//------------------------------// // Episode 42 — Beast Master // Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Ruby Palace // by Mindrop //------------------------------// Episode 42 — Beast Master First Day in the Month of Chrysanthemum (September 1) in the Year of the Dragon Floor 34  Bladescape looked at the stone doors with the wolves carved on it. They were about to dive into the thirty-fourth floor boss battle. Everyone was fresh from a day off, or at least a less stressful one. They didn't have to worry about the labyrinth, but many still went into the field for fun, col, or XP. Bladescape had led Natora, Kiefer, Malus, Thunderborne, and Reisenki into a dungeon on the thirtieth floor. It was easy to clear, and fun, helping to boost their XP and kill time until the boss strategy meeting. Knightstar, Soryuto, and Doombunny went in search of more flowers to try and make a poison out of. Konpeito went on a baking and cooking spree, making a wonderful dinner for the whole guild at their Tolbana house. Diemond spent the day leveling her sewing skill and only her sewing skill. She hit 950, fifty away from maxing it. She also had made everyone in the guild another set of clothes which matched them personally. Something fun to wear when they were not in the field.  At the boss meeting, Argo didn't have any new information from them, but she was able to confirm the boss’ weakness to poison. The Wondercolts didn't have a poison worked out yet, but they had found more of the plants. Enough to allow for some experimentation.  While things didn't look great for them in certain areas, they had gotten a look inside the boss chamber and a corridor crystal was set, allowing them to skip the labyrinth for the raid. Serigatal The Wolf Master had an army of ash wolves under his command. They organized their strategy around countering that army. They were heavy on the shield users because they would be better at defending against a shifting mass of wolves. They had a solid core of damage dealers to back them up.  Bladescape looked to her right. Doombunny was beside her and staying close. Last night she had confidently declared that she would not let the boss enslave the wolves and she would help stop him by being their poisoner. Even if she had to use Colorra's poison, she would fight. The six foot long elapid was draped around Doombunny’s neck, sitting on her shoulders, just like she had been last night when Doombunny made the declaration.  That bold statement meant that Asuna's declaration, after thanking Doombunny, was to give the Wondercolts, Fuurinkazan, and Kirito the lead on the raid. Some of the others didn't like it, but they knew it was fair. They couldn't argue against Asuna and her personal observations about the squad's combat ability and preparedness. Bladescape was proud of Doombunny for agreeing to go into the boss fight.  The meeting hadn’t taken long. They were essentially in four groups; assault, buffer, damage, and reserve. The KoB was leading the Buffer group, whose job was to block and defend against the wolves. They would be providing the assault group a safe place to retreat to. The assault group was centered on Doombunny and getting her to the boss to poison him. Their mixed group could deal damage to the boss too, but everyone was expecting the poison weakness to be significant. The damage group was the damage dealers for the buffer group. Their main job was to clear the enemies before they overwhelmed a defender. They also would help create openings for assault’s movements. Reserve was a single party with the sole goal of watching their backs. If a wolf got around, they would eliminate it before it attacked someone from behind. Bladescape was confident in the strategy.  Doombunny squeezed Bladescape’s hand. She was getting more and more nervous. Bladescape squeezed it back in silent support. The rest of the raid party had come through the corridor crystal and was assembling behind them. Bladescape was confident in Doombunny because she had figured out a poison mixture for the Angel of the Night. Over half of the gathered flowers were used up experimenting, but late last night, Knightstar and Doombunny had figured out which additive to use to make the weapon poison gel. Doombunny had two vials of the gel and it should last long enough to do the job for the fight, especially as the rest of the team helped deal damage. Bladescape heard Commander Heathcliff, who was directly behind her, draw his sword. She had to let go of Doom’s hand and draw her own. Doom didn’t try to keep holding on; she understood it was time to fight. Colorra shifted to get herself into a better position for dropping off Doombunny’s shoulders.  “For our day of liberation!” Heathcliff declared. “Proceed, Bladescape of the Wondercolts.” Bladescape stepped forward and pushed on the doors of the boss chamber. Despite how heavy and solid they appeared, they didn’t require a lot of force to begin opening on their own. As the doors swung inward, torches lit up, showing the cages filled with extra-large ash wolves. The wolves also started snarling and howling, itching to be let loose on the raiders who were entering. Serigatal The Wolf Master was sitting at the far end of the hall. The shirtless giant was sitting on something beside a small table. He used a whip or a short sword. Bladescape led her team past the first cages. She might be at the front, but Heathcliff was leading this battle. Their group’s pacing was marked for the tanks. Working together a whole day against the wolves helped them find that timing. The Wondercolts with Bladescape and Doombunny were Malus, Reisenki, Natora, and Thunderborne. Bladescape had two roles: lead the squad and personally protect Doombunny. She wasn’t concerned about getting hits in. That’s what Natora and Thunderborne were there to do. Halfway to Serigatal, he stood up. He was taller than he appeared to be. Two health bars came up, indicating that he relied upon the wolves. He grabbed his whip off the table as he prepared to face them. Two thirds of the way to him, he cracked his whip. They didn’t slow down or falter at the gesture.  He did a big, overhead wind up as they got to the end of the cages. The whip didn’t crack. Instead there was the groan of rusted metal. The whip was snagged on something on the wall. The wind up was used to snag it.  Bars on the cages disappeared. The wolves in the forward cages sprinted to cut off the team from reaching their master. Bladescape glanced back, checking to see how many wolves were released in the first wave. Her heart stopped as she saw the reality of their situation. Every single cage was unlocked, letting every wolf loose on the raiders. They were too far apart to get to the buffer team and have a unified push forward. Even if they could, the shield users were in the center, blindsided by the blitzing wolves in the first cages.  “Circle up!” Bladescape ordered. “Tanks, take the points of a triangle! Klein, give me eyes to our rear!” Malus stepped forward, while Harry One and Reisenki stepped back. Their circle wasn’t big, but it was enough for their thirteen members. Their backs were safe as the wolves attacked. The Commander had given similar orders and was shouting more as the buffer, damage, and reserve groups fell under his direct authority. The wolves had pushed past players before their defensive posture could be set up. They had to be taken care of before they killed players. Damage group would be focused on that. Bladescape was to the right of Malus. She plunged her sword into a wolf, but it wasn’t enough to eliminate even half its HP. Two throwing knives struck it, putting it deep in the red, yet they were still not enough to get the job done. Doombunny didn’t have the ability to throw a third from where Malus was shielding her. Bladescape’s delay was only a brief moment and she immediately struck again, eliminating the wolf.  Natora had an easier time on Malus’ left. Three thrusts from her spear, the combination called Triple Threat Triad, was enough to finish a wolf. Malus was focused on blocking. Thunder was working to keep Reisenki’s shield free.  “Issin! Kunimittz!” Natora called out. “Triple Threat Triad puts them down!”  “I was just about to say that!” Issin yelled back.  Bladescape injured a wolf but could not kill it before it escaped her range. They were surrounded by two dozen wolves and they had backed off, looking for weaknesses to exploit. The wolves were circling around and around, weaving in and out of each other as they encircled the squad. Their three spear users could reach them, but that was it. If they stepped out to strike a wolf, they would be exposed and vulnerable like the wolves wanted, especially if they used a sword skill that forced them into the delay. Everyone else had to wait for the wolves to step in.  “Klein,” Bladescape called as she rested her sword on her left shoulder. “How’s it looking back there?” “Not good,” Klein answered. “I’m pretty sure the wolves got a raider before they got their defenses tightened up. A lot of wolves are between us and them. We couldn’t make a break for it and win. We’d lose, hard. The others might be able to push to us. Commander Heathcliff is setting something up.” “Alright,” Bladescape said. She did her best to project her voice to everyone. Turning around would expose her back. “We will play an aggressive defense. Stay defensive, but take every opportunity to shave HP off a wolf as you can. Just don’t expose yourself.” Everyone echoed confirmation. “Blade, get ready,” Doombunny said.  