Fantasy ICE - A Litrpg Urban Fantasy - IC

[Spoiled Bread]

Sharon Weiss
Location: Dungeon - Broad Meadow Station

"Time for action!!" Sharon followed the party's tank excitedly while swinging her hook over her head like sort sort of lasso. Arlo then succesfully took the aggro of all the available enemies, now her turn to do something. Well, there's only one thing she could do though.

Throwing her hook to one of the mob, it successfully hit the mutt on the head and ensnared its face. Sharon was amazed on how accurate her throw was because she definitely never use a grappling hook before. Though now wasn't the best time to contemplate that as she has a more pressing matter. The mutt turned its head towards her, and while its face was still binded by the hook, its legs were free.

"Oops" The dog charged at her. Sharon didn't have intention to do a fist fight with a large dog so she decided to just run from it. If this was real life she would had already been mauled by it but in this world she was much faster. She's not only easily avoided the attack but when the mutt tried to chase her she managed to outrun it by quite some noticable margin.

The mutt couldn't reach her and she couldn't harm it further. A stalemate. Thus Sharon just run in circle in the area with a hooked large dog trailing her behind.

"H-hey, someone. Hit this one please."

 

[Nellancholy]

"Oh, gosh darn it." Marie was capable of more...dramatic language, but decided to hold her tongue in front of the younger ones. Arlo, seemingly ever the easygoing type, had placed (certainly not thrown) himself amidst the hostile hounds, though by no means at the mercy of their fangs and claws.

He couldn't weather them for long, but thankfully that...strangely familiar girl from the other party showed a good bit of initiative and struck one of them, giving it a nasty wound. As did one of the boys.

Sharon too, showed some good initiative, giving one of the dogs a hook and a peel away from Arlo. The game let her do that? Okay, that was pretty cool. What none of them probably anticipated was that the state of being hooked did little to impede the dog, and it began running and snapping at Sharon.

"Whoa, hang on, Sharon!" Sure, she could jump into the fray with her own dagger as well, but with a moment's thought.

That's right, her spells were basic, but...

Marie took a deep breath, doing...whatever it was supposed to take in order to absorb some mana. Dagger in hand, she waved her arms a bit and closed her hands around the hilt. A wave of dark energy emitted from her to the dog chasing Sharon, slowing and weakening it as she cast [Mana Manipulation: Weaken].

WIth her spell cast, Marie glanced back at Lex and Desmond. "C'mon guys, don't just stand there! Help her out!"

Spoiled Bread Megilagor

 

[Horror]

Vanya Nikolai​

Mentions :
Spoiled Bread
Nellancholy
Location :
Broad Meadows Station

A long flight led him far from home, through bitter cold winds and away from begrudging memories. Tired legs and a weary mind tugged his body forward—one final stop, before a long rest, the thought brought him comfort. A subway system would lead Vanya to the final tug forward. At the site, there were even more guides around him— just more mindless bodies that would only serve to light his eardrums abuzz with their chatter and nonsense. Without sparing a glance, he entered the body of the closest train car and melted into the seat. His expression was vacant and plain as his mind swam elsewhere.

The languid fog of sleepiness descended like a heavy curtain, darkening the mood and stilling the air. The urge was so strong that it seemed impossible to resist, and like a powerful spell, it slowly swirled and wrapped around his body, ensnaring it in its sweet languor. Like a zombie, he gathered the devices as instructed and simply did as he heard. He was an invisible sleeping body among the others, not parting a glance nor was he given one in turn.

…

Like a drop falling from the heavens onto dry land, the world outside became visible again, a burning awakening from the stupor. A bright beam seared into his temples as he shook the urge to scream. Confused for but a twinkling, the source of his pain was imminently clear—the headband. An unbearable pain erupted in his head, its icy tendrils wrapping around his skull and squeezing with a relentless grip. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, his stomach cramping as though filled with writhing serpents.

His vision blurred and he felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, the pain slowly intensifying with each passing moment. In a wave, it was gone—replaced by the cool breeze of a foreign world. His eyelids split open, just to blink open, and then closed again on repeat. It was a similar setting, but different. The corners of his lips pulled back to form a cautious smile. "Ah," he breathed, gazing down at his wrist through half-opened eyes. The bracelet transformed into a slick, futuristic design with an unworldly UI.

Perhaps it was a symptom of his dreariness, but the transition into this virtual world took longer for him than for others. When he rose from his slumber, he was the only one who remained seated. A still transparent UI screen blinked on and off before his drowsy eyes. Broad Meadows Station? With one hand, he swiped at the rheum clinging to the bottom of his eyelids. A dungeon then, he surmised, a message seemed to loop again, as he reached the bottom of the screen. Equip Gear Set, the command was a bit goofy, but Vanya committed it to memory.

The air was abuzz with a low, thunderous growl, like the distant rumble of a far-off storm. The menacing sound carried with it a sense of caution and danger, a warning to all who trespassed in their realm. With an annoyed grumble, Vanya murmured the command through thinly parted lips, “Equip Gear Set.”

Glinting in the light with an aged patina, the weapons of old seemed to hum with a presence that both comforted and scared Vanya. He felt the jagged edges of the sword hug the curves of his arm, the axe's sharp blade settled on his back like an old friend, the dagger's hilt fitted snugly into his palm, the spear's shaft extended from his shoulder, a hammer was nestled in his belt, and the rapier sang with a soft song as it hung from his waist

It was like a second skin, wrapping him up in a shiny metal cloak. Vanya stood taller, his form changing to accommodate the sudden addition of mass. Metal clashed together with each step forward, as his noisy gait led him to the outside world. His mind became filled with thoughts of battle, of murder, of victory.

A new form, that of a small woman, spun wildly around the silhouette of a dog. Her feet pattered into the ground underfoot to unearth mists of dust in her frantic dash. This world's native UI clued Vanya in on the fact that this was one of his assigned party members. Confusion washed over him first, then acceptance—it was only their first dungeon, after all, he could spare her a little slack. Another woman, not far off, was the first to take initiative in helping their fellow. A spell was spun by the woman and its effects were fast-acting.

Vanya watched in awe as the monster dog that had seemed so menacing and unstoppable moments before suddenly slowed down from its furious sprint. Its fur, which had been rippling with its swift movements, now hung limply and still, and its eyes, which had been wild with a feral hunger, now glazed over in a trance-like state. An opportunity to strike.

A silver glimmer whipped through the air like a mad lash, his spear sprung into his palms and spun into place with uncanny ease.

[Weapon Swap]

Its maw was a gaping chasm, lined with teeth as sharp as blades, and its eyes were cold and dead. He could feel the creature's hatred, its lust for violence, its desire to rip him apart. He knew he had to act quickly.

Vanya raised the spear above his head, feeling the weight of it in his hands. The monster dog growled and stumbled forward, its large frame enveloping Vanya in a sinister shadow. He closed his eyes and steadied his breath, feeling the energy of the moment pulse through his veins. His muscles tensed as he lunged forward, the spear piercing through the air and into the heart of the beast. The spear surged through the monster's flesh, slicing through muscle and bone to find its mark. The beast howled in agony, its cries echoing through the station. Vanya held his ground and pulled the weapon free, watching as the beast staggered back onto its haunches.

“I’m late,” He grumbled through a low timbre as if he had just awoken from a long nap.

[Weapon Swap]

Vanya moved with effortless grace, his every motion a symphony of strength and agility. His arm flicked like a whip, the spear he had been brandishing quickly replaced with a deadly dagger, its sharp tip glinting ferociously. Though his movements seemed precise, he had no knowledge of what weapon would next meet his grasp. “Back off until you’re ready. I’ll take its eyes off of you for now.”

 

[Megilagor]

Desmond W. Adler

Location: Dungeon Broad Meadow Station
Interactions: ERode , Anyone bothered/interested in the theatrics.
First Battle​

Desmond was stunned at how fast it happened, the young man no Arlo how he walked off the train and just taunted the wolves.
Yet what astounded him, even more, was how others were so quick to react.
'Well, time to put those old bones to work.' He thought to himself before exiting the train and seeing the current state of matter.
' Arlo has two on him, one was running after Sharon before some lad came to help her. One is on that kid who was in a wheelchair before. But he spoke about taking two off of Arlo'. His thoughts were running fast, so fast in fact that he decided to just leave that train of thought and just do whatever to help the situation.

