I posted the wrong chapter in chapter 3, so to make up for that, I'll just do a double update since I posted this one already.

ACT I

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 4: Seeds of Discord

With a mighty bellow, the Trembling Ox charged, its footsteps shaking the ground. At two meters tall, the bull was the largest animal-type monster so far in the game, and its size was enough to intimidate most players. The thick muscles on its shoulders ensured a devastating charge attack, one that has a long range and was almost impossible to dodge.

Fortunately, Kayaba's Iron Guardian shield had enough defense to withstand the blow. And as the monster slammed onto it with the force of a speeding truck, he held his ground even while his feet gouged the earth and he was slowly pushed back.

"Switch!" he shouted. An instant later, a long trail of blue light struck the Trembling Ox's right flank, followed by another shorter one on the left. The monster reared its massive head and bellowed in rage, then swiveled around to face the attacker on its right. Before it could perform another charging attack, Kayaba unleashed a Shield Bash skill and smashed the monster's thick brow.

Yuna and Nautilus retreated as the Ox staggered with a mourning keen. Cantering backward, it shook its head as if a fly buzzed around its eyes. The stagger effect was short, but Kayaba did not want to press their chances. Despite their skill level and equipment, the Trembling Ox was still a formidable foe. It was almost considered as a mini-boss in its own right, more so than the field boss, Bullbous Bow, that guarded the path to the north and the Tower Labyrinth.

Fanning out on either side, Yuna and Nautilus stood alert while Kayaba inched forward with his tower shield, keeping an eye on the bull's behavior. He had been tanking its attacks for the better part of five minutes now while his two companions did hit-and-run tactics. It was working so far, but they never knew when it would switch targets. Nautilus did most of the damage, and the aggro should be on him by now.

The ox lowered its head and swiveled it side to side, switching gaze between Yuna and Nautilus. Taking another step forward, Kayaba used the Howl skill to gather the monster's aggro on him once more.

The monster blinked slowly at him, then stared at Yuna with big brown eyes.

"Please don't tell me it's looking at me," she said, face slightly pale. Despite her high evasion parameters, her build was not meant to tank damage from a Trembling Ox.

As if in response, the bull lowered its head until the curved white horns pointed in her direction, pawed the ground twice, and let out a loud bellow before launching to an unstoppable sprint.

With a yelp, Yuna hastily backed away in fright and rushed to Kayaba's side. Her agility allowed her to swiftly close the distance faster than the Trembling Ox, and she hid behind Kayaba while he positioned himself in front of the charging monster.

The Trembling Ox may be somewhat fast for its size, but it could not stop once it began its charge. It could only follow its first target, making it perfect for parties with a tank to absorb the blow.

As such, the ox collided with Kayaba's shield for the second time, and the bone-rattling force created by its momentum sent a tremor through both man and beast. The effect, however, was greater on the monster. Smashing headlong into a tower shield sent a circle of twisting yellow stars floating above its head: a stun effect.

As soon as the ox stumbled, Yuna leapt from behind Kayaba and landed on the monster's hard back, plunging her bronze dagger onto its thick hide. It buckled wildly, snorting in fury, and attempted to throw Yuna off balance. With speed and reflexes reflecting her agility stats, the girl jumped away and landed nimbly next to Nautilus, who had just unleashed a Cross Slash on the monster's right flank.

Uttering a dying roar, the Trembling Ox finally shattered into blue polygons that drifted upward into the sky, leaving nothing behind but trampled grasses and the lingering pungent scent of a giant bovine.

"I still can't get used to that charge," said Yuna, shaking her head and sheathing her dagger.

"It's really just simple." Nautilus dismissed the window detailing the loot and EXP he had acquired with a casual flick of his free hand. "Once it lowers its head, you just run as fast as you can behind Heathcliff-san's shield. What you did just now was good."

Yuna smiled teasingly. "Yeah. Says someone who ran away the first time he saw the Trembling Ox."

"H-Hey! That's just because..."

While Nautilus stammered and failed horribly at explaining himself to an amused Yuna, Kayaba sheathed his sword and surveyed the savannah stretching around them for hundreds of meters.

