Man, I tell you. It's crazy what sleeping on something can do for you. There were several scenes that were just painful to write, but when I told myself "Just let it out, you can always make it better with the edits" it became easier to get through this.
Around half an hour ago, when the rays of the sun bounced off the ceiling and lit up the forest, the noise of all the monsters had temporarily ceased. In their place birdsong had started echoing around, with the leaves dancing in the wind.
The morning weather was fairly temperate. A bit of a surprise considering that only a week ago I had woken to a minor hypothermia debuff back in the outpost near «Horunka». Our group of three had ended up forming a loose semicircle around our fourth member. Choryu and I had fallen asleep laying down, while Kirito had stayed awake for some time, before falling asleep with his head supported by the sheathed blade between his hands and feet. It was a position I expected from somebody by a loved one's bedside to be in, one I knew only somebody in their youth would be able to pull off without any repercussions when they woke.
I tapped my party member on the cheek, pushing the surprisingly elastic flesh back several times until he responded to my ministrations. "It's morning. Sleeping Beauty hasn't woken up yet, If she doesn't wake up by the hour, we're going to continue towards «Tolbana». Do what you need to be functional."
Choryu grunted blearily. I imagined it was fairly difficult for the two males to get any rest, or at least one of them considering how the black haired teen seemed to be at utter peace in his hunched position. Throughout the night the sounds of buzzing wings and padded footsteps had molded my dreams. Whenever I had woken I needed to remind myself that I had no need to worry, and that I was safe regardless of the lack of a watch.
"We didn't get that much in the way of items, did we?" I muttered, snacking on the last of my supplies. In order to convince Diavel to let us join his group, we had to adjust the settings for the party system to automatically grant the blue haired shield user 50% of any gold, drops, and experience we had gotten.
"Everything we got are just commons, too. Armor fragments, pieces of cloth. At least the «Kobold Troopers» dropped some decent weapons we can use for enhancement," Choryu whispered in consideration for the two sleeping teens. To make things easier on ourselves, we had set up a common loot tab via our «Friend List». Any items that were assigned to us were automatically dropped into the tab, its weight evenly distributed between the two of us. The feature was something that Harry had brought up, having realised exactly what it could do during our second trek into the east «Tolbana» mines.
"Correct me if I miss something, but the attributes you can enhance for weapons are Accuracy, Sharpness, Durability, and Heaviness, right?" I asked from my seated position.
Choryu pulled out his copy of Argo's guidebook, flipping through the several pages of information that had been collected. "You missed out on Quickness. And then everything but Heaviness has no "physical" impact on the weapons. Those stats only influence the numbers of your equipment."
"I think I might modify my Quickness and Durability stats, maybe my Sharpness if I have the choice. The monsters we've been facing in the deeper parts of the mine and Tower hit really hard if you get stuck in «Post Motion»." I called forth my kopis, bemoaning the fact that its sheath was made from leather and was of no use as a weapon.
"I think I'll do that same. With what you've been teaching me, I don't think I need to worry much about the system granting me critical strikes." Choryu looked over at the slumbering form of Kirito, crossing his arms. "It's a shame somebody his age got stuck in here. Can you imagine having however getting out of here is going to take stolen from you? Years of schooling, socializing. And for what? A life of battle?" He shook his head.
I rallied against the twinge of pain that rose at his words, the clear image of a shredded enemy unit that had been corrupted by indoctrination presenting itself boldly at the forefront of my mind. "If people his age decide they wish the fight, then its our job to help protect them. To teach them." I let out a sigh, the release of air paradoxically piling more weight onto my shoulders. "Looks like there's another reason why we need to keep our levels high. To be their examples."
"You shouldn't have bothered." The voice of the hooded female spoke slowly, straining to get the words out. As one, Choryu and I turned to watch the two, deciding with a glance that it would be best for them to sort out whatever problem they had before interrupting. "You shouldn't have." I struggled in vain to hear their conversation.
The girl worked her menu, tossing over a tied piece of parchment over to the black haired swordsman. "You've got what you wanted. So long." I leapt to my feet, realizing that the girl was going to attempt standing. When she started tipping over, I surged forward, catching her by her shoulders.
"Easy there. You've only woken up after pushing yourself for the past four days. Didn't I mention about making sure you knew your limits?" I smiled gently, my eyes narrowing slightly in a quiet cry of frustration at our height difference.
"Argo? What are you...?" I shrugged with a single shoulder, refusing to meet the questioning gaze that I expected from Choryu.
"Sometimes you need to get information in person. If it's not first hand, it's not always reliable." I should have corrected the misunderstanding right there, but I didn't want to throw her off balance while she was still recovering. "We heard what happened from Kirito. Have to admit, I'm a little upset that that's how you interpreted my advice. I'm all for pushing yourself, but four days straight in enemy territory? You're just a kid. You're not prepared for that sort of thing."
