>Recap

After barely surviving the brutal snowstorm of the mountain, Derrick is rescued by his formerly missing companion, Rea Springfield.

Derrick, who couldn't have been happier to catch up with his lost ally, listens intently to everything she has to say, hoping for an explanation for disapperance.

However, the happiness of their reunion is crushed when Rea reveals that the reason for her disappearance was due to her hiding from an agent of a company known as Moon Medicines that has recently merged with the Hunter Organization.

Rea then explains that she wants to fight against Moon Medicines and asks Derrick to work with her to sabotage the company from the inside. He agrees, as he figures that his friend must have a good reason for wanting to take-down such a massive business enterprise. Rea promises to explain what’s really going after the Hunter Exam, when they’re safely outside the company’s reach.

After that worrying exchange, Bradford comes barging through the cabin door, bloody and half-frozen, but still alive after surviving a wilder beast attack. Though his survival came at a cost, namely two of his fingers.

A costly loss for a proud boxer, one that Derrick felt responsible for loss, since he knew that Bradford had stayed behind to ensure he survived. But Bradford holds no grudge and tells Derrick that it was worth it to save a friend.


Afterwards, the group wonders where they can go from here and it is Rea who quickly comes up with a plan that is sure to get them to the bottom of the Mountain as quickly as possible Through a much more extreme and dangerous route.

Derrick and Bradford follow with that plan and find themselves riding a gondola over a canyon-like chasm in the mountain to reach a path through the mountain that should bring them all the way down in less than a day.

And so the adventure continues...!

>>2644534
IT'S BACK. IT'S MOTHERFUCKING BACK. IT'S FELT LIKE FOREVER SINCE THE LAST THREAD. BUT NOW WE'RE BACK BABY

File: Flying Saw-nose .png (1.57 MB, 1600x1214)

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>Location: Long Runner Canyon, Mt. Kil-aman-jaro, Zaban

>Time: 2:42PM. Early Afternoon, January 12th, 2000

"Check your right!" you shout out as you fire an arrow at one of two charging Saw-noses flying towards you.

Rea snaps into action with deadly efficiency, with a single twist of her torso, she brings her entire body into a crouch that perfectly aligns her with the Saw-nose that was charging at her back.

Without a second’s hesitation, she fires two shots at the beast and quickly stands up.

To give some credit on the Saw-nose’s part, it was skillful enough to dodge both bullets with a single, well-timed barrel roll that closed the distance between it and Rea in a single movement.

But that smooth move was the final one it made. Rea clearly planned for the Saw-nose to make such a movement as the second the beast enters Rea’s range, her hand becomes a blur as it reaches down to her snow boots and pulls out a small object, the beast is incapable of correcting itself or dodging away after finishing the roll, so it has no means of dodging back from the attack.

In one movement, too fast for your eyes to follow completely, she thrusts the object in her hand upwards, stabbing it into the beast’s exposed neck.

The Saw-nose didn't even realize it had died until a small geyser of blood sprouts from it's neck and sends the object within flying back into the dying sunlight.It's there that you see that object was actually a knife she kept hidden in her boots.

She grabs the bloody knife mid-fall places it in her jacket for later use. Resourceful.

You’d be in awe of your ally’s skill and dexterity if you weren’t dealing with your own problems. The arrow you fired punctured and killed one of the Saw-noses, but the second one managed to close the distance is now hovering over you, slashing and grabbing you with it’s razor-sharp talons.

You put your reinforced plastic bow up to defend yourself, but that allows the beast to grab unto your weapon and wrestle it out of your hands.

The bow falls unto the carriage and slides towards edge, nearly falling off into the death pit below. The beast readies itself to finish you off.

>BATTLE COMMENCES

>Round 1

>Derrick's Status

>Status Effects: N/A

>LIFE: 100/100

>ARMOR: N/A

>Saw-nose Status

>Status effects: N/A

>LIFE: ???/???

>ARMOR: ???

What will you do?

>Move to get your bow.

>Equip your Thunderstruck and continue the fight.

>Leave your gloves off and continue the fight.

>Call to Rea for Aid(Team-attack)

>>2644563
Equip your Thunderstruck and continue the fight.

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>>2644552

I would never abandon you anon, not when I have finally, fully completed this story and added brand new systems to make this properly playable(I recommend you read the combat rules and the character sheet if you haven't)

Glad to be back.

>>2644563
>Equip your Thunderstruck and continue the fight
Man I know it's only been 2 months but I'm feeling a wave of nostalgia right now. I remember coming home from school everyday and this quest, no matter what time I arrived, always magically started right when I was ready. Good times

>>2644566
>>2644579

Calling.

>Give that Lizard a shock

>DC:80

>Roll 1d100+5

Rolled 59 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>2644611
Holy shit. I did not expect a DC is so fucking high from the start

Rolled 40 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>2644611

>>2644613
>>2644625
And now we wait. Ill reroll in like 10 minutes. Give people some more time to roll in

Rolled 71 + 5 (1d100 + 5)

>>2644613
Reroll. Let's hope this makes it or we might have to wait a bit

>>2644613
>>2644625
>>2644659

For the sake of fairness, I shall wait 20 minutes before continuing.

If you're wondering why the DC is stupidly high, then you didn't think hard enough about your choice.

>>2644659
I'm gonna be that guy right now and point out that in addition to our weapon bonus we should get another +5 from doing research of of Mt. Killamanjaro beforehand

>>2644671
What are you talking about anon? I didn't forget that, your +5 is for the Research.

>>2644677
What about our weapon bonus?

>>2644692
You haven't read the new combat rules have you?

I suggest you read it now while we wait. But for convenience sake, I shall explain that because you choose to use your gloves against this lizard, you have lost your weapon bonus.

>>2644696
What? I read through them a couple days ago when you posted them on Twitter. Why do we lose our weapon bonus

>>2644700

>However,combat can become a bit dicey without proper preparations. For example, let's say you take a baseball bat to combat with a thick-skinned or heavily-armored opponent. While just having a baseball bat is beneficial in most situations, certain beasts are resistant to blunt-force, making the baseball bat more of a burden then a weapon,

Just telling you now, Saw-nose are thick-skinned and the Thunderstruck is a half electric, half blunt weapon.

>Posting

>>2644718
Ooooh ok. Well guess we're screwed

File: Bleeding.jpg (212 KB, 1024x768)

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You dodge backwards to and reach into your pockets as you pull out your gloves. The beast quickly closes the distance and by the time you ready yourself for counter attack, it’s already baring its talons towards your jugular.

To avoid the possibly fatal attack, you step backwards, but not quickly enough. You pull yourself back, head-first to avoid the initial slash, but the beast carries through, slashing its way down your chest, earning you a nasty gash that opens up a spring of blood out of your chest.

>Bleed effect applied! (-5 LIFE for 2 ROUNDS)

The blood from your wound flows down from your chest and quickly soaks into your jacket, ruining what must be the 4th set of clothes you worn since the beginning of this Exam.

If this keeps happening, you might have to continue the exam in nothing but a collection of rags that used to be clothes, If you even have that much left by the end.

You stop that train of thought and get to retaliating with the full-force of a right hook into the beast’s softer regions. Static shock and blunt force reverb through your hand and pass right into the beast’s body.

The electricity should have carried through and stunned most its systems stopped it dead in it's tracks. But the one who gets shocked is you, as the electricity barely leaves a mark and seems to simply pass over the beast’s flesh.

Not to mention, the force of your punch pushes it to the side in the air, but in terms of actual damage done, the most you’ve accomplished is pissing it off and making it come down even harder on you!

>Knowledge gained! Reptilian-types are resistant to electricity.

>Knowledge gained! Reptilian-types are resistant to Blunt-weapons.

“Is this a joke? If so, it's a real shit one...” you whisper to yourself as you retake your stance and ready yourself for a deadly onslaught.

How will you defend yourself?

>Defend

>Evade

>>2644730
>Defend
Let's defend for now. Evading seems more of a desperation all or nothing tactic and the fight is still young

>>2644730
>>Defend

>Defend

>Roll 1d100+10 to defend (+5 from Warrior of Will trait, +5 from Mt.Kil-aman-jaro research)

Rolled 65 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>2644784
NO DC? Spooky

>>2644791

Ahhh, gone for so long, but making the same mistakes.

>DC: 60

Waiting on the rest of the rolls

>>2644813
Speaking of mistakes you're name is gone now. It's kinda weird

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>>2644818

Okay, it's been a little over an hour since I last posted, so either the other anon suddenly and horribly died in a wild typing accident before he could roll, or everyone is busy on a Tuesday.

Either way, I'm just going to take this passing roll so I don't have to stop the thread.

>Posting

File: Derrick Holums16.jpg (15 KB, 236x374)

15 KB JPG

>-5 Life(Bleeding) 95/100 Remaining

The lizard rushes in, it’s purplish scales and large wing-span engulfing your sight as it rapidly flaps it wings to blind you and frighten you into blocking randomly.

But you don’t fall for its fear tactics as you push forward, against the wind of its wings and grab its leg just before it bares its talon at you.

You get a solid grip at the long bony legs of the of the beast, just above it's deadly claws so it can neither retreat nor rush in to attack.

But you don't stop there, you take advantage of this solid grip by taking the beast into the air and swinging it like a club over your head. The bastard is surprisingly heavy, but that only works against as you take it's entire body from the air and slam it hard into the carriage.

THUNK

A sound loud enough to startle Bradford below and heavy enough that you’re sure you just left a massive dent in the top of the carriage rattles through the floor below you. However, by this point, you're too entranced by the prime opportunity before you to notice or even care.

You take after the stunned beast by mounting it, keeping stuck to the gondola floor and proceed to wrap your hands around the beast’s neck.

You use your body-weight to prevent it from raising it talons to scratch you, but even so, it continues to struggle in vein as you strangle the creature. You don’t like causing slow-deaths like this, but since your fists and electricity can't kill it force and electricity can't kill it, perhaps a lack of oxygen will.

Rea notices your struggle but continues to fire into the crowd of Saw-noses flying towards you to prevent any of them from taking advantage of the flank you’ve left open. Realizing how dire leaving such a massive opening in your defenses is, you focus on finishing off your opponent as quickly as possible.

You pull yourself a little higher and push down on the creature’s wind-pipe with all force of your arms and shoulder combined.

POP

After that, it doesn’t even take 10 seconds before you hear a blood-chilling pop resonate from the creature’s throat. You quickly get up, uttering silent apologies to the beast for the slow and painful death you caused it. But you don’t have time to feel bad, as you still have so many more its brothers to kill after this one.

>>2644943
I'm also getting a big wave of nostalgia from being the only one whose here and having to wait for someone who isn't coming. Bad nostalgia mind you but still

>1 hour later

>Time: 3:45PM

You pull yourself up and look down at the various Saw-nose corpses that are scattered across this small platform. There must be 6 or 7 of them, making it quite hard to move around without nearly tripping or getting your shoes dirty with all the blood. Though you're not exactly adverse to the high body-count, as it is a solid sign of progress since you don’t see anymore Saw-noses in the immediate area.

“You think we just killed their entire army right there? The number of bastards we dropped must have made up a battalion.” You state as you kick over one of the corpses and notice an arrow in it, must have been the one you shot.

“Doubtful. Saw-noses are known for rapid breeding and even more rapid growth in exchange for their rather short life-spans of 6 years. We may have eliminated an entire battalion, but an entire battalion is Child’s play compared to an entire nest.” She explains as you remove the arrow from the Saw-noses thick, scaly skin.

“Hohhhhh, man. Good thing we didn’t come here to screw with their nest or anything. We’re just passing through, it was these bastards that decided to attack first. This is just self-defense.” You state as you sit down, using any moment you can to preserve energy.

“Can you really call it self-defense when we’re the ones trespassing? We came in expecting resistance after all.” Rea counters.

“Can’t deny that. But it’s not as if I wanted to kill all these things. It's just the way things are, so I what I must because there's no other way around it. At least, not one where I don't die in exchange for a few lizards getting to live.” There’s a part of that regrets what you’ve done here. Hunters are never supposed to cause any living being unnecessary suffering or kill without reason and you've done both those things now.

“That’s correct. We are doing what must be done, never forget those words Derrick. I can assure you that you’ll be saying that frequently in the coming days.” Rea states.

“I know you never are. But I seriously hope you’re wrong there.” You counter.

“It's a sad reality. But I am.” She ends darkly.

“Was that supposed to be a joke? Cause if it was, then maybe you should drop trying to be Hunter and become a comedian. You seem to have a knack for comedy.” You state.

“You’re the one who needs to stop joking. The enemy has stopped coming but that doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. You’re distracting me from watching out.” She states as she turns around to watch her surroundings

"Sorry for trying to lighten the mood. I’m the kind of guy who enjoys laughing more than brooding. Maybe you should try joining me." you ask.

“But I’m not brooding, I’m just focused. Unlike you.” She counters.

“Whatever you say. Keep watch, I’m going to clear off these corpses.” You say as you stand up again.

Rea nods her head as you get to work clearing off the platform.

After retrieving your arrows and kicking every body on the gondola off into the abyss, you proceed to keep watch along the left flank of the Gondola for any enemies that you can catch sight of.

Or at least you attempt to. It's a little difficult to watch when all you can see is darkness in every damn direction, hell, you you can barely even see your own palm in this dark.

You look over to Rea, oh sorry, you look over to see the hazy figure that you think is Rea, who is also watching in the distance.

“Man, sure is getting dark down here. Shouldn’t we switch on some flashlights or something?” You ask.

"And awaken the nest? Saw-noses respond to light as a form of signal to go foraging. Saw-nose Females are even capable of emitting light in-order to show the males it’s time to gather. If you were to switch on a light, what do you think would happen?” Rea asks as if you don’t already know.

“We’ll have an entire nest of pissed off lizards ripping our heads off and using our bodies to incubate their young or something. Yeah, got ya.” You say with slight defeat in your voice.

It all goes quiet again for a few more minutes. The silence gets on your nerves, so you speak again, “If that’s the case, why don’t we just climb back into the gondola and go quiet? If we all duck our heads, wouldn’t just look like a floating piece of metal to them?” you question.

“I am aware they may seem like brainless reptiles. But wouldn’t you think that any Saw-nose that flew by and saw a foreign piece of flying metal wouldn’t be curious enough to examine it?” She answers with a question.

You half-expected that kind of answer, but by this point, you’re saying stupid stuff on purpose just to hear someone else’s voice, so you don’t feel like you’re stuck in a death void for the rest of the trip.

“Shit. Well try not to hit me in the dark then. I can barely see you with all dressed in black, so I can’t tell where your bullets are coming from. The last way I want to die is by stray bullet.” You ask.

“You needn’t worry about that. While you may be having difficultly seeing me, I have no trouble seeing you. Your head shines so clearly in this darkness that there’s no way I could hit it on accident.” Rea points out.

"Did you call my head sunny? are you saying Its so bright it glows in the dark? You can’t be serious, right?" you ask.

"Now I never said it was as bright as the shining sun. More like a small, bright yellow star on top of your head. It’s quite bothersome, I’m afraid I’ll go blind if I stare too long." She answers.

You feel your blood pressure rise a little, "Make that joke twice and I’ll show you what real stars look like by taking you on a one-way trip with my spaceship. I call her the U.S.S Righty, wanna test ride?” You question angrily.

"Well putting off the blinding sunshine of your scalp, you shouldn’t be worried about the growing darkness, that’s just an indicator we’re getting closer to our goal." She causally brushes off your threat with another joke.

"You’re really lucky I can’t see you right now. And instead of saying closer how about you give me an actual timeframe to work with?" you ask.
“I’m only trying to lighten the mood, maybe you should try laughing instead of brooding, I’ve heard it’s a nice way to live. And as for time, we should 30 minutes away from our goal.” She states

“It’s amazing how quickly you can push all my buttons. Okay, how about you tell me how many Saw-nose corpses I have to stack up in those 30 minutes? I’m suddenly feeling like letting off some steam.” you question.

"You already know the answer to that Derrick. We kill until we've done what we must.” Rea says with a cold kind of determination.

"I’m starting to get tired of hearing that. Did you know you’re a lot more likable when you don’t talk?” You state.

“Was that supposed to be a complement?” she asks.

“Its the last one you’ll get from me if you keep up your bullshit.” You state.

“Noted.” She states with a deadpan voice, but even in this darkness, you can tell that one made her smile.

>10 minutes later

>Time: 4:02PM.

You’ve been sitting quietly for the last ten minutes, focused and ready for anything that might pop out from the darkness.

However, so far, you feel as if that last horde might have been the worst of it. You’ve heard neither sounds nor felt any eyes in the dark watching you for a while now. Which is more worrying than comforting.

While you have no trouble staying awake and cautious in this ominous darkness, your focus is failing you when all you have to look at is a deep, dark pit that gives you vertigo if you stare too long.

And since said pit takes up 70% of the scenery, you struggle to find anything of interest to stare at, other than your teammate beside you, who seems completely unfazed by the lack of light and stays vigilant.

Her sense of duty and patience are admirable, she’s as still as a statue, but you can tell she’s ready by how little trigger discipline she's got, her finger resting on the trigger, waiting for action.

It nice to have someone so clearly trained and ready at your side. But at the same time, Rea never says anything unless explicitly prompted too and likes to keep conversations straight and to the point, unlike a certain loud dumbass who could never shut his mouth unless you threaten to shove your fist down his throat.

Speaking of which, why is said dumbass so quiet?

you speak “You know, I haven’t heard someone bitching for a couple hours now. You think our friend downstairs is alright?” You question.

“Hm? What do you mean? Which friend?” Rea asks, genuinely confused.

Instead of answering verbally, you lightly stamp down on the carriage of the gondola to signal to your pilot below.

You hear a small shriek of terror as Bradford responds to your noise, "The fuck was that!? Are we gonna fall!? Are we gonna die!?" Bradford exclaims with fear flowing through his voice.

“That friend.” you answer.

“Oh, you meant the crying puppy downstairs. I’m sorry, his whining was so annoying that I just started tuning him out. I had completely forgotten about him.” She says.

You can tell she genuinely means that too, “I mean, you’re not wrong. But you could at least call him by his name…” You plea, feeling slightly bad for Bradford.

“What’s going on out there!? What the fuck are you two whispering up there!?” Bradford throws a stream of questions, clearly too deep in his panic to even hear your conversation with Rea.

You’re about to tell him everything is okay, when an idea pops in your head.

>>2645069
>You’re about to tell him everything is okay, when an idea pops in your head.
This can only go well

You speak, "Sorry to tell you man, we couldn’t keep them all back. One of the Saw-noses cut the wire, we're a few shakes short of a bottomless pit. This is it man, game-over." You say with a hopeless tone.

"WHAT!? OH FUCK NO! PLEASE FUCK NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Bradford shouts in absolute despair.

You let him stew in panicked horror for a few seconds before you burst out laughing and speak again, "Sorry man, but clearly the only thing falling off here are your balls. Now stop crying in the corner and get back to the controls."

"W-What, how did you know I was-" He stammers as you clearly hit the mark with that joke.

"I mean, What the fuck was that!? Don't pull that sort of shit on me! Do want to give me a fucking heart attack!?" Bradford counters.


"I'll give you worse than a heart attack if you keep sitting around being useless." Rea dryly retorts.

