[F05 | SP] A Test of Her Reflexes | <<The Butcher in the Sands>>

[Acanthus 0]

Link to Quest: <<Butcher in the Sands>>

No consumables. If you can’t win without them, then you’re not strong enough. You don’t deserve to fight the next boss if you can’t handle a simple quest boss. If you die here, then you would have just died on a higher floor—probably dragging someone else down with you.

She gripped the blade tightly as the large lizard observed her coldly. Step by step it approached, shaking the arena with each crashing footstep. No running, she told herself. Even if I wanted to, I’m not allowed to run anymore. No step back.

That’s why she picked this quest. She wasn’t allowed to be weak. She wasn’t allowed to second-guess herself. Once she committed to the fight, the doors would shut behind her, and she would locked in here until one of the two were dead. No second chances. Nothing like the Gemini fight.

“Hurry up. Hurry up and hit me, you fat, stupid lizard.” The lizard bellowed in reply. The fight had begun.
 

Spoiler

 

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 700/700 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:7 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5
Gathering Stats:

• Forager Rank 5
• Greenhouse: +2 EXP/Gathering Attempt. +1 LD & CD to gathering rolls.

Equipment Ajisai | T4 Bastard Sword | BLD 1 | PARA 2 Resilient Thistle | T4 Light Armor | MIT 2 | REC 1 Vow of Return | Trinket | ACC 3	Skills Straight Sword R5 Addon: Focus Addon: Precision Light Armor R5 Addon: Resolve Mod: Meticulous Searching R5 Mod: Night Vision Hiding R4 First Aid R1 Combat Mastery: Damage R3 TECH Shift
Battle-Ready Inventory Locating Charm (LD 3) Nothing else (if she dies, she dies) Consumables Used Ass-Kicking Absinthe (229880-1) (+3 DMG)

 

 

Edited September 21 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Sando Satsu's curved blades crashed into the sands and Acanthus dodged to the left. She reflexively brought her sword low, charging TECH-B to keep the lizard imbalanced. She didn’t want to use her stun so quickly; she had read that the Satsu would grow stronger near the end of the fight. She wanted to make sure she could burst the boss down when that happened. Not that the extra damage would do her in. And if it did, then good riddance. You’re just some mid-level quest boss. Nothing more.

Sando Satsu unleashed a horrifying howl, and dove at her, blades spinning. It was all she could do to stay upright against the torrent of blades. Nevertheless, she held her ground. As the monster wound up for a deadly strike, Acanthus whirled around and tore through Sando’s chest with a sweeping hit. Sando retreated, clutching its gaping chest wound. “More,” she whispered.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: TECH-B -> Sando Satsu (-16 EN)
232500 | BD 10. Major Critical! 26 * 16 = 416 - 75 = 341 damage. Bleed Applied. Paralysis Applied.

Monster's Turn:
Sando Satsu bleeds for 48 damage. Paralyzed; no action taken.

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 700/700 | EN: 68/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:7 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5

<<Sando Satsu>> HP: 611/1000 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 75 | Bleed 1/2

• Untamable | [Omitted for brevity (only affects aggro in parties)]
• Sorrowblade | Sando Satsu ignores players' EVA and MIT. 
• Reign | Sando Satsu is immune to the effects of ACC debuff songs.
• Cull of the Meek | On an MD 10, he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will replenish 75 HP per player hit.
• Dominus | When his HP reaches 400 or lower, he grows to a massive size, upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 100 for the rest of the fight.

 

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Another strike, but Acanthus was ready. She dove between the monstrous lizard’s legs, aiming a blow at its hamstrings. It was too early for a stun, but she could at least keep the lizard imbalanced and on the defensive. Ajisai missed her blow. Useless, worthless. Don't blame me if you can't keep up with the frontliners. With attacks like that, it's wonder you ever decided to brave Aincrad.

Acanthus recovered from her failure and squared off with the strange boss. Lizards don’t have hamstrings, and they aren’t bipedal. Then again, none of this is real. If Cardinal wants to draw up some deranged bipedal reptile to kill me, it’s not like I have any say in the matter. Thy will be done, Kayaba.

