So here's a story. While I was writing this, my brain started dying on me. I was second guessing myself at every turn. I was growing mad with the idea that I've used all of these phrases and patterns far too often. Trying to work through this was like trying to swim through molasses or a muddy river while fully clothed.

So I'm taking a break! A week or two at most. I'm going to read through everything I've written up to this point. Maybe do some more editing to all the chapters, take notes on things I might have mentioned and need to take care of at some point. It's mostly going to be me time.

Come this weekend I'll probably just do a handful of snippets regarding conversations Asasaki might've had with other people; mostly along the lines of learning the gaming lingo (for being born in the 1990's she's actually fairly ignorant in terms of MMO terms).

The week after that I might do a mostly unedited upload; that is to say, it'll be my normal writing process before I go through and polish stuff up, complete with notes on how I want things to proceed or should add. I want my next update or two to be fun, dammit! Not this slog fest that makes me cry because my inner critic is going Dark Lord on me.

I forced a smiled onto my face, keeping the shock from showing. Considering what I had seen not too long ago, it seemed impossible for somebody to have such spectacular failures so close together.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'll pay you back completely, I swear!" Nezha prostrated himself before us, sheer anguish that seemed far too real to be an act in his voice.

"No, no. It's fine, Nezha-san. I knew what I was getting into with my upgrade attempt." I gently relieved Asuna's suffocating grip, disguising the action as one of comfort.

"I-I, I know it's not much, but I have a «Steel Rapier» if you don't mind the downgrade." Nezha pulled out the named weapon, his whole body trembling.

"That's okay. Well figure out something. Thank you for trying." Asuna gave a deep bow, still holding onto us.

"C'mon, Asuna-san. We can talk back at our room." Kirito guided the girl away, his other hand on her back.

As much as I wanted to say something to the smith, the nagging feeling in my mind kept me from speaking up. In the end I stood there stupidly for several seconds before joining my teen companions. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said, not sure what else I could offer.

"It's." Asuna stilled. "It's not fine." She hid her face in her hands, shaking.

"It was going to happen eventually, you know." Kirito rubbed her back, displaying a familiarity I didn't expect from the two. "At some point your weapon would no longer be useful, especially once you maxed out your upgrade attempts."

"I know." She sniffed. "But I just. She was so different from the «Iron Rapiers» I used. thought I'd have that weapon forever. It felt so right, using it. Every strike I made was so smooth, it felt like the weapon itself was helping me."

Kirito shuffled, looking at me for assistance. "We can go find replacement weapon if you want. I know it won't be the same, but at least you'll have something."

Asuna stood, removing her hands from ours to wipe away her tears. "I think I'm actually done for the day. Thank you for the meal, Kirito-san. And I'm sorry to send you off on such a sour note, Asasaki-san." The redhead gave a deep bow, one I felt compelled to wave away.

"Don't worry about it." I gave Kirito a meaningful look. "I'll be heading off now. Let me know if you need help with anything, alright? I know my biggest impressions are that of a mean old lady, but I'm here for you, both of you. Take care, alright?" I gave a soft smile and enveloped the girl in a hug before heading off.

Look at her. Crying over something a simple as a weapon.

I scoffed, annoyed with myself for thinking that. It was true that I couldn't fully understand why she had responded the way she did, I could relate to the loss of something you felt vital to your survival.

I pulled open my interface and began composing a message to Agil. #Meeting at the south gate, right?#. When he returned with a confirmation, I doubled my pace, putting the situation behind me for the time being.

At this time of day most groups were already out doing their farming runs, though that didn't stop some people from turning nocturnal, claiming that there was less competition for resources. I walked over to four lingering by one of the benches, vaguely recognizing the figure covered in metal plating. "Are you guys with Agil?" A male a few inches short of breaching the six foot mark stepped up, a pleasant smile on his face.

"You must be Lady Asasaki." He extended his hand in greeting, his scattered blue metal plating and axe summoning the image of a certain fictional lord.

"Hey, it's the demon ninja!"

"I- what?" I stared at the finger of a smaller blonde boy, his abnormally large two handed weapon attached to his back by a complex series of leather straps.

"Demon ninja! That's what they're calling the girl who took down half of Illfang's health bar after Diavel died!" The kid beamed and crossed his arms.

Chunibyo.

"Siegfried, she didn't do it alone, you know." His taller companion tilted his head, a reproachful look on his face. "The Beater and his girlfriend were there with her."

I did my best to speak. Every attempt died in my throat, half formed sounds barely getting out. The connotations of the nickname Demon Ninja bothered me in a way that I couldn't fully actualize.

"That's enough you two." The axe user clapped his hands, gaining their attention. "She's going to be part of our team for the next day or so. You should play nice." The two teens apologized and moved back to their spot by the wall to continue their conversation. "Sorry about them. They were really big on the idea of role-playing when they started this game and some of the personality traits they were gunning for stuck around."

