[PP-F08] You Can Hear it in the Trees <<Treant Rivalries>>

[Cordelia 0]

Long white hair billowed from where it was tied as a lone woman stood at the edge of the forest where <<Baobab>> resided. The katana that hung on her hip and the armor that clung to her back made it abundantly clear that this floor was far below her skill level, and yet here she was. 

“Can’t believe I never got to doing this quest,” Cordelia murmured to herself as she looked up from her menu and into the shadowy forest, a deep frown on her face. She must have been lacking even before she got trapped in that slime for God knows how long. Still, she supposed there was never a time to get things done than now, and she took one final squig of a bottle before tossing it aside, disappearing in a flurry of pixels before it even touched the ground. 

Was it obnoxious of her to take buffs for a quest that was leagues below her skill level? Perhaps. It didn’t hurt to be picking up old habits though, and she had the Col to spare for many more, so what’s the problem? 

Spoiler

[ LVL: 33 PGN: 26 | HP: 760 | EN: 110/110 | 23 DMG | 20 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | BH:44 | 17 HLY BLS | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC | PHASE ]

[ LVL: 33 PGN: 26 | HP: 760 | EN: 110/110 | 27 DMG | 20 MIT | 7 ACC | 3 EVA | BH:44 | 17 HLY BLS | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC | PHASE ]

EQUIPPED GEAR:
<<Carver of Demons: Onimaru>> | T4 Katana | PHASE/HOLY/HOLY/ABS. ACC
<<Empress' Kanzashi>> | T4 Trinket | ACC/ACC/ACC/EVA
<<Bastille's Downfall>> | T4 Cloth Armor | EVA/EVA/HOLY BLESSING

SKILLS:
R5 Katana
R5 Cloth Armor
R5 Battle Healing
Charge
Energist
Combat Mastery: Damage

EXTRA SKILLS:
Survival
Disguise
R5 Hiding
Meditation
Forgotten King's Authority

Familiar: Rending

MODS:
Ferocity
Athletics
Resolve
Surprise Attack (Assassin)

Combat Shift: ST Specialist

CONSUMABLES USED: 
Precision Dog: 2 ACC
Liquor of Light: +3 DMG

BUFFS:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 DMG

 

Edited September 2 by Cordelia

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus looked out the window of the Vineyard’s Face. She had been staying here for a few days to recover from the fight with Kumatetsu. Part of her still wasn’t really feeling herself. She was also waiting on a message from Pinball so that they could start the next quest in Scent of the Wild. She’d been to Little Eden and back, and still no sign of Pinball. In the meantime, she thought a little bit of movement would do her good. She hadn’t done much exploring on this floor, and it seemed like a safe (and enjoyable) place to explore. She headed out on the eastern road and admired the scenery.

She took the road to Baobob, admiring the lush forest vegetation on the way over. From the road, she even thought she caught a few of the trees moving. Not just twisting in the breeze—moving. That must be the treants the info broker’s database mentions. She decided it didn’t merit any further exploring on her own.

As she approached Baobob, she noticed a player eyeing the forest. She appeared to be frowning. Acanthus caught her murmuring, “Can’t believe I never got to doing this quest.” And she smelled vaguely... Minty? Acanthus paused for a moment. Well, I suppose it can’t hurt. I am trying to catch up on quests, after all. She cleared her throat and approached the woman. Remember: casual and approachable.

“Hello, friendly player. It looks like you’re about to go questing. What quest are you doing? Would you like me to quest with you?” Acanthus died a little inside. She’s going to think you’re a player support program.

Spoiler

 

Acanthus | Lvl 24 | HP: 510/510 | EN: 66/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36  | PARA | LD:3                                                                                                              

Equipment Meteor | T3 Longsword | BLD 2 | PARA In Noctem | T3 Light Armor | MIT 2 EVA 1 Vow of Return | Ring | ACC 3 Battle-Ready Inventory (1) Song - Mass HP Recovery 1 (1) Song - HP Recovery 1	Skills Combat Mastery: DMG R2 TECH Shift Straight Sword R5 Addon: Focus Addon: Precision Light Armor R5 Addon: Resolve Searching R3 Mod (1/5): Night Vision Hiding R3
Thread Consumables: (Currently reflected in stat block) None

 

 

[Cordelia 0]

She looked up, blinking in surprise at the sudden appearance of a stranger. “Oh uh,” she stammered, caught off guard by such a friendly face and the sudden bombard of questions. It was a little suspicious if she was going to be honest, hand trailing down to the hilt of her katana before she hesitated with a sigh.

