November 30, 2022. Floor 1.
Haru Hayai:
I absentmindedly stared into the virtual flickering candle that lay atop table of our booth. The inn was nearly empty, with the other players either out training or trying to live their lives as if the game weren't real. Maru sat across from me, silent, his eyes locked on the table. Karu sat beside me, angrily tapping his fingers on the table.
We had been trying to decide what we should do next for the past half hour. Training was an obvious choice, but we had been doing plenty of that in the last three weeks since the game started. At level nine Karu was currently the highest level of the three of us due to his tank-like playstyle. Maru had been taking on smaller monsters at our request, like boars and wild dogs. He had decided he wanted to be a macer, which is a particularly slow class to level due to its need of dexterity as well as strength, two totally different categories. So naturally, he rested at the lowest between us, at five. I chose a rare playstyle; using a thin, lightweight, longsword, I decided to be focused mainly on dexterity and agility, sacrificing defense for speed. However, I shouldn't be too easy to kill because I'm also planning on maxing my vitality attribute. Karu says I have an aggressive, in-your-face attitude that blends in perfectly with my dexterity. So, I'm proud of my seven levels of progress so far.
The cafe part of the inn was rather dark, aside from the lanterns lighting the bar area where the NPC stood, and the candles on each of the tables. I sat closest to the window, looking out from time to time to watch the NPCs or players walk about in the night. They all seem so troubled, I thought. Sure, this isn't an ideal situation to be in, trapped in a game...but they could try to make the best of it.
Karu was the first to break the silence, "We've been making good progress so far," he put his wrists on the back of his head, resting them there, "But we need to do better. I think we should help on the frontlines."
I shivered at the thought. I know we can't just stay like this forever, doing nothing but helping ourselves, but I don't want to die. He spoke again, "We need to get Maru to start fighting higher level monsters if he's going to progress at all."
Shocked, I spoke up, "What are you saying Karu? You know the dangers that come with those monsters," my voice was a bit too high so I lowered it, "His health isn't even past four hundred. The monsters we fight could put him in the red in two hits." I put a fist to my forehead as if to mime my frustration.
"I'm not talking about the ones we fight, Haru," he reassured me," I meant the monsters his level; there's no way I'd let him fight our level mobs." He smiled at Maru. Karu had a routine to get people to see his way. He'd look at them with sweet eyes, maybe angle his head to the light source so the light-brown hair we all had shined, and give you his sweetest smile. I've fallen victim to this routine more than I'd like to admit.
"Why not, Nii-chan?" Maru asked quietly, not looking up from the table, "I want to help everyone just as much as you do." Maru's voice was shy and unsure, but had signs of a youthful sincerity.
"They're far too dangerous, Maru." I spoke softly, as not to hurt his feelings, "We'll start you off with mobs a few levels higher than what you are now. Maybe level eight wolves to the west? I hear they drop a pretty decent sum of Col."
Karu chimed in, "They also drop wolf-skin cloaks. The defense on those are supposed to be outstanding for a drop by such a low-level mob."
I smiled, "Perfect for Karu, right Ma-chan? Our big brother will need all the defense he can get if he's going to get all of us out of here."
Maru's attitude quickly shifted, "I can't wait to tell everyone at school about my big brothers who saved me and ten thousand players from that Kayaba guy!" He looked up from the table, smiling wide at me. His eyes that the three of us shared seemed to shine with a brilliant light.
We had received many comments on how similar we all looked. Although none of us are twins in any meaning of the word, we all share green eyes, and unusually light brown hair. However, I've been told by many of my family members that I take after my mother, with my rounded chin and small cheekbones. Maru and Karu were cursed with the looks of my father. A longer face than mine, with thin cheeks and long cheekbones. Not saying that they couldn't pull it off, but it made Karu seem much older than the eighteen years he actually was, and Maru, well Maru will look cute no matter what obstacles you put in his way. His innocence and youth was adorable, to say the least.
I could only imagine the guilt Karu felt for bringing us into the game. I had already asked him plenty of times about the beta-test. He was lucky to be one of the thousand players to be in it, but he says they never mentioned anything about this turning into a death game in the beta. If they would have I doubt many players would be in the same situation as they are.
Karu sat up with a sudden burst of life, "So it's settled. Tomorrow we'll go west so Maru-chan can progress enough to fight the mobs Haru-chan and I fight."
Maru and I looked at each other then said in unison, "Right!"
"Well let's get to bed boys," Karu said as he stood outside of our booth, "It's pretty late, and we've got to get up early if we're going to secure a training spot." Maru protested going to bed, but Karu shushed him quickly, pointing to the stairs that lead to the inn's rooms. Maru jetted up the stairs, pretending to be more upset than he probably was. I remembered that we still needed to pay the NPC for another night, so I waved Karu off to the rooms and told him I'd meet him there with the key.
As I walked towards the bar where the NPC stood, I was surprised to hear my older brothers voice behind me.
"Haru-chan," I got the key and turned around quickly, as he looked away from me, he started again, "I didn't want to mention this in front of Maru, but..." he paused for a few seconds, "I want you to know that if anything happens to me, and we're separated, I trust that you'll look after yourself and Maru as best you can." An obvious knowing and sadness stained his words. I felt my eyes widen.
"What are you talking about, Nii-chan? Don't be stupid..." My words weren't confident and I couldn't look at him in the eye. What was he talking about? He's the strongest of us three, there's no way something could...
Surprised by my attitude, his face became serious and he looked me in the eyes, "Well, I just mean that if this game happens to... ya know," He looked down once again.
I shook my head, "Stop, Karu-chan." I walked towards him and hugged him tightly, burying my head in his royal blue tunic. He wrapped his arms around me and ruffled my hair, "Let's get to bed. Maru-chan might be asleep in the hall by now." I smiled up at him and nodded.