"It's no problem." I gave an understanding smile. "By the way, what was your name?"

"Vector. And yes, the resemblance was intentional."

I gave him another once over, glad I initial suspicions were correct. "I imagine that goes over most people's heads." The specific entry was fairly old, even if it did receive a significant amount of attention from the mobile game.

"Yeah. Most of the people here didn't go out of their way to learn about it. They're mostly all MMO players, rarely touching handhelds."

"I see you two seem to be getting along." A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. In a different time I would have taken the offending arm and thrown its owner over my, but that was eons ago. "Glad you see you again, short stuff. How you doing?"

I couldn't help the grin that formed, realizing that Agil was speaking english. "Much better, now that you're here." I coughed, realising how that could have been taken. "Sorry. It's been awhile since I was able to speak proper english."

"I know what you mean. There's nothing wrong with the japanese language, but there's just too many formalities you gotta go through. It's nice being in here though. With everybody going by a handle or being the equivalent of shut in, there's not many people that are sticklers for the usual hoops."

I swapped back to japanese for the sake of our companions."Hey, sorry about what happened back in Illfang's room. I wasn't in the best place when that happened."

Agil laughed, a little surprised. "Don't worry about it. A lot of people were too shocked to do anything. It was you three that pretty much saved the day."

I made an ambiguous noise of agreement, rubbing the back of my neck. That moment wasn't something I was proud of, even if I did understand why it happened.

"Alright, guys. We've got our supplies and our final companion. Let's head off." Siegfried and his naginata using companion cheered, eagerly following Vector and the other silent member of our group.

A few minutes hike later (and a few insectoid monsters that the younger two eagerly dispatched), we found ourselves at the entrance of a steep cave, dozens of torches situated along the walls.

"I don't think I ever asked how bad this was going to be." I looked up at the two handed axe user. He seemed abnormally calm, perhaps even excited considering we were about to go into uncharted territory.

"Not that bad. All of our weapon skills are able to cut through defences and I stocked everybody else up on as many potions and restoratives as we could carry while still bringing in loot."

"Kinboshi's going first." The polearm user gave a shoddy imitation of a salute. "We're going to go back him up."

"Be safe," Agil responded, returning the motion.

"How old are they?" I asked, rubbing my thumb along the sheath of my blade.

"Yunyun's 17. HIs brother Siegfried is 14." The giant male grinned. "And before you ask, yes, he knows he chose a girl's name. Remember what I said about them being role players?"

I smirked. "You say that and all I'm thinking is how young they are."

Agil laughed. "Think of it as a form of acting, not just bedroom stuff. Like cast members at Disneyland."

I nodded, accepting his explanation.

"We're all clear!" YunYun's voice rose from the depths, the teen waving his weapon in the air.

"Ladies first." Agil motioned for me to go ahead, a teasing look on his face.

"Considering that this is a dangerous area, I don't think that applies right now, but if it makes you feel better." I dropped to my butt and slide down the path, making sure that I didn't go too fast. It was possible to walk down it as the trio before us did, but I was feeling special.

"So where should we slot you, Demon-nin?" Seigfreid nudged me with his elbow, the tip of his sword sticking into the ground.

"I'm sorry?"

"Where should we slot you? A full ninja who only strikes at opportune moments, a trickster who grabs opponents attentions and never gets hit? What's your play style."

I filed away his terminology, figuring it might be useful later on. "Opportune striker, though once I figure out what monsters are in here I might be able to be a 'trickster' like you put it."

"Got it. You heard the scary psycho, Jun. Use that spear of yours to pin whatever we find." The boy cackled and hefted his blade, holding it single handedly as it it were nothing more than a wooden oar.

"It's called a fauchard, Seigfreid." The noiret sighed and pinched his nose, resting his weapon at the nape of his neck just like his brother.

"Look, it's a long metal weapon with a piece of metal on the end that can stab. I'm calling it a spear." The blonde narrow his eyes, grinning foothill.

YunYun stared at the other for a moment. "Then I'm calling that sword of yours overcompensation."

"You leave Balmung alone!" The younger of the two reared back, holding his large sword to his face protectively.

I leaned over towards the armored man. "They certain are lively."

"It is my wish that they stay that way."

I blinked at the gravelly voice. It had an air of experience to it that seemed fitting for the figure he cut. "I know what you mean. This should never have happened, especially to kids their age." I extended a hand. "My name's Asasaki by the way."

"Kinboshi. It's nice to meet you." He grabbed my hand and shook firmly. "Forgive them for any offenses. They mean nothing by it."

"None taken. My companions jokingly refer to me as a ninja, but it's strange to have 'Demon' tacked onto it."

