Acanthus

Her brief skim of the quest had prepared her for the mechanics of the quest, but it did little to prepare her for the horror. Morningstar found the camp quickly, at the end of the trail they walked. Darian’s camp rested alongside a lake, frozen solid in the cold. Although looking at the scene, it was clear the camp was no longer Darian’s. His twisted corpse laid off the the side, already picked at by hungry and desperate predators. In a game that often depicted blood and wounds with nothing more than faint red marks, Darian’s mangled body was a stark contrast. In Darian’s place sat a col

Each pack increased Acanthus’ confidence. The pattern now seemed comfortable, and Acanthus loved nothing more than a predictable pattern. Nymoria took the first attack, Acanthus followed in with a stun, and then they cleaned up the remaining enemies. With the benefit of hindsight, she realized that even when the first snapdragon had landed its luck strike, the two of them weren’t in any danger. But Nemo… He might prove difficult. Nothing the two of them couldn’t handle, but neither was it going to be the place for mistakes. Nymoria had already started the fight. Acanthus hurried in, ready

Acanthus followed him down to the waterline. The sky was overcast, and the weather was a touch too humid, but she would take this any day of the week over the drab darkness of floor ten. Belial. Kirbs. Roulette. Sugutsuya. The names rotated through her head again; she did her best to block them out. If they had to talk, it could wait. If she mentioned them before the fight, it might rock the figurative boat. The boat by the water left much to be desired. It was a large dinghy that barely had enough room for the two of them. Was there not a larger vessel? It would be awfully cramped, and t

“Raitoboru Bay sounds lovely. I’ve been meaning to visit, but never really found the time. Is it true what I’ve heard about ‘beach episodes’? Many players talk about them, and I wonder—” Just then, Levi’s shrieked so loudly that the birds in the nearby trees scattered at once. Acanthus yelled and fell face first into the snow. She shot up, ears ringing, sword drawn, and ready for action. You got this. You skimmed the quest information on the way over. King’s Soldier, mid-level minion, compiled information suggests his attacks become fiercer at half-health and frost has a reduced effect…

Crafting for 9/13/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP 1065/2559

“First time. It’s odd. I love the cold, but I haven’t come to this floor before. I didn’t have a reason to visit either; I just needed a little break from the current quest that I’m working on. So I checked the Aincrad floor index, saw this floor, and decided to visit.” Acanthus took a deep breath of the frosty air, exhaling a large cloud of vapor. “I spend most of my time on the warmer floors. My shop is on Floor 24 in the main settlement. And as much as I love Floor 24, this is a welcome change of pace. In fact, I don’t know that I’d enjoy winter if it lasted forever. Part of the enjoyment i

At Cordelia’s urging, Acanthus had visited the Monument of Life. Belial. Kirbs. Roulette. Sugutsuya. The names repeated in her head like a broken record. Belial. Kirbs. Roulette. Sugutsuya. Part of her wished she’d never learned what the orange marker meant. Why did she have to ask Cordelia about Pinball? Idle conversation had turned her world upside down. After all the time she spent trying to set her worries aside, they threatened to break her down once more. Belial. Kirbs. Roulette. Sugutsuya. She had spent the entire night reading the info broker’s guide on orange player cursors,

Before the game, the thought of a kindly old gardener morphing into a terrible silver dragon might have surprised her. But she broke a boulder with her fists a week ago—Aincrad was not a place for realism. “A dark secret?” Acanthus put a finger to her lips in contemplation. “I’m not so sure that I have any dark secrets. We all have things we don’t talk about, but I think that’s normal. I really led quite a dull life before this.” She waved her hands in embarrassment. “Not that we’re supposed to talk about that. I’m sorry.” Acanthus broke the conversation off by searching for some pre

“Coredelia!” Relief flooded her voice. “It’s wonderful to see you.” Her worries about the boss vanished. She was certain that they could handle whatever Pinball had set them up to do. “And… Oz?” The rise in her voice didn’t signal uncertainty about the man’s name as much as confusion at what he was doing. He appeared to be scrunching himself up. For a moment, she swore he flickered out of sight before returning to her vision. “It’s good to see you too.” They followed Omen through the 21st floor. Acanthus found it beyond peculiar that he knew his way around here. She failed to contain

