EQG: Sword Art Online - Ruby Palace

Episode 81 — Operation Midnight Redemption
Part 1 of 3
Floor and dates are not stated for a reason. Each segment may jump, including ahead of the current main chapter. They are in order of the tasks in the quest.

Doombunny trekked through the forest. She was on a quest chain, seeking special material for her gift to Knightstar. The gift that would reignite the friendship between them and bring her lost friend back to the Wondercolts and all of her friends.

The quest would not be easy, and it was a solo quest; the only assistance she could get was from Colorra. So far, Doombunny had passed the first part of the quest, retrieving the gold Radial Charm Bracelet. No one could beat her to finishing the quest now because they didn't have the bracelet. There were thirteen charms for the bracelet, scattered across Aincrad. Some were likely on floors currently locked. Only six charms could be attached to the bracelet at any given time, but switching charms would be easy. However, only two of the charms were what Doombunny needed for the project.

She would go one charm at a time, step by step, as quickly as she could while still contributing to the clearing effort. Each charm had a riddle that would guide her to the next one. Sorting out the answer wouldn't always be easy. Reveal and Listen were going to be key skills for the treasure quest. The first charm was the Painite Blossom. As the first charm, it was perhaps the easiest to deduce and find.

Floor Seventeen had a dungeon, the Forest of Five Hills. It was rather calm, even when it was on the front lines. On the summit of each of the five hills was a different flowering tree: Dogwood, Magnolia, Cherry, Crapemyrtle, and Crabapple. The key was the color. The Dogwood and Magnolia were white flowers, while the Crapemyrtle had lavender blossoms and the Cherry Tree had pink blossoms. Painite was a rare gemstone, like a dark ruby, and the crabapple tree was a Prairifire Crabapple; maroon flowers. It was the only tree that had blossoms close to the color of the gemstone.

Doombunny ascended the small hill. The tree was always in bloom. It had a good sized canopy, as wide as it was tall; only twenty feet. The blossoms covered up the leaves, making the whole thing shine its beautiful maroon. The blossoms were not very big, yet all that could be seen were maroon flowers.

Doombunny used Reveal to find the odd one out. It was near the top, in the center. It would be difficult to get to. Doombunny climbed into the tree, getting herself as high as possible. Colorra was too heavy for the narrow branches at the top. The blossom was several inches out of her grasp. Doombunny double checked her footing and then jumped, snagging only that blossom.

The fall out of the tree hurt. She bounced off branches with a bone shattering smack and broke others on her way down. Doombunny landed face first in the grass. She groaned as she looked at her outstretched hand. The blossom was still there, cradled in her fingers.

She rolled over and sat up. She looked it over. It was a beautifully carved piece of stone. The painite was a unique gemstone and the light played off it beautifully to show its depth. The item menu said it gave +150 points to strength.

Doombunny checked her quest log, pulling up the “Charms of the Iron Radius.” It had the next riddle.

Many imitate Me, yet none are Me.

I am the example all are measured against.

From Markets to Menus to Monsters and More, My copies are plentiful.

Once you know what I am, you can find Me in the vault of the lower palace.

Remove only Me or forfeit the rest.
The answer was obviously Col. The bits of coin were minted from the standard. Their menus readily showed how much Col a player had and Monsters dropped Col. The Ruby Palace at the top of Aincrad was likely the upper palace, meaning the lower one was the Black Iron Palace.

Doombunny stood up. She didn’t know much about the Black Iron Palace. It held the Monument of Life, where every player was recorded and their names were struck out if they died. The Army used it as their headquarters and interred criminals in the attached jail. There were no rumors about a vault, but the Army both wouldn’t let that information slip out and they might not even know it was there. Their members likely didn’t have Reveal as a skill.

Colorra crawled up on her shoulders and Doombunny used a teleport crystal to take them to the Town of Beginnings. She immediately activated Hide. The Army might allow her to search for the vault, especially if they didn’t know about it and got whatever was left, assuming the puzzle only excluded Doombunny from not taking anything else, but Doombunny wasn’t certain she could trust them. It was in her best interest to search without permission, relying on the shadows and Hide. If she got caught she could ask for forgiveness and seek permission. If she first asked and was denied, she would be in a worse position as she defied their ruling and snuck through the palace.