Even if this was a trap, she could handle herself.

Cordelia put on a smile and shifted her weight onto a leg. “It’s called <<Treant Rivalries>>– or something like that.” She pulled open her menu and scanned through the contents that the broker had given her. “Shouldn’t be too hard…” she hummed absentmindedly, peeking over her screen to scan the woman up and down. She looked proficient enough to handle herself in a fight, so Cordelia shouldn’t be worried about having an innocent player’s blood on her hands. 

With a swipe of her menu, she shrugged. “Why not? Company could be good for me,” she huffed with an amused grin. One hand still on the handle of her katana, she outstretched the other towards the nameless stranger. “Cordelia,” she introduced herself, nodding at her newfound party mate. “Pleasure to meet you.” 

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus smiled and gave a quick bow. “My name is Acanthus. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope you will permit me to tag along. It’s been a rough few days, and I think a change of pace might be what I need.” Acanthus idly watched the people of Baobob as the woman opened her menu to check a few things. Acanthus adjusted her armor absentmindedly. Still wasn’t quite the good fit of her previous armor, but she was learning to move with it. “It’s called <<Treant Rivalries>>– or something like that. Shouldn’t be too hard…” Acanthus fidgeted with the pommel of her sword while Cordelia hummed. Maybe she’s second guessing the invite. I mean, look at her. The way she walks, her equipment—she’s a frontliner.

Cordelia shrugged. “Why not? Company could be good for me,” She reached her hand out, and Acanthus, after a moment, grasped it in return. “Cordelia, Pleasure to meet you.” 

“So what are the quest rewards? It has to be something good if you’ve come all the way down from the frontlines. I mean,” Acanthus stuttered, “You look like you’re from the higher floors. Although to me, everyone looks like they are from the higher floors…” She trailed off and picked up a new train of thought. “Just let me know where we’re headed. Or what we’re doing, for that matter. Do we side with the trees, the elves, or is this another quest where the solution is friendship? There seem to be a lot of those.”

[Cordelia 0]

“Acanthus,” Cordelia repeated, testing the name on her tongue before giving a firm nod. “It’s no problem,” she reassured, letting go of the woman’s hand. “I think I’m in the same boat as you anyway.” The last few days have no doubt been a whirlwind from the swordswoman’s point of view. Reawakening in a slime to reuniting with her lover? It’s hard to believe she’s doing something as meaningless as questing now. 

The brows on her face shot up in surprise at the mention of front lines, shock evident on her face before she broke out into an amused laugh. “I could hardly call myself a frontliner,” she giggled lightheartedly– pausing before the initial amusement faded off into a bittersweet reminder. “No, I… I haven’t been in their ranks for quite some time.” There was a grimness to her tone, a shadow that lurked in the recesses of her words, but she failed to elaborate any more than she already had.  “... But if you’re worried about my experience, I still have lots of that.” Quickly, the melancholic look on her face morphed into a wide grin as she confidently pointed a thumb to her chest. 

“But as for rewards?” Cordelia made a thoughtful noise as she tapped the pad of a finger against her chin. “Nothing too crazy since this is just a prerequisite quest. Some experience, some Col– I think there’s some kind of quest item that boosts your defense, but nothing else really worth nothing.” Turning back towards the forest, she pointed at the shadowed landscape. “We just gotta walk for a bit in there before we meet the NPC that’ll give us the quest. And from what I’ve heard, you could decide to spare or kill the boss, but I don’t really have a preference for either.” She looked back at Acanthus. “You can get to pick if you want. Just let me know when you're ready to head out."

Edited August 31 by Cordelia

[Acanthus 0]

Not… Not a frontliner? Acanthus looked over the swordswoman’s gear again. She carried a particularly deadly-looking katana, and carried herself with what seemed like a practiced ease, at least to Acanthus. The woman reminded her of Pinball in some way she was unable to put her finger on. If she wasn’t a fighter on the frontlines, then the gulf Acanthus had to cross seemed wider than it ever had been.

