Acanthus

Acanthus considered herself calm and collected. And that had always been the case before today. But today, something evil laughed at her through the trees. It was powerful beyond her comprehension, and it wanted to kill her. But first, it wanted to play. She sprinted through the trees, uncertain of her direction. She ran wherever the trees seemed sparse in a vain hope that she was leaving the forest. LOOK AT YOU. ONE BRUSH WITH DEATH AND YOU'VE LOST ALL YOUR COMPOSURE. The voice seemed to be coming from inside of her. It continued taunting Acanthus. YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED I

The compass pulsed again; this time, twice. She bent down and began rooting through the nearest mushroom patch. Many familiar fungi dotted the forest floor. Despite her search for the shard, she found only a few green mushrooms. Better something than nothing. A wind blew from the heart of the forest. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She jolted up, scanning the woods for any sign of danger. She saw nothing. WHAT IS THIS SWEET YOUNG THING, COME TO PLAY WITH ME? In a swift motion, Acanthus drew her knife and held it close to her chest. She found it hard to b

No luck, but she wasn’t surprised. The compass’ pale affirmation hadn’t given her much confidence that she would find one so close to Tolbana. She pressed on, deeper into the forest. The further Acanthus ventured, the more gnarled the trees grew. They began to thicken and blot out the morning sun. A chill ran down her spine. It’s just the cool breeze from the forest. But there was no such thing. Despite the absence of the sun, the forest seemed to grow hotter with each step inside. Each gust felt like the exhalation of a giant monster. The thick smell of moss and fungus began to smother h

As tempting as the river was, Acanthus resisted. There would be plenty of time to relax once she gathered her demonic shard. At the edge of the forest, she held the compass aloft. It thrummed with a familiar dark energy, and the needle spun wildly before settling on a direction. Deeper into the woods. Of course it’s deeper into the woods. As Acanthus moved to put the compass away, it emitted a single bass note. Does that mean there’s a shard nearby? I should have asked Giovanna how her evil compass worked. It might as well be speaking a different language to me. Acanthus decided to t

The compass radiated evil energy. How on earth does dark magic help you find anything? And why give an *evil compass* to a beginner? What does evil energy even mean? The fishing quest is probably more relaxed. No evil magic or dark compasses. Probably just some old man with a beard, like all the other quests so far. Then again, the fishing quest might have featured Pete. “Dark magic it is, then.” Acanthus trekked out to the familiar fields surrounding Tolbana. She barely gave it a second thought when she stepped over the threshold and into the wilds. Finding a familiar path, Aca

A woman dressed in green emerged from the wagon. She had a voice as thin as paper, but firm like stone. "So, it appears you've found me," she comments, though not unkindly. "I tend to move around quite a lot, but someone always finds me.” Acanthus couldn't help herself. “I believe that would be the quest marker, miss.” Giovanna glowered at her. “I suppose you are looking for some herbs?" “In a way. I was hoping you could teach me how to look for herbs?” Giovanna's emerald eyes widened. "Most simply expect me to forage their materials for them, but few truly care about the

After her last few attempts at gathering, Acanthus had to acknowledge that she couldn’t forage any further without some guidance. It’s time for beginner quest two. Let’s see… I’d prefer foraging to fishing. And it seems like alchemy would be a natural companion to that. Acanthus decided to start with foraging. As eager as she was to brew potions, she noticed that the quest log for crafting required her to gather materials. If I failed gathering those three for Zackariah—even with that awful fondue—then I’ll need all the help I can get. Acanthus set off to the outskirts of town, where

Acathus had gotten wrapped up in the conversation again. She wasn’t sure how long it was going to take her, but this time she didn’t mind. The voice behind her provided pleasant company. She wondered how much the other girl had gathered at this point. Well, there’s no reason to worry about it. Focus on your own haul and that’s all you can do. If she finishes before you and wants to stay and chat, then it’s all the better. Acanthus doubled down on the nearest weeds and began pulling them up from the roots. Unfortunately, her change in pace did not accomplish the job. She had been so close