December 12, 2022. Eight days since Illfang the Kobold Lord was defeated and the second floor was finally opened. Unlike the first floor, which was a typical medieval setting and dominated mostly by wolf-type and plant-type mobs, this one's theme was cows, ragged craggy regions, a forest, and a savannah realm. A rocky mountain range separated the south from the northern half, where the Tower Labyrinth rose. Due to its size, Kayaba could see the upper portion of it beyond the mountain range.

Following his gaze, Yuna shaded her eyes with a hand and said, "I wonder if someone had already defeated the field boss."

"It's likely. The boss guarding the pass isn't too strong, and it can be killed with just one full party," answered Kayaba. Scanning the area again, he added, "It seems we have taken care of the monsters in here. It would take some time for them to respawn. Let's continue."

Nodding silently, Yuna and Nautilus trailed after Kayaba as he led them through the tall golden grasses of the south.

Between the mountains dividing the second floor in halves, there was a small jungle area from which all players must pass through to get on the other side, accessible by crossing a particularly dangerous ravine. It was but the start of a much larger savannah surrounding the south side of the last town, Taran. Lush vegetation impeded the way, and Storm Hornets often lay in ambush, ready to stab intruders to death. However, the real danger was the zone in the center where the field boss that guarded the pass north waited.

Picking their way through the dense foliage, Kayaba watched the almost nonexistent path ahead carefully. There was no warning when a player entered a field boss's area, and the only sign they did would be hearing the boss's movements and challenging calls. Overhead, the low trees made a thick canopy of interlocking branches and leaves, enclosing them in an emerald roof that blocked most of the sunlight save for pockets of small gaps where it filtered through, plunging the forest in semi-darkness.

It was a good thing that Kayaba knew the way. They veered eastwards, away from the northern side as much as possible. There was a nest where a small clump of Storm Hornets respawn with a high rate. Assuming that it was still there, the monsters would give them a good amount of EXP every ten minutes.

"You think those can be eaten?"

Kayaba briefly stopped in his tracks to see where Yuna was pointing. A few meters to the left, spread below a large elm tree's thick snaking roots, was a bed of mushrooms. They were the size of a fist and ranged in varying colors, from red to violet to green, with a variety of designs on their caps—striped, spotted, and in some cases, circled.

Shaking his head instantly, Kayaba continued ahead while saying, "They can. If you want to get poisoned or paralyzed."

"Oh."

"I didn't know you could forage for food in here," said Nautilus from behind them, guarding the rear.

"Every thing can be done here, Nautilus. Even mining for metals and ingots is possible. This floor is the first one where you could gather mushrooms and plant ingredients for potions and dishes. Of course, most of these are common mats, and the rarer ones are found on the floors above us."

Forging past the elm tree, it was several minutes before they finally arrived at their destinination. The nest was not particularly large, only sixty feet at its widest point, ringed by trees and clumps of rhododendron bushes. In the center was a massive oak fully encrusted in packed mud and dirt, oozing a scent strongly reminiscent of rotting meat.

"That's an awful smell." Yuna grimaced and covered her nose with the hem of her white cape. Next to her, Nautilus looked like he was trying his best not to spill the contents of his stomach. Of course, such a thing did not exist in this world, and it was more of a reflex than an actual urge to vomit.

"Just ignore it. Storm Hornets are larger than Windwasps, and they have less HP. Kill each one fast, then retreat back to the tree line once we've cleared them out. They'll all respawn in ten minutes."

It was high noon, so they still had time to grind for mats and EXP. Storm Hornets were not tough to beat, and their stingers bore a paralyzing effect, unlike the Windwasps' poison needles. A solo player would have a hard time against a swarm, but a party of three should have no problem, especially with constant switching. Even a dagger user like Yuna could slay one on her own, and her speed allowed her to evade most attacks.

They set out to work. Attacking the closest floating bulbous mass that was the insect, Nautilus took it down in two normal sword attacks, then moved on to his next target. Similar in shape to a real hornet, except ten times larger and blue instead of black, Storm Hornets were slower due to their sizes, a weakness that was easily exploitable.