The soldiers were easy enough to avoid, despite their numbers. Hide was a visual Skill, Doombunny still had to be careful about the noises she made. Her footsteps could be heard, but she was careful and intentional with each step. Listen, Search, and Reveal helped her keep several moves ahead of the soldiers as she searched the halls of the palace.

It was all too easy. Across from the main chamber, where their council met, was the vault, hidden from sight. Reveal highlighted the door and informed her that the wall swung inward. She had to wait for a time when they wouldn’t notice her entering it. The lock was hidden behind a false brick and she had to use the bracelet as the key to open it. She heard a click and then pushed on the wall, swinging the door open. She had to be swift, getting inside and then closing the door behind her.

The vault was the most magnificent place Doombunny had ever seen. There was more than col inside. Bars of gold, gilded suits of armor, walls of jewel encrusted swords and glistening shields, fully ready for use. Doombunny was surrounded by the treasures of an entire kingdom.

On the far wall was a bronze stand with a red velvet top. Whatever was on it, it was separate from everything else for a reason. Doombunny approached it. The top cushion had two items, a gilded dagger and a single piece of col. The golden coin was unlike any that Doombunny had seen. It was crisp and sharp. It was perfect in every way.

The riddle was clear, only the coin could be removed. None of these treasures, even with all it could do for the clearing effort, were nothing compared to the value of Knightstar, both as a friend and to the clearing effort. Even the dagger, perhaps the most powerful Doombunny could ever get, was not worth more than the coin. The coin was why she was here. Knightstar was the reason for it all.

Doombunny carefully lifted the gold coin off the cushion. She stepped back from the pedestal, gripping it tightly. Leaving the room was the real trick. Doombunny tried a teleport crystal, but the vault was an anti-crystal zone. It blocked their use. She had to leave the way she came. Until she left, the stage of the quest wasn’t over because she could take something else.

There was a tiny peep sight in the door, not visible from the outside. The council was leaving their chamber across from the hidden vault. Doombunny watched their very slow exit. Thinker and another officer had stopped walking and spoke in the hallway. It was painful to wait. Finally they moved on and Doombunny timed her exit.

Reveal only gave her so much information. As she slowly closed the door behind her, more soldiers came down the hallway, from both directions. Doombunny got the door closed without it making a sound and dashed into the council chamber. She closed those doors behind her and slipped into the corner. From there she teleported to Granzam.

Granzam was quickly becoming the city of the smiths. Some had taken up residence in Lindarth, but the bulk of them didn’t find the city to their liking, especially with how the major crafting guild made them feel. While Granzam lacked water wheels for power, the city’s infrastructure was designed for smiths and molten metal. From the smelting of ore to the manufacturing of equipment, the multi-floored workshops were well ventilated and maximized for the production of metal objects.

Doombunny headed to the lower city as the light faded. She entered the unmarked shop and picked up the handbell on the counter and rang it. She set it back down on its small, cushioned pedestal and waited. Hyorinmaru was the sculptor helping Doombunny.

“Well, if it isn’t my toughest client,” he said with a sly smile as he wiped his hands clean of his current project.

“I just came to see if you have been able to acquire the materials necessary,” Doombunny said. “I’m progressing the quest to get those two charms as fast as I can.”

“Everything is coming along nicely,” he said. “The bronze is good. It took time, but I made a large enough block of wax. It’s a very detailed carving, so I’m doing a wooden version first to work out the finer details before I carve the wax. By the time I have it done, you will have the charms. The glass needs to be made and the Vulcanized Sand arrived today. That won’t be hard to make when it comes time to do it.”

“Good,” Doombunny said with a nod. “Glad to hear it. What matters is that we get it done right.”

“You will get my best,” Hyorinmaru assured her. “My absolute best and we will make sure it’s right.”

