Acanthus

"thanks for earlier. stay safe." Ara was probably just saying that to make the awkward platitudes stop. Acanthus didn’t really blame her. As the gathered players congregated, Baldur took control of the situation and directed players to explore in pairs until only she and Baldur remained. “Won’t be a problem. Thanks for the heads up.” A better player would have been able to crack a joke or offer a dismissive comment about the trash mobs up here. To the rest of the frontline players, humor was second nature. She didn’t know how. In a game where you only got one chance, Acanthus foun

“We bump into each other a lot. I just want you to know that I’m definitely not learning your schedule so I can follow you around,” Acanthus told Morningstar confidently. That would hopefully clear up any confusion. It was a small comfort to meet him here, and a greater one to see he shared her dislike of this level. Trips to Floor Nine were reserved for the days she missed crafting, or failed to go out and grind enough col to support her little side project. Most of the time, the self-imposed threat was enough to get her out and moving. But not yesterday, so her weekly(ish) ritual of wa

THREAD CLOSURE Experience: [Word Count: 4877/10 = 487.7] * [True Tier: 7] * [Group Factor: 1] = 3414 EXP + 1000 EXP = 4414 EXP Col: 400 (Bonus) + 512 (Laurel Wreath) = 912 col Other: Rig may now be used as a safe zone.

“That’s enough.” The man said coldly. Titania fell silent. Acanthus fought an overpowering urge to kill him on the spot. Her voice dropped to a low, barely contained fury. “Do *not* talk to her like that.” “She is a member of my guild. If I ask her to be silent, she will be silent.” Titania offered no defense, and the man offered a chilling smile to her obedience. “But I believe we have lost the plot. I merely came to offer you a chance to work as a group; one that seeks to end the suffering of the players. Despite your heated nonsense, we are not a ‘cult.’ Merely a guild that operates wi

The man’s face twitched; Acanthus saw his hand move ever so slightly to his weapon. “That’s right—a fucking cult. Go on; fight me about it, you lunatic. I’m warmed up.” She pointed her sword at the man. Titania paled. “Acanthus, please—” “And you, Titania. I don’t understand what’s going on or why you’re here. Anytime I try to understand, you wave me off. You won’t give me straight answers, you insist that the Fifth Commandment is the reason you’ve made it this far. This is textbook manipulation! Every alarm in my head is ringing! How are the alarms not sounding for you too?!” Titani

“It is truly a rare occasion that we induct a new member. There are few free players worth the time and attention.” “Are you SERIOUS?!” Acanthus had hit her limit. For the third time in her life, she lost control of herself. Birds scattered as Acanthus began shouting at the top of her lungs. “Are you actually stupid enough to think I would join some—some random guild just because I took on some mid-level quest—” The man tried to interrupt. “You soloed it, an impressive feat—” “—No. Shut up. Shut the fuck up. I’m not done.” Acanthus’ voice pitched higher as she worked herself up

“Very observant, friend.” Shadows took the form of a gaunt, middle-aged man. He wore a long cloak that obscured most of his body. “Even with rank five searching, it takes a little bit of luck to pick me out.” “Or skill,” Acanthus responded. “This is a computer game. It’s all dice rolls behind the curtain. You’ve played RPGs, haven’t you?” Acanthus shook her head hesitantly, and the man scoffed. “You’re just proving my point. There isn’t any talent or skill in this game. It’s all about raw levels and equipment, and then hoping that the dice are in your favor.” “... Dice? Come aga

Acanthus did her best to channel Freyd’s fearless attitude and actions from their fight with Terra Firma. If she closed her eyes, she could still see him leaping directly towards the mouth of the great shark, thwarting death with a swift kick to the teeth. The serpent’s teeth were not quite so kickable, but the method mattered less than the energy. Her initial onslaught had confirmed her initial comment: it was barely a fight. Just looking at the boss, Acanthus had every right to be terrified. The designer made the thing bristle with a hatred for players; made it loud, made it angry and f