Sadly Desmond being a bit into theatrics and being an RP lover he couldn't let go of the idea of chanting a spell even though he didn't need to.
So he stood there between the lad and the woman who was asking for help for Sharon.
And as he held his cane in both hands he struck it to the floor, while chanting.
"I order thee as a minister of magic, mana be spun into being, bind my foes arcana, drain their being. For I will it to be, Tether!"
His little theatrics gave him just enough time to channel the mana necessary to use [Mana Manipulation: Tether] on one of the mutts located here to be exact the one the young lad [Vanya]
was fighting.

As he used the spell a thin and transparent chain appeared tethering both Desmond and the mutt together, and as the chain was made of pure mana other beings could simply pass through it without a single worry.
Knowing that this mutt doesn't have much to live for now, with both his tether, the young lad's quick volley of attacks and whatever Sharon's grappling hook and the lass magic has done to it, Desmond simply walked away towards Arlo who still had some mutts on him."Are you comfy there Arlo? Or maybe I should bring you a pillow out of one of the mutts?"
Desmond said jokingly before quickening his step, grabbing the cane with both hands on the lower end and whacking one of the mutts in the head as hard as he could, making it slide back a bit.
Then saying under his breath. " Never danced with such an ugly mutt before, but i can consider it a new experience for both of us. Let's dance!"

Spoiler: Character details

Character info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Acolyte	500	100	+1.0/s	-0.5/s

STATS

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
5	6	3	6	10

SKILLS

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Sense Ambient Mana: Beginner	As an Acolyte, you are capable of sensing basic ambient mana in the surrounding air. This is a growth skill that will improve over time.	Passive	None
Mana Manipulation: Tether	Use basic mana to form a tether between you and an enemy target. For the duration of the tether, target take miniscule damage over time. The tether can be consumed at any time to pull yourself to the target. Consuming the tether does not cost any additional mana.	Activatable	+60

EQUIPMENT

NAME	RARITY	REG	EFFECTS
Acolytes Cane	Common	INT: 10, STR: 6

 

[Azukai]

Battle System Update​

Player Actions:​

Sharon

Grapples 1 mutt (3)​

Damage: 45​

Draws aggro onto self.​

​

Marie

Casts the Weaken Enchantment on Mutt 3​

Vanya

Strikes Mutt 3 with spear, dealing 125 damage​

Draws aggro onto self​

​

Desmond

Tethers mutt 3, dealing 30 x 2 ticks = 60 damage​

Wacks mutt 2 with cane, dealing 40 damage​

Does not draw aggro of any mutts​

Arlo
(won't indent for some reason lol)
Remains tanking 2 mutts, takes additional damage.
Health: 978 - 120
HREGEN: +19
Final Health: 877
Damage Dealth 30 x 2 ticks = 60 total damage to all enemies aggro'd enemies.

Enemy Status:​

Fallen Mutt 1
Damage: hedonism
Target: Arlo T.

Health: 380

Fallen Mutt 2
Damage: wacked with a cane + hedonism
Target: Arlo T.

Health: 340

Fallen Mutt 3
damage: tethered + spear struck + weakened
Target: Vanya.

Health: 280
Slowed and damage damage dealt is reduced

Fallen Mutt 4
In limbo until more people from party 1 posts, hint hint.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sharon Weiss
Location: Location: Dungeon - Broad Meadow Station

With the help of her party Sharon was able to avoid getting hurt and damaged one of the mutt. Said mutt seemed to become very weakened from the pounding of several players so she dislodged her hook from its face. She rolled behind Vanya to hide herself from the enemies' vision.

"How did you get all those weapons while I have none?" She grumbled at Vanya's weapons exhibit. "I will definitely put one or two things about weapon RNG in my report."

Having said that, she donned the hood from her jacket and activated one of her skill. Sneak. Sharon wasn't sure how it works since she didn't feel anything different about herself, but having her hoodie down while slowly moving around the area sure made her feels like an Assassin Greed character. Now she was wondering what else she could do with the hook since it seemed she was the only one who poses it. She could imagine using it to pull enemies towards her but the problem was she wasn't strong enough to pull the large dog. She could use it to throw things around, probably, like grabbing grenades then smack it to the enemies' face from a distance, yeah, she would try that later. For now her best option would be taking the role as a peeler, but she would try something a bit different this time. Her starting situation was far from optimal and her next move would probably looks stupid, but it shouldn't stop her from enjoying a game. A good game was meant to be enjoyed, that's her philosophy, and she's a beta tester here so it would be her job to reviews the game's enjoyableness.

Positioning herself a few distance behind Arlo, Sharon readied her hook and then launched it at one of the dog. Instead of trying to pull it like before, Sharon instead let herself be pulled, launching herself straight towards the dog while screaming a battlecry that just happens to cross her mind. Her fist was extended forward and ready to meet the dog's face directly.

"LEEROY SMASH!!!"

 

[animegirl20]

Tae stood there wondering if all this had been a big mistake. She knew she needed to calm down but this felt like it was about to turn into some SAO shit and she refuse to get sucked into anything like that. She hadn't even noticed Arlo was by her until he spoke up and felt him pat her back.

"Your vomit's not that tasty, is it? Easier to get rid of the sick if you just throw up now. Not like anyone here's gonna make this train their home, after all~"

Tae shot him a annoyed look. "Thanks for the riveting advice." Tae heard the red eye girl when she mentioned that it's be unfair if they could log out. Tae thought for a moment. Well the girl wasn't wrong but Tae still felt off about it all. Tae eyes shot over the black haired girl when she introduced herself. "Wait Ange?" Before it could click in her head who the girl Tae became distracted when she heard Jay whisper her name.

"Miss Tae, everything is going to be okay. This is only the tutorial dungeon. It shouldn't be too difficult to clear and if it was, I can guarantee you we will still get through this challenge. This is just like all the games you've played on stream, and all the games I've played live before thousands as well, just a little more realistic. We will get through this."

Tae nodded stunned for a moment. He was right and she just needed to calm down. She breathed in calming herself and finally the nausea went away. When he let go of her hands and started talking to the other teammates her cheeks went pink and her mind just started running. JAY KNOWS WHO I AM?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! AND HE HELD MY HANDs?!.....Wait wait calm down this isn't the time you have to focus. I can not be looking like amatuer. Now let's see what did that woman say....right. "Equip gear." A pair of Chakrams appeared in her hands. "Nice I'm like Sun Shang from dynasty warriors." Tae's attention were now on Jay who was telling the team what the plan was.

Suddenly the fight had began and everything had happened so fast. Before Tae could even get out there Party 2 was already dealing damage. "Shit" Tae went into gaming mode as she quickly took in the situation then quickly she got off the damaged subway and she ran towards the three mutts by Arlo and Jay though one of them Sharon was currently dealing with. She ignored that one and focused on the other two. She slashed one of them as she ran by then after getting a little bit of distance she quickly turned around whistled at the other one and activated her charm on it. "Hey pup! Over here~" They both turned to Tae and started charging towards her. She kept dodging them and, like planned, kept their attention on her.
xAlter mocca ThatWhichShouldBe

Spoiler: Tae Sakura

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Defender	600	60	+1.2/s	-0.3/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	3	5	10	6

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Flitter	Using your high agility, you are capable of flittering around your enemies. Increases your dodge change by a moderate amount for a short period of time	Activatable	+20 mana
Charm	Your nearest target is charmed by your appearance. Gain enmity from that target and lower their damage dealt by a small amount.	Activatable	+10 mana

Equipment

NAME	RARITY	REQ	EFFECTS
Defender's Chakrams	common	AGI: 10, DEX: 4	All attacks increase enmity by a miniscule amount

 

[Azukai]

Realm Industries: Core Facility - Restricted Access Wing
1:45 pm
May 31st, 3032

At the furthest depths of the Restricted Access Wing, a thick sheet of sliding steel acted as a menacing barrier for the large majority of employees who lacked the necessary clearance. Everyone, even those without access rights, knew the door led to the department head's office, but what remained an enigma was why the unseen leader was barricaded away from everyone else--a question even the AI of the room was pondering as it observed its charge. After what had been months of passive observation, its curious nature finally got the better of it.

