Chapter 2

It's been two weeks since we were all trapped in this death game called SAO, and at least a thousand innocent people have died.

I have been training hard, partly because I'm not going to join the ranks of the dead just yet, but also because I want to protect Silica. She's too freaked out to be training with me at the moment. I think she's at least two years younger than me, so it's understandable why she's frightened. Heck, I am too, but for Silica's sake I have to be mature about this. I don't know why, I just have this urge to take care of her.

I'm already level 8, and most of my equipment has been upgraded. I've decided to go with a basic one-handed sword accompanied by a small and light shield. Its what I feel will be best for me.

The quest for finding the first boss room has been unsuccessful so far. Everyone is in a panic-induced frenzy, and the Town of Beginnings is packed. Some people are questioning if this game is even beatable. I'm not sure what I believe.

Silica and I are sitting on a bench just outside the inn where we have currently spent every night.

"Hey Silica," I begin slowly so as not to put any pressure on her. "Can we move to the next village? This inn is one of the more expensive ones, and we're only in here because everywhere else is full." She looks at me with a terrified expression, and I feel guilty for having to do this to her. "Anyway, my point is that this in is too expensive for us to keep staying in every night. It's taking all of my Col from monster farming that is supposed to be used to buy equipment.

"W-Where should we go?" I can tell she's trying to be brave, but her façade quickly wears thin.

"I reckon by the river. Any other paths will be as crammed as Tokyo during rush-hour." Mentally I cringe at the thought that I might never see Tokyo, or anywhere else in the real world for that matter, again.

I close my menu and stand up, feeling the pixels that have become my body stretch and move. Silica follows suit, and we stock up on items, and set off.

OOOO

I see the giant dog before Silica does. "Silica! Watch out!" I yell. But she doesn't react in time. It hits her with a powerful forepaw, and she is launched onto the ground a couple of metres away. Her HP is dangerously in the red. As much as I want to, I can't help her yet, as the monster is targeting me now.

It's running towards me on all four legs. For a split-second I am frozen in fear. Is today the day I am going to die? "No." I chastise myself firmly under my breath. "I am going to defeat this monster."

I sprint around to behind the huge grey beast where it can't hit me. As if on it's own accord, my sword begins to light up as I perform the one-handed Sword Skill known as Sonic Leap. I glance at the dog's HP bar. I barely dented it. All of my hopes are lost, and I lower my shield and let myself be hit. Someone screams, but I've got to die sometime, right?

I shut my eyes, trying to drown out the noise, and it only seems like seconds before someone is shaking me and force-feeding me liquid. Can't they just let me sleep? I think agitatedly. I open one eye to see who is irritating me. It's Silica. She looks worried. Why is she worried? Then I remember what happened. I was knocked out by a massive dog monster, and probably escaped my HP completely depleting by the skin of my teeth.

"Oh good. You're awake." Silica is relieved.

"What happened?" I have regained most of my senses; thanks to the Potion she gave me.

"We were attacked by a dog monster, and you tried to attack it while I was healing. But then it hit you, and I think I screamed. "

I sit up. "C'mon Silica. We need to go. It'll be night soon, and we've already lost a lot of time." One look at Silica tells me she's thinking otherwise.

"Uh, actually I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't go with you." All of my instincts are screaming objections, but I know I can't control her.

I stand up. "Silica, if you were scared to go, you should have just told me." I smile at her. "I hope we meet again sometime."

"Wait!" We both turn to look at five sweaty teenage boys. "Don't we get appreciation? We did defeat Cerberus." That must have been the huge dog thing. But didn't Cerberus have more than one head? Never mind.

"Sure. What do you want?" I open my menu, preparing to pay them.

"Silica." We both sputter in shock and I'm secretly glad neither of us had any Potion left in our mouths.

"What?" we both exclaim. The one who has been talking steps forward.

"We are the Silica Fan Club Guild, or SFCG. We want our prize."

"Walk her to the inn where she stays. You will pay her three hundred Col for the night at the inn, and if any of you are indecent, me personally and my Beta tester friends will be on your case like fire on oil." I unsheathe my sword to prove a point. Silica looks at me. I can't tell what she's thinking, but I personally am laughing my head off internally.

"Heavens no! we'd never do anything to our angel! She's an idol! We would protect her with our lives!" Are these guys for real?

"Then give me the last attack bonus."

"Why? It's ours."

"I got the empty bottle she just used!"

They are practically falling over themselves to send it to me. Its called Shadow Sword. "Thank you." I leave.


A/N Gun Gale Online anime is coming out this year! Sinon looks epic.