(I do not own Sword Art Online. If I did, I wouldn't have to make such long time-skips in order to keep up.)
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Chapter 4: The Loser
Lisbeth barely remembered how the raid ended.
One moment, she was watching in horror as ZenKaiBoots and Diabel were cut down before her eyes. The next moment, the battle was over and she was kneeling beside an unresponsive Hiro who appeared almost traumatized by the situation.
"Hiro... Hiro, say something." she whimpered.
It was unlike her to feel so helpless after everything they'd been through in the past month. It was even less like Hiro to let something like this affect him so severely.
Beside them was Asuna, and the fencer had gently placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
She had fought alongside Kirito, rallying the raiding party like experts and bringing the fight to an end.
That's not to say it was an easy fight, as was proved when Agil and his team had to step in and allow them a moment to recover before they finished Illfang off.
Aside from that, the two were unstoppable, and practically finished the Boss on their own.
Lisbeth had all but dragged Hiro away from the battle during the fighting, deeming him more important than getting in their way.
He had said nothing, silent as if lost within his own mind while everyone began to regroup.
She heard footsteps as Agil's party and Kirito approached to check on them.
That Kirito... His fighting ability was incredible.
He was likely the strongest player in the room, maybe even in all of Aincrad. He probably gave more and risked more than anyone else in order to finally take down the Boss.
It was amazing really.
"How is he?" he asked, his voice low but caring.
Lisbeth shook her head, "He's fine but…" she looked at the boy in question, "I guess he's still pretty out of it." He wasn't the only one.
"WHY DAMMIT!?"
The air was pierced by the sound of rage. Small celebrations of finally defeating the first floor boss were halted as players looked to the source of the voice.
She couldn't recall his name, but recognized him as a part of Diabel's party.
"Our leader is… The person we should be giving our praise to was supposed to be Diabel-san!" He cried out, raising his hand to point towards them.
"But them! They… they're the ones who let Diabel-san die aren't they!?"
His accusations sparked murmurs of distrust and confusion throughout the room.
He was blaming Kirito and Hiro? But they tried to save him, right?
"The Last Attack Bonus." Another voice apart from the 'Accuser' chimed in from within the crowd, "You two didn't want Diabel to get the Last Attack, so you hid the information about the boss's sword skills and let him die."
Lisbeth felt Hiro tense up beneath her grasp, the first reaction he's had since the deaths. It almost didn't occur to he couldn't possibly understand what was being said.
The voice continued, "Right on the mark, aren't I, Beta-Testers."
Kirito glared back at the crowd that was slowly beginning to turn against them.
'Accuser' spoke, voice weary, "You… Is that the truth? You were Beta-Testers… and because you wanted the last attack bonus, you both let Diabel DIE!?"
Kirito didn't respond, and Hiro just remained on his knees.
"Why aren't you two saying anything!?"
Asuna stepped up now, pulling away from Lisbeth as she stepped in front of the crowd angrily, "Wait! We all got the same information from the Beta-Testers guidebook, right!?" She gestured out as she looked across the raid party, "Concerning the info about the boss, there should have been no difference in knowledge between the Beta-Testers and us!"
"That's right!" Lisbeth stood and joined the fencer, who spared her a small smile and allowing her to speak.
"I read through the entire guidebook myself, and I'm sure we were all on the same thought that the Boss would be exactly the same as it was in the book. If it wasn't for them, more players may have died as a result!"
Lisbeth was confident that, even if they really were Beta-Testers, Hiro and Kirito would never do anything as selfish as stealing the Last Attack at the risk of friends lives.
"No. That's where you're wrong." came the faceless voice again. "The information dealer, Argo, and those two are working together. Those Beta-Testers teamed up, conspired against us, and deceived us.
"Those Beta-Testers stole all of the useful information by pretending to be honest players and scattering out false information. It's despicable."
Lisbeth clenched her fists, and Asuna bristled from beside her. These blatant accusations… they had done nothing wrong!
"Oh, but you two have been supporting them an awful lot, haven't you? Perhaps you both are also-"
"Hahahaha, that's a joke, right?"
Lisbeth's eyes widened as she and Asuna turned to see Kirito finally step forward, practically pushing past them to face the mob.
"K-Kirito-san?" Asuna questioned as the boy took the spotlight.
"These two are absolute beginners, you know?" Kirito's face was twisted into a sly smirk as he turned his gaze towards Asuna, "C'mon now, fencer-san. If you get so worked up about this, they're going to think your my companion, right?
"Did you never even think for a second that you were being used? This is why you are still ignorant about this world, miss goody-two-shoes."
Lisbeth frowned, "Hey! Where do you get off saying things like-"
"I'm only saying it because it's true." Kirito cut her off before turning to the crowd, "The same goes for you guys too. Beta-Testers? Information dealers? Would you not class me with such amateurs?"
Kirito faced down the entire room, confidence seeping from him like a stream, "Of the one thousand Closed Beta Testers, how many real MMO gamers do you think there were? Most of them were just newbies who didn't even know how the leveling system worked.
"I'm the real thing. I've ascended to floors beyond anybody else, so I know things that no one else in this world know."
Lisbeth was shaken, slightly horrified as she listened to the boy practically admit that he was better than anyone else there.
Around her, her friends and the crowd watched as well as Kirito began to casually sift through his menu in front of them.
"What the hell…" the Accuser breathed in dismay, "That's… Isn't that cheating!?"
The mob began to murmur, louder and more frequently as accusations of "Cheater!" and Beta-Tester!" began to be called out. Eventually it all seemed to mix together until it just sounded like a single word.
"Ha!" Kirito's wicked laugh cut through the chaos, his grin curling into a more sinister look "A Beater. That sounds nice! I like it! I'll gladly accept it along with this Last Attack Bonus!"
As he finished, a dark coat with a shade as deep as midnight materialized around the boy's body, flaring out before settling into the pull of gravity.
"I'm a Beater. So don't confuse me with any of those Beta-Tester noobs."
"You baSTARD!" 'Accuser' screamed in rage as he pulled away from his party. Everyone was taken by surprise, and Lisbeth felt her breath caught in her throat, unable to scream in warning.
The rage-filled player ignored the protests and warnings from the group as he charged forward with his sword at Kirito's unprotected back.
"Hragh!"
*CLANG*
The clash of metal on metal reverberated through the room as the Accuser's blade collided with Oath of Guardian.
"Y-You!" the Accuser stutterd out.
Standing between before him was Hiro, his back to the newly named Beater with the colossal blade pulled up as a wall between him and the Accuser.
But why? Hiro… why are you-
"So, you've finished sulking I see." Kirito spoke without turning around.
Lisbeth knew that it was impossible for Hiro to understand what the boy was saying, but even that didn't stop him from standing straight and brandishing Oath of Guardian, daring anyone else to attack.
His head hung slightly, red hair falling over the top of his face and blocking any view of his eyes, but Lisbeth swore she could see a tinge of redness around where they were.
"I knew it… you're one of them too… aren't you!?" Accuser roared as he stepped back, causing a sad grin to form on Hiro's face.
"Alright then." Kirito clapped Hiro on the shoulder before turning towards the exit stairs with Lisbeth's teammate in tow. "I suppose we'll go activate the 2nd Floor's Transfer Gate. So you guys can all quietly go back to the city. After all…"
He turned to smile back, "During the beta-test, there were a lot of stupid players who struggled to finally defeat a boss, before foolishly being killed by mobs which they had never encountered before."
Kirito's laughter filled the area as the pair left the raid group behind them.
"Quit screwing with us!" Accuser screamed, but didn't give chase, "Apologize, dammit… Apologize to Diabel-san!"
Lisbeth wasn't sure what to do. She didn't expect anything like this to happen.
[Your Party has been Disbanded]
The message window appeared at the same time Hiro's name and health bar vanished from her field of vision.
Why…?
"Hey, are you okay?"
Lisbeth looked up, not remembering at what point she had fallen to her knees.
Agil knelt down next to her, "You know those weren't their true feelings, don't you?"
Lisbeth hung her head slightly, "I-I… Of course I do… it's just..."
It was a lot to take in. She hadn't really known Kirito all that well, but Hiro…
They had been partners for several weeks now. It pained her to watch her friend just leave like that.