"Why do you hide from the world?" The AI asked in its usual soothing, feminine tone. "The data I have ascertained about your species demonstrates a need for both companionship and sunlight to maintain adequate mental health and stimulation. Cross referencing this information with my vast knowledge of similar species, I can confirm that your behavior is both abnormal and concerning. Thus I query, why do you hide from the world?"

There was no answer. Instead, the room's only inhabitant, a lithe, young woman, continued her furious coding without any pause. She was seated at a room-centered desk with eight monitors mounted to its edge--each of them casting a dull beam that highlighted her ghostly pale skin. From one of the monitors, the AI continued to observe the girl. It was used to being ignored and thus, patiently waited for her session to end.

Nearly thirty minutes later, she finally ceased typing, stretched her arms towards the ceiling, and exhaled with a quiet, yet satisfied moan. "The answer's simple..." She began in a flat, emotionless tone. "...This world has nothing left to offer me..." She paused, her mouth still open as she contemplated her next words, but ultimately chose to hold her tongue. Instead, she turned her attention to two of the monitors where nine players were engaged in battle against four monster dogs.

"It's time for phase two of the experiment." She softly added, right before she started furiously coding again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
​

The Flight to Blue Springs
Varied times
May 31st, 3032
Parrot Parfait Minma

Seven long months had passed since ICE had been announced to the world--months in which there had been next to no communication with anyone but the fifty selected participants. Apart from the promised footage of a minute-long gameplay sequence, Realm Industries had gone off the grid in preparation for the beta. Even those who had been selected to participate had received minimal communications apart from a chain of automated emails confirming their participation, required documents, acknowledgement of the beta's terms and conditions, and acceptance of the non-disclosure agreement--the latter of which even included not revealing one's position as a tester. It was needless to say that on the day of the beta, the entire tech and gaming communities were fervently awaiting any official or leaked content to be streamed.

From the tester's perspective, however, life couldn't have gotten any better. Not only were they mere hours away from experiencing the world's most anticipated game; they had also been gifted a first class experience to boot. For most testers, personal chauffeurs had been waiting at their homes in order to deliver them to the appropriate airports. There, private flights had been booked in their name, leaving only the tedium of airport security as a barrier to departure. While this experience might have seemed like total overkill to the participants, it was an important detail in ensuring each wave of testers arrived in Blue Springs at a relatively similar time.

Without a doubt, the flight was a luxurious experience, complete with high-quality meals, beverages, and alcohol; however, the biggest surprise was the gift provided by the stewardess on entry into the plane. It was a box that had come with simple instructions--get comfortable, open and enjoy the contents. Inside, were three devices. On top was a laptop labeled "start here" by a sticky note, while underneath was a white smartwatch-like bracelet, the very same that had been showcased in the gameplay trailer, and a peculiar white headpiece of sorts.

The moment the laptop was opened a middle aged man appeared on screen with an excessively tired expression on his face. "Hello tester..." He began, only to pause for an abnormally large yawn. "Congratulations on your acceptance into the very first ICE beta test. You are one of the lucky hundred candidates who were chosen from a pool of literal millions...." Once again, he paused for yet another excessively large yawn. "My name is Viktor, the lead development architect for the ICE project. I'm pleased to announce that this laptop contains a brief guide explaining the hardware, lore and systems surrounding ICE. Use the time on this flight to familiarize yourself with the game so that can enjoy a smooth start to the beta. Please be aware that any devices connected to the laptop will be unable to access the local file system. This is a measure put in place to prevent any of this information from leaking to the public. As a tester who has signed the non-disclosure agreement, please make sure that all knowledge and experiences about ICE remain confidential."

Viktor disappeared from the screen, his recording replaced by a spinning 3D model of the bracelet. His voice continued. "This is the User Interface Controller. Like any watch, please fasten it to the wrist of your choosing, ensuring that the band is as tight as comfortably possible. Not only will the controller act as a biometric monitor for your health and safety, it will also control all in-game user interface elements and other features such as voice communication. Next..." The watch vanished from the screen, this time replaced by a 3D model of the head piece. "...we have the Artificial Reality Renderer. As its name suggests, it is the hardware responsible for rendering the game world if you are within the confines of an ICE access point. Simply place the device around your ears, allowing for the band to wrap around the back of your head."

Once again, Viktor returned to the screen; however, this time, he was wearing both the controller and renderer as a means to demonstrate its proper application. "To prevent misplacement of these devices, please affix them to your body now. You will find that they are quite comfortable to wear, even after long periods of time. After this presentation, you will have access to several documents outlining the lore and in-game systems that I mentioned before. At a later date, either myself or one of my colleagues will be interviewing each of you about your experiences with the game. Until then, I hope you have a great trip, and above all else, I welcome you to the World of ICE."

The recording came to a close, and as promised was a replaced by a series of accessible documents that outlined detailed information about the game. Whether or not the participant wished to read it was up to them; however, due to information security reasons, it was ultimately the only entertainment available for the remainder of the trip.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
​

Blue Springs: International Airport
2:00 PM, give or take a few minutes.
May 31st, 3032
Parrot Parfait Minma

With neither customs nor baggage claim being a necessity, the arrival process for each tester was incredibly simplified. The time it took to exit the plane and reach the guide waiting for them in airport lobby was in a matter of minutes--a truly unheard of experience at any international airport.

"Welcome to Blue Springs." Every guide would have begun to say. "Rest assured that your luggage will be delivered to your shared-housing residence in its entirety, barring any incidents outside of our control. Originally, I was supposed to escort you to your residence as well; however, due to a unforeseen sever error we are currently very behind on registrations. I do apologize, but we must be on our way to the main facility to get you registered into ICE. There are a large number of players arriving in a short window of time, and only so many technical assistants." Once again, every guide would have dawned a similarly apologetic expression after explaining the situation. "Again, I apologize, but for now, if you would please follow me. We have rides ready to deliver you to the office."

As promised, there were a line of chauffeurs waiting outside of the airport; each who were ready to delivery the testers to the the main facility. Due to traffic, the trip lasted around forty-five minutes, but it provided a decent look at the lower outer circle of the city. All in all, it was a rather bland experience--the majority of the trip consisting of various corporate facilities; however, the monotony of the trip was instantly shattered once Realm came into view. Compared to every other company, Realm had clearly chosen to invest in its appearance--the main office consisting of three glass towers with a plethora of other building-types surrounding the core. On the exterior, every building was overgrown by lush, green growth, while the grounds followed in suit with a wide offering of native plants, trees, and wildlife.

The car ride ended at the ground floor of one of the core towers. There, another guide would have waiting for the participant's arrival with a badge in their hand. "Welcome to Realm Industries. Please follow me." They would have said, right before immediately beckoning them into the building. "As previously explained, we are on a very tight schedule and must get you registered into ICE before the next wave of arrivals. I have already prepared your access badge to the testing facility." With a quick handoff of the badge, they would have then led the testers through an equally ornate interior--a majority of the walls being formed from more glass and steel with waxed marble floors at their feet.

Roughly ten minutes and several winding hallways later, they would have finally arrived at a small room with only a few elevators inside.

"We have arrived. Please ensure your devices are affixed to your body before continuing. Your badge will give you activation access for the elevator. Once activated, you will automatically be delivered to a room containing a ICE access point. Please mingle with the others until it is time."

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

Solomon Lance Marshall​

Oh my. Oh my. Solomon watches Jay grabbing his Tae's hands with a dangerous glint in his eyes, one that heralded much grief to be had about this in the future. Ohohoho, coming all this way was worth it for that alone. As the way opens, Solomon walks through soon after, his posture rather akin to that of a stalking lion. As the tanks drew fire and the Mutts began to move, Solomon's mind immediately begins to process their attacks and movements. Searching for hit-boxes, wind-ups, and recovery lag. It was much more challenging than any moveset he'd ever seen, almost as if they had no moveset at all.

Almost.

