Hello reader. So yeah, last chapter not the best chapter I've ever written that much is for sure. But I think it was enjoyable enough. I hope. Anyway so this chapter will begin my favorite part from Progressive: the 'Elf War' campaign quest. Probably the most fun I've had reading a book in a long time was while reading those bits. Like I said a lot of my story is heavily inspired by already excisting SAO media and Progressive is the most fun read in my opinion. The 'Elf War' campaign is the best part of that series with a character those who've played the games might know. I will answer wuestions in the second author's note. Without further ado let's get on with it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to most characters or the series. Those belong to Reki Kawahara, Aniplex and A-1 pictures. Please support the official release.
On the steps to the third floor
"Wait up guys! I'm coming with you!"
The group of 8 turned around, seeing Lisbeth coming up the stairs. The group looked at Asuna who simply sighed. It was her decision yet again.
"Lis, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you prepare to leave for your new shop on the third floor?" "Nezha is doing that job for me as we speak. Anyway, what are we doing?"
Asuna looked towards Kirito. He clearly knew what his priorities were. But she had no idea. "We'll start the campaign quest first. I've already send the message that they'll have to wait for three hours to Argo. We'll head for Sumfut on the 15th after clearing the first two chapters of the quest. Then we'll clear the guild creation quest to create our own guild. We should be able to that in roughly 3 hours with the 9 of us. After completing that we'll recuit a few members. Asuna you'll decide our colors, the vice-leaders etc. You're tne leader after all. After that is done we'll continue clearing quests."
The rest nodded. Asuna added Lisbeth to the party and they went out of the dungeon. There they were met with a massive forest covered in mist. It was beautifull yet ominous. "So this is floor 3 huh. It is really pretty." Leafa said. She had always loved nature, and even this place wouldn't change that in the slightest. "I'm glad you like it. This is how the entire floor looks. One big forest. Which of course means stuff like spiders, treanats, wolves, the whole shebang. But I guess you guys don't really mind. We're the most powerfull players after all."
It was true. The 9 of them were all high level aside from Lisbrth. Kirito was level 14, Asuna, Sinon and Leafa level 12, Deliah, Clasour, Lupin and Arsene level 11 and Lisbeth a surprising level 6. "She must've been grinding a lot while getting materials. She is really dedicated." Kirito thought. But he knew that was barely within the safety margin of the previous floor. This floor had a safety margin of level 9. It was generally agreed on by the beta testers that 3 levels higher then the floor number was the safest margin. But from around floor 6 that would become incredibly though and from around floor 12 onwards it would be impossible. Maybe even earlier.
"Bring us to the trigger for this campaign quest Kirito. And watch out for the mobs. They'll probably use the forest to their advantage." Asuna said. The group followed Kirito's lead, coming across a rather unassuming looking mob.
"What is this tiny thing? It looks pretty cute." Deliah said. Kirito looked at what she meant. "Kill it. It is a 'Treant Sapling'. They look cute but if left to roam they'll grow into a big problem." this made Deliah draw her sword and quickly dispatch the unaasuming Treant. Leafa grimaced. She loved nature, as already mentioned, abd hating seeing it getting destroyed even if it was a possibly dangerous mob. Kirito patted her on the,shoulder and smiled at her reassuringly. "This is just a game Leafa, remember that. I know you hate seeing this sort of thing but it is just data." Leafa nodded. "Don't worry Onii-San. I'll do what I need to do. And I know it is just data but I still hate this sort of thing. Espacially because it feels too real." Kirito understood where his sister came from. He also thought this world often felt a bit too real. He knew it was meant to be the most realistic VR experiance ever but the only thing that made him realise this was even a virtual world was the fact there was a pain absorber in place.
The group went through the forest, dispatching more saplings, before they stopped at spot where they could see a clearing in the forest. There a 'Dark Elven Royal Guard' and a 'Forest Elven Hallowed Knight' were fighting eachother. One was a tanned Dark Elf wielding a saber and a kite shield while the other was a bearded Forest Elf wielding a long sword. The two were in a intense struggle.
"So this is the trigger to the questline huh? What are we supposed to do now?" Sinon asked. "We basically pick one side. If you draw your sword towards the Forest Elf you'll join the Dark Elf and vice versa. However even if we try we won't be able to kill the enemy. But don't worry, the other will help is out in a scripted event so just focus on defense."
The group nodded. "So what side did you pick Kirito?" Asuna asked. "The Dark Elves. But as party, and eventually guild leader, you're the whe who decides wheter or not we're playing as a Dark Elven ally or a Forest Elven ally." Kirito said. Asuna thought it over and made a decision. "Let's go with familiarity. We're going to join the Dark Elves." everyone nodded in understanding and went to move towards the clashong Elves.
Kirito however stayed where he was, thinking about wheter or nit his decision not to tell a rather important detail about the figeht was the right one. No mattervwhst side you pocked in the beta both the 'Dark Elven Royal Guard' and 'Forest Elven Hallowed Knight' were going to die. When your HP bars dipped under half the allied elf would unleash a last gasp attack, trading their life for the opponent's. They woukd then give you the quest item neccasery to continue the questline. Kirito eventually went to fight, hoping Asuna wasn't going to be too mad at him.
The group excited the safespot to reveal themselves to the warriors. "Humans! What are you doing here? Move along and don't interfere with our matters." the Dark Elf said. The 9 players drew their weapons and aimed them at the Forest Elf. "How dare you aim your weapons at me human scum? You wish to die?" "No, we merely wish to help out your opponent. You'll be the one to die today."
A determined Asuna was getting ready to fight the Forest Elf. The rest saw that flicker in her eyes . She had decided to actually do more then merely defend despite it going against Kirito's wishes. The rest would follow her example. What happened then threw Kirito for a loop.
Not only did the group not dip below half health, but they managed to allow the Dark Elf to survive. Of course the Dark Elf still did most of the damage but the fact that she survived was something Kirito had never experianced. "This goes against everything I know about this quest. Did the Cardinal system prepare for this outcome? If so what is gonna happen now? Will it spawn a different knight?" Kirito thought. He had no idea how to handle this situation.
"I've got to thank you human warriors. While I remain scepticle you did help me survive that knight." the Dark Elf said. "We have to thank you. Without your help we probably wouln't have beaten that warrior. And besides, all we did was serve as a distraction. You were the one doing damage." Asuna said. The Dark Elf smiled towards Asuna. "Powerfull and humble. A good combination for a warrior. My name is Kizmel, one of Lyusula's Pagoda Knights. What are your names?" "My name is Asuna, the leader of our little group. The man in black is my second-in-command Kirito, the bow user is my tactician Sinon, my the other black haired girl is Leafa, the other sword wielding girl is Deliah, the men in heavy armor are Clasour and Lupin, the last male is Arsene and the last person is Lisbeth."
