Acanthus

Ajisai dug deeper into the man’s neck; his voice died with a whimper. “This chest is mine. Why the game decided to give one stupid little chest an entire backstory is beyond me.” In truth, she was livid. Why couldn’t the chest spawn in the middle of nowhere? What was the point in attaching some useless moral dilemma to it? She returned her attention to the man. “Whether you believe me or not, you never owned this chest. I doubt you even have a wife back home. You didn’t even exist before I landed on this island. So you can either run and give me your life savings, or you can die for it.”

Acanthus emerged from the shadows, Ajisai pressing firmly into the bandit’s neck. “No sudden movements,” she said calmly. “And I want to see your hands. Slowly.” The man complied with a soft whimper. “If you back away, and you keep walking north, I’ll let you live. You’re lucky I’ll be gone fast enough that you can’t double back in time to sound the alarm. Otherwise, we would not be having the conversation.” “Please. You can’t.” Acanthus was startled by the response. The man nearly sobbed. “This is everything I own. Everything I took from home, everything Uso-Tsuki paid us. I have to save

Attack. Push. Hard. Acanthus merely nodded. Nemo roared as he began to turn around and focus on Nymoria. “Hey. Hey!” she yelled, trying to get Nemo’s attention. But words didn’t do her any good—monsters responded to abilities and attacks, not cutting remarks or shouting. I’m not letting her get hit again. Rushing in, Acanthus stayed low, trying to avoid the drake’s attention. It would make landing her attack that much easier. In a moment, she examined the boss, looking for some weak spot to exploit. She found it as he reared up, preparing to give chase to Nymoria. On his body, close to wh

“That was great!” She yelled with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Something about Nymoria brought her out of her shell just a little bit. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was a happy feeling. Hearing Nymoria call out her next strike, Acanthus fell back easily, waiting for her turn. She still remained impressed with how nimbly Nymoria managed the battlefield. It nearly inspired Acanthus to try a few combats without armor just to see how she would manage. Nymoria landed in the drake’s blind spot. Letting out a frustrated yowl, it flicked its tail around like a cat looking for prey. Acanthus

She decided that Ben-Goshi would be fine with one last detour. She’d already done them such a favor to secure the plans. She had even done it quietly, like they had asked. Taking the long way around the camp, she set her eyes on treasure. The treasure chests had avoided her for some time, but the rewards were just too good to pass up. They often appeared at the end of her quests, and contained piles of crystals for her to use in her crafting. She had heard that some could even carry rare weapons, shards or scales. Those would be very welcome. She had to gear up for the floor boss fight, and he

Acanthus snuck all the way back across the island to Ben-Goshi’s boat. Despite the opportunity to take out additional patrols, she clung to the shadows and let them pass. She told herself it was just so she could gather more materials—which were just as plentiful on the return trip—but part of her had to admit the voice had left an indelible mark on her. "Take back your mind." What did that mean? Her mind was her own. Her heart wasn’t hardened. She was growing up, maturing in the game. And the voice was telling her that she was becoming cold? That was a laugh. Hadn’t she just helping a new pla

“Go away,” Acanthus growled. “I have enough on my plate without strange, made up gods talking down to me. You’re not any different than the other entities Kayaba made up. You just don’t have a body I can attack.” Another silence hung over the clearing, but Acanthus could have sworn the statue was… sad? It was a ridiculous thought. She grabbed at the last few crystals when the statue spoke again; she nearly jumped. When you are ready, visit the shrines of the pantheon. Heed their words. Take back your mind. Then, the presence inside the statue disappeared. Acanthus, unnerved, hurried

More silence. I am what you believe I am. The phrase tickled something in the back of her mind. She had heard someone or something else say that recently. The Gemini, she realized. “So what do you want?” Came Acanthus’ reply. It’s probably just going to offer me another quest, or fight. She lazily picked through more crystals in the meadow while she waited through the silence. The statue’s response surprised her. I want you to step back from the edge. Every quest has been an excuse to harden your heart. Release that anger. Please. The voice was starting to phase in and out; she could