Acanthus broke the silence. “Try working from the base of the plant outwards. I think it helps.” “R-right. Thank you.” More silence. Then, the rustling continued. “... is this your first time outside Tolbana?” “Yes ma’am. I’m a little nervous.” Acanthus laughed. “Please, just call me Acanthus.” “O… Okay. Acanthus.” “It’s okay to be nervous. I didn’t venture out into the wilds until last week.” “Yea. I feel like I’ve been in that town for my whole life.” “So you’re ready to move up to the second floor then?” Another pause. “No, I don’t think so. My b

Finally, Acanthus doubled back to the clearing where she attempted to harvest the crimson stalkweed. Sure enough, plenty of the bushes had respawned the clearing. Acanthus knelt down to the nearest bush, using the techniques she previously gleaned. Acanthus moved from bush to bush, working to harvest what she could from each. About halfway through her work, she heard a quiet voice from behind her. “Um, is this your field? I mean, can I have some of these… red things?” Acanthus continued to work without looking up. “Of course. I won’t stop you.” Acanthus heard the soft sounds of boots

Unbelievable. She had scrounged up three more moles, two rusty bits of metal, and a boot that looked strangely like Pete’s mom’s lucky boot from the previous quest. She slumped down against a tree with her head in her hands. “At least this time I don’t have to worry about running out of these… terrors.” She almost wish she would. She could then wash her hands of the whole thing; offer the universe a hearty “don’t blame me, I tried,” before going back to live a life of quiet solitude in Tolbana. But the gourfs persisted. What’s more, they seemed to propagate right before her very eyes

It turns out that’s it’s hard to harvest something you can’t quite describe. Acanthus tried pulling them out by the root, but she couldn’t tell where the roots were. She hacked the tops off to try and pull the seeds out of the inside, but they shattered into blue shards the moment she looked inside. Not when she cut them, mind you—the moment she tried to peer inside. I think whoever put these into the game had gone through the looking glass one too many times. This vegetable(?)... can’t be real. She fished around in the dirt for a gourf. Wiggling her fingers, she felt something like

Nearby, the bumpy gourfs awaited. Hold on. Gourfs? Acanthus had first thought Landon simply mispelled “gourds.” That, or he had selectively bad handwriting. But when she arrived at the node, there was not a gourd in sight. What she did see was an entire field of gourfs, no two alike in color or size. There were large gourfs, small gourfs; black gourfs, white gourfs, and every color inbetween. They were impossible to describe other than the fact that they were indeed bumpy. She tried to draw one so that she could try to better explain them, but no drawing did them justice. All sh

Her bag whistled merrily as she walked along with the cedars. The boar hair would be next. She worried that she would have to fight again, but the nodes on the map revealed otherwise. Sharp, wiry bushes covered the area. Every few feet, Acanthus saw tufts of black hair stuck on these bushes. So the boars come by, and the hair rubs off. All I have to do is pick a few off. But it was easier said than done. Acanthus reached for the nearest tuft of hair, and barely touched the bush before jerked her hand back. She sucked air through her teeth. “That is sharp!” She yelled in surprise. She

“Oh thank the gods,” she grunted. The tree fell in a beautiful arc before separating into clean lengths of whistle cedar. She looked behind her, to what was now an empty field. I really hope no one else needed any of this for the time being. Having to explain that I chopped down an entire grove for a single tree was not on my list of things that I wanted to do for the day. Plopping down to the grass, Acanthus took stock of the fields of floor one. The harvest had left her out of breath, and she needed some time to allow her thoughts to recover as well. Even with the extra two ranks i

I spoke too soon when I said I had the hang of this. Acanthus had mutilated nearly half the grove at this point. The choir of whistling cedars had decayed to a few mournful participants. What happens if I run out of cedars to chop down? What is the respawn rate on these trees? Days? Weeks? She felt like it was never going to end. And I’ll be stuck out here forever, chopping down trees while the rest of the world moves on. They’ll come by to gawk at the girl that couldn’t chop down a single tree for a beginner quest. Her next swing went wide, and splinters showered her face. She

She fished through her inventory for a small botanist’s hatchet. It appeared in her hand, and she began chopping down a few of the smaller trees. Back at work on the next grove of cedars, her thoughts turned back to Landon. At the very least, Landon deserved a chance. It was kind of him to offer a list of materials that let her delay her decision. There were no high-pressure tactics at play. It made her trust Landon’s suggestion more. You’re talking about this man like he’s a real person. She was. But frankly, she had met so many NPCs over the last few days that she was starting to l

