Polaris Dark - Arc II: Particle Physics

Arc II - Start

The realism and curiousity for the virtual world got the better of me and so, in just two days of being afraid of Ascendancy, I hestitantly entered the world again two days after the traumatizing experience. In the end, the game's fun factor overwhelmned my fear and I started to enjoy my surroundings as well as conversing with the NPCs.

Over the past month in the world of Ascendency, I have been busy with helping out in both the commercial and the artisan districts. By the end of the one-month prohibition period, I have gained a good reputation with the NPCs in the area.

During this month, I have received quite a few quests for helping out mundane tasks such as collecting materials for shops, delivering packages as well as fighting against rat infestations in certain food storage warehouses.

Before I began the quests though, I checked over my new abilities again and finally opened my inventory. I found three items that I have gotten after changing to the profession.

Spoiler: Information

Refurbished Tracer Gauntlets Type: Magitech Gauntlets Set Synergy: No Quality: Artifact Level Req: 10 Being a relic of the past, this piece of work was fairly dull and rusty. Now that it has been refurbished, many collectors would like to have such piece as a historical artifact for themselves. The pair of gauntlets are a magic artifact that is capable of reducing its size and form when not in use through Dimension Magic.

Its standby mode is in the form of a silver-purple bracelet with a single lilac gem embedded at the top. The gauntlets themselves cover up to the middle of the user's forearm with a grey and silver articulated metal plating. There are several centimeter-thick energy lines on the plating indicating that the gauntlets are in Active Mode. The glove portion is made of an unknown but tough, magic-conducting alloy to protect the hands as well as deal more damage to enemies when struck.

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Equipment Information

Physical Attack: 22-35

Magical Attack: 18-31

Physical Defense: +13

Magical Defense: +18

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Aftershock: When attacking, 15% chance of dealing an additional 5% P. Blast damage to target. This damage ignores all external effects, target defense (not physical modifiers) as well as temporary effects. Durability Left Gauntlet: 250 / 250 Right Gauntlet: 250 / 250 Spoiler: Information

Scroll of Divine Law - Courage Type: Scroll Set Synergy: No Quality: Celestial Level Req: 1 An extremely rare scroll embued with the energies of the Divine Laws. When used, the scroll will disappear and send the power contained within into the user, increasing his or her strength by the amount proportional to the grade level of the scroll.

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Consumable Information

Divine Law - Courage: Raises the user's Level to 10 if his or her current level is below 10.

Divine Law - Action Force: Alters the user's base stats, modifiers and growth to an optimum efficiency according to the profession and race. Durability Scroll: 1 / 1 Spoiler: Information

Variable Code Amulet Type: Magitech Necklace Set Synergy: No Quality: Artifact Level Req: 1

A magitech accessory that originally belonged to an ancient empire's princess. This amulet consists of an adjustable silver chaiin and a circular metal pendant imbedded with a lilac magic crystal cut into a diamond shape. There are small crystal tubes that glow with the same lilac light imbedded and connected to the diamond jewel but are incomplete at the moment.

The emergency functions of this amulet is still available and will activate when the Health of the wearer reaches the critical zone (current health at approximately 18.2% of maximum).

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Accessory Information

Magical Attack: +5

Physical Defense: +5

Magical Defense: +5

SOS Recovery: Casts on wearer when his or her Health reaches the critical zone. restores 0.5% of maximum health every second for 5 seconds. This ability has a cooldown of 30 seconds.

SOS Force Barrier: Casts on wearer when his or her Health reaches the critical zone. reduces all incoming physical damage by 15% for 5 seconds. This ability has a cooldown of 30 seconds.

SOS Mana Barrier: Casts on wearer when his or her Health reaches the critical zone. reduces all incoming magic damage by 15% for 5 seconds. This ability has a cooldown of 30 seconds.

Durability Amulet: 50 / 50 Completion First Form: 20 / 250

The Divine Laws Scroll is probably given so the player can equip the two basic profession-related items immediately. Maybe it's just that this profession requires the player to start at level 10. The altering of the base stats, modifiers and growth values are very intriguing, there is a boost in growth in certain areas while a reduction in stats in others.

As a magical technology researcher from this profession, I wonder if it would be possible in the distant future to create some sort of Divine Laws Scroll....

After using the scroll and completing the various quests from the NPCs, I have sufficiently acquired enough experience of how NPCs and basic combat works and I have collected sufficient money to start my journey out of the city. Instead of a newbie, and I now officially classify myself as a beginner in Ascendency.

According to the stat window, it looks like my elemental modifiers have decreased to an average base of 90% with only light and darkness at 80% each due to my racial attribution. So I am more resistant to elemental damage when the Divine Laws altered the modifiers.