Doombunny was on a very menial task to earn the third charm. She was helping a farmer on the Ninth Floor clear his south field so he could plant crops. Colorra was unable to assist her in this task. The south field had a lot of rocks — of varying size — scattered about, which would tear up the plow. She was picking them up and moving them to the east field, where they were supposed to be more or less evenly spread out across the east field. It was idiotic, but that was what the farmer wanted done.

The farmer needs your help, it's quite a task,
To move his rocks, and put them to bask.

In one field, they lie all around,
But in the other, they're nowhere to be found.

To move them there, you'll need to think,
And solve this puzzle, without a blink.

Arrange the rocks in a specific way,
To make them move, and clear the way.

First, find the rock that's marked with a star,
And place it at the front, not too far.

Next, pick up the rock that's the heaviest,
And place it at the back, with the rest.

Then, move the rocks in a snake-like way,
Until they're all in the other field, hooray!

With this puzzle solved, the farmer's task is done,
And his fields are ready, to bask in the sun.

So, put your puzzle-solving skills to the test,
And help the farmer, with rocks put to rest.

She had been working for several hours, overnight. They had spent the day clearing and this was the only time she could do the task. It was slow work, but easy compared to fighting monsters, and it was safe. She was inside a safe zone. She was tired, but would be able to fight in a few hours when they got back to clearing.

Doombunny was not the only one awake. Bladescape, Thunderborne, Malus, and Kiefer were at the sand crabs, grinding all night for XP. They each could solo the crabs, Doombunny could not because her daggers made her fight too close to the crabs and they couldn't break their tough shells. She would have to hunt the Dire Wolves of the ashen wilderness in Floor Fifty-Two. Besides, she was the Wondercolt with the second highest combat level, below only Bladescape who was well above everyone. She could afford to spend the night moving rocks for the next charm. She would spend quite a few nights on this quest, but it would be worth the sleepless nights.

Doombunny picked up the last rock and carried it to the east field. It was a big one and a real struggle, not because she was tired, but because the small boulder was on the edge of her strength limit. It hadn’t looked that big until she went to pick it up and found most of it was buried under the ground. She dropped it onto the field, ending the task.

Doombunny hadn’t copied their exact placement in the move, but now the east field had the rocks scattered all about, just like she had found the south field. It would make plowing it impossible. The only thing the east field was now good for was laying fallow.

“Not bad,” the farmer said, coming out of his home. “Very well done. I appreciate the help. My shoulder won’t be healed for another week, just in time for the planting and the east field is now ready for the rocks to begin fertilizing the soil.”

That explained the weird orders. Doombunny had no idea how stones were capable of fertilizing the ground, but she was too tired to ask. She still had time to get a solid nap in before hitting the fields with the others.

“Take this stone,” the farmer said, handing her a small item. “I found it a while back while rotating the rocks, but it’s unlike the field rocks you moved. I never did take it to the city to sell, but a merchant passing by once told me it was worth more than my entire farm was; twice over even.”

Doombunny glanced at the stone in her hand then bowed to him, thanking the farmer for the gift. She wished him well and left. The teleport plaza wasn’t far and she was soon home. No one was up as she made her way to her room.

Inside, Doombunny sat down on her chair and looked at the charm. It was called “The Iron Opal,” however, it looked like a regular black opal. Not that any black opals were regular. The raw opal had a hole drilled in the narrow end and a string through it, knotted into a loop.

The Iron Opal, when attached to the Radial Charm Bracelet, gave her a boost to her carry weight limit by fifteen percent. It was a very powerful enchantment. The Painite Blossom had an enchantment of +150 Strength, which was an equally strong enchantment. An enchantment of +20 was considered very good. Equally impressive was the Col Standard. The coin boosted Col drops for the wearer by fifteen percent.

None of them were what Doombunny needed for her project. She had ten more to acquire. The order of the charms was unknown. Most of their names were also unknown and they all lacked descriptions. The Painite Blossom and Iron Opal were two of the charms she knew the names of before starting. Also known were the Vial Of Life, Ammolite Metalmark, and Stars of the Forgotten Night. The Stars of the Forgotten Night were the original reason why Doombunny began the quest, the project needed something nearly indestructible for the heart of it, and the charms lacked a durability factor, making them the perfect item to use. On top of that, “metalmark” was another name for the Riodinidae species of butterflies. This project was certainly going to be interesting, especially if she effectively destroyed two of the most powerful charms not only in the quest, but in all of Aincrad.

