Evangelion Versus Angels Online
Chapter Eight
"Every dream is a reality and every reality is a dream. This is the basis on which we have to consider everything that we see from this point out."
-Commander Zero, 20 November 2057
"Understanding the difference between those realities will ensure your survival over the next year. If you don't understand that idea, you'll die. Period. You. Yes, you. If you want to survive the next ten seconds, use what I've been saying to avoid the pitfall."
-Commander Zero, 21 November 2057
8_June_2023 - 7:10
According to the HUD clock, it's just about sunrise in Aincrad. I'm not sure what time of day the sun rises in Japan this time of year, but it's probably not too far off. Asuka fell asleep in Prof's chair with a folded coat from my inventory as a blanket. I slept on the floor to the side of the door. It wasn't my bed, but with what we had to work with, I was content just to keep watch over the room and her along with it.
I jerked awake with a blast of adrenalin when Asuka yelped and fell out of Prof's chair. I looked up, bleary-eyed, to see that Prof had made it back to the world. He looked down the room at me from his seat saying, "Ah, hello. Good morning. How are you, my boy?" Plain, bland inscrutability. That's Prof all right.
My eyes must have given away my confusion, as Prof turned to the left and looked down at Asuka who had been thrown out of the chair by his sudden appearance.
He grinned a cynical, aged grin which belied wistfulness moreso than cruelty such a smirk would denote in another. "And the stunning Baron Langley," Prof said jokingly. "How fine it is to see the two of you again. How went your guarding of this office? Well, I hope."
"You could say that," I admitted. I crossed the room and helped Asuka to her feet.
She responded with, not looking completely flustered from her fall, "Nothing to report, sir," and saluted. I thought to myself, she certainly recovered quickly; then scolded myself for the internal comment. Though, it reminded me of something Prof taught me years back. If you think something foolish, you can correct it. If you say something foolish, you can still correct, but it's more difficult as people will be able to sense backpedaling over words.
Prof smiled his saintly smile saying, "Excellent."
"Hey, Prof," I said curtly, "you find out anything? Was the day worth it?"
Asuka lightly hit me in the arm before Prof answered, "Many things, my boy," he answered. Then said, "Another time. Now, I must rest; I am weary."
Prof gestured us out of the room. How he can sleep in there is beyond me. Maybe he has a hidden cot or something. Before Asuka or I could protest, we were out.
"So much for that," Asuka said, her pseudo-military attitude gone with the closed door. I think I like her better like this: mean-spirited, bright as a whip, hotter than the whole of creation on fire. Just as long as I don't say that particular anecdote out loud.
"Yeah," I agreed, "Prof could have at least told us something before he went to sleep."
"He's probably been awake since he left," Asuka defended.
When I thought about it, I admitted that being that age, trapped in a game, and awake for that length of time, plus however long he was awake before the trip... well, I conceded. "I guess. But it's just been so long since we've gotten news from the outside." I rubbed the back of by neck. "I guess I was just antsy." After the tutorial those months ago, we didn't receive a single piece of information about any world but this one. It was like those twentieth century science fiction novels. The main character tells his story about joining a generation ship or some other one-way trip to the stars, only to realize that he'll never hear from Earth again. And somehow does. Once.
Asuka grabbed my hand and dragged me along. "Let's go somewhere," she said, pulling out a pair of teleport crystals.
"Where," I asked.
"Doesn't matter," she answered as we passed though the halls. There were some I recognized, some we went through on the way in, only detouring once to stop by the barracks. Her private room was oddly bland. Not that we spoke much in the last two years -except for the game message boards and some PMing- but from what I saw of her room back in that other world, it was colourful, not this hospital-like, sterile nightmare of a personal bedroom. She grabbed several items from a chest at the foot of her bed, adding them to her inventory manually before grabbing me again and taking off for the lobby.
"Off for the day, Lady Langley," the woman who greeted us asked.
"Yes. Let the director know when he wakes up. We'll be back to report in around," Asuka made a show of looking at her HUD, "lets say twenty-hundred hours."
"Of course, Lady. Ranger," she said, nodding at me.