Bladescape never had time to ask for clarification before there was a bolt of red and black past her. Colorra sank her fangs into the hind leg of a wolf and didn’t let go as the snake was dragged backward. It brought the panicking wolf in close enough for Bladescape to unleash a two combination attack that eliminated the remaining three quarters of HP. Colorra never injected any venom into the wolf, but her fangs were powerful. The elapid not only had a powerful bite, she also dealt DOT damage which stacked up quickly.  There was a thunderous roar from the other group. Despite the volume the sound had, it never got any closer. It died down suddenly as other commands were hastily given.  “They couldn’t break through!” Klein exclaimed. He sounded defeated. “The Commander was at the head of the charge and they failed. There are so many wolves.” “We might be able to inch our way there,” Natora offered. “They are not too keen on getting close.” “We might,” Bladescape said as she took a swipe at a wolf. It missed, but it kept them back. “But right now, we are in a safe position that is advantageous. The boss hasn’t come for us and we have the wolves’ focus split. We can win a war of attrition. He let slip the dogs of war, but we get to ‘cry havoc.’” It was a great sentiment, but pulling it off was harder than expected. Ten minutes passed without killing a single wolf. Both groups only got a few blows to land. Thinning the hoard was proving to be much more difficult than initially judged. They had expected waves to be released, not a full blitz.  “The Commander is organizing another move,” Klein warned.  With another roar the damage team blitzed out of their defensive circle, Heathcliff leading the charge, as they engaged the wolves. Bladescape caught a wolf paying attention to the noise, not his prey, and Bladescape killed it. It was already injured by previous strikes. What mattered was not who did the damage, just that one more had been eliminated.  "They gained a meter or two," Klein reported after the yelling stopped.  Colorra bumped her head into Bladescape's thigh. It was a heavy hit from the snake and clearly intentional. Bladescape couldn't get distracted or look away from the wolves or they would take the opportunity. Colorra bumped into Bladescape a second time. Only once had Colorra gone out and attacked. Doombunny had not been able to do much outside of the initial reorganizing. Their circle was pretty tight and the wolves were far enough back she could only throw her knives. Still, she only had so many throwing knives on her. Colorra smacked Bladescape a third time.  "Dynamm," Bladescape called, since he was in between her and Reisenki. "Choke up and cover my spot. I need to check something." "Got it!" Dynamm confirmed, taking a step into Bladescape.  Bladescape stepped back as he shifted more and Reisenki also shifted down. Their circle was no longer a circle, but the defense was still strong. Bladescape took a quick moment to look at the whole situation. She needed to know what was going on in order to properly address Doombunny. The other raiders had advanced, but they were still twelve to fifteen meters in between them. That forty feet held twenty or so wolves. They were circling the others just like they were circling the assault squad. They could quickly shift to double their numbers in between, if needed, to prevent the raiders from uniting. This attrition strategy was not going well. They hadn't even landed a hit on the boss.  Bladescape bent down to where Doombunny was cowering on the floor. Her head was buried in her lap and she was breathing heavily. Panic had set fully in. Bladescape put her left hand on Doombunny's shoulders, grasping it tightly so that Doom knew she wasn't alone. Before Bladescape could speak, Doombunny looked up at her. She had been quietly crying. The tears on her cheeks were still flowing. Bladescape wiped them away with her left hand as best as she could while giving her the most positive and warm of a smile she could muster. "Doom, this didn't go as planned," Bladescape stated. "I know you wanted to do this, but also that you didn't. I'm proud of you. If you need to teleport out, do it. No one will blame you. They all saw your bravery. The Assault Team has been in several tough fights. This is top five, easily, because the wolves are way smarter than the rabid ones. We couldn’t have predicted that. "If you leave, well, I'll still be just as proud of you as I was before we entered. The same with the other Wondercolts. We didn't have any hint that it would go this way. You're not weak. You've proven that, repeatedly. You still have a kind heart. I'm sure you silently suffer more than I realize. That probably means you're braver than I am. Than any of us are. Turns out, this isn't the boss where a dagger wielding player can excel at, thanks to his very smart army." "I'm dragging you all down," Doombunny said, choking back tears. She held up a teleport crystal. "If I leave, you can make it to the others."  