I AM BACK
FOR A WHILE
IDK HOW LONG
BUT I AM BACK
den- I totally didn't steal that...
Goth- thanks man, hope to keep meeting standards
Thunder- I don't throw fruit at Fail-senpai
Lazion- YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS
fail- you are my senpai, my only senpai, you give me dokis, in shades of grey (go to YouTube and search "you are my senpai" and choose the one with the pink haired anime girl)
ONTO THE NEW SHIT
Reporter: "What about the negative effects of Full Dive tech?"
Kayaba Akihiko: "Depends on the effects you are referring to. Many things can be spun negatively, if worded a certain way"
Reporter: "Well, people can stay in the system for long periods of time. This can have detrimental effects on their health as, laying down and not using your muscles for too long can cause them to degrade, as like in hospitals"
Kayaba: "There are multiple fail-safes for that, for example, after two hours, you get a notification on how long you have been in Full Dive. After five hours, the system prompts you to leave. After twelve hours, it will once again prompt you, up this time saying that you need sleep and food. After twenty four hours, or sooner depending on other factors, it will automatically log you out, and eject you from Full Dive, with a minimum eight hour cooldown before it will start back up. These numbers can be changed in Parental Controls."
Reporter: "What about if the game is too intense, or the users are going into shock from the realism of the game?"
Kayaba: "The NerveGear rig is constantly monitoring your heart rate, adrenaline, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels. If any of these four factors get above a certain point, to where your health is at risk, then again, the system will auto-eject you from Full Dive, with a warning statement, and a eight hour cooldown. I assure you that the NerveGear is perfectly safe, and all possible scenarios have been accounted for."
—Excerpt from an interview with Kayaba over the safety of the NerveGear.
Part One: Champion Of Fire
—January 20, 2023, 10:05
—Floor 1, Northeast mountain region
—Wraith
You know shit hit the fan when the Mage of Healing and Light was on his knees gasping. The cold gusts of air whipped his hair and clothes but he ignored that. He instead focused on the message beeping in his ears and flashing in front of him telling him his stress levels and heart rate were dangerously high, and he should try slowing them down.
He shivered as the cold pierced through his mind, wind howling in his ears. But there was also the sound of someone shouting mixed in with that sound, but he couldn't quite make out their words.
He swallowed hard, and stood, unsteady and dizzy as blood rushed from his head. He reached out as he began to fall and a hand grabbed him tightly, holding him firm.
"Snap out of it, goddamn!" Shouted a girl, the same voice as the one just a few seconds ago.
He bit his tongue hard, the pain helping him regain his senses. He stood straight, shaking his head slightly to help clear it.
«Better now, sorry» he sent via the telepathic link he and this girl named Satome shared.
«Good, don't need the healer to die of a heart attack» she thought back to him, turning away and facing the storm. «How in hell are we going to find our way through this?»
Wraith watched as she was tucking her arms into her body, shivering in the freezing gusts of sleet and snow. Her black gown must not be that thick from how tightly she was hugging herself.
He took off his outer cloak, and draped it over her shoulders. «I will take point. I have lenses over my eyes, so the wind doesn't affect me as much»
The clothes underneath were still reasonably thick, but nothing was going to hold this storm back, and the winds seemed to ignore his clothing.
A hand on Satome's shoulder, he muttered "[Focis Æstus Scriptor]", and the both of them were instantly slightly warmer from the spell, Hearth's Heat. It wasn't much, but maybe it would slow hypothermia.
He turned, and finally pulled a rope from his inventory, tying one end around his waist, and handing the other to Satome.
«Don't want us getting separated out here.» he turned to start walking.
«You really know your shit, huh?» she thought in amazement.
«Safety is important. Besides, I have been lost in a storm before, it's really not fun»
«Might be a good story sometime»
«Maybe» he agreed with her.
Their steps were labored, the snow about a hundred and fifty centimeters deep. Wraith did his best to ignore the cold, just focusing on their objective: get the hell out of the storm.
But even that was a momentous task, as the wind seemed to burn with cold, the minor heating effect Wraith produced a nearly futile attempt at staying warm.
His boots were soaked through, each step harder and harder than the last as spikes of pain shot through his leg from the chill.
All too soon, the pain stopped, replaced with a numbing sensation in his lower legs and feet.
With the pain absorber off, the cold not only felt real, it was real. It could actually kill him, if the hypothermia symbol next to his HP bar slowly ticking down meant anything.
