Author's notes: And now for something a little different. This chapter is the first major divergence from the original SAO story, to give this fic a dash of my own flavor. The events of this chapter are largely based on something that happened to me when I was playing Dragon Saga back in 2010 that I think would make for a good addition to the story. This chapter does have elements from Kuradeel's episode of SAO, however, so there's still some familiar territory here. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4 – Kite

20th of February, 2022

Mantine's Log

[Mantine]

[Knight]

[Lv. 30]

They ask me, 'how goes it?'. I tell them, 'it goes'. Just like we figured, the defeat of Ferrell has instilled hope among the game's survivors. We even managed to take down Hookah's better half, Captain Alvida. What, am I supposed to be surprised? Just who the hell do you think we are? ...Okay, I totally stole that one. But seriously, the Mudkips are here to get shit done, y'know? I'm startin' to think we're a little too good at this, and we'll be given some kinda peace prize when we get back to the real world. Still, gotta block that thought out if we aim to push forward.

Anyways, our last two victories are why I was chosen to take on the next major boss. Yeah, that's right, your boy Mantine is moving up in the world. Poppa might be proud of me if he didn't find these games utterly stupid. Turns out, the next boss was right here in Port of the Winds! No one knew what the hell to do with the town's water altar, but a new prompt appeared after we took down the other two bosses. It even spoke to us... but there's a catch – the entire dungeon, boss included, has to be taken on solo. Those chumps from the Guardian Force were a no-show, so everyone else forced, er, nominated me.

The minimum requirement to get in was level 27, but I've taken the liberty of grinding to 30, just in case things go south.

For the sake of our survival, I pray that they don't.

Port of the Winds

The sea breeze caressed over the Port, making the striped awnings and decorative banners billow softly. Mantine leaned against the wall near the item stall, psyching himself up for the task ahead. He was so deep in thought, that the feeling of Kite's hand on his shoulder made him gasp and leap high into the air. "Wh- huh?! K-Kite!"

"Easy, mate. What's on your mind?" he asked in a comforting tone.

Mantine scoffed. "You know damn good and well what's on my mind, Kite. I'm gonna do it, I just-"

The English man tried his best to ease his friend's tension. "Look, man. You'll do fine in there. We wouldn't have chosen you if we thought otherwise!"

"No, I believe you." said the knight, easing up a bit. "I don't wanna get toasted, that's all. Just gimme a moment to get my thoughts in order. I'm waitin' on Kindon and the others to bring me those supplies I asked about anyway."

Minutes passed as the two stood in silence, their thoughts drifting away with the pleasant music the Port offered. Suddenly, Kite felt the urge to speak up. "Mantine... you ever thought about disbanding the Mudkips? Maybe joining the GF one of these days?"

Mantine seemed to hesitate, trying to muster his thoughts into a reply. "Hmm... Nice of you to ask, but..." he began, as his face jolted from stoic to ecstatic, "...No way, brother! The Mudkips are gonna see this whole ordeal through to the end, and that's a fact! Nothing could ever hope to topple us, you feel me?!"

Kite nodded with his characteristic warm smile. "I hear you. Very well, just a thought. I'm going out to grind for a bit. Carry on with your... preparations." the man chuckled, leaving Mantine to his meditation.

The Texan teen sunk back into his thoughts, floating back into his own world for what felt like forever, when another familiar voice shocked him back into reality.

"Mantine, don't fall asleep on us again! I'll never stop teasing you about those eggs otherwise!" Kindon said with a laugh, referring to the incident last year, where the two agreed to pull an all-nighter gaming together. It was initially going well, only for Mantine to end up passing out with his face in a bowl of eggs.

"You'd keep bringing it up even if I didn't, don't lie." he said dismissively. "Anyway, dude... what's the skinny on this quest? And where's that stuff you promised to bring me?"

"Here, happy?" grumbled Kindon, trading Mantine a stack of creme-filled cakes, a powerful health restorative.

The blue-haired knight's eyes lit up. "Aww shit, son! Twinkies!" he cheered, likening the treats to a real-world snack. "Thanks, bro. I'm admittedly still a little nervous, but-"

"Oh, come on!" said Kindon reassuringly. "Don't you want that sexy Aquatic Sword?! Think of how cool you'll look with it!"

"Yeah, I... wait a minute!" shouted Mantine in a moment of clarity. "How'd you and Kite get your Aquatic weapons if this is a solo quest?!"

"...Preorder bonus." said the assassin plainly.

"They still do those? Anyway, how do I get it? Surely it's not as simple as defeating a boss."

