AN: Thanks to LordsFire as usual for Beta-ing. There's a infodump at the end of this chapter too.
Chapter Eleven
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Sakuya and Alicia slowly made their way to the plaza in front of the World Tree, along with their aides and guards. Not all of the assembled people would be going up with Sakuya however; Titania had made it clear previously only a maximum of two others could go with a Faction Leader to the meeting. The dark-haired Sylph Leader wore her elegant kimono as usual, though Alicia had traded in her leotard for more formal robes.
It was an historic event for ALO players, disregarding the mess that the Transition had created; all nine Faction Leaders had assembled at one place, not to mention the ascent to the pinnacle of the World Tree which was the final goal of Alfheim Online. Even if the reward of eternal flight had been granted to players prior to the meeting, it didn't make the event any less significant.
Not even recent events had completely dampened the excitement; Gatan had been attacked two days prior, which pushed the Faction Leaders' meeting with Titania right onto the limit of the third day which was stated in her System Announcement. There had been an early influx of Salamanders before their main convoy arrived in Arrun, bringing tales of horror as a single Tristainian mage devastated the Capital of the deserts. Despite how the Spriggans and Imp convoys safely arrived in Arrun, that catastrophe at Gatan was placed at the forefront of nearly everyone's minds; any relief about the former was eclipsed by the worry stemming from the latter. Apart from the Salamanders, who had quite a number of people desperate to escape a place that was attacked, most of the other Capitals' convoys didn't have more than a third of their population arriving due to Titania installing a sewage system.
Agil, along with delegates from other Factions, had helped iron out a provisional trade deal between Arrun and the Tristain merchants, and deliveries of food would be sent along to the Capitals starting later that day; so there was even less of a reason for players to flock to Arrun, especially for Capitals that were well-defended like Freelia and Everdark.
The SAO players, especially Kirito, were hit hard by the news of Gatan however. The look of despair Kirito had when he was notified of the development upon Alicia's return to Arrun was something Sakuya wouldn't be forgetting for some time to come; Kirito didn't get messages sent from Faction Leaders to each other, and Titania didn't see fit to notify him the instant Mortimer sent in his report. Added to the fact Alicia didn't get sent the message until after her meeting with Osmond, to prevent Alicia's – or Kirito's – knee-jerk reactions ruining diplomatic relations, Kirito hadn't had the chance to learn about Gatan until he was back in Arrun.
By the time Sakuya and Alicia reached the plaza before the Entrance Chamber of the World Tree, multiple Faction Leaders and their aides were already present. There were a crowd of onlookers there to see all of the Faction Leaders in one place, and they were being kept at bay by the various elite players serving as part of the Factions' main forces.
At one side Simon, the Gnome's Leader, timidly spoke with his Imp counterpart. A plain Business Suit adorned Simon, and though it looked tidy it made it apparent Simon placed more focus on raising his non-combat skills such as Mining than his combat ones. The Business Suit was a set of clothing used more for roleplaying than for combat purposes, with no skill requirements to be able to equip them and had minimal stat increases. He was likely the weakest of all the Faerie Lords if it came down to a fight, and his physical form supported that opinion; short navy blue hair, and a diminutive height. Simon was usually elected when the Gnomes didn't feel particularly adventurous, and wanted a Leader that wouldn't risk getting themselves killed by accident – Simon spent most of his time digging in the caves under Nissengrof, and the only combat he normally see was against Random Encounters.
Sasaki, the Imp's Faction Leader, had clothing much more advanced than Simon's. Shadow-Silk Robes, high-tier stealth clothing, that were wrapped loosely around Sasaki, leaving only an androgynous face uncovered by the satin. Nobody in ALO knew for sure what Sasaki's gender was, as she – or he – looked vague enough to fit either depending on the clothing worn at the time. In a skirt, Sasaki appeared as a tomboy, while in pants 'she' could have passed off as a feminine-looking man instead. Sasaki's voice, too, was of a nature that it was almost impossible to judge 'her' gender by it. All these factors, combined with loose hooded robes that didn't have any predetermined gender roles associated with them, only made Sasaki's presence more enigmatic.
A few metres away from the Imps and Gnomes leaders and aides were the Salamander and Puca delegates:
"And you're planning to let her go just like that?" Pieter, the leader of the Puca faction, asked Mortimer incredulously. The Puca had set his appearance to that of a man in his late twenties, and he wore a conductor's outfit that resembled a tuxedo, formal occasion garb fit for meeting others politely. A conductor's rod or wand was sheathed in his belt. "After she did all that damage to Gatan and the Salamanders?"
"Executing her in the short run might have given everyone satisfaction, but after people cooled down and contemplated what they've done I imagine a lot of them will be horrified by what they chose to do when caught up in the moment," Mortimer replied quietly, speaking at a volume that the crowd wouldn't be able to hear him. The Salamander Lord was dressed in his usual red-and-gold Archmage Robes, and his face looked gaunt from recent events. "Returning her as a sign of goodwill to the locals would be more beneficial, even if my standing within the Faction will fall in the short term as everyone is driven by emotions. Though if she doesn't come up with the reparations we've agreed on, we can always declare war then.
"In the unlikely event I am voted out of office because of this, Eugene has enough influence to be elected in my stead; Eugene has always been at the forefront of boss raids and such, getting valuable material for the Salamanders. Whatever challenger shows up would have to go through him, and I doubt that will happen."
Sakuya shook her head slightly at Mortimer's words as she walked passed him, anxious at the turn of events. Titania's reaction upon being notified of the attack on Gatan was swift, and it frightened her how the GM and the Salamander Faction Leader spoke of conflict so easily in the current situation. That fact, among others, suggested to her it might be an uphill battle to keep things peaceful in the coming days. She joined Morgiana and the Undine's newly elected leader at one end of the Plaza, who were in the middle of a conversation themselves.
"-then the lake's Water Spirit said, and I quote, 'Leave immediately, my brethren, lest you suffer my wrath'," Thinker, dressed in a plain aqua-blue robe with a mantle of similar colour hanging loose down his back, said with a pained voice. To his side was Argo and Yulier, acting as his aides for the upcoming meeting – though the Puca teenager was getting a few glances from spectators for being taken along by a Faction Leader not her own. The newly elected Undine leader was in the middle of giving a recount of how he got saddled with the position. "It took all the skills I had to calm him, or her, down. Barely. It wasn't easy, especially when at the time everyone was still unsettled from being dumped into a new world that afternoon; it was probably a miracle things didn't end up like the assault on Gatan."
