The next bunch of swarms the group arrives at is different from the last. Mainly the fact that each swarm is at an arm’s length from one another and while there are ten swarms each only has about 150 cats. Peter points at them, “You know how I said I wasn’t going to care about how your teamwork was in this fight? That is because you won’t be fighting as a team! There are two swarms for each of you. I’ve included the rabbit, though I’m sure with Jason’s ability to dodge will rub ...
2020-10-28 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Peter shakes his head. This is the second time today that he had to consider what to share. For what was supposed to be a simple quest things have gotten oh so complicated. He sighs and watches the group wrap up the fight.
Courtney never does get her drain spell up and running. She just has to focus too much on spot healing and never gets the amount of Mana saved up that she wants. Still, that doesn’t mean she is doing a bad job at it. While drain isn’t happening, she is still addin...
2020-10-28 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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With the idle chitchat out of the way the group goes into the next room. As they could see from the previous room, there isn’t anything in this one but it seems to lead everywhere else. There are three different ways out of the room. On the opposite wall is a hallway, to the left the room opens up directly into another, and finally a second hallway is further along the same wall the entrance is in.
Susan walks out into the middle of them and looks around. When nothing attacks her the ...
2020-10-23 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The group joins back up at the next convergences of swarm cats. Looking over the squirming mass, Courtney raises an eyebrow and turns to Peter. “So this looks like about the same number of cats as the last fight. What is special this time?”
Peter laughs, “Good eye, this is a different sort of challenge as compared to the last. Instead of increasing the number, I increased the damage output. This isn’t a bunch of 400 cat swarms. This is a gathering of more but smaller swarms. At ...
2020-10-21 10:02:00 +0000 UTC
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Peter sighs, ‘Still, I need to get a better feel for the situation before I tell her. Meh, Rosha can deal with it. She’s the one I’m more invested in teaching anyway.’
He sits back as the group finishes cleaning up the swarms. Peter nods at them, “Much better. While I think you guys can improve your clear speed that was about the same speed as the last group despite having more swarms to deal with. Jason, good movement but try and be more elegant with it. A smoother path will ...
2020-10-21 10:01:01 +0000 UTC
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The group steps through the portal and enters the third floor. Jeremy steps in front of the others and nods. “So you should all remember my briefing on how the last run here went? We should follow the same path just because the room with the monsters was a dead end. A chance to fight them without any interruptions is quite useful for us at the moment. Now let’s move. The sooner we finish here, the sooner I can play with the new samples we get.”
With great enthusiasm he leads them ...
2020-10-16 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Susan walks over to the opening into the next room and does a quick check for traps. “Okay, looks like they haven’t saved up enough for another trap yet. Everyone ready?” The others nod. “Good! Let's get the fight started!”
Susan and Jeremy rush into the room. They don’t exactly have the element of surprise but they don’t exactly need it either. With the only magic user left on the monster side being the healer the two don’t have to worry about ranged threats.
Righ...
2020-10-16 10:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The group makes good time in silence for the next half hour. Then Peter stops them just before they go over a rise. With an effortless toss, he throws a boulder taller than he is and waits for a moment.
“Okay, just over this hill is another selection of swarm cats. There are five swarms that did have about 300 cats each, though one is now down a good 50. We wait just a little more and they should be all grouped up, ready for the four of you to go and fight them. Do as much as you can ...
2020-10-14 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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As Jason stomps around in the middle of the two swarms, Courtney doesn’t slow down either. Nipping along the edge with her claws with Rosha going in the opposite direction to her. While Rosha’s sweeping attacks are able to deal more damage, Courtney’s healing lets them keep it up against the swarms unending damage. Her claws slashing through cat after cat with the drained life transferring to where it was needed.
With the three working together, the two swarms scattered quicker ev...
2020-10-14 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Sarah laughs again, “Makes sense! I come to him already anyway for my practice arrows. Oh, and call me Bell. Sarah’s my mom’s name and while I respect the origin of the name and all that history it has in my family it isn’t for me. Now when are we going? I can’t wait to use my bow on some monsters!”
Susan coughs, “I planned to head down in ten minutes so everyone had a chance to gather their stuff. The others already know. Now what did you mean by soul bow?”
...
2020-10-09 10:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Rosha’s arms drop to her sides as she breathes hard from her outburst. “I just couldn’t let him know!”
