April 23rd, 2023, Floor 11, Level 44

"To the Moonlit Black Cats! And to the ones who had saved us, Kirito and Lee! Cheers!"" The people in front of Kirito and I cheer, as we awkwardly glanced between ourselves. His coal eyes had a lingering sense of awkwardness, but there was the slight gleam one could take as happiness.

"Cheers?" we echo, as we clink glasses with the others.

"Thank you for saving us," the short girl with lopped black hair softly says, "we'd probably be dead if it wasn't for you."

"It was nothing," Kirito waves off, cheeks tinting pink and I laugh slightly. Kirito will never get used to receiving compliments, and he was quite bashful, too.

"I-I was really scared, and when you came to save me I was so happy," she continues, and I nearly snort. She's really laying the compliments on thick.

"I know this may sound rude, but what level are you guys?" The guy in the red armor asks as I glance up at my stats.

Level 44.

"I'm Level 19, he's 20," I stick out my tongue at Kirito, "and I'll catch up with you soon!"

"Yeah right," Kirito chuckles, though I was beating him by 4 levels. It may have been because Kirito was knocked out for a week due to food poisoning from his bad cooking skills, so I grinded floor 7 that whole week out of sheer boredom. Since there was only the two of us, once we reached floor 5 we started working even harder so we could have a slight lead on our competitors.

"Wow! That's not too different from ours, it's probably not easy since you're a party of two," the guy chuckles as I nervously laugh.

"Keita, you don't have to be so polite," Kirito lectures, "a party can support you more than Lee can do for me."

"Hey!" I whine as everyone chuckles at the table. "I wasn't the one quivering at the sight of the slime boss at Floor 2," I grumble, as Kirito shudders, remembering how half of his body got stuck in it.

"I-it's so moist though..."

"In that case," Keita hypothesizes suddenly, "what about the both of you join our guild?"

"Huh?" I ask, as Keita gestures to the girl. "This is our only mace wielder, and her name is Sechi, and we can always have one of you train her. Lee, what weapon are you? You hung back after slugging the monster in the face," Keita asks, as I withdraw my weapon.

"This is my broadsword, I got it from a guy who felt bad after I broke my weapon. He got it from the level 9 boss," I lie, because technically Kirito gave it to me after he got the bonus instead of me; but he wanted to stick with his sword.

"Oh? That's so cool!" Keika says, "Do you think you'd be able to teach Sechi how to use a sword and shield? A mace isn't really her thing."

"I'm not the best teacher, to be honest. Last time I used a shield I dropped it on my foot," I reply, slapping my hand on Kirito's shoulder, "but Kirito is, like, 10x better at using a sword AND he's a good teacher!"

"What now?" Kirito asks, confused as I step on his foot under the table. He winces, and no one notices as Sechi and Keika bicker, causing the guild members to laugh. The guild member in yellow looks at us.

"We all go to the same school IRL, but, uh, don't worry! You guys'll fit in easy-peasy!" He shouts with a smile, as Kirito nods. "I guess I'll join..."

"I'm in it too," I beam, standing up and adjusting my coat. I had received a new coat since my boss fight, and this one was fab-u-lous! It was a cape-coat in a dark navy blue, AoT style, and I had pockets on the inside which I stored food inside! Also, it regulated my temperature, so I was never too cold.

I also always stole pants from Kirito, so I was wearing his abandoned brown pants (I guess they weren't black enough for his aesthetic). My regular armor was underneath my coat, and a sword sheath was looped around my back.


May 9th, 2023, Floor 20, Sunlit Forest, Level 50

A creature that looked like it had escaped Bug's Life was in front of us, swinging it's scythe-like claws left and right. "Sechi, duck!" I shout, as she narrowly avoids being decapitated. I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. She made the 'girls suck in video games' stereotype true, even though she's played multiple games before.

Taking my broadsword from my back, I jump up and with a quick flip I cut off the scythe arms as Tetsuo runs forward, stabbing the grasshopper in the stomach as it was distracted. It dissolves into pixels as we all cheer.

"Woo! I'm level 23 now!" Tetsuo cheers as we all applaud for him, as I look at my own level rank.