Agil sighed, "Listen, we're all heading back to town to wait for the Gate to open. Why don't you head back with us so you can get your thoughts in order outside of a dungeon."
Around her, many of the other players had already dispersed, and even what was left of her own party had left the boss room.
Agil offered his hand to the her, to which she gloomily accepted after a moment.
The taller player easily helped her to her feet, and she followed behind them mindlessly as she sorted through her worries.
She took one last look back over her shoulder as her friend disappeared up the stairs with Kirito.
"I'm sure you'll see them again." Agil assured from beside her.
Lisbeth nodded, "Yeah. You're right." A small grin worked its way to her face.
Hiro, Kirito, even Asuna.
They were all powerful. She was going to have to work hard to make sure she was just as useful they were sure to be. To help win this game.
"Hey, Agil. Do you know anything about running a shop?"
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[CROSSING FIELD ~ SAO INTRO 1]
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[Hiro_Lvl. 32]
{Equipped Weapon}
-Steelshooter Sword +5 (3S2D)
{Equipped Gear/Armor}
-(Hands) Adventurer's Gloves
-(Chest) Steel Breastplate
-(Top) Duster of the West
-(Head) Sheriff's Hat of Quickdraw
-(Forearms) Steel Bracers
-(Legs) Adventurers Trousers
-(Feet) Rider's Boots
{Skills}
-One Handed Sword [212/1000]
-Two Handed Sword [192/1000]
-Light Metal Equipment [234/1000]
-Sprint [243/1000]
-Battle Healing [138/1000]
-Searching [118/1000]
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It had been five months since the First Floor Boss was defeated.
That was also the day I stopped trying to meddle with the plot, and settled for just riding out the story as casually as I could.
After that day, the frontline members' ability to clear floors seemed to pick up speed as everyone fought for their freedom.
There were less casualties among the mainline guilds that had formed once we had arrived at floor 3, with almost no one actually dying in a Boss Fight at all since floor 1.
I joined the raids on occasion, though generally I was only there on request by frontline teams that wanted extra firepower with my Oath of Guardian.
Usually Argo the Rat would find me on behalf of whoever wanted my help, either for a boss raid or just for some EXP grinding, and I unintentionally became a form of sellsword.
I would be paid in various amounts of Cor or equipment, and Argo would get paid a commision for bringing me to the requester.
It was an alight gig, and it kept me busy as well as let me maintain my status as a Beta-Tester, which I had decided would be a safe enough cover story given my knowledge of events.
The title kept people wary of me even when requesting my assistance. Normally such suspicion wouldn't be much of a good thing, but I had made my decision.
I let myself have much more freedom of choice so long as it didn't involve any of the main cast or events. Since it was technically between episodes for the anime, I didn't really have much information to go on regardless.
Though, most of the requests died out once we reached floor 10 or so. After that, most of the general weapons available to players began to outshine my colossal blade at base level, and I had long since upgraded the thing to its max before then.
I became less and less useful, and stopped being requested altogether.
I suppose it was fine by me, I wasn't technically needed to clear any floors, and figured I could leave it to the fictional players to do the heavy lifting.
It may have been a bit rude to think of them as such, but it was the sad truth. No one else existed outside of the simulation except for me.
I'll let the player NPC's handle it.
"Read 'em and weep fellas~"
A mix of groans and laughter filled the inn as the three other members at the table paid up at my hand.
"You're pretty good at this, Sheriff!" One of the patrons, an overweight looking man in a red flannel, complimented.
I shrugged, "I had to win one of these days, Chester." I replied as I gathered my meagre winnings.
"Ye', well I still think yew cheatin', Sheriff." complained the lanky looking man in a dirty white tank-top.
The third member, a stocky gentleman with a brown suit and hat rose an eyebrow at the man, "You always think someone's cheating, Riddick."
Riddick crossed his arms as he leaned back into the wooden chair, "Well 'scuse me fer thinkin' how I never win a hand, Mayor Townly."
I brought my hands up and waved them down, "Alright calm down, I think it's about time we call it a game anyways, I have some things I need to do before sundown."
With a wave of my hand I brought up the game menu and ended the session.
"Take care, Sheriff."
"Let me win next time, Sheriff."
"Don't be a stranger, Sheriff"
The group bid me farewell as I rose from my seat, stretching and popping my back.
Soon they had returned to playing their game, like they always did in the afternoons here.
The inn was spacious and there was background music in the form of an NPC playing piano over in the corner, which would play until the sun set.
There were only a few other patrons in the room, all NPC's, as well as the innkeeper who was washing some glasses behind the counter until someone interacted with her.
I approached her, my Rider's Boots tapping loudly across the wooden floor as she looked up.
"Ah, Sheriff! What can I do ya for?" The blonde innkeeper smiled as a menu appeared in front of me. Her waitress outfit fit the saloon-style motif excellently, and had an elegant beauty to her in contrast to many of the other NPC's in the town.
I flicked through the menu, "Just have another letter to sell you. Don't mind me." I replied unneededly.
With the push of a button, another letter to Eila was deposited into the stream of data that was SAO.
Sally, the innkeeper, nodded, "Glad to be of service, Sheriff. Is there anything else I can do for ya today?"
I shook my head, "Not today. Maybe another time." I didn't have any real need to purchase any supplies from here, given that the gear at higher floors would have been a better choice to buy instead.
Sally smiled, "Well if ya ever need anything, our doors are always open for you, Sheriff."
I chuckled as I walked towards the door, "I know they are, Sally. You tell me every day."
The warm afternoon air hit me as I passed through the swinging doors and out into the sun.
"Every day…" I mumbled as the smile on my face leveled out.
My boots crunched against the dry sandy streets of Rushmine village as a message box informed me that I was leaving a 'Safe-Zone'.
Floor 13, also referred to as Scorpion Valley by many players, was more or less a real life copy of the idea of the 'Wild West'.
The town only had about a dozen or so wooden structures, a water tower, and water mill.
Basically take an image from any old western movie and you've got Rushmine village.
The land was rolling hills, plains, and deserts that spread out through almost the entire floor, with some ravines and cliffsides pocketed in areas with higher level monsters and around the floors dungeon.
The tumbleweed ridden valley would have made an amazing backdrop for shootouts and standoffs, but Aincrad didn't have ranged weaponry that fit the bill. Though it did have the proper outfits, which I quickly took a liking to.
My brown cowboy duster and boots made me blend right in to the theme of the floor, and I had I held a strong liking for the look having made my home on this floor a while back.
When the floor was opened up, most frontline players passed through after collecting all of the worthwhile items and quest rewards, and most of the non-combatant players avoided it entirely.
You see, this floor lacks a very important factor, and that is a good 'Safe-Zone'.
In fact, the only safe areas on this floor were the two inns and in any housing that can be purchased, other than that it was up to you to keep yourself safe.
It really fit with the 'Wild West' vibe in my opinion.
I hummed along to the tune of 'Country Roads' as the music from the inn faded from my hearing.
Another message informed me that I had entered another 'Safe Zone' as I approached a small building near the center of town, not too far from the inn.
A few waves of my hand later, a small key appeared between my fingers before I shoved it into the lock and opened the door to my home. I continued humming the song as it swung open.
I had spent most of my sellsword earnings on this three-roomed building. It had a bedroom, a washroom, and a living/kitchen area, with decor matching what you'd expect from Scorpion Valley.
Wooden furniture, a bear-skinned rug, and several other old western cliches that ironically made me feel right at home. I even got ahold of an acoustic guitar for when I wanted to relax, though without the proper skill, I wasn't that great at playing it. No more so than in real life anyways.
And yes, I did manage to figure out some of the tune for 'Country Roads' after it got stuck in my head from the inn.
I liked this floor. I wasn't sure if it was because it reminded me of home because it was all so western, or if it was because I was just a sucker for the old west. Either way, I liked it.
I left the door open and took a seat behind the uncluttered table near the center of the room. I had rearranged the living area to look more like a makeshift office area for when I was receiving requests and never changed it back.
It also acted as my 'Sheriff's Office' in a way.