The armored man nodded. "When people here at the front speak of you, it is often with fear. But please do not let it affect you. What you did back there was admirable. I stopped by «Town of Beginnings». There are children there that look to you as a hero, alongside the one named Kirito and his red haired companion. Tales will be written of you three."

I gave a hum acknowledgement. Kinboshi was giving off an incredible grandfatherly feel, the kind that people in their 60's and above gave when talking about the current generation.

The sound of boots skidding on dirt reached my ears. "Let's take this nice and slow." Agil pushed himself off the ground, having taken the same method of travel as me. "Vector, make sure you write down anything we figure out about the monsters here. Let me know if you run out of room."

"That's a thing?" I looked between the two axe users, trying to piece together what they were referring to.

"The «Notes» function can only hold so many things. It's a common tactic among people exploring. Does your group not do that?" Agil raised a questioning brow, concern entering his voice.

I shook my head. "One of our members picked up a skill called «Scan»." I mimicked the required action needed to use the ability. "The more pictures he takes of something, the more information gets recorded into his bestiary. It has a list of monster levels, stats, equipment, sword skills, and how to force critical hits or openings. Of course, we have to help him line the shots up in the first place, but at least we have a way to record stuff on the god."

Agil scratched his chin. "Huh. Might have to look into that. "

"Oh right! Before we go any farther, Kirito wanted me to give you this." I traded over the «Mighty Straps of Leather». "He said it's a little revealing, so it's up to you to decide whether worthwhile or not."

"This stuff gives a pretty decent strength boost. A little low in defense and health though." Agil stared at his screen for several seconds, looking up every few steps to make sure he wouldn't trip over something before tapping a button.

I stopped and doubled over coughing when the light show faded away. "That should in no way be called armor," I managed, staring in pained disbelief.

"Revealing is one word for this." Agil grimaced, looking himself over. The leggings were thankfully worthwhile of the term, seeming much like the waist and groin portions of my own leather tassels that went over my clothing. The chest piece on the other hand was nothing more than a few strips of leather arranged in what could be called a chest brace, a generous piece going across his pecs and covering his nipples.

I frowned, morbid curiosity getting the better of me. "I don't even want to know how that would look like if I wore it."

"Wore what?" Mr. Compensation looked over, double taking when he saw Agil. "On one hand, please wear that. On the other, I said nothing!"

I snorted. "Maybe if you're good enough I might try it on." I shook my head, trying to get used to Agil's new look.

The teen flushed and turned away. "Look, that was a joke. I'm not crazy enough to actually ask for that."

I smirked. "Let's keep going. I'm going to start getting antsy if we don't come across something soon. I don't like the feel of this place. Smells too much like a trap to me." The

"Really? I'm just smelling dirt and- wait I think I got something else." Seigfreid sniffed the air in a dog-like manner. "Nope, just dirt."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Come on, soldier. Do your job and keep your body between the mean monsters and the pretty lady."

"Aye aye, ma'am!" The kid ran back to the other two in front, his weapon held loosely in his right hand like a bat.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I batted away a pair of mandibles and took a few spinnings steps, inserting my curved blade into the neck of the ant-like creature. Around the size of a compact car, the «Seared Formicidae» were incredibly durable creatures capable of dealing heavy damage vice like jaws. Vector and Kinboshi had already suffered from the attacks a few times, needing to down potions whenever possibly to keep their health up. Movement from a tunnel up ahead caught my attention. "Two more, 10 o'clock!"

"Keep them busy while we deal with these guys!" Agil's yelled over the sound of ringing metal.

I grunted in response and used one of the ants as a step ladder, kicking off it and leaving the duo of YunYun and Seigfreid to handle their end. The two insects charged towards the atrium, their legs kicking up small clouds of dust in their wake. I was extremely grateful for my weapon's special properties; while I was sure I could have handled them without it, the ability to deal enhanced damage through my normal actions alone was a blessing.

I lept over the pincers of the first ant, turning midair and straddled its back. With a guttural challenge, I snapped my blade into its legs over and over, sending it to the floor with a «Stunned» effect. Heavy thuds alerted me to its companion, jaws wide open to clamp down. I rolled off the body of the first one and dove in, driving my sword between its head and the rest of the body.

The creature jolted back and flailed for a brief moment before shooting towards me. This I avoided by stepping to the side, slicing its flank when it passed. "You are all so annoying!" I met its charge and flitted over it, my weapon snaking out and scoring an angry line along its back. "Charge this, tackle that! It's like playing with a novice!" I whirled around slapped the jaw of the first ant away, plunging my sword into its eye. Another status effect appeared over its head, flicking away a few seconds later.

For another minute or two my dance continued, the ants uselessly trying to attack me with their mandibles. Klein and I had once talked about how odd it was that there were no ranged enemies so far, but chalked it up to being a balance nightmare since the ranged options players had were extremely limited.

