Acanthus

“Aren’t you going to listen to your guide?” Acanthus observed the strangely tall anglo beefcake. He muttered incomprehensible words, taking every opportunity to stop and flex. “He is rather odd. Besides, I have you here. You’ve done this quest before, right?” The awkward pause told her she was wrong. “I’ve avoided this one, actually.” He kicked a few rocks as they walked down the gravel path. “Truth be told, it’s not very time-efficient. Navigating an entire labyrinth and slaying two monsters for 500 experience? You could get that in about 30 minutes on the upper floors.” He noticed

“I’m still not sure why you’re accompanying me. I intended to solo this quest.” “Call it an apology for being rude earlier. Plus, we keep saying we’ll meet up and we never do. I think running into each other was a sign that it needed to happen.” “As long as you don’t get in the way.” “Whoa-ho, we’ve got a big shot over here now,” Edict joked lightly. Seeing Acanthus’ firm stare, he straightened up. “No funny business. I know you’ll handle the quest perfectly. All I’m here to do is provide some moral support and conversation.” “Don’t you have some field bosses to kill on hi

“I… I’ve been keeping track. Myself.” Edict stared in disbelief. “We’ve been in the game for two years. You’re telling me you’ve been keeping meticulous track of every day since we’ve arrived?” “Apparently not meticulous enough. I missed two days.” Edict laughed. “I’d say that’s a good track record for two years. And it’s not like the days of the week matter much. Most NPCs follow a weekday and weekend schedule.” The days of the week don’t matter much. Unless it’s one of the things you’ve decided to reference to anchor yourself to the real world. “You’re right, it’s not that importan

Edict held his hands up. “Sorry; sounds like I crossed a line there.” Acanthus glowered at him, but said nothing else. Edict put his hands down. “You were on the right trail, but the wrong day. He stops by the butcher’s shop on thursdays.” “Today is Thursday.” Edict looked at her quizzically. “It’s Saturday, Acanthus.” “Wait, how did you know that?” Edict opened his menu and selected a few buttons, then rotated the screen to Acanthus. [[Game Data: 23 Celsius, 11:37:23, Saturday, Troctobler 14, 679.]] A moment of silence descended on the two. Finally, Acanthus looked at him and s

She wandered around Aruyt, searching for Larbrook. Finding quests in this game was half the battle. Cardinal gave the NPCs a life of their own, and with quests being tied to those NPCs, it became important to learn what they did and where they went to even find the quest in the first place. “Acanthus? What a surprise! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Shocked, Acanthus formulated an appropriate response on the fly. “You are back, Edict.” Edict chuckled. “Seems that way. Although this time I’m not surprising you in a back alley cafe. It’s…” he looked around. “A back alley butcher shop.

She barged into the Sour rumor, strangely intent. She looked like she had run all the way from floor 24 down here. Slumping into a seat, she raised her hand. “One whiskey, please,” knocking it back the moment it reached her, shelling out col with her free hand. She panted as she recovered from the burn. “Thanks… Almost… Rank 5… Wish me luck.” Her stare momentarily went blank, and then she blinked, as if remembering something. She stood with renewed vigor, pausing to look around the shop. “I’m not really sure why I ended up down here. I think I needed a Crafter’s Respite?” Noticing her ope

One thing Haru hated about middle school were all the new emotions everyone seemed to be processing. Everyone except for her. Girls and boys alike became difficult. Girls giggling and laughing about new crushes in the hallway. Boys teasing and pulling hair. Friends she had through middle school became distant without warning. And the letter writing. She was told in no uncertain terms that the written letter was the pinnacle of love. Confessions, wall slams—it was all an elaborate parade of affections. So when Takumi sent her a letter, she had no idea what to do. “Write him back!” was the

Acanthus stroked Perlita’s fur gently. “I would have a hard time sending something this cute into battle. And Kumaki…” The bear rolled around on the bench, playing with the tin of treats. “I think she’s not really suited for combat. But as food-oriented as she is, I think I could maybe train her to hunt.” Scooping Kumaki off the ground and separating her from the treats, she gave Ciela another smile. “The orphanage sounds nice. I’ve never actually been there. I’m sure they would love to see some new faces.” Acanthus entered the monastery, and was nearly bowled over by a familiar little bo

Crafting for 10/1/2024 Ambition food consumed (170477). Extended Workshop. (+4 EXP total from Trinket | Tuning Fork + Hard Working) EXP 2493/2559. Crafter's Respite used! (229503). Daily attempts reset. EXP: 2561. Rank 5 achieved!

