Chapter 3
A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I got really sick for a month or so (lingering cough and recurring fever). And after I got better, I just didn't feel like writing. So if you're reading this now, thanks for sticking with me. If I accepted your OC, it will appear within the next couple chapters.
Floor 49: Myujen
The walkways between houses and shops were packed. Christmas decorations lit up the shops as NPCs and Player merchants alike tried to sell their wares. But I wasn't here for any of those.
Rumors had been flying around among the players about an Event Boss by the name of Nicholas the Renegade. He supposedly dropped an item that allowed players to resurrect another player if they died. While I had no use for it, I knew it might come in handy later on.
"Hey, Kirito! Wait up!" A voice shouted.
I turned around. A red-head with a bandana and a katana strapped to his side skidded to a stop next to me.
"Klein. I see you're still alive."
The redhead grinned and smacked me on the back. "No need to be such a depressing fool. It's the holidays after all."
I just grunted and began to walk away. Klein fell into step next to me, chattering away. Naturally,
"Hey Kirito."
I glanced at him through the corner of my eye. "Yeah?"
Klein just scratched his head. "Well… I just wanted to thank you for giving me those tips all those years ago. It's what kept me alive all this time."
I smiled wryly. "I'm glad you pulled through. It's getting harder to survive."
"Yeah. Let's pray for the best!"
I shook my head at his optimism. It was hard not to feel upbeat around the guy. All of a sudden, I heard a loud rumbling and saw Klein glance down at his stomach.
"Man. I'm hungry." He smiled sheepishly.
We passed a small diner. A wooden sign swung above the door, spelling out The Ark in bold strokes. Delicious smells wafted through the air and Klein's stomach gave an even louder rumble.
"Say, let's go get something to eat at one of the cafes. Trade stories and what-not."
I just nodded and followed the eager red-head through the door. The cozy restaurant was busy as people filled in behind us. It seemed like it was pretty popular among the players. I recognized a couple clearers among the regular players. As usual, the rest of the clearers were out in the dungeon doing some last-minute clearing and grinding.
A waste of a perfectly good day if you ask me.
We flagged down a waiter and he took us to an open table. We sat down and ordered a couple drinks and snacks. I took a bite of my sandwich while Klein waited for his tofu to cool down.
The sandwich was pretty good. Not as good as some of the ones I've eaten before, but still good.
"So. How's things been going?" Klein asked.
I shrugged and swallowed. "Alright, I guess. Besides clearing, I'm trying to find Nicolas the Renegade."
Klein nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah! He's supposed to carry around a huge sack of loot, right? Including that Revival Item."
I took a bite of an apple. "You wouldn't happen to have any idea of where he might be, would you?"
Klein shrugged. "I have my suspicions but I don't exactly have the exact location. Somewhere near a huge pine tree."
"Hey Kirito! Klein!" a new voice shouted.
I looked up and saw a player in casual clothes running towards us. His slightly unkempt brown hair had a silver streak running through it. I nodded in greeting. "Arkeda. What brings you here?"
His blue and green heterochromatic eyes glinted as he smiled. "I own this place."
I just looked at him. Arkeda huffed in annoyance. "Dude. My name is ARKeda. The ARK? Duh."
I finally saw the connection and mentally slapped myself. Of course. "Seems like this place is pretty popular."
Klein hesitantly spooned some tofu into his mouth. He looked up and beamed. "This stuff is good!"
Arkeda just laughed. "Glad you like it. We've got a couple of players who've mastered the chef skill set back there."
I looked at Arkeda over my sandwich. "And you? Where's your skill level at?"
He just scratched his head. "I make the recipes. But my cooking skill isn't mastered yet. I'm still pretty far away. Being a clearer doesn't really give me much time to work on it."
I nodded. "So who else works back there?"
Arkeda shook his head. "Just couple other people who are proficient in the skill. They manage the easier dishes while Tritia and I work on the harder stuff. We're a bit short-staffed as it is."
Klein jokingly punched him in the shoulder. "Quality over quantity, eh?"
"Yeah. Guess so."
I gestured to the chair next to me. "Have a seat. We got plenty of time."
He just shrugged. "Eh…. Why not! Just hold on one sec."
He turned towards the back. "Hey Tritia! Take over for me! I'm going on a lunch break!"
A voice shouted back. "Uh… ok! See you later!"