"Geeze, Demon Nin. You're like a one man party." Siegfried laughed, resting his sword across his shoulders.

I let out a long breath and flicked my sword downwards. "These things are just simple. Once you figure out their attack patterns its easy to avoid their attacks."

"Hear that, Yun?" The blonde leaned in towards his elder brother, grinning. "Easy to avoid their attacks. Guess we better start throwing points into Dexterity."

"I told you to call me Jun. And that's her play style." The polearm user shook his head. "Not everybody can dance around attacks. Against larger monsters you still need somebody to keep enemies pinned down."

Siegfried huffed. "I was trying to make a joke."

YunYun deadpanned laughter, his face staring at his brother blankly.

"Stop flirting, you three. There's more stuff ahead." Vector waved us over, pulling out his double sided axe from the dematerializing corpse of an ant.

"Coming!" The two jogged off to join their companions without another word.

This feels like the time I chaperoned for my nephew's field trip.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I plopped into the open seat beside Choryu. "What's on the table today?" I asked, switching into a more casual set of clothing. It was the start of a new week now. The three (technically four if you counted the Legend Braves) main groups that were at the true front lines had managed to find the tower and had entered a passive-aggressive competition to be the first to find the boss room.

"We're discussing whether or not we want to head back to the first floor to complete the quests or if we should join up with the other clearers." Klein looked up from an expanded map interface of the first floor, Dale's based on the cute fish border.

"According to Argo, we're one of the few groups that managed to pick up this quest line." Harry looked up from his copy of the second floor guide book; for the time being 'there were no books to kill time with, so the most recent guide would have to suffice'. "The start conditions are still unknown for it and after meeting that giant rock guardian nobody really wants to continue the line until they get stronger."

"Right. So while we might take a dip in experience gains, we might end up with a ton of loot and items you can't normally get. It's usually how quests like this go," Klein added.

I hummed and stretched my spine out, folding my hands behind me. "Honestly, I think between Agil's Group, Lind and Kibaou's group, and the Twin Stars, the boss fight should be in the bag."

"Twin Stars?" Issin asked.

"It's the nickname given to Kirito and Asuna by players that don't know he's the 'Filthy Beater' now that he's starting to incorporate some blue into his outfit instead of the usual black." I used a mocking tone for Kirito's more common label. "Apparently the two are pretty much inseparable outside of safe zones, though I'm sure if you say something about it you'll get nothing but protests."

"Huh. So back on topic, what do you think about the matter?"

I looked over to Klein. "I vote we head back down and finish up the quests. If we have time, we should try and stock back up on those petal fragments. I've grown really fond of them." It wasn't because I was scared of what would happen with somebody else died in near me. I just felt obligated to help out Mitsui and her people.

"Looks like we're out voted, Klein." Issin clasped hands with the curved blade user, pulling him into a hug. "Oh, woe is we! Overturned by our comrades, our dreams pushed to the wayside!"

"Don't be so overdramatic." Kunimitzz rolled his eyes, his face slightly deviating in what could optimistically be called a smile. "If it helps, consider completing the quests our own frontline. We'll be helping those who come after us figure out what's worthwhile."

"I'm only joking, Yuuta. No need to harp on me." Issin pulled away and waved his hand.

The raven haired polearm user narrowed his eyes, clearing his throat meaningfully.

"Ah, crap. Sorry about that. I don't suppose you two can forget what I said, right?" Issin turned to to me and Choryu, chuckling nervously.

"Don't worry about it." Choryu smiled gently.

I tilted my head. "You know, I don't think you ever explained to me why it's a faux pas to share that kind of information."

"Most people who plays online games do it for the escapism." Dale pulled back his map, resizing it before putting it away. "They want to try and separate it from reality."

"Hm." I had my own thoughts on the matter but it would be insensitive of me to voice them. Everybody had their reasons and personal limits after all. It would be cruel to assume one person had it better than another.

"Stock up on supplies. We'll head back to Urbus in two hours. Meet over by the northern entrance when you're ready."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

"Hey."

I looked up from the stall, realizing that Agil was approaching me. "Hey, yourself," I responded in english.

"You guys heading out to the Tower today?" Agil stepped into the shade, looking over the dried fruits.

"Nah. We're heading back to the First Floor," I explained, selecting a bag of fictional figs.

"Have fun traveling back through those woods if you're heading towards «Tolbana». I think it's pretty dumb that there isn't a warp gate in every major city."

"I'm sure there's a reason for it." I handed over a few more coins as tip, the NPC thanking me when I did so. "What about you guys? Joining in on the action?"

"Definitely. Though I might pull out after this floor. Don't get me wrong, I want to get out just like everybody else, but those two teams? Lind and Kibaou's? It's not fun working with them. We can hold our own since we're a tank squad, but those guys argue too much. I came here for fun man, not to deal with adolescent territorial disputes."

