Chapter 4: The Last Attack
I decided to go to the second floor with Izume straight away. I wasn't to explore what floor 2 had to offer, as did many others. I wanted to treat Izume to something nice being how she's been so kind to me. I knew that if only me and her trained more so that we could fight through the second floors dungeon and defeat the boss, I would be able to get the last attack drop bonus. I already knew what the second floor boos was. It's name was VFT Mark 3, which stood for Venus Fly Trap. It was a mechanical venus fly trap that would use vines to snare players and bite them with its metal jaw to kill them. The reason I know this is from being a beta tester, but what good are we to everyone else. We can't protect anyone, even our own fellow beta testers. I had learned from Kirito that Diavel was a fellow beta tester through the message system. So to lose a beat tester to the first boss does sting a little bit. It hurts more with time. How many are going to die in this death game before 100 floors are cleared. Over 2000 players are dead already and the first floor has just been cleared. Now, I had learned from the closed Beta that if we can defeat VFT Mark 3 in a set time, then there will be a secret boss fight that will be extremely difficult for our levels. So that's why I wanted to train with Izume. So that we stand a chance against the boss from the closed Beta. I wanted to get the last attack on this secret boss. I needed it...
"Hey Izume, I have a question to ask you." I said walking up to Izume who at the time was shopping for new weapons and armor.
Izume turned and smiled at me. "Oh, hey Akito. What's on your mind?" She asked.
"I have an idea and I'm going to need your help with it." I said looking towards the fields where enemies will spawn.
"You want to take on the second boss, don't you?" Izume asked knowing the fact that what she said was exactly true.
"Yea, I do. How'd you know?" I asked looking puzzled.
"You're too reckless and too driven to complete this game, you want to save as many people as you can but you never take any time to just relax and have some fun. Yeah, we're trapped inside a game where we can die at any moment, but wouldn't you rather have fun than die without at least enjoying yourself?" Izume told me.
I thought about it and I had to admit it, Izume was right. If I keep pushing myself then I will end up costing others their lives and even my own life could end.
"But I'll come with you t take on the second boss." Izume added to her previous statement.
"You will?" I asked, confused to whether she wanted to go or not.
"Sure. It'll be a time for me to get better and gain more levels." She responded without hesitation.
We set off after organizing our equipment and trained for around two hours, our levels reaching around level thirty. However, for our third hour of training, I took what Izume said to heart and decided to go sightseeing with her, it definitely made her day from the smile on her face.
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to take me to such a nice field, the lake is very pretty and the view is beautiful." Izume said with a giant smile on her face.
"I know, I like coming here because it's such a nice and peaceful area." I said looking at the view.
"Yeah... I didn't think that you would take a break, I though you would jump straight to fighting the dungeon boss." Izume said as she began to laugh and I couldn't help but laugh along side her.
"I wanted to, but you convinced me otherwise." I said smiling.
"Well, this boss isn't going to defeat itself, let's beat it and get to floor three." Izume said gripping her short sword.
"Yeah!" I cheered.
The journey to the dungeon was tiring and we stopped several times to replenish our hunger and thirst. We entered the dungeon and cleared it of the plantziods and slimes. As we approached the boss room we were greeted with a quest message to defeat the boss with a time limit.
"Umm... Akito, did you know about this time limit?" Izume asked looking very puzzled.
"Oh, I knew. I just wanted to surprise you." I said smiling. I'd only just noticed Izume had new clothes/armor. It was more like a robe blended with armor colored in a soft yellow and white. "You ready?" I asked her, preparing myself.
"Yes. Lets do this." Izume responded looking more focused than she'd ever been.
We opened the boss door and rushed into the room, VFT Mark 3 didn't have any minions to help it so we had to just focus on VFT Mark 3 whilst dodging his attacks.
"Lights Ruin!" I shouted activating my sword skill as I attacked the face of this mechanical venus fly trap. Taking out a chunk of its health.
"Flame Burst!" Izume shouted activating her sword skill, spinning in a circle multiple times taking out various vines and causing the boss to lose it's 1st health bar.