Kizmel nodded before repeating the names. "Asuna, Kirito, Sinon, Leafa, Deliah, Clasour, Lupin, Arsene and Lisbeth am I correct?" The group nodded. Kizmel giggled. "Truly human names are a different beast."
"So the Cardinal system did prepare for this scenario huh? Of course the names were pulled from the database but it is quite impressive the system manages to creat AI like these." Kirito thought. He was the most familiar with the system, having gotten a sneak peak reserved only for the 5 top beta testers. Himself, Ran, Merida, and two boy's named Andrès and Julio were the 5 lucky players. They were also among the 48 man group that was allowed to fight the terrifying final floor boss on the unannounced, and secret, third month. Kirito remembered that fight. It was a slaughter. The first 6 attempts they didn't even damage the damn thing.
"Onii-san, are you alright?" Leafa asked. Kirito came back to the present and saw the others looking at him, most giggling while Asuna was looking at him with a deadpanned look. He just grinned sheepishly and waved for Asuna and Kizmel to go on. "If you wish I could take you to the base of my fellow Pagoda Knights. But before I forget." Kizmel said as she walked to where the Forest Elf had died. There she picked up a pouch. "A very important key is in this pouch. We need to keep it safe and sound." the group nodded as the quest progressed further. There Kirito nearly fell over from surprise. Kizmel had been added to the party as expected but her level wasn't exactly what Kirito had imagined. "She is level 16? That is insane. Is the game actually throwing us a bone?" he thought in genuine surprise. Kizmel was a higher level then any other player right now as far as the group knew. Level 16 was well and truly a level befitting of a royal guard.
The group went through the forest, with Kizmel easilly annihelating any mob that tried to attack them. Not only that but thanks to her they managed to reach the base in less then 30 minutes. Initially the guards were at guard when they saw the humans but Kizmel tokd them that the group were with her. They lowerd their spears and the group followed the Dark Elven knight to her commander's tent. There they delivered the report to the elderly commander.
"You've got my thanks human warrior's. Kizmel is one of our finest knights. Losing would've been a great blow to our chances of retriving the keys. If you don't mind could you help us out a bit more? There are a few things we need some help with." "Of course we'll help out sir. Tell us what you need and we'll help out."
Asuna was finally getting comfortable with her role as leader. The group would of now 10 stay in 3 seperate tents. Kizmel had invited Asuna, Kirito and Arsene into her's which surprised Kirito. "Is it really a smart idea to have 2 boy share a room with 2 girls? I mean Asuna, Arsene and I trust eachother, but do you really think it is ok to sleep with us in your tent?" Kirito asked.
"I don't see any issue. And besides there are 6 girls and 4 boys in our group. I don't know about you but I would rather a good night's sleep then have 4 teenage boys in a tent together." Kizmel said. Asuna nodded, agreeing with Kizmel while Leafa whispered into his ears "And you're not exactly comfortable with sleeping with a bunch of boys yourself right?" Kirito nodded. Leafa had a good point. Kirito knew these boys for around 2 weeks now but he still felt uncomfortable around them. A left over from the real world.
"Then Deliah and I'll sleep with Lupin while Leafa and Lisbeth sleep with Clasour. Is that fair?" Sinon said earning a nod from the rest. "If any of you wish to take a quick bath there is one in the camp. There is also someone that Lisbeth might like to see. His tent is right in the centre of the camp." Kizmel said. Of course Asuna immediatly decided upon hearing there was a bath that they would each take one.
"So who are gonna go first? The boys or the girls?" Sinon asked. "The girls. I hope you guys can hold down the fort." Asuna said. Leafa looked towards Kirito who just smiled at her reassuringly. 5 minutes was all they would take. That was short enough for Kirito. Leafa herself smiled at her big brother and went into the bath with tge rest of the girls. Kirito then sighed, not really knowing a tooic to talk about with the boys. Luckily he didn't need to think of one.
"So, what are we gonna do next? Just rest or is there something you've planned for us?" Lupin asked. "We'll eat first. Then we'll head to that tent Kizmel talked about. It could potentially be a important quest or something like that." Kirito said. If it was a quest for Lisbeth it was probably a Blacksmithing quest. But the only one Kirito knew about was on the 8th floor where the dwarves resided. So this might be a new quest. To be sure he send a message to Argo. "Were there any Blacksmithing quests in the Dark Elven base on the third floor?" he send her. She quickly responded. "There was not. Why?" "There might be one now. Lisbeth will certainly try it." "Huh, ok. That one doesn't count as your freebie by the way. You still have the free deals from yourself and A-chan." "Thanks, I appreciatte it."
After 5 minutes the girls came out of the tent and asked the boys wheter wanted to bathe or not. Kirito was the only one that didn't bother. He didn't stink and the water just felt too off for his liking. After another 5 minutes the 3 boys excited the tent and they went to eat. After doing that they went to the tent. Kirito immediatly realised he was right: it was a Blacksmithing quest.
Lisbeth was in awe of the quality of the weapons. "Is this Elven Blacksmithing? This beats anything I can currently create." "Perhaps I could be of service to you young miss."
Out of the tent a Dark Elven Blacksmith showed up. While ge didn't wear the blacksmith clothing most people know about his arms were muscular and there were blacksmithing tools in his tent, indicating he was indeed a Blacksmith.
"Yeah, I would like to learn from you how to craft weapobn like this. I understand if you wish not to but it would be a great help to my friends." Lisbeth said. The Elf looked at her, as if searchimg for any kind of sign she was insincere. He sighed, not finding any. "Very well. However you must promise me to only make weapons for those who are alligned to the Dark Elves. Including any human that joins the wrechted folk of Kahles'Oh. Neutral fighters are also allowed."
This went against everything she stood for. She had promised to help out all players that needed her. However she needed the skill this Elf could teach her. With a heavy hesrt she decided to accept his terms. "I promise. I won't let you down sir." "Good. Your training will only take atleast untill around this time tommorow. With rest of course. We'll start immediatly."
The two set to work on the already considerable skill of Lisbeth as the rest just wanderd a bit. When it was sunset the group split and went to their tents. Kizmel was already awaiting the 3 guests. She was already wearing her night gown.
"How was your day?" she asked. "It was fun. Nothing really happened but we didn't expect that anyway." The 4 of them talked a bit before falling asleep.
4 hours later
When Kirito woke up he did to a sight he didn't like. While Asuna and Arsene were fast asleep Kizmel was missing. He stood up, hearing someone outside of the tent. When he went to look he saw the aforementioned Dark Elf sit infront of what looked like a grave. He tried to silently aproach her but Kizmel's hearing was on point.