After an hour of non-stop grinding, they decided to rest on the same elm tree they had passed earlier. While Kayaba leaned on the trunk and watched the area for any stray mobs, Yuna materialized their lunch for the day.

"Tremble Shortcake?" Kayaba raised an eyebrow upon seeing the floor's specialty dessert. It was an expensive treat, and players usually did not buy it due to its luxurious nature, not to mention the almost useless Luck buff; ten minutes was such a short time for it to be practical, and there were better dishes which gave a high defense and attack bonus for twice the duration.

"Yes. Asuna recommended it when I encountered her yesterday. She said it tasted good and we should try it, so I bought some this morning." Yuna handed one to Nautilus. "Here, Nau-kun. Why don't you try?"

"Ah, thanks." With a small smile, Nautilus took a bite. His eyes immediately widened. "It's good!"

Kayaba stared at his own slice. It was soft and bright yellow, and when he speared a small portion into his mouth, it was sweeter than honey, and the texture was almost that of a sponge cake. There was the strong taste of the Trembling Cow's Milk that was used, as well as sugar grown from the farms surrounding Urbus.

As he ate, he was reminded of a time when her sister celebrated her tenth birthday…

"Hey, Onii-chan! Try this one." Ayako smiled, holding a small plate with a slice of carrot cake. Her expression was expectant, and Kayaba could only sigh as he lowered the book he was reading and accepted the plate from his sister's slim hands.

"I baked it with Mama's help!" she said, eyes twinkling with pride.

Kayaba raised an eyebrow. "Did you now?" He popped a small bite into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, savoring the fluffy texture and balanced taste of fresh carrots and milk. And more than that, he sensed the effort that Ayako had placed into it. He nodded. "It's good. But shouldn't I be the one who should have given you a present? Don't worry. I'll buy you that tabletop RPG board game you've always wanted to—

Shaking her head, Ayako smiled wider and clasped her hands behind her. "There's no need, Onii-chan. Consider eating the whole cake as your gift to me!"

"Hey, what is that?" asked Yuna.

Snapped out of his reverie, Kayaba shook his head and followed Yuna's gaze. At a break in the trees several hundred yards away, a smudge of black silhouttes moved northwards. The noises coming from them were faint to decipher, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of trampling boots and loud conversations.

"Nautilus."

"Yes." The boy's eyes shone green—the sign of his Farsight skill activating. After a minute, he reported, "Seems like a small raid party. Their gear looks good, and they have several tanks."

"Are they going to challenge the field boss?" wondered Yuna, squinting hard into the distance. Since she did not have the Searching skill or any of its mods, she gave up a moment later.

"Possibly. It's been eight days since we've reached this floor. Going for the Labyrinth should be the priority now." Kayaba thought for a moment. "Let's check out the fight. I want to see how they will do."

"Should we join them?" Nautilus finished his Tremble Cake and unsheathed his sword in preparation, as did Yuna.

"We'll know when we get there."

As it turned out, they did not have to help. The group was a 15-member party, more than enough to defeat the giant four horned oxen that was the Bullbous Bow. The field boss pawed the ground of its basin lair, snorting in irritation. Sheer steep cliffs rose on either side of the two-hundred feet wide zone, enclosing the area in a narrow passage. There was no way around it and the boss except for the path ahead.

Standing at the edge of the basin, Kayaba watched the battle intently. Two parties went forward to engage, with three at the back as reserves. However, there was something odd about the group's strategy. One party should be pulling aggro while the other would wait to switch in to deal damage, as displayed during the first floor boss fight. But here, two groups of tanks rushed in to flank the boss on either side, raised their swords high, and roared so loud it sent tree branches swaying.

Even Nautilus was perplexed by what he had witnessed. "Why are they both pulling aggro?"

Indeed, the two assault parties seemed to be competing against each other. The Bullbous Bow swiveled its huge head left and right, deciding which group it should attack first. As it did so, Kayaba noticed the equipment the party was wearing. Some of them were high-level gears like the trio in reserve. But of the two forward teams, one had green tunics under their armors while the other wore blue ones.

Visual aid to recognize the assault group from the tanks? No, that could not be right. The two teams were both equipped to take a boss alone, and they were acting too independently of each other. In fact, when the Bullbous Bow finally turned to face the green team, the blue one retreated in dismay and allowed the other group to fight the monster alone.