Bladescape put her hand on the crystal, preventing Doombunny from using it at the moment. "If you do, leave me the poisons. But you should know that, yeah, you're our weakest player, but only in certain regards. We couldn't make it to the others if you left. That's a false assumption. I'm actually more afraid of the tanks dying because they are slower.  "We need to get more aggressive. The others got a decent push forward, but we don't need movement, we need to eliminate the giant pack the boss has under his control. That's our big obstacle." "You need to get back to the fight," Doombunny said, choking back tears. She fished something out of a pouch. She gave Bladescape two vials. "These are the poison from the Angel of the Night flower. Take them and get back in this fight." Bladescape took them as she smiled at Doombunny. "Once again, you saved us, or at least provided us a huge boost. You figured it out. That's a huge win for us. That's something to be very proud of. You're a fighter. The fight simply isn't going our way. Leave or stay, it's up to you. You won't lose any reputation. If you need me too, I'll order you to leave." "Thanks, Blade," Doombunny said, forcing a smile. "I appreciate the sentiments and support. I just wish I wasn't so scared or useless." "You are not useless," Bladescape asserted. "Do what you need to, but know, either way, we respect your decision. You are not useless, our situation is just tight, especially for a specialist like you are.” Bladescape gave Doombunny’s hand a reassuring squeeze and stood up. It felt like she was abandoning her friend, but she had no choice. She took another look around the room, taking stock of the situation. The raiders were holding steady, but not gaining ground. Commander Heathcliff was not on the front line. He was clearly organizing another offensive.  Bladescape needed to do the same. The first question was the direction. Should they go towards the boss, or towards the other team? The squad was under mental stress, but not much of a physical one. Fuurinkazan was new, but they still were members of the Assault Team. Kirito and the other Wondercolts were battle hardened against bosses. The only direction to go was towards the boss. “Squad!” Bladescape called. “We must break this stalemate. We must advance!” “Let’s roll em!” Malus bellowed.  “Push forward and I’ll get the tanks to keep up,” Klein called out.  “Malus!” Bladescape commanded. “Advance us five meters!” Malus let out a hearty laugh as she pulled her shield in. Pairing it with her shoulder, she bulldozed forward with a mad war-cry. Several wolves coalesced in front of her, but their joint effort failed to stop her.  Bladescape underestimated Malus’ forward speed. Everyone was left scrambling after her, losing their defensive integrity. The wolves shifted, but not into the squad. They had already moved to get in front of the charge. It gave the squad the moment needed to catch up. Bladescape, Natora, Kirito, and Dynamm were on Malus’s flanks as the wolves came crashing back in.  The wolves didn’t back down. They abandoned their defenses, trying to shred the squad at any cost. Their squad fought fiercely to beat them down.  They succeeded, opening up the area between the boss and the squad. The Commander rallied his troops for another push. Their noise was drowned out as Serigatal The Wolf Master’s whip cracked over their heads. It came again, splitting open the air a second time before making a third attempt. This time, it wasn’t for show as it cut downward, slapping into the Iron Bulwark. The strike was further out, allowing the tip to continue its arc. The shield edge only served as a leverage point, speeding up the whip’s tip. It wrapped around Malus, binding her in place before being ripped back. It left Malus with a very strong stun effect. The whip came back at them, scattering their squad. It didn’t find its mark and was pulled back. Bladescape fell backwards as it whizzed overhead, barely skimming past her face during her graceless collapse.  It found its true target. Serigatal The Wolf Master yanked on his whip, pulling another lever on the wall. Bladescape rolled her head back and saw that the Commander had broken through. The last of the wolves were cornered and pinned as the raiders pressed their advantage. She also saw sections of the walls behind the cages disappear. Out of them poured another wave of wolves. There was no chance to warn the raiders as they were blindsided a second time. Bladescape lost sight of them all as a wave of black wolves washed over them. She didn’t have time to observe as the wolves came at her squad.  “CIRCLE UP!” Bladescape screamed as she scrambled up. “MORE WOLVES INCOMING!”  