A/N Hi guys, I've at last regained the inspiration and energy for another chapter. Note: Don't expect every chapter to be as long as the last one; at least for now. In any case, here's the general layout for the next 6 chapters (including this one). I will be advancing the floors by six every time, with the exception of this one and the 13th chapter being seven. That also means this arc will end when the 14th chapter is posted. From then on, floor progression may be little more sporadic, and there will definitely be backtracking for the purpose of the story. Rest assured, quality will not be sacrificed because I'm way too good for that. Rather, it will be enhanced because by then... well, you'll see. Happy reading~
I walked into a rather untidy bar with stains on the tables and spots where it seemed beer had slopped over. The smell was slightly intoxicating so I turned away prudently as to not let the scent sway my senses. I had always wondered why many other men drank so much alcohol... I personally thought the only drink I ever needed was soda. A.K.A. gamer fuel.
Perhaps it's an acquired taste... I mused after watching a random older player chug down a pint of foamy beer. He had a dazed expression and mumbled something about unicorns while hiccuping. I passed this sight over and went on to my destination. If one day I were to drink, I hoped I wouldn't kill my brain cells.
With the hood covering my head, my face was half-shadowed over. I approached «Fuurinkazan» who were waiting for me at the far right end of the area. I came over and sat down at the edge with my arms crossed and leaning back on my chair so I could rest my feet on the table unceremoniously. They looked at me warily. I didn't see Klein here yet.
"Who are you?" Asked the tallest one rather aggressively. I inspected him closely with scrutinizing eyes, making him slightly uncomfortable even though my eyes were obscured by darkness.
"Before you ask for my name, why not tell me yours? You called me here, I didn't call you," I said indifferently tossing him a folded flyer I had obtained from Argo in a sharp trajectory straight at his face. He caught it, but just barely. He unfolded the flyer and read the contents. Realization spread on his face, but he still had an unfriendly look on him. His armor clanked as he crushed the paper in his fist. He then leaned toward me with his hands clenched on the edge of the table and held a suspicious gaze over his face.
"So you're the substitute, I assume?" He said doubtfully and I nodded lazily. He scoffed and I raised my head slightly in question.
"What?" I asked defiantly staring at him with an unspoken challenge in my eyes. He shrugged offhandedly.
"Nothing, I just thought you'd be less... frail," he said smirking for his lack of a better word. I narrowed my eyes resentfully. It was true I wasn't the most muscular guy, but I wasn't anorexic or anything. In fact, I had high metabolism which is why I had remained the way I had since my childhood. Also, due to the rigorous training from my grandfather, I was stronger than I appeared.
"Yeah? Well, I thought you'd look more impressive. Is all that armor to hide your frail frame?" I responded to the insult. This immediately garnered the reaction I was expecting. He got up from his seat abruptly when his comrades held him down.
"Yo, Harry, chill man!" Said the one with spiky brown hair.
"Dude, calm your engines!" Said the one with a red bandana tied around his head.
"But he-" Said the tall one protesting.
"You started it," I pointed out coldly. "Apologize, or do you not want my help?" I added disinterestedly. The one called Harry was fuming but his guild members managed to restrain him in his seat. Fortunately, Klein arrived at that moment.
"What's going on guys? Hey, waiter! Make it five- uh-" Klein paused catching note of me and assuming I was here for the job. I raised my hand to pass off the offer.
"I don't drink," I said dismissively. Klein's eyes widened as he recognized my voice. He looked shocked but quite happy I was here.
"Right. Make it five of the usual, please," Klein said. I started wondering whether if it was a good decision to come here. I had already gotten off on the wrong foot with one of his guild mates.
"Guys, this is-" Klein said about to introduce me but I shook my head in objection. He changed his words mid-sentence.
"-Our new guy, right?" He finished and the others nodded to ascertain his inquiry. Except for Harry of course.
"Well, I hope we can work together until our other guy, Dale, is back up to speed. Then we can move ahead and become better than even the frontliners!" Klein said optimistically and his guild called out their agreement. I scoffed quietly.
There is no way you'll ever catch up to me, Klein... not in a guild like this, I thought disapprovingly. Still, I felt a little bit of unwarranted jealousy.
"Mhmm... right," I assented sarcastically but not enough to be caught on. "Well, let's get to it then," I said grudgingly and got up from my seat tacitly after they finished inebriating themselves.
In the job description, it was stated that they needed a temporary member while one of them needed to recuperate. Honestly, I think I did this out of being left with no other choice. This particular assignment just happened to align with my own interests which was to ultimately fight and get stronger. I didn't mind getting paid a little extra so I agreed to help Klein and his guild out. But not out of kindness or pity, just personal reasons for benefit. I wondered if I had subconsciously wanted to see Klein again, or maybe it was just against my better judgement.
I asked Klein privately while we were walking how his guild was doing. Apparently he had 4 other members recruited bringing the total number of the group up to ten. The other four were currently taking care of the ill-stricken Dale who was residing in a local inn. Not that I really cared, I just tried to make normal conversation. Truthfully, I was a bit relieved Klein hadn't died yet, but I felt guilty teaming up with him. Not only did it breach my own beliefs but I felt I didn't deserve to work with a guild. Funny how things turn out...
We went back to the 13th floor to attend the meeting in preparation to the oncoming battle. I caught a glimpse at Asuna and she in turn caught one of me. She turned away in annoyance and refused to look at me further. I sighed slightly disappointed and made a mental note to pay back Argo one day.
After the meeting Klein suggested we grind up for a while before tomorrow. I agreed without hesitation for I was eager to return to routine. While we were grinding in the grey barren fields with conflicting terrains of sand and rough soil, I took notice of how Klein worked with his guild. Klein would start off the fight, charging in with a sword skill. Immediately after, he switched out and his ranged spear member, Kunimittz, took his place while Issin, spiky brunette guy, and Dynamm, red bandana, Mexican-looking guy, flanked the enemies' side while Harry, armored guy-who-I-didn't-really-like-especially-because-he -uses-a-shield, tanked the remaining enemies. His method of fighting was to wait for the attack and counter afterwards. I rolled my eyes but said nothing.
Overall, I was almost impressed in the way Klein's guild composed themselves. Almost. Objectively speaking, they weren't focusing enough on being aggressive. Their defense was decent in the way that they covered for each other, but I didn't like that tactic because it was too... dependent. In a harsh world like SAO, you have to think about the worse case scenario and prepare a contingency plan for it. In the end, helping yourself first was precedent to helping others. At least in my mind...
I cut away at my goblin-like opposition with refined finesse. One slash after the other, a spin to dodge one strike, another to retaliate with brutal deadliness. I took little satisfaction in my kills because they died too easily. Most enemies I faced these days were destroyed in one hit. Whenever I got bored and needed more of a challenge, I would use «Howl» to attract a tougher specimen from the ranks. In ordinary terms, this would've been a good reason to retreat. In my terms, I could actually perform a combo on an opponent who would take more than one hit from me. In simple terms, now that I had an audience, I was just showing off.