As the battle progressed, Kayaba noticed that the raid group had no appointed leader. Instead, each group was led by its own party leader and seemed to be ignoring each other. A gnawing suspicion began to form in his mind, and it was further strengthened when the majority of the blue team was knocked off their feet by the Bullbous Bow's deadly charge and the green one rushed in to aggro without even helping the others.

Yuna was the first one to quickly voiced out her observations. "It's almost as if they are each acting by themselves."

Pursing his lips, Kayaba nodded. "They are competing with each other. Notice how each group is overlapping each other's Howls?" Even while he said this, the face of green team's leader—or more precisely, his recognizable hairstyle—came into clear view.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who hates beta testers?" Nautilus pointed. Indeed, it was none other than Kibaou, the player who started the descrimination against Kirito and his fellow beta testers. During their time in the city of Urbus, Kayaba often saw him actively seeking like-minded and strong players. Kayaba was careful enough to avoid crossing paths with the man; he did not want any complications in case Kibaou accused him of being a beta tester too.

Yuna frowned slightly. "Kibaou, right? Then who's leading the other team?" A flash of blue hair made her gasp. "Wait. Don't tell me that's—"

Kayaba shook his head. "No, not Diavel." He stepped closer to get a clearer view. "That's Lind, his second from the first floor boss battle."

Ever since that nearly disastrous fight, the charismatic and brave knight, Diavel, vanished from the front lines and was never heard of again. Many theorized that he had committed suicide, but the theory was immediately debunked later after people saw that his name was still active in the Monument of Life back in the Black Iron Palace.

If Kayaba had to guess, Diavel was ashamed of himself for hiding his identity as a beta tester, which almost cost the lives of his raid party. Combined with the current stigma against beta testers and his own failure, it was no surprise that Diavel lost the resolve to fight and join the rest of those waiting in the first floor.

With his absence, Lind must have stepped into the spot Diavel had left vacant. In fact, the man had already embraced the role: a knight's sword and shield, haired that was once brown but was now blue, and voice brimming with charisma. As he barked orders to his party, it was not difficult to envision him as Diavel himself. The only difference was his height—taller than Diavel by a few inches—and his face: he looked sterner, and there was a strange light in his eyes, a different kind of fervor and zealousness.

The boss fight soon reached its final stage when the last of the Bullbous Bow's HP bar dropped to the red zone, prompting it to execute a devastating charge that plowed through Kibao's group with impunity. Yuna cried in horror, and Nautilus drew his sword in preparation to rush in. But there was no need, for at that moment, the reserved engaged the boss while the green team healed themselves.

Off to the side, Lind's group had finshed recovering their strength just then and converged on the boss as well. The battle was over in a minute, and with one last roar, the Bullbos Bow finally shattered into blue polygons.

Kayaba half-expected a full cheer by the entire raid group. Instead, only Lind's team gave shouts of victory. As they took stock of their looted items and acquired EXP, Kayaba saw Kibaou marching up to the blue team leader, seething with rage.

"THAT WAS NOT PART OF OUR AGREEMENT!"

The man's voice carried far and reached the spot where Kayaba and his party stood, so loud that Nautilus glanced around warily. Certain monsters were drawn by sounds, and carelessnes often lead to death when a player was caught off guard by a horde. With Kibaou's voice, it would not be a surprise if mobs from two hundred yards away heard him.

Lind intercepted Kibaou in the center of the clearing while their companions lined up behind their leaders' back, glaring at each other. The three in reserve whose faces Kayaba did not recognized had long since left.

The leaders had a brief standoff. Lind's mouth move, but Kayaba was too far to hear him. However, Kibaou's tone remained loud and furious, and Kayaba gleaned much from his response.

"Our agreement was the group that is currently attacking the field boss gets the last attack bonus! That's why we decided to take turns! Why did you guys charge in when the reserve was already there?"

"Shouldn't he be glad that the blue team saved them?" whispered Yuna.

Kayaba said, "Apparently, Kibaou is more concerned with the last attack bonus drop."