"You can come sit next to me if you wish Kirito." She said. Kirito did exactly that. Before he could ask whoes grave this was Kizmel beat him to it. "This grave is my sister Tilnel's. She died in a Forest Elven ambush a few days ago."
"Tilnel huh? Man, the Cardinal system is prepared for everything. It even created a backstory for if Kizmel survived." Kirito marveled. Of course Tilnel was never mentioned in the beta. But that was because of the fact that Kizmel always died and there was no altering scenario that people knew of. It made Kirito wonder about the immense amounts if possibilities for the progression of AI.
"Was she a knight aswell?" Kirito asked. Kizmel shook her head. "She was a herbalist. Her job was to make potions and use what little magic our people have left to heal our soldiers. She simply got caught in the crossfire as you humans would say." Kirito nodded. He could hear in Kizmel's voice she had loved her sister dearly. But her next few sentences were unexpected.
"When I volunteered to retrieve the Jade key I was prepared to die, knowing full well the dangers of going behind enemy lines. Perhaps I even wished for it. But when you guys showed up and helped me it felt as if Tilnel was willing me to stay alive longer. That she only wanted to see me if my task was completed. So I'll fight and live untill the day my mission of retrieving the 6 keys is done. Both for you, who helped me survive, and Tilnel, the sister that watches over me."
Kirito was stunned. Unlike Kizmel he knew Tilnel was just a bundle of data used to give Kizmel a backstory. But that wasn't the point. The point was just how human Kizmel felt. She was just an NPC yet she talked like a real human. She emoted like a real human. She felt like a real human. Yes the NPC's were more human then ever before but they still were clearly NPC's. But Kizmel broke the mold. She was almost at the level of True Intelligence.
"Let's head back inside. We don't want to worry the others." "Oh, uh, yeah. You're right Kizmel. We have a long day tomorow." with that the two went back inside. But Kirito couldn't sleep. He was thinking just how the Cardinal system managed to create Kizmel.
The next day at 3 in the morning.
While Lisbeth stayed at the base to complete her quest the rest, along with Kizmel, went to the next part of the campaign quest. The chapter called 'Vanquishing the Spiders' They were tasked with going to the 'Spider Queen's' lair. They had to eradicate the poisonous spiders that were disrupting patrols. Aswell as find a scout that went missing. However the group stopped before exciting the camp to look at the forest. Most of the group couldn't help but marvel at how the forest looked in the dark. Asuna was the most stunned of the group. It looked like the forest her grandparents' farm was build in.
"It's beautifull." Asuna said. Kizmel smiled. "Tilnel was also very fond the forest. Come, we've got to go." Kizmel said. The group followed the elite NPC's lead.
"Say Kirito, how come we haven't met other players that are playing the 'Elf war' campaign quest? Did everyone join the other side?" Deliah asked, whispering so Kizmel couldn't hear her. Kirito shook his head. "The base is what is known as a 'instance'. Basically when a base enters it the camp teleports to another place for different players. There are public domains but those are larger then our little camp. Our current destination is a public one." he explained. Deliah nodded.
The group entered the dungeon, intending to finish it as soon as possible. Of course it being a natural dungeon there were several holes, puddles and numerous other treacherous things on their paths.
"I hate this. I wonder how Philia does this. Or Argo for that matter." Sinon said. She wasn't exactly the fondest of the natural dungeons. And neither was the leader of the party. "Those goddamn critters should also just not be a thing. Stupid spiders." Asuna said. Kizmel couldn't help but giggle at the complaints. "It's though terrain, I know. However we have to traverse it if we wish to complete our order. And besides, wasn't it you who wanted to leave early Asuna?"
Asuna groaned. She was up the moment Kirito and Kizmel came back from their trip. She was fully equiped after another poor night's sleep for the rich girl. She didn't asked them why they were up but she did question why Kirito didn't have his equipment on. He just said he was ready from the moment he was up. Still skeptical, Asuna told him to wake up the other boys while she woke up the girls. While most weren't happy they weren't about to complain. Not to Asuna.
"I wouldn't have done that if I knew the terain was gonna be a massive bitch. And it is dark to boot. Thank the heavens you have that night vision of yours Kizmel." Asuna said. Due to being a Dark Elf Kizmel had a powerfull night vision charm. It meant they could traverse the terrain a bit easier.
"Enough about that. Here come a bunch of Spiders." Kizmel said. The group prepared themselves for the attack of 'Thicket Spiders'. They had a annoying attack that could give you a ,'Tumble' debuff. It was mostly annoying but that was often enough for most players. They also could shoot a thread to slow you down. There were 4 Spiders and so the group split into a group of three and three groups of 2. Asuna first hit one the spider she and Kirito were facing with a 'Linear', dealing 40% damege to itwith the sword skill and regular attacks. She then hit it with 'Oblique' as it charged at her. "Switch!" Asuna shouted and Kirito finished it off. First using 'Gengetsu', a Martial Arts skill, and then Horizontal Arc to finish it off. The other battles went smoothly aswell. Leafa and Sinon used their ranged advantage to kill the spider before it reached them, the tanks dealt more then enough damage to kill it in two hits and Kizmel didn't even need the help of Deliah and Lupin.
The group entered deeper and deeper, finding chests along the way."Oh great, we find chests but can't open them. Unless you have a thieving kit on you Kizmel?" Asuna said. Before Kizmel could respond a person suddenly showed up. "Hey, you lot. What are you doing?"
The group turned around, seeing Philia coming towards them. "Hey, Philia. Great timing. Could you help us? There are a bunch of chests we wish to open but can't." "You got it chief."
Phila opened the requested chests and followed the party. She was having no difficulties at all traversing the terrain. "You're used to this aren't you?" Leafa asked. "I'm a treasure hunter, dear Leafa. My job is to be good at traversing treacherous terrain."
The group went deeper and deeper into the cave untill Kizmel suddenly stopped. "Hide, there are people coming our way." she said. She, along with Kirito and Asuna, hid under her cloak in a alcove. Leafa used her recently learned illusion magic to make it seem like there was just more stone walls While she, Arsene and Lupin were hiding. Meanwhile Sinon, Deliah and Clasour hid behind a big rock. Immediatly a group led by a person they would much rather avoid showed up.
"All ta bloody chests are empty. Someone looted 'em before us." Kibaou said. Kirito for some reason picked out a man wearing a coif and wielding a axe as the odd one out. He knew the other players. A bunch of players who had decided on joining the frontlines as part of Kibaou's guild and had been training to join it once the time was right. But that one person was someone he had nener seen before. He was gonna keep an eye on him.