Klein's guild including Klein himself was impressed by my skill, especially since I turned off the default setting and refused to use «System Assistance». Even Harry had to grudgingly respect my high level of competence. We finished up after about two hours and headed back to town.
I agreed to meet up Klein at the gate in the morning. The boss fight would be at around noon. In other words, my victory would be at around noon.
I stayed in the shadow during the meeting. It was the first I had been to since the game had started. It was utterly boring and I couldn't help but be amazed at everyone's ability to stay awake. Well, almost everyone. I saw Kirito-kun nodding off slightly in the corner and Asuna yawning slightly at the table. I also took note that Kirito kept on trying to make eye contact with Asuna which proved to be amusing and yet for some reason I felt a little envious of his persistence. I shook it off and tried to refocus. It had been a poor choice on my part to attend this meeting. Maybe the luck of the 13th floor had something to do with this...
I watched as Kirito-kun left after the meeting was adjourned. I sighed wistfully and wondered when the time was right to reveal myself to him. Still, I had to be patient and try to help him from a distance, at least for now. I couldn't risk ruining my plans just yet.
I followed Kirito from a distance and saw him with other people. Strange. From what I had analyzed, he didn't usually work with other players, let alone talk to them. I decided ultimately that he had his reasons and that I shouldn't worry too much. I sighed tiredly but persevered and walked back to the «Teleport Gate» and headed for the 1st floor.
The 1st floor was still populated by quite a few players. More than the others above at least. I ignored the people around me and headed to «Black Iron Palace».
I have an awful lot of work to do... I thought silently.
I placed myself gracefully upon my bed. Soft, white sheets met my tired back and comforted my muscles. I had always gave a hundred percent in my time here at the Knights of the Blood. It was taxing to drive myself so hard, but I wanted to be a worthy sub-commander. I'd give a hundred and fifty percent, no, three hundred percent if it was necessary to free everyone from this game. But at the same time, I didn't want to do this job at all. I'd rather just have it all end and have everything go back to normal. But if it was so easy, everybody would've done it already...
My guild had yet to find an appropriate place for headquarters so we moved about in a group, booking entire inns or similar shelters for ourselves. I didn't think it was a problem since we didn't stay for long and the fact that there were plenty of floors now to live on.
I was level 39 which was probably one of the highest levels around. I intended to keep it that way by continuously drilling myself and the guild members under my jurisdiction. Heathcliff held the most authority in our group, but I was essentially second-in-command and his most trusted advisor, so I had a lot of influence on the lower ranks.
I tried desperately to fall asleep, but I couldn't get Kirito out of my head. The 'Ashley incident' was still in my mind, I felt embarrassed to look at him. Jerk...
I managed to fall asleep but with difficulty. I wondered how I was ever going to approach him again with getting so worked up...
The next day, we all marched to the 13th floor dungeon. On the way there we encountered light resistance that was dealt with promptly. Finally we arrived at the doors to the boss arena.
The surroundings were quite grim and depressing. Skulls were adorned along the ground and bones littered the place, infused with the pillars. There was a strange smell of dried blood and entrails as well, which made me slightly nauseous. Kirito showed no change in expression and I hardened myself to not show weakness in front of him.
Strange, I mused to myself. Why was he here with a group? I thought he had worked alone, ever since... oh never mind.
After Heathcliff's brief address to the rest of us, we moved cautiously into the darkened area. There were faint lights from the torches flickering around the place.
All too soon, the area brightened up in a purple and blue glow that revealed the boss. «Blazen» was its name. A type of skeletal wyvern which breathed out ghostly green fire. I braced myself by tightening the grip on my sword.
The wyvern drew itself back and then launched a massive fireball at the nearest players. The tanks followed Heathcliff to deflect the flames as they swung their shields in front them. The flames licked at their shields and heated the area immensely. The tanks sustained moderate damage besides Heathcliff. I remembered at that point that I had a specialized shield just for this particular case. I brought the «Adamant Shield» out and leapt over the defensive human-barrier that was constructed and charged at the enemy. A burst of flames came to meet me but I absorbed the impact with my shield. I dispensed with it after the wyvern ceased fire to cool down and recharge. I leapt up and rained down with «Star Splash» aiming at critical points such as the neck, the eyes, the wings and such.
Its health decreased by about 10% on the first bar and four more to go. I froze up momentarily because of the cool down period. If you deactivated «System Assistance» you could recover on your own quicker, but the execution for sword skills was more difficult. It was what I had done, so that I could do more intricate moves after I had practiced for a bit.
The wyvern craned its neck to look straight at me. I willed myself to dodge at a moment's notice.
Just then, Kirito appeared out of the blue and cut down on the wyvern with a «Star Smash» on its head. It shook itself out of surprise and then angrily breathed a fireball straight at him. I was scared for a moment but then he cut the projectile in half with an augmented «Dark Hit». He smirked at me.
"I believe it's your turn," he said politely with a slight mocking tone. "We'll switch off so this thing can't target one of us directly."
"Whatever, showoff," I said dismissively rolling my eyes, though I was glad he wasn't hurt.
Along with the efforts of everyone else there, we managed to chip the boss's health down to the red zone by methodically switching in and out. The damage-oriented players delivered the majority of the damage and went for cover behind the tanks when the wyvern released a wave of fire. It was a systematic way of killing the enemy, and it paid off well.
Until of course, it reached the red zone. Then its behavior pattern turned to rage mode and started launching fury attacks.
It propelled itself into the air and amalgamated a massive sphere of fire. The lights casted off of the flames were in a disarrayed spectrum. After increasing the volume of the fireball, it discharged it and before it hit us, it segmented into a sundry of fireballs. For some reason they missed all of us, just landing near. What was the point of that move? A warning shot?
I immediately regretted those thoughts and wished it was a warning shot because suddenly all the fireballs positioned around us detonated with all of us caught in the radius.
Explosive fireballs?! I thought heavily alarmed. That was a new maneuver that hadn't been encountered yet. Everyone, including Kirito, took some amount of damage. To our dismay, a few players succumbed to death from the unexpected artillery bombardment. The situation looked pretty grim. I took a small potion to recover my health a little. I backed up in slight shock and felt someone back up into me as well.
"I don't suppose you have a water gun?" Kirito said trying to make humor out of the situation. I rolled my eyes disdainfully. Really? At a time like this?
"Real funny," I responded keeping my eyes on the enemy overhead charging up again for a second barrage.
"Yeah, I know," he said acknowledging his anachronism as a bad joke. I felt him tense up.
"I've got a plan," Kirito said seriously.
"I hope you do," I replied sardonically but hoping he really did.
"Do you trust me?" He asked apprehensively. I hesitated slightly.
"That depends," I answered back tentatively.
"Close enough," he responded accepting my less-than-reassuring answer. Exactly what kind of plan was I agreeing to?...