Between her orders and the screams of the other group, her squad was able to assemble in time before the wolves got any of them. Malus was still frozen, but her shield was forward. She was at least a passive block and she had done little else the time before, except keep her massive shield forward, acting as their cornerstone. Kirito was now on Malus’ right side, Natora was on the left, each protecting Malus’ flanks. Bladescape ended up in between Kirito and Harry.  These second-wave wolves were more aggressive, yet they still kept their distance. Bladescape did her best, but she had a lot of close misses. So did Kirito. Their best hits were when a wolf attacked after the other’s delay was triggered for missing the attack.  They might not have landed a hit on the boss, but they had advanced. They also had proven that they could win. The blindside was bad, but every raider knew they could break a wave of wolves. They wouldn’t be blindsided the next time. The boss would have a limited number of waves he could unleash. Two was probably all he could muster, maybe a third.  Malus’s ensnared status finally ended. With a roar she stepped forward, swinging her hammer up with a vengeance. It obliterated a wolf in a single hit and she had not triggered a sword skill. “LET’S SKIN THESE VARMENTS!” Malus spat. “I’M ANGRY NOW! NO OVERSIZED PUP IS GONNA TAKE ME DOWN. DON’T HOLD ME BACK!” Malus swung her shield forward, planting it in the ground. Their circle shifted to keep up with her as she began to inch them forward. The wolves dogpiled her shield in an effort to stop her advance. It just made them easy targets for Kirito and Natora. There were not many stragglers left. Their dogpile was their last effort.  Bladescape turned her attention to the boss, looking for his whip. He wasn’t there. There was no sign of him anywhere. Bladescape spun around, trying to spot him, but all she saw was the wolves attacking the other group.  “Squad!” Bladescape barked. “Watch your backs!” Bladescape shifted her stance and set her sword above her head. “Let's clear a way to the others.” The order got an enthusiastic war-cry back as Bladescape surged forward. She knew the others were right behind her. She only focused on the unsuspecting wolves ahead of her. It was time to turn the predators into the prey.  Bladescape chained four sword skills, striking down three wolves. She was intending to chain a fourth, with eight total skills mapped out, but her sword was stopped as the wolf shattered like glass. Through the polygons Bladescape saw the calm and collected face of Commander Heathcliff looking back at her, Bladescape’s sword against his shield. His eyes were sharp as he shifted his glance to where he thrust his sword, taking out a wolf in a single strike. That was the last wolf he killed as the battle broke down into pockets of resistance from cornered wolves.  Bladescape was released from her delay as Heathcliff sheathed his sword. “Well done, Bladescape of the Wondercolts,” he praised. “I didn’t think you made it to the boss.” “We didn’t,” Bladescape stated as she rested her sword on her shoulder. She wasn’t going to sheath hers yet. She turned to look at the place where the boss had been sitting. “We got swarmed by the second wave. We started a new advancement tactic, but when we broke through, he wasn’t there. So I turned us to helping you while keeping eyes on the back of our heads.” The congratulation banner appeared overhead, accompanied by its music as the lighting in the room brightened up. All of the cages shattered into polygons and the walls filled back in. Only Serigatal The Wolf Master’s stool and table were left in their place, despite the stairwell behind them opening up.  “What happened?” Klein asked as he slid to a stop beside Bladescape. “Did we hit the boss?” “No, we didn’t,” Bladescape said as she sheathed her sword. It was over; the thirty-fourth floor boss, Serigatal The Wolf Master, was defeated. They could all safely relax and most of the raiders already were, assuming the assault squad had eliminated the boss. “No one that I know of got close. I still have both poison potions Doombunny left me. I have no explanation.” “So she did leave,” Asuna said as she joined the three of them. “I had an inclination that she would when things turned on us. It’s better than the alternative. We lost four, one in the first blitz and three from the second.” “I gave her permission,” Bladescape stated. “She was…” Bladescape trailed off, she turned to look at the table and stool. Doombunny could still hide from Bladescape’s Search skill. The battle was loud at times, but not enough to mask the sound of someone teleporting or hide the flash of blue that came with it. She was operating purely on an assumption. “Doom? Are you there?” Bladescape called out.  “I’m behind you,” Doombunny said. Bladescape spun on her heels to see Doombunny walking towards them, from the direction of the doors. She joined their huddle, a savage look in her eye. She was angry, very angry, but Bladescape wasn’t sure why she was angry. It could be any number of things after how the raid went.  “When you advanced, no one saw me,” Doombunny explained as Colorra slithered up her body to sit on her shoulders, laying her head on top of Doombunny’s. “I don’t blame you. I probably had activated Hide in my panic. Most of the wolves went after all of you because you were the threat. I killed one of the two who came for me, Colorra got the other. I lost control and charged the boss, going around your group. He was pathetic. He might be weak to the Angel of the Night, but the Ruby Krait is the most poisonous animal in Aincrad. Then Colorra and I turned to put every last one of his abused wolves out of their misery.” “You killed the boss?” Klein stammered. “By yourself? Both HP bars?” Doombunny just silently nodded to him, Colorra nodding along as the tired snake was too exhausted to move off Doombunny’s head.  “Blade, I need a third knife,” Doombunny stated. “I need one for stabbing, one that does DOT damage. I need something better for stabbing something in the heart.” Bladescape was blindsided by the change in subjects. “Okay,” she said, shaking her head to try and roll with the shift. “You know what materials will work best. I’m sure Lisbeth can make you whatever you need.” “Lisbeth?” Asuna asked.  “Brown hair and wears a red shirt with a pink skirt and pink vest on top,” Bladescape said. “Used to work with three other guys in a foundry.” “That’s Lis,” Asuna said, shocked. “But I don’t know anything about those guys. I only met her and started going to her at the end of June.” “Ah,” Bladescape said with a nod. She didn’t want to say anything more. Bladescape liked Lisbeth, she did great work for the Wondercolts, but Bladescape missed Koricata, Nataszo, and Nemus. It wasn’t the same without the four of them working together. “I didn’t know anyone in the Assault Team used her,” Asuna added. “She is a great smith, underrated. I’ve only seen intermediate players going to her.” “The Wondercolts have used her basically since the beginning,” Bladescape said. “In a way, I’m glad she is underrated, because I don’t have to fight for her attention. She does deserve more recognition for her expert work.” “She forges her soul into her work,” Asuna said as she played with the handle of her rapier. Bladescape recognized it as one of two rapiers Lisbeth had made, which Thunderborne had been debating between. She got the other one, leaving that one for Asuna to buy. It was the first time Bladescape had seen Asuna with it, meaning she likely had been getting upgrades on it until it was better than her previous rapier. Besides, fencers usually carried multiple rapiers due to their low durability. Thunderborne always had three spares, minimum. A long day clearing would decimate the durability of two or three rapiers. Bladescape just silently nodded in agreement. She didn’t want to speak anymore on the subject. Her heart now ached over the loss of Koricata, Nataszo, and Nemus. “The boss is dead and we have a teleport plaza to unlock,” Commander Heathcliff said, progressing their conversation. “Doombunny, that honor clearly goes to you.” Doombunny nodded once in recognition and strode off towards the stairwell. She had an extra kick in hips; more sass in her stride. Maybe it was from a new level of confidence, but it could be an after effect from the terror, fear, or rage she had expressed. No matter what it was, Bladescape followed after her friend, rallying the Wondercolts to join them.  It wasn’t hard to get to the town. Doombunny triggered the gate with no ceremony, but she did pause right before touching it, taking a deep breath in before activating it. She still had that sass in her walk, but she clearly recognized the importance of what she was about to do. Then she went to find them a tavern, not even bothering to look back at the plaza.  Natora teleported to get the others. Thunderborne followed everyone else until the tavern was chosen. She went back to lead the rest of their guild to it. It didn’t take them long to catch up to Doombunny, who already had ordered mugs of ale for everyone, with four extra sitting in the middle of the table.  Bladescape stood up, raising her mug. “Mo ghile mear, to Doombunny and Colorra!” Everyone raised their mugs and enthusiastically repeated their motto.  Bladescape took a short drink and raised her mug again. “Mo ghile mear to the four fallen raiders.” This time their tone matched the lament that it was and the drink taken was a solemn one.  “What exactly happened?” Natora asked. “I still can’t figure that out.” Doombunny shrugged. “Instead of teleporting out when you all advanced, I ended up alone, and lost it. I used one of the poisons made from Colorra’s venom and stabbed him in the chest. Then I put every wolf under his abusive grip out of their misery, letting them finally rest in peace. There was no saving the poor creatures. Their minds had been twisted to only seeing one master. I was never going to be able to control them as he did.” “I’ve always maintained my respect for the dagger and its ability to kill when used properly,” Natora said. “It’s the most fearsome weapon, yet always underrated. Well done. I knew you had it in you. We owe our victory entirely to you. And Colorra too. We can’t forget her contributions.” “No more floor boss battles,” Doombunny firmly said. “My heart can’t take the stress.” “Did you get anything good?” Konpeito blatantly asked. Bladescape had forgotten about the Last Attack Bonus. It wasn’t even on her radar since she didn’t engage the boss in any way. They were in survival mode, reacting to the unforeseeable changes.  Doombunny nodded and brushed her hair back, exposing her ear. She was now wearing an earring; a wolf canine. She laid her right hand out on the table, displaying a silver signet ring with a wolf intricately carved on the top.  “The beast tamer charms provide me an advantage as a beast tamer,” Doombunny kindly explained. Her words were soft, but her eyes were still dangerous. “They have almost no use to a player unless they have an animal familiar. They reflect the familiar and their abilities. One of the earrings gives me night vision, which may or may not require a familiar. Everything else explicitly requires a familiar, or it wouldn’t have anything to reflect onto the wearer.”  “Nifty,” Natora said.  “We don’t have many pieces of jewelry,” Knightstar stated. “We should look at fixing that for the boosts they can provide. That leaves you with a necklace or pendant slot and a ring on the left hand. At least for being equipped and recognized by the system.” Doombunny shook her head. “They wouldn’t be charms if they were just that. I haven’t had much time to explore the other pieces.” “Are they more like the earring or the ring?” Diemond asked. She was clearly interested in the aesthetics and it wouldn’t be easy for Diemond unless they were like the ring. “More like the earrings,” Doombunny answered. “The ring was worn by Serigatal The Wolf Master. Everything else was made from his wolves. They wouldn’t look out of place on Konpeito.” Diemond nodded silently, understanding what Doombunny was kindly stating. It didn’t sound like she would be openly displaying the charms. Bladescape took a drink, enjoying the taste of the ale. Every other time her friends had scored a floor boss LAB, she had some bit of jealousy mixed in with her happiness and pride for them. This time, she had none of the jealousy, just the happiness for Doombunny’s good fortune. She kept expecting to have to rationalize the emotions and force herself to smile, but they just didn’t rise up. She was ambivalent about the LAB and that was odd. Bladescape figured it was because she never fought the boss. BLADESCAPE: Level 59 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint —  Blade Throwing  NATORA: Level 55 —  Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics KNIGHTSTAR: Level 53 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry  MALUS: Level 56 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search  THUNDERBORNE: Level 55 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce  KONPEITO: Level 55 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense —  Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing  DIEMOND: Level 54 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor  — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging DOOMBUNNY: Level 53 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Search  KIEFER: Level 53 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor  — Weapon Defense — First Aid  — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Search SORYUTO: Level 52 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce REISENKI: Level 54 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid —  Battle Regeneration — Cooking  Kirito: Level 58 — One-Handed Sword — Martial Arts — Sprint — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Search — Extended Weight Carry  Klein: Level 47 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Katana — Light Metal Armor — Shield — First Aid — Search — Sewing   Dale: Level 46 — Two-Handed Sword — Heavy Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Cooking — Sprint — Search  Dynamm: Level 47 —  One-Handed Curved Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Sprint — First Aid — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiations  Harry One: Level 46 — Greatshield — One-Handed Hammer — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Search — Battle Regeneration  Issin: Level 45 — Two-Handed Spear — Leather Armor — Weapon Defense — Acrobatics — Sprint — Cooking — Armor Pierce  Kunimittz: Level 46 — Two-Handed Spear — Light Metal Armor — Shield — First Aid — Search — Reveal — Trap Dismantling