"I'm not a kid," she retorted, pushing my hands away.
"Fine. Then young adult." I held back the growl that wished to escape. "My point is, you shouldn't have done that. You should have tried to group up with somebody instead of embarking on some kind of death march. All that effort you put in? Exploring, fighting, collecting; it would have been for nothing."
The girl scoffed, sharply turning away from me. "What are you, his mother?" she asked. My mind superimposed the image of one of my nieces glaring at me after I scolded her for climbing up a tree, moments before I showed her how to do it properly and safely.
"Excuse me?"
"Kirito, you said his name was? He told me same thing. That it would have been a waste to let my map data disappear." Asuna nodded towards the aforementioned male, still refusing to meet my gaze.
I turned to look at the black haired swordsman, feeling that I should have some words with him regarding the amount of glee he was expressing. "If two people say the same thing, then there must be some element of truth to it." I huffed, shaking my head. "Regardless, now that its daytime we're safer heading back to «Tolbana»."
"I'm not heading back to «Tolbana»," she stated, starting towards the Tower.
My smiled gained an edge, the muscles curving my eyes slightly. "I'm sorry, did you just say you weren't heading back to safety after passing out from a suicidal charge?"
The girl froze, the only movement from her being the ripple of her cloak in the soft breeze that floated through the clearing.
"Because if that's what you're trying to tell me, let me know. We can step outside the safe zone and I can save you the trouble." I drew my weapon, holding it at my side lazily.
"Asasaki!" Choryu ran up to me, his eyes wide.
"No. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but all I'm hearing is that she wants to die. I won't stand for somebody throwing themselves away uselessly. Everybody has a purpose, a reason. But if you really can't find something to stay alive for, be it good food, bad laughs, or just being surrounded by voices that aren't your own, let me know." I stared the girl down, my breathing and heart rate firmly under my grasp.
"I didn't…" I waited for the girl to speak, knowing better than to push her in a moment of vulnerability.
"You're not actually trying to die, are you." Kirito stepped towards the girl, a hand extended towards her. I glanced over at the teen, glad that somebody had stepped up to the plate of good angel. "If you were, you wouldn't have gotten as good as you did at dodging and using «Linear». You're trying to escape the game too, aren't you."
"I…" The girl took a step back, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to hide.
"I understand what you're feeling right now. I want to get out of here too. But if you go in there now, you probably won't make it past the tenth floor, maybe even the fifth. Come back with us to «Tolbana». Repair your equipment, get some proper rest. I can head with you back into the Tower. We can watch each other's backs. It'll be safer that way."
I quietly manipulated my interface, properly equipping my kopis so that its sheath materialized on my belt. "Melt down the drops you got or sell them. Stock back up on potions, supplies, whatever. Just be smart about what you're doing." I stepped towards the girl, enveloping her in a hug, one she hesitantly returned.
"I know this world is scary. I know your life is being stolen away from you. But you need to make the best of it. We all need to learn how to live in here. And not just waking up every morning. We have to face our fears head on, or else we'll just be stuck in a living death." I reciprocated the red head's grip, letting her cry without complaint.
"Feeling better?" I asked.
"A little." The girl sniffed, taking off her hood. I smiled at the action, closing my eyes to hide the internal scream of indignation. Where Kirito could be described as Bishounen, the hazel eyed, brown hair tinted just a few shades of red girl was a poster child for Bishoujo.
"Sorry for being so harsh. I didn't want to beat around the bush." I offered my hand in greeting. "Also, my name is actually Asasaki. Sorry for deceiving you. I wasn't lying about having just been in a party before meeting you though. Most of the information Argo received the day we met was actually from us. I figured I could save you some cor by cutting you a better deal."
The redhead wiped away the last of her tears, taking my hand. "It's okay. Even if I went too far, the information you gave me really helped me out. My name is Asuna, Asuna Yūki." She gave a short bow after reciprocating my shake. I found myself appreciating the use of her real name, having been surrounded by people who had introduced themselves by a handle instead.
"This is Choryu. He's part of the group I'm with." Haru waved, all tenseness from his body gone now that the situation had diffused. "And you've already met Kirito. He's a former beta tester." I quickly continued, not allowing anybody to interrupt. "It's thanks to his knowledge that he shared with Klein, one of our leaders, that we managed to make it this far. You could say we're indebted to him."
Kirito raised his hand weakly. I wasn't sure if it was from being outed as a beta tester when there was a bit of hate going around at the ones who had supposedly abandoned us or if it was from being uncomfortable with the situation.
"We should head back now. I'm sure Klein and the others are going to be worried when they wake up without their special Asasaki approved alarm clock." Choryu cracked a grin, shaking his head in amusement.
"You think you can walk now, Asuna?" I turned so that my weapon was hidden from the girl's sight, realizing that I had traumatized her slightly.