THREAD SUMMARY EXP: 500 (Quest) + ((5310/10) * 1 * 4) = 2,624* 2 = 5,248 EXP +284 foraging EXP (561) Col: 14,500 (gathering) + 400 (page) + 500 (quest) = 15,400 col (50) materials (1) Demonic shard T4 Perfect Weapon | 231276a 231276b T4 Perfect Consumable| 231276c

It was a slaughter. The moment she stepped within reach of the first bandit, she lashed out. In a heartbeat, he was nothing but fragments. The remaining bandits lept into action. Channeling what she’d learned from mass combat at Faultwarren, she weaved through the fight, untouchable. The rare times a bandit did connect, their weapons bounced off her armor. “It’s no wonder you need the help,” she mocked one bandit as he collapsed. A single thrust through the temple, and his body dissolved. “Two dozen bandits, and you can’t even kill a single girl.” She hopped away from a rear strike before popp

She was ready to be done, but Cardinal was not. At the final chokepoint before Saharda, a wall of bandits stood between her and the quest’s end. In each hand was a spear, or axe, or sword. “Adventurer,” the front bandit stated gruffly. “You have been kind to us over the last day.” Exhausted, Acanthus nearly nodded. The bandit continued. “But not kind enough. My people live a harsh life, and we require more food. Grant it to us, and you may pass.” More food! She nearly screamed. Did the game want me to pack an entire pantry for an overnight trip? She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m al

Acanthus needed the extra patience for the return journey. The ore seemed depleted, and Zamek now slowed down nearly every hour to read some new letter from his collection. She once had to run after the papers after they blew away in the wind. And the Sandborn has only become more persistent as she had given them food. It was like chumming the water; sometimes three or four would approach, and the asks slowly devolved into demands. Their travel rations depleted, Acanthus was having to exhaust her personal stash just to meet the requests of the bandits. Not to mention that the Sandstorm wa

Acanthus paused briefly before opening the chest. It had unidentifiable markings on it; clearly, it belonged to the people of this floor. It made her think twice. This is probably a cache left for the Sandborn to weather storms. I could be putting their lives at risk if I move or steal it. She realized how ridiculous she sounded. They aren’t people! They’re just routines in a prison you’re trying to escape. Even if they die, they all just return. Besides, it’s not like you’re killing them. Maybe they have a harder time weathering the sandstorm without this—and you’re assuming that’s what

"Ah, here it is." The elderly man drops to his knees beside an impressive cluster of rocks. Zamek digs through the sand fervently with trembling, calloused hands. Acanthus surveys the land around them while he digs up his chest. Maybe there will be a chest for me as well. Acanthus left him to scrape through the sand, while she searched on her own. With some luck, she uncovered a nearby Sandborn cache. Chest tucked under her arm, she returned to Zamek. "These belonged to my late wife," he explains, "as did these." He showed a handful of jewels to Acanthus. Between the bandits that frequen

Acanthus returned to sight, where she saw Zamek chewing loudly on their last rice ball. She mustered up all her patience, and asked him with a deadpan voice, “are we there yet.” Zamek replied cheerfully, “yes! We’re almost there! It should just be another hour or so.” It took them three. Part of it was because of the man’s pace. But also, the two were now being approached timidly by the Sandborn. Some spoke, while others simply gestured, but the request was always the same: food. Give us food. Acanthus grew concerned as she passed out bite after bite. Their own reserves now dwindled on da

“You’re a sandborn?” The boy nodded. “Can I have some bread?” Why does the NPC need this bread? Acanthus decided not to think too hard about it. If he was asking for it, he probably needed it. She offered him the bread. “Oh, wow! The whole loaf! Thanks!” Before Acanthus could open her mouth, he had devoured the entire thing. I guess… I guess he was hungry enough to need that. Her own stomach growled. She blocked it out, focusing instead on a few ore she’d missed up on the ledge next to her. She had already pried most of the material loose, but a little more came free in her hands. She almost l