I shrugged. "Should look into checking monsters or doing quests. It might not directly help the efforts, but who knows. The information we get might make it easier for other people do equip themselves to a point where they can start helping." I led the way towards the central plaza of «Marome», unsure of which direction he would be going.

"Doesn't Argo already have all the quests listed though?"

"She does. But she doesn't have the complete info. Just starting locations and things you might need with the disclaimer that it's beta info. There's still so many undocumented changes we have yet to find."

"True, true. I'll leave you too it. Good luck back on the first floor. And try not to let the zombies back in the starting town get to you. They'll come around eventually."

"Happy hunting!" I called to his retreating form.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I gave a sharp breath, quickly catching my footing. The portal from «Urbus» had put me out at the edge of the platform. If I hadn't been paying attention I would have fallen on my face from missing the first step.

"Whoa!" I caught Klein as he stumbled through, bracing his chest with my arms. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?" He joked, getting ready to catch the next person. Strangely, the portal reduced slightly after our passing, allowing the others enough space to walk out safely..

"Back in «Town of Beginnings», huh? It's actually kind of nostalgic." Issin looked around, doing his best to keep a smile in the face of ground zero of our imprisonment. "You know. Minus the fear after those first few hours."

"We'll be making a straight trip to «Tolbana» through the western forests." Klein quickly took off, trying not to focus too heavily on the slumped forms huddled in the shadows. "It might be best if we use the path through the outpost instead of going by «Horunka». Ever since the information on the «Anneal Blade» got released people have been crowding the place. We might get bogged down by people asking for help."

"Do you think those guardsmen are still there?" I asked, following his lead.

"Wouldn't be surprising," Harry responded by my side. "Remember Mitsui mentioned that the guards were there to investigate the area. With them being NPC's it's entirely possible that they're meant to stay there until we get back into the area."

"Choryu, Asasaki. Do you guys might taking care of anything that might aggro us?" Klein asked as we neared the north (and only) gate of «Town of Beginnings».

"Understood, Younger Brother," I cracked, noticing a group of people walking past us.

The trip out to the forest was a much calmer one than our first trip. Between our stats and our weapons, the dagger user and I were able to bring down the monsters in three hits or less depending on whether or not we were able to get a head or neck strike in. Catching up to the group was a simple matter of a short sprint that barely winded us.

"Was this always here?" I asked when we arrived at the path to the hamlet. There was a shimmer wall arranged in a circle between the two biggest trees, the edges appearing much like the script that bound the light of the teleport gates. "Nothing else should have changed, right?" I kicked at the ruts of wagon wheels that led in, wracking my brain to figure out if those were there before.

Harry took a moment before speaking. "For now, let's just attribute any changes to having an active quest. It shouldn't be much, but just in case, be on your guard."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I knocked on the door to the apothecary, waiting a moment before entering. "Hello, Lady Hilde." I waved at the elder, walking over to the counter.

"Just Hilde is fine, young one. What brings you back here? I thought you would have continued your journey to the lands beyond." She moved up to the counter, her apron looking freshly stained from something.

"Lady Mitsui told us of some issues around the region. Our group decided we'd help out once we got enough experience fighting ." It was tempting to fully speak in gaming terms. Certain NPC's such as Hilde and Mitsui seemed fully aware of what was going on, but Harry speculated they just had a broad list of acceptable terms. For most NPC's, if you tried to go out of those bounds or didn't use specific phrasings that would be related to their area of specialization they would respond with some variation of 'I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.'

"Ah, Lady Mitsui." The potion maker closed her eyes in reminiscence. "A wonderful girl, that one. Takes after her father quite nicely."

"Her father?" I felt ashamed for how difficult it was for me to accept that there was family members that we hadn't seen with these quest related NPC's.

"He was in charge of these lands until his passing forty years ago. She's the last in line for her family to care for the region. In all the time I've known her I don't think she's ever had a partner. Understandable though. We've been separated for so long, the region is essentially self-sufficient. At least this forest is. I'm sure given long enough the «Black Iron City» and «Tolbana» would eventually crumble. It's happened before you know, in lands far far away. A city falls to the monsters or itself, changing from what was once something you could have pride in into a hive of thieves and squalor." Hilde shook her head. "I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to an old lady ramble. How can I help you, lass?"

"Could you turn these into potions for me? Also, out of curiosity, how do you make yours taste so good? The potion makers over in «Tolbana» make theirs taste like somebody decided to liquify aloe vera and sell it as is."

The lady chuckled. "Trade secret, I'm afraid. But if you ever decide to dabble in the craft, try adding more than what's necessary." She disappeared behind the strips of leather that acted as a curtain for a few minutes, the sound of bubbling growing stronger. "There you go. Five health potions." She silently took the offered cor, noticing that I had picked an armful of potions she had resting on the far wall. "If you ever come across any herbs or plants that nobody can recognize, bring them to me. It's been awhile since these old bones got to work with exotic materials."