"Oh, fuck you! You think I want to just sit around doing nothing!?" Bradford asks.

"Well you're certainly doing a good job at it. I have yet to see you contribute anything to our struggles." she retorts.

"Ahhhh! Fine you Bitches! You're on!" You can hear Bradford stomp back over to the control panel from below, "I swear if we don't end up as falling to the bottom of this shithole I'll throw the both of you down there myself!" He says as he takes control and pushes the stick forward and doubles the speed of the gondola, throwing you off-balance for a second before you recover.

"At least you're easily motivated, if not easily manipulated. Good luck with that." Rea says as she goes back to watching the surroundings.

"Is that all you have to say!? Derrick, where'd you drag this crazy bitch from!? The wrong side of a mental asylum dumpster!?" He questions.

"Close, it was in an airship lunchline. I picked up some steak and then she gave me university lecture on cow biology, it was pretty interesting now that I remember it." you answer.

"Oh man, only you could get buddy-buddy with a cow-loving madwoman! It's one of the reasons I love you! But I swear if I have to go on an adventure with the two of you ever again, I'm just going to make it quick and put the shotgun barrel in mouth before anyone has a chance to say Hey! Look at that dark cave over there! " Bradford states.

"Hey! Look at that dark cave over there!” You shout as you tune out whatever nonsense Bradford is ranting about below.

You look over and see lights coming from a building within a cave resting on the other side of the chasm.

“Well what do ya know! Looks like we kicked enough lizard ass and dodged enough pitfalls to finally make it! Should be smooth sailing from here baby!” Bradford exclaims excitedly.

“Which reptilian ass did you kick? Last I checked, I had to hand deliver you a half-dead one before you decided to stop pissing yourself all over the nice gondola seats.” You state.

“You’re so fucking lucky I’m locked up down here, or else I would have taken your head off for talking all that shit to me! In fact, I’ve been noticing that the both of you have been taking turns trying to fuck with me! Is this what you two do with your fucking time? Just randomly insult people!?” He asks.

Both you and Rea think back to your time on the airship, where you made fun of Noell for being an idiotic emo, where you made fun of the Carlton twin for being childish and where you made fun of each other for any number of things.

After a moment of thought, you both answer simultaneously, “Yes.”

Bradford is actually speechless for a moment, something you never thought possible, “…You’re both assholes.” He answers simply.

“Moving on, you ain’t wrong. We should run
shouldn't run into too much trouble from here on out. can’t be less than 20 minutes from touching down. Should be safe from any danger.” You assess.

“Derrick. Have you ever heard of the concept of talking too soon? Because that’s what you’re doing at the moment and I’m going to have to ask you to stop.” Rea states.

“The fuck are you on about you psycho bitch? We literally couldn’t be safer at this point. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?” Bradford asks.

“The levels of stupidity being exhibited here are unusually high, even for you two. It doesn’t matter how little time it has, danger always finds a way to blindside you when you least expect it. Thus, you must always be watching your blindside.” She states

“The only blindsiding thing here is your mouth and how it never stops flapping! Maybe you should learn how to fix that!” Bradford spits.

“The only thing sadder than your inability to be of any use in combat is your lacking conversational skills. The fact that you actually thought that was clever is both saddening and disappointing. Perhaps you should give you should give up on this Exam and try and pass a comedy class first.” Rea counters

“Comedy classes are filled with nothing but shit-talking losers who couldn’t come up with a good joke to save their lives. Kinda like you! I dare you to say that to my face!” Bradford shouts.

The two of them begin to bicker in the background, so you begin to tune it out and focus on the cave in front of you. The hole is huge and an outcropping of ice forms a small path along the edges of the cave.

The power is on thanks to you turning on the generator back up top. A move you couldn't be happier to have made, considering the lights coming from the windows of the building are the only thing preventing you from being consumed by absolute darkness.

You can’t say you don’t sympathize with Rea’s statement on speaking too soon, but Bradford’s probably right, when you’re literally minutes away from landing safety, you seriously doubt those over-sized lizards could do anything to screw you over now.

Even if they just started bum rushing you with the entire nest, all you would need to do is hold out a bit more and you could run away.

So really, what could possibly go wrong?

>1d100+10 to find out what could possibly go wrong

>DC:50

Rolled 85 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

Man I missed those text dumps

>>2645099
>So really, what could possibly go wrong?
What the fuck God! It's like you want the dice gods to fuck us over!

>>2645108

I did it once, but I refuse to do it twice, this time I will wait for at least two more rolls. Sorry for having to stall the thread anon, but this next sequence is one I need more people for.

>>2645169
Damn really? You've never seemed to have a problem with it before but it's fine I don't mind waiting (that much). I just worry about the pacing of this quest if that's how you're doing it. It's never been one to attract a crowd unfortunately...

>>2645186

I'm not bothered by the lack of people anon, If I must tell this story to only one person so be it.

I'm only doing this because I know there were more people enjoying this story before, So unless the long wait time made them (Understandably) give up on me, I want to make sure those people get a chance to participate before continuing.

However, If this takes wait takes longer than a day, I will just keep posting anyway though.

>>2645099

>>2645251

New to /qst/ lurker?

it's dice+1d100 in the options field.

Rolled 88 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>2645099

>>2645280
>>2645251
>>2645108

Two successful rolls and one half roll, that's good enough for me.

>Posting

>>2645251
>>2645280
I'm genuinely surprised this many people appeared this fast

It’s then that it rushes past, so fast you couldn't make it out, but your eyes are just quick enough to catch the blur.

You see a purple blur blaze past the Gondola and fly into the airs above before disappearing. You don’t hesitate to ready your bow and aim in the direction it flew off in, but the darkness completely conceals it from your view.

“The fuck was that?” Bradford asks, worry thick in his voice.

“A passing Saw-nose? Why didn’t It attack?” Rea questions as she scans the area for additional forces, gun at the ready.

“Is it coming back around for a sneak attack?” you question.

It’s then that a sudden intense shake bounces the entire carriage, causing both you and Rea to stagger and fall over. You manage to hold your balance and latch onto the coupling cable of the car to ensure you don’t fall. The shaking finally comes to an end a few seconds later, but you can swear the Carriage has dropped at least 3ft.

“Okay! What the fuck is happening now!?” Bradford asks as his worry turns to fear.

“I can’t detect any more creatures anywhere near. What kind of attack is this?” Rea asks.

“It has to be a Saw-nose! But how is it-“ a second rattle cuts off your words as your nearly lose your balance again. The gondola comes a complete stop as you drop down even lower.

“Fucking hell! What the fuck’s going on out there!? I can’t see shit!” Bradford questions.

“That seems to be the main issue you here. We’re being ambushed, but not by anything nearby. Could it be that…Derrick, does that wire feel strange in your hand?” Rea questions.

“What? How am I supposed to kn-Wait.” You cut yourself off as you feel something shake in your hand. You were so focused on detecting nearby attacks, that you didn’t notice the feeling in your hands until now.

the coupling cable is vibrating rapidly from a nearby force. It takes you a few seconds before it dawns on you, “Regina! Turn on your flashlight and point up so don’t trigger the nest!” you demand.

Rea quickly complies and takes a flashlight out from her jacket and points it away from the cliff-side before turning it on. The light gleans out, cutting away the darkness in a cone and revealing what was happening just above you.

Sparks and bits of metal fall into the abyss below as you see 5, no 6 different Saw-noses living up to their namesake and using their razor-sharp nasal blades to saw away at the Gondola’s wire. Upon noticing the light being shined at them, 2 of them shriek and remove themselves to come down at the both of you.

It looks like you need act quickly, what will you do?

>Brace yourself for the coming impact

>Shoot at the flying beasts.

>Shoot at the sawing beasts.

>>2645327
>Brace yourself for the coming impact
No point in trying to shoot them at this point there's like 6 of them. Better prepare for a fucking drop

>>2645327
Shoot at the flying beasts

>>2645327
>Brace yourself for the coming impact

>>2645354
>>2645356
>>2645376

>Brace for impact wins

>Writing

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Whether you shoot the chargers or the cutters, you’re sure to suffer the same way in the end, so instead of wasting your time and arrows trying to kill either, you look to Rea and shout,

"Looks like you were right again Regina! That's my screw-up, but you'll have to wait until after the crash before you can bust my balls, get down and brace yourself! because this gondola ride is about to become a rollercoaster!" You exclaim as you tighten your grip around the wire and get ready.

She quickly follows your orders and comes over to grab the wire alongside you. Rea pulls out her pistol and fires randomly at the flying beasts to get them to scatter.

The the weak ring of gun-fire echoes through the walls of the abyss as the bullets fly randomly, causing the sawing beats to move even faster while keeping one of the attacking beast at bay.

One does slip by however, and rushes toward you. You have no way of countering in this position, so you close your eyes as you take in the sound and hope that this next part doesn't hurt too much.

CRUNCHHH

An loud crunching sound rings out, one you thought would your arm or some of your ribs, but when the pain doesn't come, you open your eyes to see that the beast that was a few meters away from you, lurching in the air as blood explodes from it's body.

The beast can't even scream as it is suddenly and forcefully cut down, leaving strange, large claw marks down it's chest. It falls into the abyss below, not making a sound.

You have no idea what just happened, you quickly look to Rea to see if she had a similar reaction, but what you're greeted with is your usually calm companion red-eyed and focused purely in front of her.

"What the hell? Regina, what's happening with your-"

"Hey guys! Mind explaining what the fuck's about to happen!? Sounds like some crazy shit up there!" Bradford cries from below cutting your attention away from the scene before you.

Just as his shouts escape his throat, the gondola drops a another few feet, by this point, the strain on the is clear and audible.

"Get down you dumbass! Hurry! before-" And those were the last words to escape your mouth before the entire world starts spinning.

The first thing you feel is the wind and then not much else. The gondola goes flying, careening through the air, swinging downwards like Pendulum that’s had half it’s rope cut and thrown forceful to one side.

You can’t think, you can’t see, you can't breathe, you can’t feel anything. The gusting winds overpower all of your senses as the wind-force pushes hard against you.

Suddenly, the wire in your hand flies off the gondola, sending you flying out into the hole below. At first you think you’re falling to your death with no chance of recovery, but then a painful,cold metallic feeling seizes your fingers and you realize that you reflexively grabbed a hold of the side of the Gondola.

Your fingers dig deep into the side of the car, enough to scrap off the old, dried paint and replace with the blood that’s coming from your cracked finger-nails.

You’d feel the pain, but you’re too focused on the quickly approaching layer of concrete that is the floor of the Gondola Station you were heading into. In a way, you can say you’ve taken the quick route, as what was once a 20-minute descent, quickly became a 20-second fall directly into the center of the room of the docking port.

The Gondola crashes into two other Gondolas that were lying in wait at the abandoned station, knocking the both of them, and your gondola, out of place.

The gondola is sent skidding across the room, sparking and spinning as it slides and leaves black marks across the floor.

The force of the impact is enough to rip you from your desperate hold and send you flying into the back-wall of the docking port. As you fly in intensely fast, dizzying circles in-midair, you see another figure, one you can’t tell if it’s Bradford or Rea, flying out alongside you and a series of large glass shards that come flying like knives from the various crushed machines.

All you manage to see is the spraying of a massive gyser of blood coming from that figure as they are barraged with large shard after large shard of glass all over there body, turning them into a flying pin-cushion.

And that was the last thing you saw before the impact of crashing into the wall rocked through your entire being and everything faded to black…

It's getting late now, so it's probably best I stop for the night, in the morning, I'll have quite the treat for all of you, so please bare with me, we have quite a bit to go.

For now however, goodnight.

>>2645512
>In the morning
What time are you starting? Is it actually in the morning or am I reading too into it

Regardless thanks for running can't wait to continue this wild ride

>>2645512
Lurker here, thanks for coming back again Rock, this was a good session and I'll be looking forward to what comes in the morning.

>>2645519

By the 'morning' I just mean tomorrow, I'll start around the same time, maybe a little later, as it seems everyone has work or business to do in the morning.

>>2645540

Thanks for leaving your cubby-hole dear lurker, I'm glad to be glad to be back, I have much story to give, so look forward to it.

>>2645512
You've probably gone to bed but I'll ask anyway. How are you gonna handle the write-in system? You said you'd specify in the thread but that never happened so I thought to just ask directly

>>2645758

Well the write-in system hasn't really changed from the before. In any combat situation, investigation or social situation, you have the ability to make a write-in if you think the options presented aren't satisfactory.

However, for the write-in to go through, you have to have people vote for your option and if it wins the majority I will implement in the story as you wish.

Don't worry, despite having many plans for this story, it's still just a quest on a Mongolian throat singing board, I've left plenty of room for variation and write-ins.

Anyway, time to continue.

>Posting

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” you howl as you shoot up from bed.

An intense sense of body-shaking tremors takes your body as you breathe heavily for a few moments.

Suddenly a figure rushes into the room, one you recognize to be your mother, “Derrick! What’s happening in here!? Did someone break in!?” She rushes in, eyes wide with fear and very clearly ready for anything, only to see that it’s just you sitting up In your bed with a horrified look on your face.

“Mom…it’s nothing, I’m fine.” You whisper out, you’re very clearly not fine, but seeing your mother does calm you slightly.

Her face of fear quickly becomes a face of concern as she walks over you and then sits at your bedside, “Jeez, you can’t just scream out like that. You had me thinking that someone might have broken in to steal you away from me.” Usually, you would call that paranoia, even in the worst parts of town, random kidnappings aren’t frequent enough to be a sensible worry.

But after your two brother’s dealings with the Mafia and of course their quick and untimely deaths, we haven’t been bothered by them since, seemingly satisfied with the lives of your two kin, but if living in York new has taught you anything, it’s that the gangs are never satisfied with the amount of blood they spill, it’s never enough for them.

Not only that, but you’ve been having night terrors over the thought that your remaining brothers might face the same horrible fate as Dandaley and Dariland, so Mom’s been on edge for the past few weeks, watching every movement of every child in this house, especially you, since you took this loss the hardest.

So, you’ve been trying your best not do to anything outwardly stupid that would hurt her. Key word being outwardly, as you joined Carpe Diem no more than 2 weeks ago and you have no intention of backing out until you do what must be done.

But blood-soaked revenge plans aside, your first concern this morning is calming your worried mother by stopping your rapid breathing.

You just woke up from yet another terrible dream. One where, you not only saw your brothers get gunned down in the streets again, but then those mafia scum took the rest of your family along with Austin and pretty much anyone else you’ve ever met and killed them all in a variety of horrible different ways.

To describe any of them is honestly too painful for you to try and you honestly cannot comprehend why your brain tortures itself the way it has been recently, but this isn’t the first time and you feel certainly not the last time you’ll see that dream.

Your Mother gives you the same loving, long look that she gives all of her children when they get this way, “Derrick, did you have more nightmares?” she asks, despite already knowing the answer.

“……” You go silent, focusing on controlling your breathing, which is a few breathes short of hyper-ventilation. You just can’t control it, which frustrates you and makes you breathe even faster.

While you're lost in your own world, you don’t even realize as your mother puts her hand on your chest and feels your quickening heartbeat.

You look to your Mother who’s now smiling her classic, beautiful smile, “Were you staying up and listening to rock music again last night?” She asks.

“Huh?” your breathing is halted by the rather sudden and off-topic question.

“Didn’t you know? Your heart rate changes to adapt to the intensity of the music you listen to. Your heart right is beating as if it was being struck by the drummer of a rock band.” She explains.

“What really?” you find yourself confused, Intrigued and a little skeptical at that fact, cause if that was true, wouldn’t heavy metal fans all die of cardiac arrest?

She gets up from your bed and heads over to your CD collection, where you must have almost every rock song from the early 50’s to the late 80’s collected, at least all the good ones anyway, “You must have been staying up and blasting that music in your ears before dozing off right? I told that kind of music would give you bad dreams, I don’t know how you can enjoy these songs when all they sing about is death, destruction and war.”

Mom was a big fan of slow and peaceful songs, Soul, Jazz, Blues and especially classical. If you had every CD for every rock band in the last 30 years, she had every record of every love song artist and orchestra composer from the last few centuries.

You sometimes wonder how she’s able to afford all those old discs, considering her line of work doesn’t make nearly enough money to buy those rare records.

She only ever answers by saying, “They were a parting gift from your Father.” And that’s all she ever told you, if you pressed any further, she would always change the subject on you.

It bothered you at first, but then you never really cared who your Father was, considering you’ve never met him and as far as you know he wasn’t supporting you or Mom, so you didn’t care enough to pry about it, it would’ve just added to piles of stress and that’s the last thing you needed right now.

“Tell me Derrick, I’ve sank more than 10,000 Jenny buying you these terrible songs, money I could have been using to get you all food, are they really making you happy? Wouldn’t you prefer more nice songs?” she asks.

That number is probably underestimating just how much money you’ve put into your favorite genre, despite being the furthest thing from wealthy as possible, Mom always made it a point to get you the newest CDs that came out for your favorite bands.

It was her way of making up for the birthdays you went without a cake or a whole family to sing the song.

Mom however, made it a point to never listen to your music, because she was right, Rock music, especially nowadays, was all about war, death and destruction.

It’s only natural that the all the rock bands are singing about war these days, because U.S.S just got through the Bergerosse War, which is probably the worst conflict in the History of the U.S.S, every artist has to be singing about it by this point.

But Mom the artists Mom listened to all died back when Wars were fought with metal armor and swords, so she would never know. And it’s exactly for that reason that you decide to stand your ground on this one, “You’re wrong Mom! Those songs aren’t giving me nightmares, they’re helping me stay focused and strong. Those songs keep me fighting, isn’t that for the best?” You counter.

“Focused and strong for what? What exactly do you need to be fighting young man?” she eyes you suspiciously.

“Geh-Ummmm…” You flinch under your Mother’s gaze, quickly coming to realize that you can’t tell her about the anti-mafia fighting force you’ve recently joined, so you need to come up with something, but quickly fail to.

“hahhhhh.” Your Mother sighes, “See? This kind of music is making you fight wars that don’t even exist. Did you also know that the kind of music that you listen to daily affects your perception of reality?” She questions.

“What? You can’t be serious Mom.” You state.

“Oh, but I am. When you listen to nothing but sad songs all the time, your view of the world is sure to turn sad and in turn the whole world starts looking sad to you, even when the world isn’t nearly as sad as some people would tell you it is.” She explains.

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“That’s why listening to this kind of music will warp your view on reality Derrick. If you don't like my music cause it's old and dusty, why don't you take a page from Austin’s book and listen to some nice hip-hop?” She states.

Austin was a real rap lover, he was just like you, where you loved classic rock, he loved old school rap, the kind that actually had a nice rhythm and meant something more than heading out to a club and dancing with hot chicks.

That meant he had music from every major rap artist from early 80’s, funny enough Mom actually really loved slower, peace and love oriented rap songs, which happened to be the only songs Austin played when she was around.

What she doesn’t realize is that Austin also loves hardcore death rap and that’s the stuff he plays around you when he needs to blow off some steam from his brother’s abuse.

So once again, you’re brought to defending your CDs, “Look, Mom, I get what you’re saying and you’re probably right. But those CDs are precious to me, if you think my view of the world is sad now, just wait till you take them away from me! I’ll be the darkest, edgiest, most depressing kid on the block! Storm clouds will follow me where ever I go and I swear I'll rain on everybody’s parade!” you threaten.