Honestly, I was quite nervous. That fire bombing attack caught me off-guard and even I was unable to avoid damage. I felt bad for the players who had unwittingly been brought to their deaths, but I couldn't do anything about that. Right now, rather, I was worried about Asuna. As tough as she was, both me and her couldn't take more hits like those. I tried calculating a plan while standing back to back with Asuna. I could feel her nervous breathing and almost hear her erratic thoughts on the current predicament. I spied around and saw a solution.
I saw the leader of the Divine Dragon Alliance catching his breath crouched down. I felt a little dishonest in doing what I was about to do, but it couldn't be helped. What had to be done, has to be done.
I ran over and snatched his «Dragore Blade» away. He staggered up and yelled at me to give it back. Obviously, I didn't.
"Sorry, but I'm gonna borrow this for a while," I apologized but not too genuinely because he was the leader of the DDA. And the DDA were a bunch of assholes who hoarded a lot of stuff like spawning points, items, and the limelight. I mean, I know I was an asshole sometimes, but at least it was cool when I did it.
"You insolent brat! I'll have your head for this!" He shouted and tried to chase me but fell from exhaustion. This was what the system registered as a «Disarm». There was such a skill, which I didn't have, but I could pull off nonetheless because of my expertise. Now, I'm not encouraging you to GTA everything in sight, but I kinda wanted to keep the «Dragore Blade». In case you were curious here's the description.
A blade forged of metal dragon scales resistant to all types of fire. Special Abilities: Manipulate, absorb, or deflect fire. Manipulation complements any sword skill with 50% elemental fire damage. Absorbing fire allows the player to redirect it at will equal to the amount consumed. Deflect is useful for combating dragons or similar creatures as a makeshift shield. Note: Manipulation requires absorption prior to use or a nearby fire source. After fire is depleted, Cooldown requires 5 minutes.
I rushed back to Asuna with my 'borrowed' sword. She gave me a disbelieving look of disapproval, but shook it off.
"So what's your plan, genius?" Asuna asked facing the wyvern with her «Adamant Shield».
"Well, I figured since this thing's got a lot of firepower, might as well fight fire with fire," I said concentrating on the enemy overhead. Asuna gave me a confused look.
"And by that you mean..." she trailed off waiting for an elaboration.
"You remember the 10th floor?" I asked expectantly.
"Vaguely..." Asuna said a little anxious like 'where is he going with this'.
"Remember how you killed it?" I asked hurriedly because the wyvern was almost ready for another strike.
"Yes... so you want to stick a sword in its mouth?" She asked incredulously. I coughed at the poor choice of words and she hit me on the shoulder.
"Not exactly, but I need you aim its direction toward me. We only got one shot at this before we get fried like Sunday chicken," I said with anticipation. Not a very pleasant analogy, I'll admit.
"And just how are we going to do that?" Asuna asked skeptically. I looked at her sympathetically for what I was about to do.
"I hope you're an airplane type of girl," I said and approached her. She blushed and asked me what I was doing.
"What are you-" she exclaimed but I interrupted her by grabbing and lifting her into a bridal style hold. I swung around once and tossed her into the air towards the wyvern.
"KIRITO I'M GONNA KILL YOU-" she said giving me a well-deserved death threat that was left unfinished as she landed on its back. Taking advantage of the situation like I had last time, she stabbed its eyes out. The wyvern screeched in pain and went barreling through the air at high-speed taking wild turns and corkscrews. I could distinctly hear Asuna shouting curses at me all the while.
Well, now we're even, princess, I thought amused. The wyvern charged up another incendiary fireball and shot it. As the sphere burst into smaller pieces I managed to catch one.
The fire grenade was pulsating in my hand. In the real world my hand should've melted, in SAO I was just rapidly losing health. And taking excruciating pain. So this is how Anakin felt on Mustafar...
I don't know if it was luck, or Asuna had flying lessons, but she managed to blindly steer the wyvern towards me. She jumped off promptly and rolled back onto her feet. Tired she collapsed onto her knees to catch her breath.
Impressive, I admitted mentally. Then I focused on the oncoming threat. The distance between me and the wyvern was closing fast. I had one shot. One target. One hand I would probably never be able to use again. I came up with a witty one-liner.
"Batter up, bitch."
I tossed the fireball up near vertically so that it tilted slightly back towards me. Then I gripped both hands on the «Dragore Blade» like a baseball bat. I timed my swing and smacked that shit like... well, you can fill that in. *wink* If you know what I mean...
The projectile went in a sharp trajectory into the wyvern's open mouth as it was about to charge another bomb. I never played tennis, but I thought that was a pretty good serve. Or whatever, hybrid swing or something...
I ducked as the wyvern flew past me. Not a moment later the incendiary detonated from within and so did the fire bombs around us. Like a boss, I stood up without looking back at the explosions. My coat waved dramatically in the wind. The LA bonus drop message appeared in front of me. I checked for my prize.
«Dark Fire Darts» x 7
A sevenfold set of deadly darts, each specializing in a unique function marked by the color of the stripe. Note: Must manually recall darts to reuse. All effects last 10 seconds except by use of Black Fire Dart. All Darts require a 1 minute Cooldown. This set of items cannot be upgraded.
Red: Drain (steal health from target to add to your own proportionately; if full inflict regular damage)
White: Stun (immobilizes target temporarily)
Blue: Decelerate (slow target speed down to 50%)
Yellow: Shock (destabilize target, sword skills cannot be activated, reaction senses are reduced)
Purple: Corrupt (weaken target's strength while inversely increasing the user's)
Green: Poison (rapid damage determined by target's health stats)
Black: Fusion (without supplements, inflict 50% Dark damage; can have multiple effects combined; increase duration by 10 seconds each; maximum: 60 seconds/1 minute; Cooldown requirement is one minute multiplied by every supplement; maximum 420 seconds)
This Rare drop sounded particularly useful. All the Cooldown drawbacks must've been implemented to keep it from being overpowered. I made a mental note to acquire the «Blade Throwing» skill next time.
Asuna walked over towards me with a sulky expression. As expected she punched me on the shoulder. You think I would've gotten used to it... I didn't. She crossed her arms resentfully and gave me a criticizing gaze.
"That was the stupidest move I ever saw in my entire life..." she admonished disbelievingly. She also muttered something about being involuntarily launched in the air. "You could've told me what you were going to do," she added reproachfully.
"Then you would've said 'no'," I countered objectively. She rolled her eyes like 'of course I would've!'
Fine... maybe it wasn't the best idea, but I had nothing else at the time. What was I gonna do? Grow a beanstalk and climb it? Asuna finished reprimanding me and turned to leave. I sighed openly.
"But... it was pretty brave," Asuna called out over her shoulder, giving me a small smile. Or was it a smirk? Nevertheless, I returned it.
"Is that how you show affection?" I asked innocently and she scoffed at me and walked away saying 'You're unbelievable'. I smirked inwardly.