The group, led by Kizmel, followed Kibaou's group deeper into the cave untill they heard screaming. They hid in a room and saw 'Nephilia Regina' follow them. "No one said a massive spider was gonna follow us!" Shut up and run! We don't 'ave 'nough time to waste on this sorta stuff!"
The Spider Queen was surely gonna follow them. So the group decided to lead it's attention away from Kibaou's team. Kirito lured it into the room they were in and they began utilising the plan Sinon came up with from Kirito's knowledge of the spider.
'Nepilia Regina's' attack paterns were simple: if it twiched one of it's legs it would go for a attack with it's two legs with the one twitching leading the attack. It could blind and immobilse a player with it's webs. It had poison famgs like the other spiders and when it crouched it went for a jumping attack that sent shockwaves through the ground.
The plan was simple: damage it, switch, jump when it was about to land, rinse and repeat. This went well and thus the spider died quickly. Kirito looked at the clock on his right and saw it was 4:20 AM. Just 3 minutes and the boss was dead. Quite impressive.
"Good job guys. That was a very good battle." Asuna said as she began high fiving the group. When she got to Kizmel the Elf looked at her confused. "What exactly are you doing? Is it a human tradition of sorts?" "Oh, Well I guess so. It is a high five. It essantially means 'a job well done'." Asuna explained. Kizmel giggled before responding. "You humans are something else. Same in regards to your magic." she said as she high fived Asuna.
"How is our magic different?" Leafa asked. "We use predominantly charms. You meanwhile are the only species that can use both traditional magic aswell as charms. The charm of Mystic Scribing which allows you to hold more items then most and the charm of Far Scribing which allows you to message those far away." Kizmel said. Of course she was referencing the item storage and the messaging menu. But they couldn't exactly say that out loud. "It is said that humans that can still use magic were the ones blessed by the gods of their countries. So you must've been two of the rare breeds, Leafa, Asuna." Kizmel continue. "We're not that special. Yes we can use magic but is that really something of note?" Leafa said. She didn't expect Kizmel to tell them she and Asuna were appatently blessed by some gods that didn't excist for any other reason but to give a backstory to Aincrad. "It is something of note. During the Great Seperation most races lost their magic. Only those that avidly worshipped certain gods kept their magic."
"That is just absurd. Even for a Fantasy game." Asuna thought. "Anyway, let's find that scout." "Don't need to Asuna-san. I found him." Deliah said. The group saw a dead Dark Elf lying on the ground. Kizmel closed her eyes, mourning her fallen comrade for a small moment before turning and heading for the exit.
The group had of course been told by Kirito about Tilnel. The group knew it was just a bundle of data but they still felt for the Elf. They would have a hard time as well if their sibling died.
The group followed Kizmel. Asuna went to talk to the Dark Elf. "I know it is not the time to als but how long does it take for it to respawn?" Asuna said. Kirito was seeminly the only one who noticed the slip up. But Kizmel didn't react in the way he thought she would. "It should take about 3 hours for the cave to have enough spiritual energy to revive the Spider Queen. So prepare well if you wish to venture back in." she said. "Oh don't worry about that. We're gonna kick it's ass again." "You're a fiesty girl huh? Tilnel was like that aswell. You remind me of her in many ways."
On the way back Asuna and Kizmel held conversations in between killing mobs. The group each leveled up quite nicely. Kirito reached level 15, Asuna, Sinon and Leafa level 14 and Deliah, Arsene, Clasour and Lupin all reached level 13. Kizmel meanwhile reached level 17. "So she is in essance a companion AI huh? This might get interesting." Kirito thought. He was mainly thinking that way to make sure he didn't think about his jealousy. So far he was the one getting Asuna out of her own head while Asuna did the same to him. Now someone else was doing that. A NPC aswell. Unfortunately Sinon noticed the look on his face. She had found something else to tease him about.
The group reached the base relatively soon and rested untill around 9 AM. After that they went to see how Lisbeth was doing. "You've done well young lady. That was the shortest someone has ever done to complete my training. Take this ring. A symbol of how far you've gotten."
Lisbeth recieved a golden ring with a hamer and anvil on it. It gave her a buff to her blacksmithing skill, giving her a boost to her chance of succes to upgrade weapons of those that alligned themselves to the Dark Elves but made her unable to upgrade Forest Elf and Fallen Elf weapons aswell as weapons of those that alligned with them. "Thank you sir. I will make use of what you thought me." she said with a smile. She turned around and saw the others clapping for her succes. She grinned at them and said "I'm open for business."
The first thing she did was make a new weapon for Asuna. "You're sure you want me to use your 'Wind Fleuret' and turn it into an ingot? I know how important it is to you." "It is either discarding it along the way or use it as the base for my new weapon. I would rather do the latter."
Lisbeth nodded. To a lot of people a weapon was but a tool. But she knew that to those who managed to become one with their weapon were true masters. She understood the importance of having a piece of her sword in her new blade. So she was putting even more effort in then usual. Asuna gave her the materials after she melted the sword into a ingot and set on making her best sword yet.
In a matter of seconds a new rapiers was forged. Lisbeth gave it to Asuna and waited for her reaction. Which was one of pure shock. "How did... What... This is..." "It is quite a treat isn't it. It is called a 'Chivalric Rapier'. At base it is around as strong as Kizmel's saber. However it's biggest selling points are the 15 upgrade slots it has." "15?!"
Kirito immediatly opened a menu on the sword and saw she was right. "This is... This is... Gamebreaking. What if the GM's see this? This is a floor 15 sword, not floor 3." "The GM's will allow it. First off the chance of actual GM's being in the game now that it's a death game is absurdly low. Second the possibility of it being made exsists. If they're banning it now it would be too cruel even for them."
Kirito had to concede there. No way in hell were they gonna take away something that could be incredibly crucial. And no sane individual was gonna enter a game where everyone hated their guts.
"Do you guys want a new weapon?" Lisbeth asked. "Nah we're good. My 'Stout Brand is still fine and I think one gamebreaking item is good enough." Deliah said. The others nodded. Kirito opened his menu and got a bunch of items out of it. "What are those?" Sinon asked. "They're the boss drop from Nato. Basically it increases our chances of a succesfull upgrade even further." "I might need that. The 'Chivalric Rapier' is gonna be a bitch to upgrade and every boost helps with any upgrade."
After upgrading Kirito, Leafa and Sinon's weapons to +8 and Asuna's new weapon to +5 the group went to talk with Kizmel about the 'Great Seperation' she talked about. They noticed Kizmel making her food. To put it simply it smelled nice.
