Seeds of Fortune

December 1, 2022

The crowd flowed like a meandering river. It has been almost a month since the death game began.

The hysterical reactions have died down, no pun intended, as natural selection worked its way to the player base. It was easy to end your life by suicide, as many did by jumping to their deaths. Many unofficial factions have since sprung up despite the absence of the official «Guild» feature which would not be available for a few more floors yet. It restored some life in the city, a form of human order at work instead of the lifeless, albeit impressively intelligent, NPC groups.

Positioned in the centre of the «Bazaar Street», I lay my store mat beside the many other player vendors. Swiping my menu, I dragged 5 more «Anneal Sword» into my shop window. As I was not one to waste one of my valuable 2 slots on «Merchandising», I had to update my shop window regularly with a limited 5 slots available for trade. I have been buying «Anneal Sword» from the player base lately as they are the most expensive items on this floor. It allowed me to make the largest profits with the unique item in my hands. Merely trading between players at the same prices, I could become rich. In fact, I could afford to undercut the market.

I would be more excited and use my stored Col to become one of the elite players. However, I have never forgotten my task as an «Observer». I lazily looked at my «Status» screen.

Alice

Level 3

HP: 380/380

Strength: 1

Agility: 5

Col: 42300

Skills: «One-handed Sword» 33/1000

«Searching» 72/1000

In the past month, I have made more than the 42300 Col I currently hold. I own 8 other properties in which I rent out to other players. I was certainly wealthy enough to get myself an elite set of equipment. As it stands though, I wear a set of ragged leather doublet, donning a dark blue hooded cloak. After the «Tutorial», girls were far and few between. It was unnecessary attention.

Nonetheless, today was a special day.

The reason for the underlying excitement amongst the crowd was that newspapers have heralded today as the day that the first floor's boss dungeon being discovered. I have followed the publishing since it first started a few weeks back. It was by one Argo the Rat. It has been providing information to the people who refused to leave the shelter of the «Starting City».

It would be easy to think that a merchant like me would hardly be involved with the politics and knowledge of the frontline clearers. Such a thought could not be any further off the mark.

Kibaou may have a personality of a sniveling rat, but he was the easiest person to manipulate that I have met thus far. I chanced upon him in town one day when he tried to scam me thinking I was a newbie player. Just because I can, I let him. I sold him the enhancement materials at a dirt cheap price, but with my unique item, it still gave me a nominal profit in which I bought it for. If I had a dark side, it would probably tell me that he would serve as an excellent minion.

December 2, 2022

"Those beta testers, on the day this shitty game started, dashed from the Starting City and disappeared. They left behind over 9000 people who didn't know left from right. They monopolized good hunting grounds and profitable quests, got stronger without a care for those behind. ...There should be some in this group, hiding their beta status, some sly people thinking of joining the boss fight. I want them to kneel down once, to the party members their lives depend on. That's what I want to say!"

Perhaps Kibaou was not the best person to manipulate after all. He does go out of the way to draw attention to himself. Nonetheless, I have used him well as a proxy. He has gotten me information that the strongest player attending this meeting is likely to be a guy named Kirito. A low profile soloist with one of the highest levels and equipment, it is only rational to deduce his mastery over the game. Nonetheless, much of the attention would be on Diabel, but his equipment falls far short of Kirito's 6 times enhanced «Anneal Sword».

I know of his sword as I was the one who used Kibaou to bid for it. In Argo the Rat, no information is out of bounds as long as you have the right money. However, doing it myself would draw far too much attention even if I paid the hush fee. Thus, manipulating Kibaou was the only way I could do it.

December 4, 2022

This prison of a death game, the creator is one insane maniac! I swore gently under my breath. Losing composure was not my style, but it has been four weeks since I have had a nice warm bath, and we haven't even reached the second floor. I wondered if I would get to claim overtime pay from my employers.

Nonetheless, today would be the day we would challenge the boss finally. Mapping the twenty plus dungeon floors was tiring enough, and as one of the lowest level frontline clearers, I have actually reached level 6 purely off «Small Kobold».

Forty-four players were now gathered at the Fountain Square in Tolbana, the nearest village to the boss dungeon. It could be considered to be the strongest fighting force we could have hoped for at this point. If by some chance, this raid party is wiped out; no, even with its partial destruction, rumors would quickly spread and the resignation that «SAO is impossible to clear» would spread throughout the first floor. Reorganizing a second force would take an impossibly long time — or, it may prove impossible to face the boss a second time. Even if we wanted to increase our level in order to challenge the boss again, many of the frontline clearers are already near the limit of efficiency to gain experience from monsters of the first floor.

Argo the Rat has told me about «Illfang the Kobold Lord» and the strongest party will engage him with «Switch». The smaller parties will clear the accompanying boss mobs «Ruin Kobold Sentinels». My 40000 Col would certainly be able to arm me well enough to be in the strongest party section but again, that is not my duty. I happily took a back seat, in the safety of my hooded cloak, as I fought against the Kobold Sentinels.

As I fought, I could observe the difference between these clearers and the ones I have met outside town. These players certainly dealt more damage not just because of their character attributes, but also because of what I call, their «Outside System Boost». Being military trained, I could tell the weight of the weapons I am wielding and carrying it through with the system assist of «Sword Arts» actually allowed me to deal 2-3 times the damage. Being good at locating critical spots as well as having the «Searching» skill further allows another 2-3 times of that damage, compounding up to 6-9 times that of a regular player.

Thus, the Kobold Sentinels were not of much threat to me. Even without switching, I could find the right opportune moment to launch a «Slant» against their exposed necks, which leaves them stunned long enough for me to recover from the sword skill. The first kobold sentinel just exploded to polygons when I heard shouts from the party engaging Illfang. I witnessed Diabel rushing forward in a bid to get the LA bonus, a concept I am familiar with during my time in beta testing. However, Illfang pulled out a katana. This was something unprecedented in beta testing. The nodachi he held was not as stunning as what was to follow.

A «Tsumujiguruma» 360-degrees spinning attack followed by a Floating Boat «Ukifune», were sufficient to knock down most of the squad and launch Diabel into the air. Chaining into a longer combo, Illfang followed up with a 3 hit slash, Scarlet Fan, «Hiōgi» on the hapless Diabel. The rest of the raid party watched him burst into polygons.

Following this, most of the other members were in a state of shock and have forgotten the existence of the kobold sentinels. I, who am used to deaths of my team mates but not indifferent and cold to them, did not crumble and fall. Instead, I engaged the remaining sentinels after noticing Kirito and his hooded partner taking on Illfang with great alacrity. I was impressed by his speed and skill, and knew immediately, that comparing him with Diabel has always been a big mistake. They were of different leagues.

As Illfang burst into polygon shards, I realized I have yet to swallow the lump in my throat since Diabel's death. Have I gotten so afraid of death since playing in this game? I did not look at the «Battle Complete» notices indicating that I have leveled up to 7 and the accompanying rewards. Instead, still heaving and recovering from engaging against multiple Kobold Sentinels alone, I leaned against the dungeon wall as I see a group of players hailing Kirito. However, this was swiftly interrupted by Kibaou. People started chanting "Cheater" and "Beta Tester", and before long, Kirito declared,

"Exactly, I am a «Beater». From now on, please do not lump me together with those former testers."

I mused out loud how interesting this man was, as I can easily see his purpose. He has some latent talent in manipulating, but he has still quite a long ways to go if he is to fool someone like me…