Kindon knew his friend wouldn't like the answer. "You'd be right. You gotta kill monsters in the temple and collect the aqua drops they, uhh, drop."

Mantine gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Hhhhhow many...?"

"How many Pokémon are there in Gen 2?" he said with a sheepish smile.

"Lessee... two-fifty-one?" he did his best to recall.

Kindon scoffed. "Celebi doesn't count. Us yanks got cheated out of that event, so screw him!"

Mantine's posture visibly sunk. "Still... 250? Damn."

"Yup. So I'd get cracking if I were you." Kindon motioned over to the Altar. Nodding, Mantine cracked his neck and strode over to the ivory fountain at the end of the cobblestone path. "Hey, Mantine?" Kindon called over, noticing his friend's staggered gait. "...I have faith in you, remember that."

Mantine looked over his shoulder, smiled, and flashed a hearty thumbs-up. As he approached the effigy, shrouded in mist, nearly everyone he'd met ingame crowded around it to see him off. Kindon, Kite, Morana, Jin, Saffron, Chocolate, and the rest of the recruited Mudkips all gave encouraging cheers... as Mantine entered, they faded to the sounds of rushing water, and a low rumble echoing from deep within the dungeon...

Water Temple

Perhaps as a method of suppressing his fears, Mantine rolled his eyes as he saw the dungeon's name fade onto his HUD. "Seriously? They couldn't have come up with something more original than ripping off Zelda? I'm gonna have a word with the dev team when this is all over..."

He put his thoughts on pause long enough to take in the scenery; blended shades of blue faded into purples and greens, lit up through the temple's stained glass windows... but it didn't take long to notice the long, soaked terra cotta hallway was teeming with monsters. Ancient golems, vicious sewer gators, and grotesque fishmen all shuffled about in their predetermined paths.

The Azure Knight dashed forth, wasting no time mowing down the worthless piles of EXP and snagging each water droplet their bodies yielded. The only saving grace was that, with each defeated monster, another would spawn in its place. True to MMO fashion, it was more of a tedious grind than a genuine challenge. Even in groups, the monsters posed little threat to Mantine's excellent defense. After all, they only existed to slow him down, and he knew this fact all too well.

Making perilous leaps over chasms of rushing water and timing his dashes to pass under the staggered waterfalls, Mantine pressed on through the temple, sword set aglow as he cut down golems and crocs all the while. Even with the enhanced athletic abilities provided to him by the game, it took all of his reflexes to land the tight jumps and avoid being washed away by the current. Before he knew it, however, his minimap indicated he'd reached the deepest part of the dungeon, with an imposing double-door towering over him. By this point, he'd collected more than enough droplets; two-fifty-one just to spite Kindon; and kicked down the door with all the force he could muster.

The Port's hidden boss wasted little time with introductions; a hulking reptilian beast with rippling scales of navy and teal emerged from the pool within, vaporizing the water from the pool it rested in! Two serrated blades materialized in its rock-sized fists as its name faded onscreen.

Endairon – Horror from the Deep

The beast loosed a deafening roar, snapping its mighty jaws and enwreathing its body in a vortex of water! The bellowing summoned four crocodile warriors at its side! Steeling himself for the battle, Mantine stepped forth with his blooming shield raised!

"You're a water-type too, huh? I guess this'll be decided by skill alone. Let's dance!" the knight roared right back at his adversary, activating his Weapon Crasher skill as he dashed in midair! Endairon met Mantine's blade with one of his own; this boss wouldn't be disarmed so easily! It grimaced at Mantine with gleaming, emerald eyes and pushed him back to the ground! He took a perilous tumble, losing a third of his health from the impact!

No good... I'm too used to being part of a coordinated group! We had a small army for Hookah... hell, we were five men strong when we took on Farrell! I've got no one to draw aggro... no healer... no nothing! Think, Mantine!

Endairon and the four crocodiles closed in on him! He leapt backwards and swung with all his might in the widest arc he could muster! The boss' henchmen had fallen in a single stroke, and even the mighty water spirit had taken a good lick from the slash!

"First off, I'm really sick of these adds showing up in every damn boss chamber! Don't you dare ruin my first solo run!" shouted the Azure Knight, blocking Endairon's flurry of counterattacks.

Pinned by the assault of the dual blades, Mantine started intently at the letter "F" on his HUD! That new Sword Skill... Kindon was beggin' me to learn it all month, but I never got a chance to use it in a real battle yet... Now, while he's open... I trust you, Kindon!