"That explained why Atlanta ended up backing you as the Undine Leader," Sakuya said thoughtfully as she joined the conversation. "So she's staying in Parasel to keep an eye on things?"
"She felt it was more important to look after the other Undines instead of meeting Titania," Thinker replied. "I'm basically a glorified messenger for her in this case; once things have settled down I'm likely to be forced into retiring from this position one way or another. The reason I'm here instead of her was in case something goes wrong in this meeting of Faction Leaders; Atlanta believes by sending someone else here, instead of coming herself, means there'll still be someone left in Parasel to pick up the pieces if things do end up going bad."
"Can't blame a girl for looking out for her own people," Morgiana shrugged. "Who else are we missing for this meeting?"
"Just Rufus," Sakuya said as she scanned the people present in the plaza. Kirito and Yui had already gone up earlier that morning to prepare for their arrival, according to the Furinkazan guild that had met up with him the previous evening. "Though judging from what I've heard of him, it isn't like him to be tardy."
"It's not time for the appointment yet though," Thinker pointed out. "He still has time…"
The words in Thinker's mouth died as a hubbub rose from the crowds surrounding the plaza. A smattering of warriors from all Factions were tasked to keep the spectators away from the Leaders themselves just in case something happened, and judging by their inaction towards the source of the noise it appeared Rufus had finally arrived. The visage of the Leprechaun Leader however, reduced the other Leaders' conversations into jaw-dropping muteness.
"Rufus, man," Morgiana was the first to put word to her thoughts. "… What happened to your hair?"
The Leprechaun Faction Leader, a man who appeared slightly older than Sakuya, wore extravagant brown robes with gold trim in a similar style to that of Mortimer's. Each of his fingers had several rings on them, of various designs, all made of Enchanted Gold. A necklace of the same material was around Rufus' neck, with an eclectic selection of five pendants on them.
The most eye-catching part of Rufus however, was how his hair had been styled into dreadlocks. Dark hairs hung in thick strands off of the Leprechaun leader's head, with even more gold rings braided into his strands. Every strand had a few rings in it, braided periodically along it, and was of a noticeably higher quality than the ones upon Rufus' hands, with more intricate designs or rarer gems set within them.
"Damn, man, I knew you liked your bling, but was it necessary to show it all off like this?" Morgiana said with amazement as she examined the pieces of jewellery one by one. "If you wore this much gold back in ALO I might have personally hunted you down for your loot."
"It's because we're no longer in-game that I can equip all of these masterpieces at once," Rufus replied smugly, spreading his arms out wide. "ALO has a cap on the number of jewellery you can equip at a time, but that isn't present as things are now. And wearing all of these isn't just to show my wealth, either; every one of these rings I have on me has some kind of passive stat buffs on them, 'STR+5' and such, enough for me to match anyone except maybe you and Eugene. Without the cap, I think all of these boosts stack up into something fearsome to be on the wrong side of."
"And that's not taking into account the extra effects Empathic Items give you," Mortimer eyed Rufus warily, "With all that you have on you right now, I can see at least status immunity to everything and maximised critical hits… and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I presume you've 'Mastered' the 'Empathic Items' skill as well?"
"Obviously," Rufus kept his smug grin on his face, "Over half of all these little beauties I have on me have a 'Limit Break' on them – some even have more than one of those. I think I've got enough firepower on me to solo the Grand Quest if I have to; no wonder there was a cap on the number of jewellery you can use at one time back in ALO, all these combined are literally Gamebreaking."
"Overkill much?" Morgiana shook her head. "Careful there Rufus, you might end up making yourself a target one of these days."
"We're all targets already, in case you missed the memo on what happened to Gatan," Rufus shrugged. "The locals aren't exactly friendly. Besides, there's no way I'm going to come within 50 metres of the infamous 'Shadow Spearwoman' herself without the means to defend myself. Consider it a compliment to your skills if you want, Morgiana-san."
Further discussion was interrupted by the sound of stone slabs grating together from high up within the Entrance Chamber. Added to that, the sounds of wings being activated and descending were also audible.
"Guess it's time," Mortimer said nonchalantly. "Let's go."
The Salamanders took the lead in entering the World Tree as the various Faction Leaders filed in. The crowd of onlookers pushed forward to try and get a better view, and the guards present grudgingly gave ground until people were on the threshold of the World Tree gates. More than once however, an overly enthusiastic player would get prodded back as they got too close to the guards.
The Entrance Chamber had been cleared of other players for the event, and only the Faction Leaders and their aides were there within the vast room below. Above them, the old man in white robes Sakuya recognized as Nishida levitated towards them slowly on his white wings, surrounded by four of the World Tree Guardians.
"Hello, everyone," Nishida said with a small smile as he landed. "So all the Faction Leaders are here, then?"
Various murmurs of confirmation came from the group, the faeries showing signs of wariness at the Guardians' presence – the players hadn't quite got used to how the white constructs were not hostile towards others within the Entrance Chamber.
"Just to be sure, would everyone please summon their Medallions?" Nishida asked.
Sakuya did so, along with Alicia, Mortimer and the others. Upon a silent command from Nishida, each of the Medallions glowed with the colour of their Faction briefly, before flashing white once.
"Very good," Nishida said, "before we go up however, I'd like to remind people here many of the things spoken above would be confidential. If you cannot keep the details of what's said in this meeting to yourselves, I am going to have to ask for you to stay behind, unfortunately."
A glance to the side from Sakuya showed none of the Faction Leaders declining to go up with Nishida's reveal. Then again, it wasn't like none of them had secrets, such as the forces and assets they held in reserve from the other Leaders if nothing else. Requesting for details to be kept confidential wouldn't be a difficult thing for them to do.
"If there isn't anything else, we can go up now," Nishida said, reactivating his wings. The entourage flew slowly upwards, with Simon and a few aides looking nervously around them as they did so. Sakuya could admit to herself that she was feeling a bit tense as well; the last time anyone flew up so high in the room was swamped by the World Tree Guardians. Contrary to their worst fears however, everyone made it to the stone entrance above without incident. Upon moving past the entrance, Sakuya landed onto the marble floor. Soon after the four panels that sealed the entrance began to extend out, closing the door behind them with a loud thud.