"Take it easy, Anchor," Asuka said handing me a crystal. "Teleport: Elfenlied."
10_June_2023 - Fighter's Beachhead, Floor 35
When we reported back to Prof, he had little to say. Not that we didn't nearly beg for more, but all he gave us was that someone was playing a long game and that we had to be ready at all times for total war against the unknown. Yeah... that told us something all right. It told us that we were probably doomed, but live it up and accept the world for the crap-sack it is probably going to become. That said, I just wanted to get a step closer to beating the floor and clearing the game.
The NPCs around the base of the mountain on floor thrity-five call this place the Fighter's Beachhead. They comment, as NPCs always do, vaguely about the name, something to do with the high number of mobs that spawn here, and the placement of enemies inside the final boss level. The most we know, from this and the two successful scouting missions into the room by the Knights of the Blood Oath and the Divine Dragon Alliance, is that the boss is called Quiertoe the Wraith. He looks reptilian and walks on three massive legs. His attacks might include ranged blasts of fire, but certainly include the use of an oversized, flaming claymore.
I found myself with a small part of the clearing group just outside the boss's door on the Fighter's Beachhead. We had cleared the Beachhead of spawned monsters, clearing the dungeon as we went. Even went up a level and a number of skill points in my equipped specials. In attendance were myself, Langley and our friends from the beginning of the game, Kirito and Asuna. Kirito brought two small guilds called Fuurinkazan and the Black Cats of the Full Moon. Asuna brought a group from her guild, the Knights of the Blood Oath. There were also a handful of other players. This guild calling itself Red Method and a couple solo players: Tabris and Sephirum. They all looked all right. Well... Sephirum freaks me out a little, but it might just be what he's going for. All in all, it came out to a clearing group of thirty-three. Not the best, forty-nine, but certainly workable.
"It's good to see you again," Asuna said to Asuka and I. "It's really been too long. How've you been since last February?"
"Yeah," I said, not dismissing the comment, but not committing myself to farther conversation. This is stressful enough. Not that I dislike Asuna, but I'd rather talk when -if- we get out of this.
Asuka said, "Things have gone well. I lost track of this bum for a while, but I finally tracked him down again."
"How are things going, Job," Kirito asked, having not seen me for quite a while – like everyone else.
"Well enough for my taste," I said, not quite lying. I -one player out of thousands- gave up a chance to go outside if only for a moment, and here I stand, fighting just like any other day. How could I have been so stupid. Damn you Prof. Why couldn't you give us a little more than 'be ready' and 'your father says hello.' I didn't need to know that. I snuck into this game with NervGear I'd never heard of and now I was living the consequences of my actions and being forced to pay with my life.
"That's good to hear," Asuna said. "I was worried when you stopped responding to messages."
"He does that," Asuka put in, seeming irritated. "Always going off on his own, ignoring the rest of us-"
"Like someone we know," Asuna said, glaring at Kirito. Are they...
"Hey, hey," Kirito exclaimed, "let's not play that game again-"
"What game," Asuna said, frowning.
"Let's focus on the task at hand," came a loud, but controlled voice. I stared across the cave to meet the striking eyes of Sephirum. He freaks me out. Sword longer than he is tall -two meters, at least- and a single torn wing sprouting from his back. At a guess, it's a broken quest item, like the Rat's whiskers. "If we are to win, we require a plan; strategy."
"What do you suggest," Kline, Kirito's old friend and the leader of his guild, asked the one-winged swordsman.
"A modified pincer. Two lines of flankers with a main fighter attack down the center," Sephirum answered. "The Knights of the Blood Oath would take the left flank which will encircle the enemy to keep him from moving. Fuurinkazan and the Black Cats on the right will move in and attack from behind. The solo fighters and the smallest guild here in the center. The center will move in and attack directly. This leaves no room for his retreat or escape."
"It's not bad," Kirito said, "but what about the elemental attacks? Does this boss have mobs with him?"
"That is unknown," said another new voice. I couldn't find him in the crowd, but he made himself seen. "We know little other than the main boss' attacks, and even then, it is not a great deal." His information node read Tabris. Looks about my age, silver-grey hair and doesn't seem to have any equipment attached other than his armor, a grey coat. For all I know, he's hiding his weapons, but nothing I can see.