Dominus screeched again, recycling some of its previous assets. Attack animations were much more fluid in this game, but every once in a while Acanthus thought she recognized similar approaches. Sure enough, the lizard began circling her yet again. “Lazy,” she called out, deriding the beast more for her satisfaction than anything else. “This fight is lazy. Make me work, Cardinal! Hit me!”

Spoiler

Recovery. 232501 | CD 9. +8 EN.

Post Action: TECH-A -> Sando Satsu (-16 EN)
232500 | BD 1. Critical Miss.

Monster's Turn:
Sando Satsu bleeds for 48 damage. 
232503 | BD 5. Miss.

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 700/700 | EN: 60/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:7 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5

<<Sando Satsu>> HP: 611/1000 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 75 | Bleed 2/2

 

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Boss howled as its HP went below the target. Its muscles rippled, contorting into new, terrifying shapes as it grew almost twice its size. No healing. You don’t deserve help.

She rushed in, ready to take the hit. The boss’ blades were now so fast she could barely track them. One whizzed at her from above, and Acanthus brought Ajisai up in the nick of time. The blades connected with a sharp ring, and the sand billowed out from underneath them. Dominus began to force the blade down onto Acanthus, and she grunted in effort as the weight took her down to her knees. With a victorious howl, the creature drove one of the blades into her shoulder. Acanthus cried out as she felt the blade tear free, her mind buzzing wildly. Every hit is a failure, she thought bitterly, recovering her stance. A failure that you rightfully earned. She closed in on the boss, following through with a three hit combo.

Spoiler

Recovery. 232504 | CD 6. +4 EN.

Post Action: TECH-A -> Sando Satsu (-16 EN)
232500 | BD 2 + 5 = 7. Hit! 24 * 16 = 384 - 75 = 309 damage. Stunned!

Monster's Turn:
Dominus Activated!
Stunned. No action taken.

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 700/700 | EN: 48/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5

<<Sando Satsu>> HP: 302/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 100 | Stunned

 

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

This boss should be easy. Should be over in two minutes. Here you are taking twice that long, useless, worthless—

She parried another slice and rushed into the space she created, firing off another three-hit combo. You’re getting predictable. That’s how you killed Haru the Gemini. Learn, adapt. Or you’re going to kill yourself get yourself killed.

Dominus howled, circling around her in the arena, blades flashing. Acanthus dodged and parried the strikes, holding her ground in the middle of the arena. It would have made more sense to retreat to an edge so she wasn’t having to watch her back. I need the practice. If I’m fighting a crowd, I can’t always rely on fighting something that’s only in front of me. And if I get hit—

—a blade appeared, driving through her arm—

—then I deserve it. She grimaced, watching her health bar dip further. Dominus was slowly down. It was time to counterattack.

Spoiler

Recovery. 232504 | CD 7. +8 EN.

Post Action: TECH-B -> Sando Satsu (-16 EN)
232506 | BD 5 + 5 = 10. Hit! 24 * 16 = 384 - 100= 284 damage. Delay applied.

Monster's Turn:
232509 | BD 9 - 1 = 8. Hit! 150 damage. (Sorrowblade ignores mitigation)

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 550/700 | EN: 40/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5

<<Sando Satsu>> HP: 18/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 100 | [Stun Imm. X/3]

 

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Dominus appeared to be on its last legs, and Acanthus was ready to finish the fight. She still had a long day ahead of her. The beast screeched, and Acanthus saw a familiar wind-up: it was going to be a leaping strike from above. Acanthus repositioned, preparing Ajisai’s blade to intercept.

A dozen things seemed to happen in a single moment. First, Sando blade shifted almost imperceptibly. In a flash, Acanthus had a dread realization: she wasn’t going to parry it. Two tons of sharpened steel was now on a direct course to her head. She tried to calculate on the fly. I could try and dodge. Reposition my attack, maybe avoid the worst of the attack.

Useless, worthless. Stand your ground or die, LITTLE GIRL.

In a split second, Acanthus lunged at the charging boss, holding out Ajisai. Sando Satsu caught the tip square in the chest, impaling himself on the blue blade. His curved sword came close, even closer to Acanthus, racing for her head—and then vanished. Flashes of blue filled her vision as the monster dissolved into the sky.

Spoiler

Recovery. 232512 | CD 9. +8 EN.