I nodded. "Until next time, then." In the corner of my eye, a single line of text appeared in my log stating #«Quest Log» updated.#

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I rapped my knuckles on the door frame once again, failing to keep the irritation off my face. Being the lowest level people in our group, Choryu and I had been in our own party to keep the minimal experience gains from the monsters we slayed between us. As a result, I couldn't enter the building used as the headquarters for the «Mitsui Outpost» currently registered as a place of player residence without being invited in. "Did you guys clean everything up?" I asked dryly when Issin's opened the doors.

"Sorry about that. One of the guards on break was briefing us on everything they learned. Looks like we get to do another escort mission for them as well. We'll need to take it on foot though. Two of the guards are going to stay here with the horses while the other four are going to come with us." Issin opened the door. Compared to the Mitsui Trading Guild headquarters back in «Tolbana» the room was surprising spartan. Not even carpets or pictures were set up.

"Has anything changed since we arrived?" I asked, following him through the wooden halls.

"The goblin forces around here have gone into hiding now that so many players are hanging around «Horunka»," he began. "They're much stronger than everything in the region, though with our stats we should be fine. The guards managed to pinpoint their position to an old tunnel network in the castle ruins northwest of here, fairly close to the mountains. They don't know much else though since it's too risky for them to go closer. Also, a lot of the flying monsters have pretty much disappeared; the guards are saying that's once again due to all the people religiously hunting monsters."

"When do we head out?" Hunting things to endangerment or even extinction wasn't an uncommon occurrence, though I was surprised that was something this game included.

"In the morning. For now Klein just wants us to continue hunting down the lilies and mandrakes for potions. They might not be as strong as the ones from «Urbus», but damn if they don't taste better."

"Trade secret from Hilde on how she does that, by the way." I pulled open my interface and handed him his share of the potions, grateful for the reminder. "She said something about experimenting with the recipes, more than the required amount. Also, if we come across any plant materials from the other floors we should bring them to her. It might be a drag to keep traveling down here, but she said she wouldn't mind making stronger potions for us. Apparently it's boring work just working with what they have on this floor."

"That's good to know." Issin pulled open the door to a large meeting room, allowing me to go in first.

"-we were rebuffed and had to turn back. They don't seem keen on letting us approach." The guard was abnormally formal with his speech. Not quite the archaic levels the Fūma nin exhibited, but enough that it felt out of place.

"Welcome back, Asasaki." Klein looked up from the charcoal drawn map spread across the table. "We were just going over our battle plan. The goblins seem to have set up camp on the path from here to «Tolbana»." He motioned at a collection of simple figurines placed on the plain south of the river that curved around the city. "We could just cross the river and head into the city from «Horunka», but we decided that it would be best if we stopped these things from completing whatever it is they're trying to do."

"And we appreciate your efforts, Swordsmen." One of the guards, his helmet resting on the table, brought his arm across his chest and gave a short bow.

"What have you guys come up with so far?" I moved between Kunimitzz and Dale, needing a moment to realize that the placement of the models was an approximation of their formation and not just a random scattering.

"Right now we're planning on using a lure method to slowly whittle away at their forces. Hopefully they don't get any reinforcements." Harry used a lengthy stick to break off a unit, pulling them towards a group of form shield bearers positioned at the northern entrance for the outpost.

I leaned in closer, noticing that there was a ring of quadrupeds around the goblins. "They have wolves?"

"Goblins riding wolves," the same guard corrected. "They were the reason we couldn't continue. When we neared a group of them chased after us until we got far enough away. Odd, considering that they normally chase after us with reckless abandon."

I frowned and motioned towards tour representations. "When we pull monsters wouldn't we get some of those mounted units along with us?"

"Yes." Harry folded his arms, a small frown on his face. "It's a risk we'll have to take. We'll get close enough to grab their range first before trying to pull the the foot soldiers."

I stared at the figurines, an incredibly stupid plan forming in my mind. "What if I went ahead and pulled them first?"

"Why good would that do? And why just yourself? Why not somebody else?" Choryu's gaze jolted up, meeting mine in confusion.

"If I can keep the wolves off you guys, you can work on just fighting through the infantry. You don't need to worry about anything else charging at you. As for why me," I looked over at one of the guards. "I was planning on using one of the horses to lead them around, if you're okay with that." One of the NPC's still wearing a helmet nodded their assent. "Plus, if I end up on foot I'm agile enough to evade attacks or even find myself a new mount." I grinned, pride welling up.

