Chapter 8, Part 1: A New Month;
•Editor's Note: Time sure flies fast, doesn't it? Four years since I last posted the last chapter here, but it doesn't feel that long... The reason I stopped writing at the time was because I was getting absolutely no feedback off my fic, and I didn't felt like writing a story no one was reading. But a few months ago, i felt the need to come back to this, and write it, by the original idea of writing for fun, to challenge my skills as a writer, and not for what people will think of it. With that said though, don't expect for a constant stream of new chapters, if you're still interested in this, I will write them when I feel like so... Anyway, after such a break, hope you enjoy it;
8:01 AM, Tolbana, Aincrad (1st Plane), 07 of August, 2088;
I lazily wake up from an inn room in a city up north and sit on the bed. It's been a while since I last slept in a bed, most nights sleeping in the open… It has been a month already, huh? So many people have died since then… 12% of the players, in fact, most of them on the first day alone… 1200 people… Almost half of them committed suicide to escape the game, either believed they would end back in the real world, safe and sound, or couldn't bear the thought of now living here… Then the others were killed, either by being stepped on in the initial confusion, killed by the monsters, and only a minority was actually killed by other players… Nothing would ever prepare us for this… And of course, we are only able to know this because since the second day, an ebony wall erected itself on the main square of the main city. There, all the players who died are listed in it, with name, sex, age, date and reason of death. A grim reminder of the failure of us all.
But I'm here for business today; I need to contact a certain someone that took residence in this very town. This person holds some information that is useful for me; I will meet him in his place, but first… I pack my stuff and leave my payment with the innkeeper NPC at the balcony and leave. Passing by the main square, I decided to check out how the leaderboard is going. Hmmm… Wait, I'm at first? And a decent lead as well… I suppose I engage at a sizeable grind every day and carry nice equipment, specially the Anneal Blade, which best characteristic is it can be upgraded up to Level 5, each level being unlocked with experience coming of use, and I'm close to reach Level 2… Hm… Maybe I've gone overboard in my attempt to stay at the top performance … And who are these people that are alongside me at said top? Let's see... Diavel, H.C., Asuna… Hmmm… I don't recognize most of these names, they must be new players…
Okay, now back to business… I reach his cabin, the door is unlocked, and the person is at their office. A light grey hoodie with small round ears on them covers his face as he write down a paper on his table, so I greet him. Without taking his eyes, he says: -You arrived at the time, that's quite uncharacteristic of you… I reply: -Well, it's the least I can do for you, Argo… The figure then looks at me as she puts her hoodie down, revealing a blonde short haircut, red eyes behind small reading glasses, the young face sporting three red lines on each cheek, resembling whiskers, her hands also having red small nails, resembling claws. – So, what can I do for you today? -I heard the news, they are finally organizing a raid on the first dungeon next week, and I know you had an hand on it to happen. So, I'd like a map of the dungeon, so I can have some training on it beforehand, I'd pay nicely for it… -Always wanting to push ahead of everyone, don't you Kirito… Well, tomorrow at 11am, a training for the raid will be conducted there, and maps will be given to everyone present… So, be there, and you will get one, simple as; -Thanks for the tip, I'll be there… But I'd like to give it a closer look at night, so… Besides, I want to make an contribution to the one who made these maps… -Okay then, it'll be 400cor for the privilege… Thank you, here's your dungeon map, ahead of time. So, something else I can do for you? -How are things going, Argo? -Oh, Kirito…
Argo the Rat, as she is usually known, also was a beta tester of SAO, one I knew well by them. At the beginning, my relation with her was it seemed like a competition of me against her of who would find the most bugs in the game… Until she pulled ahead, considerably. However, I have no resentment of her, on the contrary, for what I know of her irl, she's 23yo, living alone in an apartment and she bug tests games for a living; she needed it way more than I, and throughout our competition, we end up becoming friends. While here, she does help by scanning areas of interest and making maps out of it, using well the skills of her class of choice, Rogue, and her knowledge of beta testing times. And when I'm back to my senses, I'm deep down on a conversation with her, both of us reminiscing about the beta testing period…
-Hahahahahahahah… Oh man, and I did made such nice buck out of the testing too, shame it's likely all being wasted on a hospital bill.. Ah… If only we knew how this would end up like… Would you like some tea, Kirito? Coffee for me it's only when I have to pass nights awake… -Well, I think it's time to me to go, I have some other errands to run today… -I see… Take care, Kirito, till tomorrow. – You too, Argo. And with that, I leave. They say different people have different ways to cope with loss and grief, and I think mine is to simply not talk about the experience. I might have been a bit rude to Argo there, but I don't want to bring these things back…The only path now is forward. And I do have other things to do for the day… I think I'll see about upgrading this knife, it surely isn't as good as when I started the game…