Jungle of Stismia

The Skordyr that she had seen accompanying the now deceased first Skordyr seemed to have relocated itself as it was nowhere to be found. Taking the chance provided by its sudden absence, Ahyoung swiftly sprinted towards the branch she had managed to find earlier. As she hadn't been equipped with a sword, the branch would have to suffice– at least temporarily. It was then she distinguished an unnatural flitting text that seemed to be circling around her. Her eyes endeavored to follow the flying Skordyr, but such a task proved difficult given its speed. It was aiming for a surprise sting. It was when she felt a distinct prickling pain on her upper arm that she finally managed to find it, even if it was too late. "Shoot," Ahyoung hissed, partially out of distaste for the pain-emitting function but also because of the fact that regardless of how much she attempted to counter the depletion of her HP bar, the poison would now begin to gradually infiltrate her. . . system? Her HP bar? She had no idea. The point was– she was going to die and she wasn't planning on wasting too many potions for a helpless cause.

(9/?)

(9/?)

As Ahyoung landed onto the floor shortly following the currently twitching Skordyr, cringing as well with a facial expression featuring utmost disgust. Just as the collision earlier, she had felt the insect against her palm as she had spiked it to the ground. Screw realism– she most definitely did not pay such large amounts of money to be cringing at the fact she had just spiked a bug to the ground. She was not going to wipe the bug's. . . not necessarily innards, but she supposed she could say germs (rather than cooties, which was fairly applicable but still much to childish for her tastes) onto her robes– just imagining it on her hand was by far abhorrent enough. Wiping her hand onto the tree behind her and totally disregarding the harsh texture of the wood against her palms, she stomped on the Skordyr until it was replaced by a fairly solid amount of four gold coins. Now for the other one.

(8/?)

Her eyes tracked the incoming insect, awaiting the perfect time to jump, and ascertaining where to aim the swing of her hand. With a deep breath, Ahyoung bent her knees before leaping into the air as she had recalled doing so practically a million times as a volleyball player since the seventh grade. Glancing at the direction at which the stinger pointed, Ahyoung quickly angled her hand 180 degrees in order to avoid it., tilting her hand downwards so that it would slam straight onto the floor of the jungle, rather than miraculously be able to regain itself. The feeling of the bug against the palm of her hand was fleeting, but it did not change the fact that it was utterly repulsive.

(7/?)

"Don't spike the venomous stinger." Ahyoung murmured to herself, getting in position for the jump. This was definitely similar to spiking a volleyball– except volleyballs, set with care and caution by her beloved captain setter, didn't come aiming directly at her face with the unadulterated intention to kill. Nor did volleyballs have beady eyes that stared straight and threateningly at her, though she supposed the team opposing her had that covered. At least she had the 'staring-threateningly' game dominated. Volleyballs also presumably did not have the same texture as the insect– the probably gooeyness of the innards of an insect especially. Shaking her hand as if in preparation, Ahyoung stared straight at the insect as if willing it to come closer.

(6/?)

The insects would probably be considerably easier to spike to the ground than a volleyball, which was larger and denser. Once again, the one problem Ahyoung truly faced was the palpability of slamming a fist-sized insect to the ground and then smashing it with her feet, even through the fairly thick soles of the novice rank knight's shoes she had been provided. Admittedly, she would've much rather preferred a sword to be provided with in order for her to smack the insects with the flat side or, even more preferable, slice cleanly through them with the edge. Just something in general that didn't necessitate such direct contact. Ahyoung was never the type to scream at flitting insects, but that wasn't to say she was the type to fearlessly approach and poke at them either.

(5/?)

Taking a look at her surroundings, Ahyoung noticed a loose branch that she could probably bat them with. She possessed absolutely zero knowledge with baseball, nonetheless batting, unlike her boyfriend, Kangjoon. But regardless of whether or not she had knowledge of baseball batting, the bat was no use to her as of now. She didn't have it in her hold. While the branch was easily in her peripheral vision, it was not within her grasp. At least not without reaching past the Skordyrs she was up against. How likely was the possibility of her leaping up to grab the current one flitting towards her, only to crush it in her hands? Maybe spike it to the ground and step on it? The poison would only affect her if it entered and invaded her blood system, she (optimistically and ideally) assumed. It, however, most definitely would not be the most pleasant experience, considering it seemed that everything was distinctly palpable in this game.

(4/?)

This was most definitely not a game of volleyball given she was up against insects and in a knight's robe, rather than the volleyball shorts and jerseys that curled around and accentuated her curves (wow rambling much). Without a weapon she would be forced to make direct contact with these insects, which was fairly hard to do given their stingers that were vials of venom with the ability to gradually kill her as she possessed no remedies. She could. . . spike them to the jungle floor using her height and volleyball expertise to do so and promptly stomp on them for the finishing blow? As a wing spiker, aggressive and powerful spikes were what she did best, able to single out the ball amidst all the chaos and shouting of a volleyball game. The insects, were thankfully smaller than a volleyball. If only she'd manage to avoid the cursed stingers.

(3/?; Wow what the at me)

Ahyoung, despite possessing the power counterpart of the triforce on her collarbone, was not the one in charge of killing and taking out the insects. Neither was Chanyeol, despite being the courage piece. The responsibility often fell to Kangjoon; the most Ahyoung would ever do is kill a spider or a fly, only to leave it there for him to pick it up (he often rolled his eyes at this habit of hers, but he couldn't allow their apartment– where he spent most of his downtime– to accumulate with bugs). Needless to say, Ahyoung and Chanyeol were extremely grateful for Kangjoon's bravery against the insects that would ocassionally make their way into their highrise and fairly luxurious apartment. But without Kangjoon here to pick up after her, she supposed she would now be forced to cope with the large insects independently. Appreciation for Kangjoon overwhelming at the point in which the Skordyrs were merely ten feet away, Ahyoung entered a combative position. Which to her, was a volleyball squat. And this was obviously not volleyball.

(3/?)

[ ✓ ]

The moment they fully entered her vision, there were two things that Ahyoung cluld ascertain. One, they were humongous. The size of her fist, they were flitting about merrily with their stingers– which lead to conjecture two. They're stingers were lethal and poisonous. And even one sting would gradually deplete Ahyoung's health until she ran out of potions temporarily remedy the depletion of her health. Which, that being said, as accepting as the fact she was of her impending doom, she was too prideful for it [the revival process in Shahar where it'd be made known to inhabitants she died as she walked out of the center] to actually happen. That would be all too humiliating for the avatar with the regal username "royalion" floating atop her head.

(Ready 2(/?) rumble)

The jungle Ahyoung ventured into was beautiful– easily and admittedly moreso than the city she hailed from. However, despite it's beauty, it was easily presumable that it was as lethal and deadly as it was beautiful. She vaguely remembered something about an insect, and given the setting, she wouldn't be taken aback should she be encountered with one. A jungle usually implied insects, rabid monkeys, and species of the sort. Despite her slight recall of insects, her memory failed to tell her the exact lethality of the beasts she would most likely face. It was as she ventured further into the jungle and by the corner of her eye that she noticed flying black text. More flying black text followed, and rather than running the other way (which she could've given the distance between herself and the monsters at the moment), Ahyoung supposed she would face them as a test of her stats (which was not specified in any tab of her menu screen).

(Should I even bother to number this– 1/?)