Klein sighed and massaged his head with a hand.. "I really don't agree with this." He looked up at me, But if you think it's a good idea, then I believe in you. Now then, for the rest of the day I'd like us to collect more materials…"

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I brought my hand over my eyes, shading myself from the bright unfiltered light coming from the unfiltered sky. Unlike the southern entrance, the northern end of the path that led to «Mitsui Outpost» didn't have a hazy barrier. Additionally, we were currently suffering from effects similar to that of a dungeon, unable to message anybody outside of our party.

When we broke through the tree line I urged my steed into a trot, hanging along the forest edge to scout out the enemy forces for myself. True to their words, the goblin forces were gathered around something in the center of the plain, piles of dirt scattered around as they dug into the earth with picks and shovels. "At least they're all normal sized," I muttered, bringing us to a stop. I met the gaze of the mounted goblins, grunting when I realized they had been visually following me ever since I show my face. I sighed and moved my scabbard from my waist to the saddle, its previous position being too awkward for when I would need to inevitably draw it.

"Time to bite the bullet," I grumbled, spurring the gorgeous brown stallion into a gallop. With my charge the mounted goblins drove into action, a pack of five breaking off from the encirclement to chase after me. Involuntarily my eyes widened by a fraction, the shock of seeing goblins riding wolves far too strange for me to handle. To my left my companions were just breaking through the forest line, their weapons drawn. "Come on then, friend. We have lives to protect." I grinned, excitement and anxiety coursing through me in equal parts as I veered off to the right, moving alongside the river.

A small number of riders shot off towards Klein and the others. As much as I wanted to grab their attention, I couldn't do so without exposing myself to the five already on me. "Please bear with me," I whispered to my steed, turning us around in a wide turn. I pulled my sword free from its leather holding, Without having the «Mounted Combat» skill, I was unable to use any of my system assisted abilities. That didn't mean I couldn't be my normal creative self.

"I asked for a horse and yet I'm about to abandon you in the first encounter. There is something wrong with me." I took a few calming breaths, slowing our pace and commanding my horse to follow after me when possible. With a huff I jumped up, moving my feet underneath me and balancing on the horse's back. It seemed to understand what I was doing and slowed down just a hair more.

"What counts as a god in this world, please favor me!" I leapt off the stallion, turning myself sideways and forcibly taking the place of the lead goblin. I grabbed hold of the wolf's mane, doing my best to get used to its rhythm.

I sliced at the goblin that rode past on me on my right, two separate strikes scoring my back for my efforts. "At least you're playing nice," I breathed, kicking my mount into action.

I swung my sword across my chest, twisting with the motion and cut the head off the closest creature, its body soon following the digitalization process. The goblins ahead realized that I was still a threat and brought their mounts around, baring their weapons.

I let a moment pass before kicking my mount forward once again, holding my weapon out to the side like the wing of an eagle. As I neared I swung forward, using the back of my sword to knock the goblin to the ground.

I brought us back around and took stock of the situation. The first goblin that I had attacked had remounted on one of the wolves, leading the group back around. Klein and the others were currently engaged in battle with a rather large contingent of goblins, appearing much like a large snail making its way through grass.

Every now and then I could see a flash of light emanating from their weapons, exploding shards of data firing into the air with each lightshow. I allowed myself a brief moment to smile before kicking the wolf back into action.

After a series of exchanges culminating in the death of the goblins and their mounts, I stabbed my sword through the wolf I had commandeered, landing in a crouch when it no longer tangible enough to hold me up.

The horse I had been loaned trotted up to me, appearing completely undamaged. "Thanks friend," I uttered, pulling myself back into its saddle. I took another look at the main congregation of goblins. They seemed to be moving into a retreat, the bulk of their forces running into the eastern forest while a few stayed back. Among them was a goblin that I hadn't noticed before; clad in a number of furs, the goblin was beefy giant, reminiscent of a certain beast. In its hand it held

"That's our target. You okay with going that close?" The horse snorted and shook its head, tapping excitedly. "I thought so. Remind me to give you a nice snack when we get back to «Tolbana»." I tapped my heels against the horse's side, gradually moving us back into a gallop.

I brought my sword to my side, quickly taking stock of everything in the way before focusing on the presumable leader. The giant turned towards me, its hidden eyes boring holes into me. Faster than I could react, its club smashed into the horse and me, launching us a small distance. Pain wasn't a thing in this world, I had to remind myself. The pervasive cold feeling lingered on the right side of my body like mud, clear distinct areas of injury making themselves known to me.

I let out an annoyed breath, quickly pulling out and downing a second floor potion which disappeared in a glitter of lights. Even with the promise of restored health bringing me back up from the yellow, it would still take time to fight without much fear.

I snorted when I replayed that thought. "Fighting without fear. You're actually a blessing." I stalked towards «Kurz, the Beast Tamer», forcing the canid howls out of my mind. "It's been so long since I actually had a challenge, I'd forgotten what it means to actually fight." I moved into loose stance. A wild grin formed on my face, heedless of the shivers going through my body.