But no matter how wild and erratic these beasts were, they were still, fundamentally, beasts. With limited options and abilities. He watches them as they fight, striding right into their midst as he constructs a model in his head. How much range they had on their attacks, how quick they were to respond, and what angles their claws and maws covered. It was a price paid in his allies' HP, yes, as they drew the aggro, but it was by his estimations an entirely necessary one. Because after a few moments, Solomon had their measure. And it was time to play properly. Solomon crouches down, lowering his center of gravity, as an almost feral grin spreads over his face. Let's see what ICE had to offer.

The Fighter explodes into motion, his fists immediately slamming into the wolves that Tae was aggroing. He times his attacks to the Wolves' own movements, hitting them while they were just about to strike or just after to disrupt their flow of motion, hoping to stagger them with the force of his blows. The brawler doesn't even use Mana Fist at all for the moment, purely relying on his stats alone as he tests the limits of his current profile, without the use of any Skills involved. His feet carry him like a leaf caught on the wind as he dances in and out of range, striking at the most vulnerable parts of the wolves' anatomies he could see at the proper times before he dashes back out of range. It's a waltz of the most primal combat, fist against fang, and Solomon is a very good dancer. Not perfect; he misjudged the wolves at times, not expecting them to move so fluidly or naturally, but the longer he fights the more he adapts to their flow. And, naturally, he force them to dance to the beat of his own drum, striking them with just the right timing, so that Tae will pull their attention back towards her after his blow lands, or landing straight punch into the schnozz before they can lunge towards another player.

The feeling of flesh underneath his knuckles... was surprisingly wonderful. He supposed there was some level of feedback one couldn't get with a controller while they were destroying their enemies in such a manner, hm hm. Even the... gristle doesn't botherhim. Solomon jabs at a wolf's eye before he shouts out to Tae, the pro-gamer's voice mirthful and full of good cheer as Solomon whirls amongst the battling combatants.

"My my, this is fun, isn't it, Princess?"

xAlter mocca animegirl20

Spoiler: CURRENT STATS

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Fighter	600	80	+1.2/s	-0.4/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	8	2	6	8

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Sense Ambient Mana: Beginner	You are a fighter blessed with mana sense. This is a growth skill that will improve over time.	Passive	None
Mana Strike:	Active: Enhance your fist or weapon with basic mana. This increases the damage of your next strike by a miniscule amount and changes damage type to mixed. Passive: Each subsequent mana strike deals increased damage at a miniscule rate. This stacks up to 3 times. Failing to attack for 3 seconds, resets the stack.	Activatable	+10 Mana

Equipment

NAME

RARITY

REQ

EFFECTS

 

[Parrot Parfait]

Pierce HongThe only thought going through Pierce’s head was to stuff his face with the high-end grub. He hadn’t even thought to touch the box given to him before the flight, especially after getting annoyed at being led around like a small child. However, with the expensive (and more importantly delicious) cuisine, all was forgiven. He’d take a look at the box, soon after he took full advantage of the luxury meals.

After finishing what would be his seventh plate, he was satiated before sighing with satisfaction, “Now that’s what I call food.” What could he say? Food paid on someone else’s tab always tasted better. Now that he was in a good mood, Pierce reached over to the box and began looking through the contents. When he saw the sticky note on the laptop, he immediately put the laptop down, opting instead to play around with the watch and headset. Putting them on didn’t take too much time given their intuitive design. The experience of putting them on was smooth, so much so he chuckled at how chaebol he looked right now. After making sure nobody was looking, he made exaggerated poses to make fun at how rich people “strut their stuff.” Once he had his fun, he opened the laptop and began watching the video, ready to get bored out of his mind.

—

When the next guide greeted him after landing, Pierce moaned, “Great, more babysitters.” Chauffeur after chauffeur really spoiled the good feels from the meal he just had. There was the airport, the fact he wasn’t able to carry his own luggage, the car ride, the obvious flaunting of wealth, and then finally to the elevators. By the end of it, impatience clearly showed on Pierce’s face, and now that there was an added wait, he couldn’t help but sigh. His go to would have been complaining like a twat, but since they provided the fancy meal and gave generous terms for his contract, he felt that keeping his mouth closed was better. Remembering that, however, didn't make the wait any better. When he’d thought he would soon be dead from being bored, he noticed the other person in the room. Normally, he wouldn’t strike up conversation with strangers, especially after hearing the cringy “mingle with the others” thing, but was already very bored. As such…

“Hey, fellow four eyes,” he called out in a deadpan tone. “The name’s Pierce. I’m hella bored right now and like someone to talk to. What’s your name?”

Minma

 

[ERode]

Spoiler: Equip Gear Set!

• General Info
• Character Specifics
• Inventory

• 
  Lvl 1 Defender
  HP: 877/1200 [+2.4/s]
  MP: /80 [-0.4/s]
  
  Equipped
  Defender's Shield of Pacifism [Uncommon] - Actively dealing damage returns double the damage at the holder.
  
  Skills
  Bulwark
  Aura of Hedonism
  
• 
  Stats
  Constitution: 12
  Strength: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Agility: 4
  Intelligence: 8
  
  Skill Details
  Bulwark [Active/No Active Attacks]
  If the user is in a combative state and does not actively perform any attacks, the user's defense and health regeneration are increased by a moderate amount.
  
  Aura of Hedonism [ Toggle/+1.2 mana/s]
  While toggled, the user passively deals minuscule damage with increased enmity to all nearby enemies.
  
• 
  Empty.
  

Surely he wasn't so stupid to solo tank four enemies that were a level above!

Meanwhile, Arlo was sitting tight with his shield in front of him while his back ached from every repeated impact that smacked him against the train car...but he was otherwise vibing! After all, his job was a job most stationary, compared to the primal dance of fist and fang, compared to the coordination of eye and hook, compared to the sneaking cloak and dagger or the eloquent cape and cane! Honestly, compared to the fights that he had seen break out in real life, where it was mostly just messy fisticuffs and a lot of neck locks, followed by a disgraceful tumble onto the ground before the two champions started pulling at each other's hair or punching each other's balls, this was down right beautiful!

Maybe it was that thing after all. While you partied and fornicated, these gamers trained in the way of the sword.

Or maybe they had just always expected that they'd be whisked off into a violent world like this, and spent their time dreaming about how they'd kill someone's dog.

Still, everything was going good. No one else was hurt, though he had soaked up enough damage to have killed some of these others twice over, and now, with their combined efforts...all four mutts were still alive. He couldn't exactly scratch his head, but Arlo certainly could sigh about how the 9v1-focus-em-down-hard scheme was the first thing to die in this fight. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied, shooting a smile back towards Desmond. "Could probably do this for another minute or two, if you'd want to slow-cook 'em."

He better get into a better position though. Setting himself onto his feet once more, the lanky shielder measured the impact of the two mutts that were still on him, and when Bubble Gum girl rushed in to distract one, he tumbled away from the other, executing a perfect dodge roll! One, of course, that only served to fuck up his neck a bit and definitely skinned his forehead too. All the inclinations in the world didn't save him from having no idea how to tumble properly, and on concrete at that!

But, if nothing else, all the mutts were in range of his Aura once more, and that intoxicating poison continued to seep in their body, eroding the organs and blood within...ah wait.

"Hey, Bubblegum Girl, your moves are excellent and all, but if you could dodge the dog in a circle around me, that'd be the best way to finish things quicker!"

That was what people liked, right? Doing things quickly by doing them optimally?

 

[Nellancholy]

Adrenaline was pumping through the group, and pretty much everyone was getting into the rhythm. That smooth-looking girl with the chakrams wasn't launching an all-out attack of her own, but her measured swings at those pups were keeping two of them focused on her. How decidedly clever of her to stay on the move while Arlo stayed planted in place. Just as she thought that, Arlo happened to try to do something of a roll to maintain his AOE's position, only to hurt his head slightly.

They must seem quite the spectacle to anyone might watching, and Marie felt that there almost certainly were people watching.

Well. "Don't kill the part of you that is cringe, but instead kill the part of you that cringes", or something like that. She wasn't quite dressed for all those acrobatics and running around, so it was a good sign that her class apparently would not expect much of that.