Wariness reflects a cold heart. Acanthus swiveled around, looking for the source of the words. She noticed a strange structure just beyond the trees, and moved steadily towards it. A monument, something like a miniature, ancient ziggurat, stood before her. At the top of the structure, a golden sun stood on a large altar. The clearing was full of crystals, which Acanthus gathered, sword outstretched towards the monument. Her eyes never left the statue. Come, the statue urged. Warm yourself in my embrace. Acanthus stayed rooted at the base of the monument. “What are you?” Silence. Then… A s

For a moment, Acanthus was worried she had ended up on an entirely different island. She had been sneaking along, pocketing material after material. All of the sudden, she noticed a gentle, warm breeze. Had she been on the main islands, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But here, in the storm islands? None of the breezes were warm or gentle. The sky was always gray, and the wind was always sharp and smelled like an impending storm. But the sky above her was no longer grey. It was a pale, beautiful blue. The trees had thinned out enough to let the bright noon sun shine down. Her

Three gathering nodes and four patrols later, Acanthus was hungry for more. The bandits had proved to be nothing more than chaff. Part of her wondered if there might be some kind of alternate ending to the quest if she simply rolled in and massacred the camp. No, she realized. The game wouldn’t let me skip a quest like that. Besides, the concern from Ben-Goshi seemed genuine: I think it’s supposed to be a stealth mission, whether I like it or not. She was beginning to not enjoy sneaking around. What good was all this leveling up if she had nobody to fight? Peeling a few exotic fruits from the

The island proved rich with materials. She had barely traveled a few hundred meters and already the crystals and grass were plentiful. She had gathered almost a day’s worth of crafting supplies in the span of a few short minutes. She heard distant whispers and immediately melted into the darkness. This must be what Pinball feels like constantly. She wasn’t sure if that realization was a good thing or not. Two guards walked by. They were talking about something trivial: favorite colors or food, that sort of thing. They passed by Acanthus’ hiding spot, completely oblivious. The guards conti

She doubled back towards the far end of the island. She decided that a single lap there and back would give her more than enough materials. She had already proved that she could be quick and silent, another run around the island would be simple enough. In the base of a palm tree were a few crystals hidden from view. Acanthus stooped down to recover the bunch. She might have to be careful about getting too close to the encampment again. Having stolen the plans, the camp was likely on high alert. Then again… Her hand wandered down to her pommel. She could get the drop on them. Surely the mo

THREAD SUMMARY Acanthus Experience: [Word Count: 4264/10 = 426.4] * [True Tier: 4] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 1194 + 2000 (quest) = 3194 * 2 = 6388 EXP Col: 200 (page bonus) + 3000 (Quest) + 3300 (loot) = 6500 col T4 Rare Trinket | 233351a Mōretsuna Key Pinball Experience: [Word Count: 4264/10 = 426.4] * [True Tier: 8] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 2089 EXP + 2000 (quest) = 4089 * 2 = 8775 EXP Col: 200 (page bonus) + 1226 (Laurel Wreath) + 3000 (Quest) + 3300 (loot) = 7816 col (2) Materials Mōretsuna Key

As Pinball rowed them back to shore, Acanthus fought for the courage to say something. Anything. The problem was that she didn’t even know what she wanted to say. Did she want to ask questions? Chastise him? Break ties entirely? Pinball had killed somebody. Four people, actually. Belial. Kirbs. Roulette. Sugutsuya. The names softly crept back into her mind. She looked up to Pinball, rowing with a dour intensity. It was clear he didn’t enjoy questions. Suddenly, she worried that pressing the matter would disintegrate whatever friendship they had built up over the last few quests. Acanthus

Pinball looked miserable as he climbed back into the boat. No, Pinball always looked miserable—he looked more miserable than usual as he climbed back into the boat. But he had done work in the water. As the boss crested above the water, Acanthus saw the litany of status debuffs on the quickly dwindling health bar. Acanthus weighed her options. She looked back at the cold water, and the rapidly dying boss. She wasn’t really needed at this point. Part of her thought about sitting down and asking about the Monument of Life, but she suspected Pinball might jump out of the boat. He probably

