Sword Art Online III: Asgard

Girl's Ops: Two

The level grinding around the starter town (also called Asgard, annoyingly) really made a difference. They started making good progress against the various monsters, and started looking into quests they could do.

"The new Argo Guide is out," Lizbeth reported as the group gathered at an inn in town.

"It's only been a few days since the level opened too," Lux noted, the pretty, busty silver haired girl smiling.

"She IS fast when she wants to be," Silica noted reasonably.

"So what did she add after the first version?" Sinon asked, checking over her bow. It was a upgrade she got from a recent monster kill, glossy in red and black.

"Well, apparently there are actual VALKYRIES. And Valhalla, the Hall of the Honored Dead," Leafa noted excitedly.

Everyone privately agreed Leafa REALLY liked the scary dangerous stuff. She had, already, dropped the group into serious danger a few times already.

"How would Valhalla even work, in game?" Youko asked them curiously, the boyish Salamander sitting nearby.

"Argo hasn't gone in yet, according to her notes," Leafa added, "her contacts at Ymir say it'll be a very high level event."

"I see," Liz murmured.

"Let's check it out," Leafa said enthusiastically.

"NO," everyone chorused.

"Aww," Leafa pouted.

"Has Argo figured out which Quests we should start with?" Silica changed the subject.

"Apparently Dark Elves are infiltrating Asgard," Lux read from the document, "we need to find out why. I guess that explains why we kept running into raiding parties earlier?"

"Makes sense," Liz agreed.

"And they've emerging from the caves... but to take it on you first need to talk to a NPC, Baldur," Lux noted.

"Well, let's go!" Leafa grinned.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Liz was trying to get over Kirito... mind you, she KNEW there was no chance with him. He was nearly married to Asuna! But somehow, she dwelled on him. So she was out adventuring away from him, and focusing on herself.

The mead hall was busy with burly looking old men, and the guy in charge was a handsome older dude in light armor. Above his head was the icon for a interactive NPC.

"Lord Baldur, may we speak?" she asked formally.

Baldur looked up, his expression serious, "Adventurers, the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim are invading Asgard. Will you take up the task of routing them?"

"We will," Liz said seriously.

"Go to the hills of the north, you will find them there," Baldur ordered.

The 'active quest' icon appeared on their menus, and the NPC subsided, calmly waiting for them to return.

"And he gives the same speech every time a player asks?" Youko asked, bemused.

"Yup. He's only a very limited NPC," Silica said as they left the hall.

"We should stock up on healing and mana potions before we head out," Liz reminded everyone like a good party leader.

"Yes mom," Silica teased.

Liz rolled her eyes as they stocked up.

"Of COURSE it's tunnels. Why can't more quests involve flying?" Leafa complained mildly as they entered the caves.

"It's harder managing enemy encounters in air," Lux noted. "Have you noticed that AOL only really uses flying for Player"There's a few things," Leafa vs Player, not Quests?"

"There's a few things," Leafa defended the programmers, "but yeah, point..."

The tunnels were lit faintly by the usual glowing moss, and they paused to let their eyes adjust before advancing.

"Why do I have to help tank?" Youko muttered as she and Liz lead, Silica, Lux, Leafa and Sinon in the back.

"None of us are HP heavy builds," Silica said, the tiny, knife using girl shrugging.

"And I'm a archer," Sinon added reasonably.

"Yeah yeah," Youko laughed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

'Gah! I HATE bugs!' Lux thought as they were swarmed by spiders.

There were a LOT of icky monsters in the tunnels. Thankfully the levels weren't too high, but there were still a few harsh fights.

"This is worse than that bug game I tried," Liz shuddered visibly.

"You actually tried that?" Lux asked, surprised.

"I remembered Yuuki Konno mentioning it."

"Yuuki?" Sinon asked quietly.

Lux moved over to her, "You never met her, I guess? She made a big name in AOL for awhile as a unbeatable swordswoman."

Sinon caught something in her tone. "Did something happen?" she asked gently.

"Died," Lux nodded slightly. "She was already ill when we met her."

"I'm sorry," Sinon said gently.

Before Lux could reply, they saw a brighter light up ahead.

"Shh," Liz waved, and the group walked up quietly.

Lux kept down as they peered into a slightly more open cavern. There were more lights, magic globes, and a group of dark elf worriers and a mage were, apparently, interrogating a captive.

"Traitor! How dare you try to reveal our secrets to the hated Aesir!" the lead mage growled.

"The Dar One must not be freed! You know it will doom us all," the woman captive begged.

"It is the destiny of our race, fool!" the leader said.

"No! Not is the Legend of the Black Swordsman is true!" the captive protested.

"Black Swordsman?" Liz muttered as they listened.

"We should rescue her!" Sinon suggested.

"It could be a trap," Silica said, remembering what had happened when they raided the Frost Giant's castle.

"Wait, I see a icon above her head," Leafa noted. "She's a NPC we can interact with."

Liz nodded, "Okay. Sinon, can you nail the mage?"

"Of course," Sinon smiled confidently, then the group broke from cover and charged.

Lux stabbed one Dark Elf, even as Liz and Youko lead the attack. Sinon shot one mage in the head, then got the other mage in the shoulder almost as soon as they reached them.

"DIE, TRAITOR!" one warrior raised a knife.

Before he could strike Lux lunged, driving her sword into him. He staggered back, she ripped the blade out and stabbed again, finishing him.

"Oh, thank you!" the strange woman gasped.

They finished up the enemy then Liz noted quietly, "The game is asking to add her as a party member."

"We probably need to to advance the plot," Leafa noted, "do it."

"Added," Liz pressed a virtual screen.

A announcement chirped, 'TILNEL has been added to the party.'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Argo the rat approached the great hall VALHALLA nervously.

Like Liz and the others she had leveled up a LOT by chasing down all the small quests. As well as documenting them for the Argo Guides. She had also tracked down updated versions of her usual gear, so she was at least decently armed.

But her contacts at Ymir said that, even for Asgard, a player taking on Valhalla would need to be extremely high level. Plus, they had informed her that WHATEVER was in there had used up a lot of recycled Sword Art Online data.

'This could be a hall filled with a greatest hits of the Floor Bosses,' Argo thought grimly.

Just to ENTER the hall required a symbolic sacrifice. Near the huge entrance Argo set up a small ceremonial fire, then took out a VERY expensive sample of cloth. "Here goes," she muttered, setting it alight.

As her info promised the doors glowed, then opened slightly. Warily Argo entered, watching for traps as she looked around. Much like Baldur's hall it was filled with rowdy men and women, dressed in light armor and drinking and talking.

Argo scanned the figures, then a man with... blue hair, light armor and a very familiar face came into her line of sight.

Argo froze, blinking. 'It... it CAN'T BE.' she thought.

Making a snap decision, Argo fled the hall.

To be continued...

Notes: Baldur is a character I MOSTLY know from the Thor comics. Other than dying, I can't remember if he DOES much in Norse myths.

I don't THINK canonly Yuuki and Sinon met. If not, will edit...