woman had shown to be surprisingly adaptable in battle despite the stereotypes on magic users. So it was for this reason that he had chosen to send her a message telling her to meet him way out here, because not only was he interested in working with her again, but he wanted to actually talk to her more. There was no lust behind this want, it was more of a curiosity to get to know this woman more in this chaotic world they found themselves trapped in it was not a bad idea to have as many friends as possible, and yes he had his sister who would always watch his back; but he needed some variety.

It would not be until he heard the nearby snapping of some twigs that he opened his crimson eyes, and allowed himself to stand from the ground which he sat on, the fox tail would stand at full height his attention looking out in the direction where he had heard the twig. He was expecting it to be Ark, but then again he was out in the wild so he could not let his guard down; it would be best if he was ready jsut in case it was not Ark who emerged from the surrounding wilderness. Instinctively his left hand reached up for the scabbard that housed his katana's blade, sliding his hand up to the point where the divider met with the entrance of the scabbard he would hold tight, and use his thumb to push the sword out just enough to make it easier to draw out. Stnding in a relaxed stance but ready to draw his katana, he waited, watching with those crimson eyes of his.

WC: 399

[Arkice]

Arkice walked over the twig without a care, ignorant of the noise she made with it. After all, what did she had to fear when coming upon the agreed upon meeting spot? It was in a relatively safe area, so with the exception of PKers, there was no true threat in the area.

She supposed it did pay to be cautious, but she didn’t care too much at the moment.

“Bunji,” she said at the moment when she recognized the red-headed fox tail samurai. “It hasn’t been long since the last time, has it?”

The green-haired woman was the same as always, carrying her wooden staff loftily in her right hand. Not much had changed since the last time they had met, except for a bit of training for her pharmacist sub-class. But then again, it had only been a couple of days at most since the last time.

“Go ahead and lead the way.”

[bunji]

Lucky for him the one who emerged from the forest was not a monster, but the woman he had agreed to meet way out here in the wilderness it was not long before she wanted to get right to business he would respect her wishes. With a nod of the head he turned to walk further into the forest, where they were sure to run into some monsters the male continued to walk ahead of the woman by just a few paces. In fact not so much space between them, so he would be able to still speak to her without having to yell too loudly at her, "You don't seem the type that likes to beat around the bush" he would say to the girl with a pause in his words as his attention came to their surroundings for a moment. Once he was sure that there was nothing dangerous around them, he figured it safe to continue without interruption, "....so best to make this short, and simple. You are stuck here like everyone else, so what exactly is your purpose here?" he would ask her as he stopped his walking, when he came across a small clearing in the forest this place he recognized almost instantly; it was the area he, and his sister had faced off against some green slimes a few weeks ago.

Knowing one particularly interesting fact about slimes was that they were attracted to magic users, he did not know but they just were so standing here would be all they needed to do for now. Whether the enemy was around or not he would draw his katana suddenly, the blade flashing for a moment as the angle of the blade gave of a flash of light from the reflecting of the suns rays, bringing it up to his shoulder the blade found its home there resting in place. "You may be wondering why I asked..." just then he paused when his ears twitched at the sound of some nearby commotion, looking over he saw them emerging from the vegetation small green slimes sliding across the ground as they made their way not towards Bunji, but towards Ark. They completely ignored Bunji as they slid on towards the magic user, "...well we can get to why I asked later, for now lets hunt the fishes that took the bait shall we?" he asked her having turned full body to face her, his eyes counting the slimes totaling four.

Taking advantage of the none aggro slimes who were just attracted to the girls mana, he would charge "Kabutowari" he uttered in a low tone as he activated his skill, raising his katana overhead as he approached the slime that he had chosen as his desired target. Once he was within range he brought the sword down with a heavy slash striking the slime with a clean blow, the creatures body deformed with the impact its HP bar depleting significantly choosing to finish it off he swung the katana again causing the slime to burst into data crystals. "Join in whenever you want!" he said to Ark he was practically less than two feet from him, with three slimes around her.

WC:534

[Arkice]

Strange. The moment that the slimes were in sight, they seemed to move straight towards her, even though she was slightly behind Bunji in terms of distance from them. As much as she wanted to start attacking as always, there green slimes were rather slow in their movement. They simply dragged their entire gelatinous bodies across the forest floor, over the dirt, leaves, and twigs without picking them up in their bodies.

Slimes were a generic enemy, used often in mmorpgs ever since the first few mmorpgs. They were often placed in the same category as rabbits, deers, boars, and rats. Still, she wanted to know why they were going after her instead of Bunji, who was already engaging the creatures.

She backed away to gain some distance, but the slimes did not follow. It seemed that Bunji’s skill usage aggroed the entire group as they attacked the fox-tailed samurai. This seemed like the perfect time.