Level 50, huh? I suppose that's accurate enough, especially since I've been sneaking out at night to grind monsters for my own points. After all, if we all split it as a group it's especially hard to get better and level up. Besides, I only need an hour worth of sleep to do well.

We all went back to the garden area, as I plucked a newspaper from the stall. Kirito, Keika and I headed to the garden as the others went to get supplies, as we sat on the plush grass.

"Wow, the leading group is at Floor 28 now," I muse, wondering how intense it'd be to be in that group...

...and how fun it'd be.

"Oh...what's the difference between us and that group anyway?" Keika asks, seemingly begrudgingly as my eyes widen. Keika had never used a pessimistic-toned voice, except when he was last to the dinner table.

"I mean, they know all the good hunting spots and the fastest ways to get XP. They keep it within their guild," Kirito explains as Keika sighs.

I zone out as they continue to blabber, as the others join us once more. "I can't wait until we all hit level 30!" Sechi bumbles, as I look at my own level ranking. I smile, remembering the '50' that hung at the corner of my upper vision. "Same here!"

Though I loved my capelet, it was going to tear once I hit level 51 since I got it at level 31. If you exceed a clothing item's protective aspects and wear it for an exceeded amount of time, it will start to tear and lose its protective properties. But Kirito and I disguised ourselves with trash armour to blend in...

They all talked about making plans to head to the 28th floor soon, to catch up with the others, but I simply zoned out. I was here because Kirito was here, and we've been in this together since day 1. He's my best chum now, after all.


May 23rd, Floor 28, Level 51

"Wow! Where did you get those fancy clothing? Sechi asked as she French-braided my hair while I equipped my new armour.

"Oh, someone insisted I traded them," I lie, "I gave them 200 Cor for it."

I had donned the dark green reefer jacket I won at Floor 25 against a monster, and while it wasn't much higher at protecting me than my cape-coat, it will last me until level 55.

"Well, I think it's lovely. Are you going out for another stroll tonight?" Sechi asks, tying a matching green ribbon at the end of my hair

"Yeah, I have a lot of thinking to do lately, I'm feeling a bit homesick," I lie. It's been the same for the past month, as I had previously explained.

Sneak out, kill monsters, sleep for an hour, repeat.

"Alright, have fun! I'm always here if you need me," Sechi calls.

"Thanks for doing my hair!" I thank, walking out the door as I headed to the wolf plains outside the town.

Brandishing my sword, I prepared to run down and attack the wolves when I already heard snarls coming from over there. Hiding behind a rock, I peeped over it as I watched men in red armor attack at a wolf.

One of their katanas started to glow a bright, scarlet red, illuminating its' user's face. I gasped quietly at the man before me: Klein. He looked the same as he did a year ago, hell, we all did.

He slashed at the wolf with a flourish of his hand, scattering it into its pixel forms. He breathed heavily for a moment, before straightening up.

"Wow, you look like you're doing well," I call out, cupping my hands around my mouth as Klein looked up at me, mouth gaping.

"Well, isn't it Little Lee! I've heard about a wandering vixen around these parts." he smirks and I roll my eyes, sliding down the hill to greet him.

"I'm not very vixeny unless you trifle with me," I respond, and he snorts.

"I heard from a few buddies that you were the one who finished the Floor 1 boss. Is that true?" He asks, and I shrug.

"There wasn't much left to take care of, honestly."

"We should catch up!" He rasps out, turning back to his comrades. "You guys can clean up the rest of the trash!"

"I haven't done much since we last talked," I respond as we walk back up the hill. "But, I see you have a guild mark now," Klein points out, and I shrug.

"I just hang out there because Kirito is still with me," I bluntly state as Klein laughs. "Oh? Mr. "I'm a lone wolf" joined a guild?"

"Yup," I respond, chuckling slightly, when a notification popped up in my inbox. "Hold on for a moment..." I stop in my tracks, looking at my screen.

Opening it, my eyes widen at the words.

Sechi left an hour after you did, and she hasn't returned. It's been 4 hours, and while she's usually back after an hour, but she isn't back at all. We're heading to the dungeon area, so let us know anything upon return. -Keika.

Sechi is gone...?