We charged in again swinging at it's reinforced vines wittling down its health with every strike. We were completely focused and I wanted that last hit. I needed it. We managed to take VFT Mark 3 to his final health bar in the space of 5 minutes of fighting giving us 5 minutes left to defeat him otherwise we wouldn't be able to fight the secret boss.
"Phantoms Call!" I shouted using my newly learned sword skill, slicing skywards propelling my body with the blade as I sliced three times before slamming by blade into the head of VFT Mark 3 sending it into thousands of shards.
"Phew... one down." I said receiving my newly acquired weapon which was a short sword called 'Maria's Rose' and it had the hilt of a normal sword bit the blade hat little points to resemble thorns. I didn't use a short sword but I kept hold of it as the real fight was about to begin.
"Drink a health restoration potion. You will need it." I told Izume before she had time to celebrate.
"Why? We won didn't we?" She asked looking puzzled.
"Not yet we didn't..." I answered as Draxis the Elder Dragon arrived.
"What is that..?" Izume asked hiding behind me.
"That is what I have come to kill. So either you stay behind me or you fight with me." I told her rushing towards Draxis. I sliced away at its scales trying to reveal it's skin to deal major damage. But without Izume helping at the moment, I was getting beaten badly, losing health and I wasn't even thinking about my health. Draxis inhaled and was about to finish me off with its 'Nocturne Breath' but luckily I was pulled away just in time by Izume.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?!" Izume shouted at me with tears in her eyes. This was when I noticed my health was extremely low. I could feel her sadness. She cared about me. And if I died, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
"I-I'm sorry Izume..." I responded holding her close. "I really am."
"Don't apologize, just drink the stupid potion and lets end this dragon." Izume said with sheer determination and rage in her voice.
I just nodded, I had never seen this side of Izume before, it was scary but amazing.
"Love's Revenge!" Izume shouted as she quickly sliced and stabbed Draxis around six times and on the last hit, swung her short sword down with a lot of power causing the scales to shatter.
"Lights Ruin!" I shouted as I rushed in and attacked the unarmored skin of Draxis as his health dropped significantly and I soon realised that Draxis was weak but powerful. He couldn't take much damage but he could also deal greater amounts of damage to those who weren't careful.
"Phantoms Call" I shouted as I could see Draxis' health getting lower with every hit and I thought that this would be enough to kill him, but it wasn't. I jumped back waiting for Draxis to turn into shards but he didn't, by the time I realized he still wasn't dead, it was too late. Draxis had hit me with 'Nocturne Breath' and I had become paralyzed with not much health left. Izume kept damaging Draxis but he didn't seem to attack her, which brought me to the conclusion that the player with the lowest health is targeted.
"I-Izume... Kill... It..." I stuggled to speak barely getting those words out.
"Flame Burst!" Izume shouted as Draxis exploded into thousands of shards. The paralysis effect wore off and I drank a health restoration potion.
"Congratulation. You killed it." I said with a slight discomfort in my voice.
"I did. But I got something I didn't need from the boss. So I want you to have it." Izume said smiling.
"Really?!" I said startled.
"Yes, because I know you have something for me." Izume replied giggling.
"So you know about 'Maria's Rose' then?" I asked.
"Of course, it's the best short sword in the game! I may not be the best player but I did my research." Izume giggled.
"Well. I'll send you a trade request." I said opening up the menu and selection to trade with Izume. I saw what she got from the boss. The blade I had been wanting this whole time. 'Seraphin'. With the handle made from dragon skin and the strongest metal in the game. The hilt in the shape of Draxis' head and the blade looking like teeth, coated in the color purple, this blade was what I had been wanting in this game. We both accepted the trade and I had noticed that I had also received a clothing item called 'Armor of the Dragon'. It was a thin white and black coat with the emblem of dragon fangs on the chest. I immediately equipped both in happiness. I finally had an identity for people to recognize me by. But I needed a nickname, something that people would call me by. But what would I be called. Then it struck me. The Ellusive Blade...