“You can get to pick if you want. Just let me know when you're ready to head out." Acanthus opened her menu to access more of the quest information. She quickly scanned through all the details. Finally, she closed the menu and looked back at Cordelia. “I’d like to try and spare the Commander, I think. He’s just trying to protect his people, isn’t he? I don’t think I’d like to be the hand of vengeance in a 500-year old war that I just stumbled into. And…” Acanthus paused, a twinge of embarrassment crossing her face, “I… sometimes it feels like the NPCs are a little too human. I know it’s all a video game, but it feels difficult to bring myself to kill them, even for a quest. If it comes down to needing a quest reward, I'll understand. But all other things being equal, I'd like to avoid bloodshed.” Acanthus tightened her gauntlets one last time before nodding to Cordelia. "Ready when you are. Which way are we headed?"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia's eyes softened. It's... nice seeing players taking the NPCs side unironically for once. She couldn't say it's a common sight, especially on the higher floors, and even she herself is prone to reducing Aincrad's inhabitants to ones and zeroes- but it's nice to forget once in a while. A fresh perspective would do her some good after the gruel she had witnessed the last couple of years. And what did she have to worry about in an intermediate quest like this anyway?

"What we do shouldn't impact the reward," Cordelia reassured the girl, a small but fond smile playing on her lips. "If that's what you want, I'm all for it." 

At Acanthus' confirmation, she jerked her head towards the forest. "This way. It won't be a long trip before we get to the quest checkpoint." Briefly, she opened her menu again before sending the other woman a party request. "Stay close. It's easy to get lost in there," she reminded, shooting Acanthus one last thumbs up before turning back and trudging towards the forest.

As they walked, Cordelia couldn't help but make conversation. "So are you looking to get onto the frontlines?" she asked suddenly, pushing past some brush and shrubbery absentmindedly. "You sound like someone who knows a bit about them." She chuckled at the thought of their previous interaction. Unsurprisingly, it's a goal that many players have. Even she herself has dreamed of being on the forefront of humanity's quest to freedom. 

[Acanthus 0]

[You’ve been invited to a party by Cordelia. Accept? [Y/N]]

Acanthus pressed [Y] and offered another quick bow. “Thank you, I promise not to be too much trouble.”

"Stay close. It's easy to get lost in there." She could see why. The tall trees choked out most of the sun, and the undergrowth made following any path difficult. She waded through brushes and shrubs, close behind Cordelia.

At the mention of the frontlines, Acanthus made a face. “I don’t know anything about the frontlines, really. I suppose that’s the direction I’m heading, but so is everyone else. Aside from the idle fishers on floor 22.” Acanthus fidgeted with her sword nervously. “It’s less about making it to the frontlines, and more… more like, I’m just trying to make up for lost time. I spent a long time in Tolbana. Too long.” Her thought ended quickly. Not something I should be bothering someone else with. It’s unbecoming. She abruptly changed topics. “This may be an odd question, but do you know someone named Pinball? I’m supposed to meet him for a quest in a few days. Our third quest, actually.”
 

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia nodded along through the conversation, a melancholic look on her face as she took in Acanthus’ words. “I understand.” Though it was ages ago, Cordelia could still remember the helplessness of being so far behind. It was a feeling that remained engraved in her head even as she approached the frontlines. “Not everyone is fit for the frontlines,” she murmured wistfully. “I’m not saying you won’t be, but don’t feel forced to reach the top. There’s a place for everyone, after all.” 

The pep in her step faltered at the sudden mention of the name. It was almost funny if she thought about it. Who would’ve thought that Pinball got around enough to be casually mentioned by a random player she had just met on the lower floors? The idea was enough to make her huff in amusement. Somehow, the boy must’ve preceded his infamy. 

“You could say I know him,” she replied, her voice strangely neutral despite her past actions. It was hard to say what she thought of Pinball now. The orange cursor that lingered on top of his head left a bitter taste on her tongue, but she supposed he was turning over a new leaf if he was willing to contact Lessa instead of leaving her for dead. “… Saw him a couple days ago, in fact,” the swordswoman added idly, thoughts now lingering on the fateful day Lessa and Pinball had stumbled upon her entrapment in a slime. 