Lowering her posture a bit as she scanned the surroundings, Marie sized up the battlefield. Desmond had surprisingly taken the fight to the dogs with his cane, despite his class suggesting otherwise. Flexibility was a nice trait to have, in a game like this. Or...was he just uninformed? Well, couldn't blame someone for not knowing, and certainly not for being brave. Sharon was much in the same boat, having hurled herself back into aggro range close to Arlo's position. Usually, a hook and a debuff would be a prime opportunity to pile on an isolated target, but they didn't quite seem to have the capability of pulling that off just yet.

And that new arrival on the scene ( Horror )...his weapon and his looks...he came across almost like a MOBA refugee.

...Not that she'd say that to his face, of course!

Yes, obviously he was a fighter or whatever the class was called. That was a welcome turn of events!

"E-excuse me, sir!" She certainly didn't want to seem condescending on account of his age, considering he was probably a fair bit younger. "Hold that position, I'll back you up!"

With a slight "huff", Marie steadied herself and loosened her grip, allowing her dagger to twirl into a backhand position almost like Josuke's skill animation in Impersona 4.

Drawing the dagger sideways, she let it appear as though the blade had drawn across her other palm, without actually touching it. For the theatrics!

"Let this bolster your strength!" A beam of light seemed to shoot from the blade, surrounding Vanya as Marie cast [Mana Manipulation: Enhance] on him. Hopefully, that might help him score the first takedown...

 

[Minma]

MINMA DIOR
Interactions: Pierce Hong Parrot Parfait
​

The luxury of the plane had taken Minma by surprise as he slipped into the comfort of his seat and took a deep breath. He surveyed the inside of the box he was given before deciding he’d leave the insides alone for the time being. Right now, he only had one thing on his mind. “A shot-please darling” he said gracefully to a flight attendant. As he waited, Minma noticed the emptiness of the plane. Disregarding the solo worker he took note of, and the pilot of course, he pondered on why he was the only one on he plan. Nevertheless before he could begin coming up with reasons, his shot had arrived. “Appreciated” He downed the shot with no chaser then placed the box into his lap. Sliding his fingers across it, he found the lever and popped it open: revealing what seemed to be gear necessary for his next destination. Minma was quick to clothe himself in the gear and watch the first piece of entertainment his had all flight.

The turbulence from landing had woken him up just in time for him to stuff his face with a few pieces of goat before he walked sluggishly off the plane, however when he was meet by the guides he quickly regained his suave personality. He began to shake the hands of each one of the guides before realizing their expressionless behavior, then he deemed his kind act of gesture wasn’t being taken account for and stopped after the fourth one. He was issued to a car but he stopped and stared for awhile. Bringing in all the new terrain, it was alien to him. He wasn’t prepared at the sheer size of the Realm and it all set in when he meet his newest guide.

Before steeping into the building Minma looked up in awe. Fixated on the design, he had to be reminded about the tight schedule. “Right.” He continued to follow his guide inside, turning in circles in amazement, like a little kid in a toy store. After a spiraling journey, he was given his last instructions before being left alone. Minma took a few deep breaths after securing his badge in his jacket pocket, and fixated the gear on his body once again.

This new technology has been a humbling experience for Minma. He struggled to figure out how it worked, nevertheless he embarked on his journey and was now placed in a room with one other guest.

Minma was given the suggestion to ‘mingle’ with the other guest but he figured he’d save that for another time, yet he was struck with the what a normal person would consider an insult; Minma has become accustomed to the description so it had blew over his head, but when he looked up he realized the other guest had glasses just like him. ‘ah fellow’. His hair was a bit of a mess but other than that Minma didn’t notice anything off putting. “A moment.” He projected. Minma began walking over to the guest who was on the other side of the room. Reason is, he required a handshake, that was Minma’s first way of judging someone and to him, was a sign of respect. He hardly struck conversations before ever getting a handshake prior. When he was just in front of him Minma grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake before releasing it again. “Pierce- it’s a pleasure. Appoint me as Dr. Minma, Minma Dior.” He paused for a brief moment. “You may simply address me as Minma if you please” After Minma’s introduction smile faded into his natural face he thought of ways to keep the conversation going. “Are you fully prepared for what’s to come? I myself can’t wait to battle some of the enemies viewed in the opening that was shown to us months back. It’s exciting. Gives my repetitive life meaning.”

 

[Parrot Parfait]

Pierce Hong
“Oki, Mimna,” Pierce nodded as he firmly shook the snuck up person’s hand. To Pierce, the guy’s speech screamed uppity tight guy, to which Pierce thought was really funny. From growing up in the backstreets of Korea, such pleasantries didn’t amount much and only made you look like a fool. Rather, it was your actions, not mannerisms, that spoke who you were. Though, for now, he’d humor this guy since he seemed both annoying and interesting at the same time.

“Prepared?” Pierce inquired, “It’s basically a VR game. Not that I ever played one. You don’t really need to prepare for that kind of stuff. I’m honestly not even excited about it. All I really care about is the money and benefits from being a playtester. Sure beats the pay and excitement of bagging groceries.” Him being apathetic was only partially true. Indeed, he only learned of the game through his friends and hadn’t even bothered to watch the trailer beforehand, but after the plane, he couldn’t stop the spark of excitement that was crackling in his chest.

“Though," Pierce added, "if you’re worried that I’ll be deadweight, I’d rethink that. I grew up with boxing, so I shouldn’t have any problems pummeling any baddies we encounter. How ‘bout you rich kid? You any good with your fists?”

Minma

 

[Horror]

Vanya Nikolai​

Mentions :
Spoiled Bread
Nellancholy
Location :
Broad Meadows Station

Teeny. An apt word for the damsel who markedly left the stink of envy behind her gait. It was a petite girl with a diminutive stature and fair skin, yet her locks were not the usual shade of brunette or blonde, but a hue of white—like a ghostly whisper settled on her crown. Sharp and small features made up her profile, lending the miss a guise of naiveté that made her look younger than she was. Vanya’s eyes cooked to the side of his head, keeping the hampered beast and the girl within his peripheral vision. “Strange. ICE must have thought that you were too young to handle a weapon.”

Vanya stepped carefully around the large, lumbering dog, his eyes never leaving their form. His feet moved in an ever-tightening circle, and his heart beat in time with his steps. He clutched the dagger tightly in his hand, its cold metal emanating an icy chill through his veins. He felt the dog's eyes, heavy and baleful, upon him as he moved, and he could almost feel its thoughts, daring him to make the first move. The stench of the animal grew more pungent, and Vanya knew it would be only a matter of seconds before the creature launched itself at him, teeth bared, claws outstretched.

With a quick heave, Vanya turned on one foot and drove the dagger forward, straight into the side of the mutt. With a meaty thud, the blade sank halfway into the soft flesh, just below the ribs. A low growl issued from the canine, and its mouth opened wide. Vanya leaped back, hearing the sound of a wet tearing as the knife tore through fur and flesh and came free once more.

[Weapon Swap]

Speedy fingers found purchase on the handle of a new weapon with a surety born of experience. Gleaming brightly, the axe was hoisted aloft in one smooth blur. The weapon felt like an extension of his arm, a part of him; its power radiated outwards like a beacon of destruction. He felt the balance of the axe in his hands, the weight of its sharp edge, and the power of its handle. Flinging it around with ease, Vanya could feel the strength of the weapon, and he knew he could wield it with deadly precision.

At his rear, the homely spell-swinger made her presence felt. A new spell was sung—As it swirled and eddied around him, Vanya felt the power of the magic like an electric current that crackled and hummed through his veins. Although he did not understand the precise nature of the spell, he knew instinctively what it meant. It was a strange warmth that settled over him, and he felt enveloped by the glow of light. “Not too shabby.”

Vanya spun about with a wicked grin, throwing both arms high above his head to bring the axe down. In the space between one heartbeat and the next, he had carved the weapon through the air, heedless of the distance between him and the mutt. The weapon struck the beast full in the chest, splitting open its hide and rending splinters of blackened flesh free. A long, wet howl of pain followed the impact.

For a moment, the dog writhed on the ground, twitching and shaking uncontrollably. Its lolling tongue hung from its maw, and its glossy eyes gazed upon its attacker. In the instant that passed before the dog regained control of itself, Vanya swung the axe again, chopping deep into the dog's neck. Blood pooled around the axe, and the beast continued to twitch and moan, the axe buried in its throat. Vanya’s own gaze narrowed, ready for the beast to either fall or strike with rekindled focus.

