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He shrugged. Close enough, he thought. "Yep, that's me. And I'm glad to see you again. You could rarely trust strangers nowadays. It's nice to see a familiar face you could rely on every now and then." He greeted, hoping she shared the same sentiment as he did, though he wouldn't blame her if she didn't; as he had said, trust wasn't something you could easily hand out anymore.

[break][break]He leaned against his spear, supporting his weight. The white haired Seraph nodded. "I guess you could call it that." He answered. "I'm off to hunt small monsters to farm points while taking in the scenery. If you haven't yet, I suggest you do so. Power is everything in this world nowadays, and in more ways than one." And truly so. With the usual hierarchy of the world demolished by the sudden shift of reality, it is only a matter of time before a new form of hierarchy was established; one that would more or less be based off of the actual power possessed by an individual, objectively quantified by their stats and abilities.

[break][break]Just before he could offer his aid for her task, a blonde man had approached them from out of nowhere, asking for assistance. He didn't utter a word as he watched the brunette interact with the stranger before them, not wanting to say anything unnecessary for the moment. Cautious as ever, Vincent stood tall and held his spear with a much tighter grip. This story, it was all too familiar, he thought.

[break][break]"Which way did you say it was?" Vincent said, his tone deadpan. "Should we help this man?" He asked as he turned his attention towards Miyah, expecting her to answer with affirmation based on his current judgement of her.

[attr="class","landtag2"]Miyah

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To think that it had only been a few days since the change, yet still, so much had already happened. Vincent couldn't fathom just how he was able to survive, with each passing day, he had faced the brink of death for more than once; so much so that it almost felt like the norm for him. It wasn't just monsters that he had to keep in mind, even other players actively hunting others for sport and gain. He clicked his tongue, annoyed at the thought of it.

[break][break]For the day and those that may follow, Vincent had one goal in mind; and that's to gain some points. With this dog eat dog world, Vincent knew he had to grow in strength, and fast. He had been hunting monsters for some time now, racking up points faster than anyone could've ever witnessed. At his current rate, he might just be one of the fastest growing players across the globe.

[break][break]However, monsters weren't the only ones he was hunting down. Recently, a group of player killers had been established, attracting morally skewed individuals from around the globe to their foul cause. It was alarming for other players who simply wanted to survive, and Vincent was having none of that. Brandishing his spear, the Seraph was ready for his hunt; be it man or beast, he had no intention to back down from a fight.

[break][break]Using a waypoint, the white haired Seraph relocated himself across the world towards UK's countryside. He knew the place well, having been one of the first few places he had visited after finishing his tutorial. It hosted one of the most scenic landscapes ever since the world had changed, a stark contrast between the hellish nightmares one might find on other locations. It was a rather safe place as well, it's risk not as high as anywhere else, with basic monsters to hunt such as slimes and the occasional wolves.

[break][break]As he reformed from a string of pixels and binary, a certain brunette caught him off-guard. It was a familiar face, that he knew, though it wasn't anyone he had known before the whole upheaval of reality. She was someone he had only recently been acquainted with, he thought, and that's when he recalled.

[break][break]"You're..." He paused. "Box girl?" In all seriousness he uttered, recalling the time they had been confined within a small glass box together along with a few others.

[attr="class","landtag2"]Miyah

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He couldn't help but wonder, could her frantic search for divine intervention and zealous belief in Christianity be an effect to her by the sudden change of reality? Or was she already like this before anything ever even happened? Either way, the green haired devotee peaked his interest; allowing Cecilia to have her fun by giving her the opportunity to speak in proverbs and gospels to someone like him who could understand, something she likely had been unable to do for far too long.

[break][break]"I cannot say anything for sure." Vincent replied. "I am but human, I do not claim to be an actual angel from the most high. I understand my flaws. However, I believe to have been granted this power for a reason. I seek nothing but the preservation and perseverance of what's left with humanity. To do that, I'd be needing more power, more influce, and I would like to someday form a group of like-minded individuals help me achieve these goals." He uttered, holding his arms out wide as though preaching his words. As he spoke, the sun had shifted its rays, now shining prismatic light directly onto Vincent through the stained glass window before them.

[break][break]"i hope you don't think too highly of me now, however, just because of some mere coincidence." He said, flashing a smile towards the verdant haired Priestess before him. "But the circumstances truly are bizarre."