"I need to go right now," I blurted out quickly, looking apologetically at Klein. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Alright," Klein sighs, as I take off in a sprint away from him to the town, my eyes glowing amber as my vision changes.

The buildings are gone, and everything is black except for the leftover traces of people's auras. Colors of different shapes, opacities and sizes painted everything, as I blocked those out to find Sechi's. Hers was a light blue, and there were footprints through the town...leading to underneath the bridge?

"Sechi?" I call out, looking through under the bridge to see her small frame, leaning against the stone wall as she hugged her knees. Fresh tears glazed her eyes over, as she shivered in the cold

"O-oh, Lee, it's you," she replies, as I walk over and plomp down next to her, grabbing a blanket from my inventory as I wrapped it around her. "Sechi, what's the matter?" I ask, rubbing her back as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I just...ugh, Lee, can't you and I run away together? Us girls, we stick together," she whispers, and I smile slightly.

"We'd be a pretty strong team together, but why do you want to run away?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't want to deal with any of this anymore...this town, the monsters, the Black Cats, Sword Art Online-"

"No!" I shout, "We're not going to commit suicide!"

Sechi giggled slightly, "That's not what I meant, but that's certainly a way out... but why do we have to die in this game? What's the point?"

I sigh, "I don't even think there is one. We're all afraid of something in here, and that's Akihiko's entertainment."

Sechi paused, turning her head to the water. "I'm afraid of dying. I'm so scared I haven't been able to sleep," she quivers, as I softly hush her, rubbing her head.

"You won't die."

"How are you sure?"

"Because you are a strong girl, and your friends and I are strong too," I promise, "and a strong girl doesn't go out easily. And we'll all get out of here together."

She smiled, a tear running down her cheek. "Thank you."

"No need, it's the truth."

That night, Sechi slept in my bed. She dreamed peacefully for once in a few months, and that made me happy.

She reminded me of...me, honestly. Quiet and docile at first. I felt like my sister, Ivy, for once. Ivy always seemed so courageous, big and strong, always protecting me when I was down. She fought for everyone, and not just herself.

So, I was going to live like Ivy and fight for everyone here.


"We're buying a ho-me, we're buying a ho-me!" I cheer as everyone chuckles.

"Let's get some cash while Keika's buying the house," Tetsua cheers, as I arch a brow. "Yeah, doing what? Dancing in the street for Cor?"

"Ha! Totally! How about we head up to the dungeon? It'll be faster and easier than foraging the grounds. Maybe Keika won't have to make a total buffoon of himself, then." Ducker notes, as I shake my head. "That's probably not a good idea..."

"Come on Lee~! At our levels we'll be fine," Sasamaru elbows me, and I roll my eyes. "Fine, but don't come crying back to me if you wet your pants," I laugh as Sasamaru gasps, shoving me lightly.

"That was only one time, Lee!"


June 12th, 2023, Floor 27's Dungeon, Level 53

"I told you we'd have no problem," Ducker asserted as we walk through the dungeon. "Whatever," I roll my eyes as we stop at a wall.

"Hey! A hidden room!" Tetsuo clucks, slamming his hand on the wall as it glows blue, sliding open to reveal a treasure chest.

Something was...off. Placing my aura over my eyes, everyone in the party had grey and black flecks in their aura, with Kirito having dark blue and red freckles.

Dark blue is grief while red is anger, and grey/black means death is approaching...

"Guys, don't go in," I whisper, eyes widening in shock as Ducker rolls his eyes. "Stop being such a Mother Hen, Lee!" He stomps into the room, the other boys following.

"She's right, don't go in!" Kirito warns, as we all step forward in warning as Ducker throws open the treasure chest's lid.

The room's blue turns a red hue, warning systems blaring as rock monsters and goblins pixelate before us.

"It was a trap, idiots!" I shout, withdrawing my broadsword from my back. "Let's blast!"

"Group Teleport, Taft!" Ducker shouts, sticking up the teleportation cube as nothing happens.

"Here, let me try you idiot," I fumble for the cube, before sticking it up in the air. Closing my eyes, I focused on us as a group.

I'll use some actual magic for this to work...

"Group Teleport, Taft!" I shout, as I feel the familiar whirl of the teleportation around me. Smiling to myself, I open my eyes.

