Chapter 2 – New Meetings

# Note: Italics = Thoughts

I DO NOT OWN SAO. I ONLY OWN THIS WRITING, WHICH IS BASED OFF IT. (ALTHOUGH I WISH I DID OWN IT)

Exiting the dungeon, Kirito was briefly blinded by the sudden light. Giving his eyes time to adjust, he stood still for a moment, checking the time in the top-right of his vision. Seeing that it was 11am, he realized he had just pulled an all-nighter. Tired and only wanting to go back to town and sleep, he walked, walking back to town. Alas, fate is a fickle creature.

xXxXxXxXx

Walking towards town, he saw a cloaked player farming off some «Bin Wolves» with some difficulty. Intrigued, Kirito walked closer to get a better look, but otherwise stayed out of sight. Upon closer inspection, the player was using a rapier and almost literally spamming the «Linear» skill. Wave after wave of wolves fell, but soon he was surrounded. The wolves jumped, howling for blood, to which one succeeded. Three wolves had perished, but the wolf behind the player had gotten lucky, knocking him back. Getting ready to help, Kirito stood up, while in the same time, the wolf jumped at the player.

"So this is it…what a disappointing way to die."

Activating a «Vertical» skill, Kirito jumped towards the wolf from his hiding spot and slashed at the mob, slicing it in half and killing it instantly.

[Order: Kirito, Player]

"You okay? Got a bit unlucky there but otherwise you're pretty good. Near the end though you should have went for some normal attacks instead of «Linear» though."

"Why does it matter?"

"Eh?"

"Why does it matter? I killed it."

"Ah…well using a sword skill takes focus and has the post-motion effect which makes you vulnerable so…"

"It doesn't matter. If it's dead it's dead."

"I disagree, but something came to mind just then. What level are you?"

"Level 5."

"The hell? How long have you been out here? You should be able to kill the wolves with just one «Linear»!"

"I think…since last night, maybe?"

"Hold up a minute for me. You say you've been here since last night."

"Mhm."

"And you're Lv. 5."

"Mhm."

"Ok, level with me. Do you know how to distribute your stat points correctly?"

"Stat…points…?"

"Is this your first MMO?"

"Mhm."

"Oh god…"

"What's wrong?"

"Ugh…just come with me. I gotta explain some stuff to you."

"What sort of stuff?"

"MMO stuff, since you clearly don't know what you're doing."

"Hey! I survived all night didn't I?"

"You did, but mostly from luck. Just come already ok?"

"…Fine."

XxXxXxXx

\Narrator POV (Includes Speech [Order: Kirito, Player])

-Back at town-

"If you don't mind, we're gonna go to my house. It's the second floor of an NPC's place but you get an unlimited supply of milk there. There's also a bath, but nobody really uses it…"

Kirito trailed off, turning around to face the still cloaked player. He was going to speak again, but the aura of death that surrounded the player scared him. And probably the odd passersby too.

"What. Did. You. Say?"

"Uh…house?"

"Not that one."

"Milk?"

"Not that one."

"So…the bath?"

"Alright. I am going to ask this once and only once so do not make me repeat myself. Where. Is. The. House."

"Just a bit further ahe…"

Trailing off, Kirito sighed, seeing the cloaked figure zooming to the aforementioned direction. Deciding that he might be in a lot of trouble if he kept the player waiting, he sighed once, once more, and then took off at a run to his house."

XxXxXxXx

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"What took you so long? Hurry up and show me where the bath is!"

Seeing the excitement quite literally bursting off the player, Kirito hurriedly opened the door to the second floor. As he reached the top of the steps, he turned around. Using his hands, he pointed at one direction, then another.

"Bath is over there. I'll be in the room over there ok? Take as long as you like."

After making sure the player went to the right room, Kirito walked into the living room, which thankfully had a couch. Wasting no time, Kirito plopped down onto the couch and promptly fell asleep.

XxXxXxXx

By the time Kirito woke up, it was already late in the evening. Sitting up to stretch his arms, the player from before entered his field of vision, sporting an annoyed frown. Sheepishly, Kirito stood up and walked over to the player, only to sit down again, though this time in a chair next to him.

"Sorry about falling asleep there. Did you have a good bath?"

"The bath was fine. (Loved it.) Now are you going to explain to me what you were going to say before you fell asleep or not?"

"Ah, right, right, sorry. Anyways, I was going to say that in this game, you have four stats. Now, open up your menu. Yep, now press the "Customize" button in the bottom left and then click "Character Stats". Now, you see the four stats right?

"Mhm."

"Each point in strength increases your attack damage, each point in dexterity increases your critical strike chance and makes it easier to aim throwing weapons, each point in agility increases your general movement speed and reaction time and each point in vitality increases your defenses and HP. Did you get all that?"