"Ah, my friends. I was thinking I would have to eat this on my own. Come, have a seat." she said. The group sat down. Kirito found himself staring at Asuna. Out of everyone in the group he most definitely thought Asuna was the most skilled. And there was still that subconcious urge that he had. Asuna noticed he was staring and gave him a elbow between the ribs, just enough to get his attention. The others giggled. "You two get along well it seems." Kizmel said in between giggles. The two had been bickering with eachother a lot, but they were seemingly inseparable. Leafa was the only one that was around Kirito as much as Asuna.
"They do. It is just that both are too oblious to notice the obvious." Sinon said semi-teasingly. Everyone looked at her for an explanation that never came. For now it would be Sinon's secret. "They've only known eachother for around 3 weeks and are already in love. Subconsiously atleast. They'll of course never admit it. Kirito is too socially awkward and Asuna is too pridefull." she thought. It wasn't obvious to the others but she definitey noticed. The two are always together, typically sit next to eachother at restaurants, always share a room. Telltale signs of love in her eyes.
They ate and talked. It was mostly Kizmel talking about the Great Seperation. Aincrad was once landscape on the ground below the clouds. Humans, Dwarves, Elves and many other creatures lived on these lands. Eventually however, the gods severed the ties between Aincrad and the ground below, forcing thousands into the skies above. This was largely due to the wars being waged. The Elven nations of Lyusula and Khales'Oh were in a eternal struggle. The humans once waged wars against the dwarves and even before the seperation there were struggles against the many beasts lurking in the dungeons of Aincrad. The seperation was done to stop the fighting between the kin of the Earth but the kin of the forests still fought to this day. And now the kin of the Earth were fighting again to lift Aincrad's curse, while the kin of the forests were still struggling. The Dark Elves to keep a place calked the Sanctuary from being opened by the Forest Elves and the Fallen Elves. The Fallen being those toren away from the riches of the Spirit Tree due to their thirst for power.
Several hours later
"The more I think about Kizmel's story the more interesting I find it to be."
That was Leafa. The group had since left the base to clear the guild creation quest. They already had 10 other aplicants. Lisbeth had decided to set up a guild of her own and had requested several other Blacksmiths to help her out which they gladly did. With help from other groups of course. Philia had created a treasure hunting guild while Argo had created a information broker guild.
Anyway, after clearing the last of the requirements for the creation of a guild the group of 8 went back to Zumfut to make the forming of their guild official. Along the road they leveled up. Kirito to level 16, Asuna, Leafa and Sinon to level 15 and Deliah, Arsene, Lupin and Clasour to level 14. The group were then talking about Kizmel's tale.
"It is certainly interesting. It gives some depth to this game atleast. And it gives an explanation for our menu's in the lore. That is what I find most remarkable to be honest. That there is a in universe reason for our menu's and classes." Clasour said. He was probably the man that loved story most out of everyone in the party.
Suddenly Kirito, who was leading the way, stopped in his tracks. "Be quite. That is a 'Roaring Wolf'." he said. They saw a grey wolf in the middle of the road. "When it reaches the red zone it starts howling which calls in the rest of the pack. Make sure we kill it, but don't damage it too much." the group nodded. Of course it wouldn't go as planned.
Asuna was the first to attack. Her 'Oblique' hit the wolf head on and instantly hurled it into the red zone. This made the rest freeze. "What the hell Asuna? What did Lisbeth make?" Deliah said. "I don't know. All I know is that the damage was insane." Asuna said. "Yeah well, we have to kill it. If we don't it..." Sinon said right as the wolf howled. "Fuck."
Luckily the rest went very well. They killed the wolves without anymore reinforcements from other packs. They eventually found the clearing they fought the Forest Elf in. They looked at the clearing and Kirito saw something he thought would happen. The Cardinal system had made such a efficiant plan B for when Kizmel survived that it was a male Dark Elf fighting the Forest Elf. However they also saw Lind's group fighting the Dark Elf.
"What happens if we help out the Pagoda Knight Onii-san?" Leafa asks. "It depends. If we're the ones to attack first we'll become orange players, otherwise they'll be orange players. However we shouldn't interfere with quests. That would be selfish. I'm going a bit closer. With my hiding skill I should be able to." Kirito said.
The group saw Lind's team defend like in the beta. However Kirito's attention was on the coif wearing swordsman. He looked like the same man as the one who was with Kibaou but he wielded a sword. Unless he was a Mage Fighter he would be unable to switch to axes as far a Kirito knew. However his attention swiftly was caught by the actual sequence of actions that should've transpired.
"Oh spirits of Khales'Oh, give me strenght to defeat the foe before me. My body, my very soul is yours." he said as a explosion of energy killed himself and the Dark Elf. The group walked away from their spot.
"That was a though fight. Where do we go now Morte?" Lind asked. Morte didn't answer, instead looking at where Kirito was hiding. "Does he know I'm here?" Kirito thought fearfully. But that fear was washed aside soon enough. "The base is in the North. Let's get going, we'll make it before sunset." Morte said. Kirito moved from his hiding spot to the place where his group was. There Asuna already knew what she wanted to ask.
"That should have happened to Kizmel, right Kirito? What we did was a anomally." Asuna said, her face grim. "Yes you're right. The fact she is alive is definitely the better outcome but also one that never happened. I kept it from you guys because I myself was secretly hoping we could keep her alive. We could learn so many things, both about the world but most importantly, to me atleast, about the AI and it's potential." Kirito said. Asuna simply huffed and didn't talk about it further. She knew that Kirito meant no harm but she still would've liked to know this beforehand.
At 3 PM
The official founding of the 3 major guilds was happening. Kibaou, flanked by hus two co-leaders, Lind, joined by Shivata, and Asuna, Joined by Sinon, Leafa and Kirito were preparing to introduce the guilds to the world. There were several smaller guilds but these weren't as important. These three guilds were the ones that would decide on the frontlines. In the crowd several blue and moss-green wearimg people were mixed among the other players. Unbeknownst to them Asuna's guild was just waiting to make a show and become the talk of the town. Hence why the 4 of them, aswell as a bunch of others, wore cloaks.
"Let's start with mine. My Dragon Knights Brigade, or DKB, are the ones wearing blue. There are 18 players in total. We are of the belief the best should get the chance to prove themselves. I'm the highest level player at level 14. You have to be level 12 to join us. You also must play the Forest Elven side of the 'Elf War' quest. We're split into 3 groups of 6. Damage dealers, supports and tanks." Lind said. The DKB let out a yell while the rest just murmured a bit.
"I suppose it's my turn now. My guild the Aincra Liberation Squad, or ALS for short, are for the people. We share everything equally. My level is 14 and the required level is 10. That the only requirement." Kibaou said. Again the ALS led out a yell. Asuna then stepped up.