“Now, I never said I would take them away, just that you need to stop listening to them for a night or two. Look at how bad you were this morning and how good you are now that you’ve stopped thinking about them.” she asks.

It’s only when she mentions It do you finally realize, you’re breathing is normal and so is your heart-rate. Mother shines a hearty smile, one that always manages to warm you right up and speaks, “Now, did you also know that last fact works the other way around? When you listen to positive and peaceful things all the time, the world suddenly becomes that much brighter?” To denote her point, Mom moves up to one of the closed blinds of your room and pulls it open to reveal the shining rays of the sun flowing right into your room.

“……” you’re left slient once again, but this time out of awe rather than fear, your mother truly is amazing, and you couldn’t be happier to be with her, even in this terrible, dark situation, she’s willing to come up to your room everyday and pull the blinds up make everything that much sunnier.

“Now stop moping in bed and get to cleaning it, today’s a nice day as you can see, so why not go hang out with Austin?” She suggests.

You accept her suggestion with a smile and get on with your day, just a little brighter this time.

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That brightness doesn’t last however, as much as you want to make Mom happy, you can’t deny the reality before you. You promise to head to Austin’s house and screw around for the day, but where you really head is to the old factory by the seaside.

After your first meeting with Fernand, Carpe Diem had become a much deeper part of your life then you expected it to. Every weekend morning to midday was exclusive devoted to your work as Retrieval and Construction specialist.

From 9:00am straight through to 3:00pm you were Carpe Diem handyman, or if you're being more honest, errand boy.

Most of your first jobs were focused purely on the Retrieval part of your title, running from store to store, picking up the right sodas for the younger members, picking up the right food for anyone who just got finished with a job, collecting the shopping lists of every female member of the gang, which wasn't easy, considering almost all of them were mothers and at least 4 hungry mouths waiting for them when they get back.

It was boring, unfulfilling and you can't even count the number of times you asked Austin what the best possible way was to quit while also delivering the world's biggest verbal and physical middle finger to everyone in the group at the same time.

He always answers the same way, "Not so fast ya damn dunce. Cool off a little and think of all the lives you're making easier."

And when you told him that doing beer runs for the drunkards of the group who would always shout their heads off about politics and the shitty state of the youth before barfing and pissing their way homes wasn't doing anyone any favors and that he was full of it.

He would always respond, "Well just give it a month or two. I'm sure Fernand is just testing your diligence and dedication to a righteous cause or whatever other fancy crap he spews. If you endure, you're sure to get better jobs than this."

You don't know whether it was your long-built trust in your friend that was guiding you to stay, or because you wanted to see how many laxatives you could slip into one beer before a drunken man finally realizes his drink tastes funny and that his ass has a long night ahead of it.

But either way, you stayed and the laxative economy flourished because of it. Days became Months, and it turned out Austin was right, after staying for 4 months straight, the jobs you worked became significantly different. Namely, they became significantly worse.

>>2646691
>But either way, you stayed and the laxative economy flourished because of it.
That was a good laugh

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Suddenly jobs became far more extreme, you stopped delivering sodas and started grabbing complex chemical sodas instead.

You stopped grabbing food, and started doing package delivers of who knows what across the city, on foot, under strict time constraints where if you failed to deliver, you might as well kiss your job goodbye but not before they beat your ass and sent you home wailing to Mom.

Or at least that’s what Rickard Biterad, that bastard who threatened to kick your ass for making fun of Fernand and the worst of the drunken asshats of the group threatened would happen if you messed up.

Around that that point, you really didn’t care about losing your new day job, but despite his religious adherence to the bottle, Rickard was one buff and tall bastard, not to mention a war veteran fresh out of the Begerosse Union, so everyone in the group respected him for being their greatest fighter and a good interim-leader whenever Fernand wasn’t around, which was often.

Still, you doubted the skill of a man who did nothing but drink all day and got would shout off about his number of confirmed kills when drunk which seemed to magically grow by the hundreds for every can he finished.

But either way, you complied. Because on the off chance they really were going to beat you up, you wouldn’t want to come home looking like the mafia assaulted you in the streets, can’t worry Mom after all.

So, you took to the streets of Yorknew and dashed just about everywhere for them, which was physically strenuous at first, as Yorknew can be a real maze of a city if you had no idea where you were going.

The streets are extra-long to accommodate as many businesses and houses as possible and every building that wasn’t scraping to get by, was 10 stories high, a sky-rise or a hidden mafia squat, which meant you had to avoid all of them as none of them would let a dirty-looking kid like you in.

You’d try and hitch a taxi, but the time constraints made it impossible for the use of any road transport, since if you got caught in congested traffic, you probably wouldn’t even be on time for ass-kicking, let alone picking a package. And let it be known, the roads of Yorknew are always congested.

Not only that, you also had to start dealing with Delicate situations as Fernand called them.

Jobs like assisting a man in convincing his wife to forgive after she caught having an affair with 3 different women, all of which also wanted his head after finding out the truth. Since each of the women lived in different locations, you had to go all over Yorknew, playing arm-chair family councilor all-day to ensure one man doesn’t get his eager groin stomped by a mob of equally eager women.

That wasn’t even the worst part, as the last one you had to handle, his wife, was an absolute head-case, who shot at the both you upon getting to her through her door.

She then threatened to, and I quote, “Murder that low-life cheating piece of shit and then I’m going to kill myself, so I can torture him in hell! But not before I murder all his shitty friend, they’re probably all shit-bags too!” She claimed.

Needless to say, it took a lot consoling and at least 3 clips of ammo before she finally calmed down.

Other jobs included carrying 100-pound bags of what you can only assume to be cans and juice, from the wharf on the other side of town, all the way back to the base, once again on foot, because you mean it when you say that Yorknew is always congested.

And throughout it all, one thought always stayed clear in your mind, the second you see Fernand again, you were crotch down, so you could punch him in the nose before you told him you were quitting, gang-beatdowns be damned!

You were always confused as to how you got sent on the worst jobs, at the worst times, under the worst conditions.

However, when you look back on it all now, it might be that Fernand knew all of that when he sent on those jobs and did it on purpose.It was hard as hell, especially at just 14 to handle that kind of stress, but somehow you endured, and you adapted.

And in adapting, you gained strength and knowledge you never thought possible for a street rat like yourself.

Long distance, timed, package delivers made you quick on your feet and even quicker to analyze your environment to find the quickest possible way through an area.

Heavy weight carrying built up your muscle and stamina to the point that you could jog across town while lugging over half your own body weight and still have enough energy to make two more trips.

And talking down more than a few suicidal wives and angry mistresses developed your reaction speed and emotional control greatly.

And doing all of this while still getting home before 3:00PM made your time management skills impeccable. Though at first it was hard, you had to have Austin come up with bullshit to explain why you were covered in sweat, dirt and wounds almost every day of all of a sudden, he told her that you and his friends were roughhousing out by some distant neighborhoods.

As vague and stupid as that sounded, she had bought into, mostly because she trusted Austin to be looking out for you more than she trusted you to look after yourself, which got on your nerves a little, but whatever stopped her from asking too many questions made you satisfied.

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After what must have been months of the same tedious busy-work to gain some level of presence in the organization, you were finally rewarded. You were given a sort of office to stay in, it was a surprisingly large space in the factory, looked like some-kind of assembly area, with various high-end power tools, metal tables and a furnace to heat metal along with a bath to cool it off.

The room itself certainly fit the whole run down, rusted metal motif that the rest of the base was going for, but the one thing was different with your area than the rest of the factory, that was that all the tools, tables and furnace looked recently bought and installed. This was strange as, far as you knew, no one out of the 20+ members of the group that worked in engineering or had the kind of money to buy for this kind of high-end equipment.

But at the time, the it wasn't worth thinking about what kind of tools were in the place, but which ones made the best pillow to sleep on as you were way too tired to care what they were for.

But the truth came to light one day, just before you were just finishing one more supply run and getting ready to return home, when Rickard came to you and told you to drop the supplies in your office rather than the storage area.

A strange request, but you were so used to strange requests by this point and so damn tired that you didn't care to carry the thing a few more meters. That's where you saw a rare face around the base, the leader himself, Fernand, sitting on the highest place he can find in the room as you place the bag of heavy materials on the table.

"Well if it isn't our masterful leader, come to knock off more busy work on me?" you ask as you back up a little in preparation for what comes next.

"Indeed, I have come with more work for you to fulfill Derrick Holums. However, I wouldn't call it busy work, this next set of jobs is of the upmost importance to our cause." He says as he jumps from his perch in the room and nearly stumbles off his feet upon landing, knocking over a few heavy tools and crashing into a table before finally recovering and regaining his composure.

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"That's real funny, I'm pretty the last job you gave me was also of the upmost important. But then it turned out you turned me into a family therapist and a glorified errand boy, who's a few supply runs away from being the called the Hunchback of Yorknew city." you argue.

"That may just be true. But those menial tasks were meant to test your willpower and dedication, something you've proved to have in spades, considering you're still here despite being a glorified errand boy." He says as he moves over to the bag of supplies.

"That's cuz my dumbass of a friend Austin convinced me that you had some great plan for me and that all this dumb crap you had me doing was so I could earn some respect or place in this group. So far, all I've earned is more chores and assholes treating me like a robot." You counter.

"But Austin was not lying. You have earned something Derrick." He states as he un-zips the bag.

"What exactly? Where's my respect and better position?" you ask.

"Well, you've earned a better reputation in the eyes of the group members, they see you as reliable and useful. And if that's not enough, I certainly respect you now!" He exclaims as he unpacks the bag, dropping various metal parts and objects on the table.

"Yeah, I got the best rep as group gofer, I feel so proud. Don't bullshit me, the most use and reliability those bastards see in me is the number of groceries and beer cans I can carry back in under an hour. And a fat lot of good your respect gets me considering how seldom you ever come back." you state.

"Oh my... you know what seldom means now? I'm happy to see you're expanding your vocabulary. Are you taking after me?" he says with a smile that you can't tell is sarcastic or genuine.

Either way, it gets you genuinely pissed, "Yeah, and the next big word I'm adding to my vocab is Resignation because I'm done with your crap now." you say as you turn towards the exit.

Tink!

The loud sound of metal slamming against a metal desk catches you off-guard and causes you to turn around and look back to the table.

Fernand finally looks back to you, a strangely friendly yet devious smile takes his face as he speaks, "Well, if reputation and my respect isn't enough. Why don't I give you what you really want?" he asks.

You stand at the door for a moment, confused and slightly afraid, but more than fear and confusion, you feel curiosity. You turn back and ask, "What I really want? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Derrick. I know you don't think much of me as a leader. And you're not wrong too, I am lacking many of the necessary traits to be a real leader." He says as he assemblies the various metal parts on the table as he speaks.

"For example, I lack a strong personality. I am a rather quiet and shy individual, which means I cannot lead through charisma." He states.

"I am also lacking certain physical traits. I am young, inexperienced and despite what Austin boasts of me, I lack the strength and courage I need to lead my army through battle, so I cannot lead through power." He states.

"I lack the strong voice of a leader, I lack the look of a leader as I am... shorter than most men. So, I can't lead through Fear or admiration."

"Those examples and many more are the reason why I'm sure you believe that it is strange, or maybe even unfitting that I lead an army to war against something as powerful as and large as the mafia community. However, despite all that I lack, there is two things that I have that makes me fit to lead." He says as he turns back and holds up two fingers.

“Two things?” question

"First. I have something that every leader needs to convince an army of men with families, friends and lives to live, to give all of those up and fight for their cause. Something that no man alive can resist, that everyone is willing to die for to protect, more than their families and friends and their lives." He proclaims.

“The hell is that? Love? Your country?” you guess.

"I have the truth." he states.

"The truth?" you question.

"Yes. The truth is the most important thing in existence for any man, woman or child. To all humans, the truth is something they will risk everything to protect or change if need be. So, the man that holds the truth, is the man that holds the reins on lives of everyone in the universe. And that man, is me." He proudly states.

"...I don't really get it, what are you trying to say? What does that have to do with me? Why are you giving me this weird-ass speech?" you ask.

"I'm giving you this speech, so you may understand the second necessary trait I possess and why it is that, despite my lacking, I'm still unquestionably the leader of this army." He states.

"I know the truth, so I can see clearly. Because I can see clearly, I can see things most other men cannot. Derrick, you'll come to know that right in front of every man is the truth. It's blatant and obvious to anyone, with or without eyes, and it never moves, changes or get more or less obvious as time passes, or else it wouldn't be the truth." He starts.

"However, Derrick, the truth is ironic, in that, despite despite it being obvious and easily recognizably to anyone, no one sees it. They somehow manage to look and move everywhere the truth isn’t. Because they're afraid of it? Because they don’t want to admit it? Because they hate it?”

“The reason differs from man to man. But because of man’s nature to move around the truth, it means only a select few people are privy to the Truth and all the benefits it brings them. I am the one such individual. Because I can see the blatant, speak the obvious and hear the truth. It is for that reason I am leader." He proclaims.

"The hell? That makes no sense, are you just making fun of me again? How about I say something obvious to you? You're a dumbass that talks too much, now get to the point." you spit as your confusion mixes with your impatience.

"You’re right, I’m far too verbose, I just love idle chatter and unnecessary dialogue, another flaw of mine. Let me get straight to the point by giving you a demonstration of what I mean. I shall state something obvious, and you will proceed to promise yourself to serve me without question." He predicts.

"What? You can't do that. Stop spouting gar-"

"Dandaley and Dariland. Those were their names if memory serves me right." He states suddenly, cutting you off.

"...What? how do you know those names..." You're stuck with an acute sense of surprise.

"Gunned down tragically in a drive by shooting. Conducted by the local mafia to whom they were indebted to. They took out a loan from their local offices in order to pay for a better house for your mother and your brothers. Unfortunately, the money they took out was found to be illegally laundered by the real estate agency they filed with and since they were going to be taken in for question by the police before being taken to jail, the mafia community took it upon themselves to hide the truth by making them pay back their debts early." He explains in full detail.

" you...how do you...it was never reported on the news...the mafia community shut down anyone who tried to report it...so how..." you’re at a loss for words.

He puts his hand to his chest as he continues, "Because I know the truth. And it was obvious with a little research." he answers.

The memory hurts you, even after all the time you’ve spent trying to be positive, the nightmares still don’t stop, just hearing about that incident is enough to make your eyes well up and your heart-rate spike.

But you try and remember your Mother’s words and try your best to regain your composure and speak, "O-Okay, so what? I lost my brothers thanks to those scum who run the local mafia, what the does knowing that give you?" you ask, anger seeping into your voice.

"Because I know the truth, now I know why you joined us. And that brings me to the second thing I have that ever leader needs. That is, I have means." He states.

"Means?" you question.

"Yes. I have what is needed to protect or change the truth. Let me tell you another obvious truth Derrick. Going against what most would assume after hearing such a story, I know you're not after vengeance, you're too smart to purse such a fruitless venture. What you want, what is what every man, woman and child who joined this army wants." He states.

"You want to change the truth. you want to change the truth that you are helpless, weak, and at the mercy of the Mafia community. A very obvious truth.” He proclaims casually.

You’re at loss for words, you’re being hit with so many hard facts it’s hard to swallow them all, but maybe that’s the point. These hard facts, they were so obvious to anyone, anyone could have figured it out.

But Fernand, Fernand alone was the one person who could point it out and put it into words that all the men, women and children in this city couldn’t.

And even more than that, he’s found a way to change these hard facts, something you thought hopeless and impossible. Needless to say, your next words were…predictable.

You walk away from the door and speak, “…How? What means do you have to fight with?” you ask.

Fernand’s smile takes on a new shine as he continues, “Tell me Derrick. Did you ever stop to check what was in all those bags and packages you were delivering?” he asks.

“No, that drunken ass out there told me if I did he would have gorged my eyes and hung me to dry above front door with the words Peeping Tom carved into my chest. Plus, I wasn’t really interested in it.” You answer.

“Drunken ass? Could you mean Rickard? You shouldn’t let his threats get to you. Despite his hard appearance, he’s a father of two young sweet girls that he dotes on quite frequently when no one is looking." He explains.

"He was originally a veteran in the U.S.S marines and an instructor to the trainees during his younger years, so you can say he’s just being hard on you because you’re new. It’s in his nature to be tough on the youth.” He states.

“Me being new doesn’t give him the right to test his eye surgery skills on me. I wasn’t gonna look anyway, so the threat wasn’t necessary.” You state.

File: Means of Counterattack.jpg (1.55 MB, 3500x2543)

1.55 MB JPG

“You're correct, he does not have such a right. However, his concern was well-placed, after all, I too would be worried if I left a youngster with no real attachment to the group such an important job.” He counters

“What job? All I’ve been doing is running errands.” You state

“Yes, you were running errands. Worthless busy work as you called it. At least, that’s the impression I told the other members to give you when started this whole affair.” He explains.

“Impression? You’re not telling me those deliverys were important. Right?” you question.

“More important than I would ever have you know. A single mistake would have cost us this entire operation. So, I made sure to have the other members put up the facade of unimportantance, to ensure you didn’t panic and screw up. But that was only a kindness, I knew from one look in those determined eyes you gave me when you first arrived that you would have been the perfect fit for this kind of job.” He congratulates.

“Again, what the hell are you talking about? What was in those bags?” you ask.

“Our means.” He answers as he steps aside, revealing the contents of the bag he unpacked on the table. And what you see, you can barely comprehend.

Steel, metal, brass casings and smokeless gunpowder. Long metal barrels and stocks which varied in make, model and material with wooden, plastic, long, short and hard materials being the majority.

Plastic shells, actions, chambers and hammers for making every kind of rifle and pistol on the planet. Uncased bullets and shells. Hell, he even has various forms of armor, from dark, heavy swat material typical used for riot control to light, bullet resistant military Kevlar.

Screws, springs, slides, barrels, any part of any weapon of any type was among the massive pile that was spread out across the 10-ft long table, all neatly organized and most mind-blowing of all, was the fact that this was only the contents of a single bag, and you delivered well over 50 of them, you'd know, you kept count because you wanted to know how many punches you were going to lay down on Fernand's face before you quit.

That thought is a distant memory now though.

“Are those all-“

“Gun parts? Yes, as many as I could find and gather. With the exception of the mafia community, Yorknew is actually pretty strict with its gun laws and regulations, obtaining anything more than a simple handgun is massively difficult. Strange, considering the U.S.S is one of the most militaristic countries in the world, but perhaps the recent upheaval that the war had brought to the world and citizens of this great nation had enough push to enforce those kinds of law." He theorizes.

"After-all, No one wants to see weapons out on the streets after a war has only just ended a year prior, well the situation is what it is.” He finishes.

“Because of those gun laws, I couldn’t just bring in a shipment of heavy weaponry and tools, not without the government, national defense forces and the mafia community taking note of me. So, I had to deliver in a more discreet way. While buying whole guns on there own is difficult, purchasing the parts to construct one is rather easy." He begins.

"So that of course meant I needed someone quick and anonymous to pick up my packages from the far corners of the city, to ensure it was as hard to track as possible.” He continues.