Arkeda sat down and pulled out his inventory. A bowl of noodles shimmered into existence and he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
"So, you part of a guild yet?"
The other player shook his head. "Not yet. Still looking. The Knights of the Blood and Holy Dragon Alliance still want me to join though."
"So why haven't you joined them?" I asked.
"Well, I did join them for a time. But I didn't like them. Too big, too impersonal."
Klein looked up from scraping the bowl clean. "Fuurinkazan is still open you know. We'd love to have you. Well, I would. Not sure how Issin and Dale would take it. They've never liked outsiders."
He grinned. "Thanks. But you know your guild mates better than I do. If you say they won't like me, I'm not going to intrude."
Klein shrugged. "Hey, you got any more of that tofu?"
Arkeda laughed. "Yeah. Feel free. It's on the house."
As Klein called a waiter over, Arkeda turned to me. "So. I see you've got a guild now."
"Yeah. They're great. Their levels are lower than what we're used to seeing but they're getting better by the day." I said.
"Speaking of which, I'm going to call in that favor."
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I mean, this favor is old stuff. No refund."
I nodded. "Positive."
Arkeda smirked. "I see. What do you need? A new weapon again? If its information, go to Argo and keep the favor. She's ten times better at sniffing out that stuff than I am."
I shook my head. "No, not information. Don't you think I would have known to go to Argo if it was? Besides, I still have the sword that you got me last time."
He nodded. "The Daemon King's Straight Sword, right? Yeah. That thing will be good for another level or so, and then you'll have to find a stronger one. Of course, if you can get your hands on the Elucidator, that's your best bet at surviving in this game. "
I raised my eyebrow. "And what if you find it?"
He shrugged again. "I'll give it to you. It's not like I've got any use for it. I primarily use my scythe."
"You're talking about the Last Attack Bonus on the 47th, right? The Claw of Erebus?" I asked.
"Yeah. I reckon it should last up until the 60th if I keep up with my upgrading and repairing. Maybe more. Now back to business. You were saying?"
I nodded. "Right. My guild is pretty low levelled. I've trained them a bit but I can't train them like I trained their swordsman."
Arkeda scratched his chin. "Because they don't use the same weapons as you, right?"
"Yep. That's where you come in. You use a whole bunch of weapons. You could really help us out."
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I'll give it a shot. Hey! That rhymes!" He grinned. I just stared at him, an eyebrow raised.
Arkeda coughed and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "Sorry. Anyways, how long do you think it'll take?"
I shrugged. "I really don't know. They're aiming at becoming clearers. Maybe up until then."
Arkeda nodded. "Right. But I'll cut you some slack. Since this isn't a personal request, keep the favor. You might need it later on."
I smiled, relieved. "Thanks."
"No problem. We're talking lives here, after all. If there's anything I can do to make a difference, I will."
Arkeda checked the time. "Ah well. I gotta go. Nice talking to you. I assume we'll be leaving for your guild after the raid?"
I nodded. "Yeah. But they will be coming up here on Christmas Eve. That should give us some time to get acquainted."
Arkeda grinned. "Sound like a plan. Hey, I'll bring you one of Tritia's cheesecakes. She's been trying to force a couple on me but I've never had a liking for any them."
I just nodded and smiled wryly. "Sure."
"Ok then. Be right back. And keep Klein from ogling my customers, will you?"
I raised an eyebrow and looked around the restaurant. Sure enough, Klein was (unsuccessfully) hiding behind a plant, trying to watch a couple of girls as they sat down. I just shook my head and chuckled ruefully. I looked back at Arkeda, who was standing there looking very amused.
Arkeda just chuckled again and lightly swatted my shoulder. "Well I should get back to work. Enjoy the rest of your day. "
I nodded and grinned at him as a waiter brought out a small cake. "Thanks."
Just as I poked a piece of the cake and raised the fork to my mouth, the door chime sounded and my eyes flitted to the player that just entered.
I felt all the blood drain out of my face and heard the distant sound of my fork clattering to the table. A million thoughts raced through my head, all of my thoughts seemingly spiraling down to one central idea.
No. It can't be her. She couldn't have-
No. It's just someone who looks like her.
No. Why? How?
No.
Just then, the newcomer glanced around the shop and our eyes met. Startled recognition dawned in her eyes. In that moment, I knew I wasn't mistaken. I called out in a shaky voice.
"Su-Suguha?"