"It's all or nothing!" Mantine held his sword in front of him! Just as the massive Endairon was readying another attack, the green blade began to glow once more! "Knight's Holy Lance!"

With these words, Mantine's blade began to warp, changing shape into a long, serrated spear! The transformed weapon moved on its own, skewering Endairon right through the chest! Mantine pulled the spear out viciously, and stabbed it right back into the aquatic beast several more times, shredding the beast's health to nothing! The thrusts were unnaturally fast, pulverizing the boss like a jackhammer until it yielded, bursting into a dazzling gleam of pixels! Mantine had done it after all!

His sword returned to its natural form, and he smirked as he sheathed it in stylishly. "No one's here to hear me say it, but... to hell with it. 'I guess sewer gators really were just a myth!'"

All the rushing water in the temple came to a complete stop, leaving only silence behind. In the room's center, a gleaming portal of light opened, allowing Mantine back into the Port. He collected the modest loot Endairon left behind, and entered, smugly awaiting the praise he was sure to receive on the other side.

...and praise did he receive indeed. Mudkips and Guardian Force members alike greeted him with cheers, warm smiles, and hugs all around. Even that old, skeptical Saffron gave him a firm handshake. What were the odds that the next boss was hiding right under their noses in the Port, after all?

Mantine didn't spend too much time basking in his adoring crowd, rushing toward the town's blacksmith to have his Aquatic Sword forged. It even came out with favorable Soul Craft effects, and he used his leftover enchant dust to upgrade it four times. At last, he could fight at the same strength as Kindon and Kite!

The rest of the month went along rather favorably, and continued as such well into March! The Mudkips had continued down the slow road to prosperity. The Port's treacherous outskirts had been fully explored, and the Mudkips even managed to defeat the mad Captain Kalygon, who commanded his namesake Kalygon fleet!

The three founding members of the Mudkips, however, had grown a bit distant since the journey began. Not to say they harbored any ill will toward one another, moreso that their need to remain apart limited their contact. The three had all opted to scour the world for undiscovered bosses and treasure, each leading a small contingency of their guildmates to cover more ground. Mantine had noticed, however, that Kite had become more cold and aloof over the course of the month, but never really found a good time to bring it up, nor a good reason, as they had a job to do.

However, locating the next boss proved difficult, even with the combined efforts of all the courageous players still trapped within the death game, and so...

March 16th, 2022

"The four of us are to move out tonight, on my signal." Kite announced to Mantine, Kindon, and Morana.

Until now, the Mudkips and the Guardian Force still held a shred of animosity toward one another. Mantine's victory at the Water Temple, and the subsequent defeat of Kalygon, had fostered the seeds of an alliance between the two. For now at least, they had come to the agreement to put aside their differences, as they were working toward the same goal anyhow.

Mantine, however, was too fixated on Morana's robes to pay Kite any mind. They had taken on hues of yellow and white, the flagship colors of the Guardian Force. "Wh- Morana?! YOU joined the Guardian Force too? Seriously?!" he said in sheer disbelief, complete with exaggerated hand motions. "After all that beggin' I did to try to get you into the Mudkips, too! 'Ooh, I'm not interested in a guild right noooow'!"

The crimson-haired cleric smiled sheepishly. "I mean, yeah... that's what I believed back then... but these guys offered some crazy-good benefits aaaaand... well, I realized I just wasn't cut out for solo play! Jeez, Mantine, why do you take this stuff personally?"

'Cuz... we saw you first. Mantine opted to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Mmm? You look as if you're just dying to say something." she noticed the look on his face.

The knight crossed his arms. "Nothin'. Anyways, Kite, where're we headed? I'm thinkin' it's about time we said adios to the beach, eh?"

"You'd be right." Kite answered. "Our scouts reported another safe zone further in the Continent of Wind. However, it'll require passing through Jigsaw Pincers Coast. As of now, no one's gotten 'round to exploring the place all the way, so that's where we come in. A big storm just rolled in over the Coast, and I've played enough games like this to know... that means somethin' big's about to go down there. We're almost sure the next major boss is gonna show up!"

"A boss coming to us?" Kindon wondered aloud. "I've never seen it before, but... whatever you say, Kite. I mean, if it's a common thing in other games... but we haven't seen it before in this one... does that mean it's playing by the rules, or it isn't?"

"Don't overthink it." said Mantine, patting his friend on the back.