[break][break]Perhaps it was a sign of God, or just a happy coincidence. Regardless, Vincent knew to think nothing much of it. The world changed, something the scriptures hadn't told them about. He fully expected the end to be something else entirely. He truly was a devout Catholic much like Cecilia, however, he didn't pass everything to be by God's perfect design.

[attr="class","landtag2"]Cecilia

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Did he do it? Did he finally kill the boss? Was it over at long last?

[break][break] The rat king squealed like any other rat, notably in pain as it squirmed and trashed its whole body around almost instinctively. He had stabbed it, the steel spear going cleanly through the giant rodent's abdomen. However, it still had some fight left.

[break][break]From the knocked out madman's hands, Vincent plucked the makeshift polearm and gave it a twirl. It was much lighter than his spear, and most likely flisy, but it had to make do. With one final rush, Vincent ran towards the now wounded king of rodents to help his teammate out.

[break][break] "U- unf... Unforgivable!" The rat king exclaimed. Shortly after, it unhinged its jaw, opening its mouth. Though barely, Vincent was able to see a deep green fog forming within the boss' mouth; it was charging up another ability. Vincent grimaced. Thankfully however, the white haired Seraph was able to reach there in time.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: DUCK.

[break][break]He typed out with his thoughts. Should Adam heed his warning or not, Vincent was there either way; stabbing the boss right through its open mouth, shoving the broken mop stick down the boss' throat. After falling limp, the fog forming within its mouth dissipated shortly after.

[break][break]

— OBJECTIVE COMPLETE —

[break][break]BOSS DEFEATED!
[break][break]CONTRIBUTORS:

[break][break][ ADAM FUJIWARA ]
[break] [ VINCENT CROSS ]

[break][break]With the notification confirming their kill, a surge of immense relief coursed through his whole body. At long last, he thought. Vincent fell on his knees out of utter exhaustion. Still unable to talk, he could only do much as groan and chuckled in glee. Deciding he had earned it, he lied on the ground, taking his moment.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: THANK YOU.

[break][break]VINCENT: YOU CAN HAVE HIM.

[break][break]VINCENT: AND HAND ME BACK MY SPEAR.

[break][break]

[attr="class","landtag2"]adam fujiwara

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The Seraph took off and flew on over towards the brunette's location. With one hand, Vincent reached down and grabbed one of Adam's arms, lifting him up. On his other hand, Vincent held his spear. He looked down at Adam and extended the spear's shaft over towards him, giving the brunette his go signal to grab hold of it.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: HOLD ON AND TAKE THE SPEAR. DO WHAT YOU CAN, THEN PASS IT BACK. I'LL DO A FOLLOW UP AFTER YOU.

[break][break]Al Dolter, the plague doctor, ever so persistent. He had one thing in mind, and that's to finish off the boss by himself, taking every bit of glory. With the rooftop now clear of giant rats, he rushed forward on foot, racing the flying angel and his masked companion.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: GET READY TO DROP, LAND DIRECTLY ON THAT RAT WITH THE SPEAR.

[break]

VINCENT: I'LL LET YOU DEAL WITH AL LATER, FOR NOW, FOCUS ON THE BOSS.

[break][break]Vincent said through the chat function of their party, knowing well it would motivate Adam to come out of it alive if it meant he could beat the living hell out of Al. As they neared the boss' throne, Vincent lowered his flight to prevent the risk of fall damage for Adam. With his cue, the Seraph had let go, hoping his teammate landed the hit. With his core ability's duration running out, Vincent had no choice but to crash against the chain link fence that surrounded the rooftop.

[break][break]"F- fuck the boss..." Al Dolter, still running forward, exclaimed. "I- I'll k- k- kill you both first!" He laughed maniacally, the screws on his brain seemingly loosened. He held his broken mop handle forward, looking to stab Adam instead of the boss this time around.

[break][break]With no time to waste, Vincent gave it his all and sprinted. He raced Al just before he was able to reach the brunette and delivered a drop kick against the lunatic's temple, sending him rolling.

[break][break]

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Core Duration: 3 / 3 Posts

[attr="class","landtag2"]adam fujiwara

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Yet again, within the comfort of God's temple, Vincent was able to find genuine connection. She might not have been someone close enough for him to consider eachother as best of friends, but she an acquaintance nevertheless. As she would recite her bible verse, Vincent raised a single brow out of both intrigue and confusion.