“Thank you,” Acanthus said gratefully. She took the tin delicately and cracked the lid to look inside. At the first whiff of food, Kumaki’s eyes shot open. She peered up at Acanthus, over to Ciela, and then finally back to the tin. Acanthus laughed, quickly putting the lid back on the tin. “She likes food, in case you can’t tell. We’re saving that for later,” she jokingly scolded the cub as its nose wandered over to the closed treats. “Cookies were a wonderful idea. You would think that as food-motivated as Kumaki is, I would have thought of it myself.” Acanthus seemed to catch herself mid-tho

It never ceased to amaze her how much help the other players of the floor were to new players. Another player had dropped by, ready to offer an item and some encouraging words without a second thought. She was trying to be like that. But she hadn’t even thought to offer Tiye her own locating charm, or offering to go back to town and shop for some food. She would have been perfectly content to simply gather away, all while Tiye struggled for her five materials. Acanthus burned with embarrassment. Eager to get away from the town, she returned to Tiye with a fresh set of foraged goods. “That

She felt the pommel of her sword and pulled on a few of the straps of her armor, disappointed in how easy the mission had been. What was the point of this weapon if she didn’t get it dirty every once in a while? She might as well be one of those timid players that spent their entire Aincrad existence crafting and foraging. It seemed a waste. Cardinal’s assist made everything so easy, and people were still too scared to engage in combat. All they needed was a little push out the door, like her. Acanthus thought woefully of the untapped potential of the players who were not on the frontlines.

Some distant part of Acanthus warmed up as Tiye began gushing about the inaccuracies of the game. The energy and exuberance reminded her of the time she confided in Nymoria about wanting to create a codex of the plants in Aincrad. A CHILDISH DREAM, she told herself. It would only have delayed her progress in the game. She did her best to return Tiye's excitement, but even she could tell that her response was lukewarm. “It is ridiculous. I will have to admit that history is not my strong suit. I remember a little bit about instruments, but I am uninformed about the accuracy of this floor.” As a

The plans she needed were laid bare on the table. Unfortunately, one last obstacle remained. A young man, barely twenty, bandit bolted upright as she entered the tent. “Who are you?” He squeaked out in a terrified whisper. Acanthus froze for a moment too long—she was never good at lying. Omitting information, working her way around the truth, yes, but in this moment, the lie escaped her. She could tell the boy was about to run sound the alarm. In two steps, she cleared the tent and incapacitated him with a few targeted strikes. He crumpled to the ground, his body remaining intact. Quickl

Confident that she had worked through most of the guards, she approached the center of the camp. It’s time to do what I came here to do. A menacing figure stormed out of the central tent, and Acanthus pressed herself back into the shadows. Another figure followed the first. “Uso, I don’t think we should attack so soon. We are still finding new recruits day after day. As our numbers swell, the strength of Marsonia decreases—” “Every day we wait,” the other figure interrupted, “is a day that all of Marsonia weakens. I will not see it weak for any longer. She is eager to be returned to

Working her way around the edge of the camp, she picked off guards in ones and twos. There were dozens at the camp, all with careful crafted dialogue and exposition regarding the impending civil war. It was impressive that the game designers had worked so hard to create a rich, immersive story. Acanthus covered a guard’s mouth as she ran him through. It was a shame she didn’t have time to experience it in full. But this was one quest of hundreds, and she had places to be. Her armor threatened to give her away. As she pulled away from the guard’s corpse, her breastplate audibly clanked, an

Sliding into the shadow of a large tree, she overheard conversation from two of the bandits. “This was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I mean, I left my whole family behind to follow Uso-Tsuki. I may never see my wife again.” “I feel for you brother. We are making a difficult sacrifice, but it’s all in the name of Mars—” Acanthus jumped from the shadows on the first guard, cleaving him with a single blow. The second guard tried to call for help, but was too slow. Acanthus struck him in the chest, winding him, then sliced him twice before he could recover, and he fell to the

Acanthus slipped off the boat and into the treeline. “Wait here for me,” she told Ben-Goshi. “I’ll be back in a moment.” The island had plenty of heavy cover and the dark skies made it easier to stick to the shadows. It also made it harder for her to find the camp. Her chest throbbed with a phantom ache, and Acanthus did her best to ignore it. The dream had thrown her off, and she was trying her best to recover. It wasn’t the first time she had a dream of being stabbed from inside. Her father was adamant that dreams had meanings; Acanthus still refused to buy it. It’s all just neurons fir