Courtney stands there for a moment, arms still out. Then with a sigh, she steps forward and wraps her arms around Rosha. “I just want to protect you and not knowing where you were? It wrecked me. Especially after learning who you ended up spending time with. It was like my worst nightmares coming true!”
Rosha just stands there before admitting that, “I ...
2020-10-07 10:02:00 +0000 UTC
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After Rosha’s question if there was more to talk about, Courtney turns to Jason. “Don’t think I forgot about how you said that god’s name. You clearly know something about it. I don’t want to brag, but I know more about NeoRealm than probably 99% of our generation. And of all that knowledge? Never once have I heard of this.”
Jason shrugs, “Can we forget it for at least a little while?”
Rosha laughs while Courtney gives him the stink eye. Jason just sig...
2020-10-07 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Back in the dungeon Doyle turns to Ally, ‘So I forgot to make my other monsters drop coins. Also, do I need to make the kobolds on my third-floor drop ore or will they automatically?’
Ally laughs, ‘Well, it isn’t too late. You could technically make every monster drop coins, the lower value one’s cost hardly anything after all. My advice is to keep the first floor like it is though. That way people who don’t want to actually challenge the dungeon and are just in it for food ...
2020-10-02 10:02:00 +0000 UTC
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Ace sighs, “So, does anyone have some actual cash on them?”
Kelly nods, “I have two copper and one silver coin, no gold though. Even the silver was a lucky catch someone found in one of the thug’s pouch. Without a system store to sell to or the quest board, the system currency isn’t exactly common. The only current source is actually the dungeon. My second copper comes from one of the dives we did to get everyone their limit break path. Apparently the first floor kobold leader...
2020-10-02 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Jason activates the silence shell and the trio are encapsulated by the bubble. “There we go, a little privacy. Now first to pray!” And he puts his hands together and raises his head, “Hey Starlight, going to attempt to say your real name a little. Sorry if this bothers you. Once again, thank you for the help you gave me!”
Courtney slow blinks at him, “And you think she is going to hear such an informal prayer?”
Jason shrugs, “I have faith in her!” And ...
2020-09-30 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Rosha squints at Courtney, “Then what about this telepathy nonsense?”
Courtney coughs, “The technology that we use to get into NeoRealm can not read minds. In NeoRealm, however, there are very rare instances of reading surface level thoughts. Most times this isn’t even caught. After all, when a player hears something like what Peter just said, they would dismiss it. They think that of course the locals would have the ability to talk telepathically to their companion...
2020-09-30 10:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Ace shakes his head, “If the spores aren’t magic, why don’t the effects just go away?”
Jeremy shrugs, “I just know how the poison works, not why it works. Kelly, do you have an idea on this?”
Kelly nods, “I actually do though in a roundabout way. My guess is that the skill used to create most of the spores is a summoning type as opposed to a creation skill. Many people seem to assume that summoning is a powered up version of creation. Mostly because the quantity you ...
2020-09-25 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The nearby guards all clap at the completion of Peter’s re-telling of their kingdom’s founding. He turns and bows to the crowd, and it is a crowd. At some point, the nearby people had all come over to listen.
Jason shakes his head and sighs, “That was a delightful story. Though it looks like that was enough time for Lily to finish up.”
Down below what had been a four hundred strong swarm is now reduced to only a few stragglers running away as Lily hops around ...
2020-09-23 10:01:05 +0000 UTC
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As Lily wreaks havoc at the center of the swarm, cats start to pile up along the edges. Soon, while Lily can hop around freely, the swarm has built up the edges enough to prevent her from leaving.
Up on the wall Rosha turns to Peter, “I thought they wouldn’t be able to do stuff like that because of her being the same size as a cat.”
Peter shrugs, “Being the same size only removes a lot of the correction a swarm gets when attacking. Against a human-sized target...
2020-09-23 10:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Kelly claps her hands, “Well we won’t ever find out what is there if we don’t go and find out, now will we? Jim, don’t you think it is about time we go check it out? With what little I can see from here, it is just another large room.”
Jim shakes his head, “Whatever, let’s head in everyone!”
They all enter the next room. At the center of it is a stalactite grown into the stalagmite below. Water can be seen oozing out of the stalactite and pooling at the bottom of t...