One of the main quests in this town, the 'Long Arm of the Law' quest-line, ended with players being recognized by the NPC's as the honorary sheriff.
Anyone could complete the quest, which meant that almost every player that passed through was recognized as the sheriff, but since I was the only player here most of the time it mattered little to me.
I may have been feeding too much into my own roleplay here, but I needed something to do between running between floors and grinding all the time. This was my town as long as I deemed it so.
I unstrapped my Steelshooter Sword +5 and leaned it against the table as I kicked my feet up and opened my memo page.
The blade had become my go-to weapon and and had been upgraded, melted down, reforged, and upgraded again about twice now. The blade was about three and half feet long and had a handguard that looked like a revolver, but was merely for aesthetic.
It reminded me a bit of Leon— sorry, Squall's gunblade in the way it appeared, except smaller and with a straight handle instead of the curved pistol-grip one from his game. Eila would have loved it.
I frowned at the thought. Eila hadn't replied to my messages in quite some time.
I guess I couldn't blame her all that much. She had been extremely busy ever since word got out that someone had been trapped in the prototype Dive Machine.
It left her juggling her work, getting me out, and fighting off the press. In the end I had told her not to worry about replying unless it was important, especially after she had received a strange message one evening from the machine:
[Spectators should not interfere in the affairs of this game.].
It was ominous, and had virtual Kayaba's handiwork written all over it, but there was little we could do about it. I decided to at least keep sending updates on what I did, just in case. That way, she and the family could at least know that I'm still doing okay. I could do that much I guess.
According to my system calendar, it was May 6th, the Month of the Lily. I had been away from the frontlines for nearly two months now, though that never stopped me from going to the dungeons for EXP and loot.
It was pointless for me to risk my life when I knew that no one I knew was going to die to a boss until much MUCH later, and according to information I had gotten from Argo, that knowledge was kind of holding up.
She had informed me of the casualties against the floor 25 boss, in which the Aincrad Liberation Squad, led by Kibaou, ran in on false information. The failure cut the frontline forces by one third.
Speaking of the Rat, "You're later than usual today." I called out to the empty room.
After several seconds, the diminutive figure of Argo the Rat slid through the doorway. I was lucky, usually her Sneaking skill was too high for anyone to beat, but it's nearly impossible to hide when you enter someone else's property.
Argo puffed her cheeks out as she let down her hood, revealing her brown hair and red-painted whiskers, "It's not my fault you live so far out in this dust bowl. Do you know how annoying it is to drag myself through the heat every time you call me out here?"
She wasn't wrong. Rushmine was in the dead-center of the floor, and had no teleport gate to speak of. Another reason I was happily alone out here.
I closed my memo and grinned, sliding my feet off the table, "And yet, you still show up when you could just decline my requests."
Argo glared and took a seat opposite me, kicking her own feet up instead, "Your Cor is good, what can I say? Besides," she smiled and pulled her hands behind her head with a grin, "I'm pretty sure you'd go insane talking to those NPC's of yours if I didn't stop by every now and then."
It was strangely ironic to hear her say that, since she might as well have been an NPC in my eyes.
I chuckled and waved around to pull an amber colored liquid from my inventory, "Haha, you got me there. If I were a fool I'd say I owe you one."
I poured a pair of glasses and slid one to Argo, of which she graciously accepted. It was a familiar custom between us at this point.
The Rat laughed, "If you weren't such a fool you'd actually buy something better than apple juice just because of the color."
We toasted as I shrugged and we both downed our glasses of juice, the containers being returned to the table before we continued.
"So," I began, leaning back into my seat "what do you have for me?"
Argo dropped her feet down and opened her menu, reading through something before responding, "Hmmm… In terms of quests that would be possible for a solo player, I have a few that would be right up your alley for the highest available floors."
She looked over her menu at me, "Still don't know why you don't just go looking yourself, you're practically cutting your profits in half asking me to figure this out for you."
I raised my hands to the sides, "Eh, it saves me some time, and it's not like I'm too worried about Cor, living like I do."
I was really just more interested in the EXP. If I could pay a bit of Cor to maximize my time grinding a bit, I would have better odds of survival.
Argo tossed that information around for a moment, "I guess that's fair. Wouldn't hurt to maybe move a little closer to civilization though, you damn hermit."
I shrugged, "I'll think about it. So what do I owe you, the usual fee?" I replied as I opened my menu and began counting up some Cor to trade.
Surprisingly, she waved her hand, "I'll take off about 5,000 this time since I was meaning to drop by anyway."
My eyebrow rose at the minor discount, but I didn't complain, "Oh? And what would bring you down to my little slice of Aincrad of your own discretion?"
A small sack of Cor materialized in front of me before I tossed it over to Argo's awaiting hand.
"Call it… a sign of good faith." she admitted, depositing her payment into her inventory as she sent the quest info to my inbox.
I sat up a bit straighter at this, "Good faith?"
The broker nodded, "One of the newer frontline guilds has been asking around for you, and contacted me requesting your location."
I frowned, "What would a guild working the frontlines want from one of the biggest losers in Aincrad? I haven't even been involved with anything major in well over a month."
At this, Argo shrugged, "I'm not sure. Whatever it is, they're keeping it wrapped up pretty tight. I figured I owed it to you to at least try and convince me not to give them your address."
I snorted. That was basically Argo's way of saying, 'if you pay me more, I'll keep them off your trail.'
"What's their budget?" I questioned.
Argo smiled, not a good sign, "About 150,000 Cor, possibly more if they're desperate enough."
I whistled, that was nearly three times as much as I currently had, being a guild sure had its perks.
The Rat chuckled, "Guess that's a bit too steep for ya, huh?"
I shook my head smiling, "Like a single player like me could outbid an entire guild. Guess I was just curious."
"Well, now you know~" Argo teased as she stood and stretched, "I guess if that's all I should be heading out to finish this job then. Time is Cor, after all~"
I stood as well, stepping around the table and reaching out a hand, "Always a pleasure doing business with you, Argo."
Argo chuckled and clasped my hand, "I would say the same, but I still have a long walk back to the teleport gate. So I'll just see you later, Hiro-chi~"
I smiled and tipped my hat, "See you later."
With that, Argo turned and left.
I closed the door behind her as she ran off down the road and let out a sigh.
Guess I was going to have some company sometime soon.
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One of the benefits of owning the property on the 13th floor was having a 'Safe-Zone' that extended to the edge of the property line.
That means that if I felt like taking a nap under the overhang of my porch after a long morning of grinding levels against giant scorpions out in the desert, I damn well could.
Another benefit, housing properties are NOT a viable location option for duels, which means no Sleep-PK's either.
Which meant the only thing I had to really worry about was someone coming along and waking me from my nap.
"AHEM!"
The sound of someone purposefully clearing their throat for attention pulled me from lightly snoring into my hat.
I leaned forward too quickly, not having been prepared for the rude awakening, and nearly stumbled out of my wooden rocking-chair.
Not exactly a good first impression for the three neatly garbed knights standing before me.
Having caught myself, I sleepily returned the gaze of the lead knight, trying and failing to stifle a yawn before speaking.
"What do you want?" I demanded, not exactly in the best of moods after being woken up.
The leader stepped forward, "The Knight's of the Blood Oath have need of your services." he stated with a heavy accent, the request almost sounding practiced.
I blinked and leaned back in my chair, "I could gather as much, seeing as you came all the way out here. Why me, though?"
The trio shuffled awkwardly and shared uneasy glances at each other before the leader repeated himself, "The Knight's of the Blood Oath have need of your services."
I rose an eyebrow.
Ah. So that's how it is. They couldn't even spare someone who spoke english? Guess they figured that I'd help anyone who asks me, for the right Cor.
Unfortunately for them, the KoB was the guild that many of the main characters were centered around. I was well aware of the risks of trying to help them with anything, especially if I screwed up.
It also was led by the player Heathcliff, better known as Akihiko Kayaba, and I didn't want to even be anywhere near his presence.
I was actually surprised that it was this guild that sought me out, and had it been anyone else, I may have accepted.
Instead, I folded my hands behind my head, "Sorry pal, I'm recently retired." I was staying out of this.
"The... Knight's of the Blood Oath have need... of your services." The leader repeated again.