“Wait a minute, are you really saying all those stupid runs I had to make were building up for something? That it wasn’t just shitty busywork you were laying on me?” you ask.

“No, quite the opposite really. You were doing busy work, acting as the supply-line is the busiest work you can get in any army. So, yes, that was all busy work we pushed unto to you. Sorry for that.” He apologizes.

“However, I can hope you see that your efforts were most certainly worth something. An army without arms to fight with is like a marathoner without legs run to with. Fragile, weak and useless.” He states.

“Unfortunately, just like any other crippled person, we needed another, who was ready and willing to bare through annoyance after annoyance to take care of us until we found a way to take care of ourselves. You were that person Derrick, you were the one who just gave this army legs to march with and arms to fight with, and for that you have my uptmost respect.” He claps with genuine excitement.

You walk closely to examine it all, basking in the power and grandness of this achievement, but then a thought strikes you, “You brought all this sweet gear here. But who’s gonna build it all? No one here has been to any kind of school for a day in their lives, expect maybe the drunken ass, but there’s no way he has the skill to build all these guns without breaking or shouting at one for being out-of-order.” You state.

Fernand holds his head down and speaks, “You see Derrick, that’s just the problem, before now, I didn’t have anyone who would do this kind of work for me. Until now that is.” He states.

“Wait, you’re not asking me…” your worry builds up quickly.

His bent head goes even lower as it turns into a full-on bow, “I’m very sorry, but could I ask you to this for us? To put up with our annoying struggles and aid us?” he pleads.

“I don’t know how to make guns though! How would I even pull that off!?” you exclaim.

He pulls his head up and shows a grin on his face, “Don’t worry, Despite your impressions of him, Rickard is an excellent teacher! You’ll be able to have masterful knowledge of every form and shape of gun in under a year. I believe you’re more than capable of learning and building our weapons before the real operations begin.” He explains.

“Real operations?” you question.

“A question for later, for now, the real question is, are you willing?” he asks.

You start to mull it over. Up until now, you doubted if this group was really doing anything to help the people of Yorknew, if they were doing anything at all.

But this settles it, these guys are the real deal, these guys really do intend to fight, no, go to war with the Mafia community. You joined because you wanted to protect people, protect your family.

Despite your young age, thanks to the mafia, you were the oldest man in your household. That was just one more reason to take them down and this method didn’t seem like a bad way to do it.

“…I’ll do it.” You say after a few minutes.

Fernand gives a satisfied look as he begins to walk towards the door, “Are you sure? This will most certainly be busy work. Probably even more than the work you were previously doing. Not to mention, your Mother would not take kindly to the acts your about to commit to.” He asks.

Mom…He’s right, it was one thing to even join this group in the first place, the fact that you're now going to actively help them in building weapons of war to go into a head-on battle with the Mafia would probably cause her to have a heart attack by just thinking about it.

But then, you just can’t get the image of your brother’s deaths and the nightmares you’ve had ever since out of your head. The sight of everyone you love being tortured before being murdered at the hands of the Mafia, even if it meant breaking your Mother’s heart, you would do anything to stop that from ever happening.

“I know that…But I have to…I have do, what must be done.” You state as you close your eyes, heavy with the guilt of your words.


Fernand reaches up and grabs your shoulder, “Yes Derrick, it’s best you never forget those words, I’m sure you’ll be repeating many times in the future.” He states before he goes walking towards the door.

File: Fernand White16.jpg (33 KB, 500x677)

33 KB JPG

But just before he turns the knob, you turn and speak, “Hey Fernand…You aren’t just some midget are you with love of fancy words, are you? how did you get these guns? Why did
you assemble this team? Who exactly are you?” you ask.

He then turns back to you, his eyes thick with a kind of focus and determination that you had never seen from him before, though they also seemed strangely full of...rage, “I am Fernand White. Leader of the Army of madmen. And the one who will change the truth.” He answer before stepping out the door.

You should’ve seen it then, when he uttered those words. Because you made a promise that day that would change your life forever, a promise you made thinking you could change the truth through normal human means. But, just like your Mother said, you would later come to realize is that no human can change reality, just their perception of it.

And the Truth had its own means of teaching those who tried to change it a lesson.

>Derrick's story, part 5: Truth X Means.

>>2646896
Ominous

>2 hours later

Time: 6:33PM, Sunset.

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

You struggle to open your eyes as a terrible, shrill noise penetrates your eardrums. You recognize the sound as the shriek of the Saw-nose echoing into the abyss. However, the sound is thicker much more rapid.

From the sound of rapid panicked flapping and shrieking, you have to assume you’ve awoken the nest. Great, the absolute worst scenario came to fruition, what else is new? With that in mind, you attempt to push yourself off the ground and get back on your feet.

But as your palms push up from the hard-concrete floor, you feel a sharp pain run down your back. Immediately putting you back on the ground.

You only now realize that you landed back-first into a concrete wall with hard crash. It wouldn’t be strange for you to have cracked your spine or knocked a disc out of place, which would permanently cripple you. Hell, the way you landed, you shouldn’t even be alive.

You panic for a moment, thinking you might be useless from the waist down. But you manage to confirm your legs are still moving by kicking them around to push you off the wall.

Good, getting crippled here would have been heart-breaking. It’s probably not very healthy for you to move in this state, but you need to get on your feet and get moving.

>Roll 1d100 to see how much life you retain from the crash.

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>2646902
The text dumps have ended! Time to play!

And now we wait...

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>2646902

>>2646902
Are you waiting for a 3rd roll?

>>2647093

Indeed. Never know when someone might roll a 1 and kill us all.

If it takes longer than 10 minutes, I'll just take the 74 and continue.

>>2647101
>Roll a 1 and kill us all
S-silly God that would never happen r-right?

>>2646908
>>2647032

>Rolled 74
>Concrete walls make pretty nice cushions.

>Posting

>-26 Life lost form impact.
>69/100 Life remaining

Despite the hellish pain, you don't really feel like these wounds will have any lasting effects on your body. So your main concern now is just getting up and pressing forward.

Since your back muscles seem to be extreme disarray, you try and get up without using them. You place your elbows to the floor and get on your knees before you push off the ground with the force of your arms and use your knees to keep your balance.

You do feel the pain of your back muscles moving for a moment, but not enough that it puts you back on the floor. You stand up on wobbly feet, your body is barely managing to stay conscious, your mind is fading in and out, making it hard to think for very long.

>Derrick is Weakened!

>Derrick is Dazed!

It hurts like hell and you might have been better off just staying on ground. But from the sounds of the agitated beasts in the background, if you linger for too long, they might find out you were the reason they all woke up from their comfy naps.

You push through the haze of your eyes and examine the area around you, or rather, what’s left of it.

There was already a large hole to receive the Gondolas through in this station, but you made it at least 15 meters wider when they Gondola crashed into the side wall before skidding into the center of the room.

The wire the Gondola was originally strung up by is hanging like a cut thread off the cliff edge as it lays tangled across the floor. The Gondola itself has nearly been turned upside-down, leaning on it’s left side, windows broken with glass strewn about, making it hazardous to walk causally. Huge dents line the entire carriage, making it look like it went through a trash compacter before playing a game of chicken with a bulldozer.

Needless to say, the scenery isn’t very pretty, nor is it very pleasant smelling, as the entire room reeks of a bitter, iron scent. One that can only be the nose-choking scent of blood.

Wait, blood?

You didn’t even realize as you were examining the wreckage, but where the hell are Bradford and Rea?

A stark sense of panic takes you over as you search the room again. You walk the around the room, eyes too hazy to look around and find anyone with being within at least 20 meters of them.

As you walk around, your leg finds someone before your eyes do. You look down to your left leg to find a dark red stain painted across it’s black surface. Then you look down to see a clump of purple in the shape of a person, a person you could never mistake.

It’s Bradford, face down, in a puddle of blood, his own presumably and a lot of it. Despite just being kicked, he doesn’t respond to it, no movement, no grunting, no complaining. in fact, the only reason he moves, is because you force yourself back down to your knees to turn him over.

And what you see turns your pained breathing heavy.

A huge, bleeding gash, cut all the way across his abdomen, covered in glass, viscera and what you hope isn’t bits of organ. The long opening travels it’s way throughout his abdomen and forms an unsightly wound that would make experienced surgeons choke on their lunch.

However, you don’t even have the willpower to hurl, instead, you use your remaining energy to shake him and speak weakly, “B-Bradford…Bradford…wake up…don’t screw around…you dumbass…” you barely manage to string together a sentence as you force the words out of your mouth.

You shake with all the strength in your arms, but his eyes don’t open, his mouth only moves in response to the force of your shakes and worst of all, his body feels cold, very cold.

“Fuck…Shit…no..Don’t tell me…Goddamn it…” You curse weakly, your heart rate quickening. You don’t give up, you put your head to his chest and hope to any heavenly force that the coldness is just the frost of this godawful mountain taking his skin.

You hold your head on his chest for a few seconds and hear nothing. You keep holding, yet you hear nothing.

“No…Damn it…No…” you’re on the verge of breaking down, pain and sadness thick in your voice.

thump…

Till you hear the beat

You shoot up with renewed force, “There’s no way! The bastard actually made it!” you exclaim, the surprise and happiness in your voice pushing through the pain.

He’s actually alive! This bastard really is an unstoppable trooper. His heartbeat is slow and clearly that of a dying man, but he’s still got life in him!

>Bradford is on the Brink!

>Bradford is Bleeding!

>Bradford is Unconscious!

Was he the one you saw get absolutely ripped apart by those glass shards? His wounds aren't nearly as bad as what you saw happen though...

Well whatever, you have to act quick, but you’re out of medical supplies and you can’t use your shirt to make up for a heavy wound like this. If his jacket was still intact, you could have used that in its place considering how thick it is, but that’s been completely destroyed.

Damn it! He’s alive but you can’t do anything! Just like all the other times in your life! You're useless to help those you have to when you need too!

What are you going to do? What are you going to-

“Move.” A dark but soft voice cuts through your panicked tirade.

“Huh?” you whisper as your turn around and see who speaks.

It’s Rea. Usually that would be a name of comfort, but what you turn around and see is far from comforting.

Holes. There are holes, everywhere on her body. Tearing her apart from head-to-toe, her boots are ripped and barely hanging on, her pants have gashes and cuts on her thighs and ankles, the numerous holes on her jacket make her look like she was trying to make Swiss cheese with her clothes. Her face is covered in large, nasty gashes that cover it almost entirely in blood.

You’d scream, but you’re too weak to try, “Move.” She repeats, breaking you from your frightened trance.

“Huh?” You repeat like a broken record. That prompts her to force her way through you, pushing you lightly to the side and getting down on her bloody knees while removing her jacket.

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Stabilizing him.” She states.

“You can’t be serious. You look like you’re in even worse shape than he is. If that’s even possible.” You state as you walk slowly back over to her.

“I’ll be fine. If I don’t stop the bleeding, he’ll die in minutes.” She states as she finishes removing her jacket, revealing a grey undershirt that shows her wounds go way deeper than you feared.

“You can’t just go topless into the cold. If the bleeding doesn’t get you, the frost will.” You counter.

“Are you saying I should do nothing?” She asks.

That shuts you up promptly, you hate it, but she’s right, this needs to be done, you’ll have to give her your shirt and hope the temp regulator is still working well enough to keep you warm without it. You begin to lose your shirt as you notice something happening to the wounds on Rea’s flesh.

They’re…closing.

Huge, blood-soaked wounds that would take months, if not years to fully heal. Closing and returning to normal in a matter of minutes.

“Derrick. Can I trust you?” She asks suddenly, breaking you free of your astonished trance.

You jostle back slightly, “You…what?” you question.

“Can I trust you?” She asks, as more and more of her terrible of her wounds close and all the blood flow ceases.

“I…You…What is…” What’s happening before stuns you so hard that you can only speak in half-phrases.

“If you don’t answer now. I will have to kill you.” She states as she finishes sealing his wounds and looks at you with eyes that stay somewhere between sullen and reluctant, yet aggressive and ready.

Her eyes tell you she isn’t lying, she’s actually going to kill you if you say no.

What is this? What’s happening to her body? There’s no way that’s natural, if even humanly possible. Wait, humanly possible?

“A monster! She’s a monster!” The words of Darby from Barry’s town suddenly resonate through your mind, is she even human? Or maybe she’s…a monster? It would be possible…

if she was some-kind of monster.

She looks at you with red, un-feeling eyes. Death and emptiness running over them like a river. Looking into them is like staring into two wells of deep, dark despair that never end. This isn’t the first time you’ve felt this feeling, you also felt this when her doppleganger stared you down, this feeling of apathic hatred. Filled with suspicion and murderous intent yet having no real feelings at all.

Her eyes tell you she isn’t going to ask again. That if you don’t answer now, that’s it, she will end you.

You have to answer now, but you’re like a deer in headlights, confused and more than a little screwed.

What will you do?

>Say yes

>Question what is happening before you agree

>>2647185
>>Say yes

>>2647140
>>2647153
>>2647169
Oh god. So I'm guessing if we didn't brace for impact we all just would've died

>>2647185
>Say yes
Not much of a question but here ya go

>>2647190
>>2647215

>Not dying today

>Posting

“You can trust me.” You force out as calmly as you can despite the intense fear you're feeling.

“I don’t want to kill you Derrick. I truly don’t. Do you mean that? Can I Trust you?” she asks again, a strange sort of anger taking her voice.

“How long have you known me? Don’t you remember that night in the cabin?” you ask as your shaking voice finds strength again.

Her eyes seem to lose focus for a moment as your words bring her back to the night in the cabin, the promises you made to each other over two cups of terrible coffee.

“I wasn’t lying then and I’m not lying now. You can trust me. The fact that you’d even ask that of me makes me wanna ask the same of you. Can I trust you?” you ask.

She appraises you for a few seconds, watching your expression for every single emotion that passes on your face. You try put your best poker face, but it's honestly kinda hard not to scowl when your back feels like it got run over by a dump truck.

There's a few tense seconds between two of you as the expression on her face doesn’t change the whole time as she stares you down. However, you don’t crack, your face solid as a rock despite how brittle your body feels.

What she sees must sate her anger, because she closes her eyes and speaks, “You’re right. I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to threaten you like that.” All her killing intent disappears into thin air and she regains her composure.

“I never thought I’d hear the words ‘wrong’ and ‘me’ exit your mouth. That blows me away more than the gondola did.” You quip as relief fills your voice.

“You act as if I’m afraid to be wrong. If I did something terrible, of course I’ll admit when I’ve done something wrong.” She states.

“Then why is this the first time you’ve said it?” you ask.

“Because I’m always right. You should know that by now.” She answers.

“Damn, I didn’t detect even a hint of sarcasm in that answer, you actually believe that, don’t you?” you question.

“What do you mean Derrick? I don’t believe I’m always right. I know I’m always right. My perfect track record thus far should be proof of that.” She answers confidently.

“You mean the one you just tainted? Not only did you just make the wrong call, but you also got so emotional you were down-right irrational. I'm gonna be honest, you scared me with that stare-down.” You admit.

Her eyes dart away for a moment before facing you again and speaking, “Well, when most people see that, the first thing they do is either run away or panic and call me a monster. I will admit that I have…strong feelings about being looked at that way.” She states

She’s not wrong, considering that this must be what Darby reacted to that turned him into a sniveling mess back in Barry’s town, “Yeah, how about you give me some background on all that? It’s not every day somebody gets punched full of holes to have the only thing that gets hurt is their fashion sense.” You question as you straighten out your back, the pain starting to fade away.

“This time, I really do owe you an explanation. But not here. We need a place where we can rest and treat him properly.” She states as she props up the barely surviving Bradford.

You stand for a moment “You’re right about that. We need to make camp somewhere.” You suggest.

“Not an option, we’re half-way to the goal and this puppy won’t survive more then a day without proper medical treatment.” She explains.

“Great, can’t even rest my aching bones after a crash. If I get arthritis cause of this, I’m blaming you.” You state as you stretch your body to test the extent of damage done.

Rea begins walking ahead of you, “Don’t blame me. Blame the committee that approved of this being a valid first test. Be sure to file a complaint to them when we meet them later. For now, gather what remains of your things and move on.” She finishes.

“Sure thing.” You say as you search the area for your stuff.

After scourging the room, you manage to find your bow and dufflebag, which have a few tears and cracks here and there, but certainly not enough to break them or make them useless. You check your temp regulator, the screen has been cracked beyond repair and it makes weird, scratchy sounds whenever it activates, but otherwise it works well enough to keep you semi-warm in this ice cavern.

You check your badge, which was stuffed in your dufflebag, for any damage and find that it’s been completely cracked and even chipped off in several places.

You give it the one over and look inside the cracks and holes to find that Rea was telling the truth. This isn’t just some piece of plastic, there’s small machine parts inside.

You’d have to ask Etheline what half the stuff in this thing is, but you guess from Sheldon and Ami’s explanation of its functions, that it has a tracker sending data back to the test committee as to the locations of all the applicants, a heat sensor to detect whether the owner is alive or not and, of course, a microphone, for recording audio of anything and everything that happens around the applicant.

Usually all of that would actually be comforting, as they are there for your safety in the Exam. But it also means all this data is also being transmitted to Moon Medicines and if Rea was telling the truth, that’s extremely dangerous for her and you.

After grabbing that, you look around for something that isn’t yours, and promptly find it, flat in the corner of the room, a Remington-model, long barrel shotgun, or as Bradford calls her, Marie-Anna.

You walk over, grab it and examine its condition. You’re amazed to find, besides a few scratch marks and scattered patches of snow on it, the gun is in almost perfect working condition.

In spite of the bad crash, neither the stock has been chipped nor the barrel dented or bent from the impact. None of the exterior parts are damaged and once you pump the fore-end, you check magazine loading port and see that the gun’s internal action is still fully functional, and the receiver is still in working order.

The only problem you manage to notice with it is that when you take a second to aim, you notice a lack of any iron sights, though that seems to more be Bradford’s fault, as he prefers to hip-fire his way through combat. A quick check inside the barrel shows that the no snow has gotten inside, and that the barrel has been regularly cleaned and polished, something even experienced gun-owners neglect to do.

The amount of love and care given to this weapon shows that Bradford is more mindful than you previously assumed. You quickly try and stuff the firearm into your dufflebag but fail when you realize it’s a bit too big to fit, so you decide to carry it by hand instead.

After ensuring your equipment is gathered and ready, you quickly follow Rea’s lead. You quickly exit out of the building and head into the Frozen cave below.

File: Ice Cave.jpg (82 KB, 1600x900)

82 KB JPG

>2 Hours later

Time: 8:26PM, Nightfall.

You sigh out a long stream of condensed air as you feel an intense chill take to your skin.

Your Temp regulator’s screen is broken, but you don’t need numbers to tell you that you’ve gone below sub-zero temperatures.

The cave walls are entirely frozen with walls of ice so thick it would take an industrial drill burst through them and reach the actual cave walls. This makes the floor below you extremely slippery, which is only worsened by the fact that this cave has a hard time staying straight and narrow, bending, dipping or rising at random intervals, meaning you have to stay on your toes to ensure you don’t fall over and crack your head on the hard ice below.

Which is actually a bonus for you, because it means you have a chance to re-coordinate your reflexes and mind as your back pains and the haze that took your eyesight starts to fade.

