Chapter 2

Authors Note: We introduced the Reaper bit in the first chapter, now for the bitter part.

I calmly walked the streets of Tolbana, my head bowed low and my scythe hanging over my shoulder. I could hear the whispers around me.

"Is that…"

"Yeah. Everyone calls him 'The Reaper', but no one knows his actual name."

"Why not?"

"He never parties with anyone, and hardly ever speaks."

"Never? How has he survived this long?"

"I saw him fight once. He stays calm, but wields that scythe like a madman. Always pressing forward, never faltering. It's insane."

"What's with that hood?"

"He never lowers it. It's said that when he raises his head, you can see a skull."

"Really?"

I tuned out the rest. Rumors were just rumors, but most of what they'd said was true.

It had been a month. Two-thousand people had died, and I'd collected the final requests of 5 others. They were desperate to impart a final message or deed to be done in the real world. I'd written them in a memo, and set them to be sent to a random player in the event of my death. I continued down the street, spinning my scythe back into its sheath on my back. I'd gotten it from an anaconda mini-boss, and it had a snake for hand guards. It was strong, and the hand-guards had saved my fingers more than a few times. I continued to a small inn, sitting at a table and selecting some food from the menu. It arrived, and I lowered my bandanna, slowly eating the small lunch. I was about halfway through my meal when someone sat across from me.

My eyes flicked up, taking in the figure opposite me. It was a small-built woman with purple hair, and a katana at her belt. She sat there, her back stiff as she stared at me. It was a few moments before she spoke.

"They say you're an NPC." I smiled slightly and took another bite. "But I saw you when you came in, and you've got a green cursor."

"NPCs can have green cursors," I said, lowering my voice to a gravel.

"But they also don't acknowledge that they're called NPCs." Damn. She reached across the table, holding out her hand. "I'm Liliana. Sub-leader of the Traveler's Footprint." I placed my sandwich back on the plate and shook her hand. I retracted it, resuming my eating. "What about your name?"

I chuckled. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"

She smiled. "I kind of hoped. It's awkward calling someone 'The Reaper' all the time. Are you coming to the Boss fight meeting?"

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Well, we were hoping you'd be willing to join a party with our guild for the fight. And if we get along, you could become a permanent member."

"I don't really play well with others."

"We know this really good hunting ground in the maze tower…" she said, trying to entice me.

"East quadrant, 100 meters before the entrance to the north quadrant. Secret hole in the wall that leads to some kobolds. Easy to kill, high XP, fast respawn rate. I know about it." She gasped quietly, then leaned across the table.

"How did you know about that? We've worked hard to keep it a secret!"

"Obviously not hard enough," I said, finishing my food and sipping on the drink.

"You…You're a beta tester, aren't you?" I stayed quiet, but the silence spoke for itself. "You are."

"And that's why I don't play well with others," I said, finishing my drink and rising from the table. I raised my bandanna and left her there, sitting at the table with her mouth hanging open slightly.

(X)

I was walking calmly behind the clearing group. Several others couldn't stop glancing back at me, and some had come up to make pitches of their own, but I ignored them all. They didn't matter. All that mattered was that I kept moving. We came across the doors, and the blue-haired avatar turned and began to speak. The fool considered himself a knight, but there was no job system in this game. He was as much a knight as I was a farmer. The doors opened, and we all surged forward.

I dodged around a Kobold and stabbed it in the back. It shattered, and I sprung towards the boss. I slashed across its belly, then jumped back. I landed on my feet, dashing back to its feet.

A few minutes of fighting later, the boss' health had entered the red. It tossed aside its weapon, drawing a sword from its belt. I crouched, ready to dodge in any direction. The blue-haired guy who'd brought us here charged it, and someone off to the side yelled for him to stop. The boss leapt up, then brought the sword down onto his head. He launched back, and a black-haired avatar and I rushed to his side. The kid offered a potion, which the guy refused. "Why did you try to do it alone?" the kid asked.

"You were a beta tester, weren't you?" the blue haired guy asked. "You knew what I was doing."

"You were after the last attack bonus item. You were a beta tester, too?"

I was after the bonus too, but I would have at least waited until his health was lower before charging. I raised myself up on my scythe. "Do you have any last requests?" I asked. He smiled before nodding.

"My name is Irie Hiroshi. Tell my family that I'm sorry for my selfishness. My greed got the better of me, and, for that, I am sorry."

"I will tell them," I said.

"Thank you," he said as he shattered.

The kid and I turned back to the boss. "Party F, attack!" he shouted, and he, a cloaked figure and I surged forward. I jumped up, spinning my scythe across the boss' face, knocking it back slightly. It swung at me, but I deflected it with the pole of my scythe. The two other people rushed forward, stabbing their swords into its gut.

I dashed behind the boss, dragging the blade across the boss' side, keeping it turned towards me. The other two tore up its back as I kept it attention on me. Suddenly, the cloaked figure went for a stab, when the boss suddenly turned, tearing off their cloak with a sword swipe, revealing a girl with hazel eyes and sharp features. She recovered, and finished her stab into its gut. I spun my scythe, driving the blade into its back, and the boy rushed forward, jumping and driving his sword down from its shoulder to its groin. He pushed off the ground, finishing another slice through the boss. Its health reached zero, and it shattered.

We all collapsed in tiredness, me dimly noting that I leveled up twice from the XP. I rose up onto my scythe, leaning heavily on the pole. "Why?" came a shout from the back of the crowd. "Why did you let Diabel die?" The crowd parted to reveal a kneeling figure with spiky red hair.

"Let him die?" asked the kid. "He refused a health potion."

"But you knew the technique the boss used! If you'd told us about that, he wouldn't have died."

"The technique was different!" the kid protested. I started to feel sorry for him.

"And how do you know that?"

"He must be a beta tester!" shouted another voice. The kid looked like he was about to crumble. And then I made a decision that would change my life. I spoke up.

"That's cute!" I shouted. "You think the kid who finished the boss could be a beta tester?" I asked.

"What are you talking about, Reaper?"

"All of the beta testers are dead."

"Wha…"

"Most of them couldn't even level up, and after being chased down by the rest of you, they snapped. Mostly suicide. Couldn't take it, I guess." I placed my scythe back into its sheath. "Not like me."

"What do you mean?" I shook my head in mock disapproval.

"Are you all really that stupid? I'm saying that the beta testers are all dead now. Diabel was the 999th beta tester to die. And now, I am the final one. I told this poor kid about the boss before the fight. How could he know the information I gave him was wrong? I certainly didn't know!" I asked, chuckling. "I figured it would use one of the more effective katana skill from the floors above."

"But…Knowing things like that…It's cheating! You're worse than just a beta tester! You're cheating!"

The words beta tester and cheater echoed throughout the crowd, eventually morphing into the word 'Beater.' I raised a hand as I turned to the door.

"Whatever you want to call me. Though, I do prefer Death." I walked to the door, and the black-haired kid from earlier ran up beside me.

"What was all-"

I interrupted him, bringing him in close. "I'm giving you and all the other beta testers a chance to hide. I'm taking responsibility, so take the fucking chance."

"But…But…"

"You're a good player, I'll give you that. But if I hear about you or any of the other beta testers announcing your identity, I will take you out." I grabbed the front of his cloak and shoved it away from me. "Spread the word." I walked through the door to the next floor.

Authors Note: Whaddya think? I like the idea of it.