"Alright guys, that was a close one," I laugh, "but we-"

I was all alone. Looking at my feet, I appeared to be standing on glass above the clouds as they bathed in blueness, the sun piercing above me.

"So, that first miracle you pulled wasn't a glitch," a deep voice said from behind me, and I turned to see a tall, brown-haired man in a lab coat. He wasn't overly handsome, nor was he ugly, he was just...average.

Quickly flashing my aura around my eyes, I saw a familiar blood red color surrounding the man. "Kayaba Akihiko," I whisper in shock, and he nods.

"Indeed, Miss Lee. I don't have much time to talk with you, but I am going to inform you of a few things before I send you along your merry little way," he informs, as I cross my arms.

"Fine," I huff, glaring at the man before me. I was tempted to rush forward and impale him with my sword, but I'll hear him out for now.

"The first miracle-stunt you performed was on a man by the name of Diabel. He was supposed to shatter into pieces, as his HP was rapidly dropping, but you healed him without a potion, which is only available on Level 3 and up. I thought you were a glitch at first, but it was interesting, so I didn't eradicate you."

I gulped, as he held up two fingers. "Next, you were able to activate the teleportation cube in a no-teleport zone. This should be impossible, so instead of sending your guild along with you, I decided to have just you come up. I suppose this will make you abide by the game's rules, now."

"What is that?" I speculated, and with the snap of his fingers a video screen comes up.

"You get to watch the live stream."

The first death was Ducker's. His was the one that made me yelp, as he was pinned to the floor before he had pick axes slammed into his body. His screams still echoed in my ears when Tetsuo when Tetsuo was pummeled by rock monsters, Ducker's screams overlapping over Tetsuo's. Sasamaru was next, before he was cut down the middle.

"Make it stop!" I wail, tears welting in my eyes, "You have the power to do so!"

"I am nothing but a powered GM now," Kayaba replies, as I run over to him, grabbing him by the lab coat. He calmly looked at me, brown eyes emotionless pools that reflected my image in them. And damn it, I looked like a mess in them.

"Let me go back! I can still make sure Sechi lives!" I cry, as he gently pried me off him. I turn my head back to the scream just in time to watch Sechi get scratched in the back. She was the only one who didn't scream, but Kirito and I both wailed at the same time. Tears finally began to flow as I sunk to my knees, unable to turn my eyes from the screen as she burst into pixels.

I cried and cried, watching Kirito fight through the rest of the monsters, fueled with anger. Finally, Kirito was the last person standing, breathing heavily before sinking to his knees.

The tv screen dissolved into air, as my cries became silent. Tears ran down my cheeks as I looked at Kayaba.

"Why?" I whisper, "Why would you do this?"

"To create a world that has all the risks and consequences of the real world," he replies, "if that was in real life, the same things would have happened."

"Why am I here, why am I not with them and fighting?" I ask, wiping my tears as I stand up.

"I summoned you because I thought you were a glitch, and you're not one of the current glitches. I'll just leave you with the warning to not be too obvious with your 'miracles,' or else the computer system will terminate you..."

I gulp nervously, before realizing he said something odd: 'glitches.'

As in there's multiple.

"There's multiple glitches?" I ask, as his eyes widen for a second, before returning to normal.

"Nevermind that. It's time to return to Taft, I'll have you teleport to outside the dungeon. Adieu," Kayaba says, his image flickering.

"Wait!" I call, but he was already gone. Sighing to myself, I lay on my stomach, looking at the clouds roll by below me.

Everyone's dead, and Kirito is the only survivor...

I feel the familiar pull of teleportation as the last tear dripped from my eye, as I was gone with the whirlwind


My feet touch down as I whipped my head around, seeing Kirito exit the dungeon, shadow catching over his eyes. "Kirito!" I cry, running over to him as I feel my eyes begin to drip with tears again.

"Don't." His voice was clipped and monotoned, as I pause in my steps. "W-what?"

"You abandoned us with the group teleport," he seethed, "and everyone died." His noir eyes had steeled, looking at me with a fury that could compare to the pits of hell.