Post Action: TECH-B -> Sando Satsu (-16 EN)
232513 | BD 9. Minor Critical! 25 * 16 = 400 - 100= 300 damage.

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 550/700 | EN: 40/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:5

<<Sando Satsu>> HP: 0/1000 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 100 | [Stun Imm. 2/3]

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Pathetic. A boss so underleveled that it didn’t even drop loot. And it took you seven minutes to slay it.

Acanthus collected herself as the doors to the arena swung open. She was already behind on her scheduled route. She needed to find more demonic shards, and she had decided to brave the Devil’s Pass again. She had found one there already, so she hoped that more may be present.

Scrolling through her inventory, she found the locating charm, swapping it out for her ring. She had the option to keep the ring visible as a vanity item, but declined. It would only distract her from her present task of gathering materials. If only Nymoria were here… We could find some more monsters to slay and rake in the col. But she had to remind herself that col was not what she needed. She had a massive backlog of orders to fill, and to fill them, she needed materials. Lots of materials.

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Swapping equipment
Vow of Return -> Locating Charm.

Recovery. (4 * 10) = 40 health and 1 EN recovered.

Acanthus | Lvl 39 (33/6) T4 | HP: 590/700 | EN: 41/84 | DMG: 24 | MIT:78 | ACC:2 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:8

 

 

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus traveled back towards Saharda. She had a hard time deciphering map directions, and was happy that the in-game map at least gave her directions to the nearby settlements. It wasn’t a perfect system, but many of the players seemed to enjoy the map’s incompleteness. It annoyed Acanthus. Why couldn’t the developers have just made it simpler? They were already fighting for their lives in here. The least they could do was let them wander in the right direction.

She stopped after seeing a nearby set of shrubs. They were cinnabushes, and the dry, thin branches had many uses. Perhaps Oz would be able to make something interesting out of these. Reaching for her foraging tools, she worked gently to pull specimen after specimen from the bush.

She had gotten quite good at foraging. In the few short months she had been working at it, she had reached a point where it was almost impossible to not gather something.
 

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232514 | LD 12 + 9 | CD 2 + 2. Success! (1) material found. +10 EXP

Loot Totals
+10 foraging EXP
(1) material

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Only one bundle of cinnatwigs. Acanthus was crestfallen. Now that failure was almost impossible, smaller hauls became the new failure. Most of the time, she could at least locate a small col stash nearby, or a material that could be sold for a hefty profit. Neither one appeared.

“You’re never going to get enough materials for Raidou’s order,” she said as she clicked her tongue. Thankfully, there were plenty of bushes in the vicinity. She walked over and began to repeat the process. This time, luck was on her side. No, not luck. Practice and dedication. She had spent so long honing her ability to forage in this world. There was nothing lucky about it. Pulling a healthy number of twigs from the bush, she noticed that one of the bundles was golden. That would fetch her a good price in Saharda. Packing up her tools, she continued on her way.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232515 | LD 7 + 9 | CD 5 + 2. Critical Success! (3) materials and 2,500 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+28 foraging EXP
(4) materials
2500 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Along the path to Saharda, she caught wind of a vein of rare ores embedded in the cliffside above her. Pulling out some rope and climbing gear, she prepared to ascend the wall. Slowly and steadily, she hoisted herself up the four or five meters needed to reach the vein. Pulling out a small pickaxe, she worked at the being for whatever she could gather. Large chips of black and purple ore burst from the vein and the game chimed a happy tune as she placed it into her inventory.

A shadow passed above her head and she jerked up to see what it was. A small boy in familiar clothing. One of the sandborn. Upon being noticed, the boy panicked, and bolted away from her, retreating out of sight. A harmless encounter, but one that piqued her curiosity. Maybe when she finished mining the vein, she would take a quick detour and follow him.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232516 | LD 17 + 9 | CD 3 + 2. Critical Success! (2) materials and 1000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+46 foraging EXP
(6) materials
3500 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Taking one more comb through the vein for any materials, she climbed the rest of the small cliff face. Struggling to climb over the ledge, she looked around for the boy. He was nowhere in sight. Her searching skill, however, came in handy. She identified a few traces of his passing, and deduced that he was heading towards Saharda, though not exactly in the right direction. So not as much of a detour as it could be. I’m sure that I can find some foraging on my way to find the boy.

