ă€ŠShattered: A SAO Tale (Sword Art Online)ă€‹


 Chapter 1 - Link Start

    AUTHOR''S NOTE

    First of, yes, the clich¨¦ title of the chapter was necessary. I''m sorry, I just couldn''t resist it. But jokes aside, I welcome you all, old and new readers, to Shattered! I just have the base plan for the fic in mind, and pretty much everything else is a blank space for now, so feel free to give suggestions, though I don''t promise to follow them. If you see any mistakes, in grammar or otherwise, don''t feel shy about pointing them out too (politely please). I''m just human, no matter what some of my old readers might say, so I also make mistakes, and quite a lot of them. I also have no problems in making corrections, so be my guest. Let''s build this story together!

    I''m publishing Shattered because it''s a story I''ve really enjoyed writing lately, and I felt like if I didn''t put it out there, I would end up losing my drive, not to mention that readers are half of any novel. I''m still a student, not to mention I also have a part-time job, so I can''t promise regular chapters, but I will try my best to have regular releases on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

    Just one more thing before I let you go. I wouldn''t say the novel has a slow start, but the first twelve to fifteen chapters are about what happened during the first month of SAO. It''s important for the character and world building. Don''t worry, though, there will be plenty of stuff happening to keep you entertained.

    That being said, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Shattered! Leave comments and reviews!

    -----------------------------

    Life wasn''t easy. No, quite the opposite. Life likes to throw you curveballs, or just straight up hit you in the gut, and then kick you while you are down just for good measure.

    He learned this very early in life. He didn''t know exactly when. Maybe when his drunk father came home one day and hit his mother? Maybe when that same man just took off and left them? Maybe when his books were thrown to the ground and stomped on by the school bullies? Or maybe it was when he toiled hard during his university days, only for his professor, his mentor, to claim all his work as his, and leave him discredited, called a liar, a cheater, with only his lover taking his side?

    No, it wasn''t on any of those occasions that he learned life was hard. It was much, much earlier. It was when he first played a video game, when he first saw the two dreaded words ''GAME OVER'' on his screen. It was nothing earth-shattering. He could just restart. But somehow... He couldn''t.

    His young mind learned something that day: heroes didn''t always have good endings. No, people didn''t always have good endings.

    He grew up. Every loss he suffered, he got revenge. Everything that was taken from him, he took back and with interest. The school bullies? They now worked for him, even if they didn''t even realize the man they kissed up to was once pushed around by them. The professor who stole his hard work? Now he was the one discredited, overshadowed by his former pupil''s accomplishments. His father? He saw him one last time, from afar, and left it at that. Blood is thicker than water, after all.

    He had been knocked down by life. He had been punched, kicked, beaten by it. But he had fought back, in his own way, and had risen up once more. He was now famous and respected. But there was one failure that still haunted him. The simplest, stupidest of them all, but also the only one he couldn''t get past. GAME OVER.

    How was it fair that just one click could reset everything back to its perfect positions? How was it fair that just one click could wipe everything away? How was it fair that real life wasn''t fair?

    He didn''t want to be forgotten. He didn''t want to be just another GAME OVER. He wanted to leave his mark on the world. He wanted to create heroes. Real heroes. He wanted to be remembered. And he would.

    His name is Akihiko Kayaba. And he is about to steal ten thousand souls. He is about to turn them into heroes.

    ---------------------------

    Ogawa Itsuki had diverse opinions about life. It could be really shitty sometimes, like when your stable job turned out not to be as stable as you thought. It could also be pretty awesome, like when you got the last NerveGear in the shop, after having waited six and a half hours in line. Watching the people behind him, who had waited just as much, just to come out with empty hands, was even a bit satisfying. He knew he was being a dick for thinking that, but what could he do? It was his way of releasing the stress from almost being one of them.

    Anyway, Itsuki bolted from the place before anyone had the brilliant idea of trying to snatch his FullDive equipment. He wouldn''t put it past an angry gamer, and, even if he had the confidence of keeping what he bought, he had bigger things in mind. Such as playing Sword Art Online the moment it launched.

    Should he be doing that? Probably not. What he should be doing was saving his money and looking for a new job. But after two weeks of unfruitful search, he was fed up. Just two days. Itsuki promised himself that after two days, he would start job hunting again.

    Unfortunately, life had that already mentioned tendency of throwing curveballs at you from time to time. But that would happen only a few hours from now.

    Whistling, Itsuki climbed up the stairs to his apartment, and unlocked the door. Juggling his newly bought gaming equipment and his bag in one hand, he pushed open the door and flicked the light switch, illuminating the small room.

    Carefully putting down his things, he went to the annexed kitchen, and started preparing a simple lunch. The game would only be released at 1 PM, so he had time to fill his stomach before jumping in.

    While opening his fridge to grab the ingredients, Itsuki couldn''t help but smile happily. Sure, he was unemployed now, but things weren''t so bad. He had a fair bit of money on his account- he had been saving up to buy a car - and now he also had the headgear to play the most groundbreaking and anticipated game of the century.

    Akihiko Kayaba was a genius. Nobody contested that. He had made many contributions to the field of programming and game design. Hell, just two or three years ago, he had announced he was developing what was sure to be a worldwide fever: the first ever vrmmorpg. Ten years in the making, Sword Art Online, or SAO, for short, was the first game where your entire consciousness entered the game, allowing 100% immersion, thanks to the FullDive technology. While the players'' bodies would be sleeping peacefully in the real world, inside SAO they would be living untold adventures.

    The closed beta, which had stellar reviews from the thousand testers, ended just a year ago. Now, November 6th of 2022, the open beta was about to start, enlisting 10.000 players from all around Japan. Presumably, the game would take the world by storm when it was fully released to the public.

    His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. Turning down the heat of the cooktop, he made his way to his bed, where he had carelessly thrown the device, and picked it up. It read ''Ogawa Overlord'' on the display. He answered.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Hi, dad. What''s up?"

    Holding his phone in-between his shoulder and head, Itsuki went back to the kitchen, and started multitasking with the expertise of a single young adult.

    "Nah, I''m doing great. Yes, I''m eating well, tell her not to worry."

    Turning off the cooktop, he plated his meal, and carried it to the table which also served as his workstation when he needed to work from home.

    "Hahaha... That''s very like mom indeed. I will try to go home for Christmas."

    Taking his phone off his ear for a quick look at the time, Itsuki realized he had to end the call, or he might not be able to ready everything in time for the launch.

    "Look, dad, I''ve got to go. I have something to do this afternoon. No, it''s not a date. Haha... Okay, bye. Say bye to mom too for me. Love you."

    Putting down his cell phone, Itsuki sighed. He hadn''t told his parents he was laid off. He would rather tell them the good news: that he was hired again - whenever that happened.

    Shaking the depressing thoughts away, Ituski washed his dishes, and unpacked the NerveGear. The equipment looked like a very bulky helmet, painted with a dark blue color. It wasn''t the prettiest of things, but what it represented... Oh, it was fricking awesome.

    As soon as Itsuki put on the headgear, a voice rang out in his ear, and asked him to do a bunch of calibrations. Running his hands over his body, jumping, speaking different sentences, and a lot more. By the end of the tests, Itsuki was starting to wonder if this wasn''t some grand scheme by Kayaba to have everyone in Japan do more cardio.

    Fortunately, he was now done, and just in time. His phone told him it was 12:56 PM already. Laying down, he closed his eyes. Almost immediately he let out a gasp. There, in the top left corner of his vision, were a timer and a battery symbol, even though he should be seeing nothing but darkness.

    Itsuki anxiously watched the timer go down. When it reached zero, he spoke the activation words he and so many others had burned into their minds.

    "LINK START!"

    Instantly, blinding white substituted the darkness. Various colored lines streaked across his vision, and Itsuki couldn''t help but think that SAO lacked an epilepsy warning.

    When the loading animation ended, he found himself standing in a white room. In front of him were multiple floating customization panels. Through them, he could change his height, his hair, the color of his eyes, the shape of his nose, his entire appearance.

    Knowing that he would only be able to play SAO sporadically after he got a new job, Itsuki didn''t want to waste much time with character customization. After making himself a little taller - because who wouldn''t - and his face a little more manly, he looked at himself in the mirror that appeared.

    What greeted him was a twenty-year-old young man, with long black hair reaching his shoulders, a square-ish face, and dark brown eyes. A very average face, if he was being honest. Very similar to his real self.

    [ Confirm character creation? ]

    Below the message were a blue circle and a red cross. Selecting the affirmative option, Itsuki saw the panels around him vanish, and a new message popped up.

    [ Please insert your name. ]

    Now, that was a question, wasn''t it? Itsuki had played video games before, but his username had always changed, depending on both the type of game and his age. After hesitating for about a minute, he finally decided on what seemed like a fairly good option.

    [ Welcome to Sword Art Online, player Drifter. ]

    Without warning, everything went white again.

    ...

    When Drifter opened his eyes, he was in a circular plaza. Various old-styled buildings surrounded it, and in the middle an obelisk stood tall.

    Drifter lowered his sight to himself. He appeared to be wearing a dark green shirt and black pants. His hands were covered by a pair of fingerless gloves. Stretching his fingers, he watched as the material tightened and bent, and felt the touch of his clothes over his skin. Drifter touched his hair, his eyes, his mouth. He felt a smile appearing. Everything was so... Real.

    "Kayaba you mad genius."

    He heard someone snicker to his side, apparently agreeing with his remark, and gave a sheepish smile. Swiping two fingers down in a straight vertical line, as the guides he read told him to do, his menu opened.

    It was a rectangle with a white layout. On the left was a human-shaped figure, with many smaller circles showing the equipment spots. For now, only his torso, legs, and feet were filled. There was also what appeared to be a basic short sword that he could equip. Probably the beginner weapon.

    The menu was complex. There were many subdivisions, such as his stats, equipment, inventory, friends list, skills, and much more. Drifter''s head was starting to hurt just by looking at it.

    Deciding he would leave all that for later, Drifter looked left and right. There were already several hundred people in the plaza, with more spawning in every second, and even though it looked like it would be no problem housing several thousand more, he didn''t plan on staying here for that. Already, he could see the quicker players leaving through the alleyways. He chose a random direction, and mimicked them.

    While walking, Drifter equipped the short sword. Suddenly, the weapon appeared in his hands, causing him to stop as he almost let it fall. He wasn''t sure what he had expected - maybe for it to feel like a foam sword. It was the very opposite of that. To start with, it was heavy. He could lift it with one hand relatively easily, but just the thought of swinging it already left him tired. It also looked very sharp. His inner psychopath urged him to stab something with it.

    After admiring his new stab and slice toy, Drifter resumed walking. Soon, he had crossed the gates of the starting city - Town of Beginnings, that was its name - and left the safe area. In front of him was a grassy field and hills. Further north, he could see forests and rivers, as well as a huge, huge pillar. It was said pillar that led to him looking up for the first time since he spawned in.

    Above his head was a ceiling. Or, rather, the bottom of the floor above. He wasn''t about to question how the entirety of the 1st floor wasn''t covered in shadows. That was video game logic for you. It reminded him of the backstory of SAO, though.

    It was very simple, actually. The players were in Aincrad, a floating castle in the sky, with one hundred floors. On the topmost floor, the Ruby Palace, was the big boss of the game. They had to climb through all 100 floors, overcoming countless challenges, to win. Drifter was sure there was a lot more complex lore than that, but that had been as far as he bothered to read.

    Drifter was brought out of his musings when he heard a high-pitched sound he would later associate with a mob spawning. Just a few meters to his left, a gray-furred hog had appeared. When he looked at it, a red cursor, a health bar, and the words << Frenzy Boar >> manifested into existence.

    The mob seemed to notice him at the same time Drifter did. With a roar, it charged towards him, eyes glowing red. It was very, very real, and very, very terrifying. Drifter froze momentarily, and that allowed the monster to get almost within striking distance of him. It was only then that he remembered to dodge, but failed to do so completely. The tusks of the mob scratched his left side, leaving a red gash and floating polygons, and sent Drifter stumbling.

    "Ahh!"

    On the top left corner of his vision, Drifter saw his health bar empty by about 5%, but he was more worried about the girlish scream he had just let out. It had been just a reflex, an instinct, really. You couldn''t even feel pain in SAO. Luckily no one was around to hear that, or he would die of shame.

    Steadying himself, Drifter held his sword with both hands. When the << Frenzy Boar >> charged again, he nimbly stepped to the side, and struck down. The mob cried in pain, and its health bar was depleted by about 20%.

    Letting his lips stretch out in a wide grin, Drifter assumed the same position as the mob stupidly turned for another charge, it''s only attack pattern. Oh, this was fun.

 Chapter 2 - Sword Art Online

    "Erkkk!!!"

    With a last cry of pain, a << Frenzy Boar >> burst into polygons, revealing Drifter, who still had his sword poised in front of his body, the blade parallel to the ground. He had finished off the mob with the skill << Horizontal >>, the only ability in his skill tab. Needless to say, it did a lot more damage than normal attacks, even if it was just one single blow.

    SAO had no such thing as a stamina gauge. You could use as many skills as you liked, however many times you liked. Of course, there were also some drawbacks, the first of them being the cooldown. As far as Drifter could tell, there was an interval after you used a skill during which you could not use it again. He learned that the hard way, when he tried to activate two << Horizontals >> back to back, only to end up frozen, and an easy target for a << Frenzy Boar >>. Luckily the introductory mobs didn''t deal much damage.

    The second drawback he found was that, while SAO didn''t have stamina or mana or the likes, it was very realistic. Meaning, swinging a sword for two hours straight, like he had been doing, left you tired as hell, and your arms burning.

    Closing the screen that told him how much experience, cor, and drops he got, Drifter searched for another target. Maybe someday he would get bored of facing the same mobs, but for now, he still found every fight exciting.

    "Agh!"

    Unfortunately for Drifter, what he found when he turned around wasn''t another mob, but rather another player. One who was very close to him. Close as in he almost headbutted her when he turned.

    "What the fuck?!"

    After jumping back and pointing his sword at the other player, who was giggling, Drifter couldn''t help but growl at her.

    "Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to talk to you, I didn''t think you would turn so suddenly, and... Hihihihi... So sorry, but it was funny how you jumped away. Hihihihi!"

    A few seconds of intense staring later, Drifter sighed and sheathed his sword - that he was carrying a sword on his hip still felt unreal. He was not amused by her antics, but at least the girl wasn''t a PK''er.

    "So, what did you want to talk to me for?"

    "Party with me!"

    That caught Drifter off guard. Not that he was averse to the idea, but it was very sudden. Instead of answering, he scanned the player across from him. Long blue hair, an hourglass-shaped body, and a face that was too pretty to be real. Clearly someone who had spent their sweet time on character customization.

    "Err... Why?"

    "I was watching you, and you fight well. I went to that forest over there earlier ''cause of a quest, but almost died. The mobs aren''t that strong, but there''s a shitton of them. I don''t feel like walking back all the way to the town to find a party, so group up with me."

    Drifter thought for a second, then shrugged. Why not? He had been fighting wild pigs for the last few hours, a change of pace would be nice. Even if the mobs proved to be too much for them to handle, they could just respawn and find more people to help.

    "Send the invite. I''m Drifter, by the way."

    "Cool name. I''m Meowlen."

    That was a weird name, but Drifter wasn''t about to question it. He just accepted the invite, and Meowlen led the way to the quest site. They made some small talk along the way - the girl was very excitable - and killed any of the << Frenzy Boars >> and << Dire Wolves >> they met. Drifter had to admit, having a partner made things a lot easier.

    It was during one such fight, after Drifter had just dispatched the last wolf, that Meowlen took something out of her inventory and threw it to him.

    "Here, catch."

    By reflex, Drifter did just that. It was a spear. A very basic one on top of that. The shaft was made out of wood, and the head of metal. Curiously enough, despite it being bigger than his sword, it was still lighter. Probably due to it not being made entirely of metal. Drifter looked at it''s tab, and found out it was called << Old Soldier''s Spear >>. Its stats were slightly better than the beginner sword he had. He raised an eyebrow at Meowlen.

    "What''s that for?"

    "I''ve been watching you fight. You dodge most of the mobs, which means you probably put quite a few points in DEX when you leveled up. You also tend to stay back and only attack when there''s a clear opening. That ain''t how you are supposed to fight with a short sword. I got that spear from a quest, and I think it suits you more than me."

    Drifter maintained his eyebrow raised. That was a very in-depth analysis of his fighting style, for the few minutes they had been together. Heck, she knew more about how he fought than he did. Also, that was the second quest she mentioned. It didn''t take too much to figure out who she was.

    "You a beta-tester?"

    "You caught me. Hihihi!"

    Meowlen giggled while launching forward to confront another group of mobs. Drifter followed closely behind.

    "I''m guessing this quest ain''t so simple, then? If even a beta-tester can''t finish it alone."

    "Nah, it''s pretty straightforward. Exactly what I told you, in fact. Too many mobs for me to deal with alone. I have to kill a << Large Nepents >>, and I need you to keep the lesser ones away while I do that. A spear will also give you more reach to do just that, so I''m being a little selfish here."

    Drifter nodded, and thrust the spear forward, impaling a << Dire Wolf >> mid-jump, and shattering it into blue sparkles. He swung the weapon, satisfied.

    "Don''t sweat it, it''s all good. I think you are right, this does fit me more. Anyway, what''s the reward?"

    "A pretty sweet sword. With the right enhancements, it can last me until floor six or maybe even seven."

    "Cool. I will keep the spear as payment for helping you then. Also, you gotta teach me some more later."

    "Deal!"

    Meowlen grinned, her hands behind her back, and Drifter got the sudden feeling that he had been tricked.

    "That sword is worth much more than I think, isn''t it?"

    "Yes! Hihihihihi!"

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Sighing, Drifter decided not to think about it. He had gotten himself a new weapon and a... Mentor? Could Meowlen be called that? No, should he call her that? Probably not. Anyway, that was something to consider later. Now they were entering the small forest in which the beta-tester said the quest objective was located.

    It didn''t take long for them to find the mobs that had sent Meowlen running away with her tail between her legs. Standing at one and a half meters tall, the monsters looked like a carnivorous plant that was able to walk, and had also received sharp teeth no plant had the right to have. They were also deceptively agile for something whose way of movement was a mass of squirming roots.

    Being just level 3 mobs, the << Lesser Nepents >> and Drifter were technically on the same standing. In fact, they were quite a lot weaker than him. But there were a lot of them. Like, a lot.

    "Meowlen! I need a hand here!"

    "Coming!"

    Drifter lifted his spear to block a swipe from one of the mobs, only to have another grab his leg and pull, causing him to fall down. The large monstrosity approached him, saliva dripping from it''s gross mouth. Drifter could almost see the respawn hall in the Town of Beginnings, but before the << Lesser Nepents >> could deal the fatal blow, Meowlen came in clutch, severing it in two halves. Without missing a beat, she turned around to strike at another mob, while Drifter got up. He also didn''t waste time into poking the thing with his spear, and emptying the last of it''s health.

    "Uff... Uff... That was terrifying."

    "You tell me. And those aren''t even the worst mobs out there. You will see when we get to higher floors. Those are some nightmarish stuff."

    "How far did you get into the beta anyway?"

    "Not as far as I would like. Just the fifth floor. I was more invested in searching for secrets and hidden quests than climbing. But I know there were some beta-testers who got to floor eight. There was a famous solo player who apparently got to the tenth floor, but I don''t know for sure if that''s true."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow - that was becoming a habit. Maybe the difficulty had been turned up since the closed beta, because with how hard grinding was going, Drifter couldn''t see how they were supposed to reach the tenth floor in just a month.

    "Well, don''t think too hard about it now. Let''s get my << Anneal Blade >> and then we can finish up for today!"

    Drifter supposed that wasn''t a bad idea. He had been going at it for a few hours now. A snack and a bath after finishing this quest didn''t sound too bad.

    Unfortunately, luck didn''t seem to be on their side. Even after killing two dozen more << Lesser Nepents >> and exploring almost all of << Horunka Forest >>, they had yet to find the larger counterpart of the mobs.

    "My spear''s durability is running out, Meowlen. We should get back to a city and repair before coming back."

    "Aww... We wouldn''t have time or want to return here. Let''s just try a little more. I promise I will buy you a new weapon if yours break."

    "All right. But I will hold you to that."

    Watching Meowlen do a victory dance, Drifter sighed and turned around, spotting the biggest walking plant he had seen today.

    "Uhh... Meowlen? I think I might have found what we are looking for."

    He pointed a finger at the << Large Nepents >> which had just spawned. While it looked very similar to it''s smaller kind, with was easily three meters tall, and towered over all the other mobs. Luckily, they were out of it''s aggro range. Drifter wasn''t sure what he would do if it has spawned right next to him. Nothing honorable, that''s for certain.

    Meowlen, on the other hand, seemed positively ecstatic. Drifter supposed that for a beta-tester, the << Large Nepents >> was nothing too impressive.

    "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I thought we would have to grind for days before it spawned!"

    "Wait, you did?"

    "Never mind the details! It''s here, so let''s take it down before someone KS''s! Aim for the spot just above it''s stalk. There''s a higher chance of scoring critical hits."

    Drifter grabbed Meowlen by the back of the neck before she could rush forward, and pointed a finger to the corner of his vision, where the health bars of his party members was. Both of them were at the lower end of yellow, almost entering red.

    "How about we regen our health first?"

    The beta-tester pouted, but sat down to eat and recover. Not much later, they were both back at full health, and ready to rumble. Drifter got up and stretched.

    "What''s the plan?"

    "You go in first, catch it''s attention, and keep it at range with your spear. I will go around and flank it, then smack it good."

    "Sounds good. Let''s go then."

    Drifter opened the fight with a << Horizontal >>. Although the skill belonged to the one-handed sword category, it still worked with spears. He just had to gather enough momentum to thrust the spear forward with one hand, before pulling it back quickly.

    The skill poked a large hole through the outer layer of the << Large Nepents >> body. Drifter saw it''s health dip by about 10%, which was worrying. Against the << Lesser Nepents >>, one use of the skill was enough to deplete at least one-fourth of their health gage.

    Anyway, though slightly disappointed, Drifter wasn''t about to stop. Meowlen had already shared with him that whenever he finished using a skill, he should swap back to ordinary attacks as quickly as possible, lest he be struck while on cooldown. And so that was what he did.

    Stepping to the left preemptively, Drifter continued his offense with two quick stabs, one of which hit the weak point of the mob, causing it to screech in pain and rage. One of the vines that passed as an arm for the creature struck the spot Drifter was just standing on with enough power to carve a hole on the ground. Before it could retreat, Drifter brought his spear up, severing the ''limb'', and sending sap flying everywhere. Unfortunately, he had focused so much on this particular attack that he didn''t notice the other arm of the << Large Nepents >>, which sent him flying.

    Though he felt no pain, it was still very disorienting. Also, why did earth taste like earth? Did the developers really need to go that far? Besides, that fucker hit really hard. His health was back in the yellow with just a single blow.

    With the corner of his eye, he saw Meowlen signaling him to distract the mob some more - as if the monster already wasn''t hell-bent on killing him. Getting up, Drifter groaned, and launched another << Horizontal >>, followed by a swipe and a stab. That brought the << Large Nepents >> health down to half.

    It was then that his partner decided to jump into the fray. With a war cry, Meowlen hit the mob with her own skills, right on it''s stalk. Suddenly, the health bar above the enemy''s head dipped to the red, and the << Large Nepents >> turned around to deal with the new attacker. Seeing the opening, Drifter used the third << Horizontal >> of the battle, and finished it.

    "Yay! We did it!"

    He raised his gaze to Meowlen, a grin hanging on his face. It was a hard battle, but it was worth it if she got the sword. He was about to congratulate her when he froze.

    His partner of a few hours, the easygoing and hyperactive beta-tester, had just burst into polygons mid commemorative jump. He stared at where Meowlen used to be, dumbfounded. A quick glance at his HUD told him that he was not in a party anymore. And considering the << Anneal Blade >> had ended up on his inventory, he didn''t think she had ditched him and teleported - if that was even possible.

    "What the hell?"

    For now, the only option Drifter could think of was that Meowlen had been disconnected. Maybe there was a problem with her connection, or, more probably, someone IRL had pulled out her NerveGear. He let out a chuckle imagining a very disgruntled Meowlen pouting at some family member for doing that.

    "Guess I will keep this for her until she logs back in."

    Stashing away the quest reward, Drifter quickly made his way out of << Horunka Forest >>. This part of the map was too dangerous for single players at this stage, not to mention his gear was almost breaking.

    "Time to get back to the Town of Beginnings and log out. Hah, I can''t wait to take a shower."

    ---------------------------

    In a room somewhere in Japan, a spectacled man wearing a lab coat analyzed the many, many computer screens around him. Some were showing prodigious amounts of code running at unparalleled speed. Others showed scenes inside SAO. Others even showed what appeared to news outlets all around the country.

    The man looked at the screen right in front of him, where a counter was displayed. As he watched, the rightmost number changed. Putting on a NerveGear, the man spoke to no one.

    "That is enough, Cardinal. Start Project Aincrad."

 Chapter 3 - Trapped Souls

    Drifter whistled as he walked down the streets of the Town of Beginnings. He had already repaired his equipment, as well as sold most of the useless drops, keeping only those which could be used as enhancement or crafting materials. He earned a fair bit of cor from that. Of course, he also kept the << Anneal Blade >> stashed away for Meowlen.

    Speaking of which, it was strange that she hadn''t logged back in yet. It had been almost half an hour, which should be more than enough time for her to solve whatever problems she had on her end. At the very least, she could pop back in to warn him she wouldn''t play anymore today, so he knew whether he should wait or log out too. At the very least, she could send him a message.

    ''Huh. Weird. I could have sworn we added each other as friends.''

    Opening his menu, he found out that his friends tab was empty, which was definitely strange. He was certain he had accepted the friend request Meowlen had sent him. Maybe it was a bug? It was still a beta version of SAO, after all.

    While he was pondering, he heard a bell ringing, and his vision suddenly went white, not unlike when he first logged into the game. Next thing Drifter realized, he was back at the plaza in the center of the Town of Beginnings. Hundreds, no, thousands of players appeared around him. He wouldn''t be surprised if all 10.000 of them were here.

    "What the hell?"

    "What is happening?"

    "Was that a teleport?"

    Drifter wasn''t the only one confused. The entire plaza was alight with discussions. Things were messy. It appeared that, like Drifter, they had all been teleported without warning. Some players even seemed to have been whisked away in the middle of a fight, and ended up hitting those around them. Luckily cities were a safe area, otherwise it would have evolved into a massive brawl.

    Still, something was strange. Drifter shivered, his instincts screaming that something was very wrong. He noticed a few people trying to leave the plaza, only to be stopped by a barrier. His focus wasn''t on that, however. Instead, his gaze was fixated on the blood-red hexagon that had appeared in the sky, which the word [ WARNING ] written on it in bold letters. And he wasn''t the only one who noticed.

    "Up there!"

    As people raised their heads to look, more hexagons appeared, covering the sky with [ WARNING ] and [ SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT ] messages. It was very menacing, and something about it activated Drifter''s fight-or-flee reaction. And he was leaning towards the latter.

    Suddenly, the system messages started twitching, as if they were glitching. From the space in between them something which looked suspiciously like blood started to drip, causing many players to scream and curse. Then, amidst arcs of lightning, the substance formed a hooded figure which anyone who played an RPG before would recognize. A game master.

    "Attention, players. Welcome to my world."

    The game master spread his arms wide, as if receiving all of them. But Drifter couldn''t think of it as anything other than creepy when he saw that underneath the hood there was nothing. The game master didn''t have a face, just a cloud of billowing smoke. And the way he said ''my world''...

    "My name is Akihiko Kayaba."

    Drifters pupils contracted. That was why the voice sounded so familiar. So, maybe this was just part of the opening ceremony? If it was, it was going to scare more players away than it would bring in.

    "As of this moment, I am the only person able to control this world."

    Now that sounded ominous. Unconsciously, Drifter started looking for some way to leave, but the barrier was still there stopping them.

    "I''m sure you''ve already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu."

    There were gasps of surprise as the hubbub that had paused when Kayaba appeared restarted. Drifter couldn''t care less. He swiped his fingers down and navigated his menu, only to find out that the game master was speaking the truth. There, where the logout button should have been, was an empty slot. No matter how many times he clicked it, nothing happened. The giant game master in the sky himself demonstrated that.

    "But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat... This is not a defect in the game, but a key feature of Sword Art Online."

    "A k-key feature?!"

    Drifter wasn''t sure who said that, but the trepidation in their voice echoed perfectly with how he was feeling. His mind was racing to possibilities, and none of them were good.

    "You cannot log out of SAO on your own will. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear."

    And there it was, the worst possible outcome he could have imagined. Something in his gut had been telling him that would be the case. They were trapped inside the game, at least until the internal battery of the headgear ended. And Kayaba wasn''t finished yet, Drifter could feel it.

    "Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit powerful microwaves, destroying your brain, and thus ending your life."

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    While the crowd erupted in outrage at the ridiculous threat, Drifter collapsed. They couldn''t log out. If someone tried to take off the NerveGear, the player would die. Whether this was true or not - and it was very likely to be - then it explained why she disappeared from his friends list.

    "Meowlen..."

    The cheerful girl who had scared him the first time they met, the friendly beta-tester who was willing to give him a weapon that suited him better, and to teach him the mechanics of the game, who was so happy to get a new sword... She was dead.

    She was dead because someone, probably a family member, had innocently decided to take off her NerveGear. Oh gods, he couldn''t even imagine how much guilt they would feel when they realized they had killed their own family.

    No, not them. The one who murdered Meowlen wasn''t her family. It was the bastard towering above him right now, as if he wore some kind of god. Akihiko Kayaba.

    Drifter''s head snapped back to the monster passing as a human being above the plaza. With pure anger as fuel, he forced himself to stand up. Kayaba wasn''t finished just yet.

    "Unfortunately, there have been several instances where players'' friends and families have ignored this warning, and attempted to forcibly remove the NerveGear. As a result, 213 players have exited permanently, from both Aincrad and the real world."

    "W-What?!"

    "This isn''t funny, man!"

    "Waah!"

    Even before Kayaba finished speaking, several hundred voices were already confronting - and cursing - him. Drifter was not one of them. As much as he hated it, he believed what the developer was saying. And that was before he showed several news feeds reporting the fatalities.

    "As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting on this situation, including the multiple deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed has been reduced."

    Drifter scanned the screens floating in the sky with watery eyes. One of them was Meowlen. Even if he hadn''t known her very well - or at all - he still felt pain. He might not have known it at the time, but the moment she was reduced to polygons, she had died. He watched her die in front of his very eyes. He felt sick.

    "So, I would like you all to focus on clearing the game."

    ''Clearing... The game?''

    "But be sure to keep this in mind. There is no longer any function to revive someone within the game. The instant your HP drops to zero, your avatars will vanish forever. And simultaneously,..."

    There was a dramatic pause after that, during which Drifter could only think that this was much, much worse than the worst-case scenario he had imagined.

    "... your brains will be destroyed by the NerveGear."

    Instantly, Drifter''s mind was filled with images of the time he almost died today, when fighting the << Large Nepents >>. So, he had actually come this close to dying in real life.

    "The one condition for your escape is to complete this game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, floor one. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on floor 100 and you will clear the game."

    Kayaba summoned a hologram of Aincrad to illustrate his words, but Drifter wasn''t paying attention to it. Even he knew that clearing all one hundred floors of Aincrad was impossible. No, maybe it could be done, but how long would it take? Would they have to spend years trapped inside Sword Art Online? What about their lives, their families outside? And how many people would perish before they could complete their goal? If they could clear it at all, that is.

    "Now then, finally, I''ve provided you all with a present in your item storage. Please see for yourselves."

    Drifter didn''t want to. Everything Kayaba told them to do, he wished to do the exact opposite. But he knew that throwing a tantrum would change nothing at this point, so he opened his inventory with a sigh.

    Sitting there was a << Hand Mirror >>. As soon as he held it in his hands, the mirror started glowing, and surrounded Drifter with a pillar of light. The same was happening to everyone else, even those who hadn''t taken out the item.

    When the bright light faded away, Drifter didn''t feel any different, until he glanced at the mirror. Reflected on it was his face. Not his in-game face, but how he looked like in real life.

    Just as shocked as everyone else, Drifter couldn''t help but wonder: how and why? Somewhere behind him, he heard someone talking about calibration and whatnot. Which brought Drifter to his second question. And he was sure Kayaba would answer that, like the megalomaniac he was proving to be.

    "Right now, you all must be wondering, why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do such a thing?"

    Though the tone of voice didn''t change, Drifter could almost hear the bastard chuckling.

    "My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason. To create this world and meddle in it."

    "Kayaba..."

    "And now, all is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch. I wish you luck, players."

    From the corner of his vision, Drifter could see the gigantic game master disappearing, but he wasn''t paying attention. He pushed his way through the dumbstruck crowd, and managed to get out of the plaza, now unobstructed by the barrier, just as the first despair-filled scream rang.

    He started running without aim, until the claustrophobic feeling was gone. Inside the plaza, he felt trapped in all senses of the word.

    When he came to his senses, Drifter realized he had ended up on the southern edge of the Town of Beginnings, where Aincrad met the nothingness below. It was a breathtaking view, the clouds dyed red and orange by the sunset. On any other occasion, he would have been stunned into silence by the beauty of it. Now, he could only think that the sunset looked like blood.

    "Hey! Shishio! Don''t do that!"

    As more players appeared, presumably after having tried to escape the plaza like him, Drifter saw one man walking towards the edge of the floating castle determinedly. Behind him was another player, who seemed to be trying to stop the one called Shishio. When the player put his hands over the railing, Drifter realized what was going to happen a second before everybody else, and sprinted toward the duo.

    "Fuck off! I don''t believe what that madman said! We will die in real life if we die in-game? Bullshit!"

    He was too late. Shishio slapped away his friend''s hands before climbing the railing. He hesitated for half a second before taking a determined step forward, and falling. Drifter reached the edge just in time to see Shishio''s body dissipating in polygons after hitting the invisible barrier a few hundred meters below Aincrad.

    "Shishio!"

    Stumbling back, Drifter crouched, and held his head in his hands. Another one. That was another person who died right before his eyes. He got up with a start, turned, and ran. Away from the sunset, away from other people.

    That edge was starting to turn very appealing.

 Chapter 4 - Partnership

    November 7th 2022, afternoon.

    Drifter dragged his tired feet through the gate of the Town of Beginnings. The streets were empty, and not for good reasons. Most players were holed up in the inns, spending what little cor they had in the hopes that they would soon wake up in their beds, and be told everything was just a prank. Drifter didn''t hold that illusion. Especially since there was another reason the streets were empty.

    About twenty-four hours had passed since Akihiko Kayaba announced their imprisonment in the deadly game known as Sword Art Online. Where in the closed beta once stood the respawn hall, now was a black stele, covered in names. The Monument of Life. Ironically, it was filled with the names of dead people.

    The monument was probably supposed to be used to know who was still alive and who wasn''t. But little more than a day after the launch of SAO, almost 400 names had been crossed, their causes of death written next to them. Most were suicide or forced disconnection.

    Pushing open the door of his inn, Drifter sat at a corner table, and ordered something to eat. The cheapest bread available at the market might sate his hunger, but if he was going to fight for his life, he wanted a decent meal.

    The NPC waitress brought him his food, and with it also came an undesirable visitor. Drifter barely lifted his eyes to look at the small figure who had sat across from him. After glancing at her, he started eating.

    "Oy! Dri-bou! That ain''t nice, ignorin'' a lady like that!"

    Sighing, Drifter lifted his head from his food, and gave a good look over at the annoying girl. She was small, shorter than his shoulders. Her golden-brown hair was messy, and covered with a tattered hood. He had to squint his eyes to see the face underneath. The girl was actually quite pretty, with a perky nose, thin lips, and brown eyes which seemed to shine. He had to look very deep into them to find the despair he and every other player felt.

    "Are those whiskers?"

    Painted on the girl''s face were three pairs of what looked very much like cat whiskers. Apparently that was the right thing to ask, though, because a sly smile lit her expression.

    "Ho ho! Wouldn''t ya like to know? Afraid that''s gonna cost ya way more than ya have on ya."

    "Okay? I''m not really that interested anyway."

    With that, Drifter resumed eating. The girl opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to react, until she noticed his lips trembling slightly. She slammed the table.

    "Ya are playin'' me!"

    With that, Drifter couldn''t hold it anymore. He chuckled, which sounded so out of place in Aincrad that even the NPCs in the inn looked at him as if he was a weirdo. Most probably chalked it up to a mental breakdown.

    "Yeah, sorry, but gods, I needed that. I couldn''t resist it when you started talking like a gangster. Or tried to, anyway. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

    "Humph! The name''s Argo. I have a proposition for ya."

    Drifter had to give a thumbs-up to the girl, she recovered fast. He couldn''t even enjoy her stunned expression, since she - Argo, was it? - put on a business face, complete with a predatory grin and everything.

    "I feel like I''m about to get scammed. Do go on, please."

    "Gotta get straight to the point with ya, I''m an info-broker."

    "Info-broker?"

    "Yeah. I buy and sell intel to other players."

    "Huh. And what''s that gotta do with me?"

    "I want ya to be one of my sources."

    That got Drifter''s attention. He pushed his plate aside, and focused completely on Argo.

    "Why?"

    "''Cause ya, spearman Drifter, is one of the few players who hasn''t given in to despair, or given up on clearing this hellish game. While most people are moppin'' about or cryin'' or cursin'', ya stepped outta the city first thing in the morning, and spent the whole day griding, even if a single mistake might cost ya your life."

    Drifter''s pupils contracted. That the girl across from him knew his name, weapon, and what he did today, while he knew absolutely nothing about her, was worrying, to say the least.

    Argo noticed his reaction, because her grin widened. Drifter didn''t ask how she knew all this information, she had already told him what her job was.

    "Hmm. All right, you have my interest. What do you want?"

    "Information. I''m damn good at what I do, but fightin'' ain''t my thing. I want ya to sell me intel ''bout the mobs you fight, their attack patterns, their weaknesses, their drops. I want ya to send me maps of the new areas, tell me how to activate and complete new quests, and everything else. Even intel on other players. Don''t be thinkin'' any information you have is useless. Come to me, and I will tell ya whether it''s good or not, and I''ll buy it at a fair price."

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Drifter nodded. It made sense. And, of course, if any other player wanted to know about him, Argo would also sell his intel to them. Well, better build a good relationship with her then. Though she seemed very money-minded, it might stop her from selling anything too important if she considered him a friend, or, at least, a valuable source. He still had his reservations, though.

    "I''m tempted to accept, Argo. But I want to know if my intel is going to be used to scam other players, ''cause if that is the case, I won''t be joining in this enterprise. Also, I want your guarantee you will only sell verified intel. Enough people are going to die already, and I don''t want to be the reason behind some of those."

    He was pushing it, he knew. The info-broker had come to him to make a proposition, not to have restrictions imposed on herself. It would be very understandable if she got up and left now. Even more so if she started to bad-mouth him to other players. But unexpectedly, Argo smiled. The first real smile he saw her show today, not those fake ones which didn''t reach her eyes.

    "Normally that would cost ya some cor, but fair is fair. For the sake of a good partnership, Imma answer those two questions of ya for free."

    Her grin told him there was something else to it, something she didn''t want to share just yet.

    "On my reputation as an info-broker, I promise ya that any intel I sell will be verified to be true first, or, if not that, will come along with a warning."

    Drifter nodded. He supposed time would tell if the girl was being honest or not, but he liked the feeling she gave.

    "What about selling other players'' information? Mine, for example."

    Argo didn''t answer immediately. Instead, she stared at him with a twinkle in her eyes so obvious, Drifter felt ashamed he didn''t catch it faster. With a sigh, he took 100 cor out of his inventory - which manifested as a small bag - and threw it across the table. Argo put it away with a smirk.

    "I choose my clients well."