She turned to look at Acanthus over her shoulder. “If you’re asking for my opinion, I would say I neither like nor dislike him.” Cordelia shrugged, turning back to the direction they were heading in. “If you’ve quested with him two other times already, then I’d say he isn’t much of a threat anymore. Though, I’d still be cautious to any PKers.”

[Acanthus 0]

“I agree, not everyone is for the frontlines. But I would like to contribute however I can. If nothing else, I can keep crafting songs to help out.” Acanthus shook her head. “But I’d prefer not to think of it like that. I’ll keep leveling up I can’t, and if I can’t keep up with the frontlines… then I’ll think about alternatives. But I’m ready to be done with this game, and I’m starting to accept that involves some amount of danger, no matter what."

She listened to Cordelia talk about Pinball for a bit. Her voice seemed strangely neutral. It reminded her of how Acanthus’ father talked about her aunt—careful, almost afraid to tip his hand. As Acanthus walked along, she idly scrounged for materials. It was a long walk, so she thought it would be best to occupy her time with foraging in addition to the conversation. She pulled up a few interesting bright purple mushrooms from under a log. The game registered them as "Royal Mushrooms."

"...then I’d say he isn’t much of a threat anymore. Though, I’d still be cautious to any PKers."

Acanthus froze as she reached for another mushroom. It shattered. “...What do you mean ‘anymore’?” Acanthus forced herself to take steady breaths as she waited for the answer.

Spoiler

Post Action: Gathering Materials
229461 | LD 10 + 3 = 13 CD 7 + 1 = 8. Critical! (2) materials gained. +16 EXP

 

Edited September 11 by Acanthus

[Cordelia 0]

“You’ll figure it out,” Cordelia tries, offering an encouraging smile. “We all will eventually.” 

It wasn’t long before she spotted an opening in the trees– the clearing that the King of Treants was supposed to greet them in. However, when she turned around to relay the information to Acanthus, the smile on her face dropped. Just how much did this girl not know about him? Or for that matter, how much did she know about PKers? “So you… you don't–” She faltered, averting her eyes as she scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably. “It’s best if you don’t hear it from me,” Cordelia muttered, shaking her head. With a sigh, she turned away. It wasn’t her place to speak about something she wasn’t even present for. “... Just check the Monument of Life when you can.” 

She gestured over to the incoming clearing. “We’re almost there.” There was apprehension in her tone– like she wasn’t sure how to approach the tension that had been built up. "The King of Treants should be spawning as soon as we enter." She looked over her shoulder. "You ready?"

[Acanthus 0]

Again, with the evasive answers. It was almost like being home. Her father had trained to stop asking questions when she sensed reluctance, and so she didn’t press any further for details. She occupied the silence with some more idle foraging while the two traveled. She found some half-buried crystal shards nestled at the base of a tree. With some polish, they would work well as recording crystals.

Pinball made have been dangerous in the past but… His cat is named Pinball. He has a cat back home. She clung to this strange little tidbit to humanize him. But… The Monument of Life? She’d passed it by numerous times when she lived on the first floor. It was supposed to memorialize the players that had died. Or were killed. His cat is named Pinball. She took a moment to compartmentalize. She envisioned her feelings like furniture in a house. When she moved from room to room, the furniture wasn’t gone—it was just out of sight until she returned. I’ll come back to this room. But right now, I’m needed somewhere else.

She smiled at Cordelia. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. Let’s focus on the quest. I’m ready whenever you are. Lead the way, Cordelia.”

Spoiler

Post Action: Gathering Materials
229461 | LD 20 + 3 = 23 CD 8 + 1 = 9. Critical! (3) materials and 1,500 col gained. +16 EXP (+32 total)

 

Edited September 11 by Acanthus

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia gave a noncommittal hum, offering a smile of her own. "Pry however much you want," she replied, turning her head. "Lord knows how much I interact with anyone." Stifling a sardonic laugh, she shook her head to clear her thoughts before resuming down the path. 