"I think so, yes. I'm sure you guys can protect me if anything happens. Oh and, please don't call me by my name alone. I would appreciate it if you at least called me Asuna-san." I blinked at the request for an honorific. It had been fairly strange speaking japanese for over a month with nobody requesting its usage, but I was adaptable.
"I won't let anything hurt you. Even if it's from a mean old biddy." I snorted at Kirito's words, deigning to allow the slight.
"I'll take point. Choryu, keep in front of Asuna-san. Kirito, stay in the back in case anything gets past us, alright?" When everybody acknowledged their assignment, I slowly set off, limiting my pace in respect for our recovering fourth.
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I sipped at my tea, the very image of calm and grace. Around me, the original members of Furinkazan talked freely, regain the tales of the events we had gone through as well as previous games they had played to Asuna and Kirito.
Kirito had originally planned on taking care of his supplies on his own, but Klein had subtly guilt tripped him into having breakfast with us. After I privately explained what had happened, the invitation was extended to Asuna as a form of suicide watch. As far as she knew it was just us inviting her into our group.
Harry had taken it upon himself to read through Argo's guide book and quiz Asuna on all the basics. As annoyed as I was at how the girl was much more friendly to the others than when I had first met to her, it paled in comparison to the joy I felt watching the two teens that had initially been so antisocial interacting with others.
"So once Asasaki and Choryu deal with their loot, we were planning on heading into the mines east of here. The rock monsters there drop ores that we can use to upgrade our weapons. Would either of you like to join us?" Klein motioned towards our two guests, his voice uncaring whether or not the other players in the diner heard us.
"Monsters in the mines that drop enhancement materials?" Kirito cut himself off, looking to the side in thought.
"The significant drops don't happen all the time. Mostly we only get iron or bronze chunks. Every so often we'll get a special drop that follows the pattern of "Aspect of the Noun" like «Aspect of the Mountain» or «Aspect of the Falcon»." Harry materialized the items in question, placing the dimly glowing gems that contained otherworldly brown and red flames on the table. I let out a breath of amusement at the way Asuna's eyes glittered. As brief as it was, I was glad to to see her exhibiting a range of emotions that weren't suicidal or bull headed.
"I don't remember those from the beta." Kirito frowned, staring at the two stones. "The only worthwhile enhancement items that I remember seeing were from the forests around «Horunka» and in the labyrinth."
"If attack patterns could change, other stuff could change too." Issin spoke up, looking away from his conversation with Kunimittz. "Besides, it's not exactly like the monsters we got these drops from are exactly level appropriate for the area. That «Targ» thing we went up against in the first path was level 8."
I let out a puff of amusement at the younger noiret's response. "You're doing that a lot, Kirito. Freezing up? You should be careful. Might end up happening during an important event. Also, stop looking like you just found out your family's being held hostage. You look like an old man in this late twenties when you do that. There's a really prominent crease right here." I tapped my forehead, marking the relative area where his skin folded like the gyri of a brain.
"Wait, how do you know what the monster's levels are?" Asuna blinked, staring at man whose brown hair would forever remind me of a well used paintbrush.
"There's an ability called «Scan» that lets you see the exact numbers of your enemies. It works like a bestiary, or encyclopedia of monsters. At first, you can only see the exact number of their health bar and their level, but the more you use the ability on a monster the more information you can look up like the types of damage they do, specific stats, and even the names of their gear. If you get the skill high enough, you can do the same for players. It's not exactly that useful of a skill, but it was useful for players that were coming after the clearers and wanted to know what they were getting into."
I was marginally impressed by how much Kirito spoke. With all the body language I had been reading from him, it was surprising that he was so willing to break out of his antisocial behavior. "Choryu's the one who has the skill. He thought it'd be a good fit for himself considering he's usually waiting on the side of the battles until he finds an opening."
"You remember the goblin scouts and raiders on the first ten floors? I've used the ability enough times on them that I actually have the papers on their damage range, what equipment they generally use, and how to force counter attacks on them." The formed office worker beamed with pride. "I had to frame the image for those last two just right while Asasaki or the others were setting those up to get them recorded." He moved his fingers to form a box. In the real world, some might refer to it as the gesture for taking a picture.
"How many "snapshots" did that take?" The youngest male of our group asked.
"It was trial and error. If I took a picture of one of the goblin's attacking with somebody else in the image, looking at the image in my bestiary would put a small glow around areas of interest. If I interacted with it, it would go into more detail about why it's important." Choryu pulled out the piece of digital paper on which the grainy black and white image was copied onto. "This was the first picture I took of a «Ruin Goblin Scout»."
The image was of poor quality. Similar to the 240p or 480p rating that you could access on some streaming platforms. There was enough detail that you could tell what you were looking at, but not enough to discern whether the subject was wearing metal armor, leather, or just cloth.