    That was enough for Drifter. He started eating again, and, in between each mouthful, started describing all the mobs he had fought today, as well as the two gathering quests he had done. To top it off, he sent Argo a map of the areas he had been to. All the while, the info-broker was typing away on empty air, probably taking notes with her menu set for private.

    When he was finished, Argo opened a trade screen with him, and put 426 cor in it. A very specific amount, and more than he was expecting, considering everything he told her the girl could have easily obtained herself. Not that he was complaining.

    "That''s about all I have."

    "Gotcha. It was great doing business with ya, Dri-bou. Remember, if ya have any questions, just message me. Little ol'' Argo will tell ya all ya want to know. For the right price, of course."

    "Of course."

    The two shared a laugh. Their conversation had been helpful, if nothing else. At least, Drifter knew he wasn''t the only one who hadn''t given up. If not a friend, Argo would be a good ally to have, even if it was just to banter sometimes.

    "Ah, take this, Dri-bou. A souvenir all my buyers get. Also, here''s a freebie for ya: find people you can trust. SAO ain''t a game where you get far alone."

    The way Argo so correctly spoke that last sentence told him how serious she was being. He firmly nodded at the departing figure before turning his attention to the booklet she had given him. On the cover it simply said ''guidebook 1st edition''. Underneath the title was a symbol that looked suspiciously like three pairs of whiskers.

    Leafing through, Drifter''s eyebrows shot up. It was exactly what the title indicated. A guide to surviving Aincrad''s first floor. Every bit of information Drifter had just sold Argo, and much more, was there. Quests he had never learned about, materials that required specific ways of killing the mobs to drop, even intel on labyrinth monsters, though that last one had a very big warning next to it saying ''yet to be verified''.

    On the last few pages was a sketch of what looked like a giant wolf-man, holding an axe. Over it''s head, in blood-red font, it said ''1st Floor Boss Illfang the Kobold Lord''. Next to it was once again the ''yet to be verified''. It described all of the boss''s attack patterns and moves.

    Closing the booklet and storing it away for a later read, Drifter rubbed his temples. His talk with Argo, and especially this last gift she gave him, told him a lot. First of all, the info-broker wasn''t so selfish and greedy as she wanted to pass as, since she was distributing what was essentially a guide to survival. Secondly, she was very serious about what she did. Everything was described clearly and in detail. Third, Argo was probably a beta-tester.

    Drifter didn''t have any proof to actually support the last claim, but it made sense. If she wasn''t a beta-tester, how would she know about the boss''s skill set?

    Getting up, Drifter opened his menu and sent her a quick ''thanks''. She would understand. Then, he walked upstairs, to the room he had already rented yesterday. Once there, he unequipped his weapon and armor, and fell into bed. With a swipe of his fingers, he opened his character page.

    Just before returning to the city, Drifter had reached level 5. It might seem like good progress, considering it was just the second day of the game, but for him, it wasn''t nearly enough. In a world where higher numbers equated to a better chance of survival, he was still too weak.

    "Aff..."

    After reading Argo''s booklet, and comparing with what he experienced today, Drifter arrived at one conclusion: he needed to leave the Town of Beginnings. The mobs around the safe city were already below his level. If he wanted to get stronger faster, he needed to explore the 1st floor. Maybe even the labyrinth that connected to the floor above, though that was something to consider in the future.

    After looking at his status, Drifter opened the skill tab. << Horizontal >> was still there, but << Searching >> and << Rage Spike >> had been added to the list. The former was used for scouting, and discovering monster tracks or hidden mechanisms. The latter was a basic combat skill that allowed him to jump forward, followed by an upward strike. Both were incredibly useful, in their own ways.

    Closing the menu, Drifter crossed his hands beneath his head, and stared at the ceiling. He had spent today fighting safely and close to the city, to get a feel of the game mechanics and of his own limits. Tomorrow would be the time to push himself beyond that. Drifter had a feeling that whether he could make it past those first days would decide how far he would make it in SAO. Hopefully, far enough to leave this god-forsaken game.

 Chapter 5 - Resolve

    The sun shining through the window woke up Drifter. He fumbled around with his menu for a while, before managing to open it, and immediately groaned. Why did SAO have to be that accurate? It was just half past six in the morning.

    Fighting the urge to fall asleep again, Drifter got up and stretched. Shaking his head, he walked downstairs and had a quick breakfast, before leaving the inn.

    He walked slowly through the Town of Beginnings, checking out what the NPCs were selling, visiting the blacksmith to make sure his weapon and armor were at max durability, and stocking up on potions. Eventually, he realized he was just wasting time because he was scared.

    Leaving the city to grind yesterday was one thing. He could come back at any moment, and hide in his room, never leaving until someone cleared the game, or his real body gave out. But once he set foot on the path to the other cities on the 1st floor, and the labyrinth beyond it, there would be no turning back. Figuratively, that is. He could always return here whenever he wanted, but it would just be lying to himself.

    "Havin'' second thoughts, Dri-bou?"

    To his credit, Drifter jumped only a few feet in the air when he heard the cheeky whisper right next to his ear. Then, immediately after, he turned to glare at the info broker, who was doubling over laughing.

    "Argo! That scared the crap outta me!"

    "Shishishishi!"

    "Don''t give me that wheezing laugh! It isn''t funny!"

    "It is a little bit yeah, Dri-bou. Shishishi!"

    Throwing his hands up in defeat, Drifter stared at Argo until she stopped giggling. He felt like pulling out her fake whiskers to teach her a lesson, but had the distinct feeling he would regret it a lot if he did so.

    "Aight, I''m done, Dri-bou."

    "What''s up with the way you call me? Can''t you just call me Drifter? Like, you know, a normal person?"

    "But then it doesn''t seem like we are close!"

    "''Cause we aren''t."

    "Aww! Ya gonna break my heart if ya talk like that, Dri-bou!"

    Drifter opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding the path of least opposition was the best path in this situation.

    "You know what, I can''t be bothered. And yes, I am having second thoughts, Argo. But I think I''m over them already."

    Drifter expected a snarky remark from the info broker. She seemed to be good at those. But when he didn''t hear from her in the next few seconds, he looked down, curious. Argo was staring at him, any sign of her previous mischievous attitude gone. It was unnerving.

    "W-What is it?"

    "If you don''t want to do it, then don''t, Drifter. Consider as if our deal never happened. I don''t want your death in my consciousness."

    Those chocolate brown eyes of hers showed that Argo was being completely serious. They held a hint of concern he wasn''t used to seeing. She was really worried for him. That warmed Drifter''s heart. It also broke it when he gave a good look at her face, and realized Argo was young. Maybe fifteen.

    Before he could stop himself, Drifter had reached for her head. Pushing her hood back, he slowly caressed her curly locks. Like a scared animal, Argo seemed almost ready to jump back, but stopped. After a few tense seconds, she allowed him to continue, and even got closer to him.

    "I''m afraid, Argo. Afraid I will die. Also, afraid others will die in front of me, or worse, because of me, and that I won''t be able to do anything to stop it. And you are the same, aren''t you?"

    The info broker was facing the ground, but Drifter heard something that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle before she nodded. Drifter smiled fondly, and, as he would do to a little sister, pulled Argo into a one-armed hug, his other hand still ruffling her hair.

    "I don''t know why you are doing what you are, Argo, but I know you want to help others. To help everyone escape. That''s why you are working so hard when pretty much everyone else is hiding. And I... I also want to help. Help the other players, and help you. Can''t be having a little girl like you do all the hard work, can I?"

    "Humph! I''m tougher than you..."

    "Haha... That you are."

    Drifter laughed, his first real laughter since their imprisonment started. When Argo pushed him away, and definitely did not secretly wipe her eyes, he figured he had at least two reasons to beat SAO. To survive, and to make sure Argo survived.

    "I will be seeing you around, little rat. Save your cor, because I will bring you the hottest pieces of information on this side of Aincrad."

    "Ya better, Dri-bou! Otherwise I will fire your arse!"

    "Hahahaha!"

    When he stepped out of the gate and out of the safe zone, Drifter thought he heard Argo tell him to take care, but when he turned to look, the info broker was nowhere to be seen. He turned his gaze to the pillar in the distance. A smile tugged at his lips.

    "This world doesn''t seem so bad anymore."

    Decidedly more determined and resolute, Drifter started walking with purpose. As soon as the first << Dire Wolf >> spawned, he slipped his spear off his back, and held it with both hands. The entire weapon glowed red as he got into the right stance to activate << Rage Spike >>. He lunged forward, covering the few meters between him and the mob in an instant, and brought his weapon up in a violent vertical strike, which sent the wolf up in the air, a red gash appearing on it''s body. Before it could land, Drifter had already stabbed it once again, resulting in a cloud of polygons.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The second and third << Dire Wolves >> were greeted by a << Horizontal >> no sooner than they appeared, and dispatched with the same cold efficiency as the first one. Drifter put away his spear with a flourish.

    "Tolbana, here I come."

    --------------------------

    "Huff... Huff..."

    Somewhere on the 1st floor, but also not quite there, another battle was unfolding. A young man with black hair, wearing blue clothes and a chest plate, was holding a one-handed sword, facing off against a group of monsters. If Drifter was there, he would recognize the mobs as the << Ruin Kobolds >> he read about in Argo''s guide.

    Dodging a pike, the swordsman closed in on one of the mobs, his weapon glowing blue, and hit it with a four-strikes combo, killing the kobold. Then, the black-haired youth seamlessly connected another skill, followed by two normal strikes, and eliminated the remaining mob. Throughout the entire fight, his health never dropped below green.

    Sitting with his back against a wall, the player stopped to rest for a while. Soloing entire patrols of << Ruin Kobolds >> wasn''t something easy, not even for him. As he pulled a piece of bread and some sauce from his inventory, he realized he had a new message. Whilst in combat, you wouldn''t be notified of messages. Even Kayaba seemed to think that that would be an idiotic way to die.

    "Argo?"

    He knew only two people in the game, and maintained contact with just one of them, so the swordsman couldn''t help but wonder what piece of information the info broker wanted to sell him. Much to his surprise, that wasn''t what was happening.

    [ Argo: Got an interestin'' guy here, Kii-bou. Goes by Drifter, uses a spear. Keep an eye out for him, I get tha feeling'' ya are gonna like each other. ]

    Argo must have used the speech-to-text function of the message system, because it was so hard to read he could almost hear her voice. Also, Argo the Rat, as she was known during the beta, giving information without asking for payment? Aincrad must be floating upside-down. Besides, the way she worded it, it sounded an awful lot like she was asking a favor. Which just couldn''t be true. Argo didn''t owe others. Right?

    Shaking his head, the swordsman got up. That was something to think about later, in the safety of his room in the inn. Argo asked him to keep an eye out for this Drifter, and keep an eye he shall. Readying his sword, he made his way deeper into the labyrinth. SAO wasn''t going to beat itself.

    -----------------------------

    Tolbana was a surprise. Drifter wasn''t sure what he had been expecting when he set off for the second largest city on the 1st floor, but it definitely wasn''t for it to be bustling with player activity.

    The city had that dusty, old vibe going for it, but that was ruined by how many people were walking around. In the short few minutes since he arrived, he had seen at least several dozen players, more than he met in the entirety of the Town of Beginnings yesterday.

    Sure, the people here weren''t smiling and laughing either, but they definitely felt more alive. He supposed it made sense. Anyone who reached Tolbana so soon after the game started couldn''t be a mediocre player. From the Town of Beginnings to here, you had to cross many different maps, several of which could prove to be deadly to anyone unprepared. Also, Tolbana was just half an hour away from the entrance of the 1st floors labyrinth. Drifter guessed most of the people here were aiming to clear the game, and that was why they felt so different from what he had become used to. They had yet to give in to despair, or, if they did, they hid it well. They had a sense of purpose.

    "Howdy, friend! Don''t suppose you would be interested in an upgrade?"

    Drifter stopped to look at the tower of a man who called him. Standing at, the very least, two meters tall, the player was bald, and had a huge grin on his face. And, if his height wasn''t enough of an oddity in Japan, he was also black. His Japanese was fluent, but still carried a bit of an accent, so Drifter inferred he wasn''t originally from the country.

    All that went through Drifter''s mind in a flash, thanks to all the job interviews he has to take. It paid off to observe your possible employer. A slightly better answer than the next person could be the difference between being hired or not. He felt like he should behave much the same with the giant in front of him.

    "Thanks, but I''m good."

    Politely declining, Drifter stepped around the big man. The player also didn''t make his life difficult, just nodding.

    "No probs. I''m Agil, a merchant in the works. If you ever need anything, come to me and I will try to find it for you. By the way, just a piece of advice: if you are planning on taking on the labyrinth, it would do you good to do an overhaul of your gear. The mobs in there are a lot tougher than the ones outside. Speaking from experience here."

    "I will keep that in mind. See you around."

    Agil waved at Drifter before returning to the shadow where he had been rested. He appeared to have set up a small shop over there, with some weapons and materials on display. It seemed the hopeful merchant was keeping an eye on Tolbana''s entrance for any new players like Drifter.

    Making a mental note to come back here some other time, if for no reason other than to show some support as thanks for the well-intentioned warning, Drifter continued strolling through the city. He saw a player blacksmith, someone else buying drops and enhancement materials, one girl trying to sell what seemed like meat skewers, and even someone playing a flute. Drifter couldn''t help but marvel at humankind''s adaptability. Three days stuck in a death game, and they had not only accepted it, but were forming a society.

    After repairing his spear at the NPC blacksmith - he didn''t quite trust beginning players to repair his only weapon - Drifter went to that player who was buying monster drops, and sold his. Finally, he bought two skewers - he didn''t even want to know what they were made of - and sat at the central plaza of Tolbana, listening to the musician player. The girl was too good for that to be a skill. She probably played the flute in real life, and quite well at that.

    Munching on a surprisingly good meat skewer while listening to music with his eyes closed, feeling the breeze on his face, Drifter relaxed. Moving on from the Town of Beginnings had been the right decision.

    When the musician ended her piece, Drifter applauded lightly, even if others looked at him weirdly. Anyone who came to what could effectively be considered the frontlines of SAO, only to play music and lift others'' spirits, deserved at least that much.

    "Thank you very much!"

    The applause seemed to be unexpected even for the one receiving it, because the girl was startled before showing a beautiful smile, and bowing. She walked in his direction to thank her audience.

    The flutist had milky-tea brown hair, and a pretty doll-like face. Two dimples appeared on her face when she smiled. That, coupled with her simple sky-blue dress and white mantle, gave her a very innocent vibe, and Drifter couldn''t help but smile too.

    "You deserve it. What song was that? It was very nice to listen to."

    "Ah, I composed it myself. It doesn''t have a name yet."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow. So the girl wasn''t just talented. She was very talented.

    "Well, when you find the right title, I would very much like to hear it again."

    "Thank you!"

    "Hey, Yuna! Come on, let''s get lunch!"

    From the other side of the plaza, someone yelled for the girl. Yuna, a fitting name. Drifter smiled and gestured with his head towards the boy who was calling for her.

    "It was a pleasure to listen to you play, Yuna."

    The girl smiled, and nodded another wordless thanks. She had taken a few steps towards her companion when she glanced back, and saw Drifter had resumed staring at the sky. Biting her bottom lip, she ran back.

    "You know, I plan on playing more at the restaurant later, after lunch. You are more than welcome to join us."

    "I wouldn''t want to impose."

    "You wouldn''t! Err... To be honest, you are the first person who stopped to listen to my songs. I feel like I will regret it in the future if I don''t treat my first fan to a meal."

    Switching his gaze between Yuna''s face and her outstretched hand, Drifter pondered for all of two seconds. Then he grabbed the offered hand, and pulled himself up.

    "Sure, why not?"

 Chapter 6 - The Songstress

    Three days. That was how long Drifter had been stuck in Sword Art Online. But it might as well have been forever. The first two days felt like an eternity as he was too busy wallowing in self-pity. The third day, when he decided to do something about it, wasn''t so bad. He traveled to a new city, one where the air itself wasn''t heavy with fear and sadness, and where players walked with a sense of purpose. He also made a new friend.

    When he first met Yuna, about fifteen minutes ago, his first impression was that of a pure, gentle young lady. That hadn''t changed. But after talking with her for a while and being invited to lunch, he also added another quality to the growing list of adjectives in his head: kind.

    The songstress gleefully introduced him to her companion, a young player named Nautilus. He had dirty brown hair and the starts of an immature stubble on his chin. He seemed less than thrilled that Drifter would be joining them, though he raised no objection. His eyes kept darting to Drifter''s face as they walked, nervously turning away whenever he turned to him. Drifter didn''t need to be a genius to see that Nautilus had very low self-esteem, and was very uncomfortable around others who were not Yuna.

    Speaking of the musician, Drifter raised an eyebrow at her and gestured subtly at Nautilus, asking silently if he should leave. His answer was a mischievous wink, which allowed him to know that Yuna was aware of Nautilus''s problem, and had invited him in the hopes of getting the boy to open up.

    Drifter went along with it. It was the least he could do to repay Yuna after the girl decided to treat him to lunch.

    They made some small talk along the way, Nautilus only ever talking when Yuna pulled him into the conversation. Seeing how he relaxed whenever that happened, Drifter guessed the two were old friends in real life.

    "Here we are!"

    Yuna''s cheerful announcement caused more than a few heads to turn when they entered the restaurant, and more than one gaze lingered on her. It was nothing uncommon to see beautiful avatars in other games, but After Kayaba''s little mirror stunt, everyone in SAO had their real appearances, meaning Yuna was just as pretty here as she was in real life. Not that anybody was in the mood to flirt these days, especially after seeing she already had company.

    The trio sat on one of the tables closer to the small stage at the back of the restaurant, where an NPC was currently playing a merry melody that did not at all fit the mood of most players. Yuna seemed to like it though, and was humming along. Drifter looked inquisitively at Nautilus, As if asking if she always did that, and for the first time the quiet player showed an emotion other than anxiety when facing Drifter. With a small smile, he nodded lightly.

    Drifter returned the gesture, then raised his hand to call for a waiter. He intended on putting on his order, but a small hand firmly grasped his wrist, and wrestled his arm down. He glanced at the songstress, who was glaring at him in what she probably thought was a menacing way, but which Drifter could only classify as ''too cute''.

    "I invited you. It''s my treat."

    Her stern tone of voice left no room for refusal, so Drifter could only shake his head helplessly.

    "All righty, then. Don''t blame me for burning a hole in your wallet though."

    Although he said that, Drifter chose one of the cheapest meals on the menu. Like all other players, Yuna didn''t have had too much cor at hand, so she didn''t insist he got something better. Her frown gone, she happily called the waiter. The way restaurants worked in SAO, the moment you put in your order, you would receive a prompt to pay for the meal, so in this case, the girl had to order for all three of them.

    Like always, the food arrived quickly. Since the cooks inside the kitchen were probably just willing it into existence, Drifter didn''t understand why they didn''t just make it appear on their table directly. An attempt at realism, maybe? Not that he was complaining, it was always better to get your meal delivered to you quickly.

    "I have to say, I didn''t think I would find someone like you here, Yuna."

    "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "Well, you are a musician. No offense, but in a world of sword fighting, that was not what I was expecting. Not that I dislike it, though. That song you were playing was just what I needed after traveling from the Town of Beginnings to Tolbana. I didn''t realize how tense I was until I relaxed because of it."

    Yuna beamed at the praise, and even Nautilus smiled, as if he had been the one to be complimented. It seemed that anything related to Yuna was reason to make him happy. Drifter silently mused that, while the two young players weren''t in a relationship, at least one of them was interested in the other. But it didn''t concern him, so he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.

    "It''s a support skill, << Musical Instruments >>. It''s in the same category as forging, cooking, carpentry, appraisal, and so on."

    "I see. I kinda ignored those in favor of combat skills. Cooking, though... I might pick that one up."

    "Oh? Do you like cooking?"

    Drifter took a sip of his drink, and nodded to Nautilus, who seemed suddenly interested in the topic.

    "Yeah. Always did. Though I only started taking it more seriously after I moved out of my parents'' house. After two weeks of only eating instant noodles, I made a point of always having some ingredients at home, so I could have some variety, even if it''s just something quick."

    "Woah. That''s impressive. My dad never let me close to the kitchen. Ei... Naut is a great cook, though! Isn''t that right?"

    "Err..."

    "Really? We will have to test that someday."

    Drifter purposely ignored the slight slip of the tongue. He also hadn''t told anyone his real name. For as long as he stayed in SAO, he would be just Drifter. Sharing little things like his love of cooking wasn''t much, but anything more personal was... Well, personal. No matter how realistic SAO was, it was not the real world. He couldn''t forget that. He had the feeling that if he did, he would never get out.

    "Still, beautiful as your music is, why are you here in Tolbana?"

    "What? Why can''t we be here?"

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    That seemed to rub Yuna the wrong way. She pouted, and, unlike the fake glare from before, this time she was mad for real. Across from Drifter, Nautilus had crossed his arms in an uncharacteristic display of annoyance. There was also some worry hidden in his eyes. And Yuna''s too, spotted Drifter when he caught the two of them exchanging glances. Looks like he touched a sore spot.

    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to be rude. It''s just... Most of the players here, myself included now, are here because of the labyrinth to the second floor. It''s dangerous."

    "Humph! And you think we can''t take care of ourselves?!"

    Drifter knew he should stop before he really pissed them off. He still wanted to listen to her music, after all. But he had already watched two players die in front of him - admittedly, there was nothing he could do in either case, but it didn''t make him feel any less useless - and he would do everything in his power to prevent more deaths.

    "I know you aren''t weak, Yuna, Nautilus. If you were, you would have never reached Tolbana, and would still be stuck in the Town of Beginnings. But you are focusing on a support skill, so your fighting capabilities can''t be too strong."

    "What about me?! I am a pure fighter! I can protect her!"

    Drifter switched his gaze from Yuna to Nautilus, who had forgotten his shyness and slammed the table. The player twitched when Drifter stared at him, but didn''t back down. Finally, Drifter sighed, got up, bowed, and prepared to leave.

    "I really hope so. I don''t want to have another name disappear from my friend list. Thanks for the meal."

    The duo stared at him, confusion clear in their expressions, as the implications of what Drifter just said sunk in. He sighed again, and turned around after giving them one last glance. Before he could take two steps, he felt someone grabbing him by the back of the collar of his shirt.

    "You haven''t added us as friends yet."

    Now, Drifter might have understood if Yuna was the one to grudgingly grumble those words. It would be very in character for her. But it came as a big surprise when Nautilus pulled him back and forced him to seat back down.

    "What?"

    "You haven''t added us as friends yet. You won''t even know if we d-die if you don''t."

    Now Drifter was properly befuddled. He had just spoken a lot of harsh words, so why the hell was that their take? Also, was it pity he saw in their eyes?

    [ Player Yuna has sent you a friend request. Accept? ]

    [ Player Nautilus has sent you a friend request. Accept? ]

    Struggling to understand this new development, Drifter looked at his two new acquaintances. Nautilus had reverted back to his nervous manners after the outburst, and Yuna appeared hopeful. Drifter got lost in her warm eyes for a few seconds, his fingers hovering over the ''no'' button, until he clicked... ''Yes''.

    His first two friends appeared on the list on his menu. Well, Argo should probably be considered his first friend, but it had slipped both of their minds to send a friend request to each other. Drifter corrected that right away. While waiting for her to accept, he turned back to Yuna, who was smiling joyfully.

    "Yay!"

    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Drifter shook his head. How could this girl look so ethereal when playing music, and so endearingly silly and cute at other moments?

    "Uhmm... If you don''t mind me asking, Drifter, did you... Lose someone? It''s all right if you don''t want to answer."

    Drifter gave a comforting grin to Nautilus, though it didn''t reach his eyes, and both of his table companions noticed it. The ash-brown-haired player stuttered, probably readying an apology, but Drifter stopped him.

    "You could say so, but also not. It was on the first day, before Kayaba''s announcement and everything that followed. I was in a party with this girl. We had just completed a quest, and she was celebrating. And then she just disappeared. Someone on the other side forcefully disconnected her."

    Drifter knew that was the case, because he had looked for and found Meowlen''s name in the Memorial of Life. The memories weren''t pleasant, and not for the first time since getting trapped in SAO, Drifter wished the NPCs sold something stronger than juice.

    His depressing mood must have shown, because Drifter felt a hand on top of his. He looked up from the stain on the table he had been intently staring at, and saw Yuna smiling at him. She didn''t try to fake the fact that it was forced, and she also didn''t try to comfort him. Instead, the songstress picked up her flute, and walked towards the stage.

    After a short few hushed words with the musician, the NPC let Yuna take his place. Her eyes never leaving his, she brought the flute up to her lips, and started playing. A soft, calming melody left the instrument. It started quietly, but seemed to gain strength the more she played, and soon everyone in the restaurant had turned to listen.

    Yuna swayed lightly to her own music, while Drifter watched unblinking. The melody was at the same time sad but captivating, and Drifter, and not just a few other players, clenched their hands and tried, in a futile effort, to stop their tears from falling. Yuna was also crying as she played.

    When she ended the song, a last melancholic note echoing gravely in the silent restaurant, there was no applause. Yuna seemed to be in a stupor, and only broke out when a system message popped up in front of her. Her eyes widened as she read, before she rapidly typed something. Only then she turned to the ten-odd customers who were looking at her. In their eyes, she saw reflected her own emotions.

    "This song is called ''Rest''. It is a promise to all who couldn''t make it, now and after. May they rest finally in peace, because we will live on. They will be with us, their memories the force that drives us to beat this game and escape this prison. Thank you."

    Yuna bowed, and stepped down the stage. She received several nods of acknowledgment in return, and Drifter knew that was better than any applause. He himself nodded resolutely, and gave her hand a light squeeze when she returned to the table. Meanwhile, Nautilus handed Yuna a handkerchief he got from who knows where.

    "Don''t worry, Yun''. We will survive this. I will make sure of it."

    "I trust you, Naut. And you too, Drifter. It wasn''t your fault, and you know that."

    "Hmm. Yeah... Doesn''t make it any less upsetting, though. But your song, it helped. You were right. We will beat this game, and get out of this hell."

    Yuna smiled, then, seemingly remembering something, pulled up her menu. Neither Drifter nor Nautilus could see what she was doing thanks to the privacy setting, but she seemed to be looking for something. And she found it.

    "This!"

    "What happened?"

    "When I finished the song, there was a prompt for me to name it. Apparently, now it is part of my repertoire. Kinda like a skill. It''s under << Musical Instruments >>."

    Drifter and Nautilus exchanged glances. The younger boy couldn''t help but question her.

    "Like a skill? Then what are it''s effects?"

    "Er... Healing. Whenever I play it, anyone in my party will get a passive health regeneration effect. It doesn''t say how much it actually heals, though."

    "Hiss! We have to test that. And also, we can''t let anyone find out about it. I know a certain rat who would pay a fortune for that information. And would also sell it for a fortune."

    Drifter and Nautilus both seemed to have the same idea, because they sneakily peered at the other clients, worried someone would overhear their conversation.

    "Drifter is right, Yuna. In a world where the only way to heal is through potions, you are basically a health restoring machine. I can''t even imagine what people would do to get you in their parties if they discovered that. You can''t tell anyone, got it?"

    To his credit, Nautilus didn''t throw even one suspicious or distrustful glance at Drifter. It seemed the boy had already accepted him as part of their little group. Drifter would do everything in his power to honor that trust.

    "Hmm, I understand. Then... Shall we test it? Drifter?"

    Readily accepting the party invite she sent him, Drifter smiled at his friends.

    "I can''t wait."

 Chapter 7 - Party

    "I suppose they are as good as a target as we can get without going into the labyrinth."

    Nautilus pointed a finger at the pack of << Dire Wolves >> waiting in ambush a few dozen meters away. Drifter took a look and nodded. Nautilus and Yuna were both too low-level to go into the labyrinth for now. Yuna had used most of her time to get her << Musical Instruments >> up, and Nautilus never left her side, so he didn''t get much of a chance to level. They only reached Tolbana because they were with a bigger group of players at the time. And, while Drifter was confident in taking care of them if things went wrong with the << Dire Wolves >>, the same couldn''t be said for the much stronger << Ruin Kobolds >> inside the dungeon.

    "This should do. Let''s kill all of them but one first. Remember, safety above all else. We can always find more mobs later."

    "Got it."

    "Let''s do it!"

    Without much surprise, Drifter had become the leader of their small party. He was older, higher leveled, and his years in the workforce added a certain amount of maturity to his words which, according to Yuna, reminded his two younger companions of their teachers. Drifter wasn''t sure how he felt about that comparison.

    Anyway, now wasn''t the time to think about that. He followed closely as Nautilus took point against the four wolves, shield on his left arm, and a one-handed curved blade on the other. Drifter was right behind him, planning on using his longer reach to keep any mobs from flanking the other player. Finally, Yuna stood a little farther away, holding her flute. She was originally a dagger user, and the weapon was still hanging on her waist in case anything unexpected happened.

    "Grrr... Rargh!"

    Nautilus blocked as the first << Dire Wolf >> lunged at him, and pushed the mob away with his shield. Even as he took a step back due to the impact, his sword struck down with surprising speed, leaving a red gash across the animal''s flank. Drifter followed with a blow of his own, impaling the mob through the eye, and killing it immediately.

    He didn''t stop there, though. Two days of fighting alone against this kind of mob had allowed him to understand their attack patterns. He swiped his spear to the right, catching a << Dire Wolf >> which was aiming for Nautilus'' unguarded side. The blade user had his hands full at the moment, dealing with the third wolf.

    That left the fourth and last mob free to do whatever it wanted. Following whatever code it was that decided it''s aggro, the monster rushed at Drifter, who had just dispatched his second target.

    Very calmly, the spearman spun, and hit the mob in the snout with the blunt end of his weapon. While it dealt a lot less damage - which suited their purposes - the blow stunned the << Dire Wolf >> for a few seconds. Normally, that would be the time to finish it off, but instead Drifter turned to look at Nautilus, who had just slain his enemy, his health bar also untouched.

    "Step back, Nautilus. Yuna, if you would."

    As they had discussed beforehand, now that only one mob was left, Nautilus left the battlefield for Drifter, who had the highest HP out of the three. Meanwhile, Yuna brought her flute to her lips, and started playing ''Rest''.

    Drifter noticed that a blue cross appeared next to his name in the HUD as soon as he heard the first note of the song. When he allowed the << Dire Wolf >> to hit him once, taking away about 7% of his health, it started regenerating.

    "It''s working!"

    Yuna''s eyes sparkled with joy, but she didn''t interrupt the music. Nautilus grinned, and joined the fight, and the two made quick work of the poor mob.

    "Great! How''s the rate?"

    Drifter didn''t answer immediately. He was staring intently at his health bar until it was back to full. Only then did he focus on his two nervous companions - Yuna more so than Nautilus.

    "About 1 percent every three seconds."

    Yuna''s eyes visibly dimmed, the joy fading away and replaced by disappointment.

    "That''s... Not a lot."

    It was understandable that the songstress was feeling down. She wasn''t a bad fighter, but she loved music, and, if she could incorporate it into her playstyle, she was sure she would be much more useful to Nautilus and Drifter.

    Drifter could see that his new friend was overthinking things. He patted her head, which prompted Yuna to look up, and smiled.

    "It''s not as bad as you think, Yuna. To start with, that''s a party-wide health regen, and for free on top of that. Not only that, but you just acquired this skill, it is still zero out of a thousand proficiency - or one out of a thousand now, I suppose. Point is, it will get stronger over time, and so will you."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Like magic, Yuna''s face brightened up, and she hugged Drifter. Stunned, he was trying to figure out if he should return the gesture or not when the songstress dragged Nautilus into it, and Drifter almost stabbed him with the spear he was still holding. The two men looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

    When they finally stopped giggling, and Yuna released them, the three felt they had become a lot closer. The trio then spent the rest of the afternoon getting used to fighting together. Nautilus and Drifter''s teamwork slowly became more and more seamless. They still had a long way to go, but it was a start.

    When the sun started to set, marking the end of their third day in SAO, they returned to Tolbana. Nautilus and Yuna went to the inn, while Drifter decided to wander around the city some more. The players who went to the labyrinth should start to come back soon, and he wanted first-hand intel before jumping into what was most certainly the most dangerous area of Aincrad up till now.

    "I''m an idiot!"

    Suddenly, Drifter stopped and slapped his forehead. If he wanted information, there was one person he could - no, had to ask.

    Pulling up his menu, he saw that Argo had accepted his friend request. That would make talking to her a lot easier.

    [ Drifter: Hey Argo, u there? ]

    Not even ten seconds later, his HUD pinged.

    [ Argo: What up Kii-bou? Miss me already? ]

    Rolling his eyes, he decided to entertain her.

    [ Drifter: Yeah. How is my favorite little rat doing? Scammed... I mean, scored many pieces of information today? ]

    [ Argo: Ya know ya can''t stutter on a written message, dontcha?! ]

    [ Drifter: If YA can write in slangs, I can stutter. ]

    [ Argo: I regret befriendin'' ya. ]

    Drifter chuckled, causing a few players to throw him odd looks.

    [ Drifter: No you don''t. But enough horsing around. I want to ask about the labyrinth. ]

    This time Argo''s answer took a while to come. If it was yesterday, he might just think she was busy with other things. After witnessing her fragile side this morning, however, he could picture the info broker twisting her whiskers in deep thought. And, just as expected, her message was short.

    [ Argo: So you are going in there, huh? Promise you will be careful? ]

    Drifter smiled. It was nice to have a little sister who worried for you. It was particularly awesome when said little sister also happened to be a skilled informant.

    [ Drifter: I don''t plan on bitting the dust so early. ]

    [ Argo: Aight. ]

    After receiving her confirmation, Drifter waited. And then he waited some more. Only after five minutes had passed, and he was starting to question what was taking Argo so long, he remembered who he was talking to. Smiling wryly, he typed another message.

    [ Drifter: How much? ]

    [ Argo: That''s my boy. I ain''t got much for now, so fifteen hundred cor will do. :) ]

    Of course there was a smiley face at the end of her sentence. Why wouldn''t there be? Sighing, Drifter watched as most of his money drained away. At least Argo''s intel was worth it. From mobs'' attacks to a small and incomplete map of what parts of the labyrinth had been explored until now, it had pretty much everything Drifter could want. Just before closing his message tab, he saw one last notification from Argo.

    [ Argo: Take care. ]

    Grinning, Drifter switched his eyes back to the city. As he expected, night had brought a different kind of hustle. He saw lots of tired faces, and not just a few shaken ones. There was even a man sitting on the ground, hugging his knees and crying. Others were trying to comfort him, but it didn''t seem to make an effect. Drifter dreaded to think what brought out such display.

    It wasn''t his place to interfere, so he tore his gaze away. Most players who were entering Tolbana now seemed exhausted, their armor and equipment in shambles. Just another reminder of how much harder the labyrinth was compared to the maps outside.

    But any player who could survive the labyrinth was either very good, or very lucky. Drifter was willing to bet the former was the majority. And having so many elite players in one place created opportunities.

    All around, he saw people trading, forming parties, bartering, buying, and selling. Once again, he was impressed by how strong-willed they were.

    "Hey, it''s you again!"

    Drifter had noticed the merchant from earlier, Agil, from the moment he entered the plaza. It was hard not to, considering how tall he was. His small shop seemed to be doing well, if the number of players looking for replacements for their broken equipment was anything to measure by.

    Drifter''s eyes were instantly attracted to one of his wares. A rusty old spear, seemingly made entirely of iron. He could tell that, ugly as it looked, it was much better than the << Old Soldier''s Spear >> he currently used.

    "Did this catch your fancy? Take a look at it."

    Agil also noticed his interest, and threw the weapon to him. He wasn''t worried about Drifter stealing it, since it belonged to him, and he could store it back in his inventory any time he wished.

    Drifter caught the spear, and felt it was much heavier than his own. He swiped a finger over it to look at it''s status, and whistled. It was simply called << Kobold Spear >>, but it was stronger than his current weapon by a mile. Unfortunately, that was reflected in the cost.

    Sighing in dejection, he handed the weapon back to Agil. The merchant wasn''t too fussed, and threw him an understanding gaze. In a show of kindness, he told Drifter where he could get a << Kobold Spear >> for free.

    "Those drop from dungeon mobs. But you better not go into the labyrinth willy-nilly. A new weapon won''t do you any good if you are dead."

    The black man subtly gestured towards the crying man from earlier with his head, a grave expression on his face.

    "They met two << Ruin Kobold >> patrols at the same time. Only he and one more managed to make it back."

    "I see... Fuck this game."

    "Hah! Couldn''t agree more, buddy. Anyway, be careful out there."

    "I will. Expect me to become one of your patrons when I get a bit more cor, Agil. See you around."

    "I will be waiting. See ya!"

    After looking around and coming to terms with the fact that he was essentially broke after buying the intel from Argo, Drifter returned to the inn. He found Yuna and Nautilus sitting together while she hummed a tune. He joined them, and so ended his third day inside the deadly game known as Sword Art Online.

 Chapter 8 - 1st Floor Labyrinth

    November 9th 2022, Aincrad 1st floor, Tolbana.

    It was the middle of the morning, and Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus were standing just outside of Tolbana. Drifter was, at this moment, trying - and failing - to appease a very pissed-off Yuna. He hadn''t thought she would have that great of a reaction when he told them that he would be going to the labyrinth today. Alone.

    "I just don''t understand?! Why can''t we stay together?! Why do you want to go there?!"

    Drifter glanced at Nautilus pleading for aid, but the boy refused to look at him. He seemed intent on ignoring Drifter. He sighed.

    "Honestly, I''m a bit over-leveled for the mobs outside, Yuna. And you and Nautilus proved more than capable of taking care of yourselves."

    "Then we will go with you!"

    "No!"

    "Why not?! Humph! You said yourself we are very capable!"

    "It''s different. I talked with a lot of people and bought Argo''s intel. The mobs inside the tower are much more dangerous."

    "Another reason for you not to go!"

    Yuna crossed her arms and glared at Drifter. He could do little but scratch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

    "Listen, Yuna. If I want to get stronger, that''s where I have to be."

    "Why are you so fixated I''m getting stronger?!"

    "So we can get out of this hell escape."

    Aincrad definitely didn''t look like a hell escape. Just the 1st floor was already a beautiful place, full of plains, grassy hills, forests, and clean rivers. But to Drifter, to any player, this was their personal hell. And Yuna knew that.

    "Can''t... Can''t you just wait a few more days? Naut and I will work hard! We will get to level 8 before you know it."

    It was a tempting proposition. Having someone to watch your back while you fought was at the very least reassuring. But Drifter shook his head. Yuna stomped the ground, unhappy, but knew it was impossible to change his mind.

    "All right. But only for two days, you hear me? Two days! Then we will be joining you whether you like it or not!"

    Drifter raised his hands in surrender. Yuna was still very angry, because she grabbed Nautilus''s arm and dragged him away. The player, who seemed to find a kindred spirit in Drifter after the scolding session, raised a fist in goodbye before quickly lowering it when Yuna poked him in the ribs. Despite knowing that would just upset her more, Drifter couldn''t help but chuckle.

    After the two had left, he walked towards the entrance to the 1st floor labyrinth, killing a few mobs along the way. Not much later, he arrived at the base of the giant tower that connected two floors of Aincrad. In front of him was a gate which wouldn''t look out of place in a palace.

    Without hesitation, Drifter entered. The labyrinth was composed of countless passages, bridges, and paths. The cardinal directions seemed to stop working as soon as he set foot inside. Luckily his map would automatically update as he walked, or he would be really worried about never finding his way out. Argo''s guide was also undeniably helpful in this situation.

    Drifter made slow progress in the labyrinth. Sliding his spear off of his back, he took careful, measured steps. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but everything he had learned about this place pointed to just one thing: make a single wrong move, and you are done.

    His caution paid off, and he heard the mobs before he saw them. Tightening his grip on his spear, he peeked around the corner, and saw three bipedal monsters. They looked like a mix between humans and dogs, with red skin and cruel little beady eyes.