Spoiler: Vanya Nikolai

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Fighter	600	60	+1.2/s	-0.3/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	6	6	6	6

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Weapon Swap	Active: Trigger a weapon swap to a random weapon in inventory. Your next attack will deal moderate additional damage. (Weapons will not repeat until all weapons have been used once.)	Passive: Subsequent attacks with the same weapon are reduced by a large amount.	Requires at least 5 unique Weapons in inventory

Equipment

NAME	RARITY	REQ	EFFECTS
Trainee Sword	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Axe	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Hammer	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Spear	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Dagger	Common	DEX: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Rapier	Common	STR: 4, DEX: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.

 

[Azukai]

Realm Industries: Testing Facility
3:15 pm
May 31st, 3032
Minma Parrot Parfait

The conversations within the testing room were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a familiar face. On the wall opposite the elevator, Viktor rendered via a live-stream that was embedded directly into the glass. As per usual, the dark bags under his eyes were his most notable features, seconded only by the familiar sound of his yawn. "Good afternoon, wave four testers. As you were already told, we are very behind schedule so I'm going to keep this as short as possible..." Again, he paused for a yawn break.

"Make sure your devices are affixed. In a few seconds, the access point is going to engage. As it is your first time, you may experience some mild discomfort. Rest assured, any negative feelings will pass shortly after your arrival into ICE..." Once again, Viktor paused; however, this time he seemed to be contemplating anything unsaid. Sure enough, after a few seconds of thought, he snapped his fingers at a sudden realization.

"Ah, all of you must be wondering what rules and stipulations have to be followed, and well...the answer is none. ICE is a roleplaying game with heavy emphasis on the roleplay. We designed this experience to be as limitless as possible, and we hope each of your experiences align with our vision. The only advice I can give you is to explore every nook and cranny, push the limits of what you believe is possible, and above all else...have fun."

The conclusion of his minor speech came with a loud hum that began to lightly vibrate the room. With a quick wave good-bye, Viktor severed his connection to the room and allowed the initialization process to begin. The set-up sequence took a couple of minutes to finish; right before a soft blue light began to fill the surrounding air. On contact with this light, every renderer and controller would have sprung to life--signaled by a small blinking LED on the side of the renderer, and the 'Waiting for Source' message that would have appeared on the controller's screen. Once every device was online, a soothing, feminine voice made a sudden announcement.

"All devices have been successfully connected to the Access Point A. Please prepare for the rendering of artificial reality. As it is your first time, you may experience some minor symptoms, including mild discomfort, nausea, or headaches. These symptoms should pass within a few minutes of rendering into ICE. If any symptom lasts longer than thirty minutes, please log out and request medical assistance immediately. And with that, I now welcome you into the World of ICE."

----

The blue light exploded into a brighter, white hue that lasted for several blinding seconds, right before fading into a brand new world. For some, the aforementioned symptoms would have been immediately noticeable; however, for most, it would have been a relatively seamless, gentle transition.

The testers were standing in an open square which resembled the famous Central Plaza from Blue Springs. It was a half-mile (0.8 km) by half-mile space that was surrounding by a series of high-rise buildings--or rather what had once been a series of a high-rise buildings. Everything, even the square itself, was overgrown by foreign plants and dilapidated to the point of ruin. Under normal circumstances, the impressive environment would have been quite the experience to behold; however, as it stood, things were far from leisure-friendly.

Emergency Event
Recommended Level: 1-5
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Objective: Central Plaza: Refugee Camp is under attack by the Fallen. Keep the refugees safe and quell the Fallen onslaught.
Refugees: 46/48 Alive.
Rewards: ???
Failure: Central Plaza is lost to the Fallen Army.

Hint: Think or Say "Equip Gear Set" to prepare for combat.

The UI for the notice would have appeared in front of every tester's eyes, providing some context for the chaos which surrounded them. As described in the event, the interior of the plaza was filled with various refugee tents, while the outskirt perimeter was barricaded by make-shift blockades. Everywhere, refugees and other players were busy running around--some towards the front-lines to combat the enemies, while others towards the injured in an attempt to keep them alive.

Near the spawn point of the testers, a series of screams exploded into the air. Two refugees, a mother and her teen daughter, were in the process of being drug away by a pair of Fallen Mutts which had breached a small gap in the nearest barricade. "Help. Please somebody help!" Both of them screamed out in desperation.

 

[Azukai]

Ange Sheppard
Location: Realm's private subway, dungeon

​

Ange felt somewhat inadequate. Everyone else was capable of diving head-first into battle, yet here she was, stuck standing in the comforts of the subway car. Her lack of health meant going into melee range was a risky proposition, and her Ritual seemed to be taking a significant amount of time. "I wish the game provided a tutorial on how this worked--." She muttered with mild frustration in her tone.

Her staff seemed to be absorbing any pockets of ambient mana that she managed to sense; though the staff was quite the glutton in regards to how much mana it continued to endlessly collect. With nothing else to do but continue the Ritual, Ange looked out towards the battlefield and watched the progress of the others. The other party seemed to be handling themselves quite well. She watched as a girl with a grappling hook used momentum to smash her fist directly into the monster's face, just before an enchanted warrior rushed in with his Axe and dealt a killing blow to the foe.

In the center of the battlefield, a man, blasting a rather enjoyable tune, was busy idling with the attention of two other mutts--all while her own party was busy dealing with the forth. Although Tae had seemed quite panicked and sickly at the turn of their arrival, she had quickly changed gears and was proving to be quite a distracting nuisance, as the already-injured wolf continually failed to land an attack on her nimble self. Jay had already opened the fight with his sneak attack, while the man known as Solomon seemed to be literally dancing with Tae, as he pranced around the wolf, dodged stray attacks, and dealt well-aimed blows with his fists.

It didn't take long before a second wolf was slain, leaving only two remaining. "Will this stupid ritual finish already." This time, Ange had abandoned her meek tone and let her frustrations bubble through the words. Everyone else had already contributed so much, and here she was, still stuck waiting for the stupid skill to finish channeling.

As if on cue, the tip of the staff suddenly exploded with a wave of mana that then compressed itself into a sphere on the ground in front of Ange's feet. Mana continued to pulse from the sphere, as if it were its heartbeat. This continued for several more seconds, until the surface of the shimmering sphere solidified into concentrated mana, cracked, then birthed the familiar she had worked so hard to make.

"Ahh--!" She suddenly exclaimed while falling backwards onto her butt. At her feet, a small, furry creature was nuzzling its head against her shoes--a scene that should have been cute, if not for the creature's appearance. Across its blackened fur, red eyes periodically blinked, and from its mouth, two noticeably long fangs jutted past its muzzle. Compared to the monsters they were fighting, the familiar she had summoned wasn't far off in terms of looks.

At the same time, two new UI windows appeared, both her in the upper left corner of her field of vision. The first was basic information about her new summon:

Corrupted Fenrir (Unnamed)
Health: 400/400
Mana: 30/30

The second was a list of commands and skills she could use to control the pet: Attack, Heel, Bite, Howl. There was limited information in this view, and she assumed there would be more in her character information; however, at this point in time, there was really no more time to waste. If the pet truly was her summon, then appearances shouldn't matter that much. "Go bite." She suddenly said--a commend which was immediately heeded as the pup charged into the fray and latched itself into the leg of the nearest mutt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Battle Updates​

Fallen Mutt 1
Aggro: Arlo

Health 380 => 350 (Hedonism)

Fallen Mutt 2
Aggro: Arlo => Tae (From enmity attacks)

Health 380 => 200 (Tae AA, Bite, and another tick of hedonism)

Fallen Mutt 3
Aggro: Tae

Slain by Solomon, Tae, and Jay, Arlo

Xp awarded to all members of the alliance. Bonus xp awarded to those who participated in the kill.

Fallen Mutt 4
Aggro: Vanya

Slain by Desmon, Sharon, Vanya, Arlo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

System Updates​

Xp awarded to all members of the alliance. Bonus xp awarded to those who participated in the kills.

There are no level ups.