The entire clearing erupted with a wailing that could have woken the dead. A deluge of cascading strings and woodwinds cried out in perfect and terrible harmony. The sound drowned out every happy thought it encountered, pulling up anxiety and terror from the deepest parts of Acanthus’ soul. She had spent weeks pouring every last horrible emotion into that crystal in a desperate attempt to purge her own thoughts—a sonic portrait that only Dorian Grey could admire. The Serpent’s eyes glazed over, overwhelmed by the cacophony Acanthus produced. Titania looked at Acanthus with terror as the m

“You’re lucky the snake arrived when it did. After this, I deserve some explanations.” Acanthus pulled botan free of its confines with a fluid motion, and prepared her sword art before she could see the serpent. Visualize another pulse from your feet. Direct it downwards. She sensed it—a bolt of pure energy rushing towards her from her left side. Shifting her stance, she held position, listening to the hum of botan telling her when to unleash. NIGHT had crafted the sword to never lie. The serpent erupted from the earth, only to be met with botan in full swing. The creature fell back with

“Alright, so here’s the clearing. There’s some good cover on the southwest end, and a couple of rocks to fall back to make it difficult for the Amphis Serpens to strike with its heads.” “Titania.” “So stay on your guard for the guy, because—” “Titania.” Titania’s rambling slowed to a halt as she realized. “I, um, did a lot of research before the quest.” “Bullshit.” Acanthus opened her copy of the info broker’s guide. “You think I wouldn’t scan the guide on my way up? There’s nothing in here about those details. You’ve been here before.” Titania’s face paled. “‘Can

For someone who awoke to strangers standing over him, Cyrus was surprisingly calm. Still laying in bed, he addressed Titania and Acanthus with annoyance. “I’m afraid this is outside of my normal hours. If you do not leave, I will be forced to call the watch.” Titania quickly spoke up. “We’re here about the Sandworm just outside the town. You need help getting rid of it, right?” Titania’s dialogue seemed to placate Cyrus. His script forced him up and out of bed, but his face had reverted to a more neutral expression. “Thank you,” he spoke with a hint of automation. “The great serpent

“Here we are. Rig.” The town was barely more than a hamlet. Acanthus was able to see the whole place from the ridge overlooking the settlement. She also didn’t notice any areas that looked suitable for grinding out mobs, but she had decided to let that go. “What next?” Acanthus asked as they walked briskly through the quiet streets of Rig. “We need to talk to the Mayor to move the quest forward.” Titania moved purposefully towards one of the larger houses. “He’s right here.” “Titania, it’s the middle of the night. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it before, but how are we goin

“Hmm… There’s not much, but I sense one player awake, about thirty meters southwest. He or she is walking perpendicular to our path out of town. Everyone else is asleep or inside.” “And it’s just one?” Acanthus nodded. “I’m positive.” “Good. It’s not Nid then—he’s a coward. He’s always got at least two lackeys in tow.” “A coward? Lackeys? I thought you liked your guildmates.” “I didn’t say I hated him. I just said he’s a coward.” Acanthus couldn’t think of calling a person a coward if she didn’t at least dislike them. But Titania seemed to think of things differently t

Acanthus | Lvl 66 (34/32) | Acanthus | HP: 840/840 | EN: 98/98 | DMG: 23 | MIT:95 | ACC:5 | AA | BRN-IM | FL.AURA: 8 | BH:46 | HB: 37 | VAMP-D: 46 | REC: 4 | LD:5

Acanthus blinked and the quest was complete. They didn’t even need to return to Knorlit Village? She checked her quest log again; sure enough, <<Into the Fire>> had been marked as complete. Quest rewards transferred into her account, but she would take stock of those later. The next step was making it out of the volcanic flatlands safely. Rencesvals’s health had dipped just a fraction, but it was damage he couldn’t avoid and she couldn’t do anything about. Not that she had been doing much to begin with. Ara certainly hadn’t needed help fighting the hounds, and even Rencesval s

The fog lifted from fields and minds alike as Callisto died. His form took one final, defiant pose, flaking away against the morose background as the players watched with a mixture of emotions. Acanthus, for her part, felt an exhausted kind of relief. Everyone had survived. She had survived. For just a moment, the worry and the fear subsided. She had hoped they would make room for some kind of rare peaceful feeling. Instead, the space left by anxiety left an empty, dull feeling. Her mind began moving forward, calculating exactly what needed to happen to prepare for the next floor boss. She tal