"You guys can't see it, but for those with the «Scan» ability, if I hold my finger on places that have a shimmer, a window will open up for me detailing exactly what I need to do to get more information about it. Sometimes it only took five photos, other times it took ten or more in the case of recording how to force a counter." Choryu pulled out the rest of the images for that specific monster, allowing Kirito and Asuna to look at them. Just by looking at them you could tell there was a progression of some sort; the images that had granted Haru the information he was looking at was crystal clear, the specific subject that it needed being distinctively surrounded by a thin outline. They were still monochrome, however.
"We're kind of a big group, but there's safety in numbers. We've already acquired plenty of materials to do the base upgrades for our weapons. If you guys want to join us, we'd be more than willing to give you some of the drops." Harry, his head guard absent as always whenever we were in the safe zones of «Tolbana», nodded towards the two teens. I wasn't sure if they were close to his age though. Our group's head of information gathering had a habit of using words I had trouble translating whenever he spoke, making it hard for me to figure out whether his speech pattern was the norm of if he was the outlier.
"Upgrading our weapons would be a good idea," Kirito spoke. "You don't need to worry about any drops for me though. I've already upgrade my weapon a couple of times. If I want to upgrade it any farther I need to use materials from the second floor."
A thought occurred to me. "Asuna-san, what weapons are you using? Kirito mentioned that you had multiple copies of the same sword, so I imagine it can't be that high quality if you had so many."
"I've been using an «Iron Rapier». I upgraded from the «Simple Rapier» like you told me to."
Kirito brought his hand to his forehead. "That's not going to cut it." I ignored the soft laugh his words incited out of Klein and Issin. "Iron weapons only have two slots for upgrades, same with Steel weaponry. Even if the stats are fairly decent, you're better off using items you get out in the field." The teen swiped open his menu with practiced ease; I had a feeling he had performed it more than the two months he had access to the game. "Take this. It has the potential to be upgraded up to six times. It's a level 8 item. And don't worry about paying me for it. Just think of it as a future investment. You can pay me back later on if it bothers you that much."
Asuna moved through the motions for a trade, materializing a cylindrical weapon sheathed in a hard, red material. "A «Wind Fleuret»?"
"It's a drop I got from some of the wasps over by «Horunka». Its drop rate was rumored to be less than 3% back in the beta." Kirito leaned back in his seat, a satisfied explanation on his face.
"Sounds like Kirito's on board. What do you say, Asuna-san? I know we look like a bunch of scruffy guys, but we must be doing something right if Asasaki's still hanging around us." Klein gave a grin. He would have made a nice, if poor, salesman with how friendly he was.
Or I'm just that desperate to keep myself attached to something so I don't go mad over the grief. I covered my lips with my cup, sipping at the plain water within. There were forms of alcohol that you could purchase as a drink, but as a pouting Klein had put it, What was the point in liquor if it's not going to make you drunk?
"If upgrading my equipment means I can perform better, then so be it." The girl stood up, stunning the men with a short bow. "Please take care of me."
Issin motioned for me to move in, leaning across the table to whisper to me. "Hey, Asasaki. How come you never act like that?"
"Because I'm a grown woman who knows what she wants? Also, if you forget, I did the exact same thing when I first met you all." I decided not to comment on how we only knew each other for around two weeks, fully aware of how fighting seemed to make days last for weeks.
"Great! Let's meet up by the at the rest house by the entrance in say, forty minutes? Oh, do you know what we're talking about, Asuna-san?" The girl in question shook her head at Klein's question.
"I actually don't know either. I didn't really do much in «Tolbana» aside from repair equipment." It felt like Kirito was trying to be modest, but his method of delivery made it come across as boastful.
"Asuna-san, Kirito-san. Why don't you two go with Asasaki and Choryu to the forge? They need to repair their equipment, and you can check what items Asuna-san will need to upgrade her equipment," Harry suggested.
I shrugged noncommittally. "If the two of them feel like it, I have no objections." It would be nice to converse with people other than Klein and his crew, even if they were younger than me.
"Okay. Thank you for helping us." Asuna gave another bow, her hair gently sliding forward before returning to frame her face. I rolled my eyes internally at the jolt of jealousy I felt from her natural beauty. I was proud of my own of course, but she easily had the appearance of a model.
"Choryu, do you mind leading them? I want to enjoy the city a little more before we spend the rest of the day in some dusty cavern." As much as I hated myself for my behavior, if I traveled with Asuna as I currently was it was highly likely I would needlessly antagonize her. Spending some time examining my thoughts would do me good.
"Of course. Will we meet you at the shops, then?"
I nodded absently, leaving the required amount of cor plus my usual extra on the table where the button for the dining menu was. "Catch you guys in a bit." I moved my hand in a single arc, letting the door close fully behind me before setting off. "Look at me. A grown adult getting jealous of a teenager over looks." I shook my head and briefly flexed my body. I doubted that my muscles still existed after spending a month or so merely laying about, but in this world your physique was the same as when you entered.