I sighed, figuring that my nap was ruined and stood up to head back inside.
"No can do, compadre." I said as I stepped through the doorway, "Now go away, I have somewhere to be soon.
I closed the door on their shocked expressions. Clearly they didn't think I would decline their offer so quickly.
I did feel a bit bad about the whole thing, since they didn't really do anything wrong, but they were just fictional players and I stayed away from frontline business as much as I could for a reason.
That was the best way to ensure that we beat Aincrad properly, and that I didn't get anyone else killed.
I shook off several bad memories that tried to surface, none of them would do me any good to think about.
I moved over to the front window and peeked out, watching the trio of knights chatter back and forth over what to do before eventually wandering off back towards the first village.
"Thousand of people in this god-forsaken place and only a handful that speak english." I muttered under my breath as I closed the blinds.
I made my way to the bedroom and interacted with the storage chest at the foot of my bed, performing some quick inventory management before returning to the front room with some adventuring gear prepared.
"Since I'm awake I might as well check out one of Argo's quests." I grumbled, still annoyed at my interrupted nap.
Petty? Yes.
Understandable? Also yes.
I locked the front door behind me, Steelshooter Sword in hand, and made my way towards the floor's dungeon.
I could grind some EXP on the mobs there as I made my way to the 14th floor's teleport gate before taking it to floor 24 for the quest.
I could also avoid the KoB members that were probably still on their way to the gate on floor 13.
I began to jog as I started down the path, eventually transitioning into a full run to make time and level up my Sprint skill.
The skill was high enough now that running didn't tire me out so long as I didn't push myself to my top speed for too long, and helped make travel quicker without a type of mount.
Given the size of the 13th floor, it still took some time to make it to the dungeon, and even more to make it up all of the dungeons levels, but I eventually made it to the teleport gate and floor 24.
None of the monsters on floor 13 were much of a danger to me anymore unless I let them be, my numbers were just too high for them to even be registered as a threat even to my system.
Floor 24, Panareze, was a different story. It was a collection of islands within a large lake, all connected by long bridges that stretched over the surface of the water.
The city of Panareze was right in the middle, and where I would find the quest giver, apparently a fishmonger NPC named Samuel.
I took in a deep breath of cool air as I appeared through the gate, the difference in atmosphere drastically different from the Valley of Scorpions.
I stood out like a sore thumb, and caught a few looks from the few players wandering the square. I paid them no mind, to them I was probably just another role-player.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and wandered around in the direction of the quest, as Argo was kind enough to give me the locations.
The city was lively. Seems a lot of non-combatants found it to be a nice place to live while they were trapped here, at least for the time being.
Every time a new floor opened up, players would flock through the teleport gate like tourists. Many of them would stay on the nicer looking floors higher up due to the wider variety of products they granted. It was pretty much the way of life at this point.
I reached the waterfront and found Samuel, the NPC. He was pulling in a net from the water with a frown on his face. The quest identifier floated above his head openly.
I knelt down beside him, "Need a hand?"
Samuel looked up at me and nodded, "I would appreciate it."
Together we pulled in the net, which had only a few fish inside. The NPC let out a sigh at the sight.
"Damn lake monsters… eatin' up all the fish." He grumbled.
I tilted my head, "Lake monsters?" I asked.
The NPC nodded, "That's right. Darn things have been scarin' off all the fish, eatin' 'em up and runnin' me out of business."
I nodded, the quest seemed like a pretty standard kill-quest. Shouldn't be too hard.
"Anything I can do to help?" I asked.
The quest marker changed to that of an active quest as he looked at me hopefully, "You look like you can handle yourself. You mind thinnin' 'em out a bit? I could pay ye, if that's what it takes to keep my business afloat."
I nodded, accepting the request, "I'll take care of it."
Samuel the NPC thanked me and gave me the location he believed the monsters would likely be found when they weren't down in the lake itself.
After that, I was off.
A few random monsters would spawn on my way to the location, usually consisting of giant bugs or flying enemies, since I was on dry land.
The difficulty scaling was apparent being over ten floors higher than usual, but my levels were still well within safe numbers for the journey.
My Steelshooter Sword cut through enemies easily, and what little damage I took was slowly regenerated by my Battle Healing ability.
In order to complete the quest, I needed to slay 3 of the 'Lake Monster' enemies, which would be found at the location given by the NPC.
When I arrived, however, I found that I wasn't alone.
Down at the edge of the island, on the shoreline, was a small party of players that were already in combat with several monsters that reminded me of Nessy the Loch-Ness-Monster.
An aquatic creature with a long neck and stubby legs with fins. There were three of them, and if their sharp teeth were anything to go by, they were quite dangerous.
The party fighting them seemed to be holding their own well enough, so I decided to wait my turn instead of rushing in to steal their kills like a jerk. They may not be real people, but I had morals.
Instead, I shoved my hands back into my pockets and leaned up against a nearby tree. I watched the six players work together with teamwork that spoke well of their partnership. They may have even been a small guild.
Watching them got me thinking, actually. Around this time, Kirito should be with the Moonlit Black Cats guild. I think he was somewhere around level 40 at the time too. That kid must have forgone so much sleep to get his numbers that high.
He was the Beater of SAO, after all. If anyone could find a way to squeeze out every last EXP on a floor, it was him.
It was a shame what was going to happen to his guild, though. According to sources outside of the anime, Sachi was also considered to be Kirito's first love in the game, and they shared an inventory at some point, I think.
I frowned. I was definitely not getting involved with that. Sachi's death was actually one of the driving forces behind the Black Swordsman's rise in power. Kirito practically pushed himself to his limits in order to be strong enough to collect the revival item on floor 35.
Sadly, it was another event I couldn't, and wouldn't, stop from happening. Sachi had to die.
Cheers and loud voices tore me from my musings as the party on the shoreline defeated the last monster.
I smiled and shook my head, pushing off of the tree and making my way towards them as they collected their loot.
I was pretty close when they finally realized I was there, and a few of them drew their blades defensively as they spoke warily at me.
I raised my hands to show I wasn't there to try anything and pointed to the shoreline.
It took some pantemiming but I convinced them I was just there for the quest, and even gave them a thumbs up to show that I think they did pretty good.
They were a bit skeptical that i could take them all on by myself, but I didn't exactly plan on making this fight a 3 on 1.
I just needed to get them separated and I would fine.
*HRRROARRGHHH!*
As they were preparing to leave, and while I was getting settled in to wait for the respawn, a loud roar shook the shoreline.
All seven of us fought against the shockwave to keep standing as a creature rose from the depths of the lake.
It was another Lake Monster, only this time it was nearly three times the size of the others, appearing at least three stories tall and equally more deadly.
It's teeth were sharper, and spilled from its mouth, and its hide was covered in coral-like spikes as though it were wearing armor.
I drew my blade as the party readied their own weapons nervously. Ness; Terror of the Lake could be seen above the beasts head.
This thing was a field Boss near the upper floors.
It was meant to be taken on by a fully equipped group of three or more parties.
For the first time in a while, I was worried.
The party leader began calling out strategies to his team, but I could tell he wasn't prepared for this battle either. I turned towards him, Steelshooter Sword held towards the monster.
"You guys should get out of here!" I screamed, hoping to get it across that this thing was too dangerous.
The blonde-haired player just smiled and shouted something back that sounded like encouragement for the fight.
A moment later, all six of them had formed up and were charging the creature.
"No! Stop!" I called in vain.
Monsters had an indicator above their heads showing the difference in strength, changing in shades of red on how difficult the fight would be for a player.
Generally, having a group of players made it easier to take these creatures on, but this thing was a deep red for me, and I was at the higher average for players at the time.
"Dammit." I cursed, sprinting in after the foolish party.
That's right…
There were thousand of people in this god-forsaken place, but only a handful that speak english.
The seven of us fought valiantly, the towering beast having lumbered onto the shore and giving us ample directions to attack from.
At first it seemed like I was worried for nothing, but...
In the end, I wound up using the skill Retaliation to finish the fight.
It was brutal, and I hadn't had as much difficulty in a fight since the first floor.
I was breathing heavily, as the fighting had lasted for nearly thirty minutes nonstop.