Knightstar's friendship was worth it.

In a ruined castle, with stories untold,
Lies a vault of treasure, with mysteries unfold.

Two kings once owned it, but now it's deserted,
With a keeper of the vault, who's still alert.

To find the vault, the moon must be high,
The key is only awarded if you survive.

Take nothing but the Tuft of a Rainbow Cloud or lose it all.

Floor Forty-Two held the Castle of the Two Kings, where they had killed Star Spiders to obtain their silk so Ashley could make the thread for Bladescape's amazing armor. They had fought as a guild to help Bladescape. Diemond had not been present, but she was going through her apprenticeship to learn to use game materials for her crafting; she was doing it for her friends and guildmates.

Now Doombunny stood on the steps of the ruined castle once more, except she was alone. Well, Colorra was with her. The night sky on the bottom of the floor above them was beautiful; full of stars and new constellations. This time, the quest dictated that it was only in the moonlight that she could get the next charm, which timed out perfectly for her packed schedule.

Doombunny pushed the doors open, entering the ruins. The star spiders would still be in the castle, but she wasn't heading into either side of the split castle. She only needed the central chamber, which was without the spiders and not killing any spiders meant the boss wouldn't appear. Even if the flag mob did appear, blocking her exit, she could use a teleport crystal to leave.

Doombunny walked towards the thrones. She was alone and it was night, plus she had the active quest. Someone began to materialize in between the thrones. Doombunny continued to walk forward. The polygons finished assembling the person, except it wasn't a person. It was a midnight blue alicorn with ebony armor. The alicorn's tail and mane were like a starry night.

"Fool!" The alicorn shouted, revealing it was a mare, not a stallion. "I am the keeper of Mikadzuki no Kagi, the key to the vault of the Twin Kings. It was not placed in my care lightly. I have the ability to make you fear the night. Flee now, while you still have my mercy!"

"No!" Doombunny confidently shouted back as she stopped and drew her dagger, Endbringer. "I came for a single item in the vault. Either you can let me inside to take the Tuft of a Rainbow Cloud, or I'll take the key from you, but the two kings have been gone for centuries. Look around you! This once beautiful castle is now in ruin. You are not standing in the moonlight because of a skylight, but because the roof is open to the elements. The drapes and carpet are worn and moldy. There is little reason to guard that key with your life. I seek only one item, a trinket, not a treasure."

"I swore on my life to protect the key and treasures in the vault for all eternity!" The alicorn shouted back. "I will not simply let you take any item, no matter how inconsequential the treasure may seem. Yes, the castle is in ruin. The brothers had a fight and split. The older brother of the sun would go on to build the Ruby Palace, while the younger brother of the moon built the Black Iron Palace. One day they shall reconcile with each other and return for their treasures!"

Doombunny flipped the dagger into a reverse grip. While an impractical grip for a real knife or dagger, the reverse grip was part of the starting motion for several One-Handed Knife Sword Skills.

"Then defend it with your life!" Doombunny declared.

Before she could charge up the stairs. The Alicorn reared up as its horn glowed. As it came down, it launched an amethyst bolt of magic at Doombunny. She dove out of the way, rolling onto her feet with practiced ease. She dove in the other direction and then back as she avoided two more bolts.

The distance between them grew too great and the Alicorn disappeared in a flash, only to reappear beneath the thrones. Although Doombunny was in range of the bolts once again, the winged unicorn lowered her horn and charged.

Doombunny dove out of the way of the charging equine. She came out of the dive in a roll, spinning so she was facing it. The alicorn slowed to a stop and turned around. It was angry, but didn't make any moves. It had stayed on the centerline of the hall the entire time. Doombunny shifted back to the center and the Alicorn charged once again.