"I worked hard for my body, dammit. She probably only does cardio. Very little lifting." I kept to the side of the road, equipping my cloak after noticing a few males hone in on my location. "Sorry, I've got places to be. Maybe next time," I offered gently when they asked if I would join them, making sure my voice betrayed none of my inner frustration.
"Ah, no worries. Good luck, Miss. Hopefully whatever you're doing brings a smile to your face."
I returned their parting wave, the smile that I had used to help form my tone disappearing with them. "Oh dear god, I'm not actually depressed, am I?" I stared at the false sky above, searching whatever material it was constructed from for answers. "Dammit, I am." I swiped open my interface, composing a message for Klein and Choryu. #Small mental breakdown. I'll be fine. Meet you guys at the entrances to the mines. Track me if you need to.#
I took a deep breath, turning my eyes to the large set of buildings on the western mountain. "Please don't just be a fake," I murmured.
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"Halt! No one is-" I flashed my badge that Ferghus had given us. "Oh, my apologies. Please, enjoy your stay." The guard stepped back to his post at the side of the stairwell, his hand moving off the hilt of his sword.
I moved towards Mitsui's office, bracing myself for the worst. "Come in!" A voice, as cheery as the last time I heard it, rang out. The was a melodious tone to it that I hadn't picked up on before, one that I wasn't sure if it was a result of my mind playing tricks on me.
"What can I help you with? Oh! Asasaki, right? How are things going with the mines?" The auburn woman that I swore was copyright infringement looked up from her paperwork, stepped over and engaging me in a hug. "Sorry, too forward?" She asked after it took me a moment to return it.
"No, no. Just caught me by surprise." I took a seat at her gesture, analyzing her words for any trace of falseness.
"Anything to drink? Water, juice, liquor?"
"A wine, if you have it," I said, staring at the map of the region on the table. The pins that she had stuck into it were still there, a few scraps of parchment resting near them. The young adult stepped through the door by her desk, reappearing a few moments later.
"What changed from last time?" Mitsui placed held a glass cup out for me, an identical one in her other hand. Beside her, a colored glass bottle sat atop a small folding table.
I blinked at the taste. The drink was sweet and fruity, one that I couldn't recognize. "What do you mean?"
"Last time you were here you asked for just water. Not exactly cheap, mind you, but a better alternative than liquor for doing business, even if we reduce most of it down."
I let out a breath of amusement, the air passing over my lips roughly. "Long story short, I found myself jealous of somebody younger than me. Apparently my mind isn't as stable as I thought it was if I'm letting something like that bother me."
Mitsui, who I still wasn't sure if she was naturally gifted with looks or if she was indeed in her late teens, said nothing for several seconds. "What do you mean by 'stable'?"
I leaned back in the couch, mindful of the cup in my hand. "I'm only in this world because I needed a break from my own. Some people I cared for died because of me, and my superiors believed that I wasn't fit for duty. The friend that I came here with ended up dieing on me as well, and then last week I got stabbed through my fucking kidney but somehow lived through it." My free hand twitched, longing for a cigarette.
I scoffed. "I dunno. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is." I took another sip, calm enough to enjoy the wine instead of wasting it by downing the whole thing. When Mitsui failed to respond, I slowly sat back up, curious as to what the programming behind her eyes could possibly be considering.
"I'm not sure what I can say. I've seen the men under my employ die, so I have an idea of what you're talking about." The leader of the trading guild within this region drank from her glass, raising her gaze to meet mine. "The best I can say is to find something to anchor you to reality, that way you don't do something you'll regret."
"I don't know what I expected," I whispered, looking outside the glass window. From here on the mountainside, I was able to see over the northern wall; past it, large windmills situated along the grain farms turned, the light bouncing off the slow moving giant white sails.
"Will you be alright to continue fighting?"
I slowed my breathing, making sure I didn't react to the weight that settled beside me. "I will be. I have to be. There are people depending on me. Both here and back home. I hate it, and I want nothing more than to relax, but I can't be selfish. Not that much." Mitsui placed her hand on my forearm, a chilling warmth that I didn't expect from her making itself known.
"I know they appreciate it. I appreciate it. You're doing a very brave thing, Miss Asasaki. Just make sure to take care of yourself. You can't help anybody if you can't take care of yourself, not properly anyway."
I closed my eyes at her words, unsure why they so readily brought tears. It took me far longer than I cared to admit to bring the quivering in my jaw under control. "We're going to be exploring another path of the eastern mines today." Teary eyes met hazel as I recalled a rather disturbing fact. "Why didn't you tell us about that giant monster in there?"
"Odd. That thing wasn't supposed to be in that part of the mountains. Not until next year." Mitsui brought a finger to the side of her chin. "If we knew it was going to be in there we would have told you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. It's fairly harmless though, so long as you don't bother any of the rock creatures in there. We call it the seneschal of the mountain for a reason."
