All Activity

The corrupted mirror-Ciela moved with haunting precision. Every slash, spin, and snarky eye-roll mimicked her own. Bonk became the anchor, blocking attacks, absorbing hits, shouting goofy taunts that made Ciela snort mid-dodge. “You call that a roll? I’ve seen muffins do better somersaults!” The laughter helped them break the tension. Ciela noticed a half-second delay in her doppelgänger’s movements, a pattern. She baited a heavy swing, and as the reflection lunged, Bonk tackled it from the side with a mighty “BONK!” that echoed through the chamber. Together, they shattered

A new threat arrived, glitches spreading from corrupted Bloom nodes. NPCs freezing mid-dialogue. Towns phasing in and out of visual stability. The Crimson Pike were overwhelmed and understaffed. Ciela and Bonk took it upon themselves to investigate a node near the lakeside ruins. There, they found a withering garden, once vibrant and full of herbs, now wilting under a haze of digital distortion. A hacked dungeon portal pulsed red at its center. “We go in?” Bonk asked, cracking her neck. Ciela nodded grimly. “We stop this at the source.” The dungeon was nothing like before.

Bonk wasn’t good with words. But she was great with loyalty. She helped patch the bakery wall after a mini-boss charge splintered the side. Stayed late polishing mixing bowls until they gleamed like armor. Protected the oven like it was a sacred altar guarded by fire spirits and cinnamon. “You ever think about opening a second bakery?” Bonk asked one night, her hammer resting across her lap like a sleeping pet. Ciela blinked. “Like a franchise?” “Yeah. Ciela’s Combat Cakes. I could run security. Maybe do taste tests.” Ciela laughed, genuinely this time. “You just want unlim

Bonk wasn’t her real name, just what Ciela called the hammer-wielding tank after their first dungeon together. A single misclick had sent her hammer flying into a trap door. Bonk had laughed so hard, Ciela nearly dropped a tart. From that moment on, Bonk was more than a teammate, she was a reliable backup, a boulder of reassurance in the often chaotic world of Aincrad. They hadn’t talked much since Floor 23. Life, quests, and raid prep had pulled them in different directions. But now, as Ciela stirred batter on the bakery porch, Bonk appeared like a sunbeam with a jug of honey and a sheep

With only two days left before the Floor 29 raid, Ciela worked nonstop. Her body ached. Her eyes burned. But the final batch of Bloombread was rising. Wulfrin joined her. “You should rest.” “Not yet,” she said. “This is my part in the fight.” Raid gear was distributed. Bloombread packed. Potions brewed. Weapons enchanted. Ciela stepped outside, looking to the skies. “Let’s knead this battle into shape.” Floor 29 was worse than imagined. Toxic fumes. Mire serpents. Flickering terrain. But Ciela’s bread granted stamina and clarity. They cut thr

The Glacier Gardens were as deadly as they were beautiful. Ice paths, frostbite debuffs, and mirror beasts awaited them. Their breath fogged in the air. Ciela’s cookies froze solid. “We need a warming ward,” Bork warned. MisoDoom conjured fire fields with chili-basil baguettes. The group reached a frozen waterfall. Trapped within the ice, four Verdant Blooms. But a Frost Queen guarded them, and she wasn’t pleased. Battle commenced. Ice shards rained down. Wulfrin and MisoDoom danced around her, while Ciela charged up a Bloom Blast, an explosive spell-biscuit.

Ciela examined the black petal. It radiated faintly and gave off no smell. “Corrupted Verdant Bloom?” she whispered. Wulfrin frowned. “Or evolved.” Meanwhile, the Crimson Pike guild faced sabotage. Ore went missing. Bloom samples spoiled overnight. “Inside job?” Bork growled. Possibly. Ciela posted guards and warded the bakery. Her once-safe haven had become a target. She baked protection cookies, yes, really, imbued with minor buffing spells. “We’re going to need help,” Ciela muttered. So she sent out a call to the one guild she never thought she’d con

The Mycobeast was relentless. Every tendril lashed out like a whip. Bork’s potions kept him alive, while Wulfrin darted in with surgical strikes. Ciela focused on the roots holding the Bloom. If they severed the source, maybe the beast would weaken. She slashed and rolled, cutting deeper until the roots shrieked. The Bloom pulsed brightly, and the Titan roared. It lunged, but Bork intercepted, slamming it into a wall. Ciela dove forward, grabbed the Bloom, and pulled. The creature shrieked once more, and exploded into digital ash. The silence that followed was alm