“Hold out there for a little, Bunji. This will only take a few moments,” Arkice called out, practically ignoring her companion’s plight. She began casting her spell, focusing her will and aiming her staff. “Evaluate.”

Next to the window that said the enemy’s data—its name, level, health point, and mana point—a new interface appeared. In it, the information listed was its elemental resistances and weaknesses as well as a brief summary of its skills. It was a powerful skill to have at upper levels, especially when encounter a new boss monster that could easily reflect or absorb a certain element. That was often a deadly mistake in such encounters. Here, however, it was less useful.

“No weakness or resistances. Skill: mana attraction. A passive skill that detects targets who use magic-based skills and will approach but not aggro,” Arkice read out loud, ignoring the sound of clashing from Bunji and the slimes. Well, that was a bit disappointing. Still, it was good knowledge to have. If she could find an animal trainer, then the creature could be used as a mage detector.

How would that be useful? She didn’t quite know, but there was a possibility that it could be useful in the future. Maybe sniff out magic users from the People of the Land? Well, for now, that was fine. It was just another piece of information, set inside her brain, that could one day be useful for her purposes.

“Okay, I’ll help you now, Bunji,” Arkice called out as she readied her next spell. Aiming her staff out at a random slime in the ground that was assaulting the red-haired samurai, the wooden head of the staff began to glow with a blue light. “Frost spear!”

Upon casting, a blueish miniature portal seemed to open in front of the staff’s wooden head. A lance of white streaked out of the portal and across the air, stabbing itself into the slime and exploding into a vanilla mist upon impact. Its dull green color was turned blueish throughout its entire body as its movements slowed considerably. The other three slimes seemed to ignore their companion’s plight as they leaped at the fox-tailed samurai.

---

WC: 521

[bunji]

It seemed that Ark was more interested in, well doing whatever she was doing than jumping into the fray. Well that didn't worry Bunji at all, he had dealt with these slimes before they were not exactly the most challenging of enemies the male would step back leaning his upper body away from a swipe that came from the slime in front of him. Despite they're size, the shapeless, jelly like make up of their body allowed them to stretch to surprising lengths, and lash out at the target. Of course, Bunji knew this all he had to do was keep on his toes stepping in after the slime had recovered from striking at him he swung his katana horizontally across its body the soft body deforming on impact, turning on his heel he spun, bringing around a rising vertical slash towards the slime. The attack landed flush causing the slime to once again deform, and its HP to drop ending it with one final swing he would destroy the slime causing it to explode into data bits. Looking over just as he heard Ark's voice ring in his ears the male seemed to be so engulfed by the battle that he didn't say anything just kept on moving.

Approaching the two slimes that were not blue he would step left avoiding an attack from one, then leaned right avoiding another attack, after he had to duck all the while taking steps forward to close the distance between himself, and his targets. Bunji would fold his ears back as he entered striking range swinging his katana horizontally he strike both slimes pulling his sword back by bending the elbow he focused his crimson orbs on the slime to the left thrusting forward the blade piercing the shapeless body with ease, kicking the thing off as he pulled his sword he would find himself having made a mistake. When he tried to kick the slime off its body flexed, and stained his shoe as it traveled up his leg in the form of multiple tentacles that hit Bunji on the face, and face knocking the samurai back. Watching as his HP dropped a few numbers he wiped the blood that was not there from his lips, "Oh pffft, didn't see that coming" he said with a chuckle all the same, he was enjoying himself. Taking a stance one more time the Fox Tail samurai would eye his opponents as his sword came up to his face, he would attack but he was waiting for Ark to launch another of her fancy spells so he cold move in, and take advantage of the affect it had; he had after all taken notice of the slowed down slime from earlier.

WC: 457

[Arkice]

Arkice watched Bunji handling the three remaining slimes patiently. As much as she didn’t like it, she was beholden to the cooldown timer. As a sorcerer, it was a class with large damage potential. However, that was only really when they had a variety of spells to work with. At the moment, she only had one. Frost spear. It was a spell that damages and slows enemies, which would make kiting or even melee combat much easier.

But, like she said before, she had to wait for the cooldown since it was her only spell. If she had more spells, she could pretty much burst them out to do heavy damage in a small frame of time, similar to what an assassin could do. As she watched the cooldown number drop down, second by second over the spell, an idle thought came to her.

She was quite bored with waiting. However, she had seen how they had damage her partner when he attacked with his foot. And while she was sure that slashing and piercing weapons would do plenty of damage to the slimes, she was unsure about blunt weapons like her staff. Their gelatinous bodies were such that logic would dictate that blunt instruments would simply bounce off or do a reduced amount of damage.

Not only that, but she wasn’t sure if she would be hindering her partner if she got within melee range and attacked the creatures. Currently, he was moving around, using spacing and his range to attack the creatures with his sword. However, at the same time, he could not bring about a true assault on any single target as its companions were covering, striking when the opportunity appeared. Even the one that was slowed by her frost spear earlier.