The term was vaguely familiar, though I wasn't sure from where or why. "It sounds to me that that means it has a superior somewhere."
"It's only been seen once, and that was centuries ago. It was a literal mountain. We've kept a good record of the surrounding area, so trust me, we'd know if it was still here." Mitsui swirled her cup around, motioning towards the map. "If you encounter that giant again, leave it alone. We have a fairly decent relationship with it, as far as communicating with moving boulders go. Who knows? It might end up helping you against those goblins or whatever else you find in the mines."
"And to think, this is only the first floor," I grumbled. "Thank you for your time, Lady Mitsui. And compliment your guard in the foyer. He's very good at his job." The redhead laughed, taking my glass from me.
"Ethan's dedicated, if nothing else. I hope things turn out better, Miss Asasaki." The business leader went into the other room, carrying the glasses and bottle on the table.
"Still think your name should be Anna," I muttered under my breath.
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My breakdown had taken the better part of an hour. Thankfully, Klein was fully understanding and told me to take as much time as I needed. It was only around ten in the morning. From what Mr. Scruffles was telling me, our current plan was to spend the entire day in the mountains to collect as much materials as possible for our weapons.
"Sorry I'm late. I ended up over by the Mitsui Trading Guild," I offered to the trio, removing my hood as I approached. This area of «Tolbana» was still frequented by the other players. As a result of the workers (who doubled as guards thanks to their experience fighting the rock monsters) constantly rotating in and out, several inns had been set up in the area.
"No worries. We were tracking you so we knew you were fine. Feeling better?" Klein offered a hand towards me, Choryu and Issin following behind.
"A little." I grabbed his arm by the wrist, thankful for the show of solidarity. "Not a hundred percent, but I'll manage." We rejoined the others, Kunimittz telling a somewhat enraptured Kirito and Asuna stories from his work. He refused to name any names, but whenever he got riled up about the subject the next ten minutes were guaranteed to be filled with conversation.
"We all good to go?" Klein asked, looking over our group. "Right, so since we have ten people, we're going to break up into even teams of five. Asuna-san, Kirito, you'll be with Asasaki, Issin, and Harry. Dale, Dynamm, Kuni, and Choryu will be with me. Same deal as last time; we shouldn't need it, but just in case Harry and I will be registered with the other party for communication purposes. Also, we'll be taking separate paths to maximize our efficiency."
"If you come across those giant rock monsters again, leave them alone. You remember, the ones we ran away from? I talked to Mitsui, and she said that the people here have a fairly stable relationship with that thing. She also said that it might end up helping us later on." I accepted Klein's invitation to his group, four other status bars appearing under mine. As with my own bars, if I bothered to focus on theirs I would be able to see their actual numbers, but the system took too long to register the action for it to be of any use in combat.
"If that isn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is." Kirito shook his head in disbelief. Once again I understood the intent behind his action to come across as personable, but between the way he said it and his body language it only made him seem like a braggart. Briefly, I wondered how often I seemed that way to Furinkazan.
"We're hoping to get as deep as we did last time, so stick close to your light bearers. Occasional there's glowing stones once you get past the torch lit region, but don't rely on them too much. We'll be fighting goblins that have better eyesight than us, but from what we saw last time they have torches set up in their base of operations so it should be easier towards the end." Klein looked over at Harry, the former student taking his cue.
"Hopefully, we each come back with three hundred cor, pushing five depending on what kind of drops we get. Additionally, we'll be spending extra time on the golems if our equipment allows for it." The teen adjusted his lantern shield, still not fully used to its weight and feel.
"Asuna-san, Kirito, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. There's very few cases where being over prepared is a bad thing. Also, if Harry or Asasaki ask you to do something, make sure you do it." I nodded after Klein spoke. "It might seem a little strange or weird compared to what you're used to, but they have experience leading others so they probably have a plan in mind."
"But when in doubt, please defer to me. Asasaki's good for small scale planning, but she's not yet used to the gaming world."
"Ask me to orchestrate the demise of a single target? Got you. Want me to plan out the take over of a hostile base? You should ask the brass about it." I pointed towards the two leaders of our group, a wry smile in my face.
"Happy hunting, guys." Klein led his group into the mine, marching past the two armored guards.
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As far as killing creatures for things they contained went, our trip was fairly quiet. "It's just like a class field trip. Except with monsters. And death. Hey, look! A gold nugget!" I materialized the item out of my inventory, holding it up so the torchlight glinted off it.
"When Klein told me he wanted us to pull all nighters during the weeks our schedules were lined up to beat those raid bosses on a shooting game, I told him he was crazy. But you're redefining the standard." Harry shook his head, slowly walking past me.