My heart dropped once more, as my mouth gaped open. "K-Kirito, I need to tell you what happened-"

"Don't bother, it doesn't change the fact that you left us for dead." He glared at me from under his bangs, "You might as well be dead to me now."

I gasped, taking a step backwards as his words struck me like a knife to the heart. I winced, trying to keep the buildup of tears within my eyes. "Kirito, please let me explain! I-I-"

"Didn't you hear me? You left us for dead!" He roared, "The teleportation stone follows your heart's desires for teleportation within Aincrad's limits! You truly wished for only yourself to make it out of there!"

"I wanted us all to survive, Kirito!" I retorted, tears freshly bursting out of my eyes. "And I was forced to watch them die, but I couldn't do anything about it!"

Kirito's eyes widened in shock, before a hard look overcame his features again. "I never should have trusted you," he spat out, "don't ever talk or approach me again."

"Kirito, we promised to always have each other's backs-" I quavered, as he glared.

"If you talk to me ever again, I'll kill you, and I mean it!" He roared, as angry tears flicked from his eyes. Hastily rubbing them away, he turned on his heel from me, footsteps clacking away as I began to wail. And for the second time in this game, I cried. For my dead friends, my life in here, and the loss of Kirito: the one who I had trusted most here.

"Kirito," I whisper once more, "I hope you find forgiveness in your heart one day for the lies you believed."

"I know that you basically killed them, and I know that you'd be better off dead." he curtly replies, withdrawing his teleportation cube.

And with that, Kirito was gone as the orange sun set behind him, causing the game to go to 'night mode.' The world was thrust into darkness, small stars twinkling overhead. Now, I felt truly alone, away from all living things that had once felt dear to me.

Collapsing once more on the ground, I reach into my pocket, withdrawing a blade. Fingering the remnants of the braid that Sechi had put in the night before, I pulled it tightly away from my head, taking the knife and cutting it off.

I don't want to feel this hollowness! I'm going to work it once more as a solo player, and I'll get to the top. Maybe that way I can see Kirito and explain.

I hope that time can heal the wounds that I had inflicted upon him.

Opening my inventory, I take the braid and place it in my inventory.

Next, I withdrew the maroon coat I had scored from the last floor we went to, which I told no one about. Tying the Mask of Stealth I had taken from floor 23 (and also had shown no one), I looked at the properties.

Oh, so the mask can level up? These items were pretty rare, so you didn't have to buy multiples of them. Slipping on the cat mask, I found it easy to breathe and I could still see fine, and my brown eyes showed through.

I donned a pair of black cargo pants along with the boots of speed, and I rolled my neck.

I'm going all the way up now, and no one's going to stop me. And when I've finally gone the furthest I can go, maybe Kirito will understand.


July 4th, 2023, Floor 45: Valley of the Living Dead, Level 61

This floor was really boring...all they had was skeleton monsters! I wanted to level up a bit more before I went to Floor 46 to make things easier, but this is a drag! Also, I wanted money so I can get a lot of food here.

Taking my new broadsword, which has stronger metals than my old one (it broke, whoops!), I decapitated the skeleton, crushing the skull with my foot. The skeletal remains burst into pixels as I earned 300 XP.

The only thing good about this floor was the cuisine and scenery. Apparently, according to a book in the library this floor was modeled after China. And this was the only floor with dumplings and noodles, which are sooo good!

"Ahhh!" A voice shouts in the distance as I perk up. Someone needs help!

Running towards the sound of the voice, I slide down the hill to see two people caught in the Venomous VlyVat Trap. It was a carnivorous plant that basically leeched your HP until death. They're pretty rare, so I didn't worry about treading upon one.

Up until now, of course.

Running to the violet VlyVlat, I power up my sword with a skill as I hack at the VlyVat trap. It quickly disperses into pixels, giving me 200 XP.

And VlyVlat traps were usually easy to defeat, too. These must be lower-level players...

"Are you okay?" I ask, adding a light tilt of a British accent (like I always do for my newly-disguised persona) for a good effect. I hold out my hand to the girl, who lightly grabs it, pulling herself up.

"I'm down 25% of my health, but I'll be fine. Michio is down 50%, but he heals fast," the girl says, gesturing at a guy who stood up quickly, dusting himself off.