>Derrick is no longer Dazed!

Though you still can’t rid of that limp in your walk, gonna need a second of rest to get rid of that.

Rea walks a few meters ahead of you, somehow managing to look unfazed by the cold air, despite being down to nothing but snowpants and an undershirt. You doubt she’s not feeling the below freezing temperature, yet her body isn’t shivering and she’s far too steady to be suffering from hypothermia.

Which means her body just isn’t being affected by the cold, or perhaps, her body regaining its heat so fast that the cold just can’t harm her. It’s strange, everything about this, about her is strange. Has she always had this ability, from the very beginning? Or was it something she gained half-way through?

No, better question, what even is that ability? And why didn’t she tell about this before? You’ve seen people in this world do crazy shit before, back at the bar, you had several regular patrons who were capable of superhuman feats.

Dillian “One-hand” Barland for example, was a pro-weight lifter who lost his career due to a terrible weight lifting accident that permanently crippled his left arm.

He earned his nickname by taking the largest table in the bar and placing every other patron in the bar unto it and lifting it perfectly above his head for 10 minutes straight, with just his right arm. And this was on a busy night where you had over 50 people in the house.

Another time, you got to watch as a passing master acrobat who only went by Tricky stopped by the bar one night and ordered over 20 hard liquors, racking up a bill of at 40,000 Jenny before the night had even begun.

By nightfall, Maxwell was ready to cash, but Tricky didn’t have any money on him, you were nearly called over to teach him that empty a man’s beer cabinet and having nothing to show for it was a terrible idea.

But before Tricky full force of Maxwell's hatred for uncooperative patrons. He called everyone in the bar outside to watch and make bets on him climbing the 12-story apartment building outside using only his middle fingers and two big toes.

Everyone thought he was a deadman anyway, so they all rushed right out to take bets on how many stories he would climb before he killed himself.

To call what happened after ‘mind-blowing’ would be a complete understatement. Not only did he make the climb using only his most basic extremities while shit faced drunk, he also made sure 12 different acrobatic tricks for each story he climbed.

Flips, cartwheels, cat-leaps were all done on a 90 degree angle slope. And he made sure to do 12 more on his way down.

That night, Tricky not only paid back his 40,000 Jenny debt, he also threw 10,000 Jenny more to pile to thank Maxwell for the good liquor and still walked away, well, more wobbled considering he was still drunk off his ass, with 60,000 Jenny in his pockets.

Everyone decided after that night to never drink more than 5 glasses of Maxwell’s liquor, reasoning that the only reason that acrobat was able to walk away with their wallets in hand, was that Maxwell must serve pure magic in a bottle, that could be the only answer.

But even all that pales in comparison to what you’ve just seen. Even if Tricky and Dillian were superhuman, they were still human, they couldn’t get blasted full of holes and just walk out of it as if it never happened.

That’s not superhuman, that’s inhuman. She promised to explain it later, but how far away is later? When the badges come off?

That thought reminds you of something, “Hey Regina. How’s the condition of your badge?” you question.

She looks back to you, Bradford still knocked out cold on her back as she speaks, “Broken beyond repair. But fortunately, the numbers are still visible, so it can still be used as identification for the later part of the exams.” She answers.

That last part relieves you somewhat as you were kinda worried you would have some trouble continuing with a broken ID, “That so? Doesn’t that mean we can talk normally again?” you question.

“Yes, it does. When we reach the next test however, I doubt they’ll let us continue with broken equipment, so we won’t be in the dark for very long.” She answers

“Doesn’t that also mean you don’t have to hold back on finally giving me some answers?” you ask.

That phrase gives her pause for a moment before answering with a simple, “Yes.”

“Then I’m not even going to waste a second here, I want answers and I’ve got more than a few questions for you, Rea.” You finally use her real name to indicate how serious you are.

“Go right ahead. I did promise you information when we got a free moment. I advise you keep them quick and short, we’re nearing an important section of this cave that will let us escape this mountain soon.” She states.

What will you ask?

>Who exactly are you?

>What was happening to your body just now?

>What business do you have with Moon Medicines?

>Why do you want to be a Hunter?

[Choose any two]

>>2647356
>Choose any two
Shit why only 2 I have like 10! Reeeeee

>What was happening to your body just now?
This should answer the question about "what" she really is if not a doppelganger
>What business do you have with Moon Medicines?
And this should fill any blanks on the whole moon medicines mystery

>>2647367

>What was happening to your body?

>What's your deal with Moon Medicines?

>Writing

>>2647405
Writing or posting

"let's start with what was happening to your body just a few hours ago. How'd you survive those wounds and heal so quickly? Don't tell me you've got a good metabolism or some crap." You ask.

Rea takes a few moments to think up her answer before speaking, "When you saw my body healing, what did you see?" she asks.

"Huh? Well I saw fatal wounds just closing up as if they were never there. It was honestly disturbing to look at, almost..." you don't finish your sentence.

"Like you were looking at something Inhuman?" She finishes for you.

"...." you didn't want to say it , but you just can't dismiss that feeling.

"Its fine, you're not wrong in that assessment." she consoles.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying you aren't human?" you question.

"My body has been designed in the image of a human, but my body works nothing like your own. Namely in the fact that many of the things that would kill a normal human are completely ineffective on me. As I'm sure you've already seen." She answers.

"Ineffective?" you question.

"Where as most humans would die when impaled by shards of glass, such an experience barely even tops the list of the things my body has survived." She begins.

"Torn apart by gunfire, having limbs dismembered and being left to bleed out, having my bones broken to dust, being burned alive or frozen to the point of my skin chipping off." She lists off multiple horrible-sounding ways to die.

"Any normal human would die from any of these things, but at worst they only be able to cripple me for a short time. I also can't starve to death and most forms of disease and poisons aren't capable of killing me." She states.

"The hell...Are you saying you're immortal or something?" you question.

"Not quite. While I'm certainly more durable than most humans, I'm far from immortal. There are a multitude of ways to kill me, namely a shot through my head that hits me in the hippocampus region of my brain." She explains.

"And even if I can't die of starvation, I still need energy to fuel my metabolism. If I were to go a week without any food, I'd be completely immobilized. And this goes without mentioning, but I'm still capable of feeling pain. Though I'm much more used to it by this point" She continues.

"You can't be serious...How the hell is that even possible?" You ask.

"Derrick, have you ever heard of nano-robotics?" She questions.

"Yeah I have, it's a new field of research that's been around for about 30 years now, it's a field of engineering that has to do with the development of robots the size of a nanometre. Don't know everything about it, but I do know that it's been getting focus from governments and scientists all over the world for the development of medical science and possible military usage." You answer.

"Though as far as I know, most of the uses of nano-machines are theoretical and while they have done some pretty amazing stuff with them, like making a perfectly accurate chemical sensor, or having them move around rooms by attaching to surfaces, it's still in the primitive stages of research, not really concrete yet." You finish.

"Very close, but you missed the mark at that last part." She counters.

"Huh? How?" you ask.

"Because I, or if I'm being more accurate, we are living proof that nano-machine technology has already been perfected." She answers.

"We? Wait, you couldn't mean that the reason you can heal so quickly is that you have nano-machines in your body, right?" you question, but you're already sure of the answer.

Rea nods, "Indeed, me and everyone else who was produced by that project has had Biohybrid nano-machines installed into their bodies." She answers.

"What the hell? What even are those?" you ask.

"Nano-machines capable of integrating and guiding themselves around that can be used to enhance the body in ways that would seem inhuman to most. Increased strength, speed, reaction time, by having the machines carry the nerve impulses of your brain faster and more effectively across the body." She states.

"And of course, as you saw, the machines are of healing wounds and repairing internal damage at a frighteningly fast rate. These machines flow around my body through my arteries and veins, acting almost like a replacement for my red blood cells." She states.

"Wait, is that why you said getting shot in the hippocampus would be bad for you?" you ask.

"Yes, because as powerful as the machines in my are, they are still simple machines, they can patch holes and cure poisons. But complex structures like the brain are beyond it's capacity, a wound to my frontal lobe, hippocampus or any other areas vital to thought or memory could result in me going brain dead." She explains.

You take a second to stop asking questions to absorb what you just heard, "Well damn. So you're nearly immortal thanks to robots in your body. I can see why you'd call yourself inhuman in that case." you state.

"But at the same time, is it really all that bad?" you ask.

"How do you mean?" she questions.

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about dying out here in this test unless you fall on your head or run out of rations to eat or something. That sounds like a blessing to me." You state.

Rea's face turns somber at that response, "Is that how you see it? From an outside perspective I'm sure this body looks amazing, like the next step in evolution, but as someone who's lived in this body everyday, I can tell you, it's not a blessing, It's a curse." She states.

"A terrible, never-ending curse. One given to us by the men who work at Moon Medicines." She states.

"Is that your business with Moon Medicines? They're the ones who made you the way you are?" you ask.

"Who made us the way we are. And yes, it's part of the reason why I'm working so hard to stop them." She answers.

"You keeping doing that. saying stuff like us and we when I talk about your body. What do you mean by that?" you question.

"I'm not the only one who's been made this way by Moon Medicines. Do you remember the woman you keep referring to as my doppelganger? She and many others like us have been created this way by them." She explains.

"Her? Created? What do you mean, what did they do to you?" you ask.

That question really gives Rea pause, as she goes 10, long seconds before answering.

"Tell me Derrick. What would you do if you knew there were people, all around the world, who looked, acted and talked exactly as you do?" She questions.

"Huh?" you blurt out.

"Would you be horrified at the idea? Elated that your face is so popular that everyone is copying it? Curse the God who made you for being so unoriginal? How would you respond to such an idea?" She questions.

You're taken aback by the sudden change of subject, "...What are you getting at?" you ask.

“As you already know, my face is not my own. It is shared by a larger group of people, that larger group of people could be called something like my family. But it is not my family as much as it is our family.” She answers.

“Uh, what? I get the shared face part, you’re talking about your doppelganger right? She’s like your twin but not actually blood-related? Is that what you're getting at?” you guess.

“You’re half right. We are by no means related by blood. However, biologically speaking, the same blood runs through our veins, so we are no different than twins.” She answers.

“that makes no sense, isn’t that the same thing?” you counter.

“A common misconception. Blood relation means having similar genetic make-up, Me and her do not have a similar make-up, rather, we have exactly the same genetic make-up. There is no physical difference between the two of us whatsoever.” She explains.

“Again, doesn’t that just make you two twins? But then, you keep saying she’s not actually your family, so does that mean you two don’t come from the same parents?” you question

“It seems you’re misunderstanding something fundamentally here, Derrick. We do share the same parent, which in a way makes us twins. The point is that is the only family-like bond we share, and not even that is entirely accurate. As we were not born of two parents, but rather, we were copied from one and re-made in her image.” She answers.

“copied….?” You stop dead in your tracks as that answer barrels over you like a steam truck, the answer is clear to you know, but that answer is so nonsensical and impossible sounding that you just can’t comprehend it.

”Rea, are you trying to tell me, you and her are…” you mind reaches the word and just stops.

“Clones. Yes Derrick, Me and her are clones.” She finishes your sentence for you, it doesn’t make the shock as less heavy though.

“You can’t be serious? You’re a…clone? What? How? But when did-No, wait a minute- So did you mean-” You attempt to come up with a question to gain more information, but you just can’t. Every question you formulate just doesn’t encapsulate the confusion you feel right now.

“I’m sure this is a shock for you, but yes, I’m not a real person. I’m a clone, an artificial human created in using the genotype of another person.” She begins.

And that's where I'll stop posting for now. I have to go to bed, but the questioning shall continue tomorrow.

For now anons, goodnight.

>>2647599
Thanks for running. Today was especially text dumpy today, just how I like it.

>>2647599
Y-you alive God?

File: [Sweating].png (141 KB, 347x497)

141 KB PNG

>>2649166

Barely, My day job isn't exactly the safest nor the easiest thing to do. But I'm alive and here now and the thread restarts in an hour.

Just need a second to recuperate and ready myself.

>>2649205
Holy shit are you ok. You make it sound like you do some badass stuff

I've returned. Time to end these text dumps and really get into it.

>Posting

“Rea is my real name. However, I’m not the only one who has it. And I’m not referring to other women in this world that may or may not be named Rea, I mean there are many in this world who share that name, who have deliberately all been named Rea.” She answers.

“All named Rea? Do you mean that it’s like a family name for all the...clones?” you still struggle to say that out loud seriously.

“Close, it’s less a name and more a title.” She answers

“A title, a title for what?”

“A title given to everyone produced by project Capgras” she answers.

“Project Capgras? What the hell? Like that mental syndrome?” You ask.

“Possibly. I unfortunately know very little about the project as a whole. I don’t know it’s purpose, its researchers or its supporters. However, I do know two things. I know when it started it and I know who the man who started the whole project is.” She explains.

“The man who started it?” you question.

“Soren Moon, Head of the board of directors and CEO of Moon Medicines. A charismatic, skilled and friendly leader who’s run the company for over 20 years. He was the man who managed to gain enough pull in the hunter Organization and many other major business enterprises to merge and even take them over.” She explains.

“Ahhh, Okay, even I know who that is. I’ve seen his face everywhere. He’s been on the cover Histories magazine three times for being The world’s greatest businessman. He’s a philanthropist who personally builds schools, hospitals and houses on every poverty-stricken land on the planet. I think last I read, his overall net-worth was somewhere around 4 billion Jenny.” You recollect.

“I’ve even seen articles polling their viewers about whether they would vote for him if were to run for president of the U.S.S and I’ve only ever seen one person hit the ‘no’ button on any of them.” You state.

“Who was that?” Rea questions.

“Me. I can’t stand that everyone on this green earth seems to kiss that guy’s ass, I don’t have any proof, but we have plenty of ‘good businessmen’ in Yorknew who donate to every charity in the country before going home and burying their 10th hooker.” You answer.

“Not every rich person is danger to society, that’s quite prejudice of you Derrick.” Rea counters.

“Than you’re saying Soren isn’t a danger to society?” you ask.

“Far from it. There isn’t a man more ambitious, powerful, intelligent and dangerous in this world than Soren Moon. He’s the man who created the Capgras project and gathered every resource necessary to fuel its continued progress.” She answers.

“Continued progress? It’s still going? More ‘Reas’ are being made?” you ask.

“It’s been going on for 17 years and as far as I know, it shows no sign of stopping.” She answers.

“How do you know?” you ask.

“Because I was the very first complete clone created 17 years ago. And I was also the first and only clone to escape the project as far I’m aware.” She answers.

“Shit…what kind of company even is Moon Medicines? How the hell can a bunch of pharmacists’ master cloning and nanomachine technology and have no one find out about it? Why merge with the Hunter Organization? What the hell are they planning?” You let the questions piling in your brain flow out.

“All questions I’ve been asking for years, but I never had a chance to answer them while I was being pursued by them for escaping the project 14 years ago. No chance to gather clues and no leads that haven't ended in a dead-end.” She states

“However, now that they’ve merged with the Hunter organization, it’s finally possible for me to investigate them closely and finally get some answers.” She explains.

“So that’s why you want to be a hunter then. And also, why that Red-head went so crazy on me when I said the name ‘Rea’. I get it now.” You comprehend.

“Wait then. Who exactly are you? Or, it probably be better, who were you? Like, who were you made from?” you question.

“I’ve been wondering that as well, though that’s much lower on my priority list than my other questions.” She states

“That will have to be all for now. Look ahead.” Rea takes one of her hands from under Bradford’s thighs and points ahead.

You look in the direction she’s pointing in to see two large holes, each going a completely different direction than the other. After walking for a bit longer, you stand before the two holes and speak, “A fork in the road? Did you know we’d run into this?” you ask.

“Messenger’s Fork, before this path became a marathon course, it was used as a shortcut through the mountain for couriers to deliver business messages within a days’ time. It was also a good path away from the bandits as they would never venture into these depths while they were focused on the road.” She explains.

“Well that sounds convenient, why did they scarp it to make the course?” you ask.

“Two reasons: first, the repeated bandit attacks scared away most of their trading partners, which meant less and less couriers came the more time passed. The second reason is the same the same reason why everything else on this mountain fails, too many wild beast attacks.” She states.

“Are you serious? Well that’s great, so be ready to get jumped again?” You say with an annoyed tone.

“You should always be ready for ambush Derrick, every second you keep your guard down is another your life could end terribly.” She states.

“Isn’t that just your paranoia speaking? Maybe you shouldn’t let fear influence your every choice.” you ask.

“It seems to me you don’t let fear influence your choices enough. That’s probably why you end up in critical condition so often.” She scolds

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before and I bet I’m gonna hear it later too. Which of these paths should we go down? They honestly look the same to me.” You get fed up with being scolded and press for answers.

“And responses like that is why I’ll always have to be saving you from trouble. Both paths lead to the bottom of the mountain, the only difference between them is that the left path is shorter and more treacherous to climb through and the right path is longer but easier to climb.” She states.

“Is that the only difference between them? What kind beasts can we expect going down these paths?” you question.

Rea shrugs her shoulders at that question.

“Something even you don’t know? Jeez, now I’m really scared.” you state with an exasperated smile.

“Many Magical Beasts choose to live in the cave systems of these mountains, and those that don’t, tend to hibernate within during the winter. So, with the season being what it is, it would be dishonest to try and narrow down the possible encounters to a few different creatures.” She explains


Now you see why they choose this place for the first test, no matter which path you choose you’d run into difficulties. Sheldon called this an elimination round, but it feels more like a culling, you wonder how everyone else is doing right now? Have Noell, Florette and Etheline been having as much trouble as you are right now? Can they all make it?

“Well we can’t just sit around, forever can we? Let’s get going.” You state, trying your best not to get worried over your friends.

“I’d say it’s best we head down the right path. Considering your condition, it would probably be best we take a less physically strenuous path.” Rea suggests.

What will you do?

>Take Rea’s advice

>Suggest going down the left path

>>2649503
>Take Rea’s advice
Was gonna say what Rea just did but it's kinda pointless now. But I also wanted to note that I think it's only been 2 or 3 days despite it feeling like weeks due to the hiatus & almost dying like 10 times. We're actually making pretty good time in the grand scope of things.

>>2649429
>Project Capgras
>Capgras delusion is a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member (or pet) has been replaced by an identical impostor.
Just gonna leave this here

>>2649503
>>Take Rea’s advice

>>2649562
>>2649652

>Listen to the smart girl.
>Posting.

>

File: Rea Springfield03.jpg (97 KB, 500x500)

97 KB JPG

“You’re right. My back just just finished hurting, the last thing I want to do is to fall into some hard rocks or something. How long will we have to be walking?” you ask.

“Probably 6 or 7 hours before we reach the final stretch.” She answers.

“Christ, 7 more hours of walking. No breaks either?” you question.

She jostles Bradford on her back, “Not unless you want him to bleed to death before the day is done.”

“Hahhhhhhh, man, I hope the next test isn’t nearly as long as this one.” You say as you start walking

“Just bear with it will you, I don’t remember you complaining this much earlier.” She states as she follows.

“Well when you promised that this path would be so much faster than the normal way, I was expecting this to be a lot less tedious.” You counter.