Doombunny sheathed Endbringer, pulling out Shadowsong, her paralyzing blade. She slashed at the equine as she slipped out of its path. Its legs ceased their movement as the flag mob was paralyzed. The alicorn rolled along the ground, unable to do anything to stop itself. It had been at full speed when it became paralyzed.

It was painful to watch, but Doombunny remained steady and focused on her goal. She walked over the paralyzed equine and fished around its neck, finding a silver chain. She pulled the chain out from under the breastplate and found the key she sought. The skeleton key had a handle that ended in the full moon, just a crescent removed from the left side which was attached to the handle.

The paralyzing agent was the strongest Doombunny could make. The guardian would be incapacitated for a while. Long enough for Doombunny to do what she needed to do.

She walked up to the thrones. Reveal told her where the keyhole was hidden. It was behind one of the heavy tapestries. She pushed it aside and inserted the key, giving it a twist. The hidden door sprung open with a click and Doombunny entered the vault of the Two Kings.

It was dark inside, requiring her to use her night vision, but otherwise it was similar to the vault in the Black Iron Palace, although there was no col among the artifacts. Like that riddle and item, she was unable to take anything but what she came for. It wasn't at the far end, like the Col Standard had been — something else was there on that pedestal — instead it was under a crescent moon banner halfway along the left side. It sat on a counter with many other fine jewels and items. The rainbow cloud was just that. It looked like a disheveled metallic cotton ball that was dyed like a rainbow. That made sense considering it was a tuft of cloud.

Doombunny picked it up and walked out. She closed the door behind her by turning the key the other way. Once it was sealed, she pulled it out and walked back to the paralyzed alicorn. She put the chain back around her neck and tucked it under the breastplate.

"There," Doombunny said. She held up the tuft of cloud. "You still have the key and I got the only item I needed. Everything else is inside. I touched nothing but this bit of cloud. That effect will wear off soon, but I'll be long gone before it does. Have a good night."

Doombunny strolled out of the castle. Once she was across the rope bridge, she teleported back to Mishe. In the light of her bedroom, the Tuft of a Rainbow Cloud was more metallic in appearance than cotton or cloudish. It had to be firmer in order to survive being a charm. This one gave her a boost to her speed by twenty percent.

In the fields, where the flowers bloom,
Lies a plant, with the power to consume.

The herbalist needs it, to cure an ill,
And the plant's name, you must fulfill.

"Mistmilk pollen," its name may be,
And the herbalist needs it, urgently.

But beware, this plant is hard to find,
And only true seekers can seek it in kind.

It grows where the mist kisses the ground,
And the moon's glow is the only sound.

But don't be fooled, by its beauty so rare,
For the mistmilk pollen can be quite a scare.

With thorns so sharp, they'll pierce your skin,
And the scent so strong, it can make you spin.

But if you're brave, and persevere,
The herbalist's cure will soon be near.

So, put your seeking skills to the test,
And find the plant, for the herbalist's quest.

Doombunny cautiously inched closer to the Lancer Hive. The aggressive bee-wasp hybrids were not to be trifled with, but they held the cure to a local illness in their honey. At least, that is what Doombunny believed. Working through the story given in the quest, plus several old journals of an old herbalist who was long gone, Jasmine Flower. The cure was mentioned and so was the Lancer Honey, but that was it. The Lancers pollinated the Mistmilk Flowers and the pollen of the Mistmilk Flower made those who breathed too much in sick.

The herbalist Doombunny was helping lived on Floor Twenty-Five, on the other side of the Floor from where Colorra had lived. Doombunny was unsure if any players had gotten ill or poisoned by the Mistmilk pollen, but NPCs were certainly very ill and they would die without the cure. More importantly, curing the NPCs was how Doombunny would receive the next charm.

Her mixing skill had no application here. Doombunny was working through the clues left in the journals to deduce how to formulate the cure. The last thing she needed was the honey. How Jasmine Flower had gotten it the first time was never stated. A Lancer sting would knock off 500 hit points, guaranteed, plus a poison effect. More would certainly attack anyone they deemed a threat to their hive. Lancers had killed a lot of players on this floor. Thankfully, there were only three hives on the floor, but they sent out patrols of ten to twenty Lancers and lone scouts were seen all over the floor.