"A title I share carry with pride," I sung, pocketing the item. "But I could be worse. I could be them." "Them" in this instance referred to the twin stars of blue and red that kept just ahead of us. The unspoken rule that had been set in place was that our smaller groupings of three and two would alternate between monster, Kirito and Asuna running ahead of any monster that was ours. In the cases that they were unable to get away, Kirito would hold its attention until either Issin or I could get to it.
"Those two are something else. Only a single explanation and observation on how to handle these monsters, and they're already fighting them on their own." Harry let out a heavy breath, pressing the way forward for us.
"Makes me feel kind of inadequate. I feel like if I was just three years younger I might be able to do the same as them." Issin raised his hands into the air, mindful of where the tip of his weapon was.. "What about you, Little Miss Developer? How do you feel about them?"
"They're going to burn out," I mused. "They may be strong now, but they're going to break eventually. Somebody needs to be there when they do. One of them already had problems directing her attention, who knows when the other will snap." I cupped my free hand to my mouth, directing my voice at our two charges. "Slow down, you two! Our old bones can't keep up!"
"I swear you took offense when we talked about your age once," Issin half muttered.
"It's different when you acknowledge it yourself. Having other people call you out on stuff is a hurt you're not prepared for." It was amusing how Kirito and Asuna sported identical irked looks when we sauntered over. "It's great that you two are having fun, but you really ought to pace yourselves. If you keep rushing head long, you're going to crash. We still have ninety-nine floors to go. Treat it like a marathon instead of a sprint, alright?"
"I'd rather not stay in here any longer than necessary." I was momentarily taken aback by the forcefulness of Asuna's statement, believing her to have become more friendly after spending a meal together.
"And I understand, but even so. Take your time, enjoy yourself. You can still have a life here, even if it is within a gilded cage." I moved my hand in a placating manner, wondering what was going on behind Kirito's blank face.
The girl challenged my gaze, a fierce scowl on her face. "Some of us have lives to get back to, you know."
"I know. Harry already has his school path planned out. Choryu's an office worker, Kunimitzz is shift manager for his store, and that's not even mentioning the dozens of children I saw wandering the streets of «Town of Beginnings». I understand, Asuna-san. I'm not saying to walk, I'm just saying to pace yourself." I waved my sword in their general direction as I walked past them. "Have some fun. Enjoy the fact that you can do things you normally can't. It's a fight for our lives, after all. If you can't find any source of joy or laughter, you've already lost."
"What makes you happy then, Asasaki?" Kirito asked.
"The knowledge that I get to go all out on my enemies and not have to worry about being reprimanded for going overboard," I told him. "Also, dibs." I sprinted towards the «Mineral Golem, watching its limbs for its first attack.
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I stabbed my weapon through my enemy, wrenching it out through the side side. Issin and I had been assigned to the «Mountain Goblin Scouts» that continually spawned while the trio of Harry, Kirito, and Asuna dealt with «Fiad, the Goblin Raider». The mini-boss was around six feet in height, clad in chain and thick cloth. Its defense stat was at an annoying level, and like certain sentries I had fought before required the usage of sword skills to deal significant damage.
I batted away the sword of a charging goblin, stepping closer and grabbing it by its outstretched forearm. From there I brought into a clockwise revolution around me, performing a quick spin and slashing my sword through its neck. The momentum carried through to the shards of data, the shower carrying forward a few feet before phasing out of existence.
We had been at this for several minutes, and I was close to leveling up from the sheer amount of monsters I had gone through. A new goblin spawned every thirty seconds; Issin and I had managed to fix the rate so that one of us would be able to take care of the newest one while the other dealt with the previous.
Carrying nothing but a single handed weapon and what amounted to a loincloth, the scouts fell in two hits at most, four if you messed up a normal attack. I jogged past my companion, towards a spawning matrix and unleashed a «Reaver» once the protective light disappeared. Monster spawns weren't slow, but there was a very noticeable build up once you realized what to look for.
"They're not respawning," Issin murmured after several seconds of silence.
I looked around, searching for anything out of place. True to Paint Brush's word, nothing else was spawning. "Go help them out with damage. I'll keep an eye out for any changes." The spear user sped off with a grunt of acknowledgement, slotting into the three man by providing moments of stun and crowd control with his abilities.
I kept a ready stance while the fight raged on behind me, turning from time to time to make sure that nothing unpleasant was getting the drop on us. When twin war cries resonated throughout the chamber, I still keep my guard, not letting up until after the room brightened. "Nice work, everybody. Harry, do you need any extra potions?" I asked when I rejoined the four.
"No, I still have a few." Being in the party for the other group, we weren't able to see Harry's health bar, relying on his updates to relieve him if necessary.
"What about you two? Still good to go?" Out two guests responded in unison, staring at each other for a moment before looking away with a humph. "What happened with them?" I looked towards Harry and Issin for an explanation, utterly confused by their behavior.