"It doesn't matter," Sephirum said loudly. "The battle-plan I've outlined will suffice."
"Then I defer to your judgement," Tabris admonished. I don't like his attitude, but it can be endured. "I will follow, sir." He bowed deeply, mockingly. Yeah, I really don't like his attitude.
"Thank you. Now, on charge, those with swords in the group will hit, one after another. Any with daggers or nearly similar weapons will go in next, lower section near the legs. Last, the abnormal fighters. Myself with this," he hoisted the massively long sword, "Job with his unique ranged skill, and those with weapons like axes and maces. Are there any questions?"
There was one, from Tabris. He raised his arm into the air like a school-boy and said, "Yeah, who put you in charge?"
Sephirum ignored it. No use fueling fires, I suppose.
Asuna spoke up, "does anyone see any problems with Sephirum's plan?" She waited for any comments of disapproval. None. "All right then," she turned to Sephirum, "this show's yours."
He bowed showily.
"Gather into groupings; guilds together as I noted, spread into weapon groupings and rows according to type."
Asuna's guild moved to the flank, as did Klien's and the Black Cats. The rest of us arranged into the center with Sephirum leading. I kept toward the back, having a longer range. Kiriro took up position next to me. I guess he can move up quickly if he needs to.
"I don't trust him," he said at the first chance.
So that's it. "He has a decent plan. If something goes wrong, we have options," I said, hoisting my crossbow.
He stared at me for a long moment. "We subdue him. Nothing more."
I see. Maybe that's the difference between the two of us. He took on all the hatred and discrimination for being a beta-tester, while I do nothing but remove things in my way.
24_September_2022
I do things my own way. That is a certainly. Asuka and I went our separate ways today to shop for new equipment and explore a bit. Maybe hit a quest or two to get some Col to live on for a bit. Eating isn't necessary, but it is enjoyable. Call it a creature comfort. On the way out of the village, I ran into a player on a mob killing quest.
"Oi," he called out. "Are you questing too?"
I don't play RPGs much. But being stuck in one so long, I tried to get used to the new way people thought. This is life. Period. I was hesitant to answer, but approached slowly. "Y-yeah. I'm trying to start the quest to kill fifty mobs." I had heard about it from an NPC on my way out. Kill fifty, get paid. It's like protection, but without needing to protect anyone but yourself. I hate escort missions in games.
"Here," he said pointing to the center of a large clearing, "you just have to touch the stone in the field and accept when it asks you."
"Thank you," I said.
"No problem, new guy," he said, smiling. New guy? I guess I smelt of newbie, but I still don't like when someone calls attention to my temporary trouble. "You have your sword with you?"
"Sword? No, I have this," I held out my crossbow. He must have slowed to a stop, because his mouth stood agape slightly and his stance broke from a comfortable, even position to trying to balance on either leg for moments at a time, swaying back and forth.
"That's interesting," he said, suddenly coming out of that weird state. "I didn't know that SAO has a ranged class."
At the time, I didn't think anything of it, but later, I'd realize that there are no other ranged characters in Aincrad. Back then, such skills were sought after. People even killed thinking that unique skills could be inherited. Morons. "Neither did I, until I logged in and chose it."
"Cool. Wish I had looked at the selection closer," he said, still looking over my weapon. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with his gaze.
"C-could we start? I have to get back to town before sundown," I said to get him away. The me now would just push back a little. Maybe Asuka has rubbed off on me in the worst way: personality.
"Back to back," he called, moving towards the field. "We defend each other and finish the quest quickly. We might even have time to do it twice." This last held the inflection of being a question, but I took it as advice.
"Let's go," I said.
"Go activate your half of the quest, and I'll get in position."
I did so, touching the quest marker, reading through the text and accepting. It sounded easy enough: kill fifty low level mobs, touch the stone again, get money. Three Col for each kill and a bonus of two Col per drop item you get from kills. Money for nothing, as Asuka put it. Granted, Col don't go far here, but near enough to all players can manage this quest in a few minutes. It's like working a minimum-wage job in the real world, but more physical.