Doombunny wasn't worried about the poison, the Beast Tamer’s Charms prevent that because Colorra couldn’t be poisoned or paralyzed, but getting stung would be catastrophic as it would trigger a cascade of other Lancer stings. She might not have time to teleport to safety before getting swarmed. Getting this close to the hive was dangerous, very dangerous, yet it had been done. Well, for the story it had been done and that meant there was a way.

Currently Doombunny was working off a theory. She was wearing the cloak and healing mask that Jasmine Flower had worn when curing the Mistmilk illness. The cloak looked very similar to their hives and the mask mimicked their red and white stripes. Lancers were all around her, zipping in and out of the hive's several entrances and patrolling for threats.

Doombunny's gloved hand, also in red and white wrapping that the healer had worn, entered the main opening of the hive. She continued her slow encroachment of their space until she felt a comb. The journals had detailed sketches of the hives, apparently taken from an abandoned one. She knew what it should feel like and gave the comb a tug. It broke off and Doombunny backed out slowly. A Lancer was on the comb, but it bailed when it realized it was outside the hive.

Doombunny backed up and stuck the honeycomb in her inventory and quickly walked out of the area. She had to stay vigilant, but the immediate threat was no longer present. Getting her heart to slow down was not easy and the walk wasn't too far. It still was very elevated when she got back.

With the honeycomb, Doombunny began to extract the honey and follow the steps she had pieced together. It was a simple recipe once it was untangled from all of the journal entries. When it was done, Doombunny gave it to the herbalist. She wrote it down as the herbalist took the cure to the first patient.

Doombunny had to patiently wait for the herbalist to come back from her rounds. While she waited, she removed Jasmine Flower's clothes and put them back where she had found them.

"You did it!" The herbalist exclaimed as she barged into her own shop. "You found the cure!"

Doombunny was relieved to hear that, not that she doubted her deductions. She had spent a lot of time mulling it over. It took her several days.

"I wrote it down," Doombunny said, sliding the recipe forward. "I'm glad it worked."

"’Worked’ is putting it lightly," the herbalist said as she picked up the recipe. "They immediately began to improve. This cure is no longer lost, thanks to you, and no more lives will be claimed by the flowers. You were very brave. I think I will be able to do what you did. For now, there is enough of the cure left to treat quite a few patients."

The herbalist set something on the counter. "Please, take this token," she said. "It is the flask of the very first health potion Jasmine Flower created. The ones in your pouch are her recipe. She made several revisions to the recipe, strengthening it each time, but this vial held the very first draft. Not that it is actually large enough to be considered a draft."

The crystal vial was a miniature of the health potion vials they used. It was a quarter of the size, at most, and was a good size for the charm bracelet. Doombunny took it and thanked the herbalist, taking her leave. An examination of the "Vial of Life" charm revealed that it boosted constitution by +150. Constitution was the base stat which dictated HP.

Doombunny placed it inside the jewelry box she had made for the bracelet and its charms. She wrote the name on the inside of the top and included the attribute. It was an easy way to keep them all together and remember what each one did.

In a magician's library, where knowledge abounds,
A hidden charm is waiting to be found.

Search the shelves high and low,
For the stone's location, you must know.

It's said to hold power beyond compare,
But finding it will take more than just flair.

You seek a stone, "out of time" indeed,
Found by a magician who discovered it but didn't foresee.

He knew not the secrets that the stone could unfold,
And now it's up to you, to obtain the stone to uphold.

So search high and low, in the magician's domain,
And with perseverance the charm you'll attain.

But beware, for the power it holds is great,
And in the wrong hands, it could seal our fate.

Doombunny was picking through the archives of an old magician who had disappeared. Some said he disappeared protecting the world, others said he died on an adventure or of old age. Either way, the town on the Sixtieth Floor kept his old library in decent shape. She wasn't looking for a book or a scroll, she was looking for the charm. Discovering the location of the library had taken some time and info purchased from Argo. Even then, it was very general. All she had was his name and the city. From there she was able to eventually gain access to his library.