"We were in a jiffy, thanks for helping!" He bows, nudging the girl as she bows down too.

"Oh, I don't mind." I wave off, as the both stand back up.

"This is Michio, and I'm Sora," 'Sora' beams, as I nod.

Sora was a girl with cappuccino skin and light blue eyes. Her kinky hair was kept back from her face by a thick headband, but a few curls managed to pop out. She looked around 17-18, and was around 5'5"; meanwhile Michio was tall (around 6'!) with his presumably-dyed dark green hair flopping over one eye. He had dark brown eyes and pale skin, freckles dotting all over his face, too.

"I'm Dev," I reply, using my new nickname. It was originally 'Rex,' but I remembered that in the first dungeon I was called a 'deviant.' I had coined my name, obviously. So, I had went to this shady shop on floor 5 that made my name appear as 'Dev' to others who could see my name tag.

"How can we repay you?" Michio asks, and I wave it off. "No need, I'm always happy to help-"

grumble~!

Laughing nervously, I placed my hands over my bellowing stomach as Sora waggled her brows. "We'll buy you some noddles, here."

Noodles...

"Alright, I guess," I sigh in defeat, "if you insist."

They both laugh as we walk out of the valley to the inns.


"Thanks for the meal!" We clap, as I dig into the chow mein, slurping it up quickly.

The inn had traditional ZhongHuaLou styles, as I picked up an eggroll, practically stuffing it into my mouth. I had adjusted my mask so only my mouth showed, so they still couldn't see my face.

"So, are you guys friends in real life?" I ask, slurping up more noodles.

"No, we actually met the first day we were in here," Sora confessed, taking a bite of the pork dumpling, "and we hit it off immediately."

"That's great! It's always nice to have someone to help," I smile, glancing over Sora's shoulder as a man began walking towards us. He was tall and muscular, wearing traditional Chinese warrior clothing pulled together a gaudy cloak embroidered with fur lacing it at the top. His blonde hair peaked out underneath the helmet, and a vain look painted on his face.

This won't be good, he looks and smells like testosterone and trouble.

"Oh, isn't that Sora?" He asks snottily, approaching us at the table, "why didn't you PM me that you were eating at ZhongHuaLou? Those idiot waiters didn't accept Cor from the female boss, did they?"

Female boss?! Ugh, this is grossing me out! And why is he wearing those gaudy clothing items?!

"Huang Qi! You're so obnoxious?! And who the hell is the female boss?!" Sora yelps, blue eyes ablaze in anger.

"It's you, obviously! Sora, this restaurant is mine, and you're my beloved wife, so it's certainly you!" Huang Qi blushes, getting close to Sora before she shoves him off.

"Sora is not your wife, so stop bothering us!" Michio defends, as Huang Qi's eyes blaze in anger. He reaches out, grabbing Michio by the throat and lifting him above the ground. Michio's leg accidentally knocked against the table's weak leg, causing it to break. All the delicious food slid off.

Noooooo! All of it is wasted now! I'll never forgive you, Huang Qi!

"Do you think a piece of trash like you should even dare to walk with Sora?! I've told you before that I'll kill you if you interfere! Do you not understand?!"

"Huang Qi! Let go of Michio!" Sora demands, as Michio coughs.

"She still will never love you," Michio taunts, as Huang Qi raises a fist.

"Shut up!" Huang Qi shouts, as I stand up abruptly, grabbing Huang Qi's fist before it hits. He lets go of Michio in shock, and Michio falls back because of the lack of air. If this happened IRL, I would have been demolished. Thank the gods for high level stats...

"I wouldn't recommend that," I state as Huang Qi chuckles.

"You're just one man, what can you do to all of us?" Huang Qi asks, letting out a shrill whistle as his band of thugs standing up.

Quickly, I flip Huang Qi over my head onto the fallen table, splitting it in half under his weight. His health cuts in half, as I turn my head to the others.

"You all have ten seconds to go, or else you have more than half your health going," I threaten, as they all scramble away.

"W-wow! You're so strong!" Sora gushes, "he's been bothering us for the longest time!"

"I have an important question to ask you all," I ask, as Michio gulps. "W-what is it?"

"Can I order another bowl of chow mein?"