"On this level is the equivalent of the Faerie Lord's Mansion for Arrun," Nishida said, as he moved down one of the spacious corridors that lead to the entrance. The style of the level seemed to be predominantly made of wood, with marble reserved for the floor or other important places. "Once the SAO players are released from this level here, all of you here are free to use the facilities as you wish when the meeting is over. Every function available to you back at your Capitals has an equivalent here, among other add-ons. Luxuries such as hot water baths and dependable fridges are accessible here, taking into account that there have been some failures with these items outside the World Tree. Hopefully that should help ease some of the burden of your responsibilities…"
Alicia, Sakuya and Morgiana shared a look between them amidst the interested murmurs from the other assembled ALO players, while Thinker's group did the same among themselves. With the first food delivery scheduled to arrive in Arrun that afternoon, after the meeting with Titania, the problem of feeding everyone being no longer an issue; the main reason for keeping the SAO players isolated would soon disappear. Titania agreed to let the SAO players go, as even in the worst case scenario of the SAO players being unruly, the GM believed the 60,000+ ALO players will have some way to deal with it themselves.
"The maps of this level are accessible to those with the clearance to visit the Faerie Lord's Mansion, through the Medallions," Nishida went on to say, taking a turn at an intersection. "Everything potentially dangerous or classified has been shifted by Titania-san onto other levels, so the Leaders have free reign over this section of the World Tree. The only place with World Tree Guardians here will be the escalator; in case someone tries force their way upwards without invitation, and they won't move past where they are stationed."
The group came to a halt at a large circular room, with statuesque World Tree Guardians lining the walls. Unlike the ones the Sylphs and Cait Siths fought however, these Guardians didn't just arm themselves with two-handed swords and bows, but also spears, shields, and a myriad of other weapons. At the centre of the room was a short marble column, with a panel of different icons on it and a circular indent in the middle of the panel.
"This room's the escalator," Nishida said, somewhat needlessly considering the number of Guardians around them. He materialized his own Medallion, and stretched the necklace with it out so it could be placed into the indent. The moment it was done the ground shook, and the column levitated up along with the majority of the floor, leaving the Guardians below. The ceiling twenty metres above them split into halves and retracted into the walls steadily, showing everyone below it was made of a marble barrier almost as thick as Alicia was tall.
After a few more icons were pushed by Nishida, the disc with everyone on it began to rise. Levels upon levels went by during their ascent, with identical scenes of spending some time in the shadows illuminated only by the panel of light, then thick barriers parting to show barred doors and a ring of Guardians around each level where the escalator could have stopped. The only change compared to the first level was how the later barriers were wooden ones which seemed to grow out of the walls within the World Tree, instead of retractable mechanisms like the first barrier.
"Is anyone counting how many levels we've gone by already?" Morgiana said with wonder. "I know the World Tree was huge, but what does Titania actually do with this much space?"
"Most of the rooms below are being modified into shelters, in case all of the ALO players need to be evacuated into the World Tree," Nishida replied. "After what happened to Gatan, Titania-san felt it was prudent to have this option available in case Tristain manages to overwhelm all of the Capitals."
"Given what else Titania is planning, I don't think we'll need this particular plan," Mortimer shook his head, placing one hand up to massage his forehead. It could have been a trick of the light, but Sakuya thought the Salamander Leader looked weary for an instant before he shifted back to the thoughtful schemer appearance he normally wore.
"So you already know what Titania has in store for us today?" Rufus asked, with one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Not really; just some things she has in mind for Gatan," Mortimer said. "Chances are she'll go over those anyway while we're here, so just be patient."
"You're no fun, Mort-kun," Morgiana complained light-heartedly, though it sounded like she was only doing so for appearance's sake. The group lapsed into an uneasy silence as everyone went over what they had heard about Gatan over the last few days – none of it good news, too.
The gloom around them was dispelled as the barrier above opened, sending natural sunlight down onto the players. The disc that brought them all the way up began to slow down, and the panel's glow began to lessen.
Sakuya, like everyone else, shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness. She felt the escalator slowing to a gradual stop before her eyes adjusted to the daylight. The first thing that came in her eyes took her breath away:
The assembled Faction Leaders and their aides stood in the middle of a large plaza within a city that, as cliché as it sounded, came from right out of a fairy tale. The building and roads were made of gleaming white marble, with thin gold veins apparent within the building walls. Tall spires, rivalling those of Sylvain's, rose up from the city sporadically and shone with dazzling brilliance. Rather than glass within the window panes, Sakuya was almost certain it was some kind of crystal due to the way light shone upon them.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Yggdrasil Citadel," Nishida said quietly, after allowing the players some time to look around. "Also named the 'City of the Air', 'World Tree's Crown', and other such titles if I recall correctly – though the current residents mostly just call this place 'Yggdrasil' or 'the Citadel'."
"People actually live here?" Sasaki asked with a pained voice. Sakuya glanced towards the Imps' Leader, and found her wincing at practically everything. The Shadow-silk of her robes seemed to lose their lustre, reduced to ordinary black cloth in the brilliant light. "It's so bright."
"Titania-san does, and I believe Kirito-kun might have a room available here as well," Nishida said apologetically, as if he felt responsible for Sasaki's distress. "Though I can see why you're not comfortable here – the place just seems so sterile."
Sakuya concurred; behind all the unearthly beauty was an air of unnaturalness, with not a speck of dust anywhere. The city looked too clean, if there could be such a thing.
"I would normally suggest we fly to the palace to reduce your discomfort, except Titania-san declared Yggdrasil for the time being a 'no-flying zone'," Nishida winced at the thought. "She's still testing the defences of this place, with the entire city being one large magical conductor. Anyone flying within the city limits could be blasted out of the sky like a zapped fly, no matter where they are."
Rufus whistled, obviously impressed at the idea. Undoubtedly, with his eye for rare materials he had already figured the conductor part out, gazing upon the components of the city. "This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'seat of power', doesn't it?"
"Let's just go already," Sakuya said impatiently. The way Rufus seemed to value material possessions over other people's wellbeing was getting on her nerves, more than Mortimer's cold indifference. At least the Salamander Lord didn't verbalize his disregard.
Nishida led the way, down the main road toward tall ramparts and the palace that loomed even taller beyond it. Lined on both sides of the road were even more World Tree Guardians, who alternately wielded spears and one-handed straight swords down the lines. The Citadel was eerily quiet, with the only sounds coming from the group's footsteps and clothes rustling. The Guardians themselves didn't budge even a millimetre in their stance, and there was no wind flowing within the city to blow at their cloth coverings. Glancing up, Sakuya found the entirety of the Citadel was within a sphere of near-invisible force, which explained the lack of breezes. Surprisingly, the air they were breathing in didn't feel stale and stiff, even if the atmosphere seemed tense with the high number of guards around them.