“Guild handler? First of all, you said this guild was small. What kind of small guild has enough people for middle management? Second, are you even hearing yourself? The more you talk about Commanding Presence, the more it worries me.” “Commanding pre—?… Oh, the guild is a little weird, sure. But it’s not ‘middle management,’ Acanthus. He’s more of a personnel officer. Nid reports directly to the Guild master too.” “Titania. You just described every middle manager I’ve ever met.” “Acanthus, we can argue about my guild structure later. We’ve made it to the gates of Nimbus. My sea

Nimbus was not one of the more popular settlements, despite its proximity to the first floor. The massive stone fortress was a sight to behold, but the landscape around it was exhausting to travel. Most of the collectible materials here served blacksmiths and alchemists—other professions preferred to keep to other floors. When Titania and Acanthus materialized in the plaza, only a handful of NPCs and players were present. “Great, let’s move.” Titania immediately vanished into the side streets. Acanthus caught her breath as she caught up to her. “You’re very eager to get out of here. You w

Under the cover of dark, the two players left the villa. Acanthus broke the silence yet again. “So what is this guild you’re in? This is the second time you’ve mentioned them to me, but I know barely anything about them.” Titania and Acanthus traveled the wilds of floor 24 on their way to Scalabis. Titania ran her thumb over the throwing knives along her bandolier. “It’s a pretty small guild. We try to stay out of the way for the most part.” “In that case, how did you stumble into meeting them?” Titania smiled blankly. “It was just a happy accident, I guess.” More vague ans

Acanthus pondered for a moment. “Titania, it just sounds like they’re bullying you.” “I know it looks bad, but they’ve been so good to me. The only reason I’ve made it this far in the game is because of the guild. So if it takes a little tough love to push me forward, then I’ll stomach it.” The image of Acanthus’ dad appeared behind Titania, and her heart fell. I do this because I love you. Acanthus stood abruptly. Titania, startled, stood as well. “Acanthus?” “Let me go change. I don’t like this, but I’ll do it.” “You mean it? You’re not even—no questions or anything?

“It’s part of a quest.” Titania opened her journal and flipped the screen around to Acanthus. “There’s a wurm plaguing the town. If you kill it, the town becomes a safe zone for the player.” “So… you need help killing it?” Titania nodded. “Everyone else in my guild has done the quest. Except for me. Part of advancing in the guild requires that you can use Rig as a safe zone. That way, you have easy access to those grinding areas.” Acanthus found it odd that she hadn’t heard of these grinding areas before. Surely something like that would be featured in the info broker’s guide. “So wh

Titania appeared genuinely remorseful. “Acanthus, again, I’m sorry. I messed up—again.” Acanthus stayed standing, waiting for whatever Titania would say next. “Could I have one more cup? Let me try one more time.” With some reluctance, Acanthus walked over to the kettle to refill her cup. “Thank you.” She took another long sip. “I’m really sorry about your friend.” Acanthus glowered. She didn’t believe her—if anything, she was sorry that she’d upset Acanthus. Probably because she needed something. And then the request came. “I seem to have a habit of putting my foot in my m

Acanthus decided that if Titania were being upfront, she could as well. “Yes,” Acanthus confirmed. “Consistently for the last two weeks. But even before that, I had night terrors from time to time.” “Two weeks? Did something happen?” “I… yes. I don’t want to get into details, but a friend of mine passed away.” “Oh, that’s it?” Acanthus blinked. She wasn’t sure she had heard correctly. Titania frowned. “Ah, I’m sorry. I remember you telling me that death in the game was real.” “And I’m remembering now that you’re deluded in thinking otherwise.” Her response was tinged w

“I see.” Titania offered no further response. The awkward quiet began to bloom, so Acanthus decided to simply nip it in the bud. “Titania, you know I’m a direct person. And so I don’t really know how to ask this gracefully. Why on earth are you here so early? Surely you’re not just checking on me.” “Isn’t that what friends do?” “I believe so, but messages also suffice. As well as meeting during daylight. Not that I’m unhappy to see you,” Acanthus quickly added. “Like I said, I wasn’t really sleeping well myself.” “Do you also have awful dreams?” The abrupt question stu