With gutgrass in hand, Acanthus checked her map for the nearest whistle cedar nodes to harvest. Just her luck—they were clear across the plains. At least the other nodes were near the whistle cedar. She wouldn’t be running around all day… Just most of it. With some time to let her mind wander, Acanthus considered Landon’s words. Everyone can perform. Even you. One one hand, Acanthus was inclined to disbelieve him. Well, not so much “disbelieve.” She believed that he believed. But was that enough to change career paths? She was comfortable when things were going to plan. Changing professio

Acanthus checked Landon’s list: tautwire gutgrass, whistle cedar, boar hair, bumpy gourfs, and crimson stalkweed. Acanthus recognized the last one: it was the red tumbleweed that she had harvested for Zackariah. Or tried to, at least. I guess that means that I really could take these over to Evangeline instead. Alchemy seemed like the safer option. Acanthus had never really considered herself a wallflower, but the descriptor fit her far better than she cared to admit. She certainly had never sought the spotlight. She found comfort in the calm, quiet repetition of craft and research, away

The door sang as Acanthus entered the shop. Not just chimed—it sang. A loud, rock n’ roll riff blared through unseen speakers and caught her off guard. This isn't the potion shop. As she turned to leave, the door’s melody morphed into a full rock intro. The speakers bottomed out as the tune struck a power chord. Acanthus yelped and nearly fell over. From the shadows, an enormous man strode out, lute in hand, and posed for an invisible camera. “Here…” The song grew even louder, drilling into Acanthus’ head. “Is…” The man raised his right hand, his hand held aloft like t

With two quests out of the way, Acanthus became eager for more. No need to rush into danger though. I can start with some of the low-risk quests. Acanthus scrolled through the quest log. How about a profession? That should give some good experience, and it will probably end up bringing in a fair amount of col. It might even be a good way to meet some of the other players. She glanced at the list. Blacksmith, Tailor, Appraiser… An interesting roster. She wanted something that *felt* like a fantasy game. I’m not in the real world, I might as well enjoy the fantasy while I can. In the e

THREAD SUMMARY Acanthus: EXP: 800 (Quest) + 790 ((7900 words/10) * 1 * 1) * 2 = 3,180 EXP Col: 2,000 (Quest) + 400 (400 col * 1 page) + 50 (Treasure chest) = 2,450 col Zackariah's Special Draught Initiate's Draw T1 Perfect Light Armor | MIT: 2 EVA: 1 (5) Big Bertha Braciole Treasure Chest Contents 50 col (accounted for in above total) (2) materials T1 Uncommon Consumable 223962a T1 Uncommon Consumable 223962b Materials (from successful foraging rolls in Part 1) (1

“Who are you, my dear?” The question caught her off guard, so she tried to buy some time. “I’m happy to answer, but I’m curious why you want to know.” Dorian kept his stride while he responded. “Well, I get to meet many adventurers here in Tolbana. Hundreds, maybe even thousands.” Dorian collected his thoughts. A group of children raced home, worried about being out after dark. “I can’t tell you how many adventurers I’ve sent on their way. But out of all those adventurers, very few ever talk to me after they return the loan.” Haru shifted guiltily. This was an NPC

Dorian warned her it would be a long stroll. “I want you to know you aren’t obligated to stay the whole time. It’s a little bit of business mixed with pleasure—I like to make rounds and check on things each night.” “That won’t be an issue.” Dorian simply nodded and led the way. Haru realized just how little of Tolbana she had seen in her months hidden away. Even in total safety, she had neglected to wander and explore, and she had missed so many things. A beautiful park with a centuries-old oak tree. A majestic, four-tiered fountain that gushed cool, clear water. Rows upon rows of ho

Coming to Terms Trudging back to Dorian’s office, Haru took stock of the past two days. She had met kindly old Zackariah, and wandered out into the safe zone for the first time since she arrived in Aincrad. She met Lyle, engaged in combat (and won!). And she had met Pete and picked through enough garbage to fill a small building. She was exhausted, and oddly enough, content. She stopped for a moment. Content? It was an odd feeling in the middle of a death game. Fear, anxiety, sadness—those were all emotions she had expected. She even recalled her triumph from defeating those three li