She wasn’t sure what drove her to chase after him. She didn’t have anything to say or any plans to talk to him. She tried to forget that the last time she had encountered the Sandborn, she had slaughtered over a dozen men things hadn’t gone so well. Pulling up the rope behind her, she packed up and began walking into the wilderness.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232517 | LD 15 + 9 | CD 7 + 2. Critical Success! (3) materials and 2500 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+64 foraging EXP
(9) materials
6000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Following the boy’s trail, she noticed a small cluster of crystals, perfect for recording. She quickly picked the best specimens out of the ground while thinking about what she would be doing for the rest of the day. Sword practice after this, then a trip into town to buy a few more crafting materials for my projects. I should eat dinner, but that’s more a formality than anything. Besides, food has been tasting worse and worse since I killed myself a few weeks ago.

She decided that she could make time for this endeavor by skipping lunch. She could always search for Demian’s cart on the way back for a quick, on-the-go snack. Plus, a lot of that food was tasteless, which made it easier for her to choke down. She was about due to stop by again. They didn’t talk very much when she did stop by, but she felt that Demian was a kindred spirit in some ways. Reclusive and reticent.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232518 | LD 4 + 9 | CD 8 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+82 foraging EXP
(13) materials
9000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Finishing up with the last of the crystals, Acanthus plodded along the boy’s trail. She thought back to what she would even say. Hi? Sorry for killing those people?

No, they weren’t people they were… What did NIGHT call them? Entities. She liked that. It felt a little less personal. Besides, the people entities deserved it. She had been pushed around and battered to her wits end. For them to approach her at the very end of her quest? They had baited her into attacking. It was all their fault.

Probably not what the boy would want to hear. Then again, it probably wasn’t even the same boy. And if it was, he wouldn’t remember her. The quest had to be reset to allow other people to do it, right? So what did it matter that she had killed them completed the quest? Acanthus continued moving forward doggedly, driven by curiosity.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232519 | LD 6 + 9 | CD 10 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+100 foraging EXP
(17) materials
12000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

A sandstorm was starting to brew on the horizon. Thankfully, it did not appear to be as terrible as the one from the quest. Or perhaps the skill she had unlocked simply allowed her to weather the storm more effectively. As the wind picked up, Acanthus found new deposits of crystals in the shifting sands. She reached down to pluck them up as she walked along. Her foraging attempts had been acceptable, but the demonic shards were still eluding her.

Eluding her. She couldn’t help but laugh. The first time she had encountered one, she was so terrified that she had almost done something horrible. And here she was, picking around the in the sand for them. I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. Nobody else I’ve talked to seems to have this problem with the shards. To them, it’s just another object in the game, used to upgrade equipment.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232522 | LD 1 + 9 | CD 11 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+118 foraging EXP
(21) materials
15000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

The boy was nearby: she could sense it through her tracking. The barren landscape began to take another shape, one that almost possessed life. Sparse vegetation cropped up around rocks, and she even heard a trickle of water from a distant ravine. It was not much, but enough apparently for the sandborn to survive. Well, what was left of them.

Knock it off, she told herself. They respawned once the quest was done. You aren't the first person to have to cut your way through those bandits, and you won’t be the last. I’m surprised I haven’t encountered anyone in the middle of the quest right now, actually. Maybe I should camped out the canyon just to see how other people handled the quest. But that would take up too much of her time. She would simply do a little more gathering, check on the boy, and then continue to Saharda.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232523 | LD 13 + 9 | CD 2 + 2. Success! (1) material found. +10 EXP

Loot Totals
+128 foraging EXP
(22) materials
15000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Finding a blooming weed in the desert, Acanthus counted herself lucky. It was the first flowering vegetation she had seen so far. Perhaps there would be better foraging opportunities ahead. Maybe the camp had some plants or such to pick through.

She wondered what would happen when she arrived at camp. Maybe the boy would remember her, but would the bandits themselves? They were new entities, after all. And would the boy say anything?

Acanthus caught herself again. Why are you assuming its the same child you met before? Surely there is more than one boy on the entire floor. It’s silly to assume that you’re going to run into that same person twice. On the other hand, the boy seemed familiar. Even from that distance, she had a sense that he was the very same. Either way, curiosity drove her to continue searching. She would make sure to find him.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232524 | LD 5 + 9 | CD 10 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+146 foraging EXP
(26) materials
18000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Odd. She was sure she should have arrived at this point. The landscape had become barren and repetitive again, and sand kept her from seeing too far away. Her map didn’t avail her either. She was not quite lost, but her sense of direction had been entirely upended. Still, she was confident the boy had gone this way.