I dismissed the message in front of me, telling me that I had received the Last Attack Bonus, and congratulating my victory.
My level rose as well, thanks to the generous amount of EXP that I was awarded, and congratulated me again.
But that was all bullshit.
I decided to go home after my HP had recovered some, having ended the fight at around 15%. It was enough excitement for today.
I walked away alone from the empty shoreline, once again feeling like the biggest loser in Aincrad.
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
I had returned home and collapsed into the chair closest to the door.
I didn't feel like sleeping with the battle from that day playing over and over again in my mind.
I poured myself another glass of my amber liquid and tried to just forget about it, reminding myself that this place wasn't real.
I didn't even complete the fishmonger quest and, right now, wasn't even sure I wanted to. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth worse that the beverage sitting in front of me.
I didn't even know what time it was at this point.
*Knock Knock*
"It's open." I blurted out absently as a knock came to my door.
The hinge creaked as the door opened and I turned around. I would say I was surprised, but really it could have been Kayaba himself walking in right now and I wouldn't have batted an eye.
"So, this is where you've been hiding out." Asuna, the Lightning Flash, stated as she looked around the interior of my home.
Of course Miss Bookworm would understand english. Fantastic.
Unfortunately, I really wasn't in the mind for dealing with her right now, and waved her off, turning back to my drink "I already told your boys that I'm not interested in helping you on whatever crusade you've got going on."
Asuna's footsteps grew closer, "What the hell are you drinking?"
Pfft, like it mattered "Juice."
She stepped into my line of sight and eyed me skeptically before taking the glass from me without contest.
I watched her inspect the item with her system menu, "Oh, really?" she questioned with a hint of disappointment.
She turned her menu around for me to see.
I didn't lie, per-se. It was the same apple juice that I had shared with Argo the day before, only now there was a list of several ingredients added to the liquid, effectively making it close enough to being alcoholic.
I shrugged and brought my hands to the side, "Everyone has their vices~"
It was a cheap concoction I had learned from a few players during a request. They were an older group, probably in their mid twenties at least, and had passed me a drink during a break.
Of course, alcohol did exist here, but it was expensive. Boy was I surprised to find out that someone recreated alcohol using basic ingredients from Aincrad. The best part was that, even if you failed the mixing, it would still have a similar effect.
With a huff, Asuna slid the glass back onto the far end of the table, away from me, "I'm here to talk to you about our request."
I chuckled, "What's there to talk about?"
"We need you to come with us for a quest on floor twenty-five." She began, "We'd be willing to pay you for your cooperation, and a place in the guild if you want it."
"Tsk," I leaned back in my seat and pulled my arms behind my head, "I'm retired from the mercenary business. Besides, why not just ask another guild for assistance. Hell, I bet even Kirito would be willing to help out you guys, and he's a much better fighter than I am."
Asuna crossed her arms, "The issue isn't manpower, the Knights of the Blood Oath have enough members to manage for themselves."
I could see her inspecting my home as she spoke, almost as if it wasn't her choice for them to choose me.
"Then why come to me?" I asked, "There are better options for you to choose from than-"
"Because it's not a choice." She cut me off, eyes staring straight into mine.
My expression furrowed in confusion, though it was partly out of response to the poison I had ingested previously.
"I don't follow." I replied.
Asuna sighed and looked up towards the ceiling in recollection, "About three days ago, one of our party's on the twenty-fifth floor found some old ruins deep in the forest near the dungeon.
"There they found a circular platform surrounded by stone pillars and statues, and a single quest marker in the center.
"The quest marker is floating above a stone block, and embedded into the top of it is a large handle."
I chuckled and interrupted, "A real sword in the stone, huh? Haha, next you're going to tell me that I'm the one that needs to pull it out? Ha, that's a laugh."
Her gaze hardened, "You ARE the one who needs to pull it out."
My laughter cut off in my throat and I fixed my lopsided stare at her, "What makes you so sure that I NEED to do anything?"
She shook her head, "Because it's not safe for other players." When I didn't interrupt she continued, "While we were trying to make heads or tales of the quest, one of our newer members tried to pull up on the handle. The act of just touching it petrified him. Turned him into solid stone. Had he been alone, or had we not had any crystals with us, his HP would have slowly dropped to zero, and he would have died."
I stared for a moment before rubbing my eyes, "Doesn't explain where I come into this."
Asuna huffed, "Because when we finally figured out what we needed to do to pull out the sword, we found out that the item we needed was already taken by another player." At this, she gestured at me.
The drunken gears in my head finally clicked, and I frowned, "What makes you so sure that I even have it still? I could have sold it or melted it down by now."
"Because if you had, the item would have respawned for the quest, and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." she retorted.
I sighed. I still didn't want anything to do with the KoB due to messing things up, but it was almost unavoidable since I had already taken the weapon.
"Can't I just sell it to you guys? Better yet, you can have the damn thing for all I care anymore." I was making excuses at this point, but I was sure there was a catch.
Asuna shook her head.
Dammit.
"We don't want to risk anyone finding the stone before we can remove the petrification effect," she explained, "and we don't want to waste time running around reclaiming weapons without knowing the respawn rate for that first floor drop."
I groaned. So much for staying out of it.
"I don't see what your deal is. I figured you'd be jumping at the chance to help us out." Asuna said, frustrated, "With how much Liz had talked about your time together I figured you'd be much more open to this."
I growled and reached out, grabbing my glass, "Yeah, well I have a lot on my mind at the moment, so I'm sorry if my hospitality is a bit colder than you'd like."
I tried not to think of Lisbeth much these days. Aside from feeling terrible for leaving her on floor 1, I didn't want to drag her around to get killed before she could help Kirito make his sword.
I downed the rest of the glass, feeling the poison trying uselessly to chew at my HP, but it didn't, It was designed to poison the mind only.
Asuna stared at me as I dropped the empty glass to the table, "What happened, Hiro."
I didn't meet her gaze, "Another group of players died today." Her face softened in realization, "I was the only one in the fight to make it out alive this time."
I let out a chuckle, "You guys are getting too used to winning all the time, y'know?" I began, and threw every need to keep information to myself out the window.
"You win, and you win. All you top-tier guilds topple floor bosses over like no ones business. You're all frontline heroes, leading the charge to everyone's freedom." I mocked a rallying fist to the air as I ranted.
"Last I heard you guys were getting ready to take on number twenty-eight, and you know what, you probably will with no casualties- no, I KNOW you will."
I waved my hands at my chest, "But people like, me? All we do is lose. We lose something every day, and when we don't, we lose something for someone else." The party on the shoreline flashed through my mind.
I didn't even know their names and they didn't even matter to me, but it still stung.
"And right now, I'm just trying to lose my mind in peace for a bit." I gestured to the glass, "Because that's all someone like me is good for."
I slumped into my seat, I was really hoping she would just leave.
I didn't lie once during my rant. Almost every request I was a part of had me losing something.
A bit of my humanity as I sold my strength for Cor here.
A bit of my faith in others when I was backstabbed there.
I saw people die again, and again, during quests I was tagging along with, almost without warning.
And I had let an entire party die against a field-boss. Leaving me as the only survivor.
I'd played my fair share of games, but I've never failed so much as a player like this, and with how real everything was, it sucked.
It was always something, I hated losing all the time.
"Sore wa… chigau yo."
I looked up at the familiar japanese phrase, for a moment expecting someone else to be standing there.
Asuna was looking down at the floor, having done so to let my words sink in.
"What did you say?" I asked.
Asuna brought her gaze back to me, and I could have sworn I saw sadness behind her anger.
"I said that's not true, you idiot!"
I was taken aback by the outburst, and felt myself sober up just a bit.
"Do you really think that's all you're good for?" She questioned, "What about back at floor one? I've spoken with Liz almost every day since we met, and you know what she's told me?"
She jabbed a finger into my chest, "She told me that you saved her from a PK and then teamed up to help her get to Tolbana."
I shook myself and refuted, "It was a coincidence that brought me to save her. I'm positive that she-"
"That she what, would have miraculously escaped before she was stabbed through the back?!" She demanded.
My breathing hitched.