"Get ready," this other player said. You know, he didn't offer his name. But then, neither had I.
I took up a crouching position behind him, aiming outward. A chime sounded and mobs started spawning around us. I couldn't turn back, but I suppose he was picking his off, cause I didn't have any flanking attacks to defend against. I used a set-skill called Triple Grape, so turn a single bolt into three for an attack. With my aim as it is, I was hitting two or three mobs with each shot. But I was running out of ammo. My counter read forty-two mobs killed, but my inventory was empty of ammunition for the crossbow. I took a biting attack from a wolf to get a small dagger from my inventory that Asuka insisted I carry. By ranged skill is around one-hundred, but my dagger skill is about fifty above that because of my ammunition problem. In retrospect, I should have known that a one-of-a-kind item would lack a standard method of maintenance and care.
As I stored my crossbow, my ranged skill went up a point and I stabbed the wolf gnawing on my leg. It cost me some health, but I finished off the last eight mobs without much problem. My unnamed friend finished up about the same time.
"That was badass," he exclaimed. "Where'd you learn to switch like that, barely took any time at all!"
"I have a... friend who yells at me if I don't practice."
"That accounts for it," he said.
What in hell does that mean? "I guess."
"Let's collect our prize," he said, walking away.
I stayed just long enough to collect the few bolts I could find and added them back into my inventory. Let's see. Got some meat drops and a few remains. I'll have to bury those for a bonus. Boosts karma in game, which in turn improves the chance of getting a rare drop. Granted it takes more than a hundred remains to go up one point, it's still a good practice if you want to live longer. Better drops equals better chances of staying alive, or at least settling down somewhere nice and waiting the game out.
"You got your money," I asked.
"Yeah. Your turn," he said, moving away to let me in.
I tapped the stone and got a pop up with my total: one-hundred seventy Col for kills and drops. Well worth a ten minute quest. This can cover me for about the next half week or so.
"Looks good to me," I said, "but I really have to get back," I finished, not wanting to continue wasting ammunition. I want to improve my range, not waste bolts on short range opponents.
"I understand," he said. "Then I'll see you around."
"Yeah. Looks like we'll be on his floor a while," I said, just confirming what people generally think these days. Besides the quests, the floor was hunted clean of ways to gain experience within the first two weeks. And the quests, while unlimited, get old.
"Well," he said, "I lied."
"Hmm," I responded, not quite understanding the twist in mood.
"I lied to you. I won't see you around." Which was when he activated a sword skill and came at me, sword ready for a killing move.
It-it was reflex. You can set a quick attachment in your inventory via the heads-up-display. I set my left-hand trigger-finger to equip my crossbow. I raised it and fired before either of us knew what happened. Then, he was gone. It took so little.
10_June_2023
It's not that I enjoy the killing, but not dying is my main goal. If that means killing, even players, then I'll kill. That's where Kirito and I seem to differ in terms of morality.
We approached the massive door in front of us, lined up and ready to defend from all sides. Our self-proclaimed leader touched the stonework, which glowed before sliding away. With the passage open, we charged in, unafraid. The boss room, like most of the others the front-line fighters have seen so far, is a large, circular chamber. This one stands out as having seven equidistant pillars reaching the ceiling and somewhat uneven ground. It looks like it's covered in rocks, but on closer inspection, the bumps in the stone are marble fused directly into the floor. This could be hard to fight on, especially considering how we've fought boss' up until now. No one has had to think about loosing their footing in the middle of a fight before.
"Spread out," Sephirum called out. "Our enemy will reveal himself momentarily."
Timing as this world, or perhaps any, had never seen. A mammoth, three-legged monster came out of the dark near the portal to the next floor. His body is made, seemingly, of scales and flames. The scouting missions are only so useful, I suppose. No one mentioned the flaming attribute besides the rumor of fire-breathing. He lifted a massive claymore just as his tag appeared.
[Quiertoe the Wraith]
[HP: 10 000]
Two bars shouldn't be too bad with this many people. I tensed, getting ready to fire. I glanced around at the group, not quite taking my eyes off the target. Everyone waited. This was a professional clearing group. A leader was designated and we followed his word, even when it was just to hold and wait.
Just as the Wraith started his attack, Sephirum shouted, "left flank, move in and encircle. Right flank, behind the target. Center, head-on assault."
The left flank, Asuna and ten high-leveled members of the Knights of the Blood Oath, circled around the Wraith, using short attacks to keep him within the perimeter they set up. The right flank, the Black Cats of the Full Moon and Fuurinkazan, made their way around the back, positioned just as the center flank began its attack. Sephirum started with a slashing sword skill that left him open, but covered by the next attacker.
I opened fire, aiming for spots with the ranged skill that other players couldn't reach. Asuka, Kirito and Tabris backed each others attacks up with assist bonus damage I've never seen before.
That small guild in the center group, the Red Method, attacked in a repetitive sequence: the leader, Roland, with a long sword. Weird-looking guy called von Meyer with unarmed strikes attacks next. Then players Skye and Fairy in a flurry with a pair of swords that seemed to match, each blue as the azure sky. Those two are relentless.
Around the back, the right flank was carving into the Wraith much as the center was. It was a combination attack of small daggers, then swords of all sorts, then spears and axes and, finally, unarmed. Only one user in the flank was using unarmed skills. He used the name Bartender-san, but everyone seemed to refer to him either with an ancient honorific reserved for royalty, or as Shizuo. His strength, unarmed and, if you can believe it, unarmored, was terrifying. I might start using that royal honorific should I get the chance to meet this man in person. The left flank held encirclement, keeping the Wraith where we could get at him easily.
During the solid beating we were delivering to this beast, he unleashed those fire-based breath attacks on us. The players from the Knights of Blood seemed to be holding those off and even forcing the Wraith to attack them rather than the main force. Don't ask me how, but I did hear a rumor from the floor twenty-nine clearing group that the KOB had come up with a way to stop attacks. Maybe this was what they were talking about. A special item, a weapon, some exploit or a cheat; I don't know. I doubt it's a cheat or anything like that though, or, at least, I hope the strongest guild in Aincrad would never stoop to cheating to attain their goal of ending the game.
The last wave of attack from the Wraith hit the KOB once his health fell below a thousand.
"Circle up, all fighters. Protect the encirclement," Sephirum called out as the monster was breaking the circle with his last-ditch strength boost. Most boss monsters get more power or buffs when they are down to one-tenth health.
The clearing group did as he said. I held towards the back, my talents working best from a distance, and observed, trying to find a spot to fire towards.
But then. Sephirum called, "Knights of Blood, finish the boss!" The knights ran in, Sephirum following. The other flanks fell back to a safe distance and I leveled my weapon at the boss' head, but didn't fire. Three members of the Knights were in front of our leader when he went for a finishing slash. Seemingly without care or worry, he ran his sword over those three members of the Knights of the Blood Oath, defeating the boss and killing them all.
It took a minute for the clearing group to gather. No one seemed to know what happened. I knew what happened, but as I spoke up, another voice cut in.
"What was that," a young, clearly horrified voice said strongly. "What in the fuck was that!?"
Sephirum looked at the single voice in the group. "What was what, Tabris," he responded dully.
He stared, mouth open and eyes wide. "You," he started again. "You killed three of ours. You cut through them. You ended their lives!"
There were murmurings in the crowd. People's gazes were split on the two. They didn't seem to know what to think.
One member of the KOB spoke up. "Do you have proof of that?" He spoke levelly, trying to adjudicate fairly on the deaths of his comrades, but he looked about ready to give way to shakes.
Tabris, the ashen-haired teenager, stared back at the KOB member. "I don't. I saw it. That is my only proof." He looked around. "Did anyone else see?!"
No one seemed to speak up, so I decided it was time to. "I saw."
This got me stares from most of the group. Maybe my hesitation to speak up was working against me in getting people to believe what I said. Some seemed to just take it on my word that I'd seen, some looked like they were holding out for proof.
"How," one said, a member of the Black Cats by the name of Tetsuo. "You were in the back of the group the whole fight, how would you have seen?" He quickly put his hands up. "Don't get me wrong, man. I don't think you're lyin', but we need proof."
"My-" Do I really want to give away my second secret. By now, it's fairly common knowledge that the front-liner who uses a crossbow only can because of a unique skill. Do I dare reveal the other? "I have a... skill. I can read the intent of other players if I'm looking in their direction."
"Then I take it you were targeting me," Sephirum said.
"No! I said direction, not target."
"Then how do you know," he challenged.
"You targeted the man in front of you on the last attack. I'm certain. My Third Eye can't be lied to."
"Third Eye? You are not offering any proof here, Job," Sephirum said testily. He was obviously trying to put me on the defensive, but I hardly have the oratory skills to throw it back in his face in front of all these people.
"Does he have to," Tabris said. "You have two people who saw you target and kill three members of the Knights of the Blood Oath. He," Tabris pointed at me, "even saw it though a unique skill. Your marker is orange." He pointed at the bright orange marker above Sephirum's head. "Isn't that enough," he asked to the room.
"No," Sephirum said, swinging his massive sword at Tabris.
To my surprise, Kirito, who had been across the room, appeared in an instant, his black sword, the Elucidator, out and holding back Sephirum's with ease. I was watching Kirito's health go down slightly, then replenish with battle regeneration. Sephirum pulled back, but only to find that another sword had grown in his throat. Tabris was at the other end of it. He stared back at the hilt of the blade in shock as his health fell fast.
"The crime is clear. Sentence is death." He ripped his sword from Sephirum's neck, hacking his head clean off and creating a flurry of polygons. That was that. His marker didn't even turn orange; he only killed an orange player.
I was shocked. Kirito was pale. Everyone was backing away.
"As long as we're sharing unique skills," he looked at me with an inviting smile, "I feel you should know mine. It is called Great Good. It allows me to gain a massive assist bonus in the followthrough of the attack of another. You just saw it. Kirito used a basic block to hold back the dead man. I came through with an attack that matched the speed he blocked at: an assist at the maximum speed and strength, as Kirito supplied, is almost unavoidable, especially for trash like him. Speaking of," he checked his inventory, "I got his stuff when he died. I think this is yours," he tossed the last-attack bonus, and her comrades personal effects, to Asuna, she being the highest ranking member of KOB present. "Your members have been avenged. That is the price for vengeance and for the greater good." He held up a single, gold, glowing coin minted with a facsimile of the floating castle Aincrad; a Mega-Col, the collected money from all three.
Asuna looked at the stack of goods and personal items from her fallen men in her arms and frowned, but didn't speak or even make a sound to acknowledge the gift. She handed the pile off to a subordinate, stared into Tabris' eyes and said, "thank you," before slowly turning and walking away. The members of the KOB followed toward the exit portal into floor thirty-six.
Kirito ran after her and the group, grabbing his right shoulder with his left hand as he moved. This was a signal between the two of us, worked out in advance should something need... discretion. It meant 'private message you when I can, expect it' or something to that effect. It was a warning that he would try to get in touch with me, but that it was secret. The way this was unfolding, I wanted nothing more than to get back home – or at lease my sealed apartment, where I could think.
The group dispersed, the Black Cats leaving first. Fuurinkazan left, Kline saying he was disappointed he didn't have a chance to talk to Kirito before he ran out. I didn't even see those Red guys leave. I suppose I have my mind on other matters. Asuka, Tabris and myself were left. He came on to me first.
"Here," he said, and a message appeared on my HUD reading:
[Friend Request: Tabris]
[Approve] [Ignore] [Reply]
I looked at him, his face impassive, and clicked yes. He grinned, showing that he had gotten the notification to my answer right away.
Asuka said, "Shinji, it's time we left."
"Yeah," I said. "What about you," I asked of this new... I can't really say friend. Perhaps... resource? No, that's just too mean.
"I'm getting back to floor fifteen. I don't usually play clearer like this."
"All right then," Asuka said.
"We're going on ahead. See you around," I said.
"Indeed. I'll see you around, Ranger Job."