Through the roads, past the portcullis and into the inner Citadel proper, were more stairs that led upwards. After even more twists and turns, at the end of tens of minutes of walking the Faction Leaders finally arrived at their destination. Every step of the way there was lined with Guardians at the sides, and here in the palace it seemed like one couldn't swing a weapon around without it colliding with half a dozen of the constructs.
"Titania-san and Kirito-kun are just behind these doors, within the Throne Room," Nishida said with a sigh, glad the trek was finally over. Despite his distinctively older age he was no more out of breath than anyone else within the group. In front of them was a set of large and imposing doors, with Enchanted Gold flowing across the door in swirling patterns.
"I will leave you people to your discussions then," the old Alf said. "I have to contact the others below to arrange the release of the other SAO players. Excuse me."
Nishida pounded on the enormous doors a few times with one palm, and the doors swung open slowly in response. The elderly Alf then turned away back down the corridor, the four Guardians with him accompanying him in his departure. The assembled Leaders left at the entrance glanced at each other a few times, wordlessly debating who should enter first. A few seconds later, the consensus was to just head in in the order they walked to the inner Citadel, considering it was too much hassle to shift the order around at that point. One after another, the Faction Leaders and their respective aides went inside Titania's Throne Room.
The Throne Room was large; easily several times larger than a high school gymnasium. There were probably Boss fight chambers in ALO smaller than the room, going by what Sakuya knew of PvM. Beyond how imposing the place had looked, the utility of the room being the location for the 'Final Battle' was probably not too far off the mark – going by what Kirito had said Titania was originally a Sub-Boss accompanying Oberon back when ALO was first planned. Surprisingly, there were far fewer Guardians lining the walls than in the rest of the Citadel, with them only spaced out approximately one every ten metres or so. As with the rest of the Citadel, the room had marble surfaces, and was illuminated by sunlight shining down through the large glassed skylights above.
Titania and Kirito stood at the far end of the room, with the Fairy Queen facing them as she stood before the seven-tiered dais two thrones rested upon, with her Royal Protector slightly off to one side. Even as the Faction Leaders took in the sight before them, Titania and Kirito observed the group that approached them.
The Fairy Queen wore a regal white dress trimmed with red edges, which covered everything from her neck down to nearly her ankles except her hands. Along the surface of the dress itself were sections of lace intricately woven over the fabric, detailed to the point Sakuya was sure it could only have been brought into existence by the administrator consoles. An elaborately decorated sceptre was held in one of Titania's hands, made of what looked to be platinum and encrusted with jewels as appropriate. Undoubtedly the weapon was a focus of the highest calibre for spellcasting, not that Titania would have needed the boost. The only other piece of jewellery that the Fairy Queen had was a plain tiara atop her head, with simply a single diamond decorating the simple crown.
Long chestnut-coloured hair framed Titania's face, though her beauty was marred by the neutral expression she wore. Despite that, Sakuya didn't think accounts from Argo describing Asuna's beauty and popularity within SAO were exaggerated. Beautiful and strong, Sakuya was sure admirers would have flocked over to Asuna even more than they did to herself as the Sylph's Leader; even generously speaking, Sakuya conceded she herself would only qualify for the former and not the latter within ALO. If Eugene was a bishoujo as beautiful as the Blazing General was imposing, and retained his deadly martial skills, maybe that would come close to describing the influence Asuna could have held in SAO.
Sakuya shifted her glance next to Kirito; at first glance Kirito kept his leather coat for this meeting, but upon closer inspection what he was now clothed in was different to his usual attire. Full plate armour enveloped Kirito, black metal complete with silvery trim – the set was comprised of a chestplate, plate leggings, vambraces, and so on, though instead of a helmet Kirito had a thin silver metal headband instead made of three layered rings. Judging from the thickness of the armour as seen by the shoulder blades, it was a light-weight armour, perhaps similar to Mithril in nature. Across his chest was a stylistic depiction of the World Tree, in the same silvery lines as his armour trim. The plate armour reached down to his feet, which were encased in black combat boots. Kirito's hands were covered by black fingerless gloves, and on the back of his hands were further silver armouring. His two one-handed straight swords, one glossy black and one the dull grey of Adamantium, were sheathed at his sides rather than on his back. The location where his swords normally occupied were instead a ghostly black satin cape, which looked like it would simply fade through physical contact. Finally, so faint Sakuya could barely see it, but she thought she could see pale white glyphs, the kind that was present when ALO faeries tried to cast spells, engraved in thin letters along the silver trim on Kirito's armour. All in all, instead of Kirito's boyish face making him seem woefully unfit to be a bodyguard, his grim demeanour and stern eyes accompanying his armour made him seem lethally competent.
"Hot damn," Morgiana breathed in an low voice from next to Sakuya, appreciation in her eyes as she took in Kirito's apparel. "Is that a full set of Runebound armour I see on Kiri-chan there?"
Sakuya's heartbeat increased, before she forced herself to calm down. Some special attacks and spells were only available to Bosses and Mobs, and the same applied to weapons and armour. Runebound armour was one such case, as it was the possession of a few elite Mobs and Bosses and there had been no known drops given to players. This kind of armour got its name from the Words of Power inscribed onto the armour, allowing its wielder to cast a spell almost instantaneously with the incantation already primed upon the armour. Each piece of armour only held a single spell, as far as anyone knew of them.
Generally, for the sake of game balance not even Bosses had more than a few pieces of Runebound armour. Bosses spamming special attacks, even if those had Cooldown periods, backed up with their monstrous stats generally guaranteed a total party kill within the span of seconds. Kirito's swordsmanship alone was such that it would have taken a raid team geared up for tanking a physical-based Boss to survive him, and now backed up with at least five instantaneous powerful spells of unknown effects it wouldn't be impossible for him to singlehandedly wipe out the entire group of Faction Leaders and their aides.
"I wonder if I can get some of those for myself…" Morgiana mused, unaffected by the prospect of maybe being on the wrong end of that kind of offensive capability.
"Focus, Morgiana," Mortimer rebuked the Spriggan Leader quietly. "You can fawn over Kirito-kun's gear later – remember the situation we're in right now."
The Faction Leaders came to a stop some metres away from Titania, with their aides halting a few steps behind them. It was more a matter of allowing personal space than about security, given the faeries' wings anyone there could probably cross tens of metres in a few seconds – not to mention the spells and other weapons that can be thrown across the distance.
"We already know who each other are, so I'll skip the introductions," Titania said with an even voice. "There is not much time these days to use on non-crucial matters, in any case. This meeting was called by me to discuss how we can best approach our current predicament – though granted, this was before things were pushed onto the verge of war."