Liz would have been fine, right? In the anime she made it to floor 48 without my interference, so she should have escaped the PK on her own.
Right?
"Ever since we met," Asuna continued, "she has said nothing but good things about you. It's thanks to you that I'm even able to be friends with her now!"
Her voice was strained, and I could tell that she was truly upset at me for my self-pity.
She stood straight, collecting herself before moving on, "You don't have to win in order to not lose. All we're asking is to help us make it so no one else loses to this stone too. So please," she gave a soft smile, "will you help us this one time?"
I felt most of my cloudy thoughts clear at the sight of her smile. I could see why Kirito liked it so much.
I tossed the decision around before taking a deep breath, "My usual fee is One-thousand Cor times the floor level."
Asuna gave a sigh of relief, "We can have the payment to you by morning if we leave now. You can stay in one of the guild's spare rooms."
"Well alright then." I replied as I made to stand up.
Unfortunately, the effects of the poison were still in place on my body and I nearly toppled to the floor if I didn't catch myself on the table, with Asuna's help of course.
Asuna groaned, "M-Maybe you should lay off the juice a little bit."
I just laughed and fumbled around my inventory for an antidote.
I guess I could give the not-losing thing a try.
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
I awoke the next morning to the sound of my alarm for the first time in weeks.
My eyes clenched and I flailed around to dismiss the offensive sound, grumbling all the while.
"You're not much of a morning person, are you?"
I glared at Asuna from my sideways position in the bed. Her smug smile reminded me of how Liz used to look at me when I was learning how to use Oath of Guardian.
"Not unless they've rediscovered coffee in Aincrad yet." I mumbled.
I missed the morning beverage. Given enough coffee, I could probably beat Aincrad single-handedly.
Asuna shook her head, "Only tea, unfortunately. I can get you some, if you'd like?"
I stuck out my tongue, "Gods no. I'll just stick to apple juice for now."
"Just don't poison it. If we have to carry you to the stone, I'm taking it out of your pay." She threatened before leaving the small room.
I graoned some more as I sat up and stretched.
We were currently at the Knight's of the Blood Oath headquarters in Giltstein, on floor 25.
Asuna was glad that she didn't have to drag me all the way to the teleport gate on floor 13 to get me here, and when we did they gave me a temporary room and a time to be up in the morning to leave for the quest location.
I changed from my sleepwear into my duster outfit at the push of a button and removed a sandwich with non-alcoholic juice from my inventory for a quick meal before leaving the room.
The guild hall was quite massive, though surely smaller than it would be at higher floors.
If I remembered my lore correctly, the KoB rose as Aincrads leading frontline guild after the major losses during the floor 25 boss raid.
They were led by Heathcliff, who was Kayaba in disguise. I was still really hoping to avoid him.
Thankfully, the only people who were waiting for me were Asuna, and two other guild members. One of which I recognized from the series.
"Hiro, I'd like to introduce Godfree, and Jaiden." Asuna gestured to each one in turn.
Godfree was exactly how I remember him from the anime, a huge man with shaggy orange-brown curls and looked like he could have been a lumberjack in real life. He had on the signature white and red colors of the KoB, with his armor being more of the heavier variety.
Jaiden was a new face to me, unsurprisingly of course, and had a much lankier, lightweight body type who looked to be in his early twenties or so. He also dyed his hair red, so he was okay in my book.
He shared the KoB color scheme as well, but seemed to be oriented towards speed and maneuverability, with lightweight armor and leather instead.
They both seemed to be pretty different characters, to state the obvious.
"Hajimemashite." Godfree extended an arm for a handshake, which I respectfully returned.
"Nice to meet you." I replied. I silently shook Jaiden's hand as well.
Asuna turned to me once we finished, "I've already explained to them that you don't speak japanese, to save time."
Ah, that was helpful. I nodded, "I appreciate it. So it's just the four of us?" I asked.
Asuna nodded and gestured for us to begin walking, "With the guild preparing for the next boss raid, we couldn't spare many members for this. Jaiden here was with the party that discovered the quest, and Godfree is the head of the Vanguard, so I requested his help as well."
I rose an eyebrow, "That sounds important. Wouldn't he be better off helping with the raid?"
Asuna shook her head, "It's not too troublesome. Besides, the actual raid isn't until tomorrow. As long as we finish this quest quickly, it won't really interfere with anything."
Well that was good at least. I didn't want to do anything postpone the raid, that would be bad.
"Anyways," she continued, "I'm only along for this because I had to convince everyone that you needed a translator, otherwise I would be organizing the raid personally."
I blinked at her, "Wow, you're pretty important here, huh?"
Obviously, I was already aware that she was second-in-command for the KoB, but it was the first time the information had technically reached me so I went with it.
"That's right," she stated proudly, "I'm the assistant commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath~" She jerked a thumb at her chest and grinned. It was obvious the title meant a lot to her.
I just smiled and bit back any sarcastic or witty remarks that I may have made as we settled in to walking along the path to the quest in silence.
Eventually we turned off the dirt road and delved deeper into the forest, slaying the occasional monsters that spawned along the way.
Godfree and Jaiden were strong, and managed to handle most of the enemies on their own with their opposing styles of combat.
Godfree used heavy axe and shield techniques, putting amazing power behind every strike while seemingly taking little to no damage from the enemy, while Jaiden dashed to-and-fro like a blur, slashing at enemies with his dagger before they could even see him there.
Occasionally, Asuna and I would step in when things got tough, and I witnessed first hand the difference in power between all of us.
Where my attacks with the Steelshooter Sword were fluid and seemed to string together like a dance as I spun and slashed my way through enemies, Asuna's ability with her Rapier was like an endless onslaught of strikes, almost invisible to the eye as it tore through the defenses of anyone standing in her way.
It was definitely an experience. Asuna was definitely the better fighter, but I felt confident that I was at least better than Jaiden and even Godfree.
Glad to see my endless grinding was paying off at least enough to keep up with the frontline.
The brush and trees around us eventually gave way to a small clearing, revealing a a set of ruins in the shape of what may have been old temple grounds.
I recognized the architecture immediately as a similar design to the first floor ruins where I received Oath of Guardian.
I trailed along behind the party as I looked up and around, observing every inch of the structure, taking in its beauty.
It reminded me of some of the locations in other games. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in particular, coming to mind.
"The stone is right up here."
I turned towards Asuna, who was waiting ahead with the others near an opening further in, and I jogged to catch up with her.
The passageway opened up to a larger courtyard that appeared to be in the center of the ruins, the circular platform appearing in the center.
"This place is something else." I admitted as I ran my hand across a column, fingers weaving along the intricate designs, "You don't see stuff like this in Scorpion Valley, that's for sure."
The circle was surrounded by several of these columns, with a pair of crumbling stone statues on the far end, as though guarding the temple itself.
The four of us came to a halt in front of the stone, which, for all intents and purposes, may as well have been the spitting image of the sword in the stone.
The stone rose to about my waist, was about three feet wide and about half as deep.
Protruding from the top of the slab was a handle and crossguard that appeared to be entirely made of stone as well, and seemed to almost mold into the stone slab instead of just being wedged into it.
Above the handle was the quest indicator, hovering but only inches above the end of it.
Asuna knelt down before the stone, and beckoned me closer as Jaiden and Godfree took positions on either side, just in case anything happened.
I took a spot beside the fencer and looked to where she was pointing at the slab, "This is all of the information for the quest, here." she explained.
I leaned closer to read the faded etchings:
[For those who seek the power of Growth]
[You must first obtain the Guardian's Oath]
[Return from where your journey began]
[And seek the lost blade of our clan]
[Stand astride the stone and Speak]
[The Guardian's Pledge, our blessing to keep]
I read the verses several times as I contemplated the wording, "I see why you figured I was the one you needed here."
Asuna nodded, "It was fairly easy. Guardians Oath, Oath of Guardian. Add that to the second verse about the beginning of our journey and you get floor one."
"Where I found the sword." I deduced, then pointed to the last line, "What about this part here at the end? The Guardian's Pledge?"
At this, Asuna stood with a frown, "We're not sure… We looked around the entire temple grounds and didn't find anything relating to a pledge anywhere."