    Unlike the mobs outside, those << Ruin Kobolds >> used weapons, and one of them even had a piece of armor. Two of them were holding short one-handed axes, and the third had the same spear Agil was selling. Maybe, if Drifter was lucky, it would drop. But he had to kill them first for that to happen.

    Taking a deep breath, Drifter turned the corner, instantly catching the aggro of the mobs. They snarled, and rushed at him. Drifter stabbed the one in front of the pack, but the << Ruin Kobold >> sidestepped, and his spearhead only nicked it''s skin, barely taking off a few percents of it''s health.

    Drifter wasn''t expecting the monsters to be so agile, and panicked slightly when the kobold closed in on him, axe raised. It was one thing to read about it in Argo''s guidebook, and another entirely to face the real thing.

    Stumbling back, Drifter raised his spear and hurriedly blocked the blow. A small part of his mind saw how a good fourth of the weapon''s durability vanished. The bigger part of it was focused on staying alive.

    Both staggered back when they clashed, but Drifter recovered faster than the << Ruin Kobold >>. Instead of going for a counterattack, the player took the chance to put some distance between them, at the same time dodging the other two mobs.

    After steadying himself, Drifter scanned his opponents. Their AI didn''t allow them to think too deeply, so instead of encircling him, all three were attacking head-on. A perfect opportunity to test out his newest skill.

    Drifter''s spear glowed green, and he swung out two times, from the left to the right, and then back to the left. All three mobs were caught by the swipes, the one in the middle particularly so, it''s health bar dropping to yellow.

    << Horizontal Arc >> had been unlocked yesterday, after Drifter''s << One-handed Lance >> mastery reached 90 points. It was a simple skill, basically adding one more attack to << Horizontal >>. It was also damn useful.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    During the second-long cooldown, Drifter didn''t stay idle. He had learned the hard way that staying still while waiting for your skill to recharge was both a waste of time and a vulnerability. So, he filled that gap with two normal strikes, all aimed at the << Ruin Kobold >> with the lowest health. Something every player, every fighter knew was that when you were outnumbered, you should focus on dwindling the enemies'' numbers. It was better to fully kill one mob than to heavily damage all.

    As the << Ruin Kobold''s >> health reached red, the patrol also recovered from the staggering effect of << Horizontal Arc >>. One of them came up of his right, the one-handed axe aimed at Drifter''s midsection. Another was trying to chop off his head.

    Right then, Drifter made a quick - and probably bad - choice. Instead of retreating or defending, he pressed on. Activating << Rage Spike >>, he leaped forward, dodging the kobold trying to decapitate him. That would almost certainly be a critical strike, and he didn''t want to see how much that would take off of his health. Unfortunately, that also meant he couldn''t completely avoid the mob on his right.

    His spear impaled the center << Ruin Kobold >> and shattered it into pixels at the same moment the axe dug into his flank. If this was real life, Drifter''s guts would most certainly be spilling on the ground and he would be passed out due to the pain. But this was SAO, so he just grunted when the impact forced him back, and watched his HP drop by a good 30%.

    It was worth it. With just two enemies to deal with, Drifter became much more at ease. While chugging a health potion - gods, those tasted awful - he dodged two strikes from the << Ruin Kobolds >>. With a << Horizontal >>, he dispatched the second mob.

    Unconsciously, Drifter relaxed. After all, he just had one more kobold, already in yellow, to slay. And as it always goes, it was right then that things went wrong.

    The axe in the << Ruin Kobold''s >> hand suddenly glowed red, and accelerated. A small part of Drifter''s brain recognized that as the one-handed axe skill << Double Cleave >>. He had read about it in Argo''s guidebook, but in the heat of the moment, he forgot that << Ruin Kobolds >> were demi-human mobs, and, as such, could also use sword skills. That memory lapse almost cost him his life.

    Unable to dodge in time, Drifter was hit head-on by the skill, two savage strikes leaving deep cuts in his chest. His health, which had recovered to full after the potion, instantly fell to the lower end of yellow, almost red. If it wasn''t for the chest armor he was wearing, Drifter would be in fatal danger. As it was, he was still very much terrified.

    "Arghh!"

    In a desperate bid to survive, he kicked the kobold. It did next to no damage, but it forced the mob far enough back that he could rear back his spear, and thrust it through the mob''s neck. He did it once, twice, thrice, until he wiped out the << Ruin Kobold''s >> health.

    Panting heavily, Drifter crumbled to the ground. Hugging his spear like some sort of comfort pillow, he glanced at the health bar in the top left corner of his vision. That was close. Too close. He had gotten overconfident. Complacent.

    "Hah... Hahaha... Yuna can''t ever know about this. I would never hear the end of it."

    While waiting for his HP to slowly recover through the passive regeneration when out of combat, and aided by a health potion, Drifter skimmed through the notifications he received.

    ''Woah.''

    It was no surprise the players in Tolbana were so much stronger than others. Just eliminating a single kobold patrol had filled almost half of his experience bar. Granted, he was alone so he didn''t have to split the experience with anyone, and he had almost died, but still... The only unfortunate thing was that the << Kobold Spear >> he wanted hadn''t dropped.

    What it had dropped was a lot of materials, however. Those would sell for quite a bit. Or maybe he should keep them, and use it to enhance his and his party''s equipment. And also... Drifter clicked on a certain item, and watched a chunk of raw meat materialize in his hands. He had to fight the urge to throw it away. That would be one ingredient he would not be using. Ever.

    Storing it away, Drifter got up. When he looked at the depths of the tower, his gaze was filled with determination like never before. He had survived his first fight in here. The labyrinth hadn''t conquered him, never mind how close it had come. SAO hadn''t conquered him. He would conquer it.

    He continued, this time even more carefully. Drifter encountered and destroyed another two patrols of << Ruin Kobolds >> before he heard the sounds of fighting. After hesitating for a few seconds, he clenched his teeth and rushed towards the noise. It might be a bad decision, but he would hate himself if he later discovered another party had been annihilated, and that it might have been because of his inaction.

    When he rounded the corner, Drifter saw a party of four fighting three of the mobs. Two of the players, who used shields, were holding back an enemy each, focusing on defending rather than attacking. The remaining players, two sword users, were teaming up to face the last << Ruin Kobold >>. All of their health bars were in the green.

    Drifter stopped a distance away from them, and sighed in relief. The party had good coordination, and seemed to be able to handle the kobold patrol with ease. They were still wary of their surroundings, and had noticed Drifter as soon as he arrived. He raised a hand in greeting.

    "Do you need any help?"

    "No... Ugh... But thanks!"

    Drifter nodded, and took a few steps back to avoid entering the aggro range of the mobs by mistake or distracting the fighters. Despite the party leader''s rejection, he decided to stay nearby until their scuffle ended, just in case anything went wrong. Luckily, it didn''t.

    After the two who were ganging up on the << Ruin Kobold >> finished it off, they joined hands with the third player, and then the fourth, making quick work of the remaining mobs. Drifter thought to himself that Yuna and Nautilus really did need to level up quickly. It would be much easier, not to mention safer, if he had his friends with him.

    Walking up to them, Drifter greeted the players. He seemed to have left a good impression, because they were very friendly. The party leader, a light blue-haired - how? - player who went by Diavel, shook his hand.

    "Thanks for the offer to help, and for sticking around. It''s good to know there''s someone out there willing to offer a hand to those in need."

    "Anyone would have done the same."

    Drifter gave a polite reply, which both Diavel and his companions seemed to find funny, judging by the chuckles.

    "I played enough MMOs to know that''s not true. But let''s hope you are right. I will see you around, man. Thanks again."

    Drifter nodded, and the party walked off. They didn''t question why he was alone, nor they offered for him to join them, and he was more than okay with that. He would have rejected anyways. It was one thing before, but now that they knew SAO was a death game, everyone had become much warier of strangers.

    Shaking his head, Drifter chose a path different than the one Diavel and the others had gone. There were a few hours still until he had to return to Tolbana.

 Chapter 9 - The Blacksmith

    "Grr... Argh!"

    "Humph!"

    Bringing his spear in a downright swing, Drifter split open the head of a << Ruin Kobold >>. In the same movement, he crouched and amputated the leg of another. The mob fell, snarling and still trying to bite him, but Drifter was unaffected. He twirled his spear in a display he would never have thought possible four days ago, and stabbed the mob in the chest. It dissipated in polygons, and Drifter examined his rewards.

    This was the thirteenth kobold patrol he had eliminated today, and that had already earned him two entire levels. He had also made a fair bit of money. Not enough to offset what he paid Argo, but that intel had already paid itself many times over.

    Suddenly, Drifter stopped his aimless skimming of the notifications. After giving it a good read to confirm he wasn''t seeing things, a big smile parted his face. Two clicks later, Drifter was holding a << Kobold Spear >> in his hands.

    The weapon wasn''t pretty. Quite ugly, in fact. It was rusty all over, and there seemed to be stains of dry blood covering it. But it was much stronger than his << Old Soldier''s Spear >>. Heavier too. Drifter actually liked that. His stats'' distribution was an even split between strength and dexterity. He would be able to employ them but better with a heavier weapon.

    He gave the << Kobold Spear >> a few test swings, and grinned. He was almost sure this was a weapon that could last him a few floors, as long as he got the proper enhancements for it.

    Now that he had his new weapon, getting better armor was next on the list. Not for himself, but for Yuna. This was something both he and Nautilus agreed on, and refused to budge, much to the songstress''s annoyance. If Yuna was going to play a supporting role, they would at least make sure she was properly equipped to survive.

    Rummaging through his inventory, Drifter frowned. Armor was a problem. The << Ruin Kobolds >> didn''t drop any - presumably because they didn''t wear any - and his party was already equipped with the best you could buy from the NPCs outside. There might be some quests like the ones which rewarded the << Old Soldier''s Spear >> and the << Anneal Blade >>, but those would take time to complete, and even then, would give only one piece of armor, which wasn''t nearly enough for three people.

    Looking at all the crafting materials in his bag - boar hides and tusks, wolf pelts, kobold bones, and more - Drifter thought that it might be time to search for a player craftsman.

    He looked at the time. It was already 5:30 PM. Outside, the sun would have already started to set over Aincrad. Time to go back.

    ...

    [ Drifter: Where are you guys? ]

    [ Nautilus: Almost back. ]

    [ Drifter: I''ll be waiting in the plaza. Meet me there. ]

    After receiving a positive reply, Drifter looked over the shoulder of the player in front of him. More than twenty people to go still.

    As Drifter unfortunately discovered, there were only a couple of NPC blacksmiths in Tolbana. That meant every single player in the city - and that amounted to a few hundred - needed to wait in line to repair their equipment. Quick as it was, Drifter was getting tired. He had spent the entire day fighting, and this was the last thing he needed.

    To distract himself from his boredom, Drifter let his eyes wander. Tolbana was more crowded than yesterday. That made sense. Sooner or later, the ten thousand players - or nine thousand and four hundred now, he grimly thought - would need to leave the Town of Beginnings and explore, unless they wanted to hide there forever, barely scrapping by every day by doing fetch quests. He supposed some would choose to do that, but not many. You could only take so much before going crazy.

    Suddenly, his random gazing stopped as he found something interesting. Sitting cross-legged under a tree was a player. A girl, which was the minority in SAO. But what caught his attention wasn''t her gender, but rather the anvil and tools in front of her. Squeezing his memory, Drifter remembered seeing her in the same spot yesterday. Her impromptu stall was devoid of people.

    Without thinking too much, Drifter left the line and walked over. The brown-haired girl with a bob cut probably hadn''t had a client in a while, because it took her a few seconds to notice him. She even looked around, as if to make sure he wasn''t lost.

    "Can I help you?"

    "I was hoping you could. You are a blacksmith, are you not?"

    The girl''s eyes shot wide open, only now realizing Drifter had come to her because of what was very clearly her profession, and not because he wanted to flirt or berate her.

    "Y-Yes! I am! What do you need?!"

    She scrambled to get up, and, despite already starting to regret his choice, Drifter couldn''t help but chuckle. She reminded him of himself in his first job interview.

    "Relax. I need to repair some equipment."

    Drifter handed the girl his << Old Soldier''s Spear >>. He didn''t quite understand how blacksmithing worked in the game, so he didn''t want to risk what was now his main weapon. However, he figured it would do no harm to let the blacksmith try and repair his first spear. Worst case scenario, he would lose it, but it would have no impact on his fighting capabilities. If, on the other hand, she succeeded, then he could keep it as a backup weapon in case he found himself in a difficult situation.

    Turns out, as he would discover later, he had nothing to worry about. Durability restoring could fail in the hands of a player blacksmith, but it wouldn''t destroy or damage the equipment that was being repaired. The difference between NPCs and players was that an NPC blacksmith would restore the weapon''s durability to full one hundred percent of the time. A player, on the other hand, could not only fail or succeed, but also anywhere in between.

    The scene in front of him was the perfect example. The girl handed the << Old Soldier''s Spear >> back to Drifter with a sheepish and slightly embarrassed smile.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    "There you go. Sorry I couldn''t get it back to tip-top condition. My << Weapon Repairing >> skill is still very low. Hadn''t had many chances to use it."

    From the way the blacksmith was looking down while talking, Drifter got the distinct feeling that, while he might be her first customer in a while, there had been others before, and they hadn''t been happy with only getting half of their weapon''s durability back.

    To be honest, Drifter also wasn''t all that pleased. But he was unable to bring himself to berate the girl, when it was very clear that she had tried her best. After all, the success rate was out of her control.

    "There you go."

    "Heh?!"

    He transferred half of what he would have paid at the NPC repairman to a very stunned blacksmith. When she looked at him with a question in her eyes, any resentment he had left vanished, and he chuckled.

    "This is my backup weapon, so I don''t mind if it''s durability is a little low. I might never use it after all. But I hope you don''t mind that I get my armor repaired with the NPC. The kobolds hit pretty damn hard, and I need it to be as sturdy as it can get."

    "Ah, not at all! Thanks for trusting me with your weapon!"

    "No probs. That''s how the job market works, ain''t it? You need experience, but nobody is willing to hire someone without experience. Your skill''s the same. You need to repair more weapons for it to go up, but no one trusts you because it ain''t high enough. Well, let me be the person that is willing to hire a green hand. Or, in your case, a low-level blacksmith."

    "Oh! T-Thank you!"

    Drifter grinned. He could have let it at that, but they said honesty was the best policy, no? And making more friends couldn''t be bad.

    "Don''t. I will be blunt with you, I have a motive other than goodwill. A not-so-pure one."

    The girl frowned and took a step back, hand reaching for the warhammer in her waist, even if the city was a safe zone. Drifter quickly raised his hands to appease her.

    "Wait, don''t get me wrong! I just want to establish connections! See, I noticed that we can''t get anything better than this from the NPCs and mobs."

    Drifter knocked on his breastplate with a closed fist to emphasize his point. The blacksmith followed his gesture, and nodded in silent agreement. She still hadn''t let her guard down.

    "Well, I deduced that the only way to get better equipment is to have a player make it for you. And you are the first blacksmith that I met, so..."

    Only then did the girl relax completely. She retraced the step she had taken back, and her eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm of someone who was talking about what they loved.

    "You are right! I discovered that too! The equipment the townsfolk sell is too low-quality. Though... I say that, but I haven''t managed to create anything better yet."

    Her voice, full of vigor at the beginning, dropped towards the end. But Drifter shook his head.

    "I imagined so, otherwise there would be players swarming you to buy your stuff. Which is why I said I want to build connections. Even if you can''t make anything good now, it doesn''t mean it will be the same later, right? Look, I have some materials I got today. Even some ore from a quest I did. I will give them to you, and you try and forge armor. Even if you don''t make anything worthwhile at the start, you can hand them to me, and I can sell them to the NPCs to make back some cash. Consider it payment for the mats. It''s a win-win. You raise the mastery of your skills, and I get first pick when you end up forging armor that''s better than that crap they sell around here."

    Honestly, Drifter thought he was making a pretty sweet offer. After all, he wasn''t asking the girl to make him equipment for free just because he once gave her some materials. He just wanted to get to choose first before she showed whatever she made to other players. But even he wasn''t expecting her to jump on his proposition without so much as a second thought. But that was exactly what happened.

    "I accept! I accept! Thank you so much! You have no idea how desperate I was getting."

    The two of them spent the next minutes talking things through. Drifter discovered that her name was Lisbeth, or Liz for short, and sent her a friend invite which she readily accepted. Apparently, apart from << Weapon Repairing >>, Liz only had two other support skills in her repertoire, << Light Metal Armor Forging >> and << Metal Armor Repairing >>, both of which suited Drifter and his party perfectly. Be it him, Nautilus, or Yuna, none had enough stat points in vitality to use heavy armor. Yuna, in fact, was leaning more towards the soft and flexible leather armor.

    Speaking of his friends, Drifter saw them arriving at the plaza, and waved. They spotted Liz, and exchanged glances between themselves before walking over. Yuna had a teasing smile on her lips.

    "Say, Drifter, do you just talk to every pretty girl you see? ''Cause you are two for two."

    The songstress was obviously referring to herself. Meanwhile, Liz blushed bright red at being called pretty. Drifter sighed, and flicked Yuna on the forehead, which had Nautilus holding back a snicker.

    "If I remember correctly, it was you who approached me first, miss. Anyway, Liz, those are Yuna and Nautilus, my party members. Yuna, Nautilus, meet Liz, Aincrad''s most skilled blacksmith. At least that''s the hope."

    That got both of his friends'' interest. While Liz was trying to explain that she wasn''t that good and Drifter was exaggerating, Yuna completely overrode her argument, and pulled the girl into a conversation, leaving the two boys standing confused.

    The two players exchanged glances, and Drifter promptly started to giggle. Nautilus seemed to have gone back into his shell due to having to talk to someone other than Yuna and Drifter, but he was sure the boy would open up with time. Taking the bread that Nautilus offered him, Drifter sat down and started composing a message to Argo.

    [ Drifter: Met a blacksmith today. Lisbeth. Thought you might be interested. She is not that great, but from what I''ve seen it is because no one was willing to let her try. I struck a deal with her, I supply the mats, and get first pick. ]

    [ Argo: Oh? For someone who wasn''t wantin'' to leave the starting town, ya sure made a lotta friends hella quick, Dri-bou. Even formed a party, aye? ]

    [ Drifter: How did you even know that? ]

    [ Argo: It''s my job, ain''t it? I hear things. But ''bout that blacksmith ya was tellin'' me. What do ya want for that? ]

    Drifter chuckled. Friends they may be, the info broker wasn''t about to take his intel for free. Business was business.

    [ Drifter: Do you know anything about better ores or mats than what''s readily available? ]

    [ Argo: Hold one. I will get back to ya. ]

    Using the small intermission, Drifter raised his head and saw Liz enthusiastically explaining about each of her tools to a curious Yuna, while Nautilus watched from a distance with a smile.

    He saw some players hesitantly approaching, probably attracted by the fact that three people had been crowding around Liz''s blacksmithing station for a while. The short-haired girl would probably squeal in excitement when she noticed.

    His HUD pinged with a new message from Argo, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand.

    [ Argo: 250 cor. ]

    Drifter had figured that just what he told her about Liz wouldn''t be enough for the info broker, and he was right. He quickly sent her the fee.

    [ Argo: In the beta there was a spot at the northwest of the 1st floor, by the riverside. There''re some fish monsters that used to drop mats that could be used for forgin''. A player confirmed the mobs still exist, but he was too low-level to kill one so I don''t know if drops are still the same. ]

    [ Drifter: Got it. Can I exchange some information about the mobs for intel about whatever it is that they drop? ]

    [ Argo: Deal. But remember this is old info. Kayaba might have changed things from the beta. ]

    [ Drifter: I will be careful. Thanks little rat. ]

    [ Argo: Ya gonna pay for the teasing someday, Dri-bou. Smell ya. ]

    Drifter chuckled as he closed the message tab, and clapped his hands to get Yuna''s and Nautilus''s attention.

    "What do you think about a field trip?"

 Chapter 10 - Field Trip

    The fifth day of imprisonment of the SAO players dawned just as beautiful as the four others before. Drifter was starting to really hate this always perfect weather.

    But he made an effort to look like he was enjoying it, because Yuna looked happy. He really admired her simplicity. Not that Yuna was dumb or slow in any way, of course. Quite the opposite. She was scary smart, he had already discovered. But she was also really good at enjoying the moment. In her own words, ''since we are already stuck here, might as well make the most of it''.

    And, Drifter had to be honest, when she started playing music, the day got a lot more bearable. Not for the first time, Drifter thought that Yuna wasn''t just good, she was a genius.

    Drifter hung back as Nautilus fought two << Frenzy Boars >>. He wanted to help originally, but it turned out that his level was high enough that he could one-shot the mobs. Since one of their objectives today was to gain some fighting experience, Drifter would only interfere if his friends were in trouble.

    Luckily, it didn''t seem necessary. Nautilus was a natural with his curved blade, and had been making huge progress in his techniques since yesterday. And while Yuna was more of a support class player, she also could hold her own with her dagger.

    So, the trio made good time to the river Argo had told Drifter about. He also couldn''t help but notice that mobs grew tougher the farthest they were from the starting area, the Town of Beginnings. Here, on the the exact opposite end of the 1st floor, a pack of << Dire Wolves >> could probably give a singular << Ruin Kobold >> a run for their money.

    The party still took care of them with ease, however. After his near-death experience yesterday - which he hadn''t told his friends about yet, neither planned on doing anytime soon - Drifter felt stronger than before. It wasn''t like his stats had grown or he learned new skills, but more like understood things better. Didn''t people say that when you almost died, time seemed to slow down and your life flashed before your eyes? Well, Drifter felt like that, only all the time. And, from what he had gathered, he wasn''t the only one.

    Drifter was reminded of the player he had seen when he was leaving the labyrinth yesterday. At first he looked just like any other teenager - with a sword, but this was SAO after all - but then Drifter caught a glimpse of him fighting. The way the boy positioned himself and fought was very reminiscent of what Drifter himself learned to do. He knew just from that that the player had faced a life-threatening situation too.

    "Hey, I hear running water."

    Nautilus pointed towards a small cluster of trees to their left. When Drifter strained his ears, he also heard the river. Activating << Searching >>, he saw blue streaks flowing past the treeline.

    "Yup, it''s over there all right. Be careful now, Argo mentioned the << Cyan Rock Fish >> are stronger than normal mobs. Yuna, stay at the back, and be ready to play Rest."

    The songstress nodded, and Drifter walked a few steps forward to stand in line with Nautilus. According to the guidebook, the << Cyan Rock Fish''s >> primary attack method was to shoot out of the water and smash into unsuspecting players. They were appropriately named after their rock-hard bright cyan scales, so it was a no-brainer that they hit hard. At the same time, however, if you could withstand the first attack and trap them on land, the mobs would be pretty much defenseless.

    Since they had been forewarned, the party was keeping an eye out for the telltale signs of the << Cyan Rock Fish >> attacking, such as a shadow under the water. This was harder to spot than one would imagine, since the river was quite fast flowing. Drifter only saw the mob half a second before it charged out of the water and towards his head.

    It was enough time to raise his spear, though. Unable to change directions in mid-air, the << Cyan Rock Fish >> crashed straight into Drifter''s << Kobold Spear >>. Instead of being skewered, however, the mob slid across the spearhead, losing a third of it''s health, and barreling straight into a tree. The plant groaned and cracked, before breaking in half.

    "Holy..."

    The trio looked at the downed tree with wide-open eyes. It was no wonder Argo''s informant hadn''t managed to kill the mob. With such force, it was a surprise they hadn''t been the ones to die instead.

    "Err... You know how the plan was for me to use my shield to block? How about... No?"

    "Yup."

    "Agreed."

    The trio stared at the fish flopping on the ground, slowly but surely making it''s way back to the river. Not that they would ever allow that. Taking advantage of the fact that it was quite literally defenseless, Drifter and Nautilus quickly stabbed it to death. Even Yuna got in on the action with her dagger. When the mob disappeared, she looked through the notifications and pulled out a shiny cyan scale.

    "So, this is what we are looking for?"

    Drifter tapped on the << Cyan Rock Fish Scale >>, and whistled when he saw it''s durability.

    "Yup, that''s definitely it."

    Sending a screenshot of the item to his favorite info broker, Drifter turned to the river, and lifted his spear.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Just gotta get forty-nine more of these."

    ...

    Eventually, they set into a nice rhythm. Drifter was responsible for aggroing the mobs and deflecting their first attack, then Nautilus would come in and finish them off. Meanwhile, Yuna was playing different songs in the background, not because she couldn''t help them, but rather because they has figured that since ''Rest'' could become a skill, so could other songs. Unfortunately, they still had no success as of now.

    The good news was that they had gotten fifty scales, which should be more than enough for Liz to raise her blacksmithing level, and then some.

    "Let''s call it a day?"

    "There''s still a few hours of daytime left. Those things give good experience, but take too long to respawn. Let''s move west a little and grind."

    "Ugh..."

    Drifter ignored Yuna''s groans. He understood that fighting the same mob again and again was boring, but they couldn''t waste time just because of that. Every day they spent doing nothing while inside SAO was a day they lost in the real world.

    ----------------------------

    Toc toc.

    Ogawa Kana looked up from where she had been sitting, holding her son''s hand while he laid in the hospital bed. Her eyes were puffed up from crying, and she couldn''t muster the energy to get up.

    Toc toc.

    When the person outside the hospital room insisted, she forced herself to let go of her son, and answer. The one outside couldn''t be a doctor or nurse, since they wouldn''t knock. Maybe it was one of Itsuki''s friends?

    Walking slowly, like a woman much older than she actually was, Kana made her way to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was a somewhat young man in a suit, with thin glasses and an amicable smile on her face.

    "Miss Ogawa. I''m Kikouka Seijirou, from the Ministry of Internal Affair''s Telecommunications Bureau, Advanced Network Division, Second Office. Do you mind if I enter? I was hoping to talk with you."

    Kana didn''t know what most of what the man said meant, but he seemed... Well, not exactly important, more like an office worker. But he was from the government, so she quickly invited him in, and offered him some tea, which he politely declined.

    "I won''t stay long, Miss Ogawa. You are the sixth relative of a SAO victim I am meeting today, and there are many more on the list."

    "This... Is there some problem with my Itsuki, Mister Seijirou?"

    "Please, just Kikouka will do, Miss Ogawa. And no, there''s nothing wrong - apart from the obvious. This is more of a routine visit. I have been assigned as the lead investigator of the Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force. Me and my team are working our hardest to free the SAO players with as little harm done to their health as possible. I wanted to introduce myself, as well as leave my contact information with you."

    Saying that, Kikouka handed Kana a card with his details, and smiled warmly.

    "I might not be able to answer immediately always, but one of my subordinates will always be available to give you updates on Itsuki''s condition."

    "Thank you. Thank you very much, Mister Seiji... Kikouka."

    Kana made to bow, but was stopped by Kikouka, who had an expression of embarrassment. After making some more small talk, he got up to leave. Kana led him to the door, and gripped his arm before he could cross it.

    "M-My Itsuki... He will be okay, won''t he?"

    Patting the frail mother''s hand, Kikouka nodded with certainty.

    "He will, Miss Ogawa. He already survived past the worst first couple of days. He will be all right."

    Excusing himself, Kikouka gave the young man on the bed one last glance. He couldn''t see his face under the NerveGear. Bowing to Kana, he closed the door softly behind him, his smile turning into a pensive expression.

    Kikouka hadn''t been entirely honest with Kana. While they couldn''t see what was happening inside SAO, his task force could still monitor the vitals of every player, and Itsuki was more active than most. And he wasn''t the only one. All across Japan, several hundred players seemed to be much more active than the rest.

    This was a pattern that seemed to be followed by death in many cases. His team''s best guess was that those players were the ones actively fighting to clear the game, and, as such, were the ones in most risk.

    He didn''t tell Kana that. Better let the woman think her son was safe. Here, from the outside, all they could do was pray, anyway. And Kikouka did just that. He hoped, from the bottom of his heart, that Itsuki survived. Gods knew he didn''t need to see another mother crying over her dead son.

    -----------------------------

    Inside SAO, Drifter had no idea of how he was being monitored, or how Kikouka had put him in a ''pay attention to'' list. Right now, his vitals were probably resulting in very ordinary readings, because he was feeling quite relaxed at the moment. It was incredible how quickly you could get used to being inside a death game. Fighting - more like decimating - wolves and boars had become the norm.

    Looking over his two younger friends, Drifter decided that he would take them to the labyrinth tomorrow. And, as much as he disliked the idea, he would tell them about his near-death experience. Any amount of scolding by Yuna was worth it if it kept them from underestimating the tower or overestimating themselves. As Drifter very nearly discovered, carelessness meant death.

    "Hurray!"

    Shouting came from the distance, and Drifter and Nautilus immediately positioned themselves so that Yuna was protected behind them. It seemed the yelling was of the jouful sort, and it wasn''t directed at them, but you could never be too careful.

    "Should we..."

    "Might as well. But don''t let your guard down."

    When the trio walked towards the commotion, they saw a group of six or seven young man, maybe around Drifter''s age, or just a little older. They were crowding around a redhead with unruly hair and a short stubble, who seemed to be cosplaying as a samurai, if his katana and armor were any indication.

    Whatever it was that just happened, it must be really good, because the group was chattering endlessly. Or maybe they just were like that normally. Anyway, Drifter knew he would have a headache if the other party saw them, so he exchanged glances with Nautilus and Yuna, who seemed to think the same, and promptly turned around and left.

    About an hour later, they arrived in Tolbana. Drifter greeted Agil, who gave him a nod from behind his stall, and walked to Liz. The blacksmith was busy repairing a party''s equipment. It seemed that after their rather lengthy stay at her station yesterday, some people had become interested, and discovered the benefits of going to a player blacksmith - namely, the cheap price.

    Nautilus and Drifter joined the short queue, and Yuna went directly behind the anvil to chat with Liz. Then the songstress winked at her partners, and pulled out her flute. As the upbeat notes started to float out, more players turned their gaze in their direction. Nautilus raised an eyebrow.

    "You know, if your plan was to have Liz become our personal blacksmith, I think Yuna just ruined that."

    "Meh, what can you do? At least the song is good."

    "Hm, that''s one of her favorites. Haven''t heard her play it since... Since we got stuck here."

    Drifter looked at his friend, who had lapsed in sorrowful silence, and smacked his shoulder.

    "Hey, bad as things are, at least she is happy right now, ain''t she?"

    Nautilus looked at Yuna, who smiled with her eyes, but never stopped playing. Slowly, a grin also appeared on his face.

    "Yeah. Let''s keep it that way."

 Chapter 11 - The Crazy and The Mad

    "Uff... Let''s call it a day?"

    Nautilus watched as the last << Ruin Kobold >> vanished into polygons, and nodded. Labyrinth mobs were so much harder to kill than the ones outside that it wasn''t even funny.

    Panting, the ash-brown-haired teen sheathed his blade with a familiarity no sixteen-year-old should have. Brushing the strands of hair falling over his forehead, Nautilus was once again glad Kayaba hadn''t coded sweat into the game.

    "Are you okay, Naut? That last kobold got you good."

    "Yeah, I''m all right, Yun''. It got my arms numb for a while, but I didn''t actually take much damage. Thanks to Liz''s << Cyan Scale Bracers >>."

    While saying that, Nautilus touched said piece of armor. Liz''s newest creation, after many, many tries. The party was all wearing different variations of the cyan scale armor series, all created using the << Cyan Rock Fish Scales >> they brought her a few days ago as the base material. Nautilus had greaves, chestplate, and bracers, which suited his position as the frontliner. Drifter, on the other hand, had foregone the bulkier chestplate, since it would slow him down. Even Yuna was using some << Cyan Scale Light Bracers >> after much insistence from her party members. All in all, there had been an overall increase in survivability for all of them.

    Raising his head, Nautilus snuck a glance at the man walking beside him. Drifter had just turned twenty a few months back, he had gathered from their conversations. Speaking about the real world was quickly becoming taboo amongst SAO players, but some things still slipped through from time to time.

    Anyway, Drifter was twenty, not even four full years older than him. But the young man felt much more mature than him. Maybe it was because Drifter had already stepped into society while he was just a high-schooler, and a sheltered one on top of that.

    Nautilus knew he had a problem. He wasn''t just shy. There was a time in his youth when he actually couldn''t talk with people other than his parents. He would open his mouth, but no sound would come out. It was only when he met Yuna, his cute, cheerful, beloved childhood friend that he got better. Unfortunately, his disease, his defect, wasn''t cured. And it transferred over to SAO along with him.

    He stole a glance at Yuna, who noticed and blinked at him. They still hadn''t told Drifter about the incident. They would have to soon. The change in difficulty from the outside to the labyrinth showed him that SAO would only get more dangerous as they advanced. And his problem could prove deadly, not just for him, but for his entire party.

    He looked over his shoulder to the older man, whose gaze seemed lost in the horizon. Yes, Drifter would have to know. Just... Not right now.

    -------------------------

    A look. A sigh. Another look. Yuna had known Nautilus for long enough to understand he was overthinking again. It was a problem her childhood friend always had. Because of that situation, he tended to always think the worst. She didn''t like that part of him.

    It wasn''t like Yuna didn''t understand why people were sometimes - or all the time - pessimistic. Life wasn''t easy. But she still didn''t like it. She preferred to view the world from a more positive perspective.

    Yuna had grown sheltered. Too sheltered, in fact. Since young, she had been taught by the best tutors, learned everything a rich young lady needed to know. And nothing else. Others might envy her because she lived a perfect life, but to Yuna, she just wanted to feel free.

    That was why she had begged her parents over and over again to play SAO. They were good parents, if a little stern, and knew that of everything she had been forced to learn, Yuna only enjoyed music. So they eventually relented, and allowed her to buy a NerveGear, but not before placing a lot of restrictions. Of course, none of them imagined what Kayaba was going to pull, otherwise they wouldn''t have let her approach the helmet even if she was wearing a hazmat suit.

    She glanced at Drifter, the first one to hear her music other than Nautilus and her parents. Her first fan. Her new friend. He tried to hide it, but Yuna saw the pain inside of him. Emotion was indispensable to true music, and so Yuna had learned to see it in herself, and in others. Drifter blamed himself for the death of the girl he had told them about the day they met. It was drawing on his suffering that she had composed Rest. It was meant to comfort him. Instead, SAO transformed it into a skill. She wasn''t sure how she felt about that.

    Drifter felt responsible for them. Nautilus and her. She had been curious about why that was so. A few days ago, Yuna had asked the info broker, Argo the Rat, about Drifter, and now she understood. Drifter didn''t just lose the first player he met in SAO, but he also saw another commit suicide in front of him, and in neither of the cases he could do anything to help. So when he partied with them, Drifter probably started to feel like he had to protect Nautilus and Yuna. Like it was his responsibility. She wanted to tell him that wasn''t the case, but... She also liked having him around. And she knew even if she confronted him now, it would change nothing. After fighting together for so many days, they had started to care for each other. So she would just have to show him that she was capable of protecting him just as much as he protected her.

    ---------------------------

    Yuna and Nautilus were behaving weirdly today. They tried to be sneaky about it, but Drifter caught them stealing glances at him more than once during their journey back to Tolbana. He was curious as to why, but he trusted they would tell him if it was something he should know.

    He looked at the date on his HUD. Today marked twenty days since they were imprisoned in SAO, and they were still stuck on the 1st floor of Aincrad. At this rhythm, they would never get out. He had a meeting with Argo later tonight to discuss the situation. Something needed to change.

    The info broker had come to Tolbana a few days ago, saying that she wanted to be closer to the biggest source of information there was. He wasn''t sure if she meant the labyrinth or the players. Maybe both. Either way, he welcomed her with open arms. He liked just sitting down and chatting away with her. Even the way they made each other pay for inconsequential and frankly useless intel had become a sort of game between them. One that Drifter was losing miserably, he would admit.

    Yuna had already pointed out that Argo behaved differently around him than she did with others. Drifter had already seen the info broker working more than once. He even helped her intimidate a player who refused to pay for the information he brought. While cheeky and full of sassy responses, Argo could also be very intimidating, and surprisingly scary considering she was shorter than Drifter''s shoulders. But when somebody showed you their claws and made a passing remark about your precious bits, their size didn''t really matter, did it?

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    Argo''s and Drifter''s interactions were different. Not of the romantic kind, he had already made that very clear to Yuna and Nautilus, but more akin to that of a big brother and his little sister. They clicked well together, and understood each other. Drifter saw the weight the girl carried on her shoulders, a beta-tester who knew much about the game''s early stages, and yet couldn''t stop hundreds of players from dying. And Argo saw in him a kindred spirit, who wanted to protect those close to him. And that included her.

    ------------------------

    Yuna, Nautilus, and Drifter were acting strangely today, Liz thought. Well, Nautilus was never one for words, but Yuna and Drifter were usually quite chatty, but not on this occasion. They all seemed to be locked in their inner thoughts. Maybe something happened during their griding session? She was happy to see that her crafts were holding on, though.

    Liz felt attached to the small party. Now she had a full line before her stall almost every day, but they were her first clients, the first ones to trust her. Even if Drifter worded it as if he was taking advantage of her, she knew he always intended to help. Maybe not for some grand, honorable motivation, but just because she was the first blacksmith he saw. Still, it didn''t change the fact that she owed a large part of her recent success to him and his party.

    Thinking of that, she had another rather faithful and early client who she hadn''t seen in a while. That one put quite strange orders in, even quirkier than Drifter''s. Liz would have to introduce them to each other sometime, she had the feeling they would get along.

    ---------------------------

    The sounds of weapons clashing came from deep inside the labyrinth. A slim hooded figure drew her rapier back, and sidestepped the axe of the << Ruin Kobold >> that was attacking her.

    Jumping nimbly over a second mob, she turned in mid-air, and, with her weapon glowing green, unleashed a flurry of blows on the third and fourth monsters. Even as they shattered, she was already dodging a fifth mob. Unfortunately for the player, kobolds always came in multiples of three.

    The sixth << Ruin Kobold >> hit her like a truck. She was barely able to place her rapier between herself and the incoming axe to cushion some of the force behind the blow, but was still sent flying. Her health dipped into the yellow zone.

    Swaying, the player got up, and tightened her grip on the handle of her slim sword. The remaining four << Ruin Kobolds >> were encircling her, and she had her back against the wall. Literally.

    Hmm, so this was how she died. Terrible, but expected. She should never have been here anyway. She could accomplish nothing, not in SAO, and not in real life. She was worthless.

    That didn''t mean she was going down without a fight. As the kobolds roared and charged at her, she lifted her rapier in a well-practiced stance, holding it at chest height, right arm pulled back as far as it could go. Just as she was about to activate the skill, the << Ruin Kobold >> burst into pixels.

    Under her hood, the player blinked at the spot her enemy had just been in. The only evidence it ever existed were the vanishing shards in the air, and the murder weapon, what looked like a really long and sharp nail, thumping on the ground.

    "Don''t just stand there! Fight!"

    She raised her gaze to see another player running towards her. The newcomer had black hair and eyes, was wearing little armor, and seemed very annoyed at her lack of action. Held in between their fingers were three other nails just like the one that killed the << Ruin Kobold >>. Even as she watched, the player waved their hand and threw the weapons, nailing - the pun came to her mind even as she cringed - each of the other kobolds in the back of the head.

    Using the opening, the hooded girl stabbed multiple times with her rapier, killing two of the mobs whose health had already reached the red. She narrowly avoided the axe of the third and last one, and watched as her helper approached and stabbed it deeply in the left flank, slaying the final << Ruin Kobold >>.

    "How are you?"

    She gazed at the other player from under her hood. It was another girl, and now that she was closer, she spotted several nails on her body. Why someone would need so many, she had no idea. But, well, they seemed useful.

    Without saying a word, she sheathed her rapier and walked past the other player. Her fingers idly opened her inventory, and she scowled. She was out of health potions. Just as well. It would be a waste to use them on her anyway.