The two would emerge in a lighted clearing, the sun beating down as the shade of trees finally gave way. To no one's surprise, there sat a lone but large treant upon a fallen log in the middle of it. The massive creature looked up, bark skin warping as it moved its mouth to form words. "Within you... I feel great resolve..." Already, Cordelia felt herself slipping into a bout of boredom as the quest dialogue started. 

Is it me or did they make these longer? 

"... aughhhhhh," she drawled, "AugghhhHHHHHHH." Rolling her head, she turned to Acanthus. "Okay, let's just go over the whole plan while this guy-" She points a thumb behind her at the treant. "- talks for a bit." The King Treant, Ned, seemed oblivious to their divergence from the conversation at hand, and continued like nothing ever happened. It was nothing that Cordelia wouldn't know already. Flavor text, she surmised, too much of it for a simple quest like this. She was all for exposition and proper story telling, but this Ned fella could've really just stopped with the first few paragraphs of dialogue. "Yeah, anyway. We're going to skip through the whole stealth section of this quest." The swordswoman patted the side of her katana sheath confidently. "I should be able to take out all the guards in one fell swoop."

"The Captain... or whatever he's called." She shrugged, already forgetting the minor details of the quest. "He might be a bit tough, but since we're sparing him, we don't need to deal that much. Just keep close and don't stray far, and this quest should be in the bag. Sound good to you?" she finally asked, just as the conversation between Ned and another treant that came in at some point while she explaining ended. 

[Acanthus 0]

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 continued droning on in the background. She fought to keep from smiling. “I don’t suppose we could take the treant with us to talk the captain to death?”

Cordelia shared more details of the plan, and Acanthus nodded. “I understand. Stick close, and let you take the lead." I’ll do my best to help. And by help, I mean I won’t get underfoot.

[Cordelia 0]

The King of Treants would point the pair in the direction of the city once he was eventually done talking, and Cordelia barely responded with an indifferent wave before she made a beeline toward Ellesmera. It would be a short walk to the grand city, and before they knew it, the two were faced with its open gates.

Cordelia tilted her head. “You got nothing to worry about,” she reassured Acanthus with a smile. “But if anything does go south- which it won't, by the way- just make a break for it. I can handle myself. I’ve probably been in stickier situations anyway,” the girl joked, sticking out her tongue just slightly before she gestured towards the city. Unsurprisingly, they were met with no resistance, and Cordelia strolled through the barren streets while whistling a happy tune- as if she wasn’t here to kill their queen. Still, as far as quests went, this was probably more of the more relaxing ones she’d been on. Talk to some NPCs, kill a few more. Not too shabby for a random day in the week, if she had to say so herself. 

With the two soon approaching the palace entrance, Cordelia turned around one last time to briefly wink at her partymate, the smile on her face more nonchalant than ever. “Watch my back, ‘kay?” were her final words before she disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving a trail of dust from where she once stood. A flicker of light flashed in the short distance she traveled as Onimaru’s blade emitted a holy glow, engulfing the katana in a radiant aura. A single, clean slash was all it took to tear through all of the three guards, who barely had time to react to her attack before they dissipated into a cloud of blue fractals. 

“Well that was fun!” she exclaimed all giddily once she straightened up, sheathing her katana in its saya just as she kicked open the palace doors. “Didn’t mean to go overkill, but I’ve been lucky lately, I guess.” Wood creaked from the impact of her boot before the large doors swung open, revealing the opulent interior of the castle. “C’mon, Acanthus!”

Spoiler

Cordelia - HP: 760 | EN: 94/110 (-16) | 27 DMG | 20 MIT | 7 ACC | 3 EVA | BH:44 | 17 HLY BLS | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC | PHASE ]
Acanthus - HP: 510/510 | EN: 66/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36  | PARA | LD:3
-
Aoe-1 vs Elven Guard #1 | ID: 230098 | BD: 10, crit +2 | 27+2+16= 45x11= 495-25= 470 DMG
Aoe-1 vs Elven Guard #2 | ID: 230099 | BD: 5+6, hit | 27x11= 297-50= 247 DMG
Aoe-1 vs Elven Guard #3 | ID: 230100 | BD: 1+6, hit | 27x11= 297-50= 247 DMG
-
[2, 0] Elven Guard #1 - HP: 0/150 | DMG: 50 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2
[1, 0] Elven Guard #2 - HP: 0/150 | DMG: 50 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2
[1, 0] Elven Guard #2 - HP: 0/150 | DMG: 50 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2

 

Edited September 7 by Cordelia

[Acanthus 0]

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 Skills’ being granted to a select few people. Was that one of them? They just—” she made a noise with her mouth, and mimicked the blue shards disappearing into the air.