"I wouldn't quite say it has gone that far, Titania-san," Mortimer interjected. "Duchess Valliere, while unrepentant about her actions, was willing to pay reparations for what she has done. Tristain doesn't want war with us, any more than we do."
"That's true," Alicia added. "Information I gathered from Headmaster Osmond, along with our dealings with the Tristainian merchants, suggested the local people don't want to fight if they can help it."
"What they want and what is actually happening can be two different things," Titania replied, unconvinced by their words. "Nevertheless, if open conflict can be avoided without extensive costs to us it will be a good development. I will leave the interaction with the locals to the Faction Leaders' discretion, and only step in if things go out of control.
"Which brings me to my first point: dealing with players and local residents will be the responsibility of the Faction Leaders. As long as the outcome is beneficial to the players of Alfheim Online and not against basic Rules of Conduct within the game, I will not directly involve myself with policies regarding these interactions. I am busy enough as it is implementing changes to the Capitals and adding other patches, and I simply do not have the processing power to add any more to my current workload. Therefore, I am delegating this area of my responsibility to you all."
"We're doing that already, so that's not much of a problem," Pieter said cautiously. The various Faction Leaders were wary of letting Titania handle diplomacy at any rate, with her immediate decision to send troops further supporting Kirito's claims that she didn't really know how to deal with humans. Sometimes immediate response with force in kind wasn't the best idea for peaceful relations. "Though I hope this means we still have a say in what patches should be implemented?"
"You all still do," Titania confirmed. "Delegating responsibility does not mean being cut off from all other matters; as Faction Leaders you all will have access to data logs of the changes I have implemented or will be doing so, to a degree. Similarly, I expect reports from you all as well outlining the progress of your own efforts, seeing as they're not a part within the ALO system for me to access."
The situation was formal enough that none present groaned at the thought of more paperwork. Instead, more nods came from the Faction Leaders indicating they understood that part of their roles.
"Failure to perform up to standard won't result in any reprimand from me," Titania continued. "You are elected representatives of your Faction, and I do not have the authority to remove you from your position under most circumstances. If you do not perform well, the most likely punishment for you would be getting voted out of your current position. Further details are within the Manual in your Medallions, if you are curious about the election process."
Sakuya had already taken the time to peruse through the relevant sections over the past few days. If 50% of a Faction all select the 'No Confidence' option in their menu for their current Leader within a period of 72 hours, they could force a re-election to be held the next day. To prevent it from happening all the time, a Faction Leader had to be elected by a majority of 60% of the votes instead of 51% to prevent backslides occurring constantly. As they were no longer in a game, elections will be held once every season instead of once a month.
"Though as I have said, this is the case 'under most circumstances'," Titania warned. "If your actions lead to massive deaths occurring, even with current respawning functions present, I will force an election to occur and remove you from the available candidates for that season. Similar actions will be taken if you have broken the Rules – Faction Leaders will be judged by the same standards as the rest of the players."
"So you're saying if we mess up badly, all we will lose are our jobs?" Rufus asked suspiciously. "Isn't that a bit too lenient?"
"Depending on the nature of the infraction, you may also be imprisoned as a Remain Light at an unspecified location within the World Tree," Titania commented. In response to a sharp intake of breath from various people present, Titania added: "This punishment is also for the safety of the offender – if crowd mentality is sufficiently incited, we may have a situation where the offender are repeatedly killed and revived at the Entrance Chamber. I cannot allow that to happen to the Alfheim Online players under my care."
"We can come back to discuss this point later," Mortimer said, cutting off Pieter and Sakuya's further reaction. "I don't doubt these things are up for adjustment after further negotiation with Titania-san, but I'd like to discuss this between ourselves first before we talk it over with the GM."
Reluctantly, Sakuya agreed to let the matter pass for the moment, though she made a note of this upon a screen summoned by her Medallion. She wouldn't let this topic be bypassed without any action taken.
"The next subject at hand, then," Titania continued, "is about the current situation with Jotunheim."
Morgiana perked up with interest at the new topic. It was no surprise that the guild leader of the Black Hawks would care about the most dangerous – but also lucrative – hunting grounds within ALO.
"Jotunheim, unlike most dungeons and areas in Alfheim Online, has also been brought over here into Tristain," Titania said calmly. "As for yesterday, all entrances to Jotunheim have been sealed by me to prevent Evil God class Mobs from roaming outside of the underground dungeon. However, we have one major problem with the situation below:
"The Jotunns' numbers are increasing abnormally – slowly, yes, but increasing nonetheless."
"What?" Pieter said with alarm, and Simon flinched at Titania's declaration. Murmurs of unease also erupted from among the aides.
"The walls used to seal Jotunheim are Immortal Objects, and for the moment the situation is contained; we are in no danger of Jotunns breaking out from underground," Titania went on to say, unperturbed by the implication of her earlier words. "However, transforming something into Immortal Objects may not be permanent in the long term, and may eventually break down regardless."
"How is this happening?" Mortimer queried, his mind thoughtful instead of panicking. "Surely even with things now being 'real', the biology of Mobs that large can't reproduce more of them within only days."
"Biology doesn't apply when it comes to Jotunns," Titania explained. "Not unlike the Norse myths on Earth, in Alfheim Online the Giants known as Jotunns are said to have spawned from Ymir while he slept during the dawn of this world, along with their stronger kin Hrimthursar, the Frost Giants. Jotunns, being often many-headed giants, split apart like bacteria with heads gaining new bodies. New heads may also grow out of current Jotunns.
"As for how this is happening, current observations show the Jotunns have mutated upon coming in contact with native magic – natural magic formed into crystals are present extensively underneath Tristain, and these crystals have warped Jotunns in various ways. Increased speed and possibly intelligence are but some of the traits being shown."
"And what do you want us to do about this?" Rufus asked with raised eyebrows. "Go down there and hunt the Jotunns personally?"
"Not personally, no," Titania replied. "But sending raid teams down to hunt them is exactly what I have in mind. As I have said, the walls may not be as immortal as the name suggests, and it would be best if the Jotunns are culled before they gather enough strength to dig their way out through alternative routes."
"You're asking the ALO players to risk their lives," Pieter said quietly. "Why can't you send in the World Tree Guardians instead?"
"My Guardians doesn't have the attack power to take down Mobs that powerful," Titania said, pointing over at a Guardian nearby. "Their weapons work well on the flesh of smaller Mobs, but the Jotunns' hides are beyond their capabilities. High level Magic or elite equipment is needed in order to harm the Jotunns.