    ----------------------------

    When she rescued the other girl - and she knew it was a girl beneath that cloak and hood - she wasn''t expecting much. She just saw someone in danger, and came to help. She didn''t need a reward or anything like that. But a ''thank you'' would have been nice.

    Instead, the girl didn''t say a single word during the entire encounter. She just pushed past her, and walked deeper into the labyrinth. Deeper! For gods'' sake, her health was still in the yellow! Did she want to die?!

    No sooner than that thought came to her mind, she froze. That... Was exactly it. The other girl didn''t want to live anymore. There was no other reason why someone would almost die fighting two << Ruin Kobold >> patrols at once, then head deeper into the labyrinth without healing. The hooded girl had a death wish.

    Frowning, she watched the departing figure. If the other player wanted to die, there was nothing she could do. But she couldn''t bring herself to leave, not like that. Not when she knew someone was about to forfeit their life. And it was just as well that she didn''t go, because she saw the girl collapse for no apparent reason. Struggling internally for all of half a second, she cursed and ran.

    "For fuck''s sake!"

    She rushed towards the fallen girl, and grabbed her. Pushing the hood back to get a better look, she paused. She was beautiful. Long chestnut hair, and hazel eyes which were, at the moment, struggling to stay open. Shaking herself out of her brief stunned state at the appearance of the girl, she took out a health potion and forced her patient to drink it. Only when she saw the girl''s health rise back to green that she let out a sigh of relief.

    When the girl finally came back to her senses, they stared at each other for a while. She had the feeling those hazel eyes would be strikingly clear and warm during normal times, but now they were clouded.

    She recognized the emotions hidden deep inside them too well. She had felt the same once. Still did sometimes. This was why when the girl tried to get up and walk away again, still silently, she grabbed her arm.

    "No you don''t, miss. I didn''t make you drink that potion so you could go off and die somewhere. I couldn''t care less before, but if I let you go now, I will feel responsible for the rest of my days. You are coming to Tolbana with me, and we are gonna have a talk. Got it?"

    It was not a question. If she needed to, she would carry the girl to the city. Luckily it didn''t seem like that would be necessary. After a brief struggle, the previously hooded girl nodded weakly. She collected her throwing picks with a relieved smile.

    "Good. Now, what''s your name? I don''t want to keep calling you ''crazy girl'' inside my head."

    "... Asuna."

    "Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Asuna. I''m Sinon."

 Chapter 12 - Finding a Reason

    Sinon breathed a sigh of relief when they reached Tolbana. She never relaxed until she was in the safety of her room, and this time the trip had been more stressful than usual.

    She looked sideways at Asuna. The chestnut-haired girl had put back her hood. She could understand that. After twenty days, players had turned back to... Well, it would never be normal, not really. But almost. Including the perverts.

    Sinon didn''t consider herself to be beautiful, or even good-looking, but there was such a discrepancy in the male-female ratio in SAO that any girl would be flirted with. Maybe she should start wearing a hood. But no. She didn''t like the message it sent. She was done hiding. Had been since the seventh day, when she left the Town of Beginnings.

    Stepping around the multitude of players crowding Tolbana''s main plaza, Sinon waved at Liz, who was chatting with that party she always saw her with. The spear guy, the girl with the flute, and the silent boy.

    "Over there. Let''s sit down and eat something. You look like you need it."

    Asuna nodded almost imperceptibly. The girl had only spoken one word since they met, and that was her name. And only after Sinon threatened to princess carry her into Tolbana. After all those years as an unremarkable background student, Sinon had never thought someone could have less of a presence than she did, but Asuna was living proof that she was wrong.

    Pulling the girl by the wrist, Sinon wondered why she had jumped into this pit. Then she remembered she dig it herself when she decided to do a good deed and save someone who had clearly suicidal tendencies.

    Seriously, she was literally the worse possible choice to console someone like Asuna. Sinon was a withdrawn, reclusive - not to mention bullied - high schooler, who had just one friend. She barely talked more than a sentence every day unless the teachers asked her to answer a question. And yet, here she was, drafting a speech in her head as she walked, to convince Asuna life was still worth living.

    They sat down at a table in the farthest corner of the restaurant in silent agreement. Neither of them wanted to be noticed. Out of goodwill, Sinon ordered for both herself and Asuna. Then, they fell into awkward silence. This continued until the food arrived, and it became clear to Sinon that Asuna would not be the first to speak. Why wasn''t she surprised?

    "All right. I went to more psychologists and psychiatrists than I thought existed, but I still have no idea how I should do this. So I will just be straightforward. Why do you want to die?"

    Were this any other situation, Sinon would never have asked bluntly like this. Even if she said she didn''t know how to do this, it was very clear that asking ''why do you want to die'' was not the way to go. Not by a long shot. But this wasn''t the real world. This was SAO. They risked their lives on a daily basis. If Asuna wanted to kill herself, there were a thousand and one ways she could have done it already. But she didn''t. Instead, she put herself in what was very clearly an unwinnable situation, but still tried to fight. The only conclusion Sinon could make from this was that while Asuna wanted to die, she hadn''t given up on life yet.

    Hearing the harsh question, Asuna stopped playing with her food. Sinon didn''t know if the girl was normally like that, if she was taciturn because of her dark emotions, or if she was simply exhausted - because she sure looked so. Just when she thought she wouldn''t get an answer, Asuna started talking.

    "My whole life, I''ve always had to be perfect. Have the best grades. Learn courtesy and manners. Smile politely when my mom introduced me to men thrice my age. My one act of rebellion was to take my brother''s NerveGear and put it on. And look what happened."

    Sinon was about to say something, anything, but the girl didn''t stop. It seemed that having someone finally listen to you had broken open a dam inside Asuna.

    "I know it''s not my fault. I''m not egocentric to that point. Nobody could have known what would happen. But I put on that helmet because I wanted to be myself, even if for just a moment. I wanted a taste of freedom. Instead, I landed in another prison. And once again, I am powerless. Worthless."

    Sinon recoiled as if she was hit. Worthless. How could anyone think of themselves as such? But just one look told her that Asuna really did believe that.

    "Asuna..."

    Sinon didn''t know what to say. How do you convince someone that they are still wanted, that they were still valued and loved by someone? Sinon didn''t know. But she knew how to snap someone out of their guilt-induced trance. Yeah, she knew a lot about that.

    "That''s bullshit."

    "Huh?!"

    Asuna was clearly the kind of young lady who was raised in a greenhouse, and never really experienced the real world. Not like Sinon did. Just a cuss was enough to get more reaction out of her than almost dying did.

    Sinon ignored her confusion, and slapped the table. A few heads turned their way, and she quickly sat down again, her words were still harsh.

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    "You are saying you are worthless because... Because of what? Because you can''t beat a death game some maniac trapped us in? And in just twenty days nonetheless? Guess what, there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine other people who also can''t. By your logic, we are all worthless."

    "I-I didn''t mean..."

    "I know. I for one don''t consider myself worthless, no matter what others may say. And that''s why I said you are spouting bullshit. You''ve made it to Tolbana from the Town of Beginnings. You survived twenty days in a world where pretty much everything that moves is trying to kill you. Fifteen hundred other people didn''t. You are here, in the most dangerous place on the 1st floor, fighting alone. You are not weak, Asuna. Not by a long shot. And you are certainly not worthless."

    When she finished, Sinon stared at Asuna. She didn''t do anything else, and just waited in silence for a few minutes. When Asuna finally took off her hood, Sinon wasn''t sure if she had cried or not. But she saw steely determination in her eyes. And a lot of unease and fear too. But who didn''t feel those, especially in their situation?

    "Thank you, Sinon. I was being stupid."

    Looking at the pair of hazel eyes, Sinon grinned. Was that what it felt like to have a girl friend?

    "Just a tiny bit. Now eat before it gets cold."

    Asuna nodded, and dug in with such ferocity that Sinon could only stare. That didn''t fit with the mental image of a young lady she had built.

    "Slow down, Asuna, the food is not going to run away. Jeez, it is as if you haven''t eaten in three days."

    The pause in Asuna''s hand movements and the blush that crept up to her cheeks were subtle, but Sinon noticed them.

    "Seriously?"

    When the girl across from her nodded sheepishly, Sinon staggered. How could someone be so careless with their well-being? But then again, Asuna had just tried to die. Frowning, Sinon remembered how the girl had collapsed for no apparent reason back in the tower.

    "Wait. Asuna, for how long were you in the labyrinth?"

    Asuna mumbled something under her breath which Sinon didn''t quite catch. It sounded suspiciously like ''days'', though. Days, as in plural.

    "Asuna."

    "...Three days."

    Sinon would have spat the water in her mouth had she been drinking any. She glared at Asuna. The player didn''t look like she was joking.

    "Three days?! What were you thinking?!"

    "I... Wasn''t."

    "You... Uff."

    Asuna showed her an embarrassed smile which made her so cute Sinon couldn''t find it in herself to scold her anymore. She just sighed and gave up.

    The girls didn''t speak much for the rest of the meal. Just as they were leaving the restaurant, Sinon sent her a friend request, which Asuna gleefully accepted. Neither said anything about partying up. Well, SAO was big, but not that big. They would see each other again, as long as they didn''t die.

    Sinon and Asuna split up in the plaza, each going to their respective inns. When Sinon gave the rapier user one last glance, she saw Asuna pulling up her hood again.

    ''I guess old habits die hard.''

    -----------------------------

    Drifter kicked the covers aside and sat up. His hand habitually scrolled through his inventory, and with a few taps, his << Kobold Spear >> materialized on his back. He hadn''t even gotten out of bed yet.

    Stretching, Drifter looked at the date on his HUD, and grimaced.

    ''Day 21, huh?''

    Three weeks stuck in SAO. Three weeks during which he had grown stronger. Three weeks he and his party had been diving in the labyrinth. Three weeks... And no progress. They were no closer to beating the game than they were the day it started. Where the fuck was the dammed boss room?!

    Sighing, Drifter sent a message to Nautilus and Yuna saying he was up, and went down to have breakfast.

    The meeting with Argo yesterday hadn''t gone great. Apparently even the ever-cheerful info broker was starting to lose her patience. The 1st floor labyrinth was all but completely explored. She had sold him the latest map, and there were very few areas left. Unless they were very unlucky, they must have missed something. Or someone was messing with them.

    That was one guess Argo had put out there yesterday, and with which Drifter found himself agreeing more as the new day dawned. Maybe Kayaba himself had concealed the location of the 1st floor boss room. Why? Apart from the man being a sicko, Drifter could only imagine that it was because he wanted players to go through an adaptation period. To weed out the weak. Drifter hated himself for even thinking of it on those terms, but it made sense.

    What Kayaba wanted wasn''t exposition or fame - he had plenty of those already. His true aim, in Drifter''s view, was simple: power. The developer wanted to rule over the 10.000 players like a god. And like a god, he liked to play games.

    But the wait would have to end soon. A week. Drifter thought that, if they didn''t find the boss room in another week at most, even the players in Tolbana would give up.

    Of course, those were just his and Argo''s conjectures. Maybe they were wrong. He hoped that was the case.

    "Good morning, Drifter."

    "Good morning to you too, Yuna. Where''s Naut?"

    The songstress, his party member, and now one of his most cherished friends, sat down across from him. Drifter pushed the plate with sandwiches to her.

    "Still asleep. I will wake him up soon. But what''s with you? You look gloomy."

    "Do I?"

    Yuna nodded, and Drifter took a moment to examine himself. She was right, he wasn''t feeling great today. He felt like something bad would happen. But he chalked it up to his talk with Argo.

    "Just tired I guess."

    "How about we enter the tower later then? We are pretty much stun locked without the boos room anyway. We could go to the plaza, and I can play some music."

    "That would be great. Yeah, let''s do that, Yuna."

 Chapter 13 - Death

    Drifter should have listened to his inner voice telling him to stay in bed today. He should have agreed when Yuna told them to take the day off and relax. But he didn''t.

    "Arghhh!"

    He didn''t turn back when the screaming started. He didn''t stop running when he heard the sound of glass shattering. He got to the entrance of the labyrinth.

    And only then he broke down.

    -------------------------

    Earlier that day.

    "Ugh... Are you sure we have to go in today?"

    "There''s not much else we can do, Yun''."

    "I can think of plenty of things to do other than griding. Like singing. Or sleeping. Pretty much anything that isn''t boring."

    Drifter chuckled at Yuna''s and Nautilus'' antics. At least they were in a good mood. Drifter himself couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. Later, he would learn that this kind of sixth sense was not to be ignored. But that was in the future. Now, he just shelved it in the back of his mind. That was a mistake.

    The trio entered the tower with practiced ease. Following their maps, they made their way towards one of the areas marked as unexplored. Long before they got there, they found one of the many << Ruin Kobolds >> patrols. By now, they could deal with them with their eyes closed.

    Okay, that was an exaggeration. But they could exterminate the mobs without breaking a sweat, and the only casualty was a few durability points off of Nautilus'' shield.

    With experienced and even slightly bored, but still cautious steps, the party made their way deeper into the labyrinth. Drifter looked at his map. To him, everywhere in the tower looked the same, but the map showed the dots representing themselves about to enter a foggy area.

    "All right, we are here. Remember, we''re just doing recon. Our aim is to find the boss room. Let''s not bite off more than we can chew."

    "Aye aye, captain."

    "We''ve done that twenty times already, Drifter. We know."

    "Still not a reason to be careless, Yuna."

    The songstress pouted, but Drifter knew this was just banter. They knew what to expect of the labyrinth, and could even take on two kobold patrols, if not easily, then at least safely. But they still took all precautions. At this point in the game, no one still alive would be reckless inside the labyrinth. And yet, SAO claimed more lives every day.

    Spear drawn, Drifter advanced into the labyrinth, keeping Yuna to his left, while Nautilus stood on her other side. Mobs could spawn anywhere, and as the one with the lowest defense stat in their party, the musician always found herself flanked by her two companions. Even if this unconscious action by the two of them annoyed her sometimes, that feeling was always overwhelmed by the warmth she felt.

    Suddenly, Drifter stopped, his eyes glowing green. Recognizing the use of the << Searching >> skill, Nautilus and Yuna halted, hands gripping their weapons tight.

    "Drifter?"

    "Kobold patrol just around that bend."

    "Just one?"

    "Uhum. Should we?"

    Nautilus and Yuna nodded. If they wanted to continue exploring, they had to follow this path. And you didn''t leave mobs behind you. That would be asking to die.

    They heard the growling and snarling before they turned the corner. One of the things every player both loved and greatly disliked about SAO was that mobs worked in an aggro range. Meaning, sometimes you could waltz right in front of their eyes and they would do nothing, but other times they had their backs turned to you, but you would still be found before being able to get within striking distance. Which was what happened now. But even that could work in their favor if they used it right.

    The first << Ruin Kobold >> turned the corner running, one-handed axe ready to cleave someone in half. The mob was met with Nautilus'' shining blade. << Horizontal Square >> tore into the monster, leaving four bright red gashes on it''s chest. Drifter immediately followed up his friend''s skill with one of his own, bringing the << Ruin Kobold >> down to a third of it''s health.

    Before they could finish it off, the other two mobs burst through the corner, mouths open and fangs showing.

    "Nautilus!"

    "On it!"

    Their shield bearer and resident blade user stepped forward to intercept the kobolds. Bashing one of them in the face, he blocked the other with his weapon. Seeing that he had things under control for now, Drifter turned his full focus to the first mob. Better to cut off a finger than break ten, the saying went. Or something like that.

    While he parried an axe strike, Yuna moved for the first time, her small frame allowing her to duck under the << Ruin Kobold''s >> arm, her dagger bitting deeply into the creature''s midriff with a << Canine >>. According to Argo, once her mastery of that skill got high enough, there would be a bonus bleeding effect. For now, it just did a ton of damage and left the mob howling in pain. Drifter quickly put an end to it''s cries.

    "Naut, switch!"

    Without missing a beat, Drifter rushed to assist Nautilus. The blade user got another blow in before jumping back, and allowing Drifter to get a clean line of sight at the << Ruin Kobold >> he was facing. With a << Rage Spike >>, he launched the mob in the air.

    Switch was a new technique the party had been working on lately. It was Argo who had told them about it, actually. And free of charge, to their shock and suspicion. Apparently it was something commonly used in other MMOs. To keep control of the rhythm of the battle, players would trade places, allowing the one who was just at the frontlines to catch their breath. This also allowed them to fill the gap after a skill had been used, both dishing out more damage and stopping the mobs from taking advantage of that opportunity.

    Their switch was far from perfect. They learned that when they moved on from training against << Dire Wolves >> to << Ruin Kobolds >>. Turns out, every mob has it''s own speed, stats, and attack patterns. That was painfully obvious, but it had somehow slipped their minds.

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    To make the move work, you needed to take into account everything, from how much knockback the mob took, to how fast it recovered. Not to mention, you needed to be in sync with the one you were performing the switch. And that changed with every player. More than once they tripped into each other because Drifter tried to switch with Yuna the same way he did with Nautilus.

    But this time the switch worked well. << Ruin Kobolds >> were just 1st floor mobs, after all. Their AI was predictable. That left some room for error even if they somehow messed up.

    Unfortunately, even if Drifter''s party did everything perfectly, fate had unavoidable troubles in store for them.

    Just as he prepared to hit the mob again and bring it down to red, that very same bad premonition he had been having since early came back, and stronger. He just had to look around to find the source.

    "Well, shit."

    "Language, Naut!"

    "I don''t know, Yuna. I think he summed it up pretty good. Shit."

    Three sources of light indicated the arrival of three more << Ruin Kobolds >>. And they couldn''t have spawned in a worst position, right behind the party, surrounding them and cutting off their escape path. Drifter''s mind briefly went to that survivor he saw the day he arrived in Tolbana. It was probably like this that his party was wiped out.

    "No way in hell I''m allowing that to happen. Nautilus, Yuna, we''re gonna have to fight our way out!"

    Saying that was unnecessary. The moment they saw the << Ruin Kobolds >> spawn, Nautilus redoubled his efforts in killing the one he was facing against. Even one less mob would already increase their survival odds exponentially.

    On the same wavelength as her childhood friend, Yuna stabbed the monster with her dagger. What she lacked in technique, she made up for in speed, which was exactly what they needed. Meanwhile, Drifter was abusing the longer reach of his spear to keep the newly spawned patrol at bay.

    "Hah!"

    With a shout, he cast << Horizontal Arc >>, knocking back two of the mobs. The third one managed to get through and struck with it''s own spear, drawing a red line along his arm. Panicking ever so slightly, Drifter pulled back his arm and used his tried and tested specialty, and kicked the << Ruin Kobold >> in the groin. He had no idea if that did as much damage as it would to a human - probably not - but it worked well enough to push the mob back.

    Quickly thrusting forward twice, he managed to poke two holes in the other mobs, and heard Yuna and Nautilus cheer as the second of the original << Ruin Kobolds >> shattered. Their joy was short-lived, however, and Drifter heard Yuna yell in fear.

    Unable to stop himself, he turned his head and saw the songstress with a long red gash on her shoulder. The remaining kobold she and Nautilus were facing still had his axe glowing red from << Double Cleave >>.

    "Yuna!"

    "Yuuna!"

    Both men shouted, and Nautilus turned his sword onto the offender with such ferocity even Drifter would be scared if he saw it. But in his moment of distraction, a << Ruin Kobold >> managed to slip through his guard, and buried it''s axe in Drifter''s side. His health fell into the yellow zone, and he was forced to forget Yuna''s peril in favor of his own.

    With a grunt, he smashed the butt of his << Kobold Spear >> against the mob''s snout, then, while it was disoriented, he pierced it''s eye and entire head. That triggered a critical hit, and the << Ruin Kobold >> was killed.

    Drifter stumbled back until he was next to his party members again. A quick look at the HUD showed that they were all at about half health. But now it was three on three, and the mobs'' health bars weren''t that much fuller than theirs. Downing a health potion, he saw Nautilus and Yuna do the same.

    "We are almost through it!"

    His arms burning, Drifter stabbed at the closest kobold. At the same time, he heard Yuna starting to play a familiar melody, and saw a symbol light up on his HUD. They were going to make it.

    "Help!"

    As one, their heads snapped to the source of the voice shouting help. On the far end of the path they were on, running in their direction, were two players, being chased by no less than five << Ruin Kobolds >>. As they watched, one of the mobs lunged forward, his axe finding purchase in the back of the slowest man. His companion didn''t even look back as he fell. Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus didn''t have time to feel outraged. They witnessed in shock as the unfortunate player was ganged upon by the << Ruin Kobolds >>, and killed.

    Having seen a similar scene twice before, Drifter was the first to recover. He swept his spear to the left, knocking back a kobold, and shouted at his party.

    "Hurry up! We have to kill them before they get here or we are finished!"

    They were already in a bad state. Even with the health potions and Yuna''s << Rest >>, their HP was still hanging precariously in the yellow zone. If they had to face eight << Ruin Kobolds >>, even with the help of the other player - who was in an even worse situation than them - there would be no way to survive.

    His shout woke Nautilus and Yuna up from their stunned state. Trauma could come later. Now they had to survive.

    "Auurghhh!"

    Nautilus decapitated one of the kobolds. Now there were two left. The player and his pursuers were less than forty meters away.

    "Ugh!"

    Willingly taking a hit, Drifter buried his spearhead into a << Ruin Kobold''s >> leg. That was enough to wipe out what little was left of it''s HP. He turned to look at the incoming attackers, and his heart stopped.

    The player who had been running towards them, shouting for help, had disappeared. But, it couldn''t be! He hadn''t heard him yell, nor the sound of glass shattering that accompanied a player''s death. Regardless of what he thought, the five << Ruin Kobolds >> who had been hunting the player now turned their sights to Drifter''s party.

    He heard Nautilus curse and Yuna let out a choked sob. Some kind of instinct alerted Drifter that something was wrong. His eyes glowed green, and he stared at a certain spot just a few meters to the left of the group of mobs. His expression morphed into one of intense fury and disgust.

    "Run!"

    Yelling just this one word to his friends, Drifter used a << Horizontal >> to get rid of the last << Ruin Kobold >> that was harassing them. Then he brought his spear up above his shoulder, holding it awkwardly. His gaze fixed on the spot he had pinpointed before, he threw his << Kobold Spear >> with all his might.

    Without waiting to see if he hit his target, he turned around and grabbed Yuna and Nautilus, who were still frozen, by their arms, and started running. From behind came a grunt of pain which definitely didn''t belong to a kobold.

    Yuna staggered, and tried to search for the person who yelled. What she saw were the five << Ruin Kobolds >> halt their pursuit, and change their target to the very same player she thought had died.

    "Wait! He is still..."

    "Run, Yuna! Before they aggro back onto us!"

    Dragging his friend, Drifter stopped her from turning back. Low on health and exhausted as they were, even a single << Ruin Kobold >> could spell their doom, let alone five. And it wasn''t worth it. Not for him.

    "Arghhh!"

    Drifter felt Yuna shiver in his grasp when she heard the scream. He didn''t stop. He didn''t look back. Not even when he heard the sound of glass shattering. He didn''t let his party members stop either. Only when they left the labyrinth that they finally ended their mad sprint.

    "Drifter!"

    Gasping for air, Drifter collapsed. He refused to look up and meet Yuna''s eyes, ashamed. It was only when she didn''t say anything else that he raised his head. She wasn''t looking at him. She was looking above him. Training his gaze upwards, Drifter saw it.

    His cursor had turned orange.

 Chapter 14 - Found It

    Drifter stared at the cursor above his head. Usually, it would be green. Most players'' were green. His had been until a few minutes ago. But not anymore. Now it was orange. The mark of a criminal.

    In SAO, there were three colors a player''s cursor could have. Those colors also indicated what they were. Green was how they started, and it showed you were a normal player. You could talk with NPCs, enter cities, and there would be no restrictions when your cursor was green. Then there was orange. A player turned orange when they attacked another player. It was the color of criminals. They couldn''t talk to most NPCs nor enter cities.

    Finally, there was red. The color reserved for PK''ers, or player killers. They would be arrested on sight in case they tried to enter a city. In most games, you could turn your cursor back to orange and green with time and some special quests. Not in Sword Art Online. Here, once you turned red, you were red forever. Because that was the color of a player killer. A murderer.

    "Drifter... What the hell happened?"

    The spearman snapped out of his trance when Nautilus asked him the question he didn''t want to hear. But he couldn''t deny it, nor did he want to. He did what he believed he had to do to survive. To make sure Nautilus and Yuna survived.

    "That player... He didn''t die. He used a skill. << Hiding >>. It''s what Argo uses to sneak up on us. If your mastery is high enough, you can disengage from combat, amongst other things. His... His clearly wasn''t. Normally, it would just confuse the << Ruin Kobolds >> for a second before they found him again. But he used it just at the right moment. Right when we entered their range."

    His friends took a moment to understand what he was saying. When they did, looks of horror crossed their faces.

    "Instead of him, they aggroed on us. We tried to save him, and he wanted to kill us?!"

    Yuna looked positively scandalized. Nautilus just sat down on the grass, holding his head with his hands. But Drifter denied Yuna''s claims.

    "He didn''t want to kill us. He wanted to survive, so he did what he thought he had to. Just like I did."

    "What do you mean?"

    "His << Hiding >> wasn''t too high-leveled. I k-know that because my << Searching >> found him. A-And... I didn''t want to die. I didn''t want you to die. So I threw my spear at him. It hurt him... And broke his << Hiding >>. He was still the primary target for the kobolds'' aggro, so they turned back to him."

    Drifter didn''t dare look at his companions while he spoke. He just stared at the orange prism above his head. He couldn''t even enter a city anymore. He was a criminal now. No, he was a murderer. The system only didn''t recognize him as such because he wasn''t the one who landed the final blow. But that player was dead because of him. Even if he deserved it for trying to use them as bait and sacrifices, it didn''t change the fact. Drifter killed him.

    Silence. That was all there was after Drifter finished speaking. When he finally couldn''t withstand it anymore, he tore his gaze away from his cursor. However it was that they looked at him now, he had to face them.

    Pity. And also confusion, anger, and fear. But mostly pity. Drifter didn''t know if it was because of the dead player or himself. He wasn''t sure he wanted to know.

    Yuna and Nautilus were sitting with their arms around each other, looking at him. He could see they found comfort in the presence of each other after such a harrowing experience. And crouching right in front of them, so close he could touch them if he unfolded his arm, Drifter never felt more alone.

    The trio just stared at each other like that for a long while. Eventually, Drifter couldn''t stand it anymore. When he spoke, his voice was shaky.

    "Yuna, Nautilus, I..."

    "Don''t. Not now, Drifter. I know what you want to say. A-And if you say it right now... I-I might accept it."

    Nautilus stopped him. By his side, Yuna nodded ever so slowly in agreement. Drifter bit his lips. Then he covered his mouth with his hand and let out a muffled scream. Finally, he too nodded.

    "All right. I will... Ugh... You two should get going. Go to the inn, get some rest. I-I can''t enter the city. And it won''t be good for anyone if someone sees you together with an orange player."

    "What about you?"

    Drifter frowned. Then he got up, his back turned to his friends. If they even still considered themselves such.

    "There are safe zones other than the cities. I''m going to sleep on one of them. When my orange status wears off..."

    "Tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to talk."

    "Yeah. Okay."

    "Come on, Yun''."

    Drifter heard their footsteps getting farther away. Once they were completely gone, he set off to one of the caves marked as a safe zone on his map. He couldn''t get the image of Yuna''s light brown eyes burrowing into his during the entire time he was talking to Nautilus. He didn''t know what emotions he saw in them, if any at all.

    Yuna hadn''t spoken a single word after she understood what he did. And that hurt him more than what happened in the labyrinth. It hurt him more than he ever thought possible.

    ----------------------------

    "Yun''... Please say something."

    Nautilus looked at his oldest friend. They were sitting on her bed back at the inn, after having dodged Agil''s and Liz''s questions about why Drifter wasn''t with them. And the entire time, Yuna hadn''t opened her mouth. Nautilus was worried about her.

    It was the first time he watched someone die. And two people at once, one of them having died as a direct consequence of one of his party member''s - or former party member, as he noticed Drifter had dissolved the party even before they arrived in Tolbana - actions. It was a lot to take in. He knew the only reason he wasn''t throwing up was because Kayaba hadn''t coded that into the game.

    He was still trying to get over the fact that the player had wanted to kill them. Maybe that hadn''t been his objective at the start. Maybe he just wanted to survive, like all of them. But to think that someone would so readily sacrifice others, people who were willing to help, even if they knew it might be impossible... It left Nautilus shaken to the core.

    "He is so scared, Naut. So, so scared."

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    Yuna''s voice was a whisper, barely audible. But he heard her. And he didn''t need to ask who she was talking about. Nautilus didn''t say anything. He just tightened his hold on Yuna, hugging her with one arm.

    "He wanted to say we should split up, didn''t he? That we should break up the party. Permanently."

    "... Uhum. That''s what I think too. And that''s why I didn''t let him speak. I was afraid I would accept."

    Yuna choked, trying - and failing - to force back a sob. Her tears started spilling out, and she buried her face in Nautilus'' shoulder.

    "W-Why? Why would he suggest that if he was so scared we would agree?"

    That was the question that was bothering Nautilus too. Even when Yuna cried herself to sleep, he still didn''t have an answer. Laying his friend in her bed, he got up and returned to his room. He didn''t want to close his eyes tonight. He was afraid of what he would see.

    ------------------------------

    Dawn of the next day found Nautilus and Yuna silently eating their breakfast at the inn''s dining room. They had yet to message Drifter, or talk about it. They were both still in shock. Which was why Argo appearing now of all times couldn''t be worse.

    Scratch that, it could. Because the info broker''s gaze immediately found them, and she stomped her way to their table in a way that was surprisingly threatening considering her size.

    "What happened?!"

    "What do you mean, Argo?"

    "Don''t give me this shit, Nautilus! I want to know what happened to Drifter!"

    The fact that Argo was speaking normally was scary. That she knew something had happened, and that it involved Drifter, was frankly terrifying. Nautilus and Yuna exchanged glances, before the songstress meekly spoke up.

    "W-We can''t tell you, Argo. Not without speaking with him first."

    "And how will ya do that, huh?! He set his messages to private! I know that because I''ve been tryin'' to reach him the whole night, since ya two arrived alone, and nothin'' gets through! I went to the Monument of Life to make sure he was still alive!"

    Nautilus didn''t think he had ever heard Argo yell that loudly. Luckily the inns had a good sound insulation system, or the whole of Tolbana would have come to check out what was happening.

    "Argo..."

    "Tell. Me. What. Happened."

    Once again, Yuna and Nautilus looked at each other. They knew they weren''t getting out of there without spilling everything. And Argo was Drifter''s oldest friend.

    "All right. Yesterday we went into the labyrinth like always..."

    Five minutes later, Yuna had finished explaining what happened, somehow managing not to break down again in the middle of it. Argo''s chocolate-brown eyes stared at her the entire time, as if to make sure she wasn''t hiding anything. When Yuna was finished, the info broker snarled.

    "That''s it?"

    "What do you mean that''s it?! Two players died! And one of them was because of us!"

    Argo scoffed at Nautilus. She held four fingers up.

    "Four people died, actually. Valedin''s party didn''t come back last night. It lines up with what ya told me. But that''s not important. What is important is that, because Drifter became an orange player, ya abandoned him!"

    Argo shouted, and this time it definitely did turn some heads their direction. But Yuna couldn''t care less. She recoiled, stung by the anger in the info broker''s words.

    Suddenly, she forgot everything else. Now, she just felt pathetic. While she was over here feeling conflicted about Drifter having caused someone''s death to save their lives, the infamous Argo the Rat was so worried about his well-being that she was willing to throw her reputation away. She wasn''t even his party member. They were.

    "We didn''t abandon him! We just..."

    Seeing Yuna being berated, Nautilus jumped in her defense, but one stare from Argo effectively shut him down. The fact that Yuna seemed too shell-shocked to argue didn''t help.

    "We... We did abandon him, didn''t we?"

    The songstress'' voice, usually so clear, was a rough whisper. Argo''s expression softened a little.

    "Yes, ya did. I can tell ya didn''t mean it, and just needed some space, but it doesn''t change that. Dri-bou... He told ya two ''bout what happened before Kayaba went megalomaniac on us, didn''t he?"

    "Yes. He was partying with someone, and she disconnected in front of him. He didn''t think it meant anything at the time, but..."

    "Hmm. And what else?"

    "What do you mean? That''s all."

    "Nah, it ain''t. Dri-bou feels sad ''bout that player, but he knows there was nothin'' he could''ve done. But he also saw someone else die on the first day. A player who suicided off of the Town of Beginnings'' edge. Both of those hit Dri-bou hard. One of the reasons he left the Town of Beginnings was ''cause he wanted to get stronger and not feel so powerless again. And now, before he could accomplish that, he was the direct cause of another player''s death. Can ya imagine how he''s feeling right now? ''Cause I can''t. But I know it''s bad."

    Argo''s voice got lower the more she spoke. By the end, it was all but a whisper under her breath. But each word impacted Yuna and Nautilus like thunder.

    "Talk to him. Don''t leave him alone, or I dunno what he''s gonna do. But don''t hurt him. Or Imma gonna make your life here miserable."

    Neither of the two doubted the info broker could carry out the threat. But they didn''t need the added incentive. If, after hearing what she said, they still wanted to abandon Drifter - and the thought never actually crossed their minds, they just needed time - then they would be worse than trash. Which was why, when Argo got up, Yuna grabbed her wrist.

    "Come with us, Argo. He needs all the support he can. That includes you."

    Light brown and chocolate-brown eyes met. Argo nodded.

    ----------------------------

    Drifter stared at his three friends. He had no idea how they had found him after he disbanded the party and blocked all message requests. He also didn''t know why Argo was here too. But above all else, he didn''t understand why they were here.

    "Ya lookin'' worse for wear, heh, Dri-bou?"

    Instead of answering, Drifter''s hands went above his head, as if to cover his orange cursor. The color was already lighter than yesterday, and it would probably be back to green tonight, but he still didn''t want Argo to see it, even though the rational part of his mind was telling him that if she was here, she already knew everything.

    His actions cracked the already forced smile the info broker had. Nautilus and Yuna hadn''t even tried to fake their expressions. Before he knew it, Argo was hugging Drifter, her smaller frame wrapped around his. Yuna was right behind her, arms latched around his neck, and Drifter could feel her tears flowing down her face before dissipating into particles. Nautilus didn''t hug him, but put a hand on Drifter''s shoulder to show his support.

    "I''m sorry! I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry..."

    At first, Drifter didn''t know how he should react to the surprise group hug. He was still processing the fact that they were there, after they left so abruptly yesterday. But when Yuna started repeating the same three words with her face pressed to his neck, he returned the hug. He didn''t ask why she was apologizing. It was pretty obvious she felt guilty.

    "Shh... It''s okay. Everything''s fine."

    With one arm holding the trembling songstress, and his other hand caressing Argo''s hair, Drifter gave a firm nod to Nautilus, and blinked the tears away. Everything was going to be okay.

    ----------------------------

    December 2nd 2022, somewhere in the 1st floor labyrinth.

    "Switch!"

    Before the word was even fully spoken, the shield-bearer had already bashed the << Ruin Kobold >> in the face, forcing it back. From behind him, a smaller figure jumped forward, dagger carving a bloody wound - or at least it would be, if the mob bled something more than red polygons - along the monster''s torso.

    "Switch!"

    An old and rusty spear flashed over the dagger user, piercing the << Ruin Kobold >> through it''s left shoulder, and effectively crippling it. With a heave, the spearman pulled back his weapon, tearing off the mob''s entire arm, which shattered, followed soon by the one it was previously attached to.

    "Good job!"

    Drifter high-fived Yuna, and bumped fists with Nautilus. Their switch still wasn''t perfect. But it was getting there. After they had singled it out, the << Ruin Kobold >> hadn''t been able to attack once.

    While Yuna and Nautilus exchanged a high-five themselves, Drifter couldn''t help but smile. Boy, was he glad Argo had brought the two of them to his hiding spot a few days ago. Even if he now owned her three months of free intel - and that wasn''t just an arbitrary value, but rather the payment the info broker had asked. Leave it to the Rat to make it a business deal even when she had yet to wipe her tears away.

    Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or she, in this case. Drifter was just thinking about Argo when his HUD pinged with a message from her. When he opened it, his mind went blank.

    [ Argo: They found it. ]

 Chapter 15 - 1st Floor Boss Strategy Meeting

    December 3rd 2022, Tolbana.

    Drifter found himself sitting in an old Roman-style amphitheater, complete with ruins and everything, just after lunch. Yuna was sitting on the stairs to his left, while Nautilus was on his other side. Two dozen other players, many of which Drifter recognized from their dungeon dives, were also sparsely populating the amphitheater, and more were arriving.

    "Yo, man! So you are here too, huh?"

    A large shadow covered the trio, and Drifter craned his neck to see the merchant Agil. On his back was a giant double-bladed axe Drifter had yet to see him use.

    "Hi!"

    "Hello, Agil."

    "What''s up? If there''s any chance this is true, we can''t miss it."

    The party greeted Agil and his friends, whom Drifter vaguely remembered seeing behind their stalls in Tolbana''s plaza. Was the black man trying to create a band of merchant warriors?

    "The Rat herself helped spread the word, so it should be true."

    "Yeah. The first step to freedom, huh."

    "We haven''t taken the step yet, just found the path."

    Their words were somewhat cryptic, but they understood each other. Just because they finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, it didn''t mean it would be easy to reach it. The two thousand players who died during this first month were more than enough evidence that SAO was an unforgiving game, especially to the unprepared and overconfident.

    After Agil bid Drifter and his friends goodbye and went to sit closer to the stage with the other sellers, Drifter reclined on the stairs, thinking of Argo''s message.

    [ Argo: They found it. ]

    How those three simple words had thrown him in a loop. According to Yuna, he was staring blankly at space - his menu was set to private - for a good twenty seconds. They even thought he was suffering from lag.

    After twenty-eight days and two thousand deaths, a party had finally found the boss room. This meeting had been called to discuss how to proceed. They had to take on this fight, obviously. But how to go about it was the question. While most of the parties in Tolbana could now easily deal with a kobold patrol, it stood to reason that the boss would be much stronger.

    "Why so serious, ya three?"

    To their credit, Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus barely jumped when they heard Argo''s cheeky whisper right behind them. They were getting used to the jump scares the info broker was so fond of. It didn''t make it any less surprising, though, and Yuna growled with a not-quite-a-smile that had Argo yelping and hiding behind Drifter.

    "Argooo..."

    "Hih! H-How are ya, Yu-chan?"

    Drifter facepalmed at their antics, while Nautilus chuckled. Ruffling Argo''s hair in a way he knew would annoy her, Drifter caught her attention. Her pout was adorable, especially with those six whiskers of hers.

    "Say, little rat, you wouldn''t happen to know more about this meeting, would you?"

    "Nah. The guy who found the boss room just asked me to help spread the word. He wanted the higher-leveled players, not the noobs."

    Ignoring how dismissive of the majority of players the info broker was, Drifter nodded. Nautilus seemed confused, though.

    "Wouldn''t having more people be better?"

    The one who answered was neither Argo nor Drifter, but Yuna.

    "Nope. Having new arrivals join the boss fight just because they are eager to do something would be a mistake. Especially considering this is the first floor boss we ever met. Illfang is bound to be different than the labyrinth mobs, even if he is also a kobold."

    "Yu-chan is right on the money, Naut-bou. Even if Illfang is the exact same as the beta, it''s gonna be a hard battle. What we need are players who are used to fightin'', not some noobs who think they can take on the world. That would end badly."

    "And this being the first floor boss battle, we need it to be perfect."

    Drifter added the last statement, his eyes narrowed as he remembered everything that was written in Argo''s guidebook about << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. It was no news to anyone in the three-people party that the info broker was a beta-tester, but Argo was always the first to say that SAO wasn''t the same as in the beta.