Doombunny finally reached the last of the bookshelves. None of them had any hidden sections and the walls behind them were solid. She turned to his desk. It was cleaned up and set in order, having nothing on it but a standing magnifier glass, quills, ink, and some parchment paper. The desk itself was intricately carved all around, except for the smooth top. The drawers were full, but not of anything useful.

Using Reveal highlighted a corner of the desk. The area had pictures of constellations and the moon. When Doombunny touched the square, it shifted. Pressing on it only locked it further in place. She pulled it out and turned it clockwise, once, pushing it back in place with nothing happening. A second turn proved to be nothing. She turned it a third time and nothing happened. A fourth turn put it back in its original orientation, but that still did nothing. She began to move counter clockwise. When it was upside down, it clicked into place.

Part of the top popped open, knocking over the quills and ink. Doombunny stood up, looking at the tiny section that had opened up. She fully lifted the lid.

Inside was a piece of red sandstone or quartzite. At least that is what it looked like. It was polished to a shine and shaped like a teardrop, with a hole in the top of the tear. A thin gold chain was looped through the hole to allow the charm to attach to the bracelet. It was identified as "Fragment of the Palace Charm." It reduced the skill delay period by twenty percent. For a dagger wielder, that would mean Doombunny would have almost no noticeable delay from even her longest delay skill. It would make chaining skills much safer.

The only problem was her beast tamer charms. The two fur bracelets each boosted her health by +500. That was a staggeringly high amount of HP to gain and subsequently lose if she removed a single bracelet. Doombunny couldn't wear any more jewelry and she wouldn't need any more because they were a Floor Boss Last Attack Bonus. The quest would never measure up to some of the bonuses she got. Her entire fighting style since that boss fight had shifted to maximize the boosts from the charms. Doombunny wasn't thrilled with the style the Beast Tamer's Charms were in, but they usually stayed hidden. This charm bracelet would have its own power, but it would also be garish and odd considering the size of the charms she had been getting. Six would flop around her wrist while fighting. They may not be troublesome if her arm was using a shield, but both of her hands were always in motion with her current fighting style. At this time, she didn't want to lose 500 hit points. She relied too much on that HP for the margin of error needed to survive a hit or two while she was in a delay.

To conquer the obstacle course, and earn the charm so rare,
You must be quick and nimble, with skills beyond compare.

The course is filled with challenges, each one more difficult than the last,
But with determination and focus, you can overcome them fast.

You'll need to climb up walls, and swing across chasms deep,
Run through fire and ice, and dodge obstacles that creep.

The course is long and grueling, but the reward is oh so sweet,
The "Ribbon of Seven Thousand Threads," a charm that's hard to beat.

To start your journey, you must find the entrance hidden away,
A puzzle that requires insight and wisdom to play.

Once inside, you'll need to navigate through twists and turns,
Avoiding traps and pitfalls, and making sure to learn.

There are clues along the way, hidden in plain sight,
Use them to your advantage, and you'll be alright.

With every challenge you overcome, you'll be one step closer to the prize,
The "Ribbon of Seven Thousand Threads," a charm that truly shines.

So, gear up and get ready, for the obstacle course of a lifetime,
Conquer it with skill and determination, and the charm will be thine.

Doombunny was working her way through the obstacle course. It was the third and final one in the gauntlet. She had already passed one high obstacle course, requiring good agility and balance, with the second phase being a maze. Colorra was home, resting safe and sound. The elapid would only throw off Doombunny's balance and be extra weight she didn't need.

This second obstacle course was all low work with low visibility. It required plenty of agility and strength, but unlike the previous one which was an open room, where she had to use the obstacles to get to the exit at the top, this one had no ability to see anything beyond the next hurdle. It was mostly tunnels and chutes, with low ceilings, as she worked her way up to an undefined point.

Doombunny was stretched out, her feet on one wall and hands on the other, while she inched her way over a pit. While she would likely survive, it would not be a fun fall. She made it to the other side and rolled onto her back to recover. Her abs hurt and so did her back. She couldn’t even sit up because the ceiling was so low.