"It seems like you have no followers Asuna." Lind said making his and Kibaou's guild snicker. Asuna smirked "How wrong you are."
Suddenly 15 players, including Arianrhod, stood up and showed the were dressed in white and red. While most players wore predominately white Arianrhod wore mostly red. Everyone one of the had a red, in Arianrhod's case white, cross woven into their armore or tunic.
"We are the Knights of the Blood Oath, KoB for short. We have 3 major rules we follow. Rule 1!" "Loyalty untill death!" "Rule 2!" "Fight untill the end, never surrender!" "Rule 3!" "Those that stand against us will be eradicated!" "We fear no one and nothing. We're the ones that will fight untill the end and will kill every last boss. Our highest level player, Kirito, is level 16. The requirements are as follows: be alligned to the Dark Elves and be atleast level 14. Our way of thinking is simple. We come, we see and we conqeur. For that we accept only the finest warriors. Even if we become the smallest guild quality will beat quantity. Strategy will beat brass action. And teamwork will beat individual brilliance. Our guild is split into damage dealers, tanks and supports. Let it be known that I will not support from the rear. I will be there, fighting with my fellow knights. That is all."
A loud cheer erupted from the same throats that just shouted out the rules of the most powerfull guild of them all. 18 players of level 14 and higher, with the 'Black Swordsman', a former betw tester, as their highest level player and vice-commander. Asuna had rallied the best players into one group. Now those players would lead the charge.
"The plan is simple." Asuna continued. "Kibaou and his ALS will make sure we can enter Dessel by killing the field boss along with the other guilds that aren't doing the 'Elf War' campaign quest. The rest will clear it as planned. The Dark Elven players will follow me, the rest will follow Lind. After all of this is done we'll start mapping out the labyrinth. That is it for today. Let's get a move on."
After Asuna was done with her speech the 5 leaders of the guild; Asuna the main and field commander, Kirito the recruiter and vice-commander, Sinon the Treasurer, Leafa the scout leader and Arianrhod the tank leader and drill seargent, met with the rest of the guild at the Dark Elven base with Kizmel.
"I see a bunch of human warriors have joined you Asuna. Friends of yours?" K izmel said. "They're part of a small army so to speak. 2 more squads are helping us But we've got meet them in Sumfut, a human town." "No matter. The commander knows I'm helping you guys out. And besides I've always wanted to see a human town. So let's head there."
A couple of hours later the other Dark Elf allies met with Kizmel. Ran, who Kirito worked with during the beta, took Kirito to a room to talk to him in private.
"You're not telling that she is that Elf who usually dies are you?" Ran said sternly. "That is exactly what I'm saying. I don't know how or why but she survived. She now is like a companion AI. She is level 17 Ran. We need her." Kirito said. Ran just sighed and nodded. "I understand. We'll just have to work together with her and nake sure we don't slip up. I'll tell Merida and Argo." the two went back. The group decided to eat and then go to bed for the night.
The next day
Form 6 AM onwards the group went to do the third, fourth and fifth chapters of the campaign quest. The first was a relatively uneventfull affair. It was called 'The Flower Offering' where they collected items to offer to the dead scout from the previous quest. 'Emergency Orders' the fourth chapter, was another search for a scout, with this one remaining alive. But the fifth chapter 'The Missing Soldier' revealed he was a disguised Forest Elf. He stole the key from the commanders office and was then chssed by the 3 guilds, Kizmel, and a bunch of 'Dark Elven Wolfhandlers' to a large camp. At that point Asuna got a message from Kibaou saying that the Field boss had been defeated. They set up camp, and planned for the eventual attack.
In the evening Kirito met with Argo to finally use his second freebie. He asked about Morte. " I found out that he helped out both the DKB and the ALS. Aswell as his class." Argo said. This caught Kirito by surprise. "What is it." "The Highlander class."
This gave Kirito chills. The Highlander class was a unassuming class. It didn't get any special abilities, couldn't use magic and generally was considered a weak classdue to the lack of skills. However some people during provrd how powerfull it was. What it lacked in power it made up for in versatility. It could use every single weapon type and unlike the other classes that can; the Mage Fighter, the Blacksmith and the Merchant, it had no reason not to use as many weapons as possible. A true master would pick 1-handed swords, throwing picks, 1-handed axes and light metal armor as his first four skills and at level 20 would pick 1-handed spears. This made them incredibly versatile in combat.
"Morte is a beta tester then huh? No new player would pick that class." "Indeed. Now I should get going. You'll need to focus on the plan at hand." Argo said. "You eavesdropped huh? Sneaky devil." Argo laughed and went back to town.
The plan was simple. The main group would launch a assualt on the camp while Kirito snuck in. Pretty simple to pull off. Of course it never is that simple.
At night
Kirito had began sneaking once the group attacked. It wasca adequate distraction for sure and would allow him to sneak in without trouble. However he quickly realised someone was avid on stopping him. Someone he woukd rather not be in his path.
"What are you doing? Are you sabotaging my guild?" Kirito asked to the man in front of him. He wore a coif and wielded a 'Anneal Blade' as his sword. He also had a shield meaning he couldn't use sword skills. He led out a sinister chuckle. "Oh, my dear Kirito. How could you accuse me of such a thing? Espacially after everything I thought you about PvP in the beta."
Kirito looked shocked. His teacher in the beta was the aforementioned Julio. A Highlander who specialised in axes and used swords as a second option. If this was Julio then it meant he was the 5th best player in the beta and the best duelist.
"So you want me to belief you're Julio? How exactly are you planning to do that?" Kirito asked. "A duel of course. I'm still very capable." "If we duel one of us will die." "Not in Half HP mode."
Kirito had to concede there. He would lose 50% of his health but it wouldn't matter in the long run. He accepted the request and got ready.
Kirito charged at Morte who blocked his initial attack. The two traded blows untill Morte hit Kirito for the first time, dropping his HP by 3%. Kirito grunted, and went in for a Horizontal Arc. Morte blocked it, before hitting Kirito with a stab to the shoulder. Kiroto jumped away. Already he was down to 90% of his health. "He is good. As good as Julio. Can he actually be telling the truth?" Kirito thought. Morte laughed, his laugh insane.
"I have to say, it truly feels bad to be stabbed in the back, or rather shoulder, by your teacher huh Kirito?" Morte said, followed by more insane laughter. Kirito went for another attack, a 'Vorpal Strike', before surprising Morte with a 'Gengetsu'. It took away 15% of Morte's HP and made him fall into the water. "I sadly have to admit it is indeed you Julio. However I learned a few new tricks along the way." Kirito said. Morte stood up but this time he was armed with an axe. One Kirito knew all too well. It was a 'Harsh Hatchet', Julio's favored weapon. It was a weapon you got from a quest on the second floor.
