Acanthus

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Initiative. 242552 | CD 7 LD 18 | No madness. No audience this time. Perfect. Her face muscles sagged into a relaxed position, lending to a “default character creation” kind of face. No audience meant no performance, meant that she could focus on the important thing—winning. She recognized her opponent from the recent floor boss. Hirru, the green hunter, stood a ready opponent. Support build or not, Acanthus was wary; she had no doubt his skills extended beyond healing. She mentally prepared herself for an unconventional battle. The unconventional setting helped with that. A cos

I know too well what that can do. An ominous end to their conversation. Acanthus wondered if it had something to do with her extended absence, but she was too tired to push the topic. It’s not torture. And if it is, it’s not something I enjoy. It’s a necessary evil, and if I have to break a few fake arms to save myself and my friends… Nymoria would have done the same. Ryo interrupted with a loud shout. He was intent on feeding them, and the shops that carried his cooking ingredients closed soon. Can't he just buy ingredients in stacks of 99? isn't not like they spoil here. But she wa

Her anger was getting the better of her. If she didn’t calm down, she would lose. But Vigilon proved a difficult opponent. He never stayed in place for long, and his attacks methodically tested her defense. It was only a matter of time before he found his opening and struck again. Fallen magic danced around his blade, leaving Acanthus extra wary. Her fight with Jomei had taught her the magic could cut through any armor. Vigilon was on the move again. Carefully, she kept her angle of attack and distance. Acanthus wanted to make sure he would not get the opening he needed. Then, sharp buzze

Playing to his strengths, Vigilon kept maneuvering outside and away from her sword arts. One fight was all it took for her to see the weaknesses of less mobility. Deadly strikes turned to glancing blows as she continued her assault. Then, with a fluid move, Vigilon spun around, kicking up dust and debris, forcing her back. Her eyes darted around the cloud, picking out any movement she could. Then, a glimmer of steel, low in the cloud, alerted her to his presence. “I’ve got you,” she muttered. Summoning the sword art, she prepared another combo with confidence. But when she parted the dust clou

Buying the following items: Teleport Crystals x10 Name Tag x10 Immolation Potion T4 x20 Total: (800 * 10) + (2500 * 10) + (1200 * 20) = 57,000 col

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Acanthus relaxed after the introductions. “I already owe you for botan. Hunting down a few field bosses seems like an adequate trade. If anything, I still owe you. This sword has been a literal lifesaver.” Acanthus plucked the spyglass from her belt and gave it an experimental twirl. “We should be able to find the boss fairly quickly after each fight. I’m here for as long as you need me.” NIGHT and Oscar were ready to go, and sped off almost immediately. Acanthus panted, falling steadily behind. Was it the armor that was slowing her down, or were they both marathon runners in real li

Smashing a crystal for healing, Vigilon counterattacked, his blade alight with a familiar glow. Acanthus hunkered down for the impending strike. Similar to Jomei’s blade last week. F— The unholy light wrenched her shield aside and seared her vision with flames. Debuff icons peppered her HUD one by one. And I was about to close it out, she thought miserably. Instead, she would have to fall back. The Forgotten King’s Authority shed her stun, and she withdrew to catch her breath. “Good hit,” she said from behind her shield. “But you’ll need a few more to take me down.” She wished that s

Acanthus dove back into the fight, eager to wrap things up quickly. The traps could make or break this fight, and Minako and Kindling had hidden them too well to uncover them with a glance. She was halfway in the air before it registered that she had not been paying attention. The lump she had seen in the ground had not been a small bit of sand, but was instead a concussive landmine. Her health dipped as she sailed back to the ground. She did her best to roll with the momentum, but her heavy armor made it difficult for the adroit movements she typically used. Her roll was less “graceful a

The stun still clung to Vigilon as she approached. Acanthus was tempted to try and wear down his defenses with a shatter or two, before she remembered how that had gone in her fight with Jomei. She would need to remain vigilant; her energy bar would be just as important as her health. A quick fight was ideal, but a longer fight would enable her persistent build to thrive. Steady healing and damage would hopefully chip away at her opponent, even as she stopped to recover. Botan glowed with a hungry light, and she set the blade loose on Vigilon. She scored a few hits as the stun slowly wore

She dispatched four more bandits with a detached efficiency, but Nymoria’s shock caused Acanthus some alarm. “I—they aren’t real,” she repeated simply. “Code or not. Darkness? Nymoria, it’s not—” Not important right now, she thought to herself. But the look in her friend’s eyes said otherwise. Straining to find a diplomatic answer, she responded. “I won’t do it again. And we can talk about it more when we make it back to town. But I’m going to prioritize our safety, even if that means exploring some options that make you uncomfortable.” She hoped Nymoria would ignore her dance around the simpl

Where was she even supposed to begin? Big feelings weren’t meant to be shared. They were meant to be quietly processed and stored, far away from other people. Her entire family had taken that to heart, and it left Acanthus struggling to express what had just happened in a way she felt comfortable. Her only experience with conflict was in her professional career, and that hardly qualified. Cheesy workplace posters chimed in, unbidden: Managing workplace conflict: deescalate and communicate! Acanthus fought an inappropriate laugh—those kinds of posters were for idiots stealing lunches or gossipi