"Either way..." Kite continued. "We figured it'd be better to have this expedition be a joint venture. Since Mantine's already acquainted with Morana, I thought we might as well bring her along as the Guardian Force representative. Saffron and Chocolate said they were busy, so can we count on you?"

She laughed awkwardly, a smile peeking through her hooded face. "Heh... you know it, honey."

Mantine appeared flustered for a moment, but snapped back into stoicism before the others noticed. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's get a move on! I dunno about you guys, but I wanna be one step closer to getting outta this mess!"

"I hear that." said Kite, giving the signal to move out. The four players formed a party, and left Port of the Winds, marching toward the gathering storm.

Jigsaw Pincers Coast

The moonlit beach was nothing short of gorgeous, but for our heroes, this was no time to sightsee. From where they stood, they could see shadows, outlines of the shark pirates dancing around crude bonfires along the coast. No doubt the stragglers of Hookah's crew, they'd gathered along the beach with a gaggle of starfish demons, waiting to ambush anyone curious enough to seek another safe zone. The horizon was dominated by a colossal kraken, waving its tentacles about in the sky. Its features were hard to make out under the night sky, but it appeared to pose no threat. Either it didn't notice the travelers in the darkness, or had simply opted to remain docile.

"I wonder if that thing's the boss... how're we gonna fight it?" Kindon asked, pointing toward the towering squid.

Kite appeared deep in thought. "We don't know for sure. It could reach us easily from here, and yet... it's not doing a damn thing. In any case, let's clear this place out before getting any closer."

As far as standard enemies went, these pirates were surely the most resilient they'd faced thus far. Perhaps the game wanted to reflect that these sharks were the battle-hardened veterans of Hookah's old crew, now willing to risk it all to avenge their fallen captain. Even with their combined strength, the four were scraping tooth and nail against the horde of pirates! Morana's mana was spread thin healing the Mudkips, and their attention could only be divided so much! Through tight coordination, strategic use of sword skills, and the teamwork that had gotten them this far, they eventually managed to silence the shoreline.

Unfortunately, the battle had done a number on their health. With Morana's mana still recharging, they'd have to look toward quicker, more practical methods of recovery. Luckily for them, Kite had just the thing.

"Here, take a few of these." said the pink-haired archer, tossing the other three some cake slices and wine. "Not only will they get you back in shape, they're right lush!"

Mantine smiled warmly at his leader. "Y'know, none of us are really old enough to drink... so this is kinda awesome! You really know how to spoil us, Kite."

He poured them all a cup of the crimson liquid and toasted. "To the liberation of Dragon Saga!"

The young knight eagerly took a swig, but cringed as he gulped down the wine, not used to the taste. Back home, he could barely even handle the beer his grandfather liked, so the stuff was a bit on the strong side.

As a matter of fact, it just might have been too strong... because...

Just then...

Mantine collapsed to the ground, finding himself completely unable to move a muscle! He was paralyzed! Indeed, his HUD indicated a status condition he'd never seen before! Morana had quickly befell the same fate after a mere sip, nearly choking on the concoction!

Even his jaw struggled to move! "K-Kite... I think somethin's wrong... those pirates musta had a coating on their weapons... pass me one of those healing crystals, wouldja?"

Kite remained straight-faced. He sauntered over to his friend's collapsed body, gingerly flipping him onto his back and meeting his eyes. "Now, then... that takes care of that. One less loose end." he said coldly.

Panic began to set into Mantine's mind. "Wh-what are you sayin', bro? If this is another one of your jokes, y'know, like the ones you used to pull on me in Halo, well... it's a good one! Seriously, just pass me a crystal and-"

"No." he said, plain as day. "Let me tell it to ya bluntly, man. I'm... We're disbanding the Mudkips and joining the Guardian Force for good."

Mantine grimaced. "Hey, what?! I told you before, I wasn't down for that! Don't I have any say in-"

Kite's tone grew angered. "No, Mantine, you don't. Honestly, man, this guild is kinda shit. We've hardly grown in numbers compared to the GF, and I don't see us goin' anywhere. C'mon! These guys'll get us famous in the game, a-and... on YouTube and everything after this whole thing is over! Really, I only spiked your wine because I didn't want you doing anything stupid, honestly!" His voice began to crack as his eyes dilated visibly. "A-and Morana too, since she might try and heal y-you... so.. what d'ya say? You in or out?!"

Mantine's face sunk. "...not cool, man. I told you a thousand times, and I'll tell you again, I wanna see this guild through! If this is how it's gonna be, just let me lead the damn thing...!"

