Acanthus

You wake up in a soft bed in what appears to be a makeshift hospital. Judging from the view out your window, you appear to be back in the Palace at Marsonia. Judging by the sun (or your in-game clock), you haven’t been out for long. A nurse notices you stir as you wake and gives you a soft smile. “Wait right here. I’ll let the Chief know you’re awake.” She vanishes into the hallway. While you wait for his return, you have some time to yourself. Solaris swoops in and perches on the window, happy to see you awake. The Chief returns soon in a hurry. While he appears grateful for your re

"The icy prison you find yourself in represents the future before you." The will of Kayaba sweeps down as Uso-Tsuki’s statue schooches out of the way. You could swear that his face looks a little more smug than it did before. A face that almost seems to say “By all known laws of physics, I shouldn’t have survived that blow. And I dodged it anyways, because I don’t care about what you think is impossible.” Cracks begin to form in the ice surrounding his body. Although the venom has run its course, Uso-Tsuki still seems to be ready for the fight. Freeing his mouth, he smirks. “The god

Frost creeps up Uso-Tsuki’s immobile frame. His eyes become wide with panic. “You’re making a mistake! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain here. Release me at once. I can offer you so much more than the Chief. You can take Hogo-Sha’s place. He is disposable after his debacle with the map. We would be unstppbl—” His jaw sets, and he becomes unable to speak. His skin becomes pale and green as the venom starts to course through his body. He stares at you wordlessly in equal parts hate and abject fear. His frozen body appears to struggle against the inevitable.

Acanthus stared slack-jawed as the guards disappeared in an instant. Acanthus hadn’t even seen the sword art charge. One moment Cordelia was there, and then—poof. Shards of blue wafted into the air. She closed her mouth. “Well that was fun!” came Cordelia’s exclamation. Between her and Pinball, she wondered how the SAO players hadn’t cleared the game yet. The speed and power they showed were incredible. “Didn’t mean to go overkill, but I’ve been lucky lately, I guess.” Luck had nothing to do with that. Acanthus rushed behind her. “How did you manage that? I’ve heard about ‘Custom Sword Sk

Uso-Tsuki grunted with exertion. “Lucky hit,” he spat, as the green cracks continued to spread in his armor. It is clear that he was thrown off—you just shrugged off his best technique, after all. Leaping back into combat, he slashed with the first knife, aiming for your shoulder. The knife digs deep, exploiting the gaps in your armor. Snarling, he brings his second knife up, and plunges it into your side. You manage to shake him off, but your health bar has dropped once more. “You talk a big game hero, but you bleed just the same. Dragons, titans, gods—it doesn’t matter. You are just ano

Uso-Tsuki growled. “Hogo-Sha has been disciplined for his failure to keep the plans safe. If he is lucky, he will have another chance to serve me when I assume my rightful place.” He parries your attacks with contempt. “And your attempt to get under my skin is noted. Failed, but noted.” You noticed the veins in his temple bulge for a moment before he collects himself. “If anything, it’s a good thing you’ve shown your face now rather than later. I’d rather go ahead and finish off any dissenters now, it saves me the trouble of finding you.” Uso-Tsuki appears to blend into the background for

Her hands wet from the increasing rain, the crystal slipped from her hands, and landed with a *pop* on a rock below her. The soft glow began to flicker. Acanthus made a soft noise of disbelief. No, no no. She had poured her soul into this crystal. The hours she’d spent getting the orchestration just right, recalling the tune from her childhood. She prepared herself for the worst as she activated it. To her relief, the tune came through clearly. It was a soft, waltzing lullaby. Her mom sang it to her often, changing the sing-song lyrics from time to time. Acanthus had come up with her own

Acanthus covered her mouth to laugh as Cordelia expressed her boredom with the quest. It was hard not to sympathize with her. She’d felt the same way on a fair number of her own quests. She thought back to the tutorial, where she’d blocked out most of Mayor Dorian’s introduction, opting to rely on the quest instructions instead. “I would normally be concerned about launching right into combat, but I trust your judgment.” She looked down at the katana on her waist again. It did not look like the weapon of a novice—she had no doubt Cordelia wielded it as a master’s weapon. The tree continue

Freyd’s hands started to act oddly. Something about the space around them seemed to, well, it disappeared entirely. Acanthus had the distinct feeling she was watching something that she should only observe indirectly, because her mind was having a hard time understanding it. Finally, the paradox seemed to settle, and his hands glowed with a purple miasma. Acanthus felt both relieved and concerned. Freyd’s adjustment meant that things weren’t out of control just yet. Although… the edge pressing into his voice was noticeable. Maybe it was anger, or annoyance—Acanthus had a hard time deciphe

Nymoria had seemed genuinely calm in response to Acanthus’ failure. She tried her best to reassure herself that it came from a place of genuine acceptance. She thought about all the times mistakes had been “acceptable” at work until it was convenient to dredge them up for a quick jab. Not everyone is like that, she told herself. Give her the benefit of the doubt. It’s the least you can do. Steadying herself, she placed the performance crystal back in her bag, and settled down on a rock next to Nymoria. Silently, she began to scan the area around them for any usable materials, but had no s

“Hubris?!” Uso-Tsuki sputtered. “It’s not hubris to be right.” Doing his best to avoid your attacks, your <<Concentration>> manages to punch through his defenses, striking a telling blow. Your attack leaves him winded. Staggering backwards, he does his best to put space between the two of you. “That’s the problem with you hero types. You’re not willing to see the big picture. So what if I have to break a few eggs here and there?” Uso-Tsuki continues rambling, hoping to catch his breath before you begin another offensive. “Power is a necessary evil to wield. You’re doing it rig