"Rest assured, I will not force anyone to risk their lives against their will. I only ask for volunteers among the Factions, and those willing to take the risk will be rewarded as appropriate."
"Rewarded how?" Rufus asked, already contemplating at what might be given in exchange.
"As you all may have noticed, gaining Experience Points does not work here as it was in Alfheim Online," Titania said. "However, below in Jotunheim this could be changed; there is a high concentration of ambient magic below, and combined with being in the immediate vicinity to the World Tree combat-related Experience can be obtained at the same level as before, if not greater. For the 'Level-Grinders', there is no better place in the current situation to hone your skills.
"The same saturation of magic also has led to an increase in various reagents spawning below; most of the reagents I spawn using the administrator console for some reason have a marked decrease in potency compared to in-game, only half as useful, whereas the reagents below does not share that deficiency. If anything, there may be an increased potency of the ingredients from the kind taken below. If we go to war with Tristain, the potions that could be made with such reagents would be a great asset to us."
"Is that it?" Rufus asked with a frown. "What about actual loot? You know, the shiny, valuable stuff?"
"Surely it is more important to care about the safety of the players than about material possessions?" Thinker said quietly but firmly, while Sakuya was beginning to lose her patience with the Leprechaun Leader.
"You heard Titania-san saying the Jotunns need to be stopped," Rufus shrugged off Thinker's comment. "And VRMMO gamers always work better if they have tangible rewards in mind. EXP, potions, and duty aren't going to be enough to get people to sign up for this, especially now that we're in 'Real Life'."
"A reward system could be put in place," Titania contemplated. "The Medallions can record actions within Jotunheim, and 'tangible' rewards can be provided depending on how well players perform. Spawned finished products do not have the same deficiency spawned reagents have – as Kirito here can demonstrate with the armour that I have created, if anyone doubts my words."
If Sakuya were the more distrustful sort, she would have pegged this as a heavy-handed attempt by Titania to silence opposition by suggesting Kirito could deal with the naysayers – Kirito certainly looked imposing enough. However, judging by Titania's expression it probably hadn't even occurred to her that her statement could be construed as so.
"Just asking, would it be possible for us to earn a set of Kiri-chan's armour?" Morgiana considered, rubbing one hand on her chin. "Given exceptional performance, anyway; I don't expect Runebound armour to come cheap."
"Normally, only those directly in my service would be given the best equipment possible," Titania replied. "It's a privilege reserved for those taking up the most dangerous and important tasks available – and Kirito's armour here is as much ceremonial for his Rank as it is for heavy-duty combat. Maybe not the exact same set, but near-equivalents could be arranged for distribution; or maybe a conditional release of the most powerful equipment, to be wielded only in Jotunheim to avoid misuse."
"Sweeeeet," Morgiana grinned. "I think I've found what I'll be doing for the time being."
"You're not getting out of the administration duty this time, Morgiana-chan," Alicia said with mock spite. "Now that all the Leaders are here, maybe you can take some of the weight in running the city off of our backs?"
"Oh c'mon, do I really have to?" Morgiana whined, with as much sincerity as Alicia put in her words.
"You will not be able to spend the entire day down in Jotunheim for combat, anyhow," Titania said, completely ignoring their attempts to inject some levity into the serious discussion. "It is unknown how the excess ambient magic can affect you, both in body and mind. Never mind how physical exhaustion will force you to retire from fighting all the time given the 'Real Life' situation, it is no longer advisable for players to spend hours on end 'camping' at locations farming for kills. There will be time for you to deal with matters other than combat."
The mood dropped faster than it had begun to rise.
"If I may," Rufus began to speak. "I'd like to take up your offer of testing out your spawned items, Titania-san."
All eyes swivelled to the Leprechaun Leader. Rufus nearly all but swaggered as he paced a few steps forward, glancing momentarily at Kirito, before returning his gaze to Titania.
"If I am to send out the notice for helpers, it's only right that I make sure the rewards are authentic. Besides, I am interested myself in how good the rewards are."
Titania narrowed her eyes as she took in Rufus' ensemble. His attempt to increase his own fighting capability by going outside game parameters was not lost on her. "Very well," Titania said. "Attack Kirito as you see fit; though be warned, wearing that many items may lead to the magic within them conflicting with each other, resulting in a catastrophic explosion."
"If it was the run-of-the-mill stuff we craft for selling to others, maybe," Rufus replied offhandedly, tapping one finger onto a ring on his right hand. The ring glowed, and grew into a solid Enchanted Gold staff with a large ruby encrusted at the top end. "But I made all this equipment myself, attuned their magic to my own as the items grew in power; I don't think I have anything to fear from my own creations."
"Should something go wrong with either of you, I can heal the damage," Titania continued, ignoring Rufus' proud words. "Though if one of you is reduced into a Remain Light, it will be up to the Faction Leaders to Resurrect you; I do not have any revival spells in my spell repertoire."
"Eh?" Morgiana wondered briefly, before realization hit her. As a 'Final Boss', it stood to reason why Titania couldn't revive others; it would be plain unfair if the Boss was taken down after much effort, only for him to come right back at the top of his game. Revival was normally reserved for the players of any RPG, to even the odds that the Boss was that much tougher than them. Similar understanding came from the other Faction Leaders as they stepped back to give Rufus some space for spellcasting.
"When you are ready," Titania said neutrally, stepping away while Kirito walked closer to Rufus.
Words of Power floated around Rufus for an instant, before the glowing scripts flowed into the ruby. A large sphere of energy discharged from the end of the staff pointed at Kirito, smashing directly into his chest. A loud explosion rang out, light and sounds assaulting the senses of everyone present.
"Over-enthusiastic kids," Pieter grumbled, as he placed a Sound Dampening barrier around himself and the other Faction Leaders. "Can't even wait for the rest of us get clear first before starting."
Sasaki groaned lethargically; the Imp Leader and her aides didn't look to be doing well in this open and bright space. With an incantation from her, the Imps were each shrouded in a Miniature Dusk that blocked out most of the light for them; the spell functioned as a light filter in addition to removing some of the costs for using Dark Magic. For the time being at least, the Imps were allowed some sense of peace.
"Not a bad idea; did you bring any extra sunglasses, Kana-chan?" Morgiana asked one of her aides, after seeing how the Imps reduced the flash from the explosion using their spells. Kana shook her head, as a larger explosion resulted from Rufus's second attack. The gust from the explosion battered at their clothing, making the edges of everyone's robes flap furiously and ruffling their hair.