Lind said something with a calm expression, and Kibaou's face contorted with rage. "What do you mean we're having a hard time? You were the one whose team's life dropped into the red zone, remember? Stop making excuses just because you guys want to get the better of us. Damn beta testers!"

Kibaou spat on the ground—a useless action considering there was no bodily fluids in the game—and stomped back to his team mates. With one last look of hatred toward Lind's group, they left the basin.

Kayaba's eyes briefly followed Kibaou before sliding over to Lind's group. He did not expect such a division at this stage, though it was inevitable. Players would start forming groups and factions by this point, and when they finished a questline on the third floor, guilds would be popping out like mushrooms. Naturally, people who knew each other well would stick together, while those who were strangers would be left behind or form their own guilds.

But unlike most MMOs, a divided playerbase would lead to chaos in SAO. Each one would have to take sides, and though everyone's primary goal was to clear and escape the game, that did not mean they would set aside their own agenda. This was still a game, after all.

"Let's go," said Kayaba, turning away from the clearing. Yuna and Nautilus started folowing him. But as they were about to leave, a voice called out behind them.

"Hey!"

Glancing back, Kayaba saw Lind approaching them with confident strides, a warm smile on his lips. His party members were still sharing their loots with each other, occassionally glancing in the direction of their leader. They were in no hurry yet to proceed along the northern sector of the floor.

"You guys were those in the reserve group last week during the first floor boss fight, right?" said Lind when he stopped a dozen feet away.

"Yes. That's us," answered Kayaba. "How may we help you?"

Lind's smile widened a little. "I saw how you fought Illfang and I was wondering if you'd like to join my team? We'll be forming our guild once we reach the next floor, and we could use your team's help."

Kayaba raised a thin silver eyebrow and exchanged glances with Yuna and Nautilus. Judging by their expressions, they were just as curious as he was. "Why us?" inquired Kayaba. "There were others back then who stood out and did more than we." He wanted to know Lind's motives, and whether or not accepting his offer would be wise. He could not commit Yuna and Nautilus to a guild who might just exploit them.

Lind shrugged. "You guys were the only people who kept their cool when the boss's attack patterns changed. That kind of clear thinking could help my group clear the game. Besides, we are short on tanks and burst DPS right now. We could use your help a lot." His eyes darted around for a few seconds. "Say, where are that boy with the black hair and that other girl using a rapier?"

"Kirito and Asuna? We never saw them since after the first floor boss raid. Why are you asking?" Kayaba felt Yuna's gaze on him. Technically, he had not lied. He never encountered the two again after Illfang's defeat, except for Yuna who had bumped into Asuna back in Urbus yesterday.

Lind frowned. "Aren't they part of your group?"

"No. We've just partied temporarily during that time."

"I see. Well, I was hoping to recruit them too."

"Why? I thought people hate Kirito for being a beta tester?"

Lind laughed. "What? You think everybody does? I'm not like those idiots who think that we cannot win this game without the help of others, especially beta testers. If someone can help, I'll ask that person's help, pride be damned. Besides," he added in a softer tone, "strong players should stick together. After all, it's our duty to beat this game."

There was something about the way Lind spoke that unsettled Kayaba. Perhaps it was the fact that he viewed himself as strong, as if the others were not. Unlike Diavel who took everyone in his raid group regardless of level and skills, Lind was quite the opposite; he would only accept those he saw as equal.

Lind continued. "In any case, what do you think about my offer? You guys don't have to worry about the loot distribution. What you get during raids and boss fights are all yours. What do you say?"

It was indeed tempting. If Kayaba accepted and join Lind, Yuna's and Nautilus' s safety would be guaranteed. They would grow stronger in a guild, and he would not have to worry much about protecting them, knowing that there were others who would take care of them.

However…

"I'm afraid we have to decline," Kayaba finally answered. "We are not yet ready to commit ourselves to any guilds. I'm sorry."

"Oh. That's too bad." Lind spread his hands. "Well, what else can I do? It's your decision. But in case you change your mind, just send me a message. And if you see Kirito and that girl, Asuna, tell them I'm looking for them."

Giving him a short nod, Kayaba turned away without a word and left.