— January 19, 2023, 18:39
—Floor 2, Stuck Taurus Tavern, Urbus
—Teika
I sat at a table with three other figures. All of us wore matching black cloaks, and in this dingy bar, many had on equally suspicious garments so we were overlooked.
The entire room was barely lit, and people were bustling around as they usually do at a bar at night, oblivious to the stress felt by the players of the area.
"This doesn't change that much" came a gruff voice from the near-silhouette of Kora, their leader. "Our job doesn't change"
"But people are less likely to fight now that they can actually feel pain" argued the flowery speech of Tohaku. "You used to be able to get up after being stabbed in the gut, and hit back. Now you gotta deal with the fact you can feel that hole"
I opened my mouth to speak, but another person walked up to the table. "Sorry I'm late. You know meetings run on and on" Heathcliff commented, sitting as I shifted over to accommodate his frame.
"No worries, we were just debating what we should do now" Kora answered him.
"Our main problem is going to be figuring out a better way to fight than running in blindly swinging swords and axes" said the older man underneath his cowl.
I nodded, saying "If we can convince the people that we still have a safe way to fight then people are less apt to quit"
"Problem is creating that safe way" Kora grunted.
"Hello, gentlemen!" A rather large NPC waitress towered over the table with a wry grin. "May I getcha anythin' to drink?"
—January 20, 2023, 01:12
—Floor 2, Stuck Taurus Tavern, Urbus
—Aoki
I sat, staring at a flickering candle, the flame dancing, casting shadows over the room we ordered for the night. There was a room with three beds and Teika jumped on the opportunity quickly, much to the dismay of Silica, but no verbal complaints were heard.
Silica was sleeping, the stress of the days enough to make her pass out quickly enough, and with ease.
I held my fingers above the small light, about fifteen centimeters from the source. I felt the heat on my hand as the invisible vapors floated into the air. I lowered my hand slowly, the small warmth getting slightly more intense until my hand was nearly touching the tiny fire.
I pinched the wick, the light snuffed instantly with no sound. When I removed my hand a small trail of smoke curled from the burnt wick towards the ceiling.
I stood and walked away briskly, grabbing a discarded pair of pants and shirt from my bed on my way out.
The streets of Urbus were quiet, and dim in the dead of night. Some windows still had a glow to them, but those people were probably like me, unable to sleep.
My bare feet were silent on the cobblestones as I stalked towards the cities borders. I needed to blow something up.
"Well, you sure are being suspicious" came a high singsong voice. I stopped, whirling around.
An impish figure stalked out of the shadows of a dark back alley. "Where ya off to?"
I sighed, "Damnit Argo, you almost gave me a heart attack"
"Yep! It's so fun to do!" She skipped over to me, removing a dark hood from her head and letting her short, auburn hair loose. "So, whatcha gonna do this late at night? Find yourself a Mister?"
"Bitch, please." I waved her off. "Nah, just need to let off a little steam". More like smoke. Close enough.
"Well, I can lead you to a Taurus encampment if you feel like mass homicide" she giggled.
"How many we talking?" I asked, feigning interest.
"Oh, about thirty taurus." Her eyes seemed to bore into mine.
You know what? Maybe some steak is on the menu.
"Sure, where to?" I asked, pulling out my map from my inventory.
She opened a notepad, and after reading a few things on it, touched a point on my map, the spot glowing blue. "Right there. Just a few kilometers away."
I nodded, and started walking in that direction, as Teika, Silica, and I have explored the entire floor.
A few minutes of silence seemed to much for the Broker to bear, as she started asking questions.
"Sooooo… anything new with the lovebirds?"
"Nope" I responded.
"You made a move on him?"
"Hell nah!" I glared at her for a short time.
"You gonna?"
"No, I am not!"
"Oh? Makin' a move on Silica?" She drew out the name slowly, savoring the sound.
"Argo, stop."
"Oh, hit a nerve!" She cried laughing. Then after a few more minutes "How about I go for Teika?"
"That is your choice"
"Not gonna stop me?"
"Nope"
"What if I make a move on you?"
I whirled around, pointed a single finger at Argo, who was giggling at me. "I will blast you with so much fire, your remains will be deleted from the system."
"Wow, ok then!" She splayed her hands in submission. "No need to get violent!"
I sighed. "Sorry, just in a bad mood"
"Wanna talk about it?" She asked. "Girl to girl?"