In total, I have completed 23 quests, each with its own set of difficulties and interesting parts. The first quest after leaving the library was a material gathering request from Melissa Claude, the resident Blacksmith's daughter. I needed to collect 10 from .

This was fairly easy to complete as the Armadillos have weak offensive capabilities and are fairly slow. The only reason the the job was a bit tedious is the high physical defenses the Armadillos have. This was made a bit easier with my technique as well as the ability of the battle gauntlets.

The second quest is from the commercial district's Inn and Restaurant. The owner, Maria Rieze and her husband Joaquin Rieze, wanted the cooks to make a specialty dish but are missing three essential ingredients. I accepted the request and collect the ingredients easily.

The items required were 10 leaves from the plant, 3 small crystals of and . All three of this items can be found in Emilia Forest and are abundant in supply.

The third quest was actually a small chain quest of five requests. To simplify this encounter, I had delivered a packed lunch from a woman to her husband that worked as a guard. In turn, the man gave me a parchment scroll to deliver: this scroll is to be given to the guard headquarter's supervising officer and to no one else.

When I completed this, the officer asks me to help quell a small rat infestation in one of the granaries. I accepted and finishes this request fairly easily as it is naturally a combat mission with Level 5 as the enemies. There was also a more tedious Level 7 rat variant called . It has a high defense and a special trait that prevents debuffs to its defense.

The fourth quest was given after I reported back to officer. This request is to deliver an official document to the guard captain whom is currently at the military barracks located within the inner wall, just outside of the castle. I managed to get the document delivered without running into trouble. The guards at the inner gate do not allow anyone to enter without permission. Since the document I had carried has the official stamp on the package, the soldiers let me in without another question.

Completing the fourth quest raised my intimacy with the to the point the guards have a good impression of me. The intimacy rating is high enough that the guard captain started talking to me in a casual way. His name is Ashton Kordova, son of a minor noble - a baron to be exact - and an esteemed Master Knight of the Kingdom (*A. note: Knight rankings and nobility rankings will be placed in the glossary later on).

The fifth quest was nothing like the previous four: the guard captain asked me if I would like some combat training since, as a pioneer, he deduces that I would leave the city soon or later. He says that; "as a pioneer, you will face a lot of difficulties in your travels. I know this sounds a like stereotypically, but this is especially true since you are a woman."

The guard captain had a rather concerned look on his face that denoted his true feelings. I agreed to his invitation and so he and I worked out a training schedule for the times I am free that coincides with the fresh guard training program. The schedule ended up with me attending the basic combat training days of the program for three hours each day (in game) for the next twenty days. During those days, I would go and accept requests for smaller jobs then train with the guards.

Most of the guards-in-training were quite friendly; they were happy to see a pioneer within their ranks, especially a female like myself. Although there are woman in the city guard and guard-in-training, the men to woman ratio is about 5:1. It's like seeing a fresh, new flower bloom in a desolate wasteland where only a few flowers can survive in.

When fighting, one cannot judge the opponent's total strength simply by looking at his or her stature. While most of the male guards-in-training did not have this sort of problem, some of the more arrogant ones that are stronger than their peers learnt this the hard way. One of them called me a dainty rose and was rather haughty; saying that fighting is not for . He quickly learned that this "rose" has thorns that hurt him when he tried "picking it" during a sparring match. The others, including the guy who got his hands pricked, soon learned to be modest and we all started to get along well after that.

During this time, my stats increased from the vigorous training as well as combat practice. Guard Captain Ashton Kordova had also taken my physique, strengths and weaknesses into consideration when he gave me the training. As a result, not only have my base stats improve fairly well, I also gained two new stats as well as three new skills to add to my list of abilities. In total, I gained 6 strength, 8 dexterity, 5 vitality and 10 agility over the past twenty days.

is the first of the two new stats I gained. Reflex is an extension stat of agility and dexterity. Normally, reflex is a hidden stat that is improved upon increasing agility and dexterity. When unlocked, one will be able to improve this stat directly. Reflex is the innate, involuntary, nearly-instantaneous response to a certain stimulus. In a game like this, this is the response in combat to incoming attacks and other movement.

is the second of the new stats I acquired. Endurance is an extension of strength and vitality. The hidden endurance stat is improved upon increasing strength and vitality. When unlocked, you will be able to improve this stat directly. Endurance is the ability to withstand external pressure as well as remaining active for long periods of time. This stat directly affects stamina as well as damage reduction properties.

The three skills I received from the combat training are , and .

Unarmed combat mastery is self-explanatory: it improves the attack speed, accuracy and damage for unarmed strikes as well as increasing muscle memory of offense and defense, allowing for greater efficiency when fightin while unarmed. Wearing battle gloves or a cestus is considered as unarmed combat due to having no additional extensions from the body.