"They entered a love-hate relationship-" Issin let out a soft hiss of annoyance at the dual denials, "Asuna's being stubborn with anything she learns and goading Kirito into various challenges by accident, while Kirito's teaching her as much as possible while still trying to maintain his pride as a man. It's a losing battle."
I snickered, watching the red headed youth beam with joy, a complete reversal of Kirito's downtrodden look. "It's about six o'clock or so. We could head back if you guys wanted to," I trailed off, watching their expressions.
"Asuna doesn't have enough items yet to upgrade her weapon enough times yet. We should stay another hour or two," Kirito said. I glanced over at Issin and Harry, receiving shrugs of indifference in return.
"It's not like these things are seriously damaging to our equipment so long as we're using sword skills. If it's monsters we need, just point me at them. I'll skewer them for you guys to handle." Issin gave a grin that was remarkably similar to Klein's. I couldn't help but wonder which of the two did it first.
"Alright. I'll let the other group know. Let's stick to the dark sections for now then. Asasaki, do you mind carrying the drops we get? I'm sure the others are starting to get bogged down from everything we have."
"I'll do what I can," I responded to Harry, cognitive of the fact that my fighting style would be fairly useless in the dark.
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I let out a groaning yawn as we walked back towards our inn. Kirito, and by proxy Asuna, were more than willing to continue until the early hours of the morning, but were outvoted by us adults. They had become used to my sleep schedule, appreciative of the fact that we were able to get a head start on everybody while still keeping good safety margins for travel.
"You know if you needed a nap, Granny, you could have just said so." In my head I knew Kirito was trying to crack a joke, but it still took me a second to form an unaggressive response.
"You watch your mouth, kid. This granny could still beat you seven ways from sunday and you'd know it was your fault every single time," I shot back, doing my best to keep any real heat out of my voice.
"Hey, Asuna-san, where are you staying at?" Klein reduced the length of his strides, falling back with our group of damage dealers.
"At an inn over at the northern part of town. Why do you ask?"
"Was just wondering. Back in «Town of Beginnings» there were some people who took to sleeping on the streets because they couldn't get enough cor for both accommodations and food." Klein looked up in contemplation, the idle chatter from the others reaching us. "What about you, Kirito?"
"I'm staying in the second floor of a farm up north. The complex is considered a safe zone so I don't need to worry about monsters or anything."
"Wait, you can use places that aren't inns to sleep?" Asuna stared at Kirito, her mouth slightly open.
"Yeah. You have to go out of your way to find them, but they're usually better than the normal rooms. Mine has a comfy bed, all the milk you could drink, a nice view of the forest, and a hot bath. It costs about 80 cor a night." I tilted my head slightly towards the blacked haired swordsman, curious about the details regarding the bath.
When I discovered Mitsui was ferrying soaps among the various supplies she was delivering, I had bought a few bars from the various NPC's once they acquired them, dragging Issin and Klein to stand guard while I bathed in a deeper portion of the stream. Eventually everyone had take a bath, agreeing that the way water felt was weird in a strange sense. The common theme in each of our explanations being that it felt like wearing a skin tight outfit and not actually able to get wet.
"Excuse me?" I stopped and turned around, realizing we had left Asuna behind a few paces. "What did you just say?" The girl marched up to Kirito, a determined look on her face.
"That I'm renting out the second floor of a farm up north?" Kirito raised his hands, looking behind him for help. I smiled innocently.
"After that."
"All the milk I could drink?" Asuna gave the bishie a full out glare, complete with fists resting on her hips. "It has a bath?" Kirito's voice turned up at the end. I wasn't sure if the sudden rise in pitch was intentional or not.
"Are there still rooms available?" She demanded.
"No. There's only a single room with a bathroom attached on the second floor. The first floor is used by the NPC's." Kirito sagged in relief when Asuna haunched over. The tenseness quickly returning when Asuna mumbled something too quiet for me to hear that broke Kirito into a stammering fit.
"Yeah. Sure," he eventually managed. "Were going to split off here guys." Kirito nodded towards us, his gaze lingering on Klein's.
"You two should join us again tomorrow. We're going to do another run of the Tower. Would be nice to have some more hands to get used to a group coordination."
"That sounds wonderful, Klein-san. Thank you for your assistance today." The hooded girl bowed, a smile barely visible from underneath her brown cloak.
"Sleep well, you two. And make sure to eat a good breakfast. Your mind is a powerful thing in here, so make sure you keep up your habits from the real world."
"Sure thing, Grandma," Kirito barked.
I let out a huff. "If you really must insist on my age, then at least call me Auntie!" Kirito's retreating form only gave a hand in response, the form trailing behind him shifting to say something.
"Good kids," Klein remarked after a while.
"You weren't the ones who had to deal with them," Issin and I said in unison.
He hesitated. "That bad?"
I placed my hand on his back, pushing slightly to catch up with the rest of our group. "Let me tell you a few things over dinner."
Next chapter should be out August 11th-12th.