The light cleared, showing Kirito's unmarred armour after taking another hit. The Spriggan's metal headband glowed dimly, negating any detrimental effects the excessive sound, light, and wind that could have affected Kirito. Undeterred, Rufus merely hummed thoughtfully and dismissed his staff back into its ring form.
"75% output, along with all the current boosts, and still not even a scratch?" Rufus was visibly impressed. "Let's try something else… Armament: Battering Ram."
The invocation caused a ring on his left hand to glow and morph, levitating away from Rufus to form into a three metre long pole as thick as a soccer ball. It too was entirely made of Enchanted Gold, which given the Leprechaun Leader's fondness for jewellery was unsurprising.
"Speed Boost: Transfer."
Several different rings flashed on Rufus' person, before darkening once more. Rippling red energy surrounded the pole.
"Strength Boost: Transfer."
More rings flashed, along with one of the pendants around Rufus' neck. The air around the pole seemed to distort and grow heavy.
"Activate 'Lightning Imbue'," Rufus said, and the weapon sparked with blue-white electricity in its entirety. "And Fly."
The pole blurred, and shot forward with a thunderclap upon Rufus' final command. Before the flash had finished fading away from the spectators' eyes, the sound of impact reached their ears. Someone gasped involuntarily, though Sakuya couldn't tell who it had been. The Sylph Leader opened her eyes after turning away from the flash, looking back half-expecting for only Kirito's Remain Light left where the Black Swordsman stood.
Instead, Sakuya found the aptly named Battering Ram struggling against a barrier of light, quivering under the strain trying to break through. The lightning had discharged already, blackening the pristine marble floor around the place of impact. Seconds later, the rest of the enchantments faded away, and the pole dropped down onto the floor with a loud clang.
"Glad to see that 'Shield' enchantment thing worked," Kirito said, cold sweat running down his face and breathing heavily from the tension. The barrier faded, and following that the glow of the scripts upon Kirito's chestplate. "That's it, if anyone wants to attack Titania in the future I'm going for disabling the attacker before they finish firing off their spell and not jump in front of her trying to be a meatshield like this armour was made for. I don't want to go through that again, wondering whether the Shield will hold."
"Do as you wish," Titania shrugged; her expression was unchanged even after the sight of such potential destruction. "As long as I am protected when threatened, I do not particularly care about your methods. Although it is good to see the option of weathering an attack is available for you, even if you are disinclined to use it."
"Well, I can't say Titania-san doesn't make good work," Rufus said appreciatively, as the pole glowed and shrunk back into a ring. Tapping at another ring, the Battering Ram item floated back to Rufus' outstretched hand. "I'll be glad to pass on the call for volunteers. Depending on what's available, I'll probably even come along as rear-end bombardment support."
"You certainly have got the tools for those, at least," Mortimer remarked as the Faction Leaders returned to their earlier positions. "By the way, Titania-san, what about the other Mobs down in Jotunheim? Are we supposed to eliminate those as well?"
-][-
Kirito tried to calm his breathing down as Titania went through a list of what Mobs within Jotunheim to kill and what could be left alone, based upon their aggression to players. He didn't recognize half of the Mobs mentioned, and the other was only known to him by being an analogue of other Mobs he had fought before in other MMOs and in Aincrad. Yui could most likely explain the names further for him, but she was currently down at the room with the other SAO Survivors to check on their life signs.
The Black Swordsman felt obliged to speak up when Titania began talking about the Beast Gods:
"Um…" Kirito said, conscious of all of the gazes directed at him with his interruption. "Can't we just leave those ones on the 'only kill when attacked by them' list, please?"
"Why?" Morgiana asked curiously. "It's not like they can be tamed, right?"
The Spriggan Leader glanced over at Alicia, who nodded back at her. As far as everyone knew, taming Evil God class Mobs were impossible. Argo looked speculatively at Kirito from the back of the assembled players, wondering what he was going to talk about this time.
"It depends on your definition of 'tamed'," Kirito gulped. He felt nervous, more than when he spoke out in the Frontliner meetings prior to Floor Boss battles. Probably because at those times he wasn't geared up in semi-uncomfortable armour that was possibly one-of-a-kind in the world, not to mention it wasn't his trademark black coat. "'Tamed' as defined by the ALO Game Systems almost literally as a part of your character data, no; but if we're talking about 'does not attack players unless provoked' and 'friendly to its partner', then yes, this could be done."
"What?" Surprisingly, Alicia was the one that exclaimed at Kirito's words. The Cait Sith Leader had already started to wonder about the viability of having an entire cavalry composed of Beast Gods, considering their Racial Skill. "How in the world did you manage to do that?"
"Indeed," Mortimer's eyes gleamed. "Judging by your words, it appeared you have done so and it's something not limited to Cait Sith players. Do tell us how you managed this feat."
Kirito felt uncertain in revealing the exact methods right then, considering the almost hungry look in some of the Faction Leaders' eyes. Doubly so since it would definitely bring unwanted attention to his sister, since Leafa was the one that 'tamed' Tonkii. But if he wanted to avoid Tonkii being barbecued by the collective force of the ALO players when they swarmed over Jotunheim, it might be the best way to go about it – Leafa would probably be angry at him if he didn't try to save their friend.
"I don't suppose I get to call dibs on the 'Holy Sword Excalibur' if I release this piece of info?" Kirito asked Titania tentatively. "I mean, this requires the flag to start that quest after all."
And he couldn't possibly call himself a Gamer if he didn't at least attempt to get his hands on something he by all rights could have gotten if he had kept the piece of information to himself. Leafa used a Katana weapon for her character in any case, she wouldn't be able to use Excalibur. I will definitely make it up to her if I end up with that sword, Kirito silently promised himself.
"Depends; does anyone else here know what you are talking about?" Titania addressed the Faction Leaders, her eyes losing focus for a split second to access the knowledge of ALO archives. "If Kirito here is indeed the first player to figure out this particular flag for the Quest, I am inclined allow him the first attempt to obtain the Holy Sword. Especially when considering the… complications… surrounding Excalibur at the moment."
"That doesn't sound ominous. At all," Sakuya said in a deadpan voice. "I wouldn't begrudge Kirito the first opportunity, especially when considering the Sylphs lack the relevant information."
"And really, if someone knew about this they'd probably have already either bragged about it online, posted information on Wiki's, or something like that," Rufus shrugged. "I'm all for him getting first go. Though just checking, Kirito here is the first one to find out about this right? The sword isn't taken already by someone else?"
"As of the time of the Incident, Kirito and Leafa are the only two players that have this flag for Excalibur active," Titania confirmed. "The sword is still stuck where it is, even now."