Offering Raidou a nod of acknowledgement, Setsuna's only main goal was to directly deny the very thing these things were seeking. Sometimes there were casualty in battle, but denial of an enemies goals would always win a war. This was no truer here nor in Ladonia moments prior, there was always some overarching risk to these sort of things. Tightening her grip around the handle of her katana, she'd disappear in a puff of smoke. Her enemy were numerous but foolish, so using wits would be the hardest counter to their brash behavior. PH

Ciela assembled her party: Wulfrin, and Bork the hammer-happy tank. They met outside Fondante’s Inferno, packed with gear, and extra cinnamon rolls. “The grove’s too hot now,” Wulfrin said. “We need a new Bloom source.” Bork pulled out a chart. “There’s a cave system beneath Floor 22. Rumors say it feeds the grove’s roots.” “Underground flower hunting. Of course,” Ciela muttered. “Let’s go spelunking for salad.” They traveled through mossy ruins until they found the cave mouth. Inside was damp, dark, and strangely warm. Perfect conditions for something magical… or monstrous

The Head quarters buzzed with energy. Maps, item manifests, and raid blueprints littered the war room. Ciela entered with a satchel full of baked goods and a notebook of ingredient scans. "You’re late," barked Commander Denzik, eyeing her flour-stained gloves. “I brought muffins,” she replied sweetly. That softened him. Slightly. Raid leaders gathered around as she detailed her findings. Verdant Bloom’s effects on stamina regeneration, the ore's trace magic signature, both invaluable for Floor 29’s toxic swamp terrain. "We’ll need twenty units of Bloom by next week," D

Raidou turns to Griswold wishing that he could give the smith an answer. "I dont rightly know but we cannot afford to let these things to reach the warp gate. Its clearly their target." The proof being how they would tear through the walls and ignore everyone inside, sometimes even rushing through on all fours like wild beasts. Given how ruthless and unconcerned about their own bodies they were, it would appear they were some facsimile of a greater entity. A commander of the npc forces would break into their conversation, drawing Raidou's attention. "They are gaining strength on the north side

Returning to Fondante’s Inferno felt surreal after the chaos of the forest. Ciela gently placed the Verdant Bloom into a crystal jar, sealing it with wax and a soft hum of satisfaction. Wulfrin leaned on the counter. “You think it’ll live long enough for testing?” “It’s got at least 48 hours. That’s more than I need,” Ciela replied, already pulling ingredients from the shelves. She mixed a basic dough, grinding the Bloom’s petals into fine powder. The scent was floral, buttery, vaguely sweet and floated through the air. It was like summer and spring had collided inside her mixin

As soon as the Bloom left its perch, the forest seemed to rebel. Vines thrashed wildly. The Warden roared, enraged, ignoring Wulfrin’s feints. “Bad news!” Ciela called out. “This guy’s gone full sourdough feral!” “Then let’s not stick around for dessert!” Wulfrin replied. They retreated into the grove’s western path, cutting down Thornlings as they ran. Ciela hurled smoke flour bombs behind them, creating clouds of choking white that slowed pursuit. After a tense sprint, they dove through a narrow tunnel between two mossy boulders. Safe. For now. Both slumped to the gr

The Vinebound Warden swung its axe in a brutal arc. Ciela ducked and rolled, flinging a stun powder from her apron pouch. “Have a taste of kitchen spice!” she shouted. The powder burst, stunning the boss long enough for Wulfrin to slash its leg vines. They weaved around the clearing, dodging roots and retaliating with precise strikes. Ciela used flour bombs to blind, while Wulfrin launched high-damage combos. When the Warden’s health dropped below 30%, it let out a screech, summoning minions, Thornlings, fast and sharp. Ciela leapt onto a boulder, gaining height to cleave three in on

Beating his mallet against barricades, the iron nails driven into a panel that was since frozen closed to make a more permanent repair. "How much longer?" The smith would ask of the captain. A huff as he'd man handle another piece of complex into place, having to pay a glass knight an honest headbutt that makes his teeth grind together. It wasn't nearly as effective as a weapon but it did a fair enough job stunning his aggressor. The thing clatters to the floor before being ended rightly by the guardsman that surrounded him, jabbing it with spears and swords drawn. Shoving the panel in place w

Twilight bled across the forest canopy, casting eerie shadows over the mossy ground. The Whispering Grove lived up to its name, leaves rustled with voices not their own. Ciela gripped her blade tighter. “This place gives me goosebumps,” she whispered. Wulfrin nodded. “Keep ears sharp. And eyes sharper.” They followed the map’s route until they hit a clearing. Bioluminescent flowers blinked like stars across the ground. At the center, surrounded by thorny brambles, was the Verdant Bloom, its petals glowing a soft, ethereal green. Ciela stepped forward, and froze. The ground