"Wow, be carefull Kirito. I don't want to drown." he said with a grin on his face. Kirito knew the way Julio favored his upgrades was to go for Heaviness. So it could be a weapon upgraded mostly in Heaviness. "You want to know my weapons stats huh? I upgraded it to a +6, all upgrades to Heaviness." "Yeah, ok, rub the fact you're my teacher in some more dickhead."
Kirito was seriously pissed while Morte was cackling. The two charged at eachother and began hacking at eachothers HP. Eventually Kirito had only 51% of his HP bar left while Morte had 65% left.
"Wow, 1% above the lose rate condition huh. Well it would be a shame if I would do a attack that damaged you enough to take it all away."
Immediatly Kirito knew what Morte meant. In SAO, even in half HP mode, you would drop the HP untill it stopped dropping. This meant that if Morte did a attack that drained his last 51% he would die.
"You planned this. You knew what you were doing." Kirito said. Morte said nothing. He charged at Kirito, avid on killing him. "This seems like the end of the road then. Sorry Sugu, I failed." Kirito thought. Then, on instinct he blocked the attack. Both were shocked. Once more that subconcious urge to help Asuna through everything broke through. But this time there was also the urge to protect the others. Leafa, Sinon, Lupin, Deliah and the rest. He would protect them all and help Asuna through this difficult time.
Kirito immediatly went on the offensive. First a 'Horixintal Arc', then a 'Vorpal Strike' followed by a 'Meteor Impact'. This left Morte with exactly 50% of his HP left. The purple 'Victor!' sign showed up for him. Morte laughed again. "You're better then I remember Kirito. But what did I expect from the best player in the beta. Well my task here is done. See ya later."
Before he could ask what Morte meant, Kirito got a message from Sinon. "DKB has shown up. Lind and Asuna are Arguing but Kizmel and the other Dark Elves are making sure they don't try anything for now. Get the key fast! Before the Forest Elves respawn."
That was the last thing they needed. Kirito had around 2 minutes to steal the key. Otherwise the garrison will respawn and the DKB and KoB woukd dtart an all-out war between eachother.
With Asuna
"Look, I get you need to be here but so do we. We were here first anyway." Asuba said. She was happy the garrison was gone. She knew the DKB would have had no choice but to fight the KoB then.
"Fine, you untill thd garrison respawns. When it does you're going to be sttacked from two sides." Lind said. The Dark Elves were readying themselves. Just 1 minute left.
"Please Kirito, make it." Asuna thought. Just 15 more seconds. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
Right as the garrison would respawn the camp teleported and Kirito showed up. Asuna let out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. At least for now.
"It seems like the vice-commander made it in time. You got lucky today Lind. You don't have to face a bunch of high level players now." Sinon said. Lind immediatly told his men to go to the Forest Elf base in the North. He didn't want to waste his breath on useless bickering.
"Well, that didn't go as planned. What took you so long?" Ariël said. She had decided to join Asuna's guild as one of the main damage dealers. Mainly to pay her and her group back for their services regarding her 'Sun's Dance' which was now +8. In fact most weapons were fully upgraded.
"Sorry about that. I got held up." "By what?" Asuna was stern. She didn't want the reputation of her guild to be blown to smithereens for nothing. "I'll tell you later Asuna. For now let's head back to the base with the key. And these orders I've got here." Kirito said. The group agreed and they headed back to the base.
1 day later
The quests after the 'Infiltration' went as expected. 'Butterfly Collection' was a breather where the group had to kill a giant butterfly. It went swiftly thanks to Sinon's skill with the bow.
The 8th chapter called 'The Western Spirit Tree' was a escort mission. The commander, who read the orders, ordered the key to be brought by a small group of 6. Kirito, Asuna, Kizmel and 3 Dark Elven Knights agreed. It didn't end uneventfully as they got ambushed by 'Unknown Marauders'. While 3 of them were easilly dispatched the last one stole the key.
In 'Pursuit' the 6 found the 'Shining Signal', a small bottle of glowing liquid tossed on the marauder. Kizmel took the lead and they found a dungeon which they then had to beat.
Sadly 'Retrieving the Key' had to wait for a day. Kirito and Asuna stated in the base and decided on taking a bath before sleeping for tomorrow. Kirito did surprisingky enjoy the relaxing bath a lot. After finishing it Kizmel suddenly showed up to talk to him.
"What is wrong Kizmel?" Kirito asked. "I've been having weird dreams lately. Dreams about you helping me like back then. But not with Asuna and the rest but with a bunch of random people I didn't recognise. You were in such danger I had to use my last resort, killing both the Forest Elf and myself. I don't know what they mean but the scare me." Kizmel said.
"Those are memories from the beta. But how? Can the Cardinal system even do this?" Kirito thought. He smiled reassuringly towards Kizmel. "They were just dreams. You're here with us, alive and well. So don't worry. We'll protect you like you protect us." "Thank you Kirito. It means a lot to me. I've got something to do real quick. See you in the tent." Kirito nodded. He went to the tent where Asuna was lying, asleep. He himself was quickly asleep aswell.
The next day they did cleared out the dungeon, after resupplying and repairing their weapons, and took the key. Then it was time to say goodbye to Kizmel. Sadly the majority of the guild was waiting in Dessel so only Asuna and Kirito could see her off.
"I had hoped we could tackle the Pillar of the Heavens together. Sadly my job as Royal Guard is to keep the Jade Key safe. Tell your friends I'm eternally gratefull." Kizmel said. "We're gratefull aswell Kizmel. Without you it would've been though here. Thank you for everything." Kirito said. He would've prefered it if she stayed with them. A powerfull ally and a good friend. Asuna was having it the worst though. She was tearing up.
"Do you have to leave? I know your duty is important but isn't there sonmone else just as capable?" she asked. Kizmel cupped Asuna's head in her hands. "I understand your sadness. I'm sad aswell. But it is fir the best. Around these floors I'm the best knight we've got to offer. And besides we'll see eachother again. I know it. Just survive untill then my dear friend." Asuna nodded and hugged Kizmel. Kirito was trying to give the space but Kizmel beckoned him to join the group hug. He did of course. The three stood like that for 5 minutes before Kizmel left for the 4th floor.
The two leaders of the KoB made it back to the camp in time and gave their report. "I have to thank you, human warriors. You have done use a great service. For that I give you this." the commander said. A bunch of paperwork suddenly got gifted to them. "These will allow you to enter the castles and camps of us Dark Elves without the neccasity of one of us to be with you at all times. There is enough for everyone that helped us including that Blacksmith girl and her 'guild' as you humans call it." the two said their thanks and headed for Dessel. "Before you go I want to give you some advice. Stock up on antidotes. The boss is a treant that uses poison breath." "Thank you. We'll keep it in mind."