“This is much faster. This is one of the tallest mountain ranges in the known world and if we make it through this path alive, we’ll be the first people to climb it in just 3 days. That’s an achievement that even the most skilled mountain climbers can’t even dream of accomplishing.” She states.

“But that just means the bare requirements for being qualified to be a Hunter is pulling off near impossible feats. Sheldon did say that this test was registered as ‘E-rank’ on the Hunter grading system. To pros like them, this is easy and fun.” You counter.

“Well, when we become pros, that just means we’ll be that skillful correct? You need to look on the brighter side of things more often Derrick.” She states.

“I’ll look at brighter things I when I see the sun again, till then, you better be ready for some heavy-handed, full-on, pessimism.” You state.

“I’m surprised you can call anyone dark and brooding with an attitude like that.” She states.

“Hey, at least I’m not Noell. If he was here, he wouldn’t even be pessimistic, he would have just given up and found the nearest sharp icicle to cut himself with.” You state.

“Noell?” She questions.

“The emo-looking asshole we met back on the ship. You know, the one I almost called a murderer during that fake case.” You answer.

“Ah, yes, the one who was planning to ambush the killer along the deck. I remember him being quite confrontational and more than a little depressing.” She states.

“You’re selling him short, calling him a little depressing is like calling a pet graveyard a little saddening.” You correct.

“What exactly happened to him after the airship. I recall him being in the train show, but I didn't hear anything about him after that.” She states.

“Funny enough, I think he went down the cave path. Maybe we’ll run into him.” You suppose.

“Doubtful, these cave systems are a complete maze of passages and various half-frozen water sources, the chances of us happening upon anyone we might know are very slim.” She states.

“Got a point there. Would be nice to have a few extra hands on deck though. I’ve barely shaken off the fatigue of the last few days, plus most of my muscles are half-torn, I’m not gonna be fighting well if we run into anything.” You state.

“If we run into anything, we try our best to escape and only fight when we have no other choice. And if you’re feeling fatigue, it’s best you stop talking now to conserve stamina.” She suggests.

“Roger.” You finish.

You step over a particular large curb in the ice, your leg and thigh muscles beginning to well up with lactic acids from the long walk.

The burning in your legs makes you want to topple over and just take a second to rest, but you don’t even have that considering your circumstances.

At some point or another, the cave path suddenly started to get steeper and steeper, and while the curbs didn’t require much effort to get around, they had become much more frequent, with more and more long steps draining you of energy as you go up.

You can see why Turnabolt’s first idea after losing this as a courier route was to turn it into a marathon course, having to jog your way up something like this would require Olympic-grade endurance and strength, which you sorely lack at the moment.

But where you lack, Rea makes up. Despite carrying Bradford, who’s easily the heaviest man out of all the people you’ve met so far in this exam, she’s hauling up this steep path with next to no effort, her breathing is even and she doesn’t stop or lose focus for even a second, keeping a rock-solid gaze forward while marching.

It’s both admirable and terrifying. You could have sworn that she was parading herself around as this ‘all brains, no brawn’ type damsel that needed your protection when you just met. Guess just like everything she told you in the beginning, that was just a cover-up to keep attention off herself.

From time to time, she looks back while climbing to ensure you’re close enough that she doesn’t need to slow down and then keeps walking. The concern is nice, but a 30 second break would be nicer, Bradford already survived a bunch of other near impossible crap, bleeding out for 30 seconds should be nothing right?

But putting testing the limits of Bradford’s body aside for now. You shouldn’t even think about stopping now for now, you take your phone from your dufflebag and switch it on for a second.

You look at the time on your home screen and see that its currently 12:36AM, meaning you’re only three days away before the first week is over, plus that means it’s been about 4 hours since you started walking, so you’re a little over half-way there.

With the end closing in the chance to get off this god-forsaken mountain coming up, you find new strength in your step and keep walking.

HOWELLLLLLLLLLLL

That is, until you heard a familiar sound ring out from above.

File: Sprivoles(Beast 15).jpg (26 KB, 354x500)

26 KB JPG

You look up towards the top of this steep incline and see an old friend you were never hoping to meet again.

Large, white, florescent eyes that look as if they’re staring into your soul. Fur that emits smoke in a strange wavy pattern that makes it look less like hair and more like a ghastly force spewing from its skin. the strange and disturbing movements of it’s legs and body that make it seem less like a wolf and more like an otherworldly entity.

These strange creatures, that you’ve nicknamed cloud-9 wolves, have been haunting you since you wandered into that cave where that large beast attacked you. Last time you met them, you only got away alive because Bradford sacrificed his fingers to buy time for your escape.

Rea, being even further ahead than you, immediately starts to back away and look for another escape route, but it proves futile, turning her head for a moment to check the conditions behind for only showed that the beasts were also heading up the rear, currently coming towards you.

Seems the bastards have been shadowing the two of you, since you entered the place, not surprising considering how loud your entrance was.

And in the moment Rea was distracted, the pair of wolves in the front rush at her from the front and nearly barrel her over. She dodges, but barely, nearly letting Bradford fall off her back.

Very quickly the area gets covered in a familiar fog, one you know holds psychedelic effects when inhaled, and you see three of them slowly coming towards you.


>BATTLE COMMENCES

>Round 1

Derrick's Status

>Status Effects: Weakened (-5 to all rolls)

>LIFE: 69/100

>ARMOR: N/A

Spirvoles Status

>Status effects: N/A

>LIFE: ???/???

>ARMOR: ???

How will you react?

>Defend

>Evade

>>2649725
>Defend
These guys seem really low weight in exchange for speed. So defending will probably be better than dodging

>>2649810
Also should mention that it seems they're hard to hit because the hallucinogenics make you see illusions but when they attack it's the real thing so if we block a hit instead of dodging we'll be up close and personal and can dish out some real damage

>>2649810
>>2649866

Good reasoning, good choice.

>Defend

>Roll 1d100
>DC:60

Rolled 95 - 5 (1d100 - 5)

>>2649910

>>2649954

Uh anon, I never stated -5 modifier. Have you forgotten that you have the warrior of will trait? The weakened effect only removed that bonus, so I'm just gonna take that as a 95.


Nice crit by the by, let's hope no one ruins it.

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>2649970
Shouldn't it actually be a plus 5 cause of the moonlight forest reaearch (god I love that buff).

>Nice crit by the by, let's hope no one ruins it.
Please don't jinx it

>>2649982

You're correct, my mistake, I really should keep a private list of these things somewhere so I don't screw it up.

>>2649954

Since no else seems to be rolling, I'll just take this crit and run with it

>Rolled 100

>Critical Defense.

>Writing

As smoke fills the room and your nostrils, you quickly realize that trying to move back would just trip you over the large curbs of ice behind you, and even if you didn't trip, there's no telling these beasts are actually in front of you.

With that smoke causing you to hallucinate, the beasts in front of you could just be an illusion made to distract from the real threat. Meaning it's pointless to rely on your eyes or ears to detect this. So you'll have to use your other senses.

So you stand still, bring your body slightly lower, while raising the shotgun in your hands upwards and adjusting your feet to be ready to turn in any direction in a single twist.

The beasts ahead of you take no time rushing right at you, picking up speed suddenly and jumping right at you, strange blood-red teeth poised to bite right through your neck.

But even at that horrifying sight, you don't flinch, the beasts bare down on you, teeth meeting your neck. But the instant they make contact with your skin, they disappear in a puff of smoke.

And just as you expected, the moment they fade away, you feel an invisible set of real teeth snap down your right arm. However, before the beast's jaws set into your arm, you turn your body to the right and break free from the bite.

But you don't stop there, you pull the shotgun up and slip your hands to the top of the shotgun's barrel, turning the gun into a makeshift club that you use to smash into the beast's jaws.

You don't see anything, but you feel a solid impact reverb through the shotgun and hear a loud thud as something impacts the cave wall across from you.

You can't tell if that blow was fatal or not, but the smoke in the room lessening indicates that you at least knocked it out.

>Spirvole unconscious!

Okay that's one, you don't how many are in the area, but you guess you'll keep fighting till all the smoke in the area is eliminated.

You look over to Rea, who's currently dodging around trying to escape from a set of three or so attackers. Her pistol is probably still working, but with Bradford on her back, it's impossible for her to find to take out her weapon.

>ROUND 2

>YOUR TURN

What will you do?

>Stand your ground and keep defending.

>Move to assist Rea.

>Use the shotgun to assist Rea from a distance.

>Use your bow to assist Rea from a distance.

>>2650118
>>Use your bow to assist Rea from a distance.

>>2650118
Some quick analysis
>As smoke fills the room and your nostrils, you quickly realize that trying to move back would just trip you over the large curbs of ice behind you, and even if you didn't trip, there's no telling these beasts are actually in front of you.
Wow. I somehow forgot we were on ice. That complicates things a little. We should keep that in mind

In addition to that from that whole exchange with that wolf and the one from earlier this phase we know that these things are more cowardly than Breeters and therefore hesitate to attack.

So it's safe assume that most of the time the first one they send at us, unless we're vulnerable, will be an illusion. That's something we might be able to use to our advantage

Also now that that wolf is out how many can we see right now. Both on our side and on Rea's

Well regardless we should go with
>Move to assist Rea.
If we stand back to back it'll make it easier to focus on our fronts which takes away a huge advantage of pack hunters like wolves and we can support each other if need be

That concludes my text dump (you're not the only one who can do them). I'm not even sure if me noting this info will even translate to Derrick in game but it's good to right down so I don't forget. You said you we're gonna start to take this quest seriously and now that it's summer and I don't need to focus on school so am

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>2650146

Glad to see you're looking deep, most of your analysis is spot-on, except for the part about you not seeing illusions anymore, even if they smoke around has dissipated, the effects don't just disappear with it, so there's no telling if the anything you are Rea is looking at is real.

>>2650146

anyway, since the choice is split, time to roll for it.

1- Use bow

2-Move in

Sorry for that delay, Bow is a go.

>DC:70

>Roll1d100+10(+5 from research, +5 from using a bow)

Rolled 15 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>2650213

Rolled 98 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>2650213

>>2650230
TWO CRITS! I'd feel a lot happier if I didn't fear this is all gonna come and crash down on us.

File: [Smiling].jpg (316 KB, 1400x2104)

316 KB JPG

>>2650228
>>2650230

This quite the lucky streak we have going here. Hopefully it lasts the rest of the thread.

>Rolled 108

>Crushing Critical

>Writing

File: Derrick Holums21.jpg (38 KB, 500x400)

38 KB JPG

https://youtu.be/Jm8UbvRjM14

You quickly crouch down and dive into your dufflebag where you fish out your bow and as many arrow you can hold. Rea's dodging around would make it hard for you to take out any ranged weapon and use it precisely as there's a chance you could hit her in trying to hit the beasts around her.


However, you aren't aiming for the beasts around her, in fact, you aren't aiming at all.

Instead of holding the bow vertically so you can control and lead the arrow, you turn it horizontally and launch two arrows randomly without aiming.

The arrows fly out, a decent distance away from Rea and Bradford, and one catches something mid-air. The arrow seems to magically pinned to a solid lump of air, that is, until that lump of air suddenly drops to the ground with a thud sound.

The second arrow flies and hits one of the beasts attacking her and disappears into a wisp of air. Just as you suspected. Though Rea seems to not realize, the beasts attacking her are all fakes, while the real ones circle somewhere near her, waiting for a chance to pounce at her.

Firing while aiming against these beasts is just an invitation to die, their ability to hide behind their smoke makes taking precise shots or attacks pointless. So the only answer is to use no precision at all, just fire randomly and rapidly and more than likely, you have a good chance at hitting it.

And your theory holds true, as you fire wave after wave of arrows from a distance, a good amount of them missing. But you manage to take down 3 beasts before the 5th volley. You'll have to retrieve the fallen arrows later.

However, after 2 more volleys, all your shots start missing. Have they spread out? Realized your plan?

You stop firing for a moment and begin to focus on the area around you. If they've moved away from Rea, then that can only mean one thing. They must be aiming for you.

And just as you predicted, you feel a pair of paws on your chest as one beast tries to knock you over, a fatal mistake. Before it can push it's weight down on top of you, you roll to the side and cause the beast to stumble on it's pounce.

Even if you can't see it, you can guess where it landed, and you fire an arrow there as you rise up from your roll. The arrow flies true and meets its invisible mark, taking the beast to the ground and bringing your killcount to 4.

(Continued)

>>2650321
Man Derrick is badass

>That link
Oh god my ears!

>That pic
Is it just me or has that pic not been sent in a LONG ass time. It kinda reminds me of the beginning of this quest. Which while not the best to put it nicely is very nostalgic. Weird since it was less than a year ago

But now comes your problem, the smoke has diminished greatly, but it still flows in the area, meaning there are beasts still around and considering Rea hasn't been knocked over yet, it means that most are surrounding you.

You ready more arrows to fire, but the second you put two along the string, something pounces onto you and grabs your bow with its teeth. It does no damage to you, but it does force you into the cave wall and causes you to trip over a curb in the ice below.

The beasts shakes and bites at the plastic of your bow, nearly shaking it out of your hands, you fight back, but you can only manage to keep the beast from taking your weapon.

As the smoke fades away more and more, the effects start to go with it, for a brief instance, you see that about 2 more beasts are currently closing in on you, as well as the one baring it's fangs on your bow, keeping you in place.

You can't tell if the others are real or not, but the one biting down on your bow is definitely real and since it seems intent on keeping your weapon trapped in this struggle, you can probably guess it's trying to create an opening for them to exploit.

"Shit! this isn't looking good! Rea, Help me out here!" You shout out.

"I apologize but I can't! I'm being surrounded by 3 or 4 of them and I can't drop him!" She exclaims as she kicks away a beast that tries to rush her while she speaks, considering that one gets knocked away by her counter, they must be real.

"Oh hell, now what..." You whisper as you try come up with a means of countering.

BANG

But before you can even start thinking, the enemy falls to the ground and stops biting your bow when a large hole in the side of it's head appears and sends it's flying across the cave floor.

"Huh? What the hell?" You say as you quickly get up and face the source of the loud sound coming from behind you.

BANG,BANG,BANG

As you do so, more bullets fly out from an unknown distance. A single bullet misses the mark completely, but two more fly out in it's place and hit both the beasts near you with perfect head-shots that puts them down without even a chance to dodge.

"Holy shit..." You whisper in astonishment of the near perfect accuracy of your unknown helper.

"Is that sniper-fire? Another enemy?" Rea questions as she continues to dodge and counter the beasts around her.

"Well, I consider myself an ally to everyone. But many people do see me as an enemy, a real-heartbreaking misconception if you ask me." A voice other than yours answers.

That's when you see a sword fly upwards from below with a blur of black following quickly after it. Within an instant, the blade stabs it's way into the one of the 4 beasts stomachs before being removed again used to cut the remaining 3 down before they even have a chance to respond.

You can't help but back away from the bloody spectacle as you don't quite understand what's happening. When you do, your back makes collides with something large.

It's getting late and I have work to do tomorrow. Thread may come a bit later than usual, so don't be surprised if I don't show up at the usual time.

Goodnight anons.

>>2650435
Noell & Florette?

>>2650445
Thanks for running see ya when I see ya

Finally back. I'll start posting again in 30 minutes.

File: Augustus Landon07.png (175 KB, 900x1186)

175 KB PNG

Suddenly, a pair of large, gloved hands fall upon your shoulders and grab them tightly. With your senses still on edge from the fight, you instantly react to the feeling by attempting to spin around and carry the full force of your elbow into the abdomen of whatever’s behind you.

However, before you can even move an inch, the hands on your shoulders carry downwards toward your chest and pull you in gentle yet tight hug.

You try to struggle, but your movements only bind you further into this strange constricting hug.

“What the hell! Let go damn it!” you exclaim.

“Now, now. You shouldn’t struggle, you don’t want to hurt your saviors, right?” A soft, soothing voice speaks into your ear.

“Saviors?” you question.

“Instead of fighting, how about we play a game? Guess who's holding you right now.” The voice suggests.

You recognize that voice, “Landon?” you state.

“Right! Your reward is your freedom! Unless you want me to keep holding you?” He asks as he loosens his grip on you but pulls you closer.

“Uhhhh, what?” You’re pretty happy to run into a familiar face, especially one as friendly as Landon. But you have to say, he’s being a bit too friendly right now.

Even though he just said you won your freedom, you still can’t force your way out of his hug, each attempt you make to get away only seems to make him pull you even closer.

“Will you knock it off you sick sex-offender.” A much less soothing voice calls out from ahead of you.

You also recognize this voice, but you’re significantly less happy to hear this one.

His outfit has changed slightly, he’s still wearing entirely black military style gear, but now he has a thick hoodie and much baggier combat pants to insulate heat.

In his hand is a blade covered in the blood of the recently slaughtered beasts behind him, it’s your old ‘friend’ Noell, who walks to you and Landon with a frown on his face that makes it look like just about everyone is ruining his day.

“Get your hands off him before slice them off you freak. Even Derrick doesn’t deserve what you’re plotting.” He threatens.

And just like that, Landon raises his hands and frees you completely from his grasp. He then brings those same hands into the air as if he's being held up by the police, “Plotting? I’m not plotting anything. I just haven’t seen him in so long that I couldn’t help but want to give him a hug.” He states.

“That looked less like a hug and more like a veiled attempt to molest him. Derrick, if you value your sanctity and safety, I’d suggest you don’t let that sex offender near you again.” Noell suggests.

“Sex offender? What does he mean by that?” you question of Landon.

“I honestly have no idea. I’ve done absolutely nothing to either of them and yet he started calling me that.” He shakes his head to emphasize his confusion.

"It hurts my feelings to be referred to that way, Noell’s attitude is colder than the winter air of these mountains. Perhaps another hug will warm me up?” He questions excitedly as he approaches you with his arms open wide.

“Uhhhh, I don’t think that’s gonna help you…” Okay, even you’re starting to be creeped out by Landon’s clinginess.

“Young master! Did you see my shooting!? I took out every wolf surrounding Derrick, just as you asked!” Another voice exclaims proudly as they rush up from below, distracting Landon which gives you enough time to slip under his arms and look at them.

You’re once again happy to see that it’s Flourette, She's not wearing her usual maid outfit. Instead, she wears a thick blue snow jacket and tight-fit snow pants.

She Dashes excitedly up the curbed ice to return to Noell’s side.

Her excitement doesn’t last however, as once she gets within 15 meters of Noell, he puts his hand up to stop her.

“Take another step and I will rend off the leg you step in with you half-blind inbred. I don’t need your incompetence spreading to me.” Noell states.

Flourette shakes from head to toe, “Sightless? But I took them down as you asked…” she counters weakly.

“I heard three shots and see one bullet hole in the ice. Not only is aim trash, but you had the gull to damage this beautiful environment because of your purblind fire. Get on your knees, put your head to the floor and apologize to the ground before you speak to me.” Noell states as he walks over to Rea.

You see that he hasn’t changed a bit, poor Flourette is left speechless as he walks away, it’s a wonder how she puts up with that garbage and doesn’t completely lose her mind.

Even sadder is, that order wasn't a joke, she actually complies, putting her knees and head to the freezing cold floor.

You move over to console her, but the second you get close, you see that the edges of her cheeks are flush and she’s breathing heavy. You figure that the abuse must have brought her to the point of tears and choose not to bother her in her moment of sorrow.

Noell walks over to Rea and Bradford and attempts to speak. But before he opens his mouth, he starts looking at Rea suspiciously.

He stares her down for a few seconds, prompting Rea to speak, “Is there a reason you’re staring so intently at me?” she asks.

“Not particularly. I was just sure we’ve met somewhere before, but then I’ve just realized that I don’t really care. So instead of wasting brain cells trying to remember your face, I’ll ask that you drop that oaf on your back on the nearest piece of even ice.” He states.

Rea’s expression doesn’t change, but you can feel her annoyance from here, “We have met; however, I didn’t introduce myself to you back then. My name is Regina Meratal. Why do want me to put him down? He's injured.” she asks.

“Thanks for the introduction but I never asked and I have eyes, I can see that he's hurt, unlike That useless piece of sink-scum smashing her head in the ice over." He states.

"I see, thanks for the input." Rea says patiently, now you know she's fuming inside, she only gets polite when she's holding back a heart-breaking insult.

"Although, that blind-woman there happens to have somewhat competent medical skills and supplies on hand. I hope it isn’t too offensive to you to have her work on him.” He states.

“Offensive!? I really do try my best young master!” Flourette exclaims as she raises her head from the ice, frost covers her forehead thanks to her putting her head to the ice for too long.

“If that was your best you clearly need to try harder. Now if it’s not too difficult for you, I’d like you to walk over here without doing anything stupid.” He asks.

Flourette promptly rises to her feet and fast walks over, “Why are you making it sound like walking is hard for me? I assure you there’s no chance of me making a mistake on something so basic-“ Her words are cut off when she falls face first into the ice in front of her.

Landon begins giggling while you wonder what just happened. You quickly realize that she tripped over one of the smaller curbs in the ice because she was too busy explaining the simplicity of walking from one point to another.

Noell closes his eyes and massages the bridge of his nose, “And you wonder why I call you incompetent…” he whispers to himself.

You walk over to Rea while Noell debates walking over to Flourette in order to assist her up or kick her while she’s down.

“Do you get what I meant now? Real basket of sunshine and Rainbows isn’t he?” you joke.

“He sounds like he hasn’t seen a good ray of sun or a rainbow in his lifetime. It’s rather saddening.” Rea states, her tone tells you she’s serious.

“Everything about him is sad. However, he’s not wrong, let’s move further ahead while they sort out…whatever they’re doing right now. Flourette’s medical skills are the real deal, she brought me back from dead once.” You state.

“Is that so? So you were being saved by others while I wasn’t around? How am I not surprised.” She states as she begins moving forward.

“Yeah, yeah. Also, just shooting you a warning, Noell is too much an ass to remember, but Florette had a run in with your, uh, twin back during the train show and Landon worked with her. So don’t be surprised if they have a few things to say to you.” You explain.

“I know about that latter situation, but what did my sister do to Florette?” She asks.

“Nothing major. Just stabbed her through the hand and nearly killed her at least 3 times. Just don’t act weird if she looks like she’s avoiding you.” You state.

“Perfect…”She sighs as the both of you walk ahead.

Noell finally settled his internal dispute by making a compromise with himself, instead of picking Flourette up or kicking her down, he decides to take the best of both worlds by kicking her hard enough that she flies back up to her to feet.

Afterwards, he takes a few minutes to berate her for being so terrible at walking that she makes physically impaired people with two literal left feet feel accomplished by knowing they’re at least more capable of taking a few steps than her.

Flourette can barely even stand after the never-ending stream of abuse, clearly far too hurt and sad from the abuse, as indicated by her face becoming so flush that her head goes beet-red and her breathing becomes so heavy that she’s nearly hyper-ventilating.

However, she still manages to find the strength to set up a small area where she properly tends to the injured Bradford despite the pain she herself is going through, you can’t help but almost shed a tear at her strength of will.

The rest of the group gathers around each other and speak, considering you all can’t move until Flourette finishes up.

Noell starts, “So, Derrick, what are you doing here?” Noell asks.

“Trying to get off this terrible mountain of course, why else would I hiking through this death-cave?” you answer.

“I know that you idiotic brute. I meant, what are you specifically doing here, in these cave systems. If memory serves correct, you ventured into the forest path did you not?” He asks.

“It’s a long damn story. Let’s just say that too many beasts and bear-traps makes a man want to take a new route in life.” You summarize.

“Well I was honestly hoping you wouldn’t be a half-ass and stick with your choice, if you had, you might have died terribly where I wasn’t looking, so I wouldn’t have had to help you like I just did.” He explains.

“I didn’t need or want your help you egotistic asshole. If you couldn’t see, me and Regina where completely fine on our own.” You explain.

“The number of bite marks on your clothes and weapons tell a different tale. Just how much have you struggled in this exam without my aid?” he asks.

“Those are from all the other beast attacks I’ve had to survive. Experiences that have only made me stronger, unlike you, as this test seems to have only made you a bigger douche.” You counter.

The both of you are half-way to ramming heads with each other, before Landon steps between the both of you, his long arms and tall body walling the both of you away from each other.

“If you’re going to get that passionate with each other, how about you both share some of that emotion with me? I can handle the both of you at the same time.” He states.

>>2652496
I just realized, Rea looks just like her twin.
The one who forcibly kissed us when we thought she was Rea and were trying to help her keep her cover.
Landon will recognize Rea's face. He will probably say something about the hair color change and inevitably bring up the kiss. How pissed is Rea going to be that we essentially kissed her identical clone/twin and thusly have kissed her by proxy? Will she care? Does she already know? Most importantly, people going to think we are Casanova-ing a set of twins?

“I’m going to walk 30 meters away from you now.” Noell says as he does exactly that.

“It was just a joke! Honestly, you take everything far too seriously Noell.” Landon exclaims.

“When it comes to you, I take all your sexual harassment seriously. I need as much evidence as I can get to put you behind the thickest set of bars for the longest time possible. I imagine I’ll be doing a favor to vulnerable men and women everywhere.” He states.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not a sex offender! Not one of the many people who’ve enjoyed my company has ever filed me for any kind of sex crime.” He explains.

“Be honest. How many of those many people actually asked for your company in the first place?” He asks.

“Well, most of them did and those that didn’t, came to enjoy it with time.” He explains.

Noell turns his 30 meter distance into 60 within seconds, “It was just a joke!” Landon exclaims trying to close the distance again.


Noell and Landon start running around the cave path, Noell consistently trying to stay at least 50 meters away from Landon, this chase almost has them start heading off deeper into the cave before you come in and tell them to stop screwing around.

This elicits Noell to come back and start insulting you for interrupting him, which leads to Landon coming between you two to stop your bickering and once again getting Noell to run back down the cave path.

Before the three of you stop this cycle, you manage to walk over 300 meters in distance before realizing you need to walk back.

This back and forth between the three of you goes on while Rea looks on, astonished to the point of silence by the sheer stupidity of it all.

>10 minutes later

>Time: 1:14AM, Past midnight.

Eventually, she breaks from her amazement and speaks, “If something semi-sensible doesn’t happen in here in the next 10 seconds, I will personally tape all 3 of your mouths shut and put you in the closet thing to a corner in this cave.” She threatens.

The look in her eyes goes dark again, which frightens you into listening to her. Landon whistles to himself, “That look is both horrifying and electrifying, just as I remember it. Fine, I was getting tired of that song and dance anyway.” He states before going quiet.

“What was that? Why don't you try me.” Noell is less willing to listen however.

“As horribly asocial as you appear, I didn’t expect you to also be lacking in sense. If you didn’t hear me, allow me to repeat myself. I will tape your mouth shut if you don’t say something sensible.” She states, a quiet anger in her voice.

“Alright. Here’s something sensible, tell me that again and I’m just gonna walk off and leave you 3 stooges to your business.” He threatens.

“Perhaps that be best. You don’t seem like you’d be very good in a team anyway.” She states.

“You’re exactly right. I work terribly when I’m paired up with a bunch of incompetent idiots. So if you’ll excuse me…” He starts to walk ahead.

Oh this is just great, as much as you want you want Noell to just leave, there’s no telling where he’ll go and what he’ll bring back with him if he runs into something, you better ask a question to distract him from the issue.

What will you ask?

>Why do you keep calling Landon a Sex offender?

>How did You and Landon team up?

>How did you reach this path?

[Ask one question]

>>2652556
>How did you reach this path?

>>2652578
>>How did you reach this path?
Go for the safe option

>>2652600
>>2652644

>How did you reach this path

>Writing.

"Wait Noell, before you crawl off to your anti-social fox-hole, tell me this. How'd you even make it down this path?" You ask.

"Huh? What kind of stupid question is that? I walked of course." He doesn't seem happy to answer, but at least it gets him to stop walking away.

"What do you mean you walked here, wasn't this place only accessible via gondola ride?" you ask.

"Gondola? you took that route? No wonder I saw that crashed hunk of metal when I passed that building. You must have crashed it and that's how you're all so beaten up." He concludes.

"Well yeah, what of it?" you ask.

"Well, if you had been a sensible person and walked down the cave path in the first place, you would have realized that this place is the shortest route from the beginning of the cavern to the end." He explains.

"Though it did take Me and that trashbag over there a good two days figure that out considering it wasn't actually printed on the map those idiotic twins handed us. Turns out that thing was a trap to confuse us considering how complex these cave systems are, should've figured anything given out by those twins would be useless garbage." He explains.

You look over to Rea, "I thought you said that Gondola was the only way down?" you ask.

"I told you it was quickest way down. Which is true, where he took 2 days to reach this point, we only took 6 hours." She explains.

"Two days we spent in relative peace in comparison to you two, you woke up an entire nest of Saw-nose that are now wandering the surface in search of food. I can only imagine the kind of damage that you've caused the local ecosystem." Noell states.

"The local ecosystem has tried to eat me so many times that I really couldn't care about it anymore." You state.

"I can't believe it, but your irresponsibility levels have actually matched your stupidity levels. an impressive feat, but one I was sure you could accomplish with effort, good work." Noell states.

You want to retort, but you've finally gotten him to the point where he's forgotten about walking away, so you don't want him getting riled up again.

After a few more minutes of random discussion, Flourette returns from treating Bradford and speaks, "Young master, I hope I'm not being a bother-"

"You are. But what is it?" Noell interrupts before letting Flourette continue.

She shudders as she speaks, "U-Um, yes, I've finished working on Mr.Bradford." She states.

"Oh that's good, how's he look?" You ask.

"It was terrible, he had tears across almost all of his internal organs as well as deep puncturing. His ribs have been broken and muscles all over his body have been torn, calling the fact that he survived long enough to be worked on goes beyond anything science can explain." She diagnoses.

"Almost like he's got the devil's luck keeping him alive. Yeah, it was probably also the devil that made me tag along with him for this long." You state.

"He may just have the devil's luck indeed, because despite all that damage, it was rather easy to stabilize him and treat his wounds." She states.

"That's good news. But is that all you came to tell us?" Rea asks.

"No, there's another issue." She begins.

"He's in stable condition, very stable in-fact, enough that I could use a small dosage of Narcan to revive him from his sleep and get him back to fighting condition." She explains.

"That sounds good, why didn't you do it right away?" Landon questions.

"I've only just treated him, he's in stable and working condition, but he's far from peak performance. It may be dangerous to let him fight instead of sleep." She states.

"Then why not let him rest? One of us will carry him down and bring him to the bottom of the mountain." Rea suggests.

"That's a terrible idea. You want to incapacitate one of our fighters just to carry that loud oaf? Awaken him. I've fought him, if he's got anything going for him, it's the fact that nothing can kill him." Noell suggests.

"You see, this is the issue. Carry him or awaken him? I was hoping the rest of you would decide for me." Flourette states.

The group quickly begins stating their positions,

"I think we should wake him up. We have two already injured fighters and quite a bit of danger left to brave. We'll need as many hands helping as we can get." He explains.

"I really believe it would be best if we let him rest. He may be tough, but he's not immortal. He's clearly been through plenty already, let's carry him." Flourette suggests.

Rea and Noell have already made their positions clear, creating a two way split between the issue, of course, leaving you as the deciding factor.

What will you do?

>Revive Bradford(Add Bradford back to the team at 50% of his Life)

>Carry Bradford(Remove one member from the team to carry and protect Bradford)((Please specify which person))

>>2652837
>Carry Bradford(Remove one member from the team to carry and protect Bradford)((Please specify which person)) Rea to carry
Bradford is a strong fighter but I see him being a powerful future ally. To let him take possibly permanent damage to his fighting strength seems foolish.Rea is also the most capable of both carrying him and still protecting herself and him.

From a pure crunch side of the task, Bradford at 50% is okay, but from a sense of possible future consequences I dont see it as the best option. No matter how much he might yell at us for taking him out of the fighting for a while, I think it is best to let him rest at least for a few more hours and recover.

I'm leaving this vote open until tomorrow. It seems I've come down with the flu, so I have to go to bed early. Don't want sickness ruining the quest.

So for now, goodnight anons.

>>2652837
>>Carry Bradford(Remove one member from the team to carry and protect Bradford)((Please specify which person))

Alternate so as to not strain people too badly, but start with derrick.

>>2653051
Goodnight thanks for running. Sorry I couldn't really play today. I'm doing some D&D with my friend all day

>>2652176
Holy shit that WAS Landon. I thought the "ally to everyone" comment was weird coming from Florette or Noell

>>2652286
>You move over to console her, but the second you get close, you see that the edges of her cheeks are flush and she’s breathing heavy. You figure that the abuse must have brought her to the point of tears and choose not to bother her in her moment of sorrow.
I love this Florette joke so much I almost don't want Derrick to find out about her "preferences"

>>2652496
Did I mention that I fucking LOVE that Florette joke?

>>2652547
Yeah we already acknowledged this. We told her and it was one of the few times she got embarrassed and flustered and Bradford already mentioned the dating 2 twins (and he probably won't be the last one to do so if the rumors spread like they have been)

>I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I bet she's really the twin sister of Christina, who's also Derrick's ex-girlfriend that's come back to take her man.
(From the character pastebin)

>>2652556
This post actually made me break out into laughter. Rea's reaction at the end had me dying.

>>2652748
>"I can't believe it, but your irresponsibility levels have actually matched your stupidity levels. an impressive feat, but one I was sure you could accomplish with effort, good work."
God he's such an asshole... I love it

>>2652578
>Have Rea carry Brad
She's not a frontline fighter like Noell or Derrick which can't really fight at all if they're carrying someone and I don't trust Florette due to her clumsiness or Landon due to his... friskyness

>>2653663
Sorry about that, been a while since the last thread so I forgot we had told Rea.

>Derrick managed to fluster a living super-weapon
kek

>>2653966
He also got her drunk and she was worried that she had slept with a man who she only met that day. That was pretty cute. She then accused him of "commiting a crime" and Derrick was kept asking her to list it like a bully but she was too embarrassed to say it outloud. I think that was the only time we saw Derrick's full bully potential

Oh and headpats. We gave her headpats in her sleep but she doesn't know that yet

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>>2652837
>>Carry Bradford(Remove one member from the team to carry and protect Bradford)((Please specify which person)) Rea to carry
I know this is really fucking late but nice to see you back QM

>>2654120
>No bully the super-weapon!
>No headpat super-weapon
>Am Rea
>Am fearsome destroyer!
>N-no d-don't kiss my s-sister b-b-baka!
>NO HEADPATS!

Rea is Kuudere prime! Watch out Rei Ayaname you got competition!

I have returned. The thread shall resume in 30 minutes. Prepare yourselves, things are about to get wild.

>Let Bradford Rest, have Rea carry him.

“Rea and Flourette are right, we don’t even got that much more walking to do and, trust me here, the man has been through enough this first test. Let’s carry him the rest of the way.” You state.

“You can’t be serious. I thought you were a lot of things Derrick, but a bleeding heart wasn’t one of them. Don’t let pity blind your sight, he’s nothing but dead weight in his current state and a burden to whoever’s carrying him". He counters.

"You can’t mean to incapacitate someone just because you feel bad for him. Think logically.” Noell states

“Trust me, it ain’t pity, if that violence loving bastard were to ever find out that I took him out of the fight because I felt bad for him, there wouldn’t be a skilled enough mortician on this earth to remove every shotgun shell they'd find in my corpse.” You correct.

“Then why not revive him?” Noell questions.

“You’re the one that needs to think logically here, sure we’ll be removing one person from combat, but if we do revive him as he is, what’s to say he won’t collapse from pain or exhaustion? Or just out-right die in the next fight? Then we’d have literal dead-weight slowing us down." You explain.

"Also,Isn’t it against your policy to let people die without a reason? In order to understand why Hunters are so selfless? Can't say it's very selfless to make an injured man fight.” You counter.

“Grrrr…Fine then, you’ve made your point.” He concedes.

“What about you Landon, any objections?” Rea asks.

He shakes his head, “I only wanted to ensure that no one would be put in danger because they were being held back by him. But you all seem strong enough that you can carry him and survive to the end. So, there’s no issue.” He states.

“Then I guess we’re done talking. So, who’s carrying the oaf?” Noell questions.

You look over to Rea, “Do you mind jogging around with him on your back a little longer?” you ask.

“No problem.” She answers as she moves over to where Bradford is lying down, thick bandages lining his entire upper body, she reaches down, hoists him up and tries her best to keep him balanced on her back while also not causing his wounds to start bleeding again.

“Well then, shall we get moving?” Rea asks.

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>3 hours and 30 minutes later

Time: 5:07AM, Early morning.

After everyone gathered their various scattered items, you set off once again down the long cave path, without any unnecessary combat, unless you count Noell and Landon bickering about federal law and how much of what Landon says could land him in maximum security prisons in almost every country with a legal system.

After a while though, the group went quiet to conserve on stamina, especially since about halfway through walking, the once rising cave path starting sharply declining at angles that made it hard not to go sliding down the ice.

But otherwise, no incidents occurred along the way, allowing you to make excellent time in walking the long path. You once again check your phone to see that it’s 5 in the morning and that means that you’ve hit the 7-hour milestone, so the exit can’t be far from here.

Soon enough, the claustrophobic, winding cave path ends and you all reach a relatively even-grounded, wide open area of the cave. In the distance, you see a long, wide crack in the icy walls of the strangely formed chamber where from a thick, gleaming light pours out, which can only mean one thing.

“I see the exit!” You announce.

“Finally, I was getting tired of freezing on this mountain.” Noell states.

“Well, once we reach somewhere safe, we can find a nice fire to rest by and relax together.” Flourette suggests.

“I’d rather you light yourself on fire and go running into the nearest gas station. That would warm me up plenty” Noell counters.

“Chirst, will you two knock it off. You both need to work on your relationship once we get out of this hole.” You state.

That’s where Landon chimes in, “hmm, speaking of relationships. Derrick, Chirstina, when did you two make up?” he questions.

“Huh? Chirstina?” you ask.

Upon hearing that name, you see Rea flinch in the background, that worries you.

“Hm? Have you forgotten your own lover's name? You two have been getting along so well this whole journey, so I’ve been wondering where you found the time to apologize to her for what happened back on the train.” He states.

It takes you a good few seconds to process, but you suddenly understand. He must be talking about that kiss you had with Rea’s other clone! Damn, you actually forgot that everyone was spreading rumors about you over that, so that Red-head’s name was Chirstina? How’d you never learn this until now?

“Wait-um, huh? That’s actually-“You struggle to find a plausible explanation that doesn’t start with ‘Well, she’s actually a clone’.

That’s when Rea rushes in, new-found speed in her step as breaks her way into the conversation, “You seem to be under a terrible misunderstanding, The person you’re referring to is actually my sister, my name is Regina Meratal and I’ve never done something so perverse as kissing in the middle of a crowd in my life.” She explains in her typical dead-pan tone.

However, the fact that she said all of that in one straight sentence with no breaks shows she’s lost her composure.

“Ehh? Chirstina had twin? She always kept to herself, so I never learned anything about her. Sorry about that, I thought you were her and you finally decided to dye your hair to match your outfit.” He states.

“Uhhh, yeah, what she said! She’s not Chirstina and we haven’t done anything that wild before. So, stop bringing that up already!” You finally regain your composure and chime in to finally end this misunderstanding.

“Nothing that wild before? But you two working so well each other. Your compatibility is so clear…wait. Could it be that the rumors were true!?” Landon exclaims excitedly.

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“Wait what?” You and Rea say at the same time.

“I heard from multiple sources that the reason a recluse like Chirstina kissed you so boldly in public could only be to send a message to your other lovers that she was going to claim you for herself! The message must have been aimed at Regina! Her twin sister who’s also going after Derrick’s heart in secret!” He states.

“You can’t be serious…” You can’t even find a comeback for such an outrageous claim.

“What? Are you surprised that we all found out before you told us? No need to feel ashamed! The world adores steamy romance triangles like this.” He promises.

“No, once again, you’re misunderstanding, there’s no competition between me and my sister. There is no love triangle.” She states.

“So, you’re not fighting over Derrick’s heart? Wait, could be that you know that Derrick could never be satisfied sharing his love with just one sister and you both accepted to become his lovers at the same time! I’m amazed Derrick! Even I haven’t managed to have two women fall in love with me in just a week's time! Yet and you’ve already obtained both sisters!” He congratulates.

“….” You’re stunned beyond words, he’s so consumed by this insane romantic image of you that the rumors have created, that his eyes see everything through rose-tinted glasses.

“Oh great. Not only do we have a sex-offender, but we have an adulterer among us now. I swear, I’m surrounded by nothing but sick perverts.” Noell complains.

“Don’t say that young master! Just because they have a polyamorous relationship, it doesn’t make them perverts! Just because you share your love with everyone doesn’t mean that it isn’t pure!” Flourette defends.

“If one of them has the gull to display their pure love in public like that, I’d hate to see what they all do behind closed doors. I can see a loud dumbass like Derrick indulging in only the sickest perversions.” He counters.

“You shouldn’t speak of your friend that way young master. What loving people do behind closed doors is none of our business!” Flourette exclaims.

You have to question why Flourette is only so adamant to defy him right now.

“I couldn’t care what sick things people do in their private time. I’m only talking about it now to show that the only women that could love that perverse fiend are equally perverse women." He claims.

"He must have broken their minds to the point where they’ve deluded themselves into thinking that they’re actually in love with. Otherwise there’s no way anyone would love that unfaithful scumbag.” He explains.

>>2654950
>I can see a loud dumbass like Derrick indulging in only the sickest perversions
>Derrick holds both Rea and Christine's hands at the same time confirmed

Also some serious self-directed hate from Noell right here.

“No, I swear to you, all of you seem to be coming to the wrong conclusion. It’s honestly amazing how rumors can spread like wildfire, even when the truth is right in front of you, but you have to understand-“ Rea tries to explain, but Landon quickly brings his hand up.

“There’s no need to explain. We can all see the truth for ourselves. We can see that Derrick is truly a master Cassanova with a harem of beautiful women at his beck and call. Isn’t that right Derrick?” Landon claims.

“What do you have to say for yourself, you perverted bastard?” Noell asks.

“We would certainly appreciate some details to your romantic escapades, Mr.Derrick.” Flourette requests.

“Derrick, you have to explain the truth to them all, they’re all too lost in their fantasies to hear sense.” Rea orders.

As you are slowly surrounded by your equally curious and suspicious companions, a wave of stress rolls over you as you can’t even keep up with all ridiculous theories.

So you decide to follow your instincts and do the only sensible thing left in this situation.

“I’m walking outta here.” You say as you begin to walk towards the exit. You’d try and fight these newly-blossoming rumors, but if even intelligent people like Noell and Flourette can be swept in this romance madness, you honestly don’t have the strength to fight it.

“Silence is consent Young Cassnova!” Landon exclaims.

“Of course, you’d think that you sex-offender, I hope you’ll say the same thing to the police force I’m calling on you when we reach the bottom of this mountain.” Noell counters

“Please, all of you, could you stop a moment so we can just get rid of this misunderstanding-“ Rea starts.

“You’re right Regina! We need to clear up this misunderstanding of Noell’s right now! I am not a sex-offender! I’m sure we can come to an understanding if we just talked over a good glass of wine.“ Landon requests

“Sorry, you can save your date-rape drugs, I happen to prefer being clean unlike the pervert that’s walking away right now.” Noell counters.

“You can inform me of the details in private Mr.Derrick! I want to hear everything!” Flourette shouts from behind you.

You decide to just ignore whatever else those guys are screaming about in the background and just get moving and hope that they don’t start spreading those rumors when they get out of here.

You continue to walk ahead trying your best not to turn around, getting closer to the light ahead of you, when something incredibly cold touches the bottom of your foot.

You pull it back immediately and realize that you almost stepped right into a river. It’s a large, stream of flowing water that hasn’t been completely frozen despite he mountain air, it seems to head off deeper into the cave on both sides, creating a sort of natural moat between you and the exit.

“Oh great, another obstacle, just when I thought I’d finally get to relax...” You whisper to yourself as you try and look for a way around this stream, but quickly realize that the only of getting past this river is through it. You could try swimming through it, but if that feeling in your foot is anything to go by, you’d probably freeze to death upon hitting the water.

So, you know what you have to do, though you know you’ll regret it, you turn back and head to your group.

Once you return to hearing range of them, the first thing you hear is, “-And that’s why I personally believe that Chirstina has the best chance of winning Derrick’s love! As you can see on this chart, she’s not only made the most moves on Derrick, but she’s also clearly the best girl for him. There is no room for argument!” Landon exclaims as he holds a piece of paper he obtained from seemingly nowhere.

On that paper you see a set of rather impressive drawings of You, Rea and her twin with lines drawn around all of you, pointing to various other people like Vanilla, Etheline and a few other women with words like “Friend(?)” and “Possible Mistress” attached to them.

This make-shift love chart creates a complex web of relationships between you and what looks like every woman in this exam you’ve ever interacted with.

But the main focus of the chart is clearly shown with the bright red lines with the word “Lover” attached to both Rea and Chirstina’s face, except Chirstina also has the words, “True love” put above her portrait.

“You can’t be serious. Didn’t you see Derricks reaction to that kiss, he hated it! Look how happy he is around Regina and tell me you think Chirstina’s best girl again.” Flourette counters.

“I have more experience dealing with people who hate it at first than anyone, trust me, Derrick’s just acting embarrassed to attract Chirstina more. A clear show that he’s more interested in her than Regina!” He states.

“It’s a wonder how you made that chart without including any therapists on it. Any woman that would fall in love with a man with this many lovers is clearly in need of help.” Noell states.

You look over to see Rea looking off somewhere else, her eyes distant and empty. You honestly which you could be somewhere far away too.

“Uh, guys, we have a problem.” You state.

“What? You mean the issue of how you won’t tell us the number of hearts you’ve broken? Yes, Let’s solve that right now. If we could have the main man himself contribute to the chart, we could settle this issue much faster.” Landon states as he shoves the chart in your face and attempts to hand you a marker.

“No! Get that out of here!” you say as you smack both items from his hands, “will you stop that for now and just follow me?” You ask in an exasperated tone.

They comply and follow you back towards the river that was blocking the exit, “What’s this?” Landon questions.

“A river, a really long one.” You answer.

“I can see that. The real question is, do you know a way around it?” Noell asks.

“That’s why I came back to you guys, I can’t find a path around, so maybe one of you has some trick up their sleeves to cross this thing.” You explain.

Everyone goes quiet upon your explanation, each and everyone looking at the other, “What is it? Don’t tell me none of you have anything?” you ask.

“You can’t just expect us to come up with a magically way to cross water without any issue Derrick. We’re not magicians.” Landon counters.

“Really? None of you have any ideas? Any tools that can be used?” You ask.

“What tools? What ideas? It’s a long stream of water. The only tools you can use to cross water are boats. And as far as I know, no one here is a ship-builder or a sailor.” Noell counters.

“You can’t be serious. Regina, even you have no ideas here?” You ask.

Rea still looks hazy until you speak to her, she quickly regains her composure upon hearing your voice and speaks, “Yes, unfortunately Derrick, if we were to try and go around this river, we’d just go deeper into the mountain. The quickest way off this mountain is going through this river.” She explains.

“And freeze to death trying? Cause in case you forgot, ice cold water can kill you.” You state.

“Oh get over it you coward. All of us have been freezing while making our way down this mountain. If you ask me, 10 seconds of crossing this freezing river sounds more survivable than walking another 10 hours for another exit.” Noell counters.

Sorry anons, small intermission. I have some business I need to take care of. I should be back in an hour.

Damn, this a problem. Noell's right, the exit is just ahead, but with the water being so cold you nearly froze your toes off just dipping your foot in it, you doubt you'll even last the ten whole seconds before reaching the other side.

Not to mention, how is Rea and Bradford gonna get arcoss? Man, it's times like these you wish you had an ally that could just pull out a gadget that would make all your problems magically go away.

Or at least isn't a patronizing asshole like the rest of your allies.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" To your left, you suddenly hear a set of voices echo out from nearby.

"Huh? Were those screams?" You question as you look over to the source of the cries.

To your left, you notice that a multitude of paths open up. Some leading back up the mountain while others lead deeper within the cave systems. From the center-most cave, you hear a distant scream growing closer and closer.

"Who's screaming? Are they coming this way?" Noell questions.

"Both sound female. Could it be some other applicants who took the cave path?" Landon guesses.

"Well they don't sound like they're in a good situation. Perhaps we should get moving?" Rea asks as she backs away from the sound.

While the everyone starts debating among themselves, you see the two applicants in question burst from the center cave path, riding atop what almost looks like a metallic green horse.

That's when you notice the pink hair of person and the scars on the other, "Etheline and Vanilla!?" You shout out.

Your shout seems to reach them, as they both start shouting something back in unison and begin to wave their arms at you, are they trying to say hello? You start moving up towards the two in-order to decipher what they're trying to say.

"Etheline?" Landon questions, he knows what she looks like, but it seems he never heard her name.

"Oh great, its daises-for-brains, how'd she make into the cave system? She took the mountain path." Noell states.

"Is that really an issue? Perhaps Etheline's strange machine can help us." Flourette states.

"That isn't the problem. Why were the screaming on their way down here? In-fact, they still look a little panicked to me." Rea chimes in.

As move up, trying to tell what kind of message they're sending, you both manage to get close enough for you to finally hear what they're saying

File: Bellowing Giganta02.jpg (26 KB, 480x360)

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“Turn back! TURN BACK!” They both shout at increasing volumes, fear plain and clear in their voices.

You wonder what it is they could be so afraid of, till it comes sliding down the cave path they just exited from.

Standing over 9ft tall, it’s enormous, carapace-covered body gives it the appearance of a hard-shelled beetle with the size and muscles of an elephant. Its large, gaping maw expands out, revealing row after row of sharp teeth that continue down into its gullet.

BROAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

With an eardrum shattering bellow, the beasts makes it presence known immediately to everyone in this large chamber, and just like that, everyone starts running in the opposite direction.

“Not this bastard again!!” You shout as you turn back immediately and start dashing, nearly slipping over on the ice below you.

You quickly catch up to your allies as you dash together in a random direction, “Great, this over-sized bug again.” Noell complains.

“Wait, you guys had a run in with him too?” you ask.

“Multiple actually, anyone who went down the caverns path had trouble with it. He loves stalking these frozen caves for prey. So, I believe that everyone has had a run-in with it. It's just that no one else other than us has lived long enough to tell everyone else about it." Landon explains.

"In-fact, me, Noell and Flourette actually met during one of those random attacks. So, I’m actually a little grateful to him for bringing us together.” Landon explains.

“I hate that scum-worm of a monster more than any other beast on this mountain. Just telling you now, he’s blade and bullet resistant.” Noell explains.

“Oh great, that means pretty much everyone in this group is useless against him.” You state.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly…” Landon counters.

“What? Do have some way past that hard-shelled bastard?” You ask.

“Yes actually. Though I think it would be much safer for us to just escape, preferable across the river. Despite the fact that he seems like one of the most powerful beasts, he clearly isn't very well adapted to this environment, he seems dislike the cold.” He states.

You recall that time you were running away with Bradford, when the beast jumped out into the freezing snowstorm, it didn’t take very long for him to go running back inside his cave after suffering from the cold. Though you’re pretty sure most beasts hate snow-storms, but maybe this is a weakness you can use?

>Knowledge gained! ??? is weak to frost.(Questionable)

>Knowledge gained! ??? is strong against Sharp-weapons.

>Knowledge gained! ??? is strong against fire-arms.

Well damn, you sure as hell can’t fight that beast, your first priority here should be escaping here while also getting this monster to stop chasing you.

What will you do?

>Slow down and try and get everyone to ride MUMA across the river.

>Attempt to swim across the river.

>Stand your ground and fight

BONUS OPTIONS

-Strategic options

>Attempt to bait and switch the beast.

>Have Landon take-down use an ability on the beast.

>>2655571
>Slow down and try and get everyone to ride MUMA across the river.
Let's get whole the gang together
>>2655571
>Have Landon take-down use an ability on the beast.
I'm really curious what it is. Does he have some ice-based attack or is he gonna push the beast into the water like I was thinking

>>2655571


Are there any trees nearby? If so bait it into knocking down and the cross using the tree after Landon takes it down.

>>2655743
That's a good idea

>>2655743

There's trees outside, unless I'm just that terrible at geography, I'm pretty sure trees don't grow in caves.

>>2655571
>Slow down and try and get everyone to ride MUMA across the river.
>Have Landon take-down use an ability on the beast.

All Landon has to do is buy time or get it to fall into the river and we are golden. Don't want him to use a super dangerous move or anything, just to bait it into the frozen river.

>>2655788
A large enough stalagmite then?

>>2655683
>>2655743
>>2655809
>>2655809

Looks like:

>Slow down and try and get everyone to ride MUMA across the river and Have Landon use an ability on the beast.

Wins.

>Roll 2d100

>DC:70 for both.

Rolled 28, 6 = 34 (2d100)

>>2655927

Rolled 80, 1 = 81 (2d100)

>>2655950
Close but no crit

>>2655958
Noooow THAT'S a crit

Rolled 2, 13 = 15 (2d20)

>>2655927

Rolled 97, 17 = 114 (2d100)

>>2655927
My bad guys! Other quest I am in uses D20s and misread OP

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These are some absolutely amazing rolls so far, Let's hope they stay this amazing in the morning. Because I'm turning in early. I know it's a bit sudden and trust me I want to keep writing.

But I'm literally fainting at my keyboard because of the medication I'm on and I can see my errors piling up because of it. So goodnight for now anons.

>>2656055
No don't go! If you are that drugged up maybe you wont notice it was a 1 on our second roll and give us the 97 and the 80 as our two rolls! Once you wake up and can clearly see our failure Landon will probably lose a leg!

I know it's late but since I was out having a social life (hate those) I wasn't here to react so here are my reactions to this amazing session

>>2654825
>The person you’re referring to is actually my sister
I'm surprised nobody questioned why they have different last names. Guess they didn't care enough to memorize Christinas full name. (Derrick somehow didn't know her name at all...)

>>2654950
What the fuck? I like Landon now

>You have to question why Flourette is only so adamant to defy him right now.
It's weird to remember that there was a time when I hated Florette.

>>2655003
>As you are slowly surrounded by your equally curious and suspicious companions, a wave of stress rolls over you as you can’t even keep up with all ridiculous theories
Being Derrick is suffering... I love it

>“Silence is consent Young Cassnova!” Landon exclaims.
Wow that's scary

>“You can inform me of the details in private Mr.Derrick! I want to hear everything!” Flourette shouts from behind you.
Perfect

>>2655090
>Landon & Florette arguing over who the best girl of Derrick's "harem" is
I love this quest so fucking much

Can't wait to see how Christina reacts when she finds that chart

>people like Vanilla, Etheline and a few other women with words like “Friend(?)” and “Possible Mistress” attached to them.
Can't say much about Vanilla but Etheline should be a contender after that whole emotional fiasco. Wasn't there a rumor that "she caught Derrick cheating but she ended up apologizing cause Derrick is such a badass" at one point?

>>2655536
The gangs' all here!

... (except Christina)

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>>2656055
Sure man keep up the good work, this shit is fucking great
I can't tell if you are making fun of waifu fags or not but either way it's funny as fuck, good job man

Okay, I'm back and much less doped up! we shall continue in 30 minutes. Ready yourselves.

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>>2655950
>>2655958
>>2656050

>Rolled 97 and 1

>Massive success followed by soul-crushing failure

>Posting

>>2658202
Yes I have no plans today! I can finally participate

>>2658270
Oh boy can't wait. We may not get away from the killer beasts but at least the gang gets back together

https://youtu.be/4K22t2fR5mk

“Alright! I think I have an idea!” you exclaim.

“That’s rare.” Noell states.

“Will you shut the hell up and listen! We need to slow down and let Etheline and Vanilla catch up to us, if we can hop on MUMA, I’m sure we can cross that river.” You explain.

“And you’re sure that won’t end with us being smashed into dust? That giant scum-worm is pretty fast for its size.” Noell asks.

“That’s where Landon comes in.” You look over to Landon.

“I don’t know what this ability is of yours, but once we hop onto that machine I hope you can use it to slow that beast down.” You explain.

“That’s a lot pressure you’re placing down on me, may affect my performance…” Landon states, looking much less confident in his skills than a few seconds ago.

“Well we’re all under a lot of pressure here, sorry, but I’m counting on you.” You state.

“If you’re cheering me on, maybe I can do this after-all!” Landon exclaims excitedly.

“Great, now, everyone, slow down!” you order.

As you shout out the order, everyone in the group quickly starts slowing down, letting MUMA and of course the giant beast behind them catch up.

Within seconds, all of you are running alongside MUMA, Etheline seems to realize what you were planning and quickly dials various codes into her control phone.

A set of large wings expand out from MUMA’s sides and give you and the rest of the group ample room to hop onto the machine. The beast sees its chance while you grab and pull yourself onto MUMA’s platforms, it brings its fists high and slams them hard into the icy floor.

The impact is immense, seeming to shake the entire chamber and sends large chunks of ice flying directly at your group.

However, You and the rest of the group don’t let the shakes get to you, despite the intense rumble, you have no trouble clambering unto MUMA’s wings and quickly finding your balance. You look back to the area that the beast smashed and see that it left a crater the size of its body in its place.