[break][break]"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil... Genesis, chapter three, verses four and five..." As if their minds were oddly intertwined, Vincent replied, having a vague idea of what she had in mind. It is true, just as the serpent said, death was far from certain. Instead, God simply feared for his own creations to be gods themselves. Now look at them, harnessing god-like power as the serpent foretold.

[break][break]As a gesture of courtesy and politeness, following tradition of the likes of van Blossoms; Vincent took the lady's hand and gave it a gentle kiss on top with a bow. "Ah, Ms. Van Blossom, yes." He shook his head. "How could I forget. It is a pleasure meeting you once again." He couldn't quite remember where, but he was very much sure they had crossed paths before, on multiple occasions no less.

[break][break]"The MET Gala, perhaps you may remember? Or... ah, the Vatican, maybe?" He listed, hoping to confirm what he had in mind. Eventually, she was able to recall his name. "Right, Vincent Cross. I'm surprised you remembered my name; often people would only recall my father's, or my mother's, and call me the son of this and that."
He smiled, rather unfortunate, however he couldn't truly blame anyone who had ever referred to him as such.

[break][break] "I see you're just as devout as the articles once told, still." Vincent paused as he inched to his left, granting Cecilia some space to his right for her to sit on. With one hand, the silver haired man gestured for her to take the seat beside him. "Would it be rude for me to ask how it went?" He asked. "Your life so far after the 'change', I mean."

[attr="class","landtag2"]Cecilia

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[ ] EJECT PARTY MEMBER [break][break][ ] DO NOT EJECT PARTY MEMBER

[break][break]Vincent fell on his knees. "Adam!?" The silver haired man exclaimed with a cough, surprised and a tad bit disappointed. "W- wait..." The middle aged man looked towards Adam, shocked and desperate. "Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait!... Nononononono!" He pleaded, yelling at the brunette, begging for him to stay. Al looked over towards Vincent, continuing his plea. Vincent gave it some thought. It's not like it'd kill him, right? They needed more time, and an extra bit of health would've meant the world for them just about now.

[break][break]

[ ✓ ] EJECT PARTY MEMBER

[break][break]|[break]
|[break]
|[break]
.

[break][break]
— PARTY FORMED —

[break][break]CURRENT MEMBERS:

[break][break][ VINCENT CROSS ]
[break][ ADAM FUJIWARA ]

[break][break]— SYNERGY ACTIVE —

[break][break]BLACK AND WHITE
[break][break]EFFECT: INCREASES PLAYER'S [VIT] BY 10%. INCREASE HEALING EFFECTIVENESS BY 10%.

[break][break]Vincent frowned and averted his eyes, unable to face such a cowardly decision. Al Dolter's demeanor changed, however, and he laughed a maniacal laugh. "Y- you'd abandon me! I knew it... Both of you just wanted those rewards to yourselves!" He paused. "Y- you wanna know how we survived those filthy rodents? Plague Doctor, b- bitch!" He chuckled, flashing three vials of green tinted liquid each labeled "antidote" on its side. The middle aged man drank one, curing his poison and restoring a portion of his health. Then, he made his way towards Adam. Al then smashed one of said vials against the ground, taunting the Anti-Hero.

[break][break]Vincent, still on the ground writhing in pain from the poison coursing through his veins, was unable to do anything but watch in dismay. Al made his way towards him as well and smashed the last remaining vial against the floor mere inches beside his face. Vincent growled in frustration, coughing shortly after. "I- I'm the hero of this story! I w- win!"

[break][break]He looked at Adam, wanting so desperately to speak, yet his throat couldn't bear to make a sound. As though knowing his wish to communicate, a pop-up appeared before him and Adam subsequently.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: LICK IT.

[break][break]Despite having broken glass mixed in with the viscous green liquid on the ground, Vincent opened his mouth and licked it off. He felt a surge of sudden energy enter his veins. The poison was cured. With his vocal cords still failing him along with the pain his tongue now had to endure, Vincent continued his use of the available party chat function.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: DO IT NOW.

[break][break]His core activated, he had a few minutes left of his flight. The same wings from before sprouted behind him and lifted him up twenty feet above ground, surpassing the cloud of putrid miasma. Using his thoughts, he once more contacted Adam through the pop-up chat.

[break][break]

— PARTY CHAT —

[break][break]VINCENT: ONCE YOU'RE CURED I'LL CARRY YOU OVER TOWARDS THE BOSS. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE.

[break][break]

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Core Duration: 2 / 3 Posts

[attr="class","landtag2"]adam fujiwara