"...sure."


July 5th, 2023, Floor 45, Level 61

"So, you guys accidentally triggered a quest?" I ask, as Sora nods.

"We threw a bowl of rice at an NPC, and they started talking about some demons or something. Now, we have the option of completing a demon quest!" Michio fist pumps, as we enter through the forests' ruins.

Demons live in dim, damp tunnels and usually work alone. They're extremely fast and agile, which will be a bit of a challenge. Demons were a pitch black male species, with blood red eyes and sleek, obsidian-like skin. It has sharp claws about as long as my thumb, and its feet had talons as long as my ring finger.

"When will we start to fight?" Sora asks as we peek through the bushes.

"I'm going to attack the first one and see how the best method to kill it is, then you guys will try it," I reply, jumping out and swinging the broadsword at the demon. The horned beast swung at me with its long talons, which I used to my advantage, jumping on his arm as I swung my sword at his head, chopping it off clean.

It didn't pixelize at first, as weird veins started to reconnect the head and the body. "I guess you have to smash the head," I marveled, taking my broadsword and stabbing it in the eye. The demon pixelates, leaving behind a pair of demon's horns,and I turn to Sora and Michio, giving them a thumbs up.

To help them level up to level 50 (since they're both at 48), I would bring the demon over to the both of them, distracting it while Sora and Michio attacked.

Within the day we collected 20 pairs of demon horns, meaning we were done with the quest with some horns to spare (for selling). I leveled up once to level 62, and Sora and Michio were close to 51 now.

"That was fun! Thanks for helping!" Sora says, and I nod. "It was no problem, it was pretty fun to do, too. Are there any stronger monsters out there, now?"

"There's the demon maidens, but those guys, err, gals, are tough," Michio muses, "The horns of demon maidens are worth more than normal demons, and you also have to hit their head. But they have longer, sharp nails for weapons, along with a way-higher speed!"

And they were harder! Just as Michio finished explaining, a demon maiden popped up and started attacking. They were marble white, with strong cheekbones and painted red lips the same color as blood. Their hair was long and black, flowing like the River Styx, and the worst part was their claws, which were each as long as my forearm. Donned in a black cloak, it came all the way down to the floor, but it didn't hide the long claws creeping out from underneath it. The demon maiden flashed me a pointed grin with their needle-like teeth, boosting their attack. I was constantly bouncing between offense and defense, until I finally bomped it in the head.


July 12th, 2023, Floor 45: Level 67

I had planned to leave this floor after helping Sora and Michio, but I had formed a friendly bond with them in the time we were together. I could probably take them with me, but they'd have to level up a bit more first.

"I saw a mission on the board today, for floor 46's mountain areas," Sora claimed, "and I grabbed it before anyone else could. It has high rewards, and all we have to do is retrieve the hair band of the Demon King. Even if we can't defeat him, we can grab the hair band and run!"

That's an odd request, but works with me!

"Sounds good," I mutter, as Michio pumps his fist. "Alright, let's do it!"


July 15th, 2023, Floor 46: The Devil's Mountain's Cave Entrance, Level 68

"He might be hard to find, you know. The Devil's Mountain is just a spectrum of the area the Demon King is in, it's always changing," Michio notes as we climb up the mountain, and I shrug.

"That makes it more of an adventure than, right?"

"I suppose...Dev, why are you being so kind to us? You could have ditched us earlier," Sora says, and I laugh.

"It's because you guys are friends," I replied in a teasing-tone, "what else could it be?"

"AWWW!" Sora claps, as Michio sighs. "But aren't you worried that helping us will be in vain? We'll probably part ways after this, and what if we never remember you, or vice-versa?"

"I'm just living in the moment, and whatever happens happens for a reason, you know? I mean, you and Sora would have never met if it wasn't for this game, right?" I ask, as Michio sighs. "I suppose."

We had reached the flatter part of the trail, and were now surrounded by shrubbery on all sides of us. "This mountain area is super bipolar," I grumble, as a dust cloud seemed to be suddenly approaching.

"Guys, step back!" I shout, as I withdraw my broadsword as it clashes against another sword, forcing me back.

What kind of monster has this speed?!

The cloud of dust faded away, revealing a-