"I think so. Continue?"

"Alright. So, when you level up you gain 4 stat points that you can allocate to your four stats. Since you use a rapier, which focuses on speed, put 2 points in agility, 1 point in dexterity and the last in vitality. For now, since you're Lv.5 just put 10 in agility, 5 in dexterity and 5 in vitality."

"Alright."

"Now press the confirm button at the bottom and you're done."

"Alright, thank you for helping."

"No problem. Did you want to talk about anything?"

"No."

"Well in that case, why don't we have dinner? I'm starving and from the looks of things, so are you."

"I'm not hun…"

Right at that moment, the player's stomach emitted a large growl, causing Kirito to laugh and the player to blush.

"I think your stomach disagrees. C'mon, let's get something to eat."

"Fine. Just this once."

Going downstairs and out of the house, the two head back to the town. When they get there, they decide to go for a meal at the inn. As they entered, a NPC waitress greeted them and asked for their orders, to which Kirito asked for a potato dish while the player, still cloaked, asked for a mashed potato dish. When they were given their food, Kirito found that he had also been given mashed potatoes. The cloaked player noticed this as well and turned slightly away. Both players then started to eat. Over the course of the meal, a few questions raced through his head, which he eventually voiced.

"Hey, I've been wondering."

"So I see."

"Are you a guy or a girl?"

"That's seriously the question you've had in your head?"

"Yep."

"For your information, I'm a girl."

"Well. Did not know that."

"Evidently."

"…Are you always this moody or are you…"

"If you finish that sentence I will stab this knife into your throat and kill you. Slowly and painfully."

"You wouldn't dare. Right?"

"Really?"

Kirito was scared. Very, very scared. He was trembling in his boots and shaking in his seat. The dark aura that the newly discovered girl had about her showed Kirito that she would not hesitate to fulfill her previous statement. So he made the smart choice - he very meekly apologized. As the dark aura receded, he happily went back to his meal, now content with just eating. After both players had finished eating, they both went outside.

"So, what do you intend to do?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, are you going to go farm mobs a bit, sleep, what do you plan to do tomorrow…"

Trailing off, Kirito saw the expression of deep thought that the girl had. Voicing his thoughts, he said, "You don't have any plans do you.", to which he got an answer of "no".

"Well, if you don't have anything you want to do, how about you party up with me for a bit? I might be able to teach you some things and I know where we can find you a better weapon."

"Why?"

"Well, why not?"

"…Fair enough. Send me a request and tomorrow we'll get that rapier you're talking about."

Opening his menu, Kirito went to the "Friends" tab and pressed "Party". Creating a party and then sending an invite to the girl player next to him, he looked up expectantly, waiting for her to push the accept button. As she did so, Kirito saw her HP gauge and username register in his upper-left field of vision.

"So her name is Asuna…"

"Well that's done. Bye, fencer-san."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the house? What are you doing?"

"Coming with you, that's what."

"Why don't you just stay here at the inn?"

"We're in a party now, so I'm going to be following you around. So I'm staying with you."

"Heh, you just want to bath again don't you?"

"No…maybe…well…yeah…"

Laughing, Kirito gestured for his new party member to follow him, walking back to the house.

XxXxXxXx

"Well, here we are, back home. Well, for a couple days anyway."

"What do you mean, a couple days?"

"The second floor of this place is really a quest reward. Once the timer for the quest resets it won't be mine anymore until I finish the quest again."

"Do you intend to get this place again?"

"I guess."

"Ok."

"If you want to come over just to bath it's fine. I'm not going to use it much."

"Alright."

"Anyway, the bedroom is over there. I'll bunk over on the couch for the time being. Night."

"Night."

XxXxXxXx

After making sure that the rapier-wielding girl was asleep, Kirito looked over his stats.

[Lv. 7 (93%) ]

[HP (2250/2250) ]

[Sprint (Lv. 2/1000) ]

[One-Handed Straight Sword (Lv. 13/1000) ]

[Hiding (Lv. 1/1000) ]

[Searching (Lv. 2/1000) ]

[Parry (Lv. 4/1000) ]

[Battle Healing (Lv. 3/1000) ]

[Tracking (Lv. 1/1000) ]

[Strength (STR) – 24 Agility (AGI) – 7 ]

[Dexterity (DEX) - 5 Vitality (VIT) – 7 ]

Checking his equipment as well, Kirito was quite happy with his progress. Lv. 7 two days in with a good sword, armor still in good shape and alive. Deciding to sleep now, Kirito dismissed his menu and plopped down onto the couch, falling asleep almost instantly.