After crawling out of the tunnel, she saw the final obstacle, a “spider wall” climb. Two parallel walls about four feet apart and a vertical ascent of 30 feet. There was no front or back, making the two walls the only surfaces to use. Thunderborne would have had no issue, but Doombunny didn’t have Acrobatics as a skill. She would have to conquer it with her own agility. Thankfully, she stacked her stats into agility, not strength. Some strength would have been nice. At least each level increased all stats, including strength.

Doombunny stepped between the walls and looked above her. It felt like a very long way. She set her right foot on the right wall, digging in with the ball of her foot. She steadied herself with her hands and stepped up, planting her left foot on the wall in the same manner. It was a trick, requiring alternating the proper application of pressure. Her palms were flat against each wall. With a lot of effort she pushed out with her hands and lifted her feet as quickly as she could, as high as she could, replanting them before her arms gave out. Then she basically stood up on the balls of her feet, balanced a few feet above the slim floor.

Doombunny could not avoid seeing the open pit in front of her. She looked down at her feet to ensure they were set and saw the floor give out as it turned to polygons. Now she was perched in between two columns descending from the ceiling. If she fell it would really hurt.

The sight wasn't fun or helpful, but Doombunny quickly began to move up the wall, alternating between her hands and feet, basically holding herself in place as she brought her feet up into her body and reset them against the wall. She was doing this for Knightstar, for Twilight, her friend. A friend who meant more than the scary pit in her stomach or the disorienting feeling of being suspended so high up.

She pressed on, knowing that her strength wasn't that great and if she fell, she likely wouldn't get to redo this, at least not today. She was nearly spent from all of the other climbing, balancing, and using her body in ways it wasn't used to in order to overcome the obstacles presented. High or low, they were challenging, but none were as tough as this one.

Then she was there. Her hands grabbed onto the top, and she pulled and rolled herself out of the hole in what became the floor. Doombunny took a break. Her shoulder, hips, and thighs were screaming in agony to her, as were her abs. There was no time limit and no enemies, so she could safely rest up.

This whole obstacle course was part of a regular dungeon, but hidden unless a player had a high enough Reveal Skill. They also needed a key. Doombunny's key was the charm bracelet. This place likely could train Acrobatics, but that was it. Some players might consider the challenge fun, Thunderborne either would enjoy it or be bored because it was too easy for her, but Doombunny did not. It was just one more obstacle in the quest for the charm she needed for Knightstar's project.

Doombunny finally rolled onto her hands and knees and stood up. She walked over to the wall where a gilded chest sat. There was no lock or latch, which was a bit odd, but what really caught her eye was the rim of the base that the lid sat on. It had an impression in the gold. Doombunny pulled out the charm bracelet and unlatched the chain. She pressed the chain into the impression and it fit perfectly.

There was a click and a section of the bottom trim, on the side, popped out. In the small drawer was a pink ribbon with a baby blue center and buttercup edges. It was knotted into a tiny, but perfect, bow. There was a golden chain that connected to the back pin to make it a usable charm.

Doombunny picked it up and tapped on it. The Ribbon of Seven Thousand Threads boosted agility by +150. That was a stellar boost, especially for someone with no Acrobatics skill.

The chest held her dungeon prize, a set of boots that boosted agility. They were pretty strong in defense stats, almost as strong as what Diamond had made her, except they had the agility buff. They would likely replace her current boots.

Radial Charm Bracelet:

1. Painite Blossom (Applejack) — +150 Strength
2. Col Standard (Rarity) — +15% col dropped by monsters
3. Iron Opal (Pinkie Pie) — +15% Carry Weight
4. Tuft of a Rainbow Cloud (Rainbow) — +20% boost to speed
5. Vial Of Life (Mage Meadowbrook) — +150 Constitution
6. Fragment of the Palace (Star Swirl) — 20% reduction in skill delay
7. The Ribbon of Seven Thousand Threads (Somnambula) — +150 Agility