"Leafa-san's involved in this as well?" Sakuya said in surprise.
"Yeah," Kirito nodded. "To be precise, she's the one that got me into this…"
After a quick check of whether he had support from the Faction Leaders for his claim on first attempt for Excalibur – and he did get it – Kirito explained how en route to Arrun he and Leafa got trapped in Jotunheim, and how they eventually got out and emerged in Arrun.
"Well, that explains the near-mythical event of two Evil God class Mobs fighting each other," Morgiana said thoughtfully. "You get raid teams saying they find such things once in a while, though everyone had thought this was just a hoax. Gamer logic in that situation was by default 'help one kill the other, then finish off the weakened survivor' as well; raid teams normally wouldn't just kill one side and leave the other one alone. No wonder players that went down there didn't figure this flag out."
"Never mind that," Pieter said urgently. "There's a hole that could lead to Jotunheim Mobs attacking Arrun directly! Surely it would be best to seal this entrance up as well?"
"I have already done that just to be safe," Titania said dispassionately. "Even if the Winged Beast God types are unlikely to attack, it may change if they suffer mutations like the Jotunns do. I can reopen it later if necessary, when I send Kirito down there to solve the complication I was talking about."
"What did you mean by 'complication' anyway, Titania-san?" Alicia asked carefully.
"The Boss for the Excalibur Quest is 'Thrym, The Frost Giant Lord'," Titania explained. "Going by game lore, he was one of the first Hrimthursar, and powerful, second only to Ymir himself in the underground realms. Whether through contamination from the native magic, or because the Incident had led to faults in his programming, Thrym has been changed. Using Excalibur, Thrym is stealing the magic the roots absorb to sustain the World Tree, for reasons unknown to me. It is only minuscule amounts being channelled away if we look at it in the greater picture, so we can afford to deal with Tristain for the time being before we turn our sights to Thrym. Especially in light of recent events, where we are more likely to come under assault from Tristain than from below us. Ymir yet sleeps upon his throne in Niflheim, deeper below even the land of the Jotunns; the weakened King of the Frost Giants and his kin are not our immediate concern."
"Wait, you're telling us there are even more dangerous things than Jotunheim down there?" Rufus demanded, unable to suppress a shiver. Kirito felt the same way, considering he could almost feel his blood draining away from his face. Others present, those who had been to Jotunheim or knew enough about what was down there, had also gone pale.
"Players will eventually grow strong enough that not even Jotunheim would provide a challenge to them," Titania waved off the players' concern. "That is what Niflheim is for, an additional challenge for the elites. The development for that part of Alfheim Online has only barely begun, but I wouldn't be surprised if the native magic below built upon what is already down there."
"But-" Pieter began to say, before he was cut off by Titania.
"Again, I reiterate:" Titania said impatiently. "Everything below – Thrym, the Frost Giants, Ymir and so on – are not our immediate concern, apart from the Jotunns. Our most pressing problem is mages such as 'The Tempest' Tristain may bring to bear upon us, as the attack on Gatan demonstrated. Only after we have settled things with Tristain, one way or another, can we afford to deal with things below. Tristain's fighting force is within reach of the Capitals of Alfheim, and by extension the vulnerable players, whereas the Hrimthursar are not.
"Speaking of which; let me show you all what I have developed in response to Duchess Valliere's attack…"
AN: In ALO Rufus is a rear-support mage doubling on artillery duty, but now with all these buffs he can feasibly fight on Eugene's weight class in CQC. Though Eugene and other players at that tier all have more combat experience than Rufus, seeing as the Leprechaun Leader can't handle a melee weapon even if his life depended on that alone. Going all 'Nanoha' from afar is still Rufus' preferred modus operandi.
I've taken some liberties with ALO game lore and RL Norse myths about Ymir, Jotunns, and so on in this chapter. The SAO Calibur side story will have its own version in FiF eventually.
Bonus Info:
Infodump on Leprechaun's racial skill:
Leprechauns have the 'Empathic Items' racial skill – like how Cait Siths can develop bonds with tamed creatures for combat, Leprechauns do so with their creations instead. Other players can still use this skill, just to a lesser extent; after all, some Salamanders have been shown in-series to take up Earth magic and Alicia have studied up on Dark magic.
The bond works best for a Leprechaun weaponsmith/crafter bonding with his/her own item (100% bond capable, full availability of boons, three Weapon Upgrades (see below)), with the capability decreases after that:
-Leprechaun smith making an item for another Leprechaun (capped to 85% of full mastery boons available, one Weapon Upgrade)
-Leprechaun smith making an item for someone that's not a leprechaun (65%)
-Non-leprechaun smith making an item for a leprechaun (70%)
-Non-leprechaun smith making an item for a non-leprechaun; bonding with monster drops (50%) (so inefficient most non-leprechaun players don't bother with this skill; basically the 'poor man's upgrade', where players can improve their weapons without having to spend money, only longer time on using them)
(The above numbers are subject to change; it's mostly to show this skill is mainly for a Leprechaun's use)
Boons are enchantments such as: higher critical hit rate (passive enchantment); Regen/'Battle Healing' (Passive); or free 'weapon imbue', single-elemental attacks without incantation (active, needs activation; eg, a sword turning into a flaming sword upon single-word command).
At higher levels (850+/1000) there could also be a 'Weapon Upgrade', unspecified extra ability (or 'Limit Break' borrowing Final Fantasy terms) that can be customized depending on the weapon or wielder. At 100%, you can have up to 3 of these upgrades per item (one every increments of 50). Alternative to extra abilities is a massive stat increase, along the lines of '+15' when the baseline stat increase for items is '+2' or '+3'.
*flashback to early days of SAO players joining ALO*
Furinkazan Leprechaun member: Holy S&#% man, you're telling me we can go 'Bankai' in this game?
Klein: If you ever use that phrase in an actual battle I'm gonna hurt you, Harry.
Liz: Eh? What do you mean?
Klein: Before your time I guess, he's referring to a manga series where katanas are used less for swordsmanship and more as tools for shooting energy beams or whatever other chuunibyou stuff the author had thought of. No pride whatsoever in sword techniques =/
Another Furinkazan member: *Checks manual* Not that it's broken to that extent, anyway; the higher level Empathic Item abilities leads to something more like 'Shikai' from that series than actual 'Bankai'. We're safe from over-the-top showmanship here, Klein.
Argo: I dunno, the Leprechaun leader have kept a tight lip on what fully 'Mastered' Empathic Item users are capable of making…
Klein: Goddammit, Argo! At least let me have my peace of mind!