I might actually die here.

A glance at my health bar revealed that the single blow was worse than I initially thought. At 70% your health but yellow and red at 30%. The single strike had dealt around 40% of my health. Combined with the damage I had taken earlier, I was sitting under 50%.

I chuckled. "All this for a place I don't even have allegiance to." I steeled myself, allowing the part of me that could keep calm and focused in stressful situations to take over. The towering goblin strode over to me, its weapon dragging along the ground.

Heavy. Fast moving. Single linear attacks. Dodge and counter.

I shot forward, trying to limit the options the creature could take. It stopped moving and twisted its body back, leaning into its sword arm.

Horizontal strike. Leap over.

I let out a breath as I vaulted over the swing, twirling in midair when I reached the apex of my jump to land in a forward roll. By myself and against a creature that could potentially kill me with its next hit, I dared not use any sword skills. Those tenths of a second that would allow me to deal massive amounts of damage would be a death sentence unless I found an opportune moment.

I hooked my weapon around its trunk of a leg, pulling myself around it and sending it stumbling forward. With a rumbling cry, it twisted its body once more, picking up its dropped weapon with the motion. I dashed between its legs with another strike to each of its legs, evading the plume of dirt that exploded at me previous position.

"You were supposed to be a-" I let out a gasp when its leg shot out, launching me through the air. Having been able to attack so many times without retaliation, the suddenness of the move stunned me in a way that the system never could. I found myself staring blankly at the incoming strike, unable to comprehend what was happening.

You complete and utter idiot!

I rolled to the side instinctively, turning my head away in anticipation of the earthen shrapnel.

Thanks for that.

Just stay alive.

I leapt onto the club, racing along the outstretched limb towards its owner. With a sharp exhale, I launched off its bicep and spun towards its head, carving a red line on the goblin's fur hood. When it flinched away I drove my blade into its neck before unleashing a falling «Lumbar Desecration» along its back. The creature took a lumbered forward, allowing me enough time to recover from the «Post Motion».

Halfway there.

"Shit!" I dove between its legs to evade the grasping hand, springing up with a haphazard 180 before leaping back. Feeling that I still had some time, I brought my sword across Kurz' left leg twice, running back a few feet in fear of another attack.

When none came, I ran back in and drove the tip of my sword into a lingering mark, tearing it out and moving it into a strike on the other leg. I hopped to the side when a fist came through, responding to the insult with a thrust at the meaty palm. "You're so slow," I grumbled.

My eyes widened when I felt something kick my legs out from underneath me, a sweep kick based on the fraction of a second I was able to take in as I recovered with a handspring. The beast's attack didn't stop there. Kurz' other hand snatched me up around my torso in a vice grip, tortuously squeezing the life out of me.

"Like hell you will!" I reared my arm back and snapped my sword into its wrist repeatedly, turning the muted red brighter with every strike.

When it released me on the fourth strike, I slipped between its legs and delivered a spinning strike to both of its legs, creating some distance when I recovered from the attack. The goblin slumped to the ground, a moment that lasted an eternity passing before it shattered. I didn't allow myself to relax however. Even if their leader had been defeated, the handful of goblins that were surrounding our duel seemed eager to exact revenge on their fallen commander.

Perhaps ten minutes later the battle finally ended, the remnants of the goblin horde running off with their weapons on the ground. I let out a groan and slid to the ground, moving into a variety of stretched,

Why can't my bones crack? That's like 80% of the reason why anybody should stretch.

When I opened my eyes I found a potion shoved into my face. "Haa?"

"You're in the red. Drink." I blinked and accepted the drink, surprised at the stern look the normally carefree Choryu was giving me. The dagger user refused to move until I finished the entire mix, giving a long sigh.

"What happened to being safe?" Harry calmly pushed his tower shield into the ground, glowering at me.

"Things got a little crazy." I swallowed hard. There was no gradient to the color of your health. It was either green, yellow, or red, regardless of whether you were exactly at the turning point or if you were less than 5% from death.

"Crazy's one way of putting it." Harry shook his head, stepping to the side to allow Klein to pass.

"Is this going to be a regular thing with you, Asasaki? Nearly dying while on your own?" Klein looked at me blandly, his eyes narrowed in concerned rage.

I looked away, sensing that there was something important I couldn't fully understand. "It's not like it's intentional. If there's something that needs to be done, I'll do it. Simple as that." I heard a sharp intake of breath. In the corner of my sight, Klein's hands clenched.

"You really are a piece of work, you know that?" The leader of Fūrinkazan stormed off, the rest of our group slowly trailing after him.

What did I do wrong?

Next chapter /should/ September 1st or 2nd.