2020-09-18 10:02:00 +0000 UTC
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Doyle sighs, ‘Yeah, it would be nice if I could spread these bags around. Cost too much to do much of that, though. Just setting one as loot costs more than a fourth of the floors total. Like seriously, 1317 world energy! Not that I am going to stop from putting one on the floor. Loot isn’t dropping that often yet so it shouldn’t be a problem. I really wish the real cost wasn’t so high or I would have made sure one of the first groups to the floor would get one.’
Ally shrugs, ...
2020-09-18 10:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Breakfast finished, the group has gathered on the wall above the gate. Peter had been right about there being a swarm or two, as below them there are about four hundred cats. Off to their side is a couple of guards. One of them occasionally throws a rock tied to a rope at them. More as to amuse herself as she isn’t really doing all that much damage.
The other guard is talking to Peter. He points down at the cats, “No we can’t open the gates right now. Just jump down, ...
2020-09-16 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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It takes Jason a good half hour to get the taste out of his mouth. The worst part about it though was it wasn’t just one flavor. As time passed new and uniquely disgusting aftertastes would assault his tongue. In the end it took a good number of drinks of dubious origins. So much so that his poison resistance skill ticked over to level nine at some point without his notice. Next morning as he nurses a hangover he pulls up the skill just to check on its progress.
{...
2020-09-16 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Just to be careful, Doyle creates one of the leather packs in an unconnected room. No reason to try something dangerous around his other things. He debates having a goat wear it while he carves the design into the saddlebag. Doyle in the end decides that how it is held up shouldn’t change anything, so goes with just a protrusion of rock.
With strokes both confident, he already had a design to follow, and cautious, he had no clue how it would go, Doyle carved into the saddlebag. And it...
2020-09-11 10:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Authors Note: So I've changed over to using the same method I use D'sP for blue screens. What this means is that stuff in curly brackets {} are blue screens as it were.
Through waves of cats Jason strides. A backhand clears the way as his steps purge the crawling carpet below him. Left behind is Lily and Rosha as he proceeds deeper into the swarms. The only connection to the others is a small stream of magic coming in from Courtney as she does her best to keep his heal...
2020-09-09 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Breakfast over, the group heads out. Over the course of the day, they meet up with four more swarms. There were more around, but Peter kept the bigger groups out of sight and under control. Through his masterful guidance, the group soon comes up on the next waypoint.
Of course, nothing can ever be that easy. Around this outpost stands a sturdy stone wall, and why is obvious enough. There are numerous swarms gathered at the place, all trying to scale the wall. This would loo...
2020-09-09 10:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Ally crosses her arms and nods. ‘I’ve figured it out! Back when I was explaining the whole monster per floor limit, I skipped a number of screens marked specifically for dungeons that aren’t awake. Basically, it would have turned a slightly lengthy explanation into me reading a textbook at you. I only found what I needed so quickly because there are some very convenient search tools built in.’
‘Anyway, the answer is simple enough. The system provides some leeway on the early f...
2020-09-04 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Putting his words into action, Doyle goes back to his first floor and gives it a once over to get a feel for what needs changed.
The first thing he notices is the two goats right in the entrance room. They had been there since Doyle had realized he needed a way to kill any bugs or small animals that might wander in. Now though, with the settlement outside, all it does is force people to be ready for a fight as soon as they enter. Not exactly what he wanted, and so he moved the goats ove...
2020-09-04 10:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Silence falls over the kitchen as Jason waits for an answer to his question. It drags on for what feels like a long time before his mother rubs the back of her neck and answers.
“Well, uh hmm. I guess to start on your question, the technology and machinery used for full immersion VR is incapable of reading your mind. Even now scientists cannot interpret the fine details of what each neuron firing in the brain would mean. In any other VR application, that is where you can ...
2020-09-02 10:01:02 +0000 UTC
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Peter continues to watch Jason cultivate for a little longer before he turns his attention to the others. He is after all, supposed to be watching how they handle camping out. Though not much else attracts his attention as the group cycles through a bog standard night. The same sort of setup and schedule as anyone else would use when they only have three people.
Back to Jason, he has just finished taking his turn at watching for danger. After handing off to Rosha, he settle...
2020-09-02 10:00:03 +0000 UTC
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