The sand shifted listlessly in the stale winds of Floor Five. Strange bumps dotted the arena floor, but were they traps or harmless lumps of sand? Acanthus paid close attention to some nearby sand being blown around. A dark, round object flashed from underneath the bright sand before disappearing quickly. Less than lethal, I hope. It certainly didn’t look like it. And judging from the fights she saw earlier, the traps were nothing to ignore. Today’s fight would require a careful balance of caution and recklessness. One last glance around the stage gave her the confidence she needed to mak

Acanthus nodded at Ryo's suggestion. Luring them to a safe area would enlist the help of NPCs, many of which had high stats or would respawn quickly. It was a solid idea. But in the meantime, bandits formed ranks just outside the camp. Their short-term prospects were not looking so good. Nymoria cocked her head. Acanthus. Make them fear. Acanthus looked back quizzically. “Does that even work? These aren’t people. They’re just programs that run at us until they die.” The last bandit of the pack closed in on Acanthus, out for blood. She regarded him curiously. “Do you have a name?” The band

Acanthus stumbled into the arena late. She was woefully underprepared for this week. But when she’d read about the traps, she realized this week would be as much about luck as it was about preparation. Besides, preparation hadn’t gotten her very far in the first two weeks. Perhaps it’s time for a change in pace. And this week, that pace was “slow.” She took her time preparing her equipment and steeling her resolve. In her new armor, her pace plummeted literally as well. Marching into the area felt like swimming through water. The half-plate armor looked splendid—Wulfrin had done a stellar job

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Light Armor Rank 5 Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: Meticulous [Light Armor Rank 3], Resolve [Light Armor Rank 5]. TECH Shift SP Incurred Towards Limit: [None: Using Respec Ticket] SP Refunded: 50 SP Cost: None

"That was a good fight last week. I look forward to watching you make the bracket." ----- 1. Demonic Scale to upgrade Fractured Heart to Demonic (enhancement is irrelevant; we're about to override it). 2. Fusion Emerald Regret | T4 Shield | 236206d | Mitigation | Paralyze | Flame Aura A buckler, scorching to the touch. When struck, it sparks with green flames. Fractured Heart | T4 Shield | 235657a | Holy Blessing II | Flame Aura | Mitigation(or w/e) A shining kite shield resembling half a heart. Despite its sturdiness, the wearer feels every hit. Fuse into:

Watching Kiyabu fall, the swordswoman clenched her jaw, processing her options. I could try and pull him back into the fight, but that leaves me open. Falling back to entrench also just delays the inevitable. I could maybe take one down if things go my way, but Jomei’s strike didn't leave me any room for mistakes. Carefully keeping her face a mask, she allowed herself time to seethe for a single moment before returning to what mattered. It’s all a performance. And you’ll get to go home soon. Acanthus hoisted her sword and shield with a flourish. “There’s no fun in walking away warm. Not s

“Acanthus.” Electricity crawled through her nerves. Everything sounded louder, sharper. She heard the sand shifting as the Boss Bandit moved towards Morningstar. She felt the texture of botan in her hand, and the blood rushing through her body as she recovered from… whatever had just happened. Numbly, she waved her hand through her player marker, as if it would revert her status. She glanced at Teion, uncertain what to say. Sorry? Not enough. It was a mistake? Acanthus wasn’t sure she believed that herself. Something had swept her up in the flow of battle and deposited her in a haze

Acanthus raised a single eyebrow watching Wildfire light the caves with <<First Aid>>. “That’s a clever trick. I hadn’t considered other uses for that skill,” she admitted. It was the kind of thinking that would make them a valuable addition to the frontlines. “Do you find yourselves on this floor often?” “Unfortunately. There are a few quests here. I’ve been down here twice to fight Cerberus, once before to take on the bandit camp. There are a few other important quests here. I wish the game designers had chosen a more scenic floor for them.” A geyser of lava erupted in

Nymoria’s “voice” carried above the clamor. “Bandits. South. More.” A horde of cutthroats approached the camp, weapons drawn and eager for blood. Acanthus did her best to remain calm. The situation was unexpected, but they’d handled the first round well enough. The real problem would be how many. Any monster was a threat when they didn’t stop coming. And Ryo… She glanced over to see him holding his own. Acanthus shouldn’t be worried—she’d seen him fight. He was no pushover. But even still, paying the ransom had been her suggestion, and now things were flying off the rails because of it.

Things were not looking good. Putting antifreeze on her armor had just caused Wulfrin to hone in on Kiyabu. It had been a good move, and one Acanthus needed to put a stop to. “Sorry, Jomei, I’ve gotta split.” She flashed him a quick smile before kicking up a cloud of dirt to disengage. “But I’m sure we’ll cross blades again.” Wulfrin had just finished a punishing combo that left Kiyabu on his back foot. It looked like he was preparing for another one. She tried getting his attention. “Wulfrin! It’s been too long. Don’t suppose you can spare me a little time, can you? Kiyabu deserves a lit