Despite the promising start, Zamek had to pause an hour into the journey. Acanthus didn’t even acknowledge him. She simply dropped the backpack near his feet, grabbed a quick ration, and stalked off for a peaceful morning snack. She found a nice ledge along the canyon, a few meters up. She liked sitting about things, although she couldn’t say why. It helped that there was a node to plunder up here. She was quickly learning how to collect materials in greater quantities. This is going to be great for my crafting. I'll have Pinball's order in no time. Turning back to her meal, she prep

Acanthus woke as far from refreshed as a full night’s sleep could get her. The morning light hit her eyes with an unpleasant brightness, and Acanthus muttered. Standing up and stretching, she felt like she had walked another day’s worth during the night. Her limbs ached from being in the cold, buffeted by the occasional gust. Zamek, on the other hand, appeared bright and eager to start. He offered some morning pleasantries and vigor, and Acanthus had to fight to keep from saying something bitter. You offered him the tent, don’t sulk about it now. She channeled her frustration into searchi

Acanthus felt half-pity and half-frustration. “You can have my tent. I’m sure I can handle the outdoors better than you." “Oh, bless you child!” He said, almost immediately crawling into the tent. “Such a kind girl.” Zamek was asleep no sooner than he had entered the tent. Exasperated, Acanthus pulled the spare bedroll out of her inventory. I suppose it was worth being over encumbered. I didn’t realize the game was going to test my resources—or my patience. By the light of the dwindling fire, Acanthus took stock of their remaining rations. She had to double check; how had they alread

Zamek laid on the ground, alternating between heavy ragged breaths and violent coughing. She knew where the cough came from in part—when she took off her bandana, it had firmly set from the caked mud and dirt. She was sure the rest of her was equally filthy. She tried not to think about it. Acanthus set up the fire, prepared dinner, and cleaned up while Zamek sat passively and watched. I know he’s just an NPC, but he could have offered to help with something. She felt irked at both the computer and whoever had scripted it. Acanthis broke out her tent and wind fly and busied herself s

The worst of the sandstorm felt like it lasted for days. But eventually, the sun began to set, and the winds began to die. They were still buffeted from time to time, but Acanthus felt safe enough to untie the rope. When she untied the knot, she felt like she had just been released from prison. Making an excuse, she ran up ahead just to feel like she was making some fast progress. Eyeing a few foraging nodes, she decided to try and gather some materials. She dug up a few precious blast roots. They were prime alchemical catalysts; they could also be used in a recent recording crystal debuff cal

The storm grew to such a terrible roar that it was impossible for Acanthus to see or hear Zamek. She realized this after she had stopped to forage and nearly lost him. She saw more tempting riches on the horizon, but peering back at Zamek, shook her head. There's no way I can get out there with him. I have to put the quest first. Pausing briefly, she pulled out some rope to tie the two together. Now that she was more literally bound to his pace, she felt it all the more keenly. Every trip, stumble and fall caused her to falter as well. She nearly cut the rope a few times, leaving his fate to c

Incredulous, she passed her canteen to him, and he began to drink greedily. “Hey. Hey! Old man, easy on the water. You’ll just throw it all up.” With a final gulp, he drained the bottle. He gave a ragged breath, followed by a coughing fit. “Unbelievable.” She managed to say out loud. She didn’t even have the energy to be apologetic about her statement. Zamek bowed. “I’m sorry, young lady. I’m just too old for the road now. I thought I’d packed enough to make it out there, but it turns out that I’m not as fit as I used to be.” “I can see that. Are you ready to move?” She gave the bandana a

When Morningstar corrected her, Acanthus turned beet red. “I’m sorry, I made a wrong assumption. That was silly of me.” She gave a quick bow. “Acanthus. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Morningstar mentioned that the people of Snowfrost were having a festival. “Games and food are fun, I suppose.” She tried to avoid the topic. Games were a mystery, and she hadn’t tasted much food in Aincrad that agreed with her palate. But there was no need to be negative to someone she’d just met. The flow of a conversation behind her rose to the front of her attention. It sounded like two men talking to eac