Kite scoffed at the proposal. "Hah, you? After all your foolhardiness?! Y'know, I didn't have the guts to say it before, but nearly everything you've done since we got into this mess was out of line!"

"That 'foolhardiness' was what allowed us to survive this long, ya moron! If you didn't like it, you coulda told me to tone it down!"

Kite's brow furrowed intensely. "'Tone it down', huh? What about that little stunt you pulled after we beat Hookah?! You made a complete arse of yourself and... for what?!"

Mantine's anger matched Kite's, reaching a fever pitch. "Idiot, I was takin' the heat off of you and Kindon...! Right, bro?"

Kindon had been speechless through the whole ordeal, visibly worried for both of his friends. "I mean, I... damn..." he couldn't muster a proper response, fearing he might meet a similar fate to Mantine. "W-we didn't really do much with the guild anyway, so..."

The Azure Knight glared at his ally. "Y-you knew what he was up to?!"

Kindon shut his eyes and winced, unable to look his friend in the eye.

"Rrgh... t-think you know someone, right...?" he said through gritted teeth. "I just never thought you guys... seriously, I've known you two a whole year!"

Before her body had fully locked up, Morana used the last of her strength to slide Mantine an antidote crystal, but Kite caught it with his boot, crushing it to dust underfoot. "Now, like I was saying... at the end of the day, the Guardian Force is where someone of my caliber belongs. Shame, I really thought the same of you until now... but it can't be helped." he said, stooping over, leaning close to Mantine's ear.

Mantine slowly became more enraged. "S-selfish little... whatever, go join your big popular guild and get big on YouTube. I don't have time for these theatrics. Tell you what, friend. Just give me enough gold to re-form the Mudkips under my name. I'll do everything myself, like I always do anyway."

Kite shook his head at the man. "You know, it's not just your foolhardiness. I never liked half the things you did, or said. ...Never knew when to keep your mouth shut, when to listen to anyone besides yourself... Mantine, you'll get no gold from me." he snarled, giving Mantine a cold glare.

"Cheapskate! You know damn good and well you have more than enough to spare, and I'm barely scrapin' by! Dammit, Kite! You give me that gold right now, or I swear I'll-"

Kite stepped on Mantine's palm, digging his heel in. "Or you'll what? If you haven't noticed, you're not in any position to make threats. I've got more than a few levels on you... and in just a moment, more than enough friends to back me up."

As if appearing on his cue, a towering warship sailed its way to the coast, dropping anchor near the beach. The ship was nearly overflowing with GF members cheering Kite on, telling him to finish Mantine off then and there.

Kite held his hand up, signaling them to silence their jeering. "Looks like my ride's here, Mantine. I guess this is goodbye. Don't worry; I won't kill you here and now. I'm just going to have one of my new guildmates give you something to think about while your paralysis wears off."

One of the players on the ship heard him, and leapt off. He was unlike any player Mantine had ever encountered. Tall, hulking, and covered head-to-toe in white-gold armor. Even his visage was obscured by a full-face helm, a very unusual sight in Dragon Saga. Without a word, the mysterious man picked up Mantine's Aquatic Blade, and dug it clean through his back, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly.

The helpless knight screeched in anguish, watching his lifebar drain to critical levels through fading vision. "W-wow, Kite..." he managed to croak out through the agony. "I'm fl-flattered... you'd risk red status all for little ol' m-me..."

"Hmph." Kite turned away, stepping onto the ship without so much as looking back. The armor-clad man disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing on the ship's deck.

As his former guild leader strode away, Mantine could no longer hold his feelings back. "K-KITE! KITE, YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOUUUU!" he roared with all his fervor through the drenching rainfall as the warship sailed over the horizon.

His cries faded into a labored scream until he finally blacked out, his health bar clinging by a mere pixel. As the deluge began to pour over him, Mantine came to terms with the fact that he'd been left to die.

...and yet, the Azure Knight lived. Eventually, the paralysis did wear off, and the gruelingly slow auto-regeneration took effect while he slept. When morning finally came, he summoned the strength to remove the sword and free himself. By the time he awakened, the storm had subsided, and Morana was gone.

For the next few days, he opted to retreat to Port of the Winds to recover and ultimately, try to press on. The following night, he returned to Jigsaw Pincers Coast, following a tip from the local information broker.

As it turned out, the info he dropped his coin on was good, and a hidden thief NPC was discovered behind a rock formation near the coast. He introduced himself as Jess, tossing a bag of money up and down as he spoke. He told Mantine of a fearsome holy knight named Artis, who guarded untold treasure and blocked the path to the Sky Sanctuary, the next major zone.