Acanthus followed Cordelia inside the castle. In the grand atrium, a beautiful set of hand-carved wooden stairs led up to a massive set of red double doors. “I have to assume that’s where we’ll find the Elvish Queen.” She drew Meteor. “I don’t plan to leave you. I don’t want to acquire a reputation for abandoning party members.”

Acanthus walked the stairs to the double doors, and pushed them open with both hands. The opened with an ominous groan. From her throne in the back of the chamber, the queen observed them disdainfully.

"It was foolish for you to come here. You have broken several laws of our city and now stand before me, the queen, armed and with hostile intent. I don't believe that you act on your own, but to think that the King of Treants is resorting to sending assassins? It is beneath him. Don't think even for a moment that I will be defeated so easily."

In a flash of light, an Elvish captain landed, and flourished a spear. “You are no match for my spear. Leave while you still can or else face the wrath of Arun, Comm—hkgh!”

Taking a leaf out of Cordelia’s book, Acanthus decided to skip the dialogue. Once Arun began his scripted speech, she bolted toward him, charging a stunning sword art. Rather than cutting through him, she twisted the blade and swung it like a golf club. The flat of the blade connected with a *WHOCK* against his armor, and Arun buckled under the pressure, wheezing. Cardinal sped through the remainder of his dialogue. “hk—CommanderoftheelvesnowfacethewrathofthwielderofGugnir. Wheeze”

Spoiler

 

Acanthus - HP: 510/510 | EN: 50/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36  | PARA | LD:3
Cordelia - HP: 760 | EN: 94/110 (-16) | 27 DMG | 20 MIT | 7 ACC | 3 EVA | BH:44 | 17 HLY BLS | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC | PHASE ]

<<Arun>> - HP: 294/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | Burn 14 (2 turns on 9-10) | Battle Healing 30 (Bleed 36 0/2)

Post Action: TECH-A -> Arun, Commander of the Elves
230156 | BD 10 + 3 - 3 = 10. Critical Hit! 16 * 16 = 256 - 100 = 156 Damage. Stunned! Bleed applied; Paralysis applied.

 

 

Edited September 7 by Acanthus

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia blinked. Custom Sword Skill? “... That was just my most basic AoE sword art,” she stammered, growing red in the face, but it was hard not to smile at Acanthus’ attempt to mimic the enemy’s death. “Uh... I try to invest a lot into raw damage,” she explains, though not sure if that would clear anything up. To be frank, she wasn’t even sure what she had been building for the longest time; Onimaru (even though it was quite lacking at the time) came into her hands out of nowhere, and she just kind of rolled with it ever since. 

Approaching another set of doors, Cordelia would nod her head. “It should be…” Her words fell off into a quiet whisper as she glanced at Acanthus, a silent smile on her lips. “Reputation, huh?” she exclaimed under her breath as the doors pushed open. “Of course.”

As they stepped foot into the chamber, the booming voice of the elf queen reverberated off the walls. Blah, blah, blah, quest dialogue, quest dialogue, quest dialogue. “Booooo. You SUCK!” Cordelia shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth like a makeshift megaphone. The introduction of the elven captain, however, was comical, so much so that Cordelia couldn’t help but throw her head back and cackle. Being cut off in the middle of his speech by a stun? Pure comedy. This is exactly what she wants to see in these god forsaken quests. “Good job!” she shouted towards Acanthus, already drawing her katana and making a dash for the immobilized enemy. 

There was no magnificent array of light from her blade this time, unfortunately, but her attacked proved devastating nonetheless. One clean slash and that was all it took for Captain Arun to fall to his knees in an agonized groan, a deep red gash edged into his abdomen. Right. Forgot that he doesn't instantly die, Cordelia sighed internally, rolling her eyes as she turned her sword towards Arun's face, the blade mere inches from his fatigued face.  "Are you done throwing a fit now?"