In the Labyrinths.
The group that had known Kizmel the longest definitely didn't like the fact they would have to wait untill the floor was conquered to see Kizmel again but it just mean that they had another reason to survive. The labyrinths were currently being mapped out. In fact during the 3 days it took Asuna and Kirito to get to Dessl the labyrinth was already 80% mapped out. Leafa's scouting team did most of the work so it was about time the others did something.
"Switch!" Asuna shouted to Kirito. Currently a group consisting of Asuna, Kirito, Ariël, Leafa, Deliah and Alexander, a member of Kirito's damage dealers, were mapping out the last portion of the labyrinth. Asuna and Kirito were fighting one of the 'Elder Treants' just like the others. Kirito hurried in after Asuna' 'Oblique' took around 45% of it's health. Kirito followed it up with a 'Horizontal Square', one of the new sword skills he had unlocked. He followed it up with a 'Senda'. This killed the monster. Leafa and Ariël were having a easy time. Leafa's 'Wind Arrow', followed by a 'Vertical Arc' dealt enough to allaw Ariël to finish it with a 'Linear'. And Deliah's 'Vorpal Strike', followed by 'Horizontal Arc' dealt enough to allow Alexander to kill it with 'Heavy Thrust', a 1-handed spear skill.
"That went well. Let's find a place to rest real quick." Asuna said. The group quickly found a safe zone and took a quick breather.
Asuna and Kirito had told the 'Front Runners' ,as Argo liked to call them, about the poison breath from the boss the moment the first meeting started. Right now they were around 95% done. This time around no ambushes were found. The lair was probably just a tidbit further away from them. The orders were simple. Most players would resupply for their guilds while a group of 6 max would go into the Labyrinth and search through it. Currently the 6 KoB players were the highest up by quite a margin.
After their rest they found the boss room. This meant that the KoB were the ones to lead the charge as they found the boss chamber first. A rule established during the last meeting. They left the dungeon to head back to town where Kirito published the map data they had collected.
The next day a plan to attack the boss was finalised. A 48 man raid party would go into the boss room. Each major guild would aside from the KoB bring 6 players for a total of 12 fighters, the 'Sleeping Knights' brought all 6 members for 18 fighters, 'Fuurinkazan' brought all 5 members for 23 fighters, the 'Moonlit Black cats' brought 4 fighters for 27 while Agil's 'bro squad' aside from 1 made 30 players. As the leading guild the KoB brought all 18 of their players.
The boss' attack paterns likely had changed slightly. Just the 'Elder Treants' the boss, known as Nerius the evil Treant, mostly used his powerfull arms for swinging attacks. However he could also sprout roots which could deal a lot of damage if they hit you. Add to that his poison breath and it made for a tricky but beatable boss. The plan was to make the tanks take it's agro while constantly switching new fighters. When it was about to spew poison they had to get out of it's range. If the didn't manage to avoid it the best solution was to use antidote potions.
The group left 3 hours after the final meeting. One thing was obvious from first glance. Despite having only known eachother for about a month at most the KoB were a well oiled machine. The 1i of them switched in and out with frightnening speed and utilised their magic splendidly. The KoB brought 6 of the 24 damage dealers, 6 of the 10 supports and 6 of the 14 tanks. "We need more supports and tanks. I hope Lind and Kibaou realise that." Asuna said to Kirito. "I hope so two. Especially considering one of our supports also halves as damage dealer. No offense." "None taken. Let's go. We have to be sure we reach the boss room in time."
The group made it to the boss room at 5 PM. The group took just 5 days to get this far. If they kept this up they would be out in no time. Of course Kirito knew this wouldn't last. When they reached floor 10 the pace would slow to a halt.
The group were ready for the battle. Kirito quickly went to talk with Klein. "A major thanks to you my dude. For not being a massive dick about me joining a guild." Kirito said. Klein smiled. "Don't worry about it. Asuna needs you more then I do." he said. Asuna was currently the leader of the most powerfull guild of them all. She needed the help of a beta tester. One she could trust.
"Ok everyone. The only chanfe should be it's poison breath. Let's get right to it." the group charged in behind her ready to kill the boss.
25 minutes later
"That was a fun fight compared to the last two. The only annoying thing was the poison breath." Sinon said. The other 3 nodded. They had decided it unwise for the entire guild to head up to the 4th floor. Instead, Arianrhod and 14 others stayed behind so that a small scout group consisting of Sinon, Asuna, Leafa and Kirito could climb the stairs and open the teleport gate. Overall, it is better for a group of 5 max to open the gate so the rest could tell the players about what happened.
"I'm just glad I got the LA this time. Don't get me wrong, Kirito getting them is great but I want some aswell." Asuna said. Thanks to her powerfull 'Chivalric Rapier +5 (3S2A)' had managed to get the LA.
"The coming floor is gonna be mostly wasteland if I remember correctly. So it might be warm there." Kirito said, in a bit of a foul mood which made the rest giggle. This made Kirito give them a foul look. Being the competative player he is Kirito has been moping about not getting the LA, blaming the way too powerfull sword Asuna wielded compared to his 'Anneal Blade +8 (4S4D)' for him not getting it.
"Better luck next time sport. Let's do a race. First one at the top wins." Asuna said, darting away. "Cheater!" Leafa shouted. The rest ran after the laughing leader of the KoB. "She is still a kid just like us. The fact she has to lead the strongest guild is not fair. It's my job to help her out as much as possible. As a former beta tester." Kirito thought.
That was the chapter. Yeah it is shorter then the previous two but that is largely because I had no idea on how to make the boss interesting to fight considering it is a giant tree and floor 3 just isn't that interesting aside from the Elf War but there isn't much I can do with that either. Anyway on to the review (s).
First off, I personally think one per floor is enough for around the first 7. After that I'll write multiple chapters per floor.
Dual Wielding was actually always a Extra skill. Well, technically. It was similar to Kayaba's Holy Sword skill. And yes it will take 1-handed sword mastery to unlock which means getting 1000 proficiancy in 1-handed swords.
Good. I was kinda afraid I wrote her OOC. Glad that didn't happen.
The rivalry is again inspired by multiple sources. Also very interesting direction to take the story.
There isn't. I accidently put knight instead of Fighter. As for Ordinal Scale. I'll let the reader think about that for themselves. Anyway, time for the trivia.
Asuna initially didn't like the KoB outfit she had to wear. But because the guild begged her to wear it she did.