"Yeah, I'll take the job. I'll get it done somehow..." he told the thief with a sigh. Staring out onto the starlit ocean, Mantine was almost too immersed in the thief's tale to notice a hand on his shoulder. He flinched a bit and turned around, meeting the face of a weary-eyed Kindon. "Hey, man..."

"...Kindon? I'll bite, what do you want?" he said, too defeated to be angry at the man.

Kindon's mouth contorted a bit, trying to form the right words to pacify his old friend. "Look, I don't know what to say... I don't know what I can say that'll make you hate me less. So I'll just have to do my best. ...I'm sorry. I apologize on the behalf of both me, and Kite... no matter how he feels. Really. If it were me, I would've totally listened to you, but... this is how he's always been, y'know?"

"Can't say I disagree." Mantine said dryly.

"...Anyways, I know nothing could ever really fix this, but I'll do my part to help as long as I live. Here." he said, opening up a trade window. "This one comes from my heart."

– TRADE -

– Shield of Holy Light –
– Albatross Helm (Special) –

…

– Cape of Faith (Special) –

– ACCEPTED –

"Looks like some good stuff." said Mantine, meeting his friend with a soft smile. "The cape of faith... it even..." his eyes welled up, choking back tears. "I-it even looks like the r-real Mantine's fins, huh bro?" he noted its blue and gray design, reminding him of his namesake character. Of happier times.

Kindon couldn't help but get misty-eyed himself. "...Yeah. It's because I have faith in you, Mantine. Isn't that awesome?"

"...it is." the knight said, sniffling. "I can't use most of it just yet, but... That's so cool... Thanks, Kindon."

Kindon still couldn't bare to look his friend in the eye. "I would've told you what Kite was planning if I... if he hadn't had me by the balls like that. If I said anything, he might have done even worse to me."

"No, I understand. In your situation, I would've done the same damn thing."

The two shared a comforting hug, and bumped fists. The brown-haired assassin parted ways with the knight, pacing along the starlit beach as he regrettably returned to his new guild. Mantine looked back, staring at the footprints Kindon left until they faded away and he was no longer visible.

I'm so sorry that this is how it had to end, brave Mudkips Guild. ~

Spring 2022
Mantine's Log

...that was the last time I ever saw Kindon.

At the thief's behest, I trudged my way to the next safe zone, Moonlight Shore Village. The trek wasn't far from where the incident happened. It wasn't as grandiose as the Port, but it provided most of what I needed, and the shops even sold new items for mid-leveled players like myself. The music was some of the most beautiful I'd never heard, and was one of the few things that consoled my mood. Out of sheer pride, I did re-instate the Mudkips guild, but it was ultimately hubris. Not a single player joined, and re-forming the guild cost me a fourth of my gold reserves. At the time, I wasn't high-leveled enough to access any consistent money-grinding locations. I had earned some decent gear from my last few raids with the Mudkips when they took me into that volcano... but after a while, they stopped selling. Many players became paranoid, hoarding their gold for all but the most optimal of gear sets.

My tenure as a solo player was predictably short-lived. Sky Sanctuary was easy enough to reach, lying on the outskirts of Moonlight Shore. Fighting my way to Artis was a struggle, and even when I gave it my all, the corporeal knight bested me, again and again. I used up most of my teleport crystals just escaping death at the edge of his blade. My victory against Endairon was a fluke; the game had taken on one hell of a difficulty spike in this new zone, and Artis was my brick wall.

To make matters worse, my repeated failed attempts did a number on my gear and supplies. Repairs and re-ups wore down my money, and before I knew it, I didn't even have enough left over for basic things like that. The reserve I'd built up had nearly ran dry...

...and that, I felt, was the heavens themselves telling me to resign from my duties... and so I did. I no longer had the will to fight on the front lines, my resolve shattered beyond repair. With no other choice, I relegated myself to the Moonlight Shore Inn, a place of warmth and comfort where I'd live out the rest of my days. If this is how Kite and the Guardian Force wanted things to be, then so be it.

Let them do all the work. Clearly, I'm no longer needed.

...and indeed, Mantine did resolve to live out his days in the moonlit village, returning to a semblance of normal life and blocking out the old memories. Over the next three months, he'd settled into this daily routine, until...

"Whoa, holy shit! A-are you... yeah, you're Mantine, the Azure Knight! Never thought I'd meet a legend like you in person, GHAHAHAHAHA! What th... the hell're you doin' hangin' around here for?!"