She still could not identify why this meant so much to her. Did she want to see for herself that the sandborn had respawned? That her anger hadn’t actually had any consequences? Maybe she wanted to apologize to the boy, tell him sorry for the awful thing she had done. But was it awful? It was scripted. She had to. She was just as much a victim as those poor bandits, forced to put themselves between her and the end of the quest.

A small hill loomed ahead of her, and she watched the boy disappear over the top. She had arrived at the camp.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232525 | LD 10 + 9 | CD 10 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. Demonic Shard Found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+164 foraging EXP
(1) demonic shard
(30) materials
21000 col

Edited September 20 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus crested the hill, horrified by the sight.

At the bottom of the hill before her lay an abandoned Sandborn camp. The supplies were worn out, covered in heavy layers of sand. The sandblasted tents were almost worn entirely through, and the campfire in the middle had long been extinguished by the wind. Large clay jars intended for water had fallen over and shattered, bone-dry inside and out.

In the middle of the camp, the boy stood quietly. He appeared to alternate throwing and catching an invisible ball, looking into the distance. Suddenly, he stopped, and appeared to run around the camp as if playing a game with other invisible boys. He’s… He’s stuck in a pattern, she realized. She walked toward the camp, fixated on the boy, and stumbled over a half-filled crate. The contents tumbled out. It was some of Acanthus’ personal rations. She recognized them as food she had handed over during the quest.

Sick to her stomach, she looked at the boy. He was sitting on a crate; rather, hovering just a few centimeters off of it. He was looking up and talking to nobody. Sitting in what should have been someone’s lap, she realized. When she got close enough, she saw that the despite the boy’s neutral face as he talked, he was weeping. Locked in a purgatory that Acanthus had crafted for him. He tore his eyes from the invisible face, begging her to finish what she had started.

In the middle of the camp lay a single demonic shard. Acanthus placed it in her inventory, and moved on.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232526 | LD 5 + 9 | CD 5 + 2. Critical Success! (3) materials and 2500 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+182 foraging EXP
(1) demonic shard
(33) materials
23500 col

Edited September 21 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Not to mention she wanted something a little more spacious. Acanthus wasn’t really a material girl, but the practicality of having lots of room was not lost on her. More rooms and more yard slots meant that she would always be well rested and prepared for anything. Plus, she could have guests over with a large enough house.

But where would she buy the house? Good housing plots where hard to come by. She would have an even steeper disadvantage, having avoided the housing market for the first two years. All of the decent, middle of the road housing would be picked over. Particularly the first ten floors. She also knew that floor 22 was a popular spot for many house-shoppers. It made sense; it was a sanctuary floor with a mild climate and a relaxing atmosphere. Acanthus had visited on more than one occasion to unwind.

Acanthus dug in the sand, sifting for crystals as she pondered.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232529 | LD 9 + 9 | CD 7 + 2. Critical Success! (3) materials and 2500 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+200 foraging EXP
(1) demonic shard
(36) materials
26000 col

Edited September 21 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Floor 22 was not an option. And many of the other floors were simply unbearable. Her first thought was floor thirteen. But she didn’t need to live that close to the Sour Rumor. Besides, the atmosphere was so dreary. Acanthus didn’t need more of that in her life.

She came full circle and decided that she would look again on floor 24. Most of the housing inside of Scalabis had been taken at this point. Even as far out as Marsonia, the more humble abodes had been picked up. Every once in a while, a house would free up when a player moved… or died. But the thought depressed Acanthus. She didn’t want to wait for space to free up. She wanted to find something special, a house that spoke to her. Unfortunately, that left her with whatever the market had left, and that boiled down to two things: incredibly cheap, or outrageously expensive.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
232530 | LD 18 + 9 | CD 8 + 2. Critical Success! (4) materials and 3000 col found. +18 EXP

Loot Totals
+218 foraging EXP
(1) demonic shard
(40) materials
29000 col

Edited September 21 by Acanthus