I miss that phrase... I miss it quite a bit.
Unfortunately and ironically, thirteen people had died in sacrifice to defeat the boss. Two bombings had devastating effects so it was good that Kirito had beaten the boss when he did. Albeit, a little unrefined. Maybe hugely unrefined...
I exited the area with my guild following Heathcliff who led us the next floor.
The fourteenth floor was quite sunny and had lush green fields. It had a welcoming presence compared to the last floor. I think I saw sand in the distance. A beach, perhaps?
Following routine, we trekked over to the «Teleport Gate» and connected it to the rest of the floors. The town seemed peaceful and the NPCs were friendly. This place seemed too good to be true, and it was because knowing my guild, we wouldn't be staying for long.
I thought about the aftermath of the battle. We couldn't allow another loss like that. That would dampen morale and produce multiple adverse effects. I sighed inwardly.
I have an awful lot of work to do... I thought silently.
Once we booked out an inn, I locked the door to my room and fell down on the bed. It was queen sized which was nice.
I stared out the window. The sun was still shining bright but it was slowly descending. I checked the time. 3:24 P.M.
I closed my eyes to the world. I began to think about recent events.
That idiot... I thought irritated. That was far too reckless... still, I have to give him credit. No one else could've thought up of that. Much less pull it off...
I kept it all to myself, but I acknowledged the fact that I still cared for Kirito-kun, no matter what he did. No matter how stupid as well. That's why I... got so worked up. Even being in a guild was because of him. Hell, indirectly it was for him, I just didn't know if he noticed that... but for now I had to keep waiting. Hoping that one day, my perseverance would pull through.
I continued my contract with Klein's guild. It lasted for about 4 weeks. During that time we managed to make significant progress. Dale, the formerly sick member, returned to good health after 2 weeks after the 13th floor was cleared. I would've left then, but Klein insisted on me staying just a bit longer. I don't know why I listened, but maybe it was because I felt like I owed him something.
«Fuurinkazan» improved their technique overall from working with me. They would never reach my level, for you needed years for that, but they were better than the average player I'll admit. The other four members of the group joined us at the same time. Klein introduced me to them, but I still refused to divulge my true identity. Instead, they just called me the 'new guy'. Over the course of time I had gained their respect, and maybe even their trust despite my reclusive fighting habits. From an outside party view, it was their team comprised of 10 people. Then there was just me on the side. Well... technically I did count as a team... you know, me, myself and I...
In that 4 weeks or so, the frontliners managed to clear the next four floors. I'll provide a summary for each.
The 14th floor's boss was a large bird called The «Knightingale». Essentially it was a giant armored bird with a female rider clad in steel wielding a sharply curved scythe. Its speed was quite remarkable, but it had nothing on me.
Since I had recently advanced to level 45, I selected «Blade Throwing» to fill my next skill slot. I had to slow down the target with a precise shot. I hadn't been able to practice prior to the fight, so this shot would have to count. But if it worked, this one shot (and my first ever) would be all that I needed. Meanwhile, Klein commented on the boss.
"Hey, she's kinda hot, don't cha think?" Klein said approvingly. I gave him a disbelieving stare.
"Are you kidding me? She almost decapitated you..." I pointed out.
"Yeah, well. Some chicks are rough," Klein countered. I looked the other way coughing.
Well... to each his own... I thought trying not to judge.
I fused the Black Fire Dart with Blue, Purple, and Green. Slowing it down was my first priority, weakening it was my second to lower the target to level ground, and poison was just to damage it further. I positioned my arm like I was going to throw a javelin. Fortunately, darts are much lighter so the force of the propulsion would be effortless. I aimed and shot. Just like a camera.
The dart hit it right(literally) in the eye. It shrieked loudly and dipped lower in elevation. I took my chance as it dived near me and jumped clasped onto its legs. I then grappled over but almost fell off so I 'grabbed' the female rider.
Let me justify this moment... to me I just held onto the female rider to keep from falling over. To someone else though, it looked like I groped her...
I don't know if NPCs can blush but I felt the female rider's body heat up as I gripped her chest. To spare me further humiliation, I took out my Knightsword and stabbed her from behind(not that kind of 'stab').
The boss exploded into thousands of shards but I hit my head pretty hard, so I don't remember much that happened afterwards. What I do remember though, was Asuna passing by giving me an extremely dirty look. I sighed inwardly.
I can't believe this... I mean I'm the victim here! Risking my life and everything... I complained mentally. I could hear Klein voicing his jealousy by saying something like 'How come you got to cop a feel'. I facepalmed myself. Not the time, dude...
The 15th floor was very blue and there was a salty sea smell in the air. I saw quite a few sand dunes. There were harbors and black rocks all over the terrain. I spied in the distance several caves. Well, that looked promising... dark, isolated, and surrounded with seagulls picking at dead carcasses. Not ominous at all.
When we entered the 15th floor boss area, we couldn't immediately see the boss. The battlefield was also a new design. Think of it as a huge hashtag on water.
The water below looked foreboding and we tried to stay away from the edges. My «Hypersense» was going crazy, but even without it I had a bad feeling about this. I just hoped it wasn't another Basilisk. Suddenly I took closer notice of the environment. There were 2 protrusions on each of the 4 sides. That made 8. Wait... it couldn't be-
Splash.
Shit.
A thick, long, tentacle shot out of the water and suddenly wrapped around a random player's leg and dragged them below to Davy Jones' Locker. A pity, and I would've taken my hat off in respect, but I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow. Instead, I drew my sword and everyone followed to draw up a battle stance and form a defensive line.
"Got any ideas?" Klein asked me anxiously. I looked around. I saw multiple oil drums laying around the place. How convenient.
"One. Kick the can," I commanded promptly. Klein nodded his recognition to my strategy.
"You heard him guys! Dump this shit over!" He ordered to his guild and they followed his lead. I focused on keeping an eye out for another tentacle attack. I heard several more splashes. I managed to dodge the tentacles with fancy flips but I kept sliding all over place due to the slippery floor because of the splashing.
Great... why don't they just put up a sign? I thought pissed off at the lack of warning. A few more players got whipped into the dark, watery chasms of death. I felt sorrow for their losses but I passed it off quickly. I had to fight for my life first before mourning for others.
I heard a scream. Oh no.
I looked around and saw Asuna dangling high in the air with 3 tentacles wrapped around her. They constricted and rubbed her rapaciously. OH HELL NO! I was not going to stand by and watch my girl- I mean Asuna get violated by a creepy octopus! I defied logic and ran on water like Jesus. As I passed by I sliced my Knightsword through the three tentacles and Asuna fell from their grasp. I dropped my sword and caught her on the other side and we swung together in a weird pirouette move. I held her protectively in my arms and she placed her hands on my chest.
"That was so scary..." Asuna said quietly trying not to whimper at the trauma. I sympathized even though I had never experienced something of that ordeal. Hopefully not any time in the near future as well...