Spoiler

Acanthus - HP: 510/510 | EN: 50/66 | DMG: 14 | MIT:66 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BLD: 36  | PARA | LD:3
Cordelia - HP: 760/760 | EN: 96/110 (-8) | 27 DMG | 20 MIT | 7 ACC | 3 EVA | BH:44 | 17 HLY BLS | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC | PHASE ]

ST-1 vs Arun | ID: 230160 | BD: 7, hit | 27x15= 405-100= 305 DMG

[0, 0] <<Arun>> - HP: 50/450 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 100 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 3 | Burn 14 (2 turns on 9-10) | Battle Healing 30 (Bleed 36 0/2)

Arun's HP is reduced to 50 for the quest. 

 

Edited September 8 by Cordelia

[Acanthus 0]

“Good job!” Acanthus glowed at the praise. She began to ready for another strike, but Cordelia whipped by in a blur. Arun’s health dropped so quickly that she almost missed it. The quest dialogue started up again. “You have bested me... human. I—”

“So you’re telling me you’re just that fast?” Acanthus asked incredulously, drowning out Arun’s impassioned plea. As the queen began to speak, she continued. “If you’re that high-leveled, what are you doing back on the eighth floor for a sidequest?” The queen droned on in the background, before one of the other elves stepped forward to Arun, clutching the mortal wound in his abdomen. “I have a hard time believing he has 50 health left with that.” Acanthus stepped back to let the elf heal Arun. Hopefully, the healing was part of ending the quest. If it wasn’t… Acanthus kept a firm grip on her sword, ready for another stun if necessary.

“Um. So that finishes this part of the quest, right? What’s supposed to happen next?” A screen appeared in front of Acanthus, displaying the rewards and stating a new quest had begun.

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia had already zoned out of the quest dialogue two seconds after Arun had started speaking. She withdrew her katana from the elf’s face with a bored sigh, skillfully placing it back in her saya. She perked up at Acanthus' surprised awe. “I’m probably as close as you can get to a glass cannon,” was her best explanation. Kill them hard and kill them fast, as she would say.

The elf queen's words was too tuned out as Cordelia offered her partymate a feeble shrug. “I was on…” she paused, tilting her head as if she was trying to find the right word, “... a hiatus for a while, so you could say.” If hiatus meant being stuck in a slime for God knows how long. “I never got to doing this quest even before that though, so I figured it’d be a good time to get it done now that I’m back.” A light chuckle left her as she peered over Acanthus’ shoulder and at the wounded Arun. “He’ll be fine.” She waved off the girl’s concern. “I’ve fought smaller things that’ve survived way worse.” 

A notification appeared in front of her, signaling the end of the quest along with her listed rewards. She dismissed it with a knowing hand before spinning on her heels towards the direction of the exit. The elf queen had already begun her dialogue, indicating the beginning of the next quest, and Cordelia had no patience to sit through all’at. “You can just leave now if you don’t want to bother with doing the second quest right away,” she called over her shoulder to Acanthus. “The quest will resume when you come back to this area like nothing ever happened.” To confirm her words, she pointed at the queen, who showed no signs of caring about Cordelia leaving in the middle of her sob story.

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus followed hot on her heels. “I think I’m ready for the second quest now. If you are, that is. I can also wait a little bit. I should be back down to floor eight in a few days.” She looked back at the elvish queen before saying, “thanks for taking the mercy route. I know it didn’t make a difference in the end, but it made me feel a little better, if nothing else.”

Acanthus gave Cordelia a casual bow. “And thank you for bringing me along as a last-minute decision. I’m sure you could have handled the entire thing yourself, but it was nice to see you fight. The more I watch other players, the more I realize I have a long way to go before I make it to the higher levels. I don’t mean that in a discouraged way,” Acanthus added hastily. “It’s inspiring to see everyone else, and think it will be me some day.”

Acanthus waved goodbye as she headed to Ellesmera. “Until I see you again.” As she left Cordelia’s company, a looming fear re-entered her mind. Better to visit the Monument of Life now, rather than later.