Acanthus had barely returned from her trip with Nymoria when she stumbled into what seemed like a confrontation. She witnessed a player confidently talking to some NPCs. “Hey, idiots. I heard you have an ape problem. I’ll take care of it.” Ape problem? Acanthus perked up. She had meant to tackle this quest ever since she had unlocked her TECH shift. The ability would be a powerful one to add to her arsenal. Not to mention she was enjoying the atmosphere of floor eight. It was calm and green, and full of life—she’d take any excuse to prolong her stay here. She wasn’t exactly keen on her u

Crafting for 9/7/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP: 930/2559

Crafting for 9/6/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP 839/2559 Crafter's Respite used! (228995). Daily attempts reset. EXP 890/2559

“So you’re the one that bested my enforcers.” Uso-Tsuki pulls back, looking for openings in your defense. “The outsider here to save the Chief from the consequences of his own rule.” He continues to circle you, eyes darting. He licks his lips. “The Chief’s position should have passed to me by right. Did he tell you that? But he decided to cast me out instead.” Uso-Tsuki gave a mock pout. “The poor old man. He refused to keep up with the times. Why play nice with the lands outside of Marsonia? We have all the strength we need without them.” Without warning, he darts underneath your sword a

Crafting for 9/5/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP 742/2559 Crafter's Respite used! (228973). Daily attempts reset. EXP 787/2559

The guard gives you one last salute. “I will protect the Chief with my life.” The few remaining guards appear to be restoring order, a group of hidden rebels already tied up and awaiting whatever punishment the Chief finds fitting. Solaris’ birds-eye view comes in handy, as it only takes a few minutes for him to locate the action. Signaling to you down below, it appears that the lieutenant is indeed on the south side of the island. And the closer you get, the more frantic the noise becomes. You hear the sounds of battle, steel on steel, and the yelling of men, both in combat and in pain.

The guard gives another salute. “I will notify you the moment we lay eyes on him. He can’t have made it far. I believe the lieutenant was looking to corral him on the south side of the island, but that may be subject to change.” The guard then disappeared back into the crowd. The Chief, standing shakily, addresses you. “I… I feel that it is important to continue the commune. I have to show my people that I am strong. Besides,” the Chief glances to the forest beyond, “if Uso-Tsuki is on the run and his enforcers have been dispatched, I have nothing to fear. The contingent of my honor guard

“Sounds good.” Just one pack? I think we could take a few more easily. She stormed through the ghasts as they hung stunned in the air. The last few quests had left her wondering what she’d ever been afraid of. Kumatetsu and the Leech Lich both had been brief encounters. But be careful. You know that the boss fights only get harder. But the ghasts left something to be desired. Slashing to her heart’s content, all four burst like confetti into multiple shards. She walked back to Pinball, dusting her hands. “That seemed simple enough. I’m surprised we got any loot from them.” Part

Acanthus rushed toward Nymoria as the shards disappeared. “Nymoria, I am so sorry. I was distracted, and I allowed you to get hit. Are you ok? I think I have some healing crystals somewhere…” She opened her menu frantically, pushing buttons for various crystals. “That’s not it, no, no, where are they…” Crystals appeared and dropped to the ground around her. One shattered and played an inappropriately jaunty tune, and a buff appeared around Acanthus. “I’m—I’m sorry, they were right here. Let me…” She trailed off as she stooped to the ground to gather the scattered performance crystals. “I know

With the enforcers both dead, the commotion begins to subside. Uso-Tsuki is currently nowhere to be seen. The Chief looks up at you with eyes full of grief. “I knew it would come to this, but still… I was not prepared for such devastation. The ceremony is interrupted, and Uso-Tsuki has fled.” A Marsonian guard approaches and stops at a safe distance. He salutes the Chief before turning to you. “I bring word from the lieutenant. He says that he is working on trapping Uso-Tsuki on the island. The docks are quarantined, and we have fleets circling the island, watching for any attempts to sli

Crafting Finale: Sound of the Wilds She had a long day ahead of her, but Acanthus knew it was the home stretch. She closed the shop early, bought an extra round of pastries from the shop across the street, and prepared for the marathon of crafting. (Note: I was sloppy and did not include whether my crafts were Support or Debuff in my spreadsheet, so the links to my crafting page fail to specify "debuff song." I have, thankfully, specified in each of the rolls on the site. I think one or two might have been left blank when I fat fingered "submit" trying to select the third box. In tho

Crafting for 9/4/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP 648/639 Crafter's Respite used! (228972). Daily attempts reset. EXP 694/2559

Your powerful blow sends Purotekutā flying off the stairs and into the dirt. He stands with a weakness that belies the conviction in his eyes. “Barbarian,” he says with a dead voice. “Nothing but a brute. Uso-Tsuki could have made you more. And yet you choose weakness.” He brings his katana up, wincing from his wounds. Even from a distance it is easy to see that he is clinging to life. He approaches you wearily, ready to finish this. “Even when you beat me, you will be no match for Uso-Tsuki. His is the might of rulers. He will kill the Chief, and with him, the childish dream of prosperit

Nymoria dashed off after another teasing remark. Acanthus was surprised to hear herself laughing, “Not if I have anything to say about it!” Hot on her heels, she had already drawn Meteor, preparing to strike. How long had it been since she had done something like this? She thought of all the times she visited friends on sunny days in the real world, and all the laughter they shared as they laid out blankets and talked until the sun touched the horizon. She’d been so preoccupied leveling up and surviving, that some days she forgot this was her life. For better or for worse, she had to enjo