Wulfrin smirked beneath his hood, brushing moss off his shoulder. “I see you warmed up without me.” “Just a pup,” Ciela replied, nudging the fading wolf particles with her boot. “Any intel on the Bloom?” He handed her a worn parchment. A hand-drawn map with a tiny X deep in the Whispering Grove. “NPC trader claims a flower that glows at twilight grows there. Matches the description. But…” “But?” she asked. “It’s guarded.” Of course it was. Nothing in Aincrad was ever easy. Ciela traced the path on the map. “Worth the risk. And what about the Raid Ore?” Wulfri

Leaves rustled as Ciela crept deeper into the forest, sword drawn and senses alert. She followed faint footprints, too small for a bear, too scattered for a party. Solo player? Or a child NPC? Either way, she remained cautious. A sudden growl snapped her to attention. A shadow leaped from the bushes. "Mosswolf!" she gasped. It lunged, fangs bared. Ciela sidestepped, swinging her blade with practiced grace. The wolf yelped, biting air. The battle was short but satisfying. Ciela’s counter was swift and sweet, like a sharp raspberry tart. The Mosswolf de-rezzed, dropping a pawful of rai

Watching on as a dude gets completely brained by a hatchet, Shiina cannot help but tilt her head. "Rough dude, I don't think I can heal that." She'd then turn her attentions to Raidou, placing both of her hands on his mangled digits. A flash of green light would see it mended good as new. The cry of her voice would begin to bolster the ranks, watching the various guardsman take to renewed vigor and vitality. There was the taste of exhaustion conveyed over the field as a whole, players and npcs a like were pushed to their very limits. That voice of hers carried for quite a distance, finding its

Ciela didn’t travel light. Her satchel held essential baking tools, small jars of salt, a whisk, backup flour packets, and emergency cookies. As she passed the peaceful lake, a familiar ping sounded in her ear, message notification. Wulfrin, a fellow adventurer and her sometimes-snack taste tester, had sent coordinates. "Scout party forming. Possible Verdant Bloom location. Also, rumors of Raid Ore nearby." Ciela’s heart skipped. Verdant Bloom and Raid Ore? Jackpot. With her sword strapped tight and boots crunching gravel, she headed for the forest’s edge. The trees were thick, humming wi

KnightessCiela dusted flour off her apron, wiping it across her armored glove as she stepped outside Fondante's Inferno, her lakeside bakery. The fresh scent of rising dough lingered on her as she tightened her ponytail and adjusted her sword belt. Floor 22 was normally peaceful, ideal for baking and lakeside daydreams. But something was missing from her latest recipe. A rare ingredient whispered about in tavern corners: Verdant Bloom. Said to grow in deep forest glades, it supposedly made bread so light it floated. She needed it. Not just for her masterpiece croissants, but to keep herself bu

Ripping past the held fast line, the silver haired creature in the mist would see even more of the creatures clipped to tiny pieces of shrapnel. Glass shards turned ice would explode out like powdered snow. A turn on her heel, the girl rips up the flat of wood that had fallen. Pressing it hard against the others, she'd turn her blade and give one solid swipe. The thing would start to freeze over, creeping ice working to form what was essentially a temporary blood clot to prevent the bleeding. A rending blade finds itself back into her scabbard, allowing her the freedom to clasp at its top and

She hoped they were getting along. And by getting along, of course, she meant the bare minimum. They didn't have to hold hands, sing Kumbaya, and plan a life together. Honestly, the thought of that sent chills down Lessa's spine that had nothing to do with Floor 29. All she asked was that they not kill each other. And honestly, she couldn't be sure which she expected to throw the first punch. Oscar, she assumed, would be the one to throw the last one. Thunder cracked overhead, and the suddenness of it snapped Lessa out of her thoughts. She stumbled, the toe of one boot catching on th

The screaming and crying of various individuals blind through the city as multiple entities continue on repeat to sheer their way through various barricades. The swordsman in red joined the throws of combat beating back the overwhelming forces while turning to the rest of his team, "Cover that gate!" He'd bark with an amount of volume that wouldn't be his norm. This was a drastic situation that called for all hands on deck, the city being reduced to cinders as this glass form beasts kept aiming for the lines that would supply the frontlines. Their motives remained a bit beyond his purview, yet