    They couldn''t botch this battle. They needed to take down Illfang on the first try, and without any casualties. If they failed, or if a lot of people died, then the remaining 8.000 players in Aincrad would lose all hope. And when that happened, all their chances of escaping their virtual prison would be gone with them.

    "Oh, is that Kii-bou I see? Aight, I will talk to y''all later!"

    Like the mini tornado of chaos that she was, Argo left without a proper goodbye. Her mastery in << Hiding >> was so high that they lost sight of her after a few steps. Even Drifter''s << Searching >> couldn''t find the info broker unless she was within a five meters range of him. He knew that because he had tried it before. That was a bet he was never going to take again.

    Drifter tried in vain to find the Kii-bou whom Argo had mentioned. He was curious about who it was - other than him, but he knew their relationship was unusual - that could get Argo so excited. The fact that it was a boy also activated his big brother''s instincts.

    "Oookay, let''s get started, people!"

    His attention was directed back to the stage in the center of the amphitheater, where a player with blue hair - again, how? - was clapping his hands. Drifter recognized him as Diavel, the leader of the party he once encountered in the labyrinth. Nodding gravely to Yuna and Nautilus, Drifter turned his full focus to the player. Things were about to get serious.

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    "Thank you for responding to my summons today. My name is Diavel. My job is... In my own mind, I like to think I''m a knight."

    Or not. Drifter couldn''t help but join in the chuckles that echoed around the amphitheater. Even Yuna, who was a complete noob in gaming a few weeks ago, snorted in amusement. There was no such thing as a ''job'' or classes in SAO.

    Diavel let the players jeer and joke for a few more seconds before raising his hands and asking for silence. His face suddenly turned serious, and an ominous tension befell all the people in the amphitheater.

    "Yesterday, our party discovered the boss room at the top of the tower."

    Drifter winced in pain when he felt Yuna clutch his arm. Even if they already expected it, to receive confirmation like that really put all of them on edge. He could see it was the same for everyone else.

    "We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game."

    Diavel spoke quietly, but his voice reached all of them. It was filled with resolve and determination.

    "And that is the duty of every one of us here now! Isn''t that right, everybody?!"

    Even before the other players started shouting and clapping, Drifter had his fists clenched. Diavel''s words aligned perfectly with Drifter''s thoughts. As the best players in SAO, the frontliners, per se, it was their obligation to beat Illfang, and restore hope to all the trapped players.

    "Okay! Then, without further delay, I''d like to get this boss-raid meeting started! First, I want you to team up into parties of six."

    Diavel took control of the meeting, but Drifter had no qualms with that. The man was a natural leader. He found the boss room, made a deal with Argo to share the news only with the qualified players, then organized a meeting to plan the battle. Drifter liked to be the head of his small party, but he already had his hands full just with the three of them.

    ''Speaking of parties... Six members huh?''

    SAO allowed up to six-people parties, so that was the natural thing to do. Furthermore, six was the ideal number of people. Not too many that it would be a mess, but not too few that they would be overwhelmed by enemies.

    Drifter''s party was the odd one out, definitely. There were very few parties with fewer than four members. Their''s only worked because all of them were above-average players. Unfortunately, it also meant it would be hard for them to find another party to merge with, even if just for the boss-raid.

    "Uhmm, we are only three. See anyone else with the same numbers?"

    "Maybe Agil... Nope, he has four already. Ah, maybe next time."

    Nautilus and Yuna had already caught on to their predicament. The songstress waved to their friendly merchant, who gave an apologetic shrug. Drifter was about to stand up to get a better view if there were any solo players or duos when Nautilus spoke hesitantly.

    "Err... Apparently Argo has a surprise for us."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow, and scanned the amphitheater. He easily spotted the info broker, now out of << Hiding >> waving for them to come over. Next to her were three very uncomfortable players. He looked at his party members, who shrugged.

    "Let''s see what she has in store for us then, shall we?"

    ------------------------

    Argo was having the time of her life. She already knew about having to form six-people parties, because she had discussed everything about this meeting with Diavel beforehand. They knew each other from the beta, even if their relationship wasn''t close. She had just conveniently forgotten to mention it to any of her contacts. The truth was, obviously, that she wanted to laugh at Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, and Kirito''s reactions. And boy, had she gotten a chuckle out of them. Mostly Kirito, since he was a solo player, but seeing Drifter cranking his neck around to find other three-people parties - which she knew for a fact there weren''t any - had also been entertaining.

    And before she called Drifter and the others over, she got to watch another show. Namely, how three very interesting solo players got together. The stammering Kirito, who always hated to work with others, the silent hooded girl whose name she didn''t know, and who didn''t say a word, and the rookie Sinon, with piercing grey eyes, who always ordered a bunch of throwing picks from Liz.

    When the three were finished forming their party, after not just a little confusion, and during which Argo learned the hooded girl was called Asuna, the info broker jumped on Kirito''s back, startling the boy enough that he fell a step.

    "Aight, Kii-bou! How are ya? Makin'' plenty of friends, huh? Pretty gals on top of that, ya are gonna make a buncha enemies if ya keep hoggin'' them all to yourself!"

    Before her favorite beta-tester could muster an answer, Argo had already turned to the two girls with a big grin, which only got wider when she saw Sinon''s very guarded expression.

    "Heyo, Sin-chan, Aa-chan! I don''t believe we''ve been properly introduced. Name''s Argo, best info broker on this side of Aincrad. Delighted to meet ya."

    Asuna still didn''t say anything, but Sinon took her hand off of her dagger''s pommel, and shook the one Argo was offering, very, very warily.

    "I''ve heard of you. They say you know everything, and that as long as the price is right, you will sell it."

    "Aye aye! Glad to see the word spreadin''. Ya know that''s what my business thrives in. Though I don''t know everything, but I can always find out. Say, if our Kii-bou here was lookin'' to know your three sizes, could I interest ya in... Hey!"

    Argo was brutally interrupted when someone grabbed her by the scruff, and lifted her up. Before she started thrashing around to free herself, she met Drifter''s eyes, and gulped.

    "Oh oh."

    ------------------------

    Sinon wasn''t sure of what exactly was happening. She arrived at the boss strategy meeting after someone mentioned her long ranged abilities could be useful. Then, she met Asuna, who she hadn''t seen in a good while, and the two sat together. Partying up seemed natural.

    After that, a boy about their age, with black hair and eyes, holding a one-handed sword, and looking very disgruntled by the fact they had to form parties asked to join them. Finally, the famous Argo jumped literally out of nowhere and into Kirito''s back, before she started babbling away. Some of the things she said had both her and Kirito blushing furiously. But before the info broker could go on, someone grabbed her, and Argo made the most comical gulping sound Sinon had heard in her entire life.

    The one lifting up Argo was a somewhat older man - and by that Sinon meant he was nineteen or twenty - with a spear strapped to his back. Standing next to him was a young teen holding a shield and with a curved blade sheathed on his hip, and an equally young girl carrying a flute. She recognized them. Everyone in Tolbana did. The girl played every night at the main plaza without fail, and had a good crowd listening every night.

    "What kind of chaos do you think you are causing, little rat?"

    Sinon heard Kirito choke, but she couldn''t blame him. She herself was trying - and failing miserably - to suffocate a giggle. Seeing the infamous Argo the Rat being called, well, a little rat, was somewhat hilarious.

    "Pffft... Hahaha..."

    Finally, someone couldn''t hold back, and pearl-like laughter came from her left. Sinon was about as stunned as everyone else, and Argo took the chance to escape Drifter''s claws and jump on Asuna, who yelped as the smaller girl started tickling her as revenge. Somehow, the hood never came off.

    "I swear... Forget it. It seems Argo already decided we will be working together. Anyone has anything against it? Don''t be shy, better break the party now than make a mistake later in the middle of the boss battle."

    Sinon appreciated the fact that Drifter was putting that option out there. She didn''t see any reason to reject the party invitation, and neither did the other two solo players, but it was a good gesture.

    "Okay, are you about done forming your parties? Then..."

    "Hold up a second!"

    Before Diavel, back on the center of the stage, could even finish his words, someone jumped from the top of the amphitheater, skidding to a halt next to the blue-haired player - by the way, Sinon would have to ask where Diavel found hair dye, but that was a thought for another time. Now, while she looked at the fellow who had just yelled, she could only think one thing.

    "My name''s Kibaou! There''s something I wanna say before we take on the boss!"

    Yep, this was going to be troublesome. Kirito and Drifter''s simultaneous sighs indicated that they agreed with her.

 Chapter 16 - 1st Floor Boss Strategy Meeting (Part 2)

    "My name''s Kibaou! There''s something I wanna say before we take on the boss! Some of you here..."

    Drifter suppressed a sigh at the sight of the cactus-looking guy on the stage. He saw Diavel also push down a frown of irritation at being so rudely interrupted. Kibaou was... Very vocal. Drifter had already discovered that when the man started an argument with Liz over some repairs he was not satisfied with. It was also from that situation that stemmed his dislike.

    "... need to apologize to the 2.000 who have died so far!"

    Drifter froze. While most players seemed confused, he knew exactly who Kibaou was referencing. One peek at Argo''s clenched jaw showed she too knew. That finger of his seemed to be pointing directly at his little info broker, and Drifter had never wanted to punch someone so much as he did now.

    Sneakily, he reached behind his back, and grabbed Argo''s hand in his own. He didn''t look at her, just gave her a reassuring squeeze. She relaxed, though she did pull closer to them, not-quite-hiding behind Drifter and Yuna. The songstress smiled at Argo warmly, to show that they were with her for whatever happened. So focused they were on making sure the info broker was okay, they didn''t notice the glance she exchanged with Kirito.

    "Kibaou, those people you are referring to, do you mean the ex-beta-testers, perhaps?"

    "Of course I do! On the day this stupid game started, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared. They took all the good hunting spots and easy quests for themselves, so they were the only ones getting stronger. And since then, they''ve just ignored the rest of us."

    As much as Drifter wanted to beat the player up until he shut his mouth, he had to admit Kibaou was mostly right. Mostly, because while there were a lot of asshole beta-testers - and that was according to Argo herself - a good number of them, info broker included, were doing their best to help other players or clear the game.

    Drifter didn''t know many beta-testers. Only one he was aware of, in fact. But he had talked with Argo, and she had disclosed some information. It had been right after that mess in the labyrinth and Drifter''s brief orange state. Yuna and Nautilus were there too. The info broker said that of the thousand beta-testers, about seven hundred had rejoined the game, at least that she knew of. And of the two thousand crossed out names in the Monument of Life, almost a fifth belonged to those beta-testers.

    Many beta-testers had been selfish, and hogged all the best grinding spots and quests, yes. Quite a few of those who died had probably been because of the changes Kayaba added after the beta. They paid for their greed with their life. But they didn''t amount to even half of the beta-testers.

    Many had died while trying to clear the labyrinth while relying on old knowledge. Their aim had been to escape and free everyone else. Others had perished trying to save newbies. A few had even been in contact with Argo, helping her gather intel, and Drifter knew their deaths haunted his friend more than she would ever admit.

    Of the beta-testers who were still alive, three groups could be separated. The first was of those who were hiding in the Town of Beginnings just like pretty much everyone else. Just because they were beta-testers, didn''t mean they were brave. The second group was of those fighting in the labyrinth to clear the game. Drifter suspected more than a few of the people he knew were ex-betas. As for the final group, they were those like Argo, who weren''t active combatants, but were trying to use their knowledge of the beta to warn and teach new players.

    Drifter got the feeling Argo had told him all that because she didn''t want him to feel he was ever being abandoned again. She probably was also afraid he would hate her if he found out through anyone else, such as what was happening right now with Kibaou. As if he could ever get angry with his little rat.

    "There''s got to be some of them here! Guys who were beta-testers! We should make them get on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they''ve hoarded!"

    Drifter had to hold back the urge to scoff. Surely the man could not be that stupid, right? Any hope the beta-testers would show themselves and offer help went right out of the window when he demanded they gave up their items - items which were effectively keeping them alive. Drifter knew that if he had to give up his << Kobold Spear >>, he would be as good as dead. Beta-testers were the same.

    "As party members, we can''t trust them with our lives! And they can''t trust us."

    Oh, good, Kibaou went on. Because of course he did. Why wouldn''t he? All he was about to do was sow distrust between the raid group right before the battle that would decide the destiny of eight thousand people.

    Near him, Drifter saw Kirito frowning with a pained expression. The way Argo threw him a sympathetic look tipped Drifter off to something, but he wasn''t about to poke his nose in someone else''s business, especially someone he just met. He could shut Kibaou up, though.

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    "Can I say something?"

    Just as Drifter was getting up to retort the cactus-hair''s accusations, a familiar deep voice interrupted him. With a few steps, the black-skinned merchant took the stage.

    "My name is Agil. Kibaou, let me get this straight. You are saying that because the ex-beta-testers didn''t take care of them, many beginners died. That they should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation. Is that right?"

    "Y-Yeah."

    Kibaou unconsciously took a few steps back when Agil walked right up to him. Drifter had to admit that seeing the merchant so serious was much more intimidating than his business persona normally was.

    "You received this guidebook too, didn''t you? It was provided for free at the item store, after all."

    "Sure, I did... So what of it?!"

    "It was the ex-beta-testers who were distributing these."

    Kibaou scowled, seeing his momentum halted, and Drifter almost cheered for Agil when the man turned around to show the booklet to the attending players. They were all very familiar with the book and the three pairs of whiskers printed on the cover. Some more than others.

    Drifter grinned, and, before Argo could escape, ruffled her hair. Kirito seemed especially taken aback by the fact the info broker didn''t claw his eyes off.

    "See, little rat? We are here."

    Argo smiled and nodded gratefully before catching herself and pushing Drifter''s hand away.

    "Bah! Anyone with a brain could tell it was a beta-tester who made those. I''m sure she is an amazin'' and beautiful heroine. I would love to meet her one day."

    The party, minus Sinon and Asuna, who seemed confused, laughed. Due to their short banter, Drifter missed what Agil said next, but he could tell from Kibaou''s surly frown as both men returned to their seats that it convinced most players in the amphitheater that beta-testers weren''t all bad guys. That was for the best, as the interruption had gone for long enough. Diavel quickly took the reins back.

    "All right. Okay, can we resume the meeting now? As for information on the boss... Actually, the latest edition of that guidebook was just issued."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at Argo, who smiled cheekily.

    "According to it, the boss'' name is << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. Also, he has an entourage known as << Ruin Kobold Sentinels >>. The boss is armed with an ax and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one is in the red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes too."

    Diavel let his words sink in, allowing the players to realize that the boss wasn''t just a bigger version of the labyrinth mobs. << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> had it''s own peculiarities, all of them deadly. Drifter had already read through the entire guide, even if it wasn''t the latest version, and forced his party to do the same, so they weren''t surprised.

    The light blue-haired player then went on to talk about money, experience, and item distribution, before dismissing the meeting. Drifter nodded. It was better to solve this now than have a problem later.

    "All right, it seems this is it for today."

    "The fight is tomorrow, huh? After a month, I can''t believe we are finally getting ''round to it."

    Patting Nautilus'' shoulder, Drifter turned to the three new additions to the party. The mysterious Asuna, the ranged fighter Sinon, and the possible beta-tester Kirito.

    "So... I think it''s better to get this out of the way now. You three are all solo players, while we have been in a party for some time now. There''s a big difference between fighting solo or with others, so there''s bound to be some trouble and miscommunication. If y''all don''t mind, we could sit down for a meal, then discuss roles, tactics, and whatnot. What do you say?"

    Drifter knew he was kinda talking like he was calling the shots here, but he couldn''t help it. His biggest worry was one of the three new players making a mistake, or fighting like they normally do, and putting Yuna or Nautilus in danger. Luckily, they didn''t seem to mind. Sinon and Asuna nodded, while Kirito pointed at somewhere behind Drifter.

    "Sounds great, but I think someone''s coming over."

    Drifter spun around, and, lo and behold, Diavel was walking towards them. With the corner of his eyes, he noticed Argo disappearing, followed by a short message from her saying there was work to be done. He typed a quick reply before the raid leader arrived.

    "So we see each other again. Glad you could come."

    Diavel offered his hand to Drifter first, then greeted everyone else. Asuna and Sinon answered with just a nod, as expected, but Kirito shook the man''s hand. Both stared at each other for slightly longer than it was necessary, and Drifter got the distinct feeling the two players knew each other, but also sort of didn''t.

    "I wanted to discuss your party''s role. No offense, but you are mostly a group of randoms, so I would like it if you could hang back and take care of the adds."

    Meaning, Diavel didn''t trust them to handle the boss, and wanted them to handle the << Ruin Kobold Sentinels >>. Instead of giving an answer directly, Drifter turned to the rest of the group.

    "I agree."

    "No problem."

    "Uhum."

    "If everyone else is cool with it."

    "Hm."

    Receiving affirmative responses, Drifter gestured with his head to Diavel, signaling their agreement. The player smiled brightly, and bid farewell to them, but not without giving another look to Kirito.

    "Well, who''s hungry?"

    As if on cue, Nautilus and Kirito''s stomachs rumbled. Drifter snorted, and Sinon and Asuna giggled. Yuna patted the blushing boys in the back.

    "I know the perfect place! They might even let me sing later."

 Chapter 17 - Illfang the Kobold Lord

    Rubbing his belly after what was probably the best meal he had in weeks, Kirito sighed in contentment. He usually would have saved his money to enhance his gear, and made do with just bread and that reward sauce he got from a quest, but today was a special occasion. He joined a party.

    Sure, it was only for the boss fight, but to him, it was a monumental occasion. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. But Kirito had always been that kind of socially awkward gamer kid, who went solo no matter what game he played.

    One by one, he looked at the other five on the table with him. To his left was Sinon. The girl''s eyes were a piercing gray, the kind that made it look like she could see through you. Then, to his right was Drifter.

    Kirito could tell that the older man was trying his best not to sound like he was taking charge. He was grateful for that. Kirito already didn''t work well in parties, and even more so if someone he never met tried to order him around. Next to Drifter was Nautilus, the blade-user with a round shield of the songstress'' party.

    Yes, the songstress'' party. That was how they were known, even if Drifter was their leader. The pretty young girl who played the flute every night in Tolbana''s plaza was known to all. Even Kirito listened to her from a hidden corner quite frequently. That there was someone willing to play and sing made their prison somewhat more bearable.

    The girl in question, Yuna, was sitting to Nautilus'' right. She and Sinon had sandwiched Asuna between them, and were talking quietly but excitedly with the last member of their temporary party.

    Asuna. Kirito had yet to see her face. They all had, with maybe the exception of Sinon, who seemed to know her. Even during dinner, Asuna never took off her hood. Kirito couldn''t help but wonder why. Throughout the meal, his gaze kept wandering to her, but he always quickly averted it.

    "Ehem. Should we discuss tactics?"

    Sinon cleared her throat, and Kirito turned his head to her. She seemed to be the quiet and serious type, even when she was smiling.

    "How about we start by saying what we are good at? It will give us an idea of what to expect."

    Seeing that no one had an objection, Drifter went first, as the one who suggested it.

    "Well, I''m Drifter, a spear user. I''m good at crowd control and can give vanguard fighters backup from behind them."

    "Nautilus, close combat. I am the main tank for our party."

    "And I''m Yuna! I play support and healing, though I can also use a dagger if the situation calls for it."

    "Healing?!"

    Kirito couldn''t help but interrupt the introductions with a surprised shout. The two other girls were just as shocked as him. Yuna kept the grin on her face, though she did give Drifter and Nautilus a short glance, and they nodded subtly. They probably had discussed ahead of time if they should reveal Yuna''s ability or not.

    "Yes, healing. It''s very little and very slow, but I can regen health through my songs."

    Kirito and Sinon looked at each other, mouths open, but unsure of what to say. So, the girl decided to just push past it and introduce herself.

    "Err... I''m Sinon, as you already know. I also use a dagger, but what I''m really good with are these."

    Sinon showed the many throwing picks she carried with her. Kirito had already noticed them before, and he would have to ask her where he could get a few.

    "Pity SAO doesn''t have bows, I would love to try one. Asuna?"

    "Hm. I use a rapier. I''m fast but I don''t deal as much damage in a single hit as others."

    A rapier, huh? Asuna probably put all her stat points into DEX. That was what Kirito would do in her place, at least. That meant she would be fragile. Asuna and Drifter could probably partner up as crowd control, or maybe the swordswoman might be better placed on standby, ready to switch in at a moment''s notice.

    "Kirito?"

    Startled, he realized everyone was looking at him, waiting for the last member of their party - him - to introduce himself. Meanwhile, he had been staring at Asuna, deep in thought, for the last few seconds, trying to think how to better coordinate with her. Kirito felt his cheeks burning.

    "Waa... I''m Kirito, and I use a one-handed sword, no shield. My major attributes are STR and DEX."

    The group lapsed into silence after they finished the introductions. Drifter seemed to be thinking, his fingers scratching his chin, while the others were just quietly looking at their empty plates or each other. The one who broke the silence was Sinon.

    "I guess... Nautilus and Kirito are our vanguards? Drifter, Asuna, and myself are the second line, and Yuna supports us from the back?"

    Kirito found himself nodding, and so did the others. That was the best party configuration they could use considering they knew practically nothing about each other. Drifter seemed to think the same.

    "Mm. We don''t have time to train together before the boss raid, so we will have to make do. I believe it would be for the best if, during the fight, we each did our own thing, but keeping an eye open. Temporary party we may be, but we must have each other''s back."

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    The way the spearman said that left no room for discussion. Especially that last sentence. Kirito - no, not just him, everyone - sensed the steel-like resolve behind it. The kind that had a very good reason, and probably not a pleasant one.

    "What about the switch, Drifter?"

    Nautilus raised a question that had Asuna and Sinon tilting their heads in confusion - or at least that was what he thought the slight moving of the hood meant. Kirito, on the other hand, nodded thoughtfully.

    "Right. Do any of you know how to switch? Sorry if I''m being blunt, but it is a technique that involves two players, and you are all solo."

    Kirito raised his hand. Asuna and Sinon didn''t. He saw Drifter consider things for a moment, then pull up his menu. From how his eyes moved, he guessed the spearman was looking at the clock. Then he looked back at the group.

    "Switch is a must-know. Do you think we can get some training in today?"

    "It''s night already..."

    "I don''t mean in the tower, just the wolves and pigs outside. We can have two of us keeping watch while the others practice."

    "That... Could be a good idea. Even if there isn''t much time, just understanding how a switch works would be beneficial. It would also give us a chance to fight as a party. The << Ruin Kobold Sentinels >> spawn in duos or trio''s according to the guidebook, so we can target fighting multiple enemies too."

    "Err... Sorry, but can I ask what is a switch?"

    Kirito had been so focused in his exchange with Drifter - how had that even happened anyway? - that Sinon was forced to interrupt both of them. Kirito scratched his head somewhat embarrassed, while Drifter only smiled.

    "Sorry, we got too distracted there. By the way, I''m glad to see you opening up more, Kirito. That''s some quick thought you''ve put into this night outing."

    This time Kirito definitely blushed at the praise. Drifter grinned, then turned to the rest of the party.

    "I don''t think we should decide on a party leader, considering we know almost nothing of each other. I would... I am reluctant to entrust my life to you, no offense. I believe you should feel the same. Which is even more reason why any and all suggestions should be shared, even if you think they are dumb. Better that than to regret it later on, don''t you agree?"

    When several heads nodded, Drifter smiled, and Kirito saw once again that glint in his eyes. Then the spearman turned to him, and Kirito suddenly had the feeling he should have kept his mouth shut.

    "Back to your question, Sinon. Kirito, would you mind explaining?"

    --------------------------

    It was an hour and a half later, already deep into the night, that Asuna and Sinon found themselves back at the inn, this time in the room they would be sharing, just tonight. With the sudden influx of players in Tolbana, there were no more single rooms left, so they decided that the boys would sleep in one room, and the girls in another. That also meant Yuna was sleeping with them.

    Not that Sinon was complaining. The musician was one of the kindest and most charming people she had ever met. Not to mention the songs she played after dinner were beautiful. For a moment there, Sinon had forgotten she was inside Kayaba''s death game.

    The girl in question was humming a melody as she unpacked - in SAO, that meant a few clicks on the menu. When she was done, she plopped down on her bed, sighing. Sinon wondered why that was, but then noticed the songstress was looking at Asuna, who had finally unequipped her cloak.

    "Woah... You are pretty, Asuna."

    The rapier user - Sinon had heard someone call her a fencer - blushed promptly, then smiled so sweetly even Sinon was moved. There was something about those hazel eyes of hers that could captivate just about anyone.

    (A/N: Okay, I may be a little of an Asuna simp. I just like her character a lot, okay?! Instead of being one of those weak damsel-in-distress-type of female lead, she is independent, skilled, and badass af. But I promise I will tone it down ;) )

    "T-Thank you."

    Yuna grinned, and the three girls chatted for a while more. But there was something weighing on her newest acquaintance''s mind. Sinon could tell by the way the songstress opened her mouth but said nothing, or how she kept frowning at her HUD.

    "What''s wrong, Yuna?"

    "Ah, it''s nothing."

    That meant it clearly was something, but Sinon wasn''t about to pry. The trio fell in silence for the next few seconds, before Yuna spoke again.

    "Actually..."

    "You don''t need to say it if you don''t want to, Yuna."

    That was Asuna. Quiet as she may be, she was pretty quick to open up to others, Sinon discovered. Or maybe it was because they were going to fight their most dangerous battle yet tomorrow, so even Asuna was feeling chatty.

    "No, it''s not that I don''t want to speak about it, Asuna. Err... Okay, it kinda is. It''s just... I want to ask you two a favor, but it is somewhat embarrassing to do that since this is the first time we met."

    Well, after she said that, there was no way the two wouldn''t at the very least hear her out. Sinon gave Yuna an encouraging grin, while Asuna moved to sit a little closer to the songstress.

    "Go ahead, Yuna. We belong to the same party now, so you don''t need to hesitate to ask for help."

    "Thanks. How should I say it... Both of you seem like level-headed people. I will be at the back playing, so I wanted to ask if you could keep an eye out for Naut and Drifter. They can both get quite into it during a fight. Especially Drifter. He is somewhat... Overprotective of his party members. That will include you, of course. But he might endanger himself because of that."

    Asuna just nodded, as if it was a no-brainer. Sinon was a little more cautious - not because she saw any reason to reject, that was just her nature.

    "Sure, no problem. But it feels like there''s a story there."

    Yuna smiled, but it was a weary, tired one.

    "There is. Maybe someday I can tell it, if you decide to stick around."

    "Let''s see how the raid tomorrow goes."

    "Yeah."

    ---------------------------

    December 3rd 2022, 1st floor labyrinth.

    CLANG!

    With a loud noise, Diavel stabbed his sword into the ground. He was looking at the forty-eight players that composed the boss-raid party. Behind him were huge, menacing double doors, with many iron engravings, and dimly illuminated by flickering torches.

    "Listen up everyone. I have only one thing to say..."

    Diavel met each player''s gaze as he spoke. Drifter gripped the shaft of his spear, his determination mirrored by all the other players.

    "Let''s win!"

    Without wasting time, maybe because he didn''t want to give anyone the chance to back out, the leader of the raid party placed his hand on the doors, which opened with just a touch. Cautiously, the players entered the boss room, a long hall shrouded in darkness. It didn''t stay that way for very long.

    As the group walked inside, the room lit up, revealing the monstrosity sitting on a throne at the opposite end. With a roar that shook all of them to their very core, the monster jumped across the hall to meet them.

    << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>

 Chapter 18 - Kayabas Machinations

    Argo was feeling anxious. Sitting in a corner of her favorite rooftop in Tolbana, overlooking the central plaza, she nervously played with her hair. Normally, she would be contacting her informants, organizing her notes, and scheming how to sell her intel for the best value. But now, she couldn''t put her mind at ease.

    Kirito had just sent her a short message saying they were in front of the boss room. She had done her best throughout this month to uncover every possible bit of information about << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> that she could. She even completed every available quest on the 1st floor to try and see if there was something new. The only thing she couldn''t do was fight with the raid party.

    She just hoped everything went well. Their escape and survival hinged on them winning this fight without many casualties. Or, better yet, without any at all. They couldn''t lose.

    The info broker was so focused on her inner thoughts that it took her a few seconds to notice the blinking in her HUD. It was a different kind of notification than any she had ever come across. It looked almost like a... Camera? Unsure, she tapped on it. The next moment, her jaw dropped.

    "Holy shit."

    ---------------------------

    "Hyah!"

    With a last mournful wail, a << Ruin Kobold >> was sliced in two. Seeing no more mobs nearby, Klein sheathed his katana, and inspected his party. They were tired, but otherwise unharmed. Klein felt proud of them.

    It had taken him and his friends a good while to leave the Town of Beginnings after the first day. They were afraid, there was no nice way to put it. But they made it in the end. Sure, this was just the second day they entered the tower, since they didn''t feel confident in their skills before. But they were here.

    "If we keep the pace we will catch up to the big leagues in no time, boss!"

    "Yeah!"

    The wannabe samurai fist-bumped one of his party members. Sometimes Klein regretted not having insisted more to have Kirito join him and his friends. If the black-haired boy had, Klein knew they would already be part of the ''big leagues''. But even if that wasn''t the case for now, they were making good progress, or so he believed.

    "Uhh... Boss, you need to see this."

    Confused by the hesitant tone, Klein turned to one of his friends, at the same time noticing the new notification on his HUD. Thinking it was a new message, he absent-mindedly clicked it. A screen popped into existence in front of him, and Klein''s eyes bulged when he saw what it was showing.

    "Holy shit!"

    ---------------------------

    Throughout the entire 1st floor of Aincrad, thousands of players discovered the new icon in their menus, and opened it almost out of reflex. Those same thousands of players then did a double-take, absolute shock coloring their faces.

    They watched on the screen in front of them as forty-some players warily entered a dark hall. Then they saw that same hall light up, and a monster well over three meters tall confront the players.

    ROAR!!!

    The beastly scream echoed throughout the 1st floor, especially in the Town of Beginnings and Tolbana, where thousands of players were gathered. They watched in fear and horror as a couple of words appeared above the monster.

    << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>

    The players were so focused on the scenes showing that they barely noticed the title manifesting into existence above the screens in a dramatically late way that screamed Akihiko Kayaba.

    [ 1st Floor Boss Live stream ]

    --------------------------

    Somewhere in Japan, a man in his mid-thirties slept in a position that was certain to give him a neck ache, body bending over his desk, head resting on his crossed arms, and glasses crooked, somehow managing not to fall.

    "Sir!"

    "Wa... What?"

    With a loud noise, someone barged into the room so forcefully that the door swung open and smacked into the wall, waking up Kikouka Seijirou.

    "What is it?!"

    The leader of the Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force smoothed the wrinkles in his suit, not quite happy with how abrupt his awakening had been - or that it had happened at all, really. The number of deceased SAO players had just reached two thousand, and his team had yet to make any progress in cracking Kayaba''s system and freeing the victims. He was under a lot of pressure, and hadn''t slept well in days, as it was proved by him dozing off in his office.

    "I''m sorry, sir, but you need to see this."

    Something about the way his subordinate was behaving told him this was serious, however. The way the man''s eyes were bulging, and the urgency in his voice worried Kikouka. He grabbed the tablet the man offered him, and frowned. He didn''t quite comprehend what he was seeing.

    "What am I looking at?"

    "It''s... It''s a live stream of the SAO players battling against the 1st floor boss of Aincrad."

    Kikouka almost dropped the tablet.

    "Those are SAO players?! And this monster... They are going to fight it?!"

    His subordinate gulped and then nodded. Kikouka watched for a few more seconds as the monster, which appeared to be called Illfang something, growled. A few of the players stepped back, fear and apprehension clear on their faces, but none ran away.

    "How did you get this? Did we finally manage to get inside the Cardinal System?"

    "N-No. Not exactly."

    His gaze shot to the man, who was looking incredibly uncomfortable and ashamed.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Then how?"

    Once again, his subordinate gulped, his forehead covered in sweat. He turned on Kikouka''s computer and put it on a video-streaming website. Then, he tuned the television in the corner to a news channel. By now, Kikouka had a very bad feeling, which only got worse as he watched the very same video playing on the tablet in his hands, being shown in the other two electronics.

    "Sir... It''s everywhere."

    ----------------------------

    Not just in Japan, but all around the world, thousands and then millions of people stopped what they were doing to watch as four dozen people battled for survival. Many didn''t understand what they were seeing at first, but those who had heard of the SAO incident were quick to realize and share the news. For the second time in a little more than a month, the world was shaken.

    When news were first released that some madman had trapped ten thousand souls inside a death game, many didn''t believe it. But as more and more players died, the rest didn''t wake up, and news organizations around the world reported it, everyone realized it was real. When nothing else but deaths happened in the following month, most people, especially those from other countries, quickly classed it as another tragic incident and forgot about it. But now, the world watched in trepidation as players risked their lives, almost as if they were gladiators in ancient times.

    Governments tried and failed miserably to contain the news. As soon as they took one video-streaming website down, another ten popped up. Eventually, they gave up. It was very obvious that Kayaba wanted the world to watch, and he would make sure that happened. To someone who could hold ten thousand people hostage in a videogame, it wasn''t that surprising that he also could hack his way into getting what he wanted.

    But Drifter had no idea any of this was happening. He didn''t even know the other players were watching, much less the real world. And even if he did, he wouldn''t care right now. Not when a four-meters tall monster with a gigantic ax was roaring at him.

    Drifter had fought wolves and boars, and even fish before - which didn''t sound all that impressive, but one had to remember that those same mobs had killed hundreds of players. He also had a great deal of experience with << Ruin Kobolds >>, so he thought that their lord wouldn''t be much different. Stronger, scarier, and much more deadly, sure. But at least similar. This was not what he was seeing in front of him. What he saw was a true monster.

    Illfang had blood-red fur and cruel eyes, red too. When he snarled, saliva flew everywhere. At the same time, three << Ruin Kobold Sentinels >> spawned. They were a lot different than the other labyrinth mobs, using some kind of plate armor that covered their entire body and heads. Each of them was using a mace that looked more like a huge boulder on a stick. No doubt they could crack open someone''s head with a single swing.

    Diavel trained his sword on the boss, and yelled a command. Drawing courage from who knows where, the raid party, Drifter included, shouted and charged forward to meet their enemies.

    While Diavel and three of the smaller parties they were split into fought Illfang, Drifter faced one of the add-ons the boss had spawned. As they discussed before, Nautilus was the first to clash against the mob. Knowing he had a shorter reach and as such wouldn''t be able to land the first blow, the ash-haired player raised his shield and braced for impact. The force behind the hit still sent him stumbling a few steps back, and took a few percents off of his health bar.

    "Ugh! Be careful, they hit hard!"

    Without needing prompting, Yuna started playing << Rest >>. Meanwhile, Kirito jumped forward and struck the mob with a << Horizontal Square >>.

    "Switch! Drifter!"

    The spearman advanced, spearhead snaking forward, aiming for the opening on the helmet, but the << Ruin Kobold Sentinel >> moved it''s head, and Drifter''s weapon hit cold metal, before deflecting harmlessly to the side. Muttering a curse under his breath, he decided to be less ambitious with his next strike, and targeted the uncovered forearm of the creature, this time being rewarded with a growl of pain.

    "Switch!"

    Stepping to the side to dodge an overhead blow from the mace, Drifter called for a switch, and realized his mistake only when Nautilus and Asuna advanced at the same time, saw each other going for it, and hesitated. Drifter had grown used to being in a party with just Yuna and Nautilus, so only the blade user could switch with him. Now that there were others in the party, he forgot to specify who he was calling, hence the confusion.

    His mistake was punished quite quickly and brutally by the << Ruin Kobold Sentinel >>. Drifter only had time to shift his body a little to try and cushion the blow before he was sent rolling back by a mace crushing down on his side.

    "Drifter!"

    "I''m okay!"

    Quickly jumping to his feet, he checked that his health had dropped to the upper range of yellow. It was quite a bit of damage, but not enough he would be in a life-threatening situation.

    Looking up, Drifter saw that Nautilus had already gotten hold of the mob''s aggro, and was working with Kirito to force it back. A well-placed throwing pick from Sinon nailed the kobold right in the face, through the opening Drifter had failed to hit before. He couldn''t help but give her a thumbs-up.

    "Great aim!"

    "Thanks! You good?"

    "Yeah. I was dumb, sorry ''bout that."

    "Later, Drifter! Focus!"

    Despite their situation, Drifter couldn''t help but chuckle when Yuna chided him, especially when the songstress had basically forced a health potion down his throat. Still, he rejoined the fight without hesitation.

    "Aim for the neck! There''s space between it''s helmet and chest armor!"

    Kirito put his words into action as he performed a << Sting >>, stabbing his one-handed sword deep into said opening, and scoring a critical hit. With a flurry of quick hits from Asuna, the << Ruin Kobold Sentinel >> burst into polygons.

    Taking the opportunity while there were no more adds being spawned, the party stopped to catch their breath. Drifter briefly watched the others fighting the boss, and, while he wished he could go help, he knew it was better to stick to the plan. At least everything seemed to be going well. Diavel was rotating the parties tanking << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> in such a way that the moment somebody''s health dropped, they were substituted. Happy that everything was okay, Drifter turned to his own party to apologize.

    "Sorry, I screwed up."

    "It''s okay, nothing bad happened."

    "Yeah, don''t beat yourself over yet."

    "I won''t. Won''t happen again either."

    "Teams F and G, switch in! Team H, there are more mobs spawning, take care of them!"

    "Roger!"

    Diavel briefly turned to bark orders at them, and Kirito shouted their acknowledgment. The blue-haired man had been doing a stellar job in leading the battle until now, but the pressure on him was a lot.

    Yuna gave Drifter''s hand a quick squeeze, and he flashed her and Nautilus a smile before he rejoined the battle with the others. This time, he was much more careful when calling out the switches.

    "Last HP bar! Keep it up!"

    As << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> went down to it''s fourth and last health bar, a new group of << Ruin Kobold Sentinels >> spawned, which were quickly split amongst the support groups, and taken care of. Then, Illfang''s health reached red, and the monster roared before throwing his ax and shield away. Now, he was going to use his Talwar...

    ''Uh?''

    Drifter frowned when he saw the long blade the boss had pulled out. It didn''t look like the drawings he had seen in the guidebook. Maybe Argo remembered the appearance of the weapon wrongly? That didn''t sound like her, to be honest. As Diavel yelled for the others to stay back, and he charged to deal the last blow - ignoring the plan he himself had drafted, it must be said - Drifter caught a glimpse of Kirito''s horrified expression, and suddenly his worst suspicion came through. He was moving even before the swordsman''s screamed warning cut the air.

    "It''s no good! Jump back as fast as you can! That''s not a Talwar, it''s a Nodachi!"

 Chapter 19 - Clearing the 1st Floor and Beater

    Time seemed to slow down. At least that was how Drifter felt when he ran towards Diavel, only to witness their leader being hit by a brutal combo skill from << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, for which he wasn''t prepared for, and that left him no time to put up a defense.

    "Diavel!"

    The first blow sent the shield-bearer high into the air, while the second and third sent him back to the ground like a cannonball. Drifter winced, knowing the chances of Diavel surviving a sequence of attacks like that were low. Kirito, having started to move just a fraction of a second later than him, ran towards the blue-haired player. Drifter didn''t. Instead, he rushed to intercept the boss.

    The raid party had planned and prepared to face an Illfang armed with a Talwar, with a shorter reach and a completely different set of skills. Not this monster with the vicious-looking long sword Kirito called a Nodachi. They had already witnessed it in use, and it hit fast and hard. Drifter knew that if he allowed the boss to let loose amidst the other players, who were still stunned from watching Diavel being so easily dispatched, it would be a massacre.

    Of course, Drifter wasn''t any more prepared than them to face the boss. He also had no idea of what attack patterns and skills << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> had now, and could very possibly be running to his death. But he had to do something.