"What about floor one?" I asked hopefully as I rose to my feet.
She shook her head, "Even less there, most of the ruins on floor one are inaccessible apart from the circle there." Damn.
I brought a hand to my chin and thought it over, "Maybe something was missed? Can you think of anything that you guys couldn't access or didn't understand?"
"Except for the sword itself, we checked the place from top to bottom. Is there any kind of engraving on the sword?"
I shook my head. I had held and used that sword enough times to know that there was hidden in its design. It just looked like a giant aged blade on a stick.
"Let me look around just a bit." I requested, moving away from the stone before she could respond.
I let my eyes wander the room, taking in details and looking for anything that could give me a clue as to what we were supposed to do.
The columns all matched each other, and while they had a nice design on them, didn't seem to hold any particular meaning.
The circle at our feet was a bit more revealing. It was about fifty feet across and, as I checked it from every angle, I found that the stone was not actually in the center of the circle, and was offset in such a way that made it about five feet closer to the statues.
That left the center open to stand in, and it matched up with the verse saying to 'stand astride the stone'.
"That's one part down…" I mumbled under my breath.
I could feel the rest of the party watching me curiously as I slipped into detective mode. Having played several puzzle and investigation games, I tried putting myself in the same mindset as I would in that situation.
I was by no means a professional investigator, but it helped me focus.
I stopped in front of one of the statues, taking in its design.
The statue depicted a knight with a helm covering its face. Like the other statue, both were damaged and missing parts due to their age.
They stood proudly beside each other, and held blades similar to Oath of Guardian in their hands, holding them to their chest with both hands as the blade pointed skyward. A symbol of respect, if I had to wager.
"Hmm…"
I took a deep breath and returned my Steelshooter Sword to my inventory as I walked back over towards Asuna and the party.
Asuna stepped towards me curiously as I approached, "Did you find something."
I hesitated before responding, "Call it… a hunch."
I stepped in front of the stone, directly in the center of the circle and materialized Oath of Guardian for the first time in months from my inventory.
I leaned the sword onto my shoulder and gazed over the sword in the stone at the two statues.
Slowly, I gripped the handle in both hands and pulled it to my chest. It had become much easier to hold the blade, having leveled up tremendously since I had last wielded it. I could almost swing it with a single hand now, but it was still too heavy to be useful as such.
I adjusted my stance, mimicking the statues to the best of my ability and ensuring that I was directly in the center of the circle.
Then I waited.
Unfortunately, nothing happened.
I sighed after about a minute had passed, "Well that didn't work…" I groaned and tried to figure out if I was missing something.
Asuna stepped up next to me, "I think you're on the right track, though." she reassured me, smiling.
I smiled back, "I'm probably still missing something." I mused.
Godfree stepped forward and read over the inscription with us, having watched my first attempt. Jaiden stood nearby, but looked more uncomfortable than anything as he flipped his daggers around aimlessly.
Guess he wasn't much more than a fighter, and explained why he wasn't much needed at the raid meeting either.
I brought my attention to Godfree as he stood with his ever-present smile and eyed the circle and courtyard. I watched as he snapped his fingers and spoke excitedly to Asuna, who was at first, confused, then surprised.
Once finished she turned towards me, "Try holding your sword up again."
"Huh?" I questioned, "Again? Why?"
Godfree gave me a thumbs up before turning to Jaiden, saying a few words before they both walked away.
"Just try it. We're going to just step back a bit." Asuna assured me before turning and jogging over to Godfree and Jaiden, both of which had exited the circle.
Ah. So that's what they were doing.
"Alright then." I turned back to face the stone and statues, bringing Oath of Guardian to bare once more. My posture matched the guardian statues as best I could make it.
At first nothing happened.
After a few seconds, however, I could see a slight glow out of the corner of my eyes. It took all of my will power not to break my stance as the carvings in the platform slowly lit up a green color spreading from the outside edge inwards.
I could hear the awestrucken voices of my party, likely breath-taken by the sight as the lights reached my feet. My heart raced as I refused to move a muscle.
I nearly lost my composure as a light appeared in front of me, writing slowly appearing on the face of Oath of Guardian in the same ethereal glow as the floor.
I gulped and took a deep breath as I read the inscription, doing my best not to stutter.
"Through Guardians Oath, I shall wield"
"A blade that rises as another's shield"
"I will fight for the lives of those held dear"
"And rid the land of all they fear"
"None shall stand against my light"
"For safety and freedom, I shall fight"
"With the passing of strength, a weapon is formed"
"And with this oath, a new Guardian is born"
As the rite was completed, Oath of Guardian began to glow brighter and brighter, before I could no longer feel it within my hands.
I watched in awe as it faded into motes of light and traveled from my hand into the hilt of the stone blade before me.
As each glowing particle touched the handle, it too, began to glow. Until there was nothing left of Oath of Guardian.
As the light faded, it revealed the handle of the stone sword, but now, it was no longer stone.
The handle matched how Oath of Guardian had looked, but newer. Less aged.
It was still embedded into the stone, and for a moment I didn't move.
The Guardian's Pledge ran through my head, and made me feel sick to my stomach.
Even if this world wasn't real, I had just swore to an oath that said I would fight to protect and free those around me from this world.
I fell to my knees. Though, it wasn't simply due to my own conscience.
I eyed my status confused, and realized that the pledge had implanted the Weakened condition on me, as well as drained me of 50% of my HP. A hefty cost.
I groaned and tried to stand, shelving my thoughts on the pledge for later, but collapsed to the ground under my status effect.
"Ugh… this is a familiar feeling." I moaned, remembering the poisoned juice I had drank the night before.
Asuna and the party ran over to me, Godfree hoisting me to my feet. I leaned on him for support.
There was no real cure for the Weakened condition other than resting in a bed of some kind or just waiting it out, which meant it was going to be a long walk back to town.
"It looks like it worked, at least." Asuna commented as she looked over the new sword.
I leaned towards the stone, "Here, help me pull it out so we can be sure that the curse is gone."
Godfree stood me up beside the stone, and once Jaiden came over all four of us pulled at the handle.
There was a sound akin to a grindstone as we slowly hoisted the blade free from its captivity. The strength needed to move it was actually pretty surprising, given how many of us it took and the fact that none of us were pushovers.
After heaving with all of our might, the blade came free entirely, and the sudden surprise caught everyone off-guard, sending everyone tumbling to the ground but me.
This, of course, was not ideal. With my weakened state I barely had a moment to brace myself as the blade fell back towards the floor.
I pushed myself to keep it from falling completely, and managed to use both hands to hold it aloft just like when I recieved it on floor one.
In my mind, a light jingle played as I gazed upon the now undamaged blade, the item description titling it: Guardian's Blessing.
The edge was sharpened, and there were no signs of any decay in the metal. The handle was wrapped in a blue grip, with the crossguard actually being in one piece.
It was like a whole new blade, but it was also very familiar.
Feeling bold, I turned and gave it a few easy swings, settling in to a shaky yet practiced stance as I kept the blade raised high.
I smiled. It felt great to not lose for once.
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
I returned to the KoB guild with Godfree's help, choosing to rest the remainder of the day to wait out my condition.
I promised Asuna I would consider partaking in the boss raid the next day, but that I was still on the fence about it. She even mentioned that they would be willing to officially request my services.
As we entered the guild hall, I found myself tense up as we were greeted by the last person I wanted to see.
"Welcome back, I assume your mission was a success, Asuna?"
Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath stood before us. I gulped and forced myself to keep calm.
This man was the reason I was trapped here, after all. At least, that's what Eila and I had come to believe. His red armor contrasted the normal color scheme of the rest of his guild, aiding to display his position as the commander.
Oh, and of course, he speaks English.
Feel my shock.
Asuna didn't seem surprised that Heathcliff was speaking English, actually. Though the fact that he did was surely only for my sake, since I was still clinging to Godfree to keep on my feet.
"Yes sir." Asuna discarded her confusion and confirmed his question with ease, "The curse in the temple ruins here on floor 25 has been removed."
Heathcliff smiled, "Excellent. I'm glad that we could get that situation sorted out before the boss raid." He turned his attention to me, "I assume you're the one we have to thank for assisting us in this matter?"