Crafting for 9/30/2024 Ambition food consumed (170473). Extended Workshop. (+4 EXP total from Trinket | Tuning Fork + Hard Working) EXP: 2426/2559

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Searching R5, First Aid R1 Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: None SP Incurred Towards Limit: 34/50 SP Refunded: 34 Cost: 34,000 col

PARAGON EVALUATION POST Updated as of 7/7/25 Current Paragon Level: 33 Level Reward Date Claimed Paragon Level 5 Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread) 10/1 Paragon Level 10 (1) Gleaming Scale, (1) Demonic Shard, +1 LD to Looting* 10/1 Paragon Level 25 (1) Gleaming Scale, (1) Demonic Shard, Free Skill Respec 2/22 Paragon Level 50 (1) Gleaming Scale, (1) Dem

Crafting for 9/29/2024 Ambition food consumed (170471). Extended Workshop. (+4 EXP total from Trinket | Tuning Fork + Hard Working) EXP: 2346/2559

Acanthus ducking into The Sleeping Moon one more time. She had already been inside once before, so she wasted little time in looking around the place. “Thank you for the armor,” she began. “I have a few more items that have been gathering dust in my collection. Now that I have a little more col to my name, I can pay to have them identified." With a few practiced swipes, her inventory explodes out onto the table in the shop. “...That was more than I remember. Let me add a little col to my tally.” She gave a few quick instructions. "As before, please message me with any unique enhancements you f

THREAD SUMMARY Experience: [Word Count: 3901/10 = 390.1] * [True Tier: 5] * [Group Factor: 1] = 1951 EXP + 2000 (quest) = 3,951 EXP Col: 5000 (quest) + 400 (page bonus) + 24,200 (looting) + 592 (Laurel wreath) = 30,192 col +162 foraging EXP Items (35) materials (2) demonic shards Rare Weapon | 234028a Rare Consumable | 234028b 234028c

“I cannot thank you enough,” the Chief stressed again. Acanthus had decided to pay attention this time around. The Chief went on a long-winded monologue about the importance of family, and how he used to regard Uso-Tsuki as a son. All very trite dialogue in Acanthus’ mind. But at least she wasn’t sorting through her inventory instead of listening. “...judging by the plans you have secured, it appears that he wishes to make an attack on the Palace as soon as possible, using his two enforcers to spearhead the assault.” The Chief pleaded with Acanthus, “would you please aid us one more time?

True to form, Acanthus arrived at the beach an hour early. She’d packed a basket full of supplies, including but not limited to: extra towels, sunscreen, two pairs of sunglasses, three bottles of wine (non-alcoholic, as Cardinal demanded), and a shovel. Not just a shovel for digging sandcastles—a full-sized, metal shovel with a sturdy oak handle. She wasn’t exactly sure why she would need it. People dug holes at the beach, right? She had seen Zandra’s post on the player request board the other day. The thought of games intrigued her, and she was doing her best to leave her comfort zone an

Nemo’s draconic form crumbled away, leaving the man sitting on the ground, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “You’re strong, aren’t you?...” He mumbled. He seemed lost in thought. “You can come back, if you want. It gets lonely here… that’s why I bring people here.” Acanthus looked over to Nymoria with an air of confusion. “So he gets lonely, but then he gets angry that we’re foraging, but then when we beat him up, he becomes forlorn again?” She shook her head. “Nemo seems… scattered. Good-intentioned, but he's a mystery to me.” Although she did feel for him somewhat. All he wanted was some co

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