###

It was nearly late afternoon when they returned to Urbus. As the sky glowed orange with the fast approaching sunset, the city itself shone with a warm light cast by the oil lamps in the streets and houses. Along the cobbled paths that lined the road, players strolled, either off to an evening hunt or just returning from a long day of grinding. Some were already heading to inns and restaurants, readying themselves for a good night's rest. Others were eager to enjoy the money they had earned from slaying monsters.

Kayaba led Yuna and Nautilus to a particularly large restaurant on the south-west sector, called the Laughing Ox. An NPC-ran establshment, it was one of the few shops offering a wide variety of dishes unique to the floor. Some even had buffs that would last for a day, so the restaurant was often visited by a lot of players preparing to hunt. In fact, it was already half full when Kayaba entered, and the cacophony of conversations drowned out anything else.

Loudest among them was Kibaou's rowdy group.

They sat around one of the tables in the middle, shouting as they argued amongst themselves. It was obvious what they were discussing, for the word "beta testers" popped up many times. Kibaou was scowling, and a lot of his sentences ended with his fist banging on the table's polished oak surface so hard that the immortal object warning appeared.

"That's why I told you guys not to trust them!" he bellowed, which silenced his companions and made the other customers glanced in his direction with annoyance. Some of those near the table even stood up and left without finishing their food.

As they passed, Yuna whispered to Kayaba, "I think we should find another place to eat. We won't get any peace of mind here."

"I agree," muttered Nautilus, eyeing Kibaou warily. "I don't want to eat anywhere near that guy."

Kayaba nodded. He did not want to be in the same room with Kibaou as well, much less eat with him nearby.

"Hey, I know you!"

Too late. While Yuna and Nautilus groaned in unison, Kayaba faced Kibaou out of courtesy. The man grinned from his seat and beckoned to him while rest of his team watched silently with curious stares. No doubt, they recognized Kayaba as the tank who managed to hold off Illfang for a minute all by himself.

Kayaba glanced sideways at Yuna. The girl stared back at him with apprehension and shook her head slightly. Kayaba hesitated for a brief moment, then murmured, "Find us a table. As far away as possible. This won't be long."

Yuna looked at him as if he had grown a second head, then reluctantly nodded and went to the left. Nautilus followed her after sending Kayaba a worried glance. As they headed for a table in the corner, Kayaba strode towards Kibaou.

Truth be told, he had no plans to entertain the man. However, Kibaou was an easily offended person. If Kayaba ignored his invitation, he would look disrespectful, and that might earn him and his companions the irk of one of the most active frontliners. He did not want that to happen, especially if they were going to join future floor boss raids.

"It's been a week, right?" Kibaou said once Kayaba stood in front of him. "You're that guy who saved Diavel from being killed."

Kayaba nodded. "I am. And you're Kibaou."

"Yup. That's me. And you would do well to remember my name." He gestured to a seat taken by one of his friends. "Here, have a seat. Hey, Ruko! Give this guy your seat."

"Why should I?" asked Ruko, glaring at Kibaou from behind his teal bangs. He immediately quailed when Kibaou returned the glare tenfold.

"Because I say so!" Kibaou snapped. "Now shut up and do as I say or else I'll kick your useless ass out of—"

"Please, you and your friend don't need to bother," interrupted Kayaba. He nodded at Ruko, who sighed with relief. "I'll be fine just standing here."

Kibaou frowned slightly. "Are you sure? Well, whatever suits you." He leaned forward on the table, grinning once more. "Do you know why I want to talk with you?"

"You want me on your team," surmised Kayaba. It was not hard to discern Kibaou's motives based on Lind's actions earlier; if the latter wanted to recruit Kayaba, so would the former.

"You're smart. I like that. So what do you say?"

Choosing his next words carefully, Kayaba said, "What if I'm a beta tester?" He watched Kibaou's face closely, noting his reaction.

The man waved a hand. "You don't have to lie if you don't want to accept my offer. I can tell you are not one of them. If you are, you would have tried to get the last attack bonus like that Beater. Besides," he added with a derisive snort, "what are the chances of two selfish beta testers in the same boss fight?"