Slipstream is actually an unintended skill that was created while Ashton was trying to teach me his personal movement skill called . Wind Strafe is a skill that utilizes a small amount of wind magic increase one's natural agility and dexterity. This skill works by directing wind at a certain vector to control the movement.

Slipstream is a variation of his Wind Strafe skill that uses less magic. Where Wind Strafe uses wind magic, Slipstream simply uses magic to raise and/or reduce air friction to control the direction of movement without any other kind of external interference. This skill is a trigger-type skill that allows the user to activate or deactivate it at will. Enabling this skill uses a small amount of mana while it is active.

Shadow Chaser Form II sounds fancy but is simply the name given to the standard close-combat skill taught to the guards. This form is named for its technical aspects and specialty; Counter and Pursuit. Shadow Chaser Form II is for unarmed combat; focusing on quick-reaction counters as well as not allowing the target to escape.

After the twenty days of training, my intimacy with the Arvenus City Guard was greatly raised. The guards and guards-in-training were already fairly friendly before the program; now they pretty much treat me as close friends, if not family. At the end, the fifth quest was completed and I received a badge indicating my status as a "Honorary City Guard", changing my rank/social status to the same name. I also acquired a new title called: Friend of Arvenus City Guard.

Bringing up the status and skill screens I check them once over before getting ready for my new journey...

Spoiler: Information

[td4]Status Infomation Name: Yukianesa Profession: Clearmind Level: 15 Sub Profession: N/A Race: Kitsune Gender: Female Equipped Title Virtuous Maiden Rank (Social Class) Honorary City Guard Fame: 51 Infamy: 0 - Health: 295 / 295 Health Recovery: 0.19 / Sec Mana: 285 / 285 Mana Recovery: 0.28 / Sec Stamina: 100 / 100 Stamina Recovery: 0.2 / Sec - Strength: 32 Dexterity: 41 Vitality: 21 Agility: 51 Intelligence: 35 Wisdom: 38 Reflex: 8 Endurance: 4 Charisma: 72 Luck: 0 - Physical Attack: 11 Physical Defense: 46 Magical Attack: 9 Magical Defense: 5 Physical Modifiers Slash: 100% Pierce: 100% Crush: 100% Blast: 100% Elemental Modifiers Fire: 100% Water: 100% Wind: 90% Earth: 100% Ice: 100% Lightning: 90% Light: 80% Darkness: 80% Mind: 50% Void: 90% Spoiler: Information

Unarmed Combat Mastery Skill Type: Combat Skill Proficiency: 2.37% Skill Class: Unarmed Combat Circle: Apprentice Skill Cost: N/A Rank: Lower It does not matter who you are when it comes to a fight. In a pinch, you must return to your own body as a weapon if you happen to lack an armament at the moment. While some people use unarmed combat as a last resort, others focus on this skill to make sure that they are never without a weapon. The more proficient you are with unarmed combat, the stronger your strikes become when using your body to attack. You will become more precise and accurate, allowing you to easily punish your opponent(s).

Special Traits

Striker: This skill will still be in effect while using the Cestus or Battle Gauntlets/Gloves

Circle: Apprentice

Combat Offense: +3% Physical Attack (Base)

Combat Precision: +2% Dexterity (Base) Spoiler: Information

Slipstream Skill Type: Movement Proficiency: 61.42% Skill Class: Manipulation Circle: Basic Skill Cost: Mana Rank: Upper A special skill that allows you to manipulate air friction, increasing or decreasing it act will. Although the range is limited to a single centimeter around your body, this can drastically increase one's movement speed, jump speed, height and distance. The more proficient you are with this skill, the more you can alter air friction to suit your needs. This is a trigger-type skill that uses mana as long as it is enabled. You can enable or disabling this skill with a thought.

Special Traits

Trigger: The skill's effect is enabled/disabled by the user at will. Enabling the skill will consume 5 Mana per second. The more proficient the user is with the skill, the less mana it takes to remain enabled.

Circle: Basic

Friction Manipulation: ±8.5% Air Friction Spoiler: Information

Shadow Chaser Form Skill Type: Martial Arts Proficiency: 5.19% Skill Class: Counter/Pursuit Circle: Novice Skill Cost: N/A Rank: Middle The Shadow Chaser Martial Arts Form, otherwise known simply as Shadow Chaser Form, is one where you focus on agility and reflex. It specializes in counters and pursuit, disarming the opponent and preventing him or her from escaping. Using pressuring maneuvers, this martial art forms an impenetrable barrier of the mind, causing the opponent to feel trapped and hopeless. This form is not intended for use against multiple-targets.

Circle: Novice

Combat Offense: +5% Physical Attack when applying techniques unique to this form (Base)

Combat Mobility: +1% Agility, +1% Dexterity (Base)

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