I nodded, playing along, "That's right."
"Splendid." The commander turned towards the rest of the party, "The raid meeting just ended, you three should probably convene with the other team leaders to collaborate."
I narrowed my eyes as all three of them responded in understanding, which wouldn't normally add up. It was hard to notice but I figured out pretty quickly what was happening.
Godfree took a moment to ensure I wouldn't collapse without his assistance before departing.
"I'll meet up with you later to hear your decision." Asuna assured me with a smile as she moved to leave, "You can use the room from before to rest."
I smiled back and nodded in appreciation. Once the three of them were gone I moved a steely gaze to the guild leader, who had a light grin on his face.
"You were broadcasting your voice to them in Japanese weren't you?" I accused.
"Impressive." came Kayaba's honest reply. He seemed impressed, and looked me over with a curious eye. "You are aware of who I am, I assume?"
I nodded, not taking my eyes off of him, "I could ask you the same question."
"But of course. Due to the… interesting nature of this worlds existence, I know exactly who you are, Mr. Hayser."
I clenched my fist, eyes narrowing at the mention of my name.
All of our assumptions were being confirmed. Kayaba, the virtual creator and god of Sword Art Online, was the same entity that had taken control of True Earth's Dive Machine.
Somehow, his status as the ruler of Aincrad must have caused the machine to designate his existence as one with higher authority than anyone else, and the AI developed into one with absolute control over everything inside.
Eila and I had theorized about this back and forth several times, and it seems we were correct on pretty much all accounts.
"I had hoped that your involvement in this world would prove to be a fascinating experience, given your knowledge of events." He turned to the side in his musings. I was astounded that he was even telling me anything at this point.
"Your interference would no doubt have directed everything onto a new path. Yet aside from one instance, you refuse to involve yourself in any events that world force this world to deviate from its natural order. Why is that?"
I almost refused to answer, but regardless of his more passive nature, the being before me was capable of erasing me with a single command. I had no choice but to talk.
"Because I'm not a part of this story." I admitted, "If I can just let things happen as they would normally, I can go home. Just like everyone else here normally would."
Kayaba shook his head, still grinning, "Is that not contradictory to the purpose of this machine?"
Confusion spread across my face, "What?"
"The purpose of this machine was to insert oneself into created worlds and interact with the events that take place, is it not?"
I closed my eyes and frowned. He wasn't wrong, "That's true, I suppose. But I wouldn't have come here if it meant risking my own life like this."
Kayaba chuckled, "But you were, Mr Hayser. You were fully aware of the world you were stepping into, and that the lives of everyone in it were at stake. Why should yours be any different? That would detract from the experience."
I bristled at this, "Screw your experience! My life isn't yours to play with!"
His smile fell at my outburst, "Yet ours are?"
My argument halted in my throat, not expecting his response.
"You're nothing but a foolish mercenary desperately trying to play the hero. You chose to enter our world with little regard for the lives that would be lost along the way. With your presence here, this place has become less and less like a simulation, increasingly so with each passing second."
Kayaba turned to face me, "You assumed that this scenario would be nothing more than a game, and unfortunately, that is not the case. As long as you exist within this place, your own world may as well be a simulation, a reality in which you cannot interact with. Only observe."
Kayaba moved now, navigating into his menu momentarily as he searched for something.
[Item: "To Hiro" Received]
I paled at the message that appeared in front of me, nervously reaching out to accept it.
[
Hiro,
I don't know if you will even get this, but I needed to at least try one more time.
We haven't heard from you in weeks, and I'm starting to get the feeling that our messages are finally being intercepted before they can be delivered.
I've been monitoring your player status every second that I can, just to make sure that you're still alright. I wish I could actually see what's happening in there, I can feel my heart stop every time your health drops by even a single point.
I wish things were going better out here, but…
Hiro, what I'm about to tell you isn't going to be easy, but It'd be wrong to keep it from you at this point.
The way the machine works isn't the same as the Nerve Gear in SAO. The signals from your mind aren't being intercepted or influenced by the machine. The machine copies your mental pattern; memories, dreams, personality. They're all pulled inside in order to fabricate your existence in the chosen world.
I don't want to get too technical, so just imagine that your brain has basically been transferred into the machine, which in turn works to keep your body alive on the outside.
At least, it should be.
I'm sorry to tell you like this, but I had been hoping to come up with a solution to get you out so I didn't have to worry you.
Your body wasn't meant to handle a dive longer than a few hours and the machine isn't built to accommodate for this situation.
You're dying.
I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.
I've tried to get you out, but nothing I do works.
I know you'll probably be mad, I know you'll probably be devastated, but it's best that you know the truth.
I plan on letting Mom and Dad know tonight. To let them know what I've done.
It's all my fault. Forgive me.
I'm going to ensure that the machine keeps running, maybe find a way to make up for what I've done.
I'm sorry.
-Eila
]
My hands were shaking as I finished reading.
I'm… dying?
"When…" my throat was dry, "When was message this sent?"
Kayab closed his eyes, "Nearly a month ago. Truly, I am sorry for your loss."
My arms fell, I didn't even have the energy to call him on his bullshit.
"You are now, as you have been from the start, a part of this world." The man turned away, "I have resolved to follow the natural progression of this place, as it would have been otherwise. Farewell, Hiro the Mercenary."
Heathcliff's departing footsteps echoed throughout the hall, and throughout my mind.
I had lost again.
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
I didn't know how long I had spent fighting.
I left the KoB headquarters and descended back to floor 13, but I didn't go home.
Instead, my feet carried me to the dungeon where I emotionlessly began fighting every monster I came across without rest.
My body moved on its own, Guardian's Blessing cleaving and slicing through enemies even in my still weakened state.
The blade was heavy, and felt more like a curse than a blessing, but I swung all the same.
My defense and damage output was reduced from my lingering condition, but the difference in level practically made it an even battle every time.
I had completely drained my bottle of Poisoned Juice, on the way to the dungeon, and the effects were heavily apparent as I wavered even more on my feet.
Every time I neared my limit, the pain of everything I had lost would come flooding back, and I would pull myself up to fight some more.
It was during one of these times that another Armored Scorpion appeared before me. I drunkenly turned to face it in response.
"Come on you overgrown bug!" I called out, heaving Guardian's Blessing onto my shoulder, "I still got plenty for you, right here."
I felt sick, but I didn't care, rushing forward to destroy the beast that had the nerve to cross my path.
My blade glowed as I activated Retaliation. My body moved on its own as the string of attacks drove its way through the monster, and a moment after it completed, the creature exploded into pixels.
I staggered and fell to my knees as more enemies appeared.
"You think you scare me?" I spat, shakily forcing myself to stand, "I don't care how many of you come at me. I'm finished losing! This life is the only thing I have left to lose!" I took an uneasy step forward.
"SO COME AND TAKE IT!"
As if on cue, the trio of scorpions charged forward. I moved to lift Guardian's Blessing, but my arms had nothing left to give and hung there uselessly.
I had already lost my body, it was time for me to lose my mind as well.
I crumpled in acceptance, closing my eyes as I awaited the finishing blow.
It never came.
Instead, I heard a series of shatters, the telltale sound of creatures being defeated.
My eyes fluttered open, having previously closed them.
I was still in the dungeon. The fading pixels of the scorpions proving that I wasn't dreaming, and that someone had come to my rescue.
I caught a flash of pink in my peripheral vision.
"Hiro? Is it... really you?"
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
Next time on, 'A Machine Between Worlds'...
"Liz? What are you-"
"It's like he's given up. It hurts to see him like this."
"You want me to tell you the truth? Fine."
"That was… What you just did was murder!"
"I'm not sure what to believe right now."
"I'm no hero. At most, I'm just a mercenary for hire."
"You're going to just sit here and let an entire guild die?!"
"I've made my choice!"
Next time… 'Your Reality'
...END
-========EEEEEEEE###########_
(These chapters keep getting longer. I'll try to get the next one out before the end of July, two if I can manage it. It's strange picking this story back up after a 2+ year standstill. I've made it a personal goal to at least finish the Aincrad Arc before moving on to any other projects. Hope it's enjoyable at least!
-HiroNinja)