Three, actually. And one of them is more than just a beta tester. "And if I do accept?"

Kibaou smirked. "Then we can become the strongest guild much faster, and we'll be able to clear this game without the help of weaklings and cheaters. I will take us to the top floor, beat the hell out of that stupid developer, and free everyone else in here."

Kayaba ignored the insult and challenge at him, but the rest of what Kibaou said already cemented his decision to refuse. Pretending to think for a moment, Kayaba answered, "May I speak with my party about this? I don't want to commit into something without consulting them first."

"Of course. And don't worry about them. If you accept, I'll be more than glad to have them too." Kibaou stood, and so did his party. "Tell me immediately once you've decided. Just make sure your decision is the right one." With that subtle threat hanging in the air, Kibaou and his group strode away to the restaurant's exit.

Kayaba waited until the last of them was out of the door, then he went over to Yuna and Nautilus just as the NPC server arrived bringing their food.

"He asked you to join his team," said Yuna as soon as Kayaba had sat down.

"You heard our conversation?"

"With that guy's loud voice, most of us here obviously did. You refused him too?"

"I don't see any reason why we should accept. But I told him we'll send a message once we've decided." Kayaba took a bite from his roast beef.

"The thing is, he doesn't know when we will decide," said Nautilus. "It's really weird, though. That's already two groups who tried to recruit us. It's only been little more than a month since we were trapped here. And now people are starting to form groups."

Kayaba nodded. "That is to be expected, Nautilus. In game where life and death matters, forming groups with people you trust increases the survival rate. You could help each other grow stronger, defeat powerful opponents together, and ensure that no one would die. SAO may be a death game, but it is still an MMORPG. And just like forming groups in MMORPGs is natural, so is the fact that not all of them are exactly honest."

"What do you mean?" asked Yuna with a frown.

Kayaba paused to eat a few mouthfuls before resuming. "Let me ask you a question, Yuna. Why did you initially wanted to play SAO?"

Yuna blinked. "Because this is the first VRMMORPG where anyone can do everything." Her eyes slid briefly to Nautilus. "And also because I want to play together with Nau-kun."

At that, Nautilus swallowed hard and he looked away in embarassment.

"Correct. You want to socialize," said Kayaba. "That is one of an MMO's main selling points: the freedom to interact with other people even though they are miles away. In SAO's case, as a VR game, interactions are more prevalent and your social experience are further enhanced. But that's not always the case for all players. There are those who view games as another reality, another world to live in. And their attitudes in real life are often carried over. They just do not want to socialize.

"Let's take one of the rising groups in the game as an example: the Watchers. You've already seen them back in the Town of Beginnings and the outlying towns and villages."

"Those are the guys that patrol the streets to prevent Pking and stealing, right?" said Yuna.

"That's them," answered Kayaba with a nod. "Although their patrol range extends all the way to the field zones since the cities and towns prevents any sort of player harm. But that's not all they do. They also take requests to save any players who have been trapped in dungeons without health supplies. In essence, they are this world's unofficial police force despite the crime prevention code capable of doing most of their job.

"Their leader, Covatz, is said to be an army officer in real life, which I think is true to some degree. They are organized by rank, with him as Commander, and their equipment are standardized. However, there are some rumors floating around that they are collecting taxes from the other players, and threatens them if they refuse."

"That's not fair!" protested Yuna. "We're all trying to survive here. If they start collecting taxes, they are basically robbing players of their hard earned money. Money they are using to upgrade their weapons and armor!"

"Yuna, in this world where laws do not apply, calling their actions unfair is unjustifiable."

"But—"

Kayaba raised a hand to interrupt her. "But you are right. It is indeed unfair and wrong. I heard it was one of the main reasons why Diavel pushed for the first floor boss raid. He wanted the players to progress so they could escape the Watchers.

"On the other hand, Kibaou's and Lind's groups are different. While they are more friendly, and Lind doesn't hate beta testers, they still have their own unsavory motives. Kibaou wanted to be the leader of the strongest guild in the game while leaving out players he deem useless. Lind is more or less the same, even though he is more open-minded. But as we've seen earlier, he is also an opportunist and doesn't care about people outside his group. Such mindsets create division in this game, and that kind of division will be our main hurdle in reaching the top floor."