    And something he did. It was stupid, perhaps, but Drifter surged forward with a << Rage Spike >>, the tip of his weapon slamming against the side of Illfang''s blade, and pushing it away from the players it was about to cut down.

    The Nodachi slammed into the ground, carving a deep gorge, but thankfully missing anyone. Unfortunately, while Drifter had very possibly just saved a couple lives, his actions also caused the boss to turn it''s attention to him - Illfang''s aggro system was much more developed than that of normal mobs, after all. Drifter''s eyes widened when he saw the cruel red eyes focus on him, as the boss pulled it''s lips back in a snarl that showed all his sharp teeth.

    "Crap."

    You never realized how badly you had screwed up until after the fact. Hindsight was really an amazing thing. For example, now Drifter was considering that maybe charging at the bloodthirsty boss was not the best decision. Luckily, there were others who had just as little common sense as him.

    "Drifter, switch!"

    His body moved before his mind could process what was happening, and Drifter stepped back and watched as Nautilus collided with << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, blade sinking deep into the kobold''s flank. Illfang roared in anger, but all he received as answer was one of Sinon''s throwing picks embedded in his left eye.

    "Raargghhh!"

    The boss went berserk after the last hit. With a swipe of it''s tail, all nearby players were sent flying, Drifter included. The damage wasn''t much, but it was more than enough to force them all away. All except one.

    << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> had turned around when Sinon injured it, and, as such, Nautilus was on the blind spot of it''s following attack. Now, the blade-user was alone against the boss.

    "Naut!"

    "Naut!"

    Two identical cries cut the air as both Yuna and Drifter watched in horror. Their friend seemed to be frozen in fear, and didn''t make any move to dodge or block the incoming sword skill. Drifter caught a glimpse of Nautilus'' face, and saw the despair and unwillingness in his eyes. Unfortunately, he was too late.

    Just as the Illfang was about to hit Nautilus much in the same way he had done to Diavel, a black-haired figure intercepted the attack with a sword skill of his own. The two weapons collided and recoiled from the impact, as did their wielders.

    "Switch!"

    Even as he stumbled back, Kirito yelled a command. Asuna must have been moving even before Kirito spoke, because she reached Illfang in a flash. Her rapier glowed and she stabbed the boss multiple times, so fast Drifter had a hard time catching a glimpse of the thin blade.

    While all of this was happening, Drifter couldn''t help but look to the spot where Diavel had fallen, and Kirito had been assisting him moments earlier. To his despair, there was no sign of their raid party leader other than a few sparkles quickly vanishing in the air.

    Forcing back a choking scream of both sadness and rage, Drifter rushed to aid his friends. There would be time to mourn later. Now, they had to make sure Diavel was the only casualty of the battle.

    An attack from << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> glanced Kirito''s torso, and the boy tumbled back, bringing Asuna, who had been preparing for another switch, down with him. Drifter would have suffered a similar fate if not for a giant double-bladed ax suddenly getting in the way. He looked up to see Agil, who had a grim smile on his face as he stared at the monster.

    "You won''t get another one, fucker."

    With a growl comparable to the ones the boss had been uttering, the merchant forced the boss back. Nautilus, who seemed to have finally regained control of his limbs, came to their assistance, and, together, the trio of Drifter, Nautilus, and Agil - with a remarkable amount of ranged support from Sinon - held back the boss while Kirito and Asuna recovered.

    But it wasn''t easy. The new attack patterns << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> was using were unlike anything they had seen and prepared for before.

    Suddenly, Drifter had an epiphany. There was someone amongst them who had witnessed a Nodachi in use. He exchanged a quick glance with Agil, knowing the merchant to be quick on the uptake. He wasn''t disappointed.

    While Drifter and Nautilus did their best to deflect and block the boss'' offensive, Agil spun around to face the young swordsman.

    "We''ll hold him off ''till you recover!"

    Kirito nodded, and quickly drank a health potion, before turning to discuss something with Asuna. Drifter really wasn''t paying attention to that, as he was occupied trying not to die.

    After dodging a particularly vicious attack from << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, he glared at Kibaou and the other players, who were still stunned by Diavel''s death.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "What the hell are you waiting for?!"

    That seemed to snap them out of their grief-induced trance. Yelling, they surged forth with a vengeance, intent on bringing down the boss. Their newfound vigor lasted about five seconds, which was the time Illfang''s AI took to decide it didn''t want to be surrounded.

    The boss suddenly jumped up and towards a column, then used it as a platform to launch itself towards Drifter and Agil, who seemed to hold most of it''s aggro. And, for the second time in the battle, a black-haired swordsman intercepted the boss.

    Kirito seemed to have used a sword skill to catapult himself through the air and towards << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, something which Drifter would have to try later. The result was both player and boss stopping mid-air and then falling to the ground.

    "Switch!"

    Already in position, Asuna promptly obeyed the command, and, with uncanny coordination, beat back Illfang just enough that Kirito''s next skill, a simple << Vertical >> slipped right through the boss'' guard, stabbing deep into his gut, then tearing a red line upwards, almost separating the monster''s right arm from it''s body. With a cheerful noise, << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> shattered.

    [ CONGRATULATIONS! ]

    "Aff... Aff..."

    Kirito went down on one knee, sword still gripped tightly in his fingers. For a moment, his labored breath was all that could be heard in the boss room, before someone finally broke in cheer.

    "W-We won!"

    "Woah!"

    While others jumped and hugged in celebration, Drifter sat down, panting. He was feeling just as euphoric as everyone else for finally taking the first step towards escaping SAO, but he had been the one to take on the brunt of Illfang''s last berserk rampage.

    "How are you feeling?"

    Well, not just him. Nautilus and Agil collapsed next to Drifter, feeling just as tired. The three of them had to hold back the boss by themselves, and apart from the ash-haired blade-user, none of them were equipped for it.

    "Battered."

    "Ha! You tell me."

    The merchant snorted, and patted Drifter''s back. He felt another, much softer hand gently squeeze his shoulder, and flashed a smile at Yuna, who had joined them. She looked happy, but there was still some lingering tension in her face.

    "Hey, Yun''. How are you doing?"

    "Fine. I''m more worried about..."

    The songstress didn''t complete her sentence, her voice a whisper so quiet only Drifter could hear it. Following her gaze, he saw Nautilus holding his knees to his chest, and staring at nothing. Frowning, Drifter thought back to the fight. The way Nautilus froze had been rather strange. And, from the looks of it, Yuna knew what this was about. But they could discuss this later, when it was just the three of them. Now, what they should do was make sure he wasn''t beating himself over it.

    "Nautilus, are you..."

    "Why?!"

    The sharp question interrupted anything Drifter wanted to say. He turned and saw Kibaou kneeling, his fists clenched. Around him, his party members were, very uncharacteristically, not celebrating their victory. Instead, they seemed angry.

    "Why... Why did you let Diavel die?!"

    The question was directed at Kirito, who was still in the same spot. Slowly, the players who had come over to congratulate him stepped back, leaving a clear line of sight between him and Kibaou.

    "You knew the boss'' moves! If you shared what you knew beforehand, he wouldn''t have died!"

    There were tears in Kibaou''s eyes, but at the moment Drifter couldn''t bring himself to feel pity. All he could think was...

    "Are you stupid?"

    Sinon''s voice was so harsh that even Drifter winced. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and was looking at Kibaou as if he was an idiot.

    "You!"

    "What?! Do you think Kirito wanted Diavel to die? We all read the guidebook, it clearly said Illfang would use a Talwar. No one could have known Kayaba would make changes to the boss."

    Kibaou flinched away from Sinon''s piercing gaze, and Drifter didn''t blame him. It was always the quiet ones who were scarier. But his party members weren''t going to stay quiet. One of them pointed to Kirito accusingly.

    "He must be a beta-tester! That''s how he knew all the boss'' attack patterns! He knew, but didn''t tell us! There must be other beta-testers here too, right?!"

    That player simply ignored whatever Sinon had said, and, to Drifter''s horror, other players soon started echoing his words. Suspicious glances were thrown around, and he could foresee the raid party falling apart right there and then.

    But there was one more urgent worry. Motioning for Yuna and Nautilus to follow him, he went to stand next to Kirito, Sinon, and a pretty chestnut-haired girl he had never seen before. Asuna was nowhere to be seen, though she was still in their party, so she must be alive.

    ''Oh.''

    It took him a few seconds to make the connection, and realize said new girl was Asuna. Her hood must have broken during the battle, or she unequipped it.

    "Drifter, this ain''t looking good."

    "No, it isn''t."

    Maybe Drifter shouldn''t be surprised that Agil had followed him, the much larger man now standing in front of Kirito. They both understood that whether Kirito was a beta-tester or not didn''t matter anymore. The other players seemed ready for a public lynching.

    "Hahahahahaha... Hahaha!"

    The spearman was still trying to find a way to defuse the situation when cold, bitter laughter cut off his train of thought. He spun around, and saw Kirito getting up with a disdainful expression that would have made Drifter want to punch him if it weren''t for how obviously fake and forced it was from up close.

    "A beta-tester? Pfft... I wish you wouldn''t compare me to those newbies."

    As he spoke, Kirito pushed past Asuna and Sinon, but both girls were too stunned by his sudden change to react. With unhurried steps, the young swordsman made his way towards the set of stairs that had appeared after they defeated << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>.

    "W-What?"

    "Most of the thousand beta-testers were beginners who didn''t even know how to level up. You guys are better than they are. But I''m not like them. I made it higher than anyone during the beta test."

    Kirito stopped and put a hand on his hips.

    "The reason I knew the boss'' skills is because I fought monsters with katana skills on floors far above us. I know a lot more. Way more than any information broker."

    The boy scanned the crowd with a despising gaze, oozing superiority. Drifter didn''t believe it even for a second. But others did.

    "T-That''s even worse than a beta-tester! You are cheating! A cheater!"

    Parroting Kibaou''s words, the players who had been moments later praising Kirito for his masterful display of sword skills, now cursed him.

    "Hey! That''s not..."

    Drifter stopped Asuna by holding her shoulder, and Nautilus did the same with Yuna, both girls having been about to jump out to defend their party member. They glared at the boys, but Drifter shook his head surreptitiously.

    "Let him. This is not something we can stop now. We will talk later."

    He added that last sentence to avoid misunderstandings. Drifter and Agil, being slightly older and having more real-life experience, had some idea of the play Kirito was putting on. And, as much as they hated to admit it, it was the best option. Not the most correct or fair, but the best nonetheless.

    "A beta-tester and a cheater... He is a beater!"

    Drifter didn''t know who was the first to come up with the play of words, but it caught on fast. Soon, most of the players were yelling it in accusing tones. But of course, Kirito was not done yet. With a few quick taps on his menu, a black coat draped itself over his shoulders.

    "A beaterˇ­ I like it. That''s right, I am a beater. From now on, don''t confuse me with other testers. Heh."

    His coat fluttering to some unseen wind, Kirito pushed open the doors leading to the second floor, and stepped through. At the same moment, Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, and Asuna received a notification telling them that he had left the party.

 Chapter 20 - Not Alone

    With narrowed eyes, Drifter stared at Kirito''s departing figure. Then, he turned to Asuna, who was glaring daggers at him. How was a fourteen or fifteen years old girl so scary?

    "Explain."

    "Not here. It would ruin everything Kirito has done. Come on, we should catch up to him."

    He tried to impart as much calmness as he could, least the girl started arguing right here in the middle of the boss room. Thankfully, Asuna gave him the benefit of the doubt, and nodded curtly. Drifter scanned his gaze over the other members of the raid party. Most were still shell-shocked, but Kibaou''s face was turning shades the spearman had never seen before, which could only mean he was about to blow up.

    "Agil..."

    "I know, go on. I will try to calm the nerves down here, although I doubt it will work. It should give you enough time to explain things to them and get to him, though."

    "Thanks, man."

    "No probs. Tell the little guy he is still welcome in my shop."

    "Will do."

    Smiling, Drifter gestured for his party to come with him. While Kirito had taken control during the fight - and it was a good thing he did, otherwise more people would have died - it seemed command had fallen back into his hands once they were in the clear. He quite liked this arrangement. Directing a battle was stressful.

    With large strides, the group of five left the boss room, and climbed the somber set of stairs that led to the 2nd floor. Before Asuna could open her mouth to demand answers again, Drifter started speaking.

    "Let''s talk while we walk. I would hate to lose Kirito now because we were too slow."

    Just behind him, Asuna huffed in agreement. Drifter could see that Nautilus was still somewhat confused, while Yuna, after the adrenaline settled down, had a thoughtful expression that led him to believe she already suspected what Kirito''s reasons for acting the way he did were. As for Sinon, she had yet to speak after her little outburst back in Illfang''s chambers. The girl struck Drifter as the calm and calculating sort since the first meeting, so she probably wasn''t too far behind Drifter''s and Agil''s train of thought.

    "What Kirito just did was prevent a witch hunt from starting, Asuna. And quite possibly he just saved a whole bunch of lives."

    "What do you mean? What witch hunt?"

    "Against beta-testers! Of course!"

    Sinon slapped her forehead and scowled. Drifter wasn''t sure if she was angry at herself for not noticing earlier, or at Kirito. Either way, he nodded, and continued.

    "That''s right. Thanks to all that bullshit Kibaou was spouting, we were about to tear ourselves from the inside. People would start looking at their own party members, their friends, and wonder if they were beta-testers waiting to rob them of all their spoils and hard work."

    "The way that stupid cactus-head was speaking, it even sounded like beta-testers would let other players die on purpose."

    "Or even worse."

    The others quickly caught on to what Drifter and Sinon were implying. None of them were dumb, after all.

    "Yeah, I don''t even wanna think about it from that angle. Anyway, Kirito - who certainly is a beta-tester by the way - understood that. And he knew that if it was allowed to continue, we would never clear this damn game. Not if we couldn''t trust the people we were fighting with."

    Once again, Drifter felt the urge to curse and give Kibaou a good beating. While it was understandable that the player was angry and grieving Diavel''s death, his accusations had almost destroyed everything their blue-haired leader had worked so hard for. No, they would have done so if Kirito hadn''t decided to take the burden on himself.

    "Kirito noticed all that. He played the part of the big bad wolf, the villain. Now, whenever someone thinks of beta-testers, they will only think of him. The beater. Curse the idiot who came up with that name. It''s gonna catch on."

    "B-But... That''s so unfair!"

    The spearman let out a dry chuckle at Asuna''s argument.

    "It is. And as much as I hate to admit it, it was probably the only way to cease the infighting before it even started. At least I couldn''t think of any better ideas in the heat of the moment."

    "People are gonna hate Kirito because of this. He sacrificed himself to give everyone else a better chance..."

    Nautilus held Yuna in a one-armed hug before letting go. The songstress, always so emphatic, had moist eyes. Fortunately, it wasn''t that bad yet. At least, Drifter hopped not.

    "That was his intention, certainly. But not everyone is as much of an idiot as Kibaou. If we and Agil could arrive at that conclusion within a few seconds, then most players will too, after they get over the initial period of anger. Remind me to send Argo a message explaining everything later. Or, better yet, we should set up a meeting with her. Let her spread the word about what truly happened before cactus-man starts babbling his hate speech to anyone who will listen."

    "Even then, people still won''t trust Kirito. He will become a loner. A pariah."

    Stopping, Drifter turned around and held Sinon''s shoulder. He grimaced, but quickly hid it behind a serious expression as he looked at the party.

    "Not if we have something to say about it."

    -----------------------------

    Kikouka was out the door and rushing towards the parking lot before the live stream even cut off.

    "Find out who that Kirito is immediately!"

    "Already did, sir. We cross-referenced his face with the most active victims during the boss fight. Here."

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Kikouka grabbed the tablet his subordinate handed him, showing a teenager boy''s face, with messy black hair and black eyes. He quickly scanned the file while getting in the backseat of his car.

    "Kirigaya Kazuto... Fourteen, deceased parents, lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Hacked a government database to find out who his parents were when he was ten?"

    Raising an eyebrow, Kikouka quickly re-read that last line. He wasn''t sure if he should be feeling as impressed as he was considering what the boy did was illegal, but then again, he had been just a kid. It wasn''t important now.

    "Naguouka-kun, please call the boy''s family, and tell them to meet us at the hospital as quickly as they can, if they are not already on the way."

    "Yes, sir."

    "I need to... Shit, I left my phone in the office. Chi-chan, lend me ours."

    The driver nimbly pulled her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and threw the device to her boss. On the passenger seat, Naguouka was hurriedly speaking with Kirito''s family. From the snippets of conversation he overheard, they were already almost at the hospital Kirito was staying.

    "Hello? Chi?"

    "It''s me, Ogaka-san."

    "Sir!"

    "You saw the SAO transmission, didn''t you? Good, I need you to start working on two things. First, discover how the hell Kayaba did that, and why. Second, identify every player who was present at the boss fight, and draft a plan to move them to the 1st General Military Hospital. Yes, I know they aren''t soldiers, I''m not stupid. But their faces just got stamped on every news channel and website in the world, and I very much doubt this was a one-time stunt from Kayaba. If they participate in a few more raids, they will soon reach the level of global celebrities. Yeah, I know, I know. Just hold the sharks off while we try to make sense of this mess, I will give a statement later today. All right, I want all that information ready on my desk when I come back."

    By the time Kikouka had finished delivering his orders, they had reached the hospital. Taking a few moments to smooth his clothes and hair, the man walked to the room where Kirigaya Kazuto was hospitalized, and knocked. He wasn''t sure if someone would answer, but it appeared the Kirigayas had arrived even faster than him.

    A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl with black hair and bangs opened the door. Her eyes were puffy and red, making it very clear that she had been crying.

    "Yes?"

    "Good afternoon. You must be Kirigaya Suguha, right? Can I come in? I must speak to your parents."

    "Mr. Seijirou, is that you? Let him in, dear."

    The teen stepped aside to let him in, before returning to her spot next to the young boy in the hospital bed. Kikouka couldn''t see his face because of the NerveGear, but he didn''t need to. Practically the entire world knew it.

    "Miss and Mister Kirigaya, thank you for allowing me in. I''m sure you all watched the live stream?"

    "Hard not to."

    Kirito''s, no, Kazuto''s uncle and adoptive father, Kirigaya Minetaka, snorted. Kikouka couldn''t help but chuckle along, though neither of the women in the room seemed amused. Kirigaya Midori got up to greet him.

    "Mr. Seijirou... What the hell happened?!"

    The woman yelled into his face with an intensity that only a mother worrying about her son could. It reminded Kikouka of why he never married.

    "Ms. Kirigaya, I am ashamed to say that we are still as lost as you. As much as it pains me to admit, Akihiko Kayaba is a genius. My team is still trying to decipher the hows and whys. But that''s not the main reason I am here. It concerns Kazuto''s... Unique situation."

    "You mean that beater thing? My Kazuto is not a cheater! He would never have let that man die on purpose!"

    Kikouka raised his hands in surrender and in an attempt to pacify the woman. He had met Kirigaya Midori before, and knew she didn''t behave this panicky usually. But she had just watched her adoptive son essentially turn himself into the enemy of all the remaining 8.000 SAO players, so her distress was understandable.

    "I understand, and I fully believe you, Ms. Kirigaya. This is the first time we managed to peek inside SAO, so I can''t even begin to fathom the dynamics developed between the players during this last month. If I were to wager a guess, however, I would say your son just stopped them from falling apart. You should be proud."

    The Kirigaya family relaxed as one. They were probably worried about Kikoula believing the whole beater thing and charging Kazuto with something. That was obviously not going to happen, but watching someone you deeply cared about fight to the death with a giant monster, and then get shunned but his peers didn''t do wonders for your mental state.

    "On that note, I need your authorization to move Kazuto to a more secure facility."

    "What? Why?"

    "Just because we understand Kazuto has done nothing wrong, and even saved the lives of many in the raid party, doesn''t mean everyone else does too, Mr. Kirigaya. Especially family members of deceased SAO victims. They will be grieving and in pain, and not thinking straight. I don''t want to risk any accidents."

    It took a moment for his words to sink in, and when they did, the family quickly agreed to his suggestion.

    Kikouka didn''t stay for long. There was a lot to be done today, and many problems to be solved. Before leaving, however, he patted the young child Suguha, on the shoulder.

    "Don''t worry, your brother will be fine. It may look like he left everyone behind, but he is not alone. And he is strong. You will see him again soon."

    ------------------------------

    The 2nd floor of Aincrad was nothing like Drifter imagined. For some reason - namely logic, which obviously didn''t apply to a videogame - he thought it would be similar to the 1st floor, with grassy plains and forests. Instead, what he saw was a vast savanna with seemingly no end in sight. At the edge of his vision there was a city, which should be the equivalent of the Town of Beginnings.

    The impressive view was something to worry about later, though. Right now, Drifter and the rest of the party were more concerned with the young player slowly walking towards the city, lost in his thoughts. Kirito only noticed them when Sinon punched his shoulder.

    "Idiot."

    "Dumb."

    "Selfish."

    "Ouch."

    Drifter snickered at Kirito''s confused and somewhat hurt expression. When the boy turned to him, his mouth stretched into a grin.

    "You deserve that, Kirito."

    "I-I think I do. But why are you all here?"

    "Sinon, you can punch him again."

    The whole group, minus Kirito, laughed at what Nautilus said. Sinon did punch him again, very lightly. And, while Kirito was still befuddled, Asuna schooled her expression and stepped towards him, hands on hips. Her hazel eyes carried such an intensity that the boys took a few steps back, gulping.

    "Kirito, Drifter explained why you did all that back in the boss room. I... We understand it now, but it doesn''t mean we like it."

    "I-I didn''t want to drag you into the mess I made."

    "And that''s why I said you are being selfish! You literally saved our lives during the fight! Did you really think we would abandon you?!"

    "S-Sorry!"

    Taking the chance after the scolding was finished, Drifter sent a party invite to Kirito again. Furthermore, once the boy accepted, he made him into the party leader. To his questioning glance, he had a simple answer.

    "You got us through Illfang. I will feel a hell of a lot safer if it''s you leading us. Not to mention, being just a party member is a lot less stressful. Good luck."

    After opening and closing his mouth a few times, and seeing the others not even trying to hide their laughter, Kirito gave up trying to argue he was a solo player. He still didn''t believe he was fit to be a party leader, but honestly he was overwhelmed enough by the fact Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, and Asuna wanted him on their party that it kinda slipped his mind.

    "All right, Kirito, as the only beta-testers amongst us, what should we do now?"

    "Get to Urbus - that is, the main city of this floor - and activate the teleporter. It allows players to travel to the 2nd floor from the 1st without having to go through the tower."

    That made sense. Without much ado, the now complete party marched towards the city before the rest of the raid group could catch up to them.

 Chapter 21 - Fuumaningun

    Urbus was a dusty, old settlement, about half the size of the Town of Beginnings, built in the middle of a crater. Since they were the first to arrive at the 2nd floor, and had yet to activate the teleporter, only NPCs were present in the town, which Drifter found quite amusing. At least for a few moments, they had the entire town to themselves.

    "Say, you don''t think we should go ahead and search the shops for rare items or ask the NPCs for quests, do you?"

    Nautilus'' carelessly spoken thoughts brought them all to a stop. Drifter glanced at his party members, who were considering the idea. Eventually, both he and Asuna shook their heads. Drifter spoke first.

    "We most certainly could, and no one could complain. We did risk our lives to get here, and to allow everyone else to do the same, after all. But I don''t think we should."

    "Yeah, there''s no need to give Kibaou more reasons to ''prove'' Kirito is a beater."

    Asuna mimicked quotation marks with her fingers as she spoke, and showed Kirito a smile that had him mesmerized for a few seconds before he blushed and nodded vehemently.

    "Y-Yes! Thank you!"

    Very soon the group arrived at the teleporter located right in the middle of Urbus''s central plaza. Drifter gestured to it in a mock bow.

    "The honor is yours, party leader."

    "Ehh! Please don''t call me that ever again."

    "Hahahahaha..."

    As Kirito touched the teleporter, all six of them, without exception, flashed with a brief white light, showing they had gained a level. The swordsman raised his eyebrows.

    "That''s new. There didn''t used to be any experience bonus for activating the teleporter."

    That was all he had time to say before someone charged out of said teleporter, which was now glowing, and almost bowled him over. Kirito barely managed to step out of the way before the person looked up, saw who he was, and hid behind his back.

    "Argo?"

    "Kii-bou! Eep!"

    The info broker let out a squeak when the teleporter flashed again. Two players, dressed in what looked weirdly similar to 18th-century ninja attire, stepped through and looked around for a bit. When they spotted Argo, the two players completely ignored the party and made to grab her. There was no way in hell Drifter was allowing that.

    His own hand shooting forward, Drifter held the wrist of one of the ninjas in a vice-grip. He quickly tried to pull back, surprised, but Drifter refused to let go. While you couldn''t lose HP inside a safe zone, it didn''t mean you couldn''t touch other players, nor that stats were nullified. And Drifter was one of the players who just fought what was the strongest mob in SAO until this morning. His strength was nothing to scoff at, and it certainly couldn''t be beaten by someone playing ninja.

    "Now, what do you think you are doing?"

    ---------------------------------

    "That bastard..."

    Watching the boss raid through her menu, Argo felt her heart skip a beat whenever Kirito, Drifter, Yins, and Nautilus came close to death. And, apart from the songstress, it happened too many times for her to feel comfortable.

    When Diavel died, tears threatened to spill from her eyes before she blinked them away and wiped her face forcefully. While she didn''t know the blue-haired player well, they had talked quite a few times, and discussed the boss battle. He had based his whole strategy around the information the two of them remembered from the beta test. Information they now knew to be wrong. It was far too late.

    And when Kibaou started babbling on about how Kirito let Diavel die, and how he was a cheater, or that disgusting new word they came up with, Argo wanted nothing more than to claw his bits off and feed them to the << Cyan Rock Fish >>. How could that bastard be so stupid, so unfeeling?!

    Why did he think he had any right to assume what Diavel wanted?! Just because the player had talked to him a couple times?!

    Argo knew better. She knew Diavel had ordered everyone to stay back because he was looking to get the last hit bonus, which granted a special piece of equipment. In a way, he died because of his greed. But to Argo, that didn''t mean in any way, shape, or form, that Diavel was deserving of less than the highest honors and respect they could offer him. While she was hesitant to call him or anyone a hero, the info broker knew for a fact that if it wasn''t for Diavel taking charge and encouraging the players, they would have taken much longer to bring down the 1st boss. Some fools - and she included Kibaou at the top of that list - might have even thought they could take Illfang on their own, and died because of their overconfidence. But trying to lynch Kirito, the player who took over and led them to victory after Diavel had fallen, was not the way to honor his memory. What Kibaou had done almost destroyed all of Diavel''s efforts. It would have, had Kirito not turned himself into a scapegoat.

    "Information broker Argo."

    "Eep!"

    So focused she was, Argo didn''t notice the two players approaching her until they were right next to her. Doing a backward roll, she put some distance between herself and the two people cosplaying as ninjas. And then she groaned.

    "Jesus fuckin'' Christ, why are ya guys after me again? I already told ya I don''t have whatchu want!"

    "Information broker Argo, it is of utmost concern to our lord that we acquire the piece of intel we already notified you about, and which is believed to be in your possession."

    "And, like I said, I don''t have it!"

    Rolling her eyes at their overly formal manner of speech, Argo tensed her body in preparation to bolt. Those two ninjas belonged to a group called Fuumaningum, and had been bothering her for the last few days. They wanted some information, which was right up her alley. Only, she didn''t have that intel, and it bothered her. What annoyed her even more was that they didn''t believe her.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "Our lord firmly believes you..."

    "If that lord of yours is so certain, then they don''t need my confirmation, do they? Agh! I don''t have time for this! See ya never!"

    Relying on her high dexterity, Argo jumped from the roof. The soft ''thumps'' she heard, and a quick glance over her shoulder, showed the ninjas were still following her. Scowling, she ran to the teleporter, hoping to lose them on the 2nd floor.

    ''Kii-bou, you better not be dilly-dallying or I''m gonna be pissed!''

    It seemed someone heard her prayers, because just as she reached the previously deactivated teleporter, it suddenly glowed brightly, startling the nearby players, who were still discussing the boss battle. Without hesitation, Argo stepped into the device.

    "Urbus!"

    She saw Kirito as soon as she arrived on the second floor, and immediately hid behind him. Then, when the two ninjas came through, the info broker felt all warm and fuzzy inside when Drifter''s eyes hardened and he stopped them, while the rest of the party also moved to position themselves between Argo and her pursuers.

    "Now, what do you think you are doing?"

    The ninja Drifter was holding struggled for a while to free his hand before giving up. He and his partner then proceeded to give the party a dirty look, which they summarily ignored.

    "Well?"

    "Our words are only for the ears of information broker Argo, fellow prisoner."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow, and turned to Argo, who silently mouthed the word ''cosplayers''. Letting go of the ninja, he pinched his nose bridge.

    "Look, I don''t know why you are talking or dressed like that, but, we are, as you put it, ''fellow prisoners''. I dunno what intel Argo has that you want, but she made it very clear she either doesn''t have it, or is not willing to sell it. Don''t you think you are being obnoxious by chasing after her when she already said ''no''?"

    The two players exchanged glances, but didn''t back off, or offer any answer, really. Drifter really wasn''t looking forward to having to deal with them on top of everything that happened today, but it wasn''t like he had a choice.

    "Let''s take a step back. Who are you, exactly?"

    "Our names are unimportant, fellow prisoner. We are but blades in service of our lord."

    "They belong to a cosplayin'' wannabe guild called Fuumaningum."

    "Wait! Do you mean those three guys who went around pledging loyalty to random people back in the beta?"

    Now that the cat was out of the bag, Kirito didn''t have nearly as many concerns about making references to the beta test as he did before. His outburst caused the ninjas to look at him, instead of just staring straight through him and at Argo, like they had been doing. When that happened, Drifter saw the exact moment their eyes bulged behind their masks. As one, they bowed.

    "Our apologies, mighty warrior. We weren''t aware we were in the presence of the one who has slain the foul beast keeping us captive to the floor below."

    "W-What?"

    That had both Kirito and everyone else halting right in their tracks. It wasn''t difficult to understand what the cosplayers were referring to, but the question was: how did they know?

    Argo snickered when she saw Drifter''s dumbstruck expression - it was not one she got to witness very often. Unfortunately for her, after presenting their apologies, the ninjas ran away and disappeared into an alleyway, as it should be expected. That made everyone turn to the info broker, and she gulped when she saw the not-quite-a-smile Drifter had.

    "I think you have some explaining to do, little rat."

    "He-he..."

    ...

    Not much later, the group found themselves in one of Urbus'' hidden cafes, courtesy of Kirito''s beta knowledge. They had decided the boss raid was more than enough excitement for the day, and that they would take the remainder of it to talk and rest.

    "Where should we start?"

    "How about why the... Ninjas, were following Argo?"

    "Yay, must ya come after me immediately, Yu-chan?"

    "Considering we just saved your hide, Argo, I think it''s a fair question."

    The info broker showed a pained expression that fooled no one. Finally, Argo broke into a huge grin.

    "Aight, aight. That''s gonna be a freebie only ''cause ya helped me, okay? They wanted to know ''bout a certain skill from the beta. Since it only becomes available after the 2nd floor''s unlocked, and seein'' all the changes old Kayaba made, I didn''t wanna sell it to them before verifyin'' it, but Fuumaningum wasn''t willin'' to wait."

    "Who are those guys anyway?"

    Before Argo could demand payment - Asuna and Sinon still weren''t used to how the little gremlin''s mind worked - Kirito answered, ignoring her pout.

    "There were only three of them during the beta. They cosplayed as ninjas and shinobis, and, whenever they met someone, they would either assassinate them - or try, at least - or offer them their services, as if they were their lords. They were... Are a weird bunch."

    "Ay, Kii-bou''s right. And they got more people who go along with them. Stopped the assassination business though. Cosplay still goin'' strong, but even they understand the situation."

    There were nods from around the table. In the end, Fuumaningum wasn''t harming anyone. They were willing to pay Argo for the intel, even if they were somewhat forceful about it. Only, she wasn''t willing to sell it. Drifter knocked on the table to catch everyone''s attention.

    "That outta the way, there''s something I am more concerned about. One of the ninjas recognized Kirito as the one who ''has slain the foul beast''. He can only mean Illfang. If word''s traveling that fast, it will only be a matter of time before what happened after becomes known too."

    Once again, the party nodded in agreement. Only Argo looked confused, but what the info broker said next had all of them sputtering.

    "Ya mean the whole beater thingy?"

    "H-How do you..."

    "Wait, ya mean ya don''t know ''bout the live stream?"

    Seeing the dumbfounded looks Kirito, Drifter, Asuna, Sinon, Nautilus, and Yuna had, Argo whistled.

    "Well, shit. No wonder y''all are so calm. Kayaba came up with a few new ideas since the beta. See that new camera icon in your menus? It''s gray now, but durin'' the raid it streamed the fight from a bird''s-eye view. Scared the crap outta me when it appeared. I never knew how anxiety-inducing watchin'' someone else fight could be."

    "B-But... That means all the players saw it!"

    "Yep! And what happened later too. The transmission only stopped once everyone left the boss room. But for what it is worth, I''m with you, Kii-bou."

    The boy didn''t hear the last bit, or, if he did, didn''t respond to it. Kirito lowered his head and hit the table with his forehead.

    "Arghh!"

    ----------------------------

    "... proven to be true. Another government official who is part of the Sword Art Online Case Victims Rescue Force made a statement today confirming that what we watched was, indeed, a live transmission. It has also been confirmed that the player known as Diavel, whose real identity will remain anonymous, lost his life within ten seconds of his in-game death. Our thoughts go to his family and..."

    Kikouka turned off the television, and rubbed his temples. He had finally dealt with the backlash of today''s boss raid. The day had started with a lot of confusion and panic, then an earful from his boss, and then another forty-seven earful''s from the relatives of all the participating players in the battle. There was also Diavel''s sister and mother. Kikouka didn''t know how to deal with a crying woman, much less two. And, finally, he had to deal with the media.

    Of course, while this day was close to over, the repercussions of it weren''t. But there was pretty much nothing he could do other than hope the next boss battle wouldn''t be as perilous.

 Chapter 22 - FNC

    An out-of-the-way cafe in the town of Urbus, 2nd floor of Aincrad.

    Seven people were gathered around a table, discussing a great many things. Apart from one man who looked to be nineteen or twenty, the others were all teenagers, some as young as fourteen, others nearly seventeen. At the moment, one of the boys was banging his head against the table, while the others stifled their laughter. A girl patted his back trying to comfort him.

    "There, there. Everything''s gonna be fine, Kirito. At the very least you have us."

    "Ugh... Thanks, Yuna. I mean it."

    Raising his head, Kirito showed a wry grimace. He didn''t complain or try to justify his actions. He knew the latter wasn''t necessary, as the whole party understood his reasoning, and that the former was useless. Drifter could also see some of his anti-social traits resurfacing. The young swordsman was still thinking of dealing with all the scorn and hate he would surely receive due to his beater status, all by himself. That mindset needed to change, but it wasn''t something that would happen instantly.

    "Little rat, when is the guidebook 2.0 coming out?"

    "Ain''t ya a little eager, Dri-bou? Give a gal some time!"

    Shaking his head at Argo''s barked laughter, Drifter ruffled her hair the way he knew annoyed her. When she glared at him, he just smirked back.

    "Humph! I''m chargin'' ya double just for that!"

    "We have our own beta-tester now, heh!"

    Though he said that, Drifter made sure to smile and squeeze Argo''s shoulder, so she knew his insufferable smug expression was just a joke. The info broker did the mature thing, and blew a raspberry at him. Meanwhile, Kirito sheepishly raised his hand.

    "Err... I don''t know if I can help much, Drifter. During the beta I was kinda focused on clearing the labyrinth. Argo''s the one who knows pretty much everything."

    "Dammit! Whose side are you on, Kirito? I''m trying to blackmail someone here!"

    Nautilus chortled in amusement while Asuna, Sinon, and Yuna giggled. Argo just guffawed without a care in the world. Drifter and Kirito had to try hard to hide their matching grins. The swordsman gave the spearman a grateful nod, knowing Drifter had done all that to take his mind off of the whole beater conundrum.

    "Right then. Our dear info broker, when you do complete the guide, make sure to send us a copy, would you? Meanwhile, we will be exploring the 2nd floor."

    Sinon tapped on the table to get their attention, and they all nodded. Deciding they had enough excitement for the day, the party found an inn, and rented rooms for each of them. Just as Drifter was about to enter his, Argo pulled his sleeve.

    "Can I talk to ya, Yu-chan, and Nau-bou for a minute?"

    "Yeah, of course."

    Curious, Drifter knocked on Yuna''s door first, and then the three made their way to Nautilus'' room. Once the boy let them all inside and closed the door, Argo and Yuna sat on the bed while the two boys took the chairs.

    "All right, Argo, spill it. What''s going on and why couldn''t you say it in front of the others?"

    For the first time since he met her, Drifter witnessed the info broker appearing visibly uncomfortable. She squirmed on the spot, before focusing on Nautilus.

    "This is about you, Naut-bou. Durin'' the boss fight, there was a moment when Illfang almost had ya. Ya didn''t try to run away or block. Can ya tell us why?"

    Drifter frowned. This was something he had noticed too, and hoped to talk to his friends about, just the three of them. As much as he liked the info broker, she was overstepping her bounds here.

    "Argo..."

    "No, Drifter, let Nautilus answer. This is important."

    And Drifter knew it was. If not by the way Argo suddenly started to speak normally, then by how both Yuna and Nautilus tensed. There was no clearer indication that something was wrong than that. Drifter didn''t know what to do now.

    During the boss raid, his first thought was that Nautilus froze because of fear. It was more than understandable. The blade-user was a sixteen-year-old teenager, who by all rights should be attending school just like any other kid. But there he was, trapped inside a death game, fighting for his life and freedom, and facing a monster that put horror stories to shame. If he didn''t feel fear, Drifter would suspect he wasn''t human.

    But then, when he saw Nautilus'' eyes, his unwillingness, the way he struggled to will his body to move, he started thinking that maybe it was something else. There was plenty of fear, no doubt, but Drifter didn''t think that was the reason why Nautilus behaved as if petrified. The only problem was, he didn''t know what else it could be. And he also didn''t know how to broach the subject. Well, now Argo had done it for him.

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    "I... I don''t know. My body just... Froze. I wanted to move, I wanted to get away, to do something, anything. But I simply couldn''t move. I-I... I was paralyzed by fear."

    "Naut..."

    Yuna reached over the gap between them to hold Nautilus'' hand. As his oldest friend, she knew how to console him, even if just a little.

    "Nau-bou, this next bit is also very important. Did it happen'' before? Freezin'' when ya were placed in a life-threatening situation?"

    "Y-Yes, once. The day SAO started, before Kayaba''s announcement. Yuna... She saved me."

    With much effort, Nautilus nodded, then looked up from where he had been staring at his clenched fists. Drifter could see the tears flowing freely down his face, and put an arm over his shoulders as a show of support. Opposite to him, Argo perked up.

    "Then, I know what your problem is, Nau-bou!"

    "Yeah, I do too. I''m a coward."

    With a self-deprecating snort and a dry laugh, Nautilus mumbled. Drifter was about to argue when Yuna suddenly got up and glared at their friend.

    "Eiji, you are not a coward! Don''t ever say that again!"

    Ignoring the use of Nautilus'' real name, Drifter tightened his hold around his shoulder.

    "Yun'' is right, Naut. You are the farthest from a coward I''ve ever seen. Remember the labyrinth? You stood your ground for Yuna and me even when you were almost dead. And today, when everyone else was panicking, you rushed to stop the boss from rampaging. A coward wouldn''t do that. No, a coward wouldn''t even be on the raid-party or the labyrinth to start with."

    "You can feel fear, Naut. Everyone does. But we will get through this together."

    Yuna and Drifter tag-teamed their ash-haired friend to try and snap him out of his guilt. They were still at it when Argo, whose presence had been somewhat forgotten, cleared her throat to catch their attention.