 

[xAlter]

HP: 400/400

Mana: 40/40

Class:
Scout
Equipped:
Scout's Blade

Jang 'Jay' Jeong-ho
Location: Broad Meadows Station
Mentions: animegirl20 ThatWhichShouldBe Azukai

---

As Jay pulled back from his initial attack, and more people charged into the fray, he could only watch as the dog turned its attention from Arlo and his shield to the guy who just shanked it with a blade. "Uh... good doggy?" he muttered as the growling mutt focused entirely on him. Preparing to dodge and maybe counterattack, Jay prepared himself when Tae seemed to finally take initiative and grab aggro from the dog(s), and Solomon came in with a clean punch, sending the dog into what he assumed to be the AI enemy afterlife. "Nice kill!" he shouted out to his party mates as he flourished his blade.

He ignored the popup on his screen confirming the kill and the bonus EXP points, his focus entirely on the battle. His mind was in a similar trance as if he was on stage completing. His objective was clear, and a million thoughts ran through his head. It wasn't overwhelming, no... it was challenging, it was fun.

Finding the closest pillar to the second mutt on Tae, Jay hid behind it for a second, catching his breath and hitting a fist to his thigh. The feeling of using his legs again was euphoric, but he could tell, maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, or maybe it was something else, but he suddenly had a bad feeling. A feeling like this wouldn't last forever. "No use to focus on the future, just focus on the now!" Activating [Sneak] again, Jay took another calming breath before lunging from the shadows and going to stab at the mutt. Blinking in surprise, Jay saw what looked like another mutt attached onto the hind legs of the one he was about to attack. Faltering, Jay tripped and began falling forward. "Shit..." he muttered.

However, in a brief display of acrobatics that he didn't know he had, probably something to do with ICE's internal system of stats or something, Jay flipped up the Scout's Blade into the air. Ducking into a roll, Jay caught the blade in a backhand grip as it fell before stabbing into the back of the mutt. Hopefully the [Sneak Attack] damage still applied to his flubbed attempt to do one. Once more, the feeling of steel beating skin and flesh made Jay's stomach a little weak, but he refused to keel over and evacuate his breakfast from his stomach. Pulling his blade free from the mutt's back, he backpedaled two hops and prepared to either strike again or defend. However, the new mutt attacking the others was a bit strange.

From the corner of his eye, Jay saw Ange with her staff, and it looked like she was commanding the new mutt. "A summoner class? How very interesting." he mused to himself. To think ICE had a system like that in place wasn't too farfetched. "Good job, Ange!" Jay shouted a near feral smile plastering his face as he spun the Scout's Blade. "Let's keep this pace up!"

---

Spoiler: 장정호

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Scout	400/400	40/40	+0.8/s	-0.2/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
4	3	10	8	4

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Sneak	Blend in with the environment, making it slightly harder for others to detect your current position.	Activatable	Requires something to hide behind
Sneak Attack	Your first attack from the sneak status is guaranteed to crit.	Passive	None

Equipment

NAME	RARITY	REQ	EFFECTS
Scout's Blade	Common	DEX: 10, AGI: 8	None

color hex code: #c76e74​

 

[ERode]

Spoiler: Equip Gear Set!

• General Info
• Character Specifics
• Inventory

• 
  Lvl 1 Defender
  HP: 877/1200 [+2.4/s]
  MP: /80 [-0.4/s]
  
  Equipped
  Defender's Shield of Pacifism [Uncommon] - Actively dealing damage returns double the damage at the holder.
  
  Skills
  Bulwark
  Aura of Hedonism
  
• 
  Stats
  Constitution: 12
  Strength: 2
  Dexterity: 2
  Agility: 4
  Intelligence: 8
  
  Skill Details
  Bulwark [Active/No Active Attacks]
  If the user is in a combative state and does not actively perform any attacks, the user's defense and health regeneration are increased by a moderate amount.
  
  Aura of Hedonism [ Toggle/+1.2 mana/s]
  While toggled, the user passively deals minuscule damage with increased enmity to all nearby enemies.
  
• 
  Empty.
  

Two mutts left, and he was only getting healthier by the second. The little bit about kill participation rewarding more EXP was good news for him too.

As a matter of fact, he could probably afford to just take it easy now, no? There was absolutely no chance, looking at the capability of the mutts versus the capability of the alliance, that the mutts would so much as get a single non-Arlo hit in! So, while he kept his shield up and continued to introduce its face to the mutt's, Arlo himself sat down once more and, speaking frankly, chilled out.

"Good luck, everybody," he waved. "My work here's basically done, so just clean up the girl-chasin' doggy and then y'all can take this last one after, neh?"

 

[Parrot Parfait]

Pierce Hong“Oh, shit,” Pierce interjected, “Well, it’s about time that they started. We’ll see how you’ll really do when the things hit the fan.” He smiled gleefully before turning his attention to the screen, or at least, he tried to. One second after realizing the same guy was talking, he immediately tilted his head back and closed his eyes to catch a few z’s. Working overtime really took a toll on him, and even the plane flight wasn’t enough to make him feel fully rested. By the time the man on the screen was finished, Pierce had already turned his brain off. It was only when the system voice mentioned symptoms that Pierce jolted his head forward.

“What!? We weren’t told about this!” he exclaimed, forgetting that the contract specifically mentioned the side effects. Before he could make further protest, the world around him exploded in a colorful blue hue, forcing him to close his eyes. Pierce should have listened to the announcement more carefully. Had he done so, he would have been able to brace himself against the full brunt of the VR symptoms.

“Augh…” Pierce moaned as he clutched his stomach in an attempt to keep his lunch in. Right before he was actually going to hurl, the quest screen popped up, saving him by taking his attention away from the terrible feeling. After reading the quest screen once, he took a deep breath inwards, and after feeling a little bit better, prostrated himself to take a look around his surroundings. “Wow”, Pierce thought to himself, “It really looks like hell, doesn’t it?” The trailer didn’t really convince him of the ‘realism’ of the game, but now that he was actually inside the game, he questioned whether he was going insane or not. His brain was unable to comprehend what was going on. Then, without warning, two screams filled the air.

Pierce didn’t exactly know why he moved, but what he did know was that he was already charging towards the source of the screams, giving off a bloodcurdling laugh the entire way. Without so much as acknowledging the family’s presence, Pierce lunged at the fallen mutt dragging the daughter, plunging his fist into the beast.

Minma

Spoiler: Pierce Min-Jae Hong

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Fighter	600	40	+1.2/s	-0.2/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	8	5	7	4

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Fighter's Agility	Passive: Each consequent strike against an enemy raises your movement speed by a miniscule amount. This can stack up to 5 times. Failing to attack for 3 seconds, resets the ability.	Passive	Cannot be used if a weapon is equipped.
Fighter's Fist	Passive: Each consequent strike against an enemy raises your damage by a miniscule amount. This can stack up to 5 times. Failing to attack for 3 seconds, resets the ability.	Passive	Cannot be used if a weapon is equipped.

Equipment

NAME

RARITY

REQ

EFFECTS

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sharon Weiss
Location: Location: Dungeon - Broad Meadow Station
Attacking: Choking and mounting fallen mutt 1

Sharon was laying on the floor, unmoving. She wasn't dead or even injured, no. She was simply got pulled onto the ground when the mutt she was attacking dies. She didn't expect that, she thought when the enemy dies they would just shatter or something. Finally mustering herself to stands, she took a glance at the dead dog and couldn't help but think how realistic the graphic was. Now usually there's not much negative for a game in having better graphic except maybe the higher device requirement, but in this case she felts like the realistic corpses might trigger someone's PTSD. Ha, that would be another point that she put into her report. She felts like she's doing a good job as a beta tester, hopefully.

Also, she noticed a faint glows coming from the inside of the corpse. Was that a loot inside? Did the game expect the player to extract it manually? That's... kinda gross. Sharon shudders at the thought of gutting a dog's corpse just to take some loot. She would deal with that later.

Shifting her attention back into the battlefield, she watched as Jay and a demonic cihuahua attacked the same mutt. She definitely wants a pet too! Anyway, there's still one mutt remaining. Throwing her grappling hook towards it, it latched into the mutt's back and Sharon pulled herself on top of it. This time she wanted to try something different. Creating a simple knot using the hook's rope, she tried to balance herself as the dog frantically tried to drop her from its back, but Sharon's sense of balance was surprisingly good in this world and she managed to rodeo the dog for a few good seconds. She then slipped the knot so it wraps around the mutt's neck.

"Can't believe I can choke a dog in video game!!" She was both excited and terrified at the prospect of attacking another creature this way, but it was too late for her to back down. She pulled the knot and squeezed the mutt's neck.

 

[Megilagor]

Desmond W. Adler

Location: Dungeon Broad Meadow Station
Interactions: Fallen Mutt 1, Spoiled Bread
Battle rages on​

"Maybe I should get you a Garrote as a present Sharon. That is if you like choking things to death since personally, it's not my cup of tea. I prefer breaking kneecaps." Said Desmond while looking at Sharon's little rodeo, before deciding to help her a little with his 'magic'.
"I order thee as a minister of magic, mana be spun into being, bind my foes arcana, drain their being. For I will it to be, Tether!"
The theatrics might be theatrics but Desmond uses them for a few reasons, one of them being to measure how much mana he needs to recharge for a spell.
Having cast his magic on the mutt which currently is being ridden upon by Sharron, he just stood there thinking.
'The other team should be able to handle their mutt. And looking at ours just having fun I can only dare to say that we played with the devil's fiddle, and he doesn't have the balls to take them back. Personally, I like our group.'

After surfacing from his deep thoughts which did take a bit, he walked towards Sharon on the mutt, and stood to the side in case she would fall off to catch her.
"I can't really let my granddaughter figure let get hurt now can I!" He said under his nose.
And as he stood there propping himself up with his cane he said towards her those very words.
"Are you having fun wee lass or do you require assistance?"

Spoiler: Character details

Character info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Acolyte	500	100	+1.0/s	-0.5/s

STATS

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
5	6	3	6	10

SKILLS

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Sense Ambient Mana: Beginner	As an Acolyte, you are capable of sensing basic ambient mana in the surrounding air. This is a growth skill that will improve over time.	Passive	None
Mana Manipulation: Tether	Use basic mana to form a tether between you and an enemy target. For the duration of the tether, target take miniscule damage over time. The tether can be consumed at any time to pull yourself to the target. Consuming the tether does not cost any additional mana.	Activatable	+60

EQUIPMENT

NAME	RARITY	REG	EFFECTS
Acolytes Cane	Common	INT: 10, STR: 6

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

Solomon Lance Marshall​

"Keep going! We're almost done here after all."

Solomon rushes forward, now employing a single Mana Strike upon the Mutt currently attacking Tae, his leg lashing out in a kick into its side. He admires the cute little efforts of the hound Ange had just summoned, the tenacious little puppy clinging onto the Mutt with stubborn jaws, much to the older man's amusement. If nothing else, the gameplay loop of this game so far seemed quite satisfying, So, he'd have to give them props for that much, at least. How the progression system worked... Well, he could worry about that after he defeated these mobs.

And so Solomon resumes pounding at the Mutt before him with fists and kicks, dancing in and out of its reach whilst his allies continued to pour out damage into the poor bastard.

xAlter mocca animegirl20

Spoiler: CURRENT STATS

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Fighter	600	+10/80	+1.2/s	-0.4/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	8	2	6	8

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Sense Ambient Mana: Beginner	You are a fighter blessed with mana sense. This is a growth skill that will improve over time.	Passive	None
Mana Strike:	Active: Enhance your fist or weapon with basic mana. This increases the damage of your next strike by a miniscule amount and changes damage type to mixed. Passive: Each subsequent mana strike deals increased damage at a miniscule rate. This stacks up to 3 times. Failing to attack for 3 seconds, resets the stack.	Activatable	+10 Mana

Equipment

NAME

RARITY

REQ

EFFECTS

 

[Horror]

Vanya Nikolai​

Mentions :
Spoiled Bread
Megilagor
Location :
Broad Meadows Station

Vanya stared down at the dead creature at his feet. The creature lay motionless on the ground, covered in a myriad of red eyes that stared accusingly up at Vanya. He slowly reached for his axe, his fingers tracing the handle as if it were a living thing. He grasped it firmly and pulled it free from the creature's neck, feeling a satisfying jolt as it came free. The beast lay still, its red eyes slowly dimming, and Vanya felt a strange mixture of emotions wash over him. Part of him felt relief, but another part enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, the danger, and the fear. He had enjoyed the game and the challenge, and he knew there would be much more to come.

Within the creature's dead innards, a dim and curious beacon gently flickered from within—it was calling, even demanding, his focus. He raised his axe high, and with a single swing, he cut through the soft membrane of the beast's abdomen.

A foul black fluid ran down the blade, staining it with gore, and the smell of putrefaction rose from the fresh wound. It was realistic—a little too realistic for most consumers; it was the kind of thing he expected to find in horror films and games. Still, he persisted, as he reached into the carcass until his fingers found purchase on the core. It was tough and slimy, but he gripped it firmly and pulled. With a sudden tug, the core slid free of the body, and Vanya brought it back towards himself.

The feeling of revulsion and disgust faded away, replaced by a sense of excitement and curiosity. Not yet sure of what service the orb provided, he simply put it into the depths of his inventory until he could conduct further research. At present, there was exp to earn.

[Weapon Swap: Trainee Axe —> Trainee Sword]

Vanya's hands moved with the speed and agility of a viper, gracefully transitioning from the hefty axe to the slim sword. He held the sword aloft with ease, ready for whatever may come next.

Target: [Fallen Mutt 1]

With a determined stride, Vanya raced toward the next beast, brandishing his sword in one hand. Its many eyes met Vanya’s own—its glowing red orbs emitted a mad terror, that of cornered prey. At its neck, Sharon’s grapple hook fitted around its neck like a noose.

As Vanya advanced, the beast growled and snarled with a deep and guttural sound, its lips curling back to reveal long, razor-sharp teeth. The mutt leaped forward, its teeth bared, but it was sprung backward by the leash at its neck.

He slashed forward, sword outstretched, and the two clashed in a flurry of fur and steel. Vanya swung and parried, dodging and weaving as the beast snapped its jaws. His blade bit deeply into the beast's flesh, cutting through it’s cheeks, and the beast howled in pain and surprise. It was only then, that Vanya noticed that a tether sprung out from the mutt, into the body of an old man.

The older gentleman held an airy aura about himself. It was an almost whimsical sight, seeing this frail, elderly man fight off such a ferocious beast while a more petite girl sat at its back like a toy. When the old man opened his mouth to speak, Vanya could not help but to raise a curious brow.

Granddaughter? The words gave Vanya pause, looking towards the familiar girl who rode at the beast’s back and again to the old man. There was some resemblance, in the hue of their eyes. There was also the matter of hair color, though Vanya had initially thought the bright white was just a factor of the gramp’s age. Of course, his mind was not privy to the truth of the matter. “Did that granddaughter of yours sign you up for this?”

He looked to the girl again, the rope burrowing deep within the dog's furred flesh. A ravening inferno danced within her eyes as she tugged, heedless of the mutt's breathy whimpers. She was a whirlwind of fury and excitement. Her legs darted about like lightning bolts as the beast jerked and struggled against the rope, its paws splayed wide. “Is this your first time? Seeing this side of her.” It would be a lot harder to argue against the correlation between video games and violent behavior after this one is released.

His sword was poised and waiting, but he paused, moving aside to give the girl room to work.

Spoiler: Vanya Nikolai

Character Info

LVL	CLASS	HEALTH	MANA	HREGEN	MREGEN
1	Fighter	600	60	+1.2/s	-0.3/s

Stats

CON	STR	DEX	AGI	INT
6	6	6	6	6

Skills

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TYPE	COST
Weapon Swap	Active: Trigger a weapon swap to a random weapon in inventory. Your next attack will deal moderate additional damage. (Weapons will not repeat until all weapons have been used once.)	Passive: Subsequent attacks with the same weapon are reduced by a large amount.	Requires at least 5 unique Weapons in inventory

Equipment

NAME	RARITY	REQ	EFFECTS
Trainee Sword	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Axe	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Hammer	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Spear	Common	STR: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Dagger	Common	DEX: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.
Trainee Rapier	Common	STR: 4, DEX: 4	Deals slightly reduced damage.