"How about the other players?" asked Nautilus. "Surely, they should be forming their own guilds by now, unofficial they may be."

Kayaba shook his head. "The three I've just mentioned are the ones in the lead right now. All the rest are either too small or doesn't have enough drive to fight in the frontlines. However, I think that given enough time, these smaller groups could also take the lead. It happens a lot in most MMOs."

"You seem to know a lot about games," noted Nautilus. "I thought you said once that you don't play at all."

Kayaba smiled faintly. "I don't. But I did my research. Besides, you forgot that I also played in the beta. And during that one month, I learned a lot about how players think. Because of that, I knew that accepting offers from Lind and Kibaou is unwise. They would just exploit us and our strength. Not to mention, my identity will be at risk."

Silenced reigned for several minutes as they ate. Truth be told, Kayaba had no intention of joining or forming a guild any time soon. It was still too early at this stage, and he did not know how everything would play out in the coming months. However, he had this feeling that if this continued, conflicts would eventually arise; he had already seen the seed of discord between Lind and Kibaou, and now that the beta testers were included in the mix, that seed would bloom into a dark tree.

It was human nature to hate and compete, both in game and in real life. Turning a harmless game into one of life and death further emphasized that nature. Players would do everything to survive, and just like the real world, a harsh reality would eventually change them on the inside. Soon, he had no doubt that many would give in to despair, turning into stealing and harassing other players.

Even murder.

It was a terrifying notion, one that he never talked about with Yuna and Nautilus, fearing how it would affect them. And yet the more they stayed trapped in here, the more likely it would occur. Humans were susceptible to violence, and from the data gathered by Yui and Strea during the beta test, some of the players were suffering from an unstable mental health. Kayaba just hoped that those players were not in this game, or if they were, that the fear of death would force them to lock themselves inside their rooms.

Soon they were almost finished with their meal. As Kayaba sipped from a glass of Trembling Milk Shake, he noticed Yuna staring at him. "What is it, Yuna?"

She was silent for a moment, her lips pressed in a thin line. Next to her, Nautilus watched in concern, but remained quiet. When Yuna finally spoke, her tone was measured and her words slow.

"I was just wondering. We are a party at the moment, right?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"Well… I've talked about this with Nau-kun a few days ago. What if we form our own guild?"

Kayaba arched an eyebrow. He had briefly considered that before, and there was no doubt that Yuna and Nautilus would accept his invitation. They had fought together in this game for more than a month now, and Kayaba knew that despite his sin of creating Cardinal and this death game, they trusted him with their lives. However…

Placing the glass down on the table, Kayaba lowered his gaze for a moment. He had his misgivings about forming a guild, not the least of which was the attention he would attract. His innate knowledge of the game was vital to everyone's survival, yes, but it was also the major clue as to who he really was. If he started participating in many boss fights with that knowledge, many would suspect. And before long, everyone in the game would be hunting him down after they found out he was the one responsible for their imprisonment. It was not too difficult to think that once they do, they would go for Yuna and Nautilus as well, especially if the two tried to protect him.

"I can't say that idea has not crossed my mind, Yuna," Kayaba answered softly. "But right now, my priority is ensuring your and Nautilus's survival and growth. Perhaps once we are strong enough, then we'll create a guild." He hesitated momentarily. In an even quieter voice, he added, "Besides, I don't want to make a move until I'm certain we're safe from being watched."

"Watched?" asked Yuna, perplexed. "By whom?"

Kayaba did not respond. Instead, he looked out the window towards the sky, where white clouds drifted by lazily on a blue canvas.

Somewhere out there, he had a feeling that Cardinal was watching.

This is quite short compared to the previous chapters, and I'm deeply sorry for that. It is actually more of a setup to certain plot threads in the future, hence why it may seem like a filler. If you've been reading the Progressive novels, you should already have an idea what to expect. BUT, considering that I will diverge from canon, I assure you that it won't be like anything you've read in the source material.

Fun trivia: the title of this chapter is a direct nod to that quest from Sword Art Online: Integral Factor. :)

Anyway, please Read & Review! Until next time!