That reminded her. Arkice glanced again at her skill interface and smiled when she saw the number drop from one to zero.

“Frost spear!”

She aimed the spell at the slime that had the most health. The ice spear slammed into the creature, knocking it back and frosting it. With two of the remaining three slimes now slowed down, it should be easier for Bunji to assault the last one.

---

WC: 365

[bunji]

There it was what he had been waiting for, the Frost Spear that smashed into one of the slimes knocking it away moving in he aimed to finish the slime that had hit him earlier Bunji would step quickly into striking range which he aimed to take advantage of fairly quickly. Swinging his katana the blade found its mark, thanks to the earlier strikes he had lowered its HP enough that this one ended it without any trouble at all. Not even waiting for the slime to burst into data he would focus on the two remaining slimes, they were both slowed down meaning he could take advantage of this focusing on the first one that Ark had attacked he dashed towards it. Activating Kabutowari, he would raise his katana overhead as she made his way towards the slowed down slime, Bunji this time doing most of the distance covering once he was within range his katana came down hard slamming into the Slime with a solid strike. The body deformed and flexed with the slash but never recovered because it soon burst into data bits, recovering from the attack the male turned on his heel turning towards the final slime that was slowly making its way towards him.

"I have been running back, and forth doing all the work" he said suddenly as he brought his katana up to his shoulder standing in a very relaxed manner now it was obvious he had no intention to fight anymore, "You can deal with this one Ark" he said to the girl not too worried about the final lone slime that remained. He would wait quietly, once she had finished it off he would move on to a more important subject they would have discussed earlier if not for the slimes interrupting them. "So my question never got an answer" he would say to the girl turning his attention towards her, his crimson eyes focused on the green haired sorceress. He was of course referring to the question he asked her before, as random as the question may have seemed there was a purpose behind it, he just needed an answer first.

WC: 361

[Arkice]

“You’re the tank. You should be used to having to be in the front line of things,” Arkice casually replied, though she did start walking towards the slowed slime. These slimes, dull in color and weak in level, were already slow. The frost spear just made them even slower than before, making what she was about to do next just about child’s play.

Well, it was child’s play even when it was just a mmorpg. It had became more difficult when it became real, but not so much so that she couldn’t handle it. With confident steps, she walked up to the sluggish slime and smirked. Raising her staff up high, she brought it down like a guillotine. The wooden staff head smashed into the gelatinous body, bouncing a little on impact, but the creature still exploded into sparkling data bits.

So they still took damage, even from blunt weapons. Even though logic would dictate a resistance, she didn’t see any when she used her Scholar skill to check the creature’s information. At least, all the data lined up, even if it wasn’t quite to her expectation.

"So my question never got an answer"

Hm? Question? What question?

Arkice tapped a finger on her chin as she turned to the red-haired samurai. It took her a moment to remember, but when she did, she snapped her fingers.

“Oh, that question.” It was the question he had asked, just before the fight, about her purpose in this virtual world. She resumed tapping on her chin as she thought about it. Purpose…did she have one? The more she thought about it, the more it formed in her mind.

Still, that question. It was leading to something. She wanted to know where he was going with this, but this was not the right place to have a big conversation. Even though the Apocalypse had occurred, there was no telling if the creatures would need to breed to come back or they would respawn, like they did when this game was simply a mmorpg and not the realistic life that they now led.

“Why don’t we head back to my laboratory? If you want us to get to know each other, it would be hard to do that while fighting. I think we can get more experience some other time.”

---

WC: 388

[bunji]

He watched as the woman casually walked over to finish off the last slime, with that over she would direct her attentions to his question once he listened to her words he would nod in agreement she did after all make a good point. They'd have a better chance at getting to know one another, better than running around slaying monsters while trying to have idle chit chat turning he would push his katana into its respective scabbard. Just as he was about to talk he would stop, his crimson eyes coming up to the surrounding forest, his ears twitching at the sound of an odd ringing that filled them with its deafening hum, and his tail remained perfectly still. He did not know why but he felt a slight tickle in his stomach, butterflies? But why? The Fox Tail would shake off the random feeling, whatever it was it had been weird hitting him so suddenly, he knew that ones ears rang only when someone was talking about said person, but who would be talking about him?

Shrugging as she marched along through the paths of the forest he was heading back to town, once there he figured Arkice would take the lead to her lab where the two could get some talking done, and maybe he could even get some tailoring done that skill did after all need some leveling. The fox tail remained quiet the rest of the way, wondering what Ark would say to his question she had yet to answer him she was either stalling because she didn't have an answer or she was planning on lying. If it was the latter, and he managed to catch it, he drop what little hopes he had for this one, and maybe find another suitable companion to help him out. In this crazy world it was best to leave behind those that found it necessary or easy to lie; trust was a big thing these days.

WC: 329