    "As touchin'' as this is, I think y''all are missin'' the point."

    "What are you talking about, Argo?"

    The info broker shrugged. While she had started this conversation all serious, now she had reclined on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows, and seemed to be having fun watching them. Drifter glared at her, but her grin didn''t falter.

    "Think, Dri-bou, think. Nau-bou said the first time he froze was before Kayaba even announced the whole thing, didn''t he? That bein'' the case, then why would Nau-bou be paralyzed by fear when he didn''t know death was for reals yet?"

    Drifter stopped. Yuna stopped. Nautilus stopped too. All of them stared at Argo, and none could come up with an answer. So they just looked at the info broker, shocked.

    "While it''s not good news, it''s better news than the other option. Ya, Nau-bou, have an FNC."

    The trio was too stunned to speak for a while. Finally, Yuna very slowly posed the question.

    "What is a... FNC, Argo?"

    "FullDive Non-conformity. Before ya ask again, it''s when there''s a... Connection problem between the brain and the NerveGear. ''Cause the helmets are mass-produced, they can''t be fine-tuned to everyone, so 1 in ''bout 250 people have FNCs."

    Argo paused to see if they were following, and, anticipating the next question, continued.

    "Mind ya, I saw quite a few FNCs during the beta, so the real ratio is above 1 to every 250. And they come in many forms. Some were players who couldn''t even properly walk ''cause while their brain was tellin'' their left leg to step forward, the NerveGear misunderstood they wanted to flex their right elbow or something like that. Others feel nausea and/or dizziness. And a whole lot more. Basically, everyone''s FNC, if they have it, manifests differently."

    Giving them some time to absorb what she said, Argo opened her menu and took out a piece of sweet bread she had bought in the cafe earlier.

    "Then... Nautilus'' problem is because he and the NerveGear don''t fit well together? And not because he becomes paralyzed in fear? No offense, Naut."

    The boy quietly shook his head to show that none was taken. Meanwhile, Argo nodded in acknowledgment of Drifter''s question.

    "Basically, yeah. Or at least I think that''s it. Can''t see any other reason why, really. When ya are in a tense situation and adrenaline''s pumpin'' through your veins, your brain and the NerveGear are sendin'' certain signals to each other. In some occasions, some kinda miscommunication happen'' and ya simply freeze. That''s what happened today."

    Due to her behavior, Drifter sometimes forgot how smart Argo actually was. But the fact a teenager like her could keep an information network as large as the one she had was a testament to her capabilities. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

    "I think... That is enough for today. Nautilus, we will find a way through this, understand? You are not allowed to feel down because of it, not when you have people who care about you as much as we do. And Argo, thank you. Though you could use a little more tact next time."

    The info broker stuck her tongue at him, and Drifter grinned. Then, he turned to Nautilus, who did his best to mask his sadness by putting on a wry smile. He patted his shoulder, and got up.

    The blade-user was decidedly - and understandably - depressed by the news. He was the tank of the party, the one who was supposed to protect the others from harm. How was he supposed to do that if he could, at any moment, become paralyzed? Not to mention, of course, the danger to his life. Drifter knew that at the moment, Nautilus had to be going through an assortment of feelings. Fear, dread, shame. And there was little they could do to help him.

    After some more hugs and whispered consolation, Yuna followed the other two out of Nautilus'' room. As soon as the door was closed, the songstress broke down crying. Argo instantly drew the taller girl into a hug.

    "Shush, shush Yu-chan. Nau-bou is strong, much more than he believes he is. Now ya have to be strong for him too."

    Yuna sniffled, and nodded. Hesitantly, Drifter approached them, and put his arm around Yuna''s back, holding her tightly. Then, he guided her to her room. After the songstress opened the door, he turned to the info broker.

    "Argo, think you could stay with her a little? Just to make sure?"

    "Ya can count on it, Dri-bou. Come on, Yu-chan."

    After hugging Yuna once more, Drifter went to his own room. Unequipping his armor and weapon, he laid belly-down on the bed, with his face pressed against the pillow.

    "Fuck."

 Chapter 23 - 2nd Floor

    The next morning, the other three members of the party could tell there was something off with the original three. Neither Nautilus, Drifter, nor Yuna had completely gotten over what they learned the previous night. On one hand, they - especially Nautilus - were glad to know that the blade-user didn''t freeze simply out of fear. He was not a coward, as he so eloquently put. But on the other hand, learning that he suffered from an FNC was maybe worse. After all, fear could be overcome, but what could they do about what was basically a sickness that could flare up at any given moment?

    Either way, Drifter wouldn''t mention it to the others if Nautilus didn''t first. As much as he liked Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon, he didn''t trust them nearly as much as he did Yuna and Nautilus. If, and that is a big if, the six became a permanent party, then he might talk to Nautilus about it.

    Thankfully, the three younger members of their party didn''t ask anything. Maybe they thought Drifter and the others were still down because of Diavel''s death.

    "Hm, Kirito."

    "Yeah?"

    After having scoured the markets of Urbus for useful or unusual items, the party made a small upgrade to their armor, and were now leaving the city to grind. After they crossed the gate, and were away from the prying eyes and ears of other players - and there were many who recognized them, thanks to the live stream - Drifter signaled for the party to stop.

    "I know the fact that you are a beta-tester is what started that whole mess, but it would be dumb of our part not to take advantage of the knowledge you have. And this is not us being unfair, like Kibaou would say, okay? I talked to Argo, and I know a good half of the beta-testers died during the first month, most when they were searching for the boss room and any information that might be useful to clear this damn game. And you, who didn''t die, are one of the major contributors to the raid yesterday. If you hadn''t been there, a lot more people would have been killed. So, any debt you think you owe to the other players - and I don''t believe there ever was one, to be honest - has been more than paid. Don''t beat yourself over it. The stronger we are, the more likely we are to survive and beat SAO. Don''t let that rubbish Kibaou spouted get to you."

    For a few seconds, the black-haired swordsman stared unblinking at Drifter. Then, he gave a curt nod. Drifter knew that no matter what he or anyone else said, Kirito would carry some guilt for the rest of his life. But he would make sure to lessen it as much as possible. No one, especially not a teenager, deserved to be held responsible for something which was clearly not their fault.

    "Good. Then, where do you think we should go level? Also, remember we have to pass intel on mobs and mats to Argo, so she can get her guide updated and distribute it as soon as possible."

    For all the little ''profit goblin'' tried to put on a show of being a greedy and avaricious businesswoman, everyone in the party now knew she was the one responsible for the free guidebooks every player could easily find on the 1st floor - and soon in the 2nd too. That kinda ruined the illusion. Not that any of them would say that to her face, they liked being alive, thank you very much.

    Following Kirito''s lead - he was fitting quite nicely in the role of party leader, although he complained quite a bit - the group walked towards one of the many small copses of skeleton-like trees that dotted the savanna. There, they sat in a circle, with their weapons ready at hand, as this was, after all, not a safe zone. Then, Kirito started explaining what he knew about the floor.

    "The 2nd floor is a lot more diverse than the 1st. For starters, I know of a handful of types of mobs, which is a lot more than the three on the other floor. The most common are << Trembling Cows >> and << Trembling Oxes >>, but there are also << Windwasps >>, << Storm Hornets >>, and << Jagged Worms >>, and maybe even a few others. I kinda rushed my way through this floor because I wanted to climb as high as I could. Also, I don''t think we need to worry about tower mobs for now since it will be a while before we find the entrance and reach the required level, but I know there''re at least three different mobs there, compared to just the << Ruin Kobolds >> in the 1st floor."

    Kirito gave them some time to absorb the information before continuing.

    "Also, a big difference is that, starting from this floor, there are field bosses - that is, one-of-a-kind monsters much stronger than normal mobs. The major differences between them and the floor boss are that they are somewhat weaker, roam the floor, and respawn after a set amount of time. The 2nd floor''s field boss is a giant bull called << Bullbous Bow >>."

    Sitting between Asuna and Yuna, Sinon perked up when she heard the field boss'' name. Knowing her predilection for ranged combat, it wasn''t hard to guess why.

    "Do you know if he drops a bow, Kirito?"

    The young swordsman stopped to mull over the question. Then, he shrugged.

    "Sorry, Sinon, but I don''t remember there being a bow amongst it''s drops. In fact, I think I only ever saw one player with a bow during the beta. He was even kinda famous, because no one else had managed to get a bow, and he refused to say where he got it from. My best guess is that it was a reward for a one-time quest."

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    Their short-haired friend deflated when she heard the answer. She was decent with her dagger, but she knew that her value to the party came from her great accuracy with her throwing picks. Unfortunately, they were little more than toys when it came to fighting harder monsters, as she discovered during the battle against << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. She felt pretty much useless during that fight, and, deep down, she was afraid she would be left behind. Drifter noticed her sudden frown, and reached over Nautilus and Yuna to pat her knee.

    "We will ask Argo ''bout it later. If that player joined SAO, then she can find him. And she can be very convincing."

    Grateful, Sinon nodded a wordless thanks. Then, she shook her head and focused back on the conversation.

    "Let''s get to griding, then. And don''t make that face, Yuna, you know we can''t waste time."

    "Agh, okay, okay. Slave driver..."

    Drifter, like the grown-up he was, stuck his tongue out to the songstress, who then hit him across the back of the head with her flute. Their antics had the others laughing, and cleared the air. Asuna was the first to get up, and, dusting her clothes, she put her hand, palm down, in front of the others.

    "Let''s do this!"

    Kirito and Nautilus stared quizzically at the offered hand, while Sinon, Drifter, and Yuna chuckled and put their hands over Asuna''s. Apparently the fencer had woken up in a better mood today. Drifter looked at the other two males.

    "Well? It''s not polite to leave a lady waiting, boys."

    His words caused the girls to giggle even more, and the other two, who finally understood what Asuna wanted, blushed. They put their hands over the others'', and uttered the very unoriginal cry of ''let''s do this!''. Luckily there was no one around, or even Drifter would have felt somewhat embarrassed.

    It didn''t take long for the group to find a << Trembling Ox >> grazing the dry grass. As their name indicated, it was an animal-type mob, which caused the five non-beta players to breathe a sigh of relief. They wouldn''t have to worry about a sudden sword skill coming from non-human monsters.

    That was not to say the monster wasn''t intimidating. Standing at about two meters tall, the mob had huge, sharp, and undoubtedly deadly horns. The ox aggroed onto them from over fifteen meters away, and charged.

    "Dodge! You don''t want to get hit by that!"

    Without hesitation, the party did as Kirito told, and the << Trembling Ox >> rushed right through the middle of the group. While fast and strong, the mob had the fatal flaw of not being able to change directions mid-charge.

    "Strike now! And remember, it has a long aggro duration, so the switch timing is delayed. Call it a second earlier than you normally would."

    Drifter nodded sharply, and a pleased grin spread through his face even as he hit the mob''s behind with a hard << Horizontal Arc >>. Kirito might not be the most outspoken and friendly person, but this changed once they engaged in battle. His commands were clear and precise. And he had that incredible multitasking talent which Drifter lacked, and that was fully displayed right now.

    Even as he yelled orders, - unconsciously taking control of the fight - the swordsman was hacking away at the << Trembling Ox >>, whittling it''s health down with fast but heavy blows. Not much later, the mob collapsed under the combined might of the party.

    "Eww, it dropped milk!"

    "But this is an ox, not a cow..."

    "Ewwww!"

    Drifter couldn''t help it, he laughed. Here they were, trapped inside a death game, having to fight for their lives and freedom every single day, with one of their number being subjected to prosecution, and somehow Kirito could still make a crass joke, even if unintentionally. The way all the teenagers blushed brightly was the cherry on top.

    "Drifter!"

    "Ouch! Sorry! I''m sorry Yun''! It''s just... Hahahaha..."

    The songstress poked his side trying to get him to stop, but it was futile. Her frustrated pout only added to her cuteness, and Drifter''s giggles didn''t stop coming. Finally, when his sides were starting to hurt - whether from laughter or Yuna''s prodding finger, he didn''t know - he slowed down to a stop. The rest of the party was staring at him, some more amused than others.

    "I''m sorry, everyone, but I couldn''t help it. When this game started, I was just waiting to die. But somehow I ended up making friends and fighting on the frontlines. Even with all that has been going wrong, we can still joke around and laugh with each other. I dunno why, but I find it funny, that''s all."

    It wasn''t all, and they knew it. It was only just now that all the residual tension left from the boss raid had found an outlet to escape. But they weren''t going to call him out on that.

    "Shall we continue?"

    Asuna rolled her eyes while the others sighed, and then laughed too. The party continued griding << Trembling Oxes >> and the occasional << Trembling Cow >>, which was basically a bigger and angrier version of it''s male counterpart. Luckily, both types of mobs came alone, or at most in pairs, allowing the group to easily deal with them, even if unexpected situations arose.

    ''At least the experience is good.''

    By the time the sun had fallen, each of them had filled a fair amount of their experience bar. It was just as they were killing the last mob for the day that Yuna let out a shout of pure happiness and euphoria.

    "Yay! I did it! I finally did it again!"

    "Congrats, Yun''. What exactly did you do?"

    The songstress stuck her tongue out at Nautilus'' lackluster congratulations, and brought her flute to her lips. As soon as she started playing the instrument, Drifter knew it wasn''t << Rest >>. The melody was fast-paced, harsh, blood-pumping. It also wasn''t entirely unfamiliar. On his HUD, he saw a red sword-shaped symbol light up.

    "I''ve been trying to transform other songs into skills for days now, and I finally managed to do it again! This one boosts attack power by 5%. It''s called Firemare."

    "Fire Mare?"

    "No, it''s all just one word. Firemare. I don''t think it''s actually a word, but that''s what the system named it."

    Shrugging, Drifter grabbed Yuna in a quick one-armed hug, and smiled. The songstress'' happiness was contagious, and the party ended the day on a good note.

 Chapter 24 - The Children of Aincrad

    The moon, or what passed by it in SAO, was high in the sky when a figure sneakily left the suburbs of Urbus, and entered the wilderness, their cloak billowing behind them. Under the effects of << Hiding >>, and aided by the darkness, the person was virtually invisible as they ran through the savanna, expertly avoiding groups of mobs.

    Forty-five minutes later, the hooded figure reached their destination: one of the sparse clusters of trees on the 2nd floor. Pushing their way through knee-high grass and underbrush, they found a hidden clearing.

    Scattered rocks populated the clearing, some the size of coconuts and watermelons, others as big as a person. In the center of the open space sat a particularly gigantic rock, easily the size of a car, and as tall as it was wide. On top of said boulder, a skeletal old man lay on his side, one arm supporting his chin.

    "Hohoho... What do we have here? Came to learn my secrets, have you, little warrior?"

    The cloaked person stopped in front of the old man, and looked at the system prompt that appeared in front of them. Pushing their hood back, the person grinned.

    ---------------------------

    On day thirty of their imprisonment in Aincrad, a full month after they were kidnapped by Akihiko Kayaba, Drifter was jolted awake from his nightmare-filled slumber.

    Panting, the spearman sat up. He ran his hand over his face and hair, and groaned. Checking the time on his menu, Drifter saw that it was still early in the morning, or maybe late in the night, depending on how you considered it. With a sigh, he plopped back into the bed.

    Drifter was no stranger to nightmares. Few of the SAO players were. Watching people, friends die in front of you did that. Of course, Drifter''s nights were worse than most. The silhouette of the player he doomed to death was a regular visitor in his dreams.

    After a few fruitless minutes of rolling around trying to fall back asleep, Drifter gave up and opened his menu. There wasn''t much to distract himself with there, but he could always go over his status over and over again until he bored himself back to sleep.

    It was during his mindless swiping of fingers that he randomly opened his friend list, and saw the green dot next to one of the names, showing the player was also awake.

    ''Huh?''

    Raising an eyebrow, Drifter considered sending a message for a moment, but in the end decided not to. It was probably just another poor soul plagued by nightmares.

    -------------------------

    "Awww..."

    Stretching, Drifter woke up again. After almost half an hour, he had finally drifted - hah! - to the dreamland last night. At least this time it was at a more reasonable hour, the sun rays already starting to filter in through the partially opened curtains.

    As it was his routine, he went to the attached bathroom, and washed his face. It was more of a ritual than anything, since he didn''t actually need to clean up - Kayaba hadn''t coded goo and boogers into the game. To be honest, it didn''t really feel like he was rinsing himself, since the feeling of running water on skin appeared to be one of the few things even the Cardinal System struggled to replicate, but it wasn''t that far off. Though he had heard from verified sources - namely Yuna and Asuna - that a hot bath was to die for. The idea sounded appealing after a busy day grinding, so he might try it tonight.

    Walking down the stairs, he idly scrolled through his menu, equipping his armor and weapon. He supposed it might be considered bad table manners to dine fully armored, but no one really cared about that.

    "Good morning, Drifter!"

    "Hi."

    "G''day, Yun'', Sinon. How are you?"

    Greeting the two girls, Drifter sat down on the table with them, and ordered breakfast. There was no tangible benefit to paying more for a better meal in SAO, no boosts or buffs, but if you could afford it, it was much better than eating plain old bread.

    "Say, Yun'', what got you outta bed so early? I know Sinon''s an early riser, but you aren''t."

    The songstress stuck her tongue out in response to Drifter''s teasing, before manipulating her menu to take something out of her inventory. With a flash, a musical instrument appeared in her hands, but it wasn''t her usual flute. It was a small harp.

    "Sinon gained this as a reward from a quest, and gave it to me. I wanted to try it out before going out to level. And you, mister, just volunteered to come with me."

    "Did I?"

    This time the spearman raised both eyebrows, but at Yuna''s pointed glare, he gave in. Putting his hands over his head in surrender, Drifter pouted at Sinon, who was smirking at his fate, and got up to follow his friend.

    Waving goodbye to the other girl, who promised to let the others know they would be back in an hour, Yuna led Drifter through the streets of Urbus.

    The city was a lot fuller now, two days after the 2nd floor opened. At the start, most players on the 1st floor had been cautious, and even a little afraid, of teleporting to the floor above, but word soon spread that it was a safe zone, and many came to, if not stay, at least have a look around.

    On one hand, Drifter was glad this was the case. It meant more and more players were willing to adventure out of their comfort zones, and possibly fight. Gods knew they needed all the able hands they could get on the frontlines. The downside, however, was the staring.

    He didn''t think he would ever get used to having people sneaking glances at him wherever he walked, or just outright pointing and whispering. Unfortunately, that was exactly what was happening to him, and everyone else who took part in the 1st floor boss-raid. Their party had it worse than most, considering Kirito was in it.

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    Doing his best to ignore the stares, Drifter followed Yuna while the songstress idly hummed a tune. He didn''t bother to ask where they were going, simply enjoying the moment of calmness. They didn''t get many of those.

    When they reached the teleporter, and Yuna unhesitantly stepped towards it, he finally allowed his curiosity to surface. He had thought they were going to one of Urbus'' plazas, so Yuna could play, but it seemed their destination was somewhere else. And, for now, there was only one place the teleporter could take them.

    "So, Yuna, why are we in the Town of Beginnings?"

    Running his gaze over the city, Drifter couldn''t help but ask his partner. It felt like a lifetime since he last came here. The songstress grinned at him, and pulled him by the arm while she explained.

    "Argo mentioned something to me the other day. Did you know there''re a bunch of kids in SAO too?"

    "What?! But NerveGears can only be used by those above fourteen... And of course children always find a way to break the rules. Dammit. Poor guys..."

    Yuna didn''t need to point out to Drifter that regulations weren''t always enforced as they should be. It was obvious some children would manage to get their hands on SAO, in some way or the other. He kicked himself in his mind for not realizing that sooner, but no one could fault him when he had been so preoccupied trying to ensure his own survival.

    He suddenly started when he felt Yuna''s hand on his arm, running up and down it in soothing motions. Drifter turned to the songstress, and saw her characteristic warmth-filled smile.

    "There''s someone looking after them. But they aren''t allowed to leave the safe zone, and can only do the same repeatable quests every day. I figured they must be very bored by now, and that I could play some music for them. Take their minds off everything just for a little bit, y''know?"

    Not for the first time, Drifter wondered how could someone so pure be stuck in SAO. It simply wasn''t fair. He bumped Yuna with his shoulder, to shake her off the slight melancholy he heard creeping in her voice.

    "I think it''s a great idea, Yun''. And I think that''s why Argo told you about them, ''cause she knew you would come."

    "She is a huge softie, isn''t she?"

    "Hahaha... That she is. C''mon, lead the way."

    The songstress giggled, and, pulling him by the wrist, guided Drifter to a part of the Town of Beginnings that was generally known as Old Town. Following Argo''s instructions, they reached an old church. The front door was open, and three children, no older than eight, were playing on the steps leading to it. Drifter''s heart clenched when he saw them, and he could tell Yuna felt the same by the way her grip on his arm tightened.

    When the children noticed them, they stopped playing and looked at the pair curiously. Before Drifter could even wave a ''hello'', Yuna had already stepped forward, and he could swear her eyes were heart-shaped.

    "Hi! How are you? My name''s Yuna. Is Miss Sasha in? I wished to talk to her, if that''s possible."

    "Err..."

    "Hahahaha!"

    Drifter burst out laughing when the kids retreated under Yuna''s rapid-fire questions. He only laughed harder when the songstress glared at him.

    "Give them room to breathe, Yun''. You''re gonna end up scaring them."

    "I''m not scary!"

    Wisely deciding it was best not to argue that particular point, Drifter chuckled and winked at the children. Yuna''s huff and pout were almost too much for him to handle. That girl was dangerous.

    "Woah... You are The Songstress, aren''t ya?! Awww!"

    Suddenly, one of the children, a little girl with twin ponytails, pointed a finger at Yuna, in awe. Drifter''s friend spluttered, and he raised an eyebrow. Though he sometimes thought of her like that, it was the first time he heard someone else use that particular nickname.

    "Err... I guess I am?"

    "Woah! I heard you playing flute once! Your songs are so beautiful!"

    "And you were in the boss-raid! We watched it with Miss Sasha!"

    "And you are that guy with the spear! You fought the boss too! Wah, you were both so brave!"

    Suddenly swarmed by the three kids, who had their little eyes sparkling with adoration, both Drifter and Yuna didn''t know how to react. They tried their best to answer all the questions the little ones were throwing at them, until they were saved by a third party.

    "Manners, children! What do you think you are doing?"

    Attracted by the commotion, a young woman, with shoulder-length brown hair and spectacles was looking at them from the church''s entrance, hands on her hips. The three kids flinched, and ran up to the lady, muttering apologies.

    "I''m sorry, the children can be quite excitable. And it''s not every day we get two of the frontliners visiting us."

    "Frontliners?"

    "Hm... Yes? Sorry, shouldn''t I call you that?"

    The woman, Sasha, cocked her head, her spectacles sliding down and hanging at the tip of her nose. Drifter waved off her concerns.

    "It''s not like we mind, I''m just not sure why you would call us that."

    "Hum? I believe pretty much everyone in the Town of Beginnings calls you that. Well, not just you. It started as a nickname for those players who went to Tolbana and dove into the labyrinth daily. That''s essentially the frontlines of SAO, is it not?"

    "Err... You can look at it like that, yeah."

    "Then, after the boss-raid of the 1st floor, the nickname caught on. It refers to any player who is at the forefront of the game, fighting to clear it. Of course, as part of the group who fought Illfang, you are even more recognizable as frontliners."

    "I-I see."

    Yuna sounded as uncertain as Drifter was feeling. That... That was a lot of pressure Sasha had unknowingly thrown on their shoulders. They already knew that other players looked up to them because of the boss battle, but it was only now that they realized how much.

    "Well, don''t just stay there. Come in and have a seat. I don''t think the children would forgive me if I didn''t let them bugger you some more."

    Sasha grinned to show that she was joking, and guided the pair into the church. As they walked, she gave them the tour.

    "Most buildings in the Town of Beginnings are unavailable to players, but this one is an exception. I think Kayaba, as much of a, you know, as he is, knew there would be some children stuck in SAO too. The church has almost everything I need to take care of them, though I still need to earn some cor to support food expenses. The kids insist on helping with that."

    "How many of them are there?"

    "Just half a dozen, thankfully. I don''t if I could control any more than that. I''m already being driven up the wall as it is. It''s hard for them, being stuck in the town with nothing to do."

    When she heard that, Yuna sneaked a glance at Drifter, who nodded encouragingly.

    "About that... I was hoping I could do something to help. Play some music, and play with them."

    "Really?! That would be wonderful!"

    Beaming, Sasha wrapped Yuna into a hug, which the songstress awkwardly returned.

    "Yeah. I won''t be able to stay much, or come every day, but once or twice a week shouldn''t be a problem."

    "No, no, that''s more than enough! You still have your responsibilities on the frontlines."

    The woman - maybe Drifter should call her a teacher? Or caretaker? - quickly waved her hands, saying that it wasn''t necessary. By now, the spearman knew Yuns well enough to know that she had already made up her mind.

    "It will count as a welcome break for us too, Sasha. And I can teach them one or two things too, if you don''t mind."

    Drifter couldn''t decide who was smiling more brightly after he finished his sentence: Miss Sasha, the children, or Yuna.

 Chapter 25 - Secrets and Whiskers

    It was about 8 AM when Drifter and Yuna bid goodbye to Sasha and the children, and made their way through the Town of Beginnings to the teleporter. The songstress was humming happily all the way, and Drifter couldn''t help the grin that overtook his face every time he glanced at her.

    "Why are you smiling like that? It''s creepy."

    Drifter gasped in shock, then tried to utter a frantic response before spotting the corners of Yuna''s mouth trembling as she struggled to hold back her laughter. Mock-growling, he pounced at the songstress, who squeaked and tried to get away from his tickling fingers.

    He proceeded to chase the teasing girl for the next few minutes, ignoring the curious gazes from the players they passed by. Finally, Yuna reached her breaking point and begged for mercy.

    "Hah... Please... Please stop... Hahahaha... Uff... Sorry, Drifter... Your face was just too much hahahaha..."

    "Humph! That''s what you get for teasing me!"

    Though Drifter harrumphed and turned his nose up to the air, there was no bite in his words. Yuna was so happy, so delighted, after playing her harp to the children that her smile refused to fade away. After all the tribulations they went through this last month, she deserved that brief moment of respite.

    "Seriously now, why were you looking at me and smiling? Is someone smitten? Hehe!"

    Unable to resist getting that last dig in, Yuna preemptively jumped back to avoid more tickling. Drifter just raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Deciding not to comment on how she was contradicting herself, he grinned fondly.

    "I was just thinking that we should come back soon. I don''t think I''ve ever seen you smile as brightly as you did today. It''s a good look on you."

    "Ah... T-This... T-Thank..."

    Not receiving a proper answer, Drifter stopped just before activating the teleporter, and saw Yuna standing there, blushing. He smirked at her.

    "Drifter!"

    Realizing Drifter was getting back at her for her two earlier comments, the songstress ground her teeth, and jumped at him, her face still flushed. He laughed loudly, and stepped fully into the teleporter, Yuna hot on his heels.

    "Teleport! Urbus!"

    Just because he was teasing her back, it didn''t mean it wasn''t true.

    ...

    "Enjoyed the little outing?"

    A smirking Sinon and a curious Kirito, Asuna, and Nautilus greeted a somewhat disheveled Drifter and Yuna. The songstress had chased him all the way to Urbus'' gates, where they agreed to meet the rest of the party.

    "Yes! You have to come with us the next time! The children were so happy someone from the raid party came to see them. Sasha said she had never seen them being that carefree. You absolutely have to go too!"

    "Yun''s right, you should give it a try, it''s very fulfilling, not to mention relaxing."

    Drifter grinned back at the songstress. Yuna flashed him a smile, and went on to tell them about everything she and Drifter had done in the church, and what they agreed upon with Sasha. Meanwhile, Drifter and Kirito moved a little ahead of the pack. The spearman had noticed that while the boy politely smiled, there was something bothering him, if the scowl he had was any indication.

    "Something wrong, Kirito?"

    "Uhm? Ah, sorry, Drifter. It''s nothing. Just someone being annoying."

    At that, Drifter raised an eyebrow. He didn''t think Kirito was talking about someone in the party. The way his eyes were moving, he seemed to be reading a message.

    "Wanna talk ''bout it?"

    The swordsman didn''t answer immediately. His eyes, which had been scanning the savanna searching for threats, turned to Drifter for a brief second. It was all it took for him to realize that Kirito didn''t trust him or the others quite yet. Maybe he never would. For a moment, Drifter almost apologized, but stopped himself. Kirito hadn''t refused.

    "Actually, it''s nothing much. Someone wants to buy my weapon, and is using Argo as the middleman. I''ve already rejected them a couple dozen times but they simply won''t give up."

    The issue turned out to be so nonsensical that Drifter paused in surprise. He frowned at his party member.

    "Someone wants you to sell your main weapon? Are they stupid?"

    Kirito snorted in amusement. If he wasn''t the one being constantly bugged by the mysterious wannabe buyer, he would probably have the same expression as Drifter.

    A player''s main weapon was basically sacred. It was their lifeline. No one would sell their main weapon without having a replacement ready at hand. And losing it during a battle, whether by emptying it''s durability or some other means, meant almost certain death. Drifter would have died a couple times already if he didn''t have his << Kobold Spear +4 >>.

    "Heh, that''s what I was thinking too. Even Argo''s starting to get annoyed, but they are using the anonymous feature to message her."

    "They''re gonna regret that when she finds out who they are."

    "Hahaha... That''s true."

    "What is your sword anyway?"

    "This? An << Anneal Blade +6 >>. I didn''t dare try and upgrade it anymore."

    As he spoke, Kirito pulled the weapon in question from it''s sheath. The dark blade glinted in the sunlight. But Drifter wasn''t drawn in by it''s beauty, but rather the familiar name.

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    "<< Anneal Blade >>?"

    "Uhh... Yeah. What''s wrong?"

    Without saying another word, Drifter scrolled through his menu, until he found one of the very first items he got in SAO. With a tap, an identical sword to the one Kirito had materialized in his hands. The swordsman''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "How come you have an << Anneal Blade >>? Aren''t you a spear-user?"

    Running his fingers sadly over the blade, Drifter shook his head, nodded, then shook it again. His mind was elsewhere.

    "I was partying with someone before Kayaba''s announcement. We got it together."

    "Not Yuna and Nautilus?"

    Drifter heard the unspoken second question, and closed his eyes in pain for a moment, which didn''t go unnoticed by Kirito.

    "They... Disconnected."

    "I see. I''m sorry."

    The spearman brushed off the apology. Who amongst the surviving SAO players hadn''t lost someone? There was no need to speak more, because they were all familiar with the pain.

    Deciding to change the subject, Drifter stored away his << Anneal Blade >> and gestured to the one in Kirito''s hand.

    "How come there''s more than one of it? I thought it was a unique quest reward."

    "Almost. It''s not a unique quest, but the requirements to complete it are very harsh. To start with, you can only have up to three players in your party, and none can be above level 5. Not only that, but if anyone who doesn''t fit those criteria captures the << Large Nepent''s >> aggro, the sword won''t drop."

    "Hum."

    Drifter made a grunt of acknowledgment. It made sense the quest was so restrictive. Considering how high the stats of the not upgraded << Anneal Blade >> were, he could only imagine how overpowered the one Kirito had was, which was up to a plus 6 according to him.

    The higher you tried to refine and upgrade a weapon, the higher the chances of it going wrong, and, unlike with simple repairs, once you failed an upgrade, there was a chance of incurring a penalty, which ranged from the blade losing maximum durability points, to breaking completely. Each upgrade was a bet.

    "No wonder someone is being so insistent on buying yours. A sword like that is a literal game changer."

    "Which is why I''m not selling."

    "Heh, I wouldn''t either. But we do have an extra << Anneal Blade >> now."

    The younger man stopped, a pensive look on his face. That gave time for the rest of the party to catch up - not that they were ever far behind - and glance at the two of them weirdly. Kirito frowned at Drifter.

    "Whoever that person is, they want a +6 enhanced sword. I don''t think I am lucky enough to get it again."

    "Maybe not a +6, but a 4 or even a 5 should be possible. And don''t forget I have SAO''s highest-leveled blacksmith on my friend list."

    Kirito thought about it for a moment before shrugging and typing a quick message to Argo, letting her know they wanted to meet her at Urbus'' plaza later tonight. Meanwhile, Drifter sent basically the same to Liz.

    After seeing that Drifter and Kirito had finished their discussion, Sinon placed a hand on the back of each, and pushed them forward.

    "If you two are done conspiring, we have mobs to kill."

    ...

    It was already dark when the six-people party returned to Urbus. The day had been tiring but productive. They spotted the field-boss, << Bullbous Bow >> and unanimously agreed to avoid it. The gigantic bull was frankly terrifying, and would need a combined effort of several parties to be taken down.

    They also reached the entrance to the tower, though they did not go in, seeing as it was already late when it happened, and they were both exhausted and low on supplies. They did mark the location on the map, however, and sent it to Argo, who paid handsomely for it.

    "Liz! How''s business?"

    Ever cheerful, Yuna hopped over to the stall the blacksmith had set up. The freckled girl raised her hammer in greeting.

    "Better now that you are here, Yuna. Your party always brings in the big orders."

    "Oh? So that''s all we are to you, is it?"

    Feigning a hurt expression, which she managed to hold for all of two seconds, the songstress hugged the blacksmith. While the rest of the party settled around, Drifter and Kirito went up to Liz, and explained what they wanted.

    "My << Enhancing >> is high enough that getting it to +3 should be easy. +4 is risky, +5 could be a problem, and +6 is outright gambling. You sure you wanna do that? That''s a beautiful sword, it would be a pity to lose it."

    Kirito glanced at Drifter, asking for permission, after all, the second << Anneal Blade >> belonged to him. When the spearman nodded, he gestured for Liz to go ahead.

    Shrugging, and not just a little excited to work on such a rare piece of gear, the blacksmith sat cross-legged in front of her workstation, and placed the sword, as well as the upgrade materials, on her anvil. Then, she raised her hammer above her head, holding it there for a few seconds, before bringing it down with a resounding ''bang!''.

    She repeated the action a few times before the sword flashed and the materials disappeared, showing it was a successful enhancement. With a quick glance at Kirito, Liz proceeded. There were three more flashes of light before she stopped.

    "+4, Drifter, Kirito. Do I continue?"

    "Continue what, Liz-chan?"

    Before either of the men could answer, a fourth voice interjected, causing the blacksmith to jump in surprise. Drifter and Kirito showed no reaction other than a sigh.

    "Argo! Don''t do that!"

    The info broker gave an unrepentant grin when Liz smacked her arm. She wasn''t the least ashamed of the complete lack of personal space. In her own words, ''a good info broker can''t be stopped but such things as boundaries''.

    Drifter was about to ruffle Argo''s hair - his way of scolding her when he didn''t really mean it - when he saw something on her face, and stopped. Kirito started explaining everything - again -, but he wasn''t really paying attention. He just stared intently at Argo while frowning.

    "Somethin'' in my face, Dri-bou?"

    He could hear the mirth in her voice, as if the twinkle of amusement in her eyes wasn''t enough. Slowly, he reached for her face, and ran a finger over the now very real whiskers.

    "Those aren''t painted on, little rat."

    "Nope!"

    "And, suppose I was to ask how that change came about, how much would that intel cost?"

    The info broker smirked cheekily.

    "Ah, ya know, not much. I''ll even give ya a friendly discount. Just half-a-million cor."

    The party stared slack-jawed at Argo. Sinon was the one to break the silence.

    "Did you hit your head somewhere, Argo?! 500,000 cor?!"

    "Hihihihi!"

    "Don''t ''hihihi'' us, little rat. You are using this intel as bait, but you seemed to have forgotten you still owe us a favor. Ninjas, remember?"

    After snapping out of his surprise, Drifter grinned evilly. His smile only widened when he saw Argo gasp and splutter. It was rare that he managed to get one over the info broker, and victory tasted sweet.

    "I already repaid that!"

    "No, you didn''t. We simply decided to keep it in reserve for an especially valuable piece of information. I think now is the time. Don''t you agree, guys?"

    He received several nods of agreement, even from Liz, who didn''t belong to the party. While Argo scowled, Drifter''s grin only widened.

    "All right, all right! And ya say I''m the black-hearted one. It has to do with what the Fuumaningum people wanted the other day. And a secret skill. Come with me tomorrow and I will show ya. Y''all are gonna owe me some, though!"

 Chapter 26 - Extra Skill

    Eight people easily made their way through the knee-high dry grass of the 2nd floor''s savanna biome. They were Drifter''s party of six, plus their guide, Argo, and a curious tag-along, Lisbeth. The blacksmith had been insistent on coming after hearing the info broker mention a hidden skill.

    Such a large group of players was rarely seen, and the mobs on this floor were mainly solitary, so they could advance almost casually. That didn''t mean they weren''t paying attention to their surroundings, however. With the exception of Liz, all of them had plenty of experience diving into the labyrinth, where monsters could literally spawn in the middle of your party, so they all walked in formation, so they could react and support each other almost instantly should the need arise.

    On cue, a << Windwasp >> appeared, and zoomed towards them. The monster, which was quite literally a wasp, only a thousand times it''s normal size, aggroed on Argo, who was at the front of the group.

    Before it''s menacing stinger could strike, however, it was intercepted by a spear reaching from behind and above Argo''s head. Not allowing the mob to recover, two of Sinon''s picks hit it, bringing it''s health down to half, and Kirito and Asuna finished it off with a flurry of blows. The entire battle lasted no more than five seconds.

    "Waa... Woah! That was incredible!"

    A gobsmacked Liz stared at the remains of the << Windwasp >>, while the rest of the party nonchalantly went through the loot and resumed walking. Asuna grinned at the blacksmith.

    "<< Windwasps >> have high attack but low defense and HP, Liz. The secret is killing them before they hit you."

    "The secret to every battle you mean, Asuna."

    The fencer stuck her tongue at Sinon, who smirked. The others smiled while Liz proceeded to praise them. Out of the entire group, she was the one with the least battle experience, having spent most of her time improving her forging skills. She had also only watched the party fight through the live-stream of the 1st floor boss raid. Witnessing it first-hand was very different.

    "How far are we, Argo?"

    "Not too much now, Dri-bou. Cross that stretch of plain over there and into the trees."

    And that they did. Almost immediately afterwards, they found themselves in a clearing full of rocks of all sizes, and, on top of the biggest one, there was the weirdest NPC Drifter had ever seen.

    An old man, with an incredibly long beard, was laying lazily on his side, head propped up with one hand. He had an unnerving smirk, complete with missing teeth and all, on his face as he watched the eight players get closer.

    "Ho ho ho! What do we have here? Some hot-headed adventures, I see. Hihihihi!"

    The old man jumped down from his rock with surprising agility, and hopped until he was standing in front of the group. He completely ignored Argo, but circled the others, all the while mumbling and cackling. It didn''t take a genius to understand that he had one screw loose.

    "Came to learn my secrets, have you, little warriors? Huh? Huh? I can teach you, I can. Should I? Humm? Hihihihi!"

    "Err... Argo?"

    Unnerved, and not just a little creeped out, Kirito looked at the info broker asking for help. What the old man was saying was clearly a quest prompt, but the way it was delivered didn''t inspire much confidence.

    Argo nodded, but when Drifter sneaked a glance at her, he couldn''t help but get the feeling she was grinning. And not the good kind of grin, but an evil one, that promised mischief. If he wasn''t sure she would never purposely harm them, he might have told Kirito to stop when the boy started to answer the old man. As it was, he just prepared himself for some kind of prank. And he was right to do so. Unfortunately for him, this was not one that could be avoided.

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    As soon as Kirito told the old man that they wanted to learn whatever it was that he was teaching, his face split into a predatory smile, and he became a blur, jumping from one party member to the other faster than they could see. Even Liz wasn''t spared. Clearly, Kirito''s acceptance had been taken as the agreement of the entire group.

    "What the..."