"Are you okay, Asuna?" I asked urgently. I didn't care about anyone else there at the moment. I just wanted to make sure Asuna was all right.
"Yeah... I think I am..." Asuna whispered slightly relieved. She looked up to me with endearing eyes. I stared back intently with intense concern.
"Kirito... thank you so m-"
Before she could finish that sentence I felt a tentacle wrap around and pull me away rapidly. I took Asuna's place and started swaying in the air dangerously. Then I started lowering closer to the water's surface.
"OH FUCK NO!" I yelled defiantly. I saw enough on the internet to know where this was going. I drew out my sword and cut off the binding tentacle around my ankle. I dropped from the air and desperately clawed for a ledge. Fortunately, I was able to grasp the edge, but just barely. I started slipping.
"KIRITO-KUN!" Shouted Asuna and she rushed to my side. As I was about to take a plunge she dived baseball-esque towards me and caught my wrist. She held on for a while, but then started slipping herself.
"Asuna! Let go of me! At this rate we'll both get dragged in!" I demanded of her. She shook her head in violent protest.
"I can't let you die alone!" She argued and I saw tears well up in her eyes. She was willing to drown with me?...
"Asuna..." I uttered weakly. I was touched actually, I mean this scene seemed pretty movie clichéd, but nonetheless it was emotional for me. No one had ever shown that much care for me... not in a long time.
"Oh God, why don't you two get married?" Klein interrupted rudely while pulling me up. He and everyone else must've saw that and both me and Asuna turned our heads down in embarrassment. I remembered the plan suddenly.
"Did you dump the oil?" I asked briskly. Klein nodded. Step one. Complete. Now step two.
"Just like you said. Hope we don't get sued like BP did..." Klein added humorously. I rolled my eyes.
"Get me the «Dragore Blade»," I commanded. Harry went over to the DDA leader and «Disarmed» him. I heard something like, 'That's the second time already!' but I didn't care. Harry tossed the sword over to me. I nodded acknowledging my appreciation.
"Thanks. I forgive you now," I said and checked the fire absorption in the sword. It was empty...
I sighed and took out a flint. I struck it against the steel which elicited a small spark. I continued this dull work until there was sufficient amount of 'fire' absorbed into the blade. I stowed away the flint. I stuck the blade in the ground temporarily to draw out all my darts. I fused them all into one and fired the Black Fire Dart into the water at the dark spot submerged below.
I have no idea where I hit it, but the water started foaming angrily in response, confirming the target was hit. Step one. Complete. Step two. Complete. Step three... let's just say it wasn't going to be as easy as the other steps.
I slipped off my 3rd Gen Midnight and tossed it at Klein. I took off my boots as well. Asuna gave me a shocked then protesting look. I ignored it completely and grabbed the «Dragore Blade».
"Wish me luck," I said and dived into the oil-permeated water. I managed to take a look at the boss before I killed it. The «Kraken» was what it was called. I got the chills from looking at it, but maybe that was the water...
"IGNITE!" I gurgled as bubbles emitted from my mouth. Thankfully, the pathetically pitiful amount of heat from the sparks was enough for the oil to catch on fire. I swam hurriedly to the surface.
...Or not.
Of course I couldn't get away so easily as the damn octopus grabbed my leg. In the midst of the fire, it managed to sense my wave motions and caught me. I struggled to break free by kicking at it with my free leg. More bubbles escaped with precious oxygen.
Shit... I'm starting to feel lightheaded... I thought alarmed. I finally managed to sever the tentacle and swim away. But I was losing speed, and suddenly the surface looked too far away... I started dropping like lead. It felt like I had an anchor and a concrete block tied to both my legs. I looked around and saw that the «Kraken» had regenerated its tentacles and was pulling me in. Looks like he wanted to do commit a double suicide in the surrounding ring of fire I had created. I tried to fight back, but in my resistance the «Kraken» whipped me in the head and tore off my shirt and lower pants, so I only had shorts now in the freezing water. My vision started fading...
It's getting hard, harder to breathe... Am I out of time, is that what this means?... I was blacking out. Darkness surrounding...
...But then I saw something break the surface. Something white heading towards me. Is that... a mermaid?...
I awoke with a sudden start. By that I meant I was coughing up water. What happened to me?... I looked around dazed.
I saw Klein and his guild rejoicing at my arousal from unconsciousness. Then I suddenly sensed a tight grip on my right hand. I turned to see Asuna with tears in her eyes that she frantically wiped away.
"Asuna?..." I asked cautiously. She gave a slight sniffle but faced me with earnest eyes.
"I... *sniff*... thought you died. I was so scared... that you... wouldn't *sniff*... that you didn't make it..." Asuna whispered tenderly. I brushed her hand with my thumb to let her know I was all right. "If you're going to do something stupid, at least tell me first..." I nodded solemnly. She had been scared I had died? I felt really cold before but suddenly my body warmed up dramatically. Is this what they called?...
"Glad to see you're awake, partner," Klein interrupted abruptly ignorant of the moment he just ruined. I sighed exasperated.
"Yeah, I'm glad too. Where's everyone else?" I questioned asking the obvious.
"Oh they left. Couldn't really spare a thought about you, but I'm sure they're just too prideful to express their thanks. You know, you being a Beater and all..." Klein muttered the last part as to not be too insensitive. I appreciated the sentiment.
"Hope you don't mind, but, I kinda revealed your identity to my pals. Sorry, man, they kept pressing," Klein said apologetically rubbing his head and I gave him a death glare. What the fuck?
"Hey, it's not my fault! I'd want to know who would be that crazy to risk their life for everyone else! Wouldn't you? Especially when you do it on a daily basis... jeez you idiot..." Klein criticized but held admiration in his eyes nonetheless. His guild expressed similar countenances and nodded their approval. I sighed deeply.
"Klein, I'm gonna forgive you this time," I stated seriously. "But if I happen to actually die next time, I'm gonna haunt your ass," I threatened darkly. He held his hands up in surrender agreeing to the terms by nodding nervously. I then addressed Asuna.
"Asuna, shouldn't you be with your guild?" I inquired curiously. Not that I didn't appreciate her presence, it just struck me as odd.
"I... kind of asked them to go on ahead and let me stay behind... for a while, to confirm whether you were alive or not," she confessed reluctantly. Klein nodded to support her statement.
"Yeah... for a moment it looked like you copped it. I'm serious, dude, you were pale as hell and you weren't even breathing! Then Asuna-"
Said person got up and kneed Klein in the balls. Ouch... that looked much more painful in person... I would hate to be on the receiving end of that...
"I only did it to save your life!" Asuna said pointedly with her arms crossed and refusing to look this way. I raised my fingertips to my lips. Then I tasted them.
"Mhmmm... cherry," I commented on Asuna's lipstick. She blushed like a cherry and gave me a furious look. Well, maybe 'furious' is an understatement...
"OHMYGOD SHUT UP!" She exclaimed and got up to leave. Over her shoulder she called out to me.
"You owe me!" Asuna shouted with a commanding tone evident in her voice. I smirked and called back.
"So like, breakfast, lunch, and dinner?" I teased playfully. She scoffed heavily and left with one remark.
"You're unbelievable!" She responded.
"Whatever you say, princess..." I said and with that she resolutely pounded away. Maybe I had pushed my luck?...Nah...She digs me, I can tell...
In the aftermath, the «Kraken» was burned to death.
I didn't bother checking for my LA bonus yet, because I felt too tired and lazy. Harry informed me that he returned the «Dragore Blade» to a certain grumbling DDA leader. Oh whatever, all's well that ends well.
The 16th floor was yet another water-based floor. The topography was filled with lakes and rivers. There were grassy greens and lighthouses. There was a light mist around the environment. The 16th floor boss area was similar to the last one. This time, however, there were two large pools of water split in half by a wooden bridge leading to the other side with the doors to the next floor.
As we walked towards the other end, the surface of the water broke and an enormous piranha named «Jaws» leapt out of the water and chomped down on 3 players. Gruesome, to say the least.
"Why are there so many giant sea-creatures in this game?" I whispered to myself. I was starting to get annoyed. Technically, the «Basilisk» didn't count, the «Kraken» was the first one I encountered, and this would be the second. Still, I was getting sick of looking at water and getting forced into it. I aimed a fully fused Black Fire Dart at the piranha, following its path. Then as soon as it popped up again, I threw my projectile at its face.
It hit it in the eye and if a fish could scream, it would've in deep agony.
With the target being slowed down, I managed to get a few clean hits on it. Everyone else pitched in to do their portion.
The boss reached the red zone, but before I could kill it, some pink-haired girl rushed up the instant it jumped out of the water and smashed it with a giant hammer. It disintegrated into thousands of pieces and everyone rejoiced at the victory. Except for me, I continued sulking.
Whatever, I didn't even need that kill... I dismissed childishly.
The 17th floor was very cold. I could see every breath I took. It was grey and blue in color. There was some ice around and mostly tough soil. It'd be a rough place to live.
The 17th floor boss area was like the floor itself. Cold as Mr. Freeze. The boss was sitting upon an ice throne. It was a Yeti named The «Abominable». How fitting.
The boss fight was progressively slow. Our reactions were delayed by the intensity of low temperature. A few of the frontliners got frozen by the «Ice Breath». Regrettably a few got bashed in and shattered like glass. I swore to avenged their deaths. I dodged a few more icicle spears projected at me.
In the end, I had to hijack the «Dragore Blade»(again) and use the fire absorbed from the last battle to melt that cold-ass motherfucker down. I used the remaining fuel to thaw out the frozen players before they died from hypothermia.
I rested for a few days on the 18th floor. It was tiring to go into battle constantly and I hadn't had a respite in a while.
The 18th floor itself was nothing special. Except it had a lot of mountains surrounding the area. The terrain was pretty rocky, too.
The boss itself turned out to be a giant humanoid figure that was classified as a titan. Its skin was granite grey which fit its name, «Boulderdash». I figured out the 'dash' part later.
This thing actually had tough skin. I know because my darts were ineffective and couldn't penetrate through. We tried every weapon we had, swords slashing, spears thrusting, hammers hammering, axes chopping... but not much damage was inflicted. It seemed we were just aggravating the titan. Too bad Mikasa and Eren couldn't bail us out...
The 'dash' part was quite literal. The titan put on unexpected bursts of speed and ran over a few players in the process. I couldn't allow more deaths. After a particularly nasty crash into the wall with a player getting sandwiched in between, I picked up a large pebble and chucked it at its head. That caught its attention at the very least, as it turned annoyed towards me.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Klein shouted disbelievingly. "You'll get stomped to death!"
Its eyes and mine locked in an intensely hostile gaze as I ignored Klein's concern. My eyes challenged it to face me one-on-one and its eyes showed perception of the conveyed message. It started revving up by pushing its foot back repeatedly signaling a charge. The dust rose into the air, and this shit went 8 Mile in an instant.
I started bouncing on the balls of my feet like Muhammad Ali. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Oh, I was gonna 'sting' alright...
I took out my recently acquired «Frostbiter» from the 15th floor and «Icebreaker» from the last one. For your benefit, here's the info:
«Frostbiter»
A sword of pure cold terror, this blade is entirely comprised of ice, giving it the nickname, 'Teeth of the North'. There are 3 special abilities: The first allows the user to encase the blade with an extra coating of ice to double damage. The second ability allows the user to 'decay' another weapon by slowly glaciating the entire weapon with every strike. The third allows the user create an ice wave, which requires water absorption. A Cooldown time of 3 minutes is required for each ability. This weapon may be upgraded twice by means of a Glacierite Ingot. The first enhancement increases damage by +30.
Okay, I had to admit that sounded pretty fucking sick. Surfboard? Hell yeah, I had to have that.
«Icebreaker»
A ring made of Cryongenite, one of the coldest materials in existence. Its properties are contained by Pyrometal, a purified and smelted form of Pyromite, to abate the intensity of coldness. This ring allows the user to shape and manipulate ice and water. Cooldown of five minutes.
That concept sounded very promising and I intended to use it in this situation. This was a fight I could certainly end without special abilities or equipment, I just found it practical to quit wasting more lives.
The titan charged at me and I released an ice wave from my «Frostbiter» at its feet. I then used «Icebreaker» to reshape the ice and meld it to the titan's feet. It fell over with an resounding crash. I froze the DDA leader from foot to waist and stole his «Dragore Blade»(once again) to utilize it to my advantage. I used the remaining fire absorbed to melt a ring in the ceiling. I then released multiple ice waves, depleting all my absorbed water fuel, at the heated spots to undermine the support in the ceiling. I then shattered the ice with the «Icebreaker» and followed up the attack with a fully fused Dark Fire Dart shot to nudge the ceiling in order to collapse. Soon enough the ceiling caved in and an enormous rock fell down.
"Heads up, bitch," I whispered to the doomed titan. With one last horrified look, it got wrecked by the boulder flattening it to pieces. I thawed out the DDA leader and tossed his sword back. He swore at me in thanks. I responded with 'you're welcome'.
"How theatrical," Asuna whispered to me passing by. I smirked knowingly.
"Man, that was EPIC," Klein praised me. I shook it off like 'please, I do this everyday'.
"We should go celebrate! To Kirito! The Black Swordsman!" said Harry. I found it a little odd, coming from him, but accepted it nonetheless. Quick note, Harry was also known as the Harry One. I don't know whether that means he didn't shave, or he was just known as the tall one.
We followed the other guilds and independent players to the 19th floor. The area had a similar vibe to the 13th floor. The main town was called «Ralberg». The only point of interest was the «Hill of the Cross», which was a graveyard surrounded by withered trees. How welcoming.
The town itself wasn't bad, a very sharp contrast to the dead forest. It was painted in light yellow with red tiles. Everything seemed normal, despite the poor arboriculture.
Klein and his guild led me into a bar. They ordered their drinks and I ordered water. What? Don't judge me...
I really didn't plan on staying long, and after finishing my glass, I motioned to leave. Klein, of course, noticed this.
"Come on, Kirito! Stay and celebrate with us! You deserve a break!" He coaxed cajolingly. I declined resolutely, but he would have none of that.
Ugh... I complained mentally. When is he going to get that I'm not into partying? I wished I had a valid excuse other than 'hey, I'm sick of hanging with you guys' or 'I wanna be alone, risking my life again'. And just when I was going to be forced to sit down, I saw someone by the door.
A hooded person staring at me. The same hooded person staring at me. But this time, they didn't run away, rather surprisingly, they nodded to me to come outside. I took advantage of this.
"Yeah, I'd love to get drunk and wake up in an alley with you guys... but... HEY LOOK!" I shouted suddenly, pointing in a random direction away from the door. "A HOT CHICK! HIT ON HER!"
Every member of the «Fuurinkazan» including Mr. Desperate himself, looked over in the direction I pointed at, as I slipped out the door like the Pink Panther.
There in the sunset and darkened shadows I rendezvoused with the mysterious hooded person. They were waiting for me in an alley(of course) leaning against the wall with their arms crossed. I expected to get answers this time.
"It's been a while, Kirito-kun. How are you doing?" the enigmatic person asked politely. I narrowed my eyes. It had been a few floors since I saw this person. Well, first things first.
"Who are you?" I asked insolently without regard of returning the courtesy. The person seemed to smirk.
"Straight to the point as always..." the person said sighing. "Do you want my name or my role?" the hooded one said ambiguously.
"Both, and quit answering my questions with a question," I responded irritated. This seemed to further amuse them.
"And if I don't?..." the person asked in a teasingly singsong voice. I drew out my sword.
"My my, you're quite aggressive..." the person remarked with no trace of fear. I had to admit I was impressed at this person's audacity at not being intimidated by me. Even more so that they didn't do anything to protect themselves at all. How awfully risky... it was almost as though they wanted to tempt me.
"Don't push your luck," I threatened darkly but the hooded one did not flinch at all.
"Kirigaya Kazuto wouldn't kill someone..." The person said shocking me. I never revealed my name to anyone... how did they?...
"...Not unless he had no other choice, in the most extremely drastic case... I presume you haven't forgotten the first floor?" The person asked subtly. My mind drew an unpleasantly repressed memory. Oh yeah I remembered... but there was no one around... how did?...
"You don't have to kill anyone to get what you want. Except Kayaba, of course... and yes, I know what you want. Her name was Suguha, right?" The person asked me calmly. I started to breathe slightly faster.
"I'd ask you how you knew... but you wouldn't give me a straight answer, would you?" I accused of them. They smirked and nodded approval.
"You learn quick," they complimented.
"So I'll ask you... what do you want?" I questioned inquiringly.
"For you to do what I say," the person responded simply. What?... I didn't take orders from anyone, and I meant anyone.
"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.
"If you want to clear the game, follow my advice. On this floor, watch your step... and on the 25th floor... it'll test even you, Kirito-kun."
I narrowed my eyes. I didn't understand this person's intentions. I had plenty of reason not to trust them.
"Why are you 'helping' me?" I said putting emphasis on helping to hint at my doubt. The person smiled approvingly.
"I know I seem pretty suspicious to you, but think about this: I could've revealed your real name to let's say a beta hater and you'd have quite the handful to deal with. If I remember right, your friend Argo knows your real name too. Think of me like her, shady, but once you get to know me... I think we can work together, Kirito-kun... I promise that if you listen to my advice, I'll reveal everything you want to know, in time," the hooded one said. By now I could deduce that this person was a girl. The voice was melodically feminine and the figure was quite curvaceous. Not that it was of much relevance...
"I..." This was a lot to take in. I wasn't sure what to think. But this person brought up a good point. Still, I felt wary of her actions.
"I'll trust you..." I said cautiously. "...for now," I added darkly. She smiled at my behavior.
"Then we understand each other," She said and turned to leave. I called out to her before she left.
"You don't have any other details?" I inquired. She smirked at me over her shoulder.
"You're a smart guy, Kirito-kun. I'm sure you'll figure it out on your own," she said confidently.
"I don't know your name, so what do I call you?" I asked reasonably. She paused to formulate an answer.
"My favorite color is purple. Call me Violet," she answered casually and walked away swaying her hips in a sassy manner. Not that it was of much relevance...
"Right..." I said and I proceeded to get back on schedule in order to prepare for this floor's boss.
When we entered the 19th floor dungeon, it seemed darker than usual. The area seemed very grey and pale. The stone floor was dusty and there were broken ceramic potteries. I saw dried flowers upon fallen graves. It was a really gloomy ambiance that easily outstripped the 13th floor. We opened the doors cautiously.
The arena was dark and foreboding. I saw violet and indigo flames on the mounted torches. There at the far end of the square room was the boss. Its name was the «Staunton Master». We approached him with shields raised and weapons poised. I took notice of the field. There were a multitude of chains hanging from the ceiling above us, and entire floor was level. I saw huge square patterns and realized something.
This is a chessboard... and he wants to play, I thought grimly. On the sides I saw broken pieces of armor and worn weapons. They appeared to be stone statues. Or were, anyway...
As expected, Kirito approached the boss first, walking with an arrogant swagger. I swear to God, he was going to get himself killed one day...
The boss rose from its throne and drew a giant greatsword out of its medieval scabbard. It seemed to be addressing Kirito alone and walked menacingly towards him.
It swung a huge «Avalanche» at him which would've mortally wounded him had he not rolled to the side. Kirito attempted to use a dart but the projectile failed to pierce the stone armor. He proceeded to summon his «Frostbiter» and «Icebreaker» combo, but even that didn't affect the boss very much. Kirito retreated back to the rest of us.
"This thing's a bitch to fight," he commented with grudging respect towards the challenge. Emboldened by Kirito's reckless attack, a few others tried to damage the boss. I watched them fight but their efforts were in vain after the boss countered with a ground pound. It proceeded next to swipe up a player in its free hand and crush them to death. How brutally barbarian.
I rushed forward, dodging another «Avalanche», running up the sword and delivering a midair «Flashing Penetrator» aimed at the head. I succeeded in pushing the boss back slightly while knocking its crown off. Still, that only did about 10% damage to one health bar. I had to retreat.
Everyone started attacking the boss at once in an attempt to reduce its health as much as possible, but the boss's sheer size and strength made it difficult to approach. Suddenly it reached half health.
I don't know why, but I sensed an immediate danger when the boss hit halfway down its health. I ran and jumped onto a overhanging chain and swung over to Asuna like Spidey and grabbed her away from the floor.
Not a moment too soon, the ground started pulling players down.
Or rather, spectral arms appeared out of nowhere dragging the unsuspecting players to the ground. Those who had quick enough reactions leapt to safety by grabbing the chains hanging above. Those who were less fortunately gifted in speed were held to the floor, and executed by the boss guillotining them. I felt sorry for them but refocused on the task at hand.
"That's totally unfair..." Asuna said grieving for the fallen players. She looked glad that I had saved her.
"But... how you'd know?" she asked me curiously. Whoops... uh...
Honestly I'd rather not tell her anything until I was sure, so I responded with a pathetically hackneyed answer.
"Umm... lucky guess?" I offered sheepishly and she frowned at me.
"Well... this place does look like a graveyard so I thought..." I improvised trying to provide reason to my instincts. She seemed convinced at that, for the most part at least. I sighed in relief.
"Fair enough..." she said accepting my explanation. "Still... we need a strategy to beat that thing," she said pointedly and I agreed. Not that it was of much relevance but Asuna crawled up to even level and wrapped her arms around me snugly. I noticed she tried to avoid looking my way with a slightly pink face.
Speaking of pink...
...there's that girl again. The one with the huge hammer. Hmm... maybe, just maybe...
"Asuna, I have a plan," I said abruptly. She kept her gaze on the boss while the rest of the frontliners swung by with random attacks on it. In the air however, our offense wasn't as strong.
"I'd like to hear it," she said a little sarcastically.
"Seeing as you managed to knock that thing back, I figure we need something bigger to finish the job. Get that girl with the hammer ready, and on my mark we can bash its head in with our strongest sword skills," I declared confidently. Asuna gave me a doubtful look.
"Are you sure that's a real plan? Well, it's not very good is it..." Asuna said skeptically, echoing the words of a certain bushy-haired brunette. Nonetheless she agreed to my proposed strategy.
After taking a painstaking amount of time chipping away its health, I signaled for Asuna and the girl to accompany me in a final attack.
"Everyone!" Asuna commanded. "Disorient the boss so we can move in!" And they struck from all directions to cause the boss to spin around in confusion, unable to focus on a single target.
"Go for the kill!" I called out and all three of us swung in swords drawn. Asuna activated a new skill called «Spearhead», a near invisible-strike with godly speed and damage, the girl activated something I assumed was a «Rolling Thunder» based on the execution and color of the sword skill. It required spinning the hammer or a weapon of similar class, using two hands to propel the attack. I chose to activate my previously undisclosed «Vorpal Strike» which was a heavy hitting attack that allowed me to reach twice the length of my blade and inflict a highly damaging strike with 30% Physical, 30% Fire, and 40% Darkness. There was a huge Cooldown period but it was worth it. I would refrain from using it too much though, for the attack was predictably obvious to see beforehand.
We all hit nearly at the same time, but I hit a little later, just to get the LA bonus. Before you say it, yes, I know it was selfish. That's why I did it.
The boss dispersed into thousands of blue shards and everyone rejoiced tiredly at the victory. I could see many sore arms from all the swinging. I counted our losses. 24 deaths. Fuck...
I decided to move on as to not linger about on bad feelings. Asuna grabbed my sleeve before I got to leave.
"Hey... it wasn't the best strategy... but it did work. Not bad... for you, anyway..." Asuna said smiling slightly at me. I felt my lips turn up just momentarily. I left without a glance back.
As Kirito left, I observed the aftermath. It was a difficult fight today, but we made it in the end. Still, I disliked the death toll... the game was only going to get harder.
I went over to congratulate the girl who helped us.
"Hey, thanks for your help," I said gratifying the stranger. She smiled bashfully back at me.
"Oh, it was nothing. I just wanted to help, you know. Can't hide away doing nothing forever..." she said admittedly. I could relate to this girl. She seemed similar to me. I felt the compelling urge to ask for her name.
"I'm Asuna, sub-commander of the KoB. And you are?..." I asked politely. She gave me an admiring look.
"Lisbeth. I'm just a wandering smith, but I'm considered pretty good at it. It's an honor to meet you," she responded equally courteous.
"A smith? Really? That's interesting..." I admitted wonderingly. Then I had an idea.
"Say... what's your Smithing level?" I asked curiously.
"Well... actually it's called Forging and there are multiple categories for forging different weapons..." Lisbeth corrected politely. "But they're all around... 700?"
My eyes opened up in surprise.
"You must've been working hard..." I said admittedly impressed. I didn't think many people currently reached pass 500 in any skill for that matter...
"Eh... to be fair, I did have help at first... then I went on my own to start an independent business," Lisbeth said modestly.
"In that case... I've been holding a special item for quite some time... I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing a favor for me..." I trailed off tantalizingly. Her intrigue sparked up.
"Well, it depends... let's see," she said smirking.
I operated the trade menu and displayed what I had. Her eyes opened up noticeably.
"You think you could handle it?" I challenged teasingly. She smirked openly.
"Oh I think so. I've been waiting for a challenge..." she said appreciatively. "You and me are going to be best friends!" She exclaimed excitedly. "So what's on your mind?"
"Hmm... well if you could make a new sword, I'd consider paying you a sumptuous amount..."
I reached the 20th floor alone. I proceeded to link up the «Teleport Gate». I took in the surroundings silently.
It was quiet and foggy. Kind of mysterious and hard to describe. I walked into town like a ghost. I entered a vacant bar, sat down in the corner at an empty table and pondered.
"That last fight was too taxing..." I admitted grudgingly. 24 deaths... damn. I was forced to wonder, what if Violet hadn't warned me beforehand? Would I have still won? Or would I have died? What if?...
No. I can't accept defeat, or any kind of weakness for that matter... I thought stubbornly. Then I thought about what she had said.
Apparently the 25th floor was going to be a bitch to deal with. I wondered what kind of dangers waited that would apparently 'test' me. In the long run... maybe it was best to accept Violet's help. I mean, I didn't know anything about her, but she seemed to know an awful lot.
Maybe... A small voice said in my head. Although it was hard to admit, I had to be realistic. And plus, if Violet's advice pulled through, I could see my sister sooner than I thought.
Being the best wasn't enough...
A/N And finally I wrap up that chapter. Sorry it took a week. Hoped it was long enough though. I want to give thanks for all those who have read the entire story thus far and have patiently waited. I want to especially give thanks to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed the story. Though, I could do with a few more reviews, I appreciate those that did. So what'd you think? Was it a good choice to implement more fight scenes? Or would you prefer more dialogue and character interaction? I thought it was pretty good, but that's just me. I do happen to have one request. Well, two actually. One is that I feel way too lazy to come up with names for the other 4 members in Klein's group so I would appreciate some help. They have to be male btw, no offense to the ladies reading this. Two, if you think you know who 'Violet' is, try not to spoil it. That's all, and thank you for your time. Please R & R~