"You are possibly the worst at keeping secrets in this game" I argued. The grass was soft beneath my feet as I stepped in the savanna. "You would sell it in a heartbeat"
"Actually I wouldn't." Her tone confused me, so I turned to her.
"What do you mean?" I prompted her, as we stood.
The night breeze was cooling, the sound of crickets abundant, stars blanketing the sky above us.
"Well, I believe in secrets. And I believe in keeping them, if they are personal. Besides, you seem like a good person, so I don't wanna ruin whatever you've got." She muttered, obviously not used to giving genuine compliments.
"You really want to know?" I asked. She looked up at me, eyes affirming.
"This damn game. This whole damn life" my voice was calm and steady, but forced. "We are trapped in here by some dickhead and then the system is fighting against us, making shit harder, and Steph-... Teika only cares about Silica and people hate me just because I can shoot fireballs!" I stopped caring about keeping quiet at this point.
"I shoot fucking fireballs! And the Pain Absorber is going to be turned off in less than seven hours, and I shoot FUCKING FIREBALLS!"
I sighed and sat down hard. "If I miss my target and hit someone? If they get caught in my AOE? How in hell can I live with the fact that I can cause the most pain in this FUCKING GAME!?"
I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, and was pulled down. My head then rested in Argo's lap, and she started stroking my head.
"I gotcha girl. I get it" she said. "I obviously don't understand everything you are going through, but I can empathize a little."
"What do you mean?" I asked, much quieter.
"Well, first off, I am able to make or break people in SAO. I give info, I make sure my sources are viable, but what if I am off? What if I say 'you can go into this section of the labyrinth with that crap item and live' but there happens to be one too many Kobold or something?"
She let out an exasperated sigh, similar to the one I released. "This is just a lot of bullshit loaded into a bullshit cannon and shot through a bullshit fan."
I let out a little giggle. "Shitty situation"
"Exactly" Argo affirmed with a nod.
They stayed there for a second before I sat up, looking at her. "Ever wonder what it's like to be a Fire Mage?"
Argo's eyes widened. "Only about, all the time!"
About twelve makeshift Molotov cocktails later, and a lot of cocked cows, the Taurus camp was massacred. By two giggling teen girls. We had too much fun with that.
—Satome/Wraith
The rope tied around her waist slackened without Sato noticing, and soon after she stumbled over her camouflaged companion, laying face down in the snow, piling around him.
The gale force winds whipped at her, making the sleet and snow sting and scratch her skin with each pass. She had lost feeling in her feet a while ago, but her hands were still hurting, which she guessed was a good thing, as it meant she at least had her fingers.
She glanced at her HUD to see why she hadn't passed out either, and saw her HP bar was outlined in a wavering black mist, while the green was ever so slowly ticking down. She tried to sigh, but couldn't find the air in her frozen, hunched body. 'Guess that isn't such a bad thing' she thought.
Glancing at Wraith's collapsed form, she contemplated how to move him. Unable to find a solution, she knelt, and heaved his body over, and screamed "Wraith! Get up Wraith!"
She took of his mask, and the usually tanned face was pale, the lips almost blue with chill. "Wake up, you lazy sonofabitch!" She slapped his face, which only managed to make her hand hurt more.
She opened her menu with shaking hands, and managed to get to her skill list, and magic tab. After a little searching, she closed it, and put both of her hands on his chest.
'Even if I pass out, he can probably carry me' she thought. 'Whatever'
"[Foedere Vitae]" she spat out. Almost instantly she felt nauseous, and fell on top of him. She watched her health bar increase by a decent amount as black started creeping into her vision.
The spell Life Bond worked as its name suggests, bonding two people's lives for a short time. Their HP bars are added together, and both players use off of that singular, united bar. It also works negatively, all status effects ailing one person now affect both.
But as Wraith opened his eyes with a groan, and saw the teen girl laying on top of him, he didn't care. He just knew she did something to wake him up at the cost of her consciousness.
He swore violently, grabbing his mask and donning it. After standing, and lifting Satome in a fireman's carry over his shoulders, he started trekking again. His Light power came with no buffs against the cold like her powers must've so she could wake him, but he did have willpower.
I mean, what guy wouldn't get an adrenaline rush when a damsel was in distress?
As he walked, he kept glancing at his HP, noticing it was falling a little slower than before, and a black mist seemed to outline it.
Life is a fickle thing. So easily destroyed, yet clung to so vainly.
—[Lucifer, King of the Underworld]
Yes it is, Lucifer. Yes it is.
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