    "Hey!"

    "Hihihihihi!"

    Instinctively, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon all tried to react, and stab the old man with their various weapons, but he jumped and flipped his way out of range and back to the big rock with a speed that would forever be impossible for players to catch up. All the while he was laughing madly. And he wasn''t the only one.

    "Pffft... Wahahahaha!"

    Argo''s shrill laughter broke the tension that had fallen over the group. When they turned to her, the info broker was literally rolling on the ground, clutching her sides as she guffawed. There were even tears in her eyes. Whenever she looked like she was calming down, she would take another glance at the party, and start laughing again.

    Almost afraid, Drifter hesitantly turned his eyes to his other party members. What he saw caused him not to know whether to cry or laugh. He facepalmed and let out a deep sigh.

    "Little rat, you are going to pay for this."

    "Wahahahaha!"

    "Ugh. Look at your faces, people."

    Groaning, Drifter watched as the others did as they were told, and discovered what he already had. Suddenly, the clearing was filled with shouts of surprise, stunned looks, and not just a few snickering laughs. Of course, none of them missed sending a death glare to Argo.

    Right there, on everyone''s faces, including Drifter''s, were three pairs of painted whiskers identical to the ones'' Argo had. Now they all knew where she had gotten them from. With a murderous glint in their eyes, Yuna and Asuna started chasing after the info broker, who shrieked in mock fear and ran.

    Meanwhile, Drifter opened his quest log, and saw that it had indeed been updated. The new quest''s objective was to break the large rock upon which the old man was laying, but they couldn''t use sword skills, or their weapons. It had to be done with their bare hands. The only upside was that it could be done as a group.

    ''Reminder for the future: never try to blackmail Argo again.''

    Ignoring the calls for help from the info broker as Asuna and Yuna tickled her into oblivion, Drifter walked towards the big rock they had to break. The old man had fallen asleep on top of it, and didn''t show any intention of moving.

    Telling himself that there was no pain in SAO, Drifter took a deep breath, clenched his hand into a fist, and punched the rock with all his strength. It did nothing.

    Shaking his hand to get rid of the phantom pain, Drifter gestured for the others to try too, though he didn''t expect it to do anything. The rock was almost as hard as an immortal object. Not happy, he walked towards Argo, who had managed to free herself from the girls'' clutches, and was watching the seven other players alternatively hit the rock, curse, and try in vain to wipe out the whiskers.

    "I will admit, Argo, that was a well-executed prank."

    "Hihihi... Thank ya very much, Dri-bou."

    "Hm. How much more can you tell us about the quest? And how much will it cost?"

    "Consider it a professional courtesy, Dri-bou. And I''ll say we''re even. What do ya think?"

    "I hate you. Deal."

    The rest gave up trying to break the rock for the moment, and joined Drifter in a semicircle around Argo. The whiskers were comically distracting, but the info broker made an effort to be at least somewhat serious.

    "Durin'' the beta, there was an NPC on the 7th floor that hinted at this quest. I followed his tips, and gained the whiskers. The beta was too short for me to spend days tryin'' to shatter a damn rock, so I just accepted it. Gotta admit, they kinda grew on me over time."

    "Thus was born Argo the Rat."

    "Aye, Kii-bou!"

    Drifter sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Needless to say, Argo had rushed here as soon as the 2nd floor opened, and regained her trademark whiskers. She had also conveniently kept silent about the fact that, if they wanted to complete the quest, they would have to bare with them too. It wasn''t like the painted whiskers interfered with their combat power, but it was damn humiliating, a constant reminder that they failed to finish the old man''s quest.

    "And the only way to get rid of them is by breaking this boulder with our hands? No shortcuts you know about?"

    "None that I know of, Aa-chan."

    "Ugh... This is going to take forever!"

    Drifter happened to agree with Yuna. He didn''t think there was anything they could do, however, other than complete the quest, unless they were like Argo and rocked the whiskers.

    "Since we are already stuck with it, can you at least tell us what the reward is, Argo?"

    "Don''tchu worry, Nau-bou, it''s more than worth your time! Like I said, it''s an extra skill! << Martial Arts >>!"

    "<< Martial Arts >>?"

    "Yep. It''s a bunch of unarmed techniques, from what I know."

    "That... Doesn''t sound very useful."

    "Hah! Ya think so, Sin-chan? But what if ya lose your weapon mid-battle? Or ya are fightin'' another player and don''t wanna kill them? And what if I tell ya that << Martial Arts >> doesn''t share the same cooldown with the sword skills?"

    While the first two points Argo put forward were only useful in very specific situations, as soon as the last point was mentioned, everyone''s eyes widened. Argo gave a knowing smirk.

    << Martial Arts >> not sharing the same cooldown with other skills meant they could easily integrate it into their combos, and use it as a buffer between sword skills. It allowed for countless new possible combinations and attack patterns. Others might not understand it''s value, but how could they, who were known as frontliners, not see it?

    "All right, let''s get to it, then!"

    Clapping his hands, Kirito stood up and walked towards the rock. Unequipping his sword, he clenched his hand into a fist before pounding the boulder. Once, twice, three times. He repeated the action until dust and small fragments finally started falling off, and a small crack appeared. It was minuscule, but it was a start.

    Turning to look at the others, who were watching him in amusement, the swordsman showed an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head.

    "Err... I thought we better not waste more time than necessary here. Sorry."

    Drifter chuckled, and took Kirito''s position in front of the boulder. He teased the boy.

    "Don''t be, party leader. You are right, after all. Let''s get to it!"

 Chapter 27 - Bullbous Bow

    A week after opening the 2nd floor, Drifter found himself in a reunion of sorts. Or maybe it was a party? Neither of those felt like the right term. But what was it, then?

    Argo had called this meeting together yesterday evening, and even booked a private room in one of Urbus''s inns - that cost a pretty cor. She had also called a lot more people than Drifter originally thought she would.

    On one corner, Agil and his band of merchants - he really had to get their names sometime - were chatting enthusiastically with Liz. There was also a party of five - Braves something, he thought they were called - which he vaguely remembered seeing on Tolbana and later in Urbus itself, though they didn''t take part in the raid against << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. They were a boisterous bunch, who had quickly wrapped Kirito in a discussion about sword skills, much to the young swordsman''s initial distress and later interest.

    Sinon, as always, was the quietest of their party. Their long-range expert was silently sipping a drink while leaning on the wall, content with just observing the meeting. When she caught Drifter looking at her, Sinon raised an eyebrow. Gesturing with his head that it was nothing, he searched for the others.

    Looking to his left, the spearman saw the last three members of his party. Yuna, Nautilus, and Asuna were engaged in a discussion about SAO''s cooking mechanics - spoiler: none of them were happy with it. You just needed to tap the ingredients with a knife and they would be instantaneously ready. It took all the joy out of cooking. Drifter could understand their displeasure, since he also enjoyed it as a hobby. On the upside, at least the two shyest members of their party were bonding over it, so that was something. The songstress, on the other hand, seemed content to just listen, providing her input now and then.

    The one who called the meeting, and called all those people together, Argo, had disappeared almost immediately after she finished introducing everyone. She didn''t give them any clue of why she had gathered everyone.

    Without much to do, Drifter wandered his way towards Sinon. He had gotten to know all three of the newest members of their party pretty well since that amphitheater on the 1st floor, but Sinon was by far the one he communicated the least with. It wasn''t because he disliked her, of course, but because the girl was guarded and closed off by nature. He was pretty sure that, were not for the raid forcing them to party up, she would have been a solo player for the rest of SAO. Kirito too, for what matters. Well, now seemed as good a time as any to get to know her better.

    "Hey, Sinon. Enjoying the... Whatever this is?"

    "Ehh... It''s a nice change of pace from grinding all day long."

    The girl smirked, causing Drifter to shake his head  and snort in amusement. He knew he sometimes pushed the others too hard. Yuna and Sinon made sure to tease him about it from time to time.

    Looking at the short-haired girl, Drifter thought of what he knew about her, which wasn''t much. She was fourteen, the same age as Kirito and Asuna, and was also a student. She liked to stand in corners and out-of-the-way spots, simply observing without voicing her thoughts or taking action unless someone specifically called for her. He wasn''t sure if that behavior was due to what she experienced in SAO, or if she was always like that. He didn''t ask.

    Other than that, Drifter realized, he knew nothing about Sinon. What she liked and disliked, what happened before she joined the party, nothing. It almost felt like she didn''t consider herself part of their group, and that was why she didn''t open up. That thought bothered him more than he imagined it would. They had shared life and death, after all. It shouldn''t be so hard to talk to her.

    "You know, Sinon, I''m surprised you agreed to stay after we bested Illfang. You strike me as more of a loner than even Kirito."

    "Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment? ''Cause if it is the latter, then it''s a very backhanded one."

    Sinon glanced at Drifter from the corner of her eyes, clearly unimpressed. He, on the other hand, grinned and put both hands over his heart, as if he had been shot. Only when the girl rolled her eyes did he stop being dramatic.

    "I... Always had trouble making friends. Nobody invited me to a party before, and I never took the initiative. But that doesn''t mean I wanted to be a solo player. When Argo pushed us together, I decided to stick. It helps that you are all pretty good people, unlike that ass Kibaou."

    Before Drifter could continue his line of questioning, Sinon answered in a low murmur. He was stunned. It turns out the reason was so simple. She never joined a party before because no one ever asked.

    This time, he fully turned towards Sinon to have a good look at her. The girl was bowing her head, gray eyes piercing a spot on the floor. Her shoulders were slanted, as if she was expecting to be rebuked or scolded.

    After a brief moment of confusion, Drifter understood. Sinon always put on a brave front, and passed the image of a closed-off, curt, even rude teenager. Most of it was probably her true personality, but she used it to disguise her insecurities.

    ''Crap. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, how did I make it so depressing all of sudden?''

    "Sinon..."

    "I don''t know what I am to you and the others, Drifter. A friend, an acquaintance, or just another party member. But I want to escape. I want to beat SAO. And I realized I would like to have all of you with me."

    In an instant, Sinon''s previously depressed tone changed to one charged with sheer determination. The change was so sudden that Drifter was caught by surprise. Those piercing grey eyes didn''t belong in a teenager.

    He was about to say something when the door to the inn swung open, and Argo strutted in. Though her face was covered by her hood, Drifter could feel the smug grin she was sporting.

    "Gather ''round everyone! I''ve got news!"

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    The almost twenty players raised their eyebrows in unison, and went to the middle of the room, where the info broker was standing. Argo pushed her hood back, revealing two cunning brown eyes and three sets of whiskers.

    "First off, let me introduce everyone. Those six here are part of the frontliners, the songstress'' party: Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Drifter, Nautilus, and Yuna."

    For the sake of clarity, Argo didn''t use her nicknames to introduce Drifter''s party. Each of them nodded or waved when their names were called. The only people they didn''t know were the new five-people party anyway.

    "Also part of the frontliners, Agil, Wolv, Namate, and Shigio, the merchant warriors. And, next to them, Lisbeth, SAO''s best blacksmith!"

    "What''s up?"

    Drifter had the distinct impression that when Liz was introduced, the remaining party of five was uncomfortable. Though they greeted her very enthusiastically a second later, so maybe he was imagining things.

    "And finally, the Legend Braves! This is their leader, Orlando, and, in order, from left to right, Beowulf, Chuchulainn, Enkidu, and Gilgamesh. They weren''t part of the 1st floor boss-raid, but don''t underestimate them."

    "Friends! We, the Legend Braves, are honored to make your acquaintance!"

    Loud. That was Drifter''s first impression of Orlando. But the sturdily-built man didn''t seem like a bad person, if the way Kirito readily opened up to him and his party before was any indication. After many days of working together, Drifter knew the young swordsman was quite introverted.

    The rest of the Braves were just as energetic as their leader. In Drifter''s opinion, they were a half-roleplaying party, since all of them had the usernames of mythical heroes from around the globe.

    "Everyone!"

    Argo clapped her hands to catch everyone''s attention after the introductions were over. Her face took on a serious expression.

    "I called y''all here ''cause I got three pieces of news I need to share with ya. They are all related to the field-boss, << Bullbous Bow >>."

    Hearing this, everyone understood the seriousness of the situation. Kirito, Drifter, Agil, and, surprisingly, Orlando, all leaned forward with narrowed eyes. Argo raised one finger.

    "First of, y''all should know that after the change to Illfang''s weapon on the 1st floor, I started investigatin'' the boss of the 2nd floor. We don''t want another Diavel."

    Kirito trembled when he heard the info broker. Next to him, Asuna put one hand on his arm, and gave the boy a sad but sweet smile. She was telling him, yet again, that it wasn''t his fault. The whole party had tried to convince Kirito of that over and over again, and though on the surface he accepted it, everyone knew he still blamed himself for what happened.

    "If the beta was anythin'' to go by, Kayaba likes to leave clues ''bout the boss throughout the floor. So, I''ve been doin'' all the quests I could, and told all my informants to keep their eyes and ears open. It paid off. I have in my quest log a quest which should give us some intel ''bout the floor boss. Only thing is, I need to hand in an item from the field-boss to complete it."

    With that last sentence, Drifter already had an inkling about how this meeting was going to go. Meanwhile, seeing several nods, Argo raised a second finger.

    "Second thing, also related to the drops of the << Bullbous Bow >>. And it concerns your party and ya especially, Sin-chan."

    "Me?"

    "Yep. Remember our talk a few days back ''bout that bow player?"

    "Y-Yeah?"

    Sinon''s eyes lit up with hope. If Argo said what she thought she was going to say, then all her worries about her usefulness to the party would be washed away.

    "That beta-tester didn''t join SAO, but someone who partied with him did. The bow was called << Grafted Horn Bow >>, and was the << Bullbous Bow''s >> last attack bonus."

    Unconsciously, Drifter''s eyes searched for Kirito, or, more specifically, his black cape. The << Coat of Midnight >> was also a last-attack bonus item, and, if Drifter was right, the reason Diavel died. That was a suspicion he planned on never sharing with anyone, even his own party members.

    Then, he looked at Sinon, who, despite her incredible self-control, was almost shaking from excitement. He could understand her, after all, which respectable player wouldn''t be excited about a new weapon, even more so one so unique as a bow.

    "Aight, calm down ya. I know ya are anxious to get your hands on it, but remember what I said, it''s a last-attack bonus drop. That means ya have not only to be the one to land the last hit on the << Bullbous Bow >>, it also has to be the first time players kill it."

    Argo was quick to pour a bucket of cold water over Sinon''s growing hopes, and received a pointed glare in return. The info broker summarily ignored Sinon''s disgruntled look, and a third finger joined the first two.

    "Lastly, I just learned both that cactus-haired fool Kibaou, and the Diavel-wannabe Lind, plan on facin'' the field-boss tomorrow. Which means if y''all wanna take it down before them, it has to be done tonight."

    After the 1st floor boss-raid, Kibaou had gathered a good number of the players who participated, plus quite a few others, and started running around calling themselves the Aincrad Liberation Squad, or ALS for short. It was a group of almost a hundred players, by far the biggest in SAO. Drifter was sure it would become the largest guild when those could be created. It was a pity, however, that much of Kibaou''s ''campaign'' was based on the whole beater bullshit.

    As for Lind, he was one of the original players from Diavel''s party. After the man died, Lind dyed his hair light blue, supposedly in honor of his fallen leader. Though he wasn''t as obnoxious as Kibaou, Lind also didn''t hold any good feelings towards Kirito, and, by extension, the rest of the party. He wasn''t shy about it either.

    "We will do it."

    Drifter didn''t even need to look at his party to know what they were thinking, so he just directly agreed.

    "We are in too."

    "So am I!"

    Agil discussed it with his three party members for a few minutes before giving his confirmation. Liz also joined, eager to fight a boss, and also to discover what sorts of forging materials it dropped.

    Everyone turned to look at the Legend Braves, who still hadn''t voiced their opinion. Though they didn''t know the boisterous group before this meeting, Argo obviously trusted them, at least enough to think they would be able to contribute to the battle, and not be dead weight.

    Contrary to the impression he had given until now led them to believe, the leader of the Legend Braves didn''t agree immediately. Instead, Orlando had a calculative look on his face as he faced Argo.

    "I can understand them, but what''s in it for us?"

    Argo grinned.

    "To start with, if ya don''t join hands with us, ya will never get to fight the field-boss just with five people, so that''s that. Then there''s also the obvious: experience and loot. Finally, defeatin'' this boss will give us information that could save lives durin'' the boss-raid."

    From the way Orlando struggled to hide the matching grin on his face, it was clear to everyone that just that last point was more than enough to convince him.

    "You can count on us."

 Chapter 28 - Everything (Not) According to Plan

    Argo watched as the three parties, plus Liz, who temporarily joined Agil and his friends, filed out of the inn. When Kirito was about to leave, she held him back.

    "Argo? What is it?"

    "I need ya to do me a favor, Kii-bou. Keep an eye on the Braves, yeah?"

    The swordsman frowned.

    "Keep an eye as in ''make sure they are safe'' or as in ''expect trouble''?"

    "Not really how I would''ve put it, but the second, Kii-bou. I don''t mean they might stab ya in the back, but that there might be disputes after y''all defeat the << Bullbous Bow >>."

    Hearing that, Kirito relaxed slightly. Conflicts when dividing up drops were commonplace in RPGs. Still, he pinched the bridge of his nose, thoughtful.

    "I don''t like this, Argo."

    "Me neither, Kii-bou. I want to believe the Legend Braves are genuinely good people, but they''ve got their own circumstances. I''m still investigatin'', but it''s nothing that should affect the fight. Just... Be careful, will ya? And look out for the others."

    "I will."

    Kirito rushed to meet the others, leaving Argo alone in the room. The info broker let out a deep sigh. She knew Kirito hated not being able to trust those he was fighting with. But there was no way around it. It was better that he knew and be prepared, even if - hopefully - nothing happened, than not knowing and suffering a loss because of it.

    The whole beater situation had taken a toll on Kirito. He had fought so hard, only to have pretty much everyone turn against him. Even with everyone having watched the broadcast, and Argo''s silent efforts in the shadows to minimize the impacts of Kibaou''s accusations, there were still many players who believed them, and despised and feared the young swordsman. Luckily, Drifter and the others hadn''t abandoned him.

    That was another player with trust issues. The spearman may appear outgoing and willing to think the best of everyone, but Argo liked to think she was the third person who knew him best in SAO - after Yuna and Nautilus, obviously. She could see that even now, apart from herself and the two original members of his party, Drifter didn''t really trust anyone. No doubt a reflection of what he experienced in the labyrinth that day.

    Which was also why she had chosen to ask Kirito to keep a lookout on the Legend Braves, even though Drifter would be able to do a better job. The spearman had too much to worry about already, he didn''t need his head filled with yet unconfirmed suspicions of an ongoing scam.

    ''Right. Now to find the last member of the Braves.''

    With a slight groan, Argo opened her messages tab, and started typing. She only had a night to solve everything.

    ---------------------------

    Drifter noticed how Kirito got held back by Argo, but didn''t pay any attention to it. It was their business, after all. He was sure that if it affected the party, they wouldn''t hide it from him and the rest.

    He was more concerned with their upcoming fight against the << Bullbous Bow >>. While it might be just a field-boss, they had just sixteen players, three times less than what they had when they went up against << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. Furthermore, apart from his party and Agil''s, he wasn''t sure how the others would fare in battle. Needless to say, he was worried.

    So, when Kirito finally joined them a few minutes later, Drifter grabbed him, Agil, and Orlando, the party leaders, to discuss their attack plan. While Kirito was officially the leader of their party, Drifter was always included in those kinds of meetings. It was almost as if he and Kirito shared leadership.

    "Everyone got Argo''s intel, right? The << Bullbous Bow >> shouldn''t be that hard to deal with, it has simple attack patterns."

    "But it hits like a truck."

    "Uhum. Agil, we will have to depend mostly on your guys to tank it. Nautilus too. Orlando, I saw that Beowulf and Enkidu are carrying shields. Are they tanks too?"

    When it concerned battles, Kirito changed into a different person. His voice carried much more conviction and confidence than normal, proving once again that Drifter had made the right choice in giving up his spot as party leader to the boy. Orlando nodded.

    "Yeah. Beowulf is going a pure tank build, while Enkidu is splitting it up between vitality and strength, but he can act well enough as a tank."

    "Humm. So, it is decided. Nautilus, Wolv, Shigio, Enkidu, and Beowulf will tank, and the rest focus on attacking. Remember, while the field-boss only had simple charge attacks during the beta, there''s no guarantee that nothing has changed, so be ready to change tactics and improvise."

    "Got it."

    "Let''s do this!"

    While he offered his verbal agreement, Drifter couldn''t help but worry if putting Nautilus in front of a four-meter-tall charging bull was the smartest move. He didn''t doubt the blade-user''s courage, but if his FNC acted up... Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do other than keep an eye on his friend. He couldn''t just oust him, not when he had promised to keep the secret.

    He also didn''t want to undermine Nautilus'' confidence before the battle began, so he resisted the urge to pull him aside. What little he understood from Argo''s explanation the other night taught him that Nautilus'' FNC was probably triggered by psychological issues. Trying to warn the blade-user might have the opposite effect.

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    "Everyone, be ready! We are almost there. Remember, keep your potions at hand, and drink them if your health drops below yellow."

    "Kirito''s right, don''t tempt fate, people. Yun'', start with << Firemare >>, but switch to << Rest >> if you think it''s necessary."

    "Okay!"

    With all the preparations complete, the three parties silently walked the last hundred meters to where the field-boss stayed, right in the path to the city just outside of the 2nd floor''s tower.

    The first indication that something was wrong were the flickering lights. Their group had chosen not to use torches, as the moonlight was more than enough to illuminate the path, but ahead of them they could see the reflexes of many moving lights against the night sky.

    The second signal was the noise. Few players dared to adventure outside of the safe zones during the night. Apart from the odd fight against some mobs, the sixteen of them had barely heard a sound during the entire journey here. But now, there were lots of shouts and indistinct screams coming from over ahead.

    Recognizing one particularly annoying and familiar voice, Drifter cursed under his breath as they overcame the past stretch of tall grass obstructing their vision.

    As he feared, more than forty players came into sight, evenly divided into two camps. The two groups were arguing - having a shouting match, really - with each other, while the field-boss lazily slept a safe distance away.

    Seeing Drifter''s group appear, the leaders of the two camps turned to them in unison, their faces scrunched up with disgust. Lind and Kibaou yelled in one voice.

    "Beater! What the hell are you doing here?!"

    -------------------------

    After many messages and trades, Argo took a final look at her notepad and then closed it. She was fairly certain she was right. She better be, or she would have spent a lot of money for nothing.

    Nimbly climbing the stairs two steps at a time, the info broker stopped in front of a simple wooden door with a plaque with the number ''4'' engraved in it. Taking a few seconds to compose herself, she knocked and waited.

    Ten seconds passed, and there was no response. Others might get impatient and knock again, but her << Eavesdropping >> was high enough that she could hear a faint rustling sound, as if someone was getting out of bed to answer the door. Another ten seconds later, a young man opened it, rubbing an eye, clearly still half-asleep.

    "Orlando, is that... Huh? Who are you?"

    The man had an honest-looking face, his pale blonde hair parted in the middle. He looked to be slightly older than Argo, maybe seventeen or eighteen, not that she really cared. She was much more interested in how he tensed up after discovering that the one who knocked on his door in the middle of the night was not, in fact, Orlando. His posture spoke mostly of curiosity, but also not a small amount of anxiety.

    "Who are you? What do you want?"

    The boy asked again, freaked out by how Argo was just standing there. He couldn''t see her face clearly due to her hood. If it wasn''t because he knew he was inside a safe zone, and that no one could enter his room without his authorization, he would have definitely slammed the door in her face. As it was, he was feeling just slightly terrified.

    "Nehza, right? Name''s Argo the Rat. I wanna have a chat with ya."

    Nehza shook when he heard her name. Argo the Rat was not someone you wanted visiting you. Sometimes it meant you were able to gain a lot of money. Most of the time it meant you were screwed. And Nehza couldn''t think of anything he knew that was worth a lot. Apart from the one thing he didn''t want anyone to know, of course.

    "S-Sorry, but I don''t know you! Good night!"

    "Nehza of the Legend Braves, a relatively famous blacksmith, for some not-so-good reasons. A scammer, really, aye?"

    Nehza was so stunned he stopped in the middle of his action of slamming the door. Seeing his fearful look, Argo smiled a predatory grin and decided to strike while the iron was hot - pun intended.

    "Smart stuff, really, discoverin'' ya could use the << Quick Change Mod >> to swap players'' equips for some copies without durability, and pretendin'' they broke. Made a pretty cor sellin'' ''em later, did ya?"

    "N-No! I-I..."

    "Ya are lucky nobody died ''cause of what ya did, or what I discovered would be on the first page of my guidebook''s newest edition."

    Giving up on closing the door, Nehza slumped to the floor, fingers loosely grabbing at the hem of his shirt. He cowered before the much smaller girl, not daring to look into her eyes. But Argo wasn''t done just yet.

    "And don''tchu think of messagin'' Orlando. He''s on a job for me right now. Humph! Ya can''t run away from what you''ve done so easily."

    "I-I... You don''t understand... I had no choice..."

    That last sentence sent Nehza into a spiral of denial. He kept mumbling under his breath, but Argo couldn''t care less.

    "Why? ''Cause of your little problem? You''ve got an FNC. So what? Someone else''s got it too, and he''s fightin'' side by side with the Braves tonight. They''re your party, so why can''t ya do the same?"

    "H-How did you know?"

    "It''s my job. I watch, I listen. I gather tidbits of information and piece the whole together. I''ve been keepin'' an eye on ya for the last few days. You''ve got some kinda depth perception issue, don''t ya? You''ve missed your victims - sorry, I mean customers - hands more than once when they''re handing their weapons to ya."

    Nehza looked up at Argo with surprise, shock, and no small amount of admiration. Though he had been plagued by his FNC ever since he entered SAO, and fallen into depression due to such, he was a sharp young man. Now that he had some time to think things through, he knew Argo''s intention wasn''t to expose him, or she would''ve done so already.

    "A-Are you saying I should fight with them? But I''m just a burden... Chuchulainn almost died to save me."

    "Hell nah, ya shouldn''t fight. Ya are gonna die without a grave if ya try."

    "B-But then! What should I do?"

    Argo shrugged, her attention caught by something else. Who was messaging her at this time?

    "I dunno, I''m not your babysitter. Maybe become an honest blacksmith? Figure somethin'' out. But stop scammin'' people, otherwise somebody''s gonna die one day. I''ll stop ya before that happens. And when I do that, your party''s gonna be disgraced alongside ya. So put a stop to it while ya can."

    In deep thought, Nehza stared at his hands. He knew this was Argo''s last warning. But could he really do something else? Could he really amount to anything without his tricks?

    He was startled from his divagations when Argo suddenly stomped and turned around. Her figure quickly disappeared, leaving Nehza kneeling where he was. Before she left, he heard her last sentence.

    "God dammit Kibaou, ya effin'' idiot!"

 Chapter 29 - Unwilling Cooperation

    "Beater! What the hell are you doing here?!"

    Drifter felt a major headache incoming. One stupidly obnoxious Kibaou was already enough to ruin his day. Add Lind to the mix? He wasn''t sure his mood would recover within the week.

    [ Drifter: Hate to say it, little rat, but you dropped the ball on this one. Lind and Kibaou are here, and they brought company. ]

    Without taking his eyes off of the two approaching men, Drifter deftly typed a message for Argo. He knew it likely wasn''t her fault, but that didn''t stop him from complaining.

    "Well? What''chu doing here, beater?! Hum?!"

    "Probably the same as you, Kibaou-san. We are here to kill the field-boss."

    Agil interjected before Kirito could answer. The big man knew that, if he did, the discussion wouldn''t go anywhere. To Kibaou, anything Kirito said, no matter how much sense it made, was lies and deception.

    "No you bloody aren''t! Illfang wasn''t enough, now ya want to steal the field-boss from us too, beater?! Listen well, the field-boss << Bullbous Bow >> will be defeated by the Aincrad Liberation Squad!"

    "Nonsense! We of the Dragon Knights Brigade arrived first! The boss is ours!"

    This time Agil didn''t even have to speak. After hearing Kibaou''s declaration, Lind immediately forgot their supposedly common enemy and resumed shouting at Kibaou.

    "Should we just go? We can probably take down the << Bullbous Bow >> before they are finished."

    Drifter overheard Asuna whispering to Kirito, and couldn''t help but snort in amusement. The fencer smiled bashfully when she realized she had spoken too loudly, her cheeks dusted with a light pink that had the young swordsman blushing. Drifter idly wondered when Kirito had become so conscious of Asuna.

    He knew now wasn''t the time nor place to have such thoughts, but he couldn''t help it. No matter how you looked at it, it was normal that Kirito would start to develop an interest in Asuna. They were both around the same age, when teenagers started to experience feelings of affection and possibly love, though it obviously hadn''t reached that point yet. The fact that Asuna was a beauty in the making didn''t hurt either.

    It was also quite predictable that Kirito would be the first to show those feelings. He was a boy, after all. But he and Asuna made a good pair, at least in Drifter''s humble opinion. They were so in sync, both in and out of battle, that it was frankly unnerving sometimes.

    Having confronted death multiple times, Drifter was deeply aware of how easy it was for feelings to sprout between companions. Those feelings needn''t be of love, but simply of trust and affection, a bond which tied them as close as family.

    He sneaked a glance at Yuna and Nautilus. Deep down, in a part of his heart he was not yet ready to confront, he knew he would lay down his life for them if necessary. After having spent so long, and fought so hard just to survive, the simple thought of that was terrifying.

    His gaze lingered on the songstress for a few seconds more before he focused on the scene in front of him again. Kibaou and Lind, the so-called leaders of the frontliners, were still yelling at each other.

    Suddenly in a bad mood, Drifter became even more annoyed because of the two players'' bickering. He stepped past Agil, who was trying to mediate - bless his giant heart - and squeezed between Lind and Kibaou, pushing them apart.

    "All right, that''s enough!"

    "Wha..."

    "Hey!"

    "Shut it, you two. It''s quite clear this discussion won''t get us nowhere, and we don''t have all night.  I don''t think any of us is willing to give up..."

    "Hell no!"

    "... so let''s do this the old-fashioned way."

    "What are you proposing, Drifter?"

    Lind was more courteous towards Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus than he was to the others. He had met them before when Diavel was still alive, and his late party leader sometimes mentioned them. His discontentment with them for siding with the beater Kirito was quite clear, however.

    "Each of our groups will stay on one side of the boss, and attack. Good job for the one who manages to catch its aggro first, but it''s fair game for the other two to steal it. Inside certain limits, of course. I don''t think I need to say it, but attacking other players won''t be tolerated."

    Drifter''s tone was bone-chilling when he said that, and for once, no one complained. Even Lind and Kibaou, as much as they disliked each other and everyone else, never thought of turning their blades against other players. Not even once. After all... That would be murder.

    "What about drops?"

    "You keep what you get. Final-attack bonus too. And we claim that we brought the boss down together too - which will be the truth anyway."

    "That''s not fair!"

    "Nope, Drifter is right, Kibaou-san. Whether we like it or not, there are thousands of players looking up to us. I''m sure you''ve noticed that too."

    "Kinda hard to ignore all the stares..."

    Nautilus''s grumbles lighted up the mood a little. Agil tapped the ash-haired player on the shoulder, causing him to stumble, and continued.

    "Yep. We need to show a united front to them, Kibaou, Lind, Kirito. Show them that there''s someone working hard to beat this game."

    Not just show, Drifter thought. They needed to be a truly united group. The Frontliners with a capital ''F''. But he didn''t think that was going to happen anytime soon.

    At least, however, Agil''s words seemed to do the trick. Though somewhat disgruntled and unsatisfied, Kibaou and Lind nonetheless agreed to the attack plan, and went back to their respective followers to explain it.

    "Thanks, Agil. You too, Drifter."

    "Hey, don''t worry, Kirito. They''ll come ''round eventually. Err... Okay, maybe not those two, but everyone else will."

    "Agil''s right, Kirito. And even if they don''t, it doesn''t matter. You''ve got us."

    Drifter''s words carried more weight than Agil''s, after all they belonged to the same party. That didn''t make the young swordsman feel any less grateful to the big man, however, and he thanked him once again. Then, Kirito turned to their group.

    "Things aren''t exactly going according to plan, but this is not too bad either. I was worried we might have problems with just us. Our strategy hasn''t changed."

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Once everyone nodded, Kirito looked at Sinon, who was clearly sulking. He barely managed to hold back his laughter, but kept a straight face for his own safety. Nobody teased a pissed-off Sinon.

    "Sinon, I know you want the last-attack bonus, but don''t be reckless. Even if someone else gets it, they don''t have anyone who plays as a ranged attacker, so we can trade with them."

    "Uhm, Kirito''s right again. We might have to bleed a little, but I''m sure we can work something out. Don''t forget we have the scheming merchant Agil with us."

    "Hey! What do you mean by scheming?! I am a very upright businessman, I''ll have you know!"

    Drifter and Agil''s banter brought a welcomed reprise to the tense atmosphere. When he saw Sinon''s gray eyes regain light, Drifter sighed in relief. He smacked Agil in the back for good measure.

    "Sure you are, big guy. Of course, if you can, get the last hit, by all means, Sinon. As long as it''s safe."

    "Okay."

    "They are starting!"

    One of the Legend Braves, Gilgamesh, pointed a finger in the direction of the << Bullbous Bow >>. As he said, the ALS and DKB had already started to move toward it. When they were still fifty meters away, the field-boss started to move in their sleep and get restless. Drifter''s eyebrows shot up.

    ''What a large aggro range!''

    "Hurry! Beowulf, Shigio, << Taunt >> it! Nautilus, Wolv, and Enkidu, you guys get ready to swap with them when they need to heal! Everyone else, attack and switch! Don''t get greedy!"

    What Drifter was thinking, Kirito was already putting into action. The boy quickly yelled orders while rushing to meet the field-boss. Asuna was right on his tail, with Drifter, Agil, Orlando, and the others right behind them.

    Since they acted a little late, the << Bullbous Bow >> was pulled by the ALS first. Kibaou''s men yelled in delight, which ended very quickly. Their two main tanks were rammed away by the field-boss, literally sent flying.

    In SAO, numbers were everything. As long as your stats were high enough, you were undefeatable. If you had big enough numbers, even a child could stop a twenty-meter-tall boss. On the other hand, a bunny could send a grown man scurrying away with a single kick. All hinged on numbers. And very clearly, the << Bullbous Bow''s >> stats were much higher than the ALS was expecting.

    They still managed to slow the field-boss down a lot, however. The ALS players waiting on the sidelines took the chance to strike at the << Bullbous Bow''s >> unguarded flanks.

    They were good, Drifter would give them that. Not as good as his own group, he didn''t think, but he was also admittedly biased.

    Each party moved as one, dishing out half a dozen blows before switching with another. Apart from the tanks who had no other option but to take the field-boss'' first attack head-on, no one was hit by its frenzied headbutts and kicks.

    "Charge!"

    Of course, Lind and Kirito wouldn''t let Kibaou have his way so easily. Both led their respective groups to attack the field-boss while it was distracted with the ALS, and, in no time, managed to wrestle it away from them.

    Kirito was the first from their group to reach the << Bullbous Bow >>. Without hesitation, he used a << Slant >> to propel himself up, almost reaching the top of the field-boss'' body. He not only left a blooming red gash on the flank of the field-boss when he went up, but much also matched it when he came back down. Instantly, the << Bullbous Bow >> mooed in pain.

    The huge bull turned to Kirito, sending a few DKB players stumbling back when he did so, with bloodshot eyes and huffing breaths. The field-boss snorted, preparing another charge. Before it could move, however, Asuna was there.

    If Kirito was fast, then Asuna almost teleported. As a fencer, most of her stat points went into dexterity, and it showed. A << Linear >>, followed by a << Sharp Hail >>, dotted the field-boss'' snout with many small but deep wounds, one of which almost blinded it.

    "Switch!"

    Once, calling a switch without specifying with who had almost been the cause of Drifter''s death. Now, however, they had battled together for long enough that it became instinctive. A << Snake Bite >> covered Kirito and Asuna''s retreat, and a << Double Cleave >> from Agil smashed the field-boss back far enough that Beowulf and Enkidu could enter the fray and grab the aggro with a set of << Taunts >>.

    "Good job! Keep the pressure on!"

    Surrounded by over sixty players, the field-boss could do nothing but bellow in rage and wait to die. The three groups of players kept stealing the boss from one another, their attacks getting more frantic the lower the << Bullbous Bow''s >> HP bar dropped.

    When it reached red, the field-boss entered a frenzy. Its bloodshot eyes turned completely red, and it was foaming at the mouth. With a deafening roar, it suddenly turned away from the DKB, and charged towards the ALS with its head close to the ground, the pair of sharp horns glistening under the moonlight.

    "Shit! It reset the aggro! Watch out, it''s berserk!"

    One of the DKB''s tanks yelled put a warning. Some mobs could enter a berserker period when their health dropped too low, and that was even more common in bosses. During that, their aggro meters would be cleared, and all their stats would increase.

    Unfortunately, while everyone knew that and was prepared for it, no one imagined the << Bullbous Bow >> would ignore the closest DKB and aim for the ALS, which was even farther away than Drifter''s group. Due to that, the ALS wasted precious seconds trying to get into formation.

    The entire tank squad of the ALS was knocked aside and trampled. One of them even had their chest pierced by one of the << Bullbous Bow''s >> horns. If this were real life, they would surely be dead, but, as it was, their health still dipped dangerously low.

    "Cover them! Go, go! Back-up tanks, intercept it! Squads C and D, give it everything you''ve got!"

    Say what you will about Kibaou, he was a competent leader. His major faults were his arrogance and temperament, but it was easy to understand why so many people were willing to follow him when the man was the first one to run towards the field-boss. It was the same reason why Drifter so easily conceded command of the party to Kirito. In this regard, those two were the same.

    But this time, Kibaou may have gotten things under control a tad too quickly. Seeing that the wounded ALS players were now safe, and that the field-boss was somewhat contained, both Kirito and Lind changed their intentions from helping them to stealing the boss. After all, the << Bullbous Bow >> was only a breath away from dying. The last-attack bonus could be anyones.

    "Hyaa!"

    Kirito''s sword glowed blue as he carved a red square on the field-boss'' hind legs. Lind delivered a mighty blow to its flank. Agil''s axe bit deep on its side. Sinon''s throwing picks accurately struck its eyes and nose. Orlando''s two-handed greatsword directly cleaved one of its horns off.

    Seeing all the attacks landing on the mortally wounded field-boss, Drifter purposely held back until he could barely see the red of the << Bullbous Bow''s >> health bar. Then, he stabbed with a purple-glowing spear, with such strength behind the blow that the air whistled and howled.

    << Comet Break >> was Drifter''s strongest skill to date, unlocked when his << Two-handed Spear >> mastery reached 380. It was a single blow, with all of his power behind it. And it was...

    ''Not enough!''

    Though he couldn''t even see its health anymore, the << Bullbous Bow >> was very much still alive. And Drifter was still burdened by the skill''s cooldown. Any second now, someone else would land the last hit and steal the last-attack bonus.

    Without hesitation, Drifter let go of his spear, and assumed an awkward stance. With a low growl, he jumped up, and then extended his leg, before bringing it down right on the middle of the << Bullbous Bow''s >> back.

    "<< Martial Arts: High-Kick >>!"

    [ Congratulations! ]

    Huffing, Drifter landed amidst the bursting polygons that one day formed the field-boss. He first took back his spear from where it had fallen, before frantically scrolling through the many screens that had appeared after the << Bullbous Bow''s >> defeat. Last-attack bonus, last-attack bonus...

    It wasn''t there.

 Chapter 30 - The Mysterious Buyer

    In the aftermath of the << Bullbous Bow >> battle, players collapsed one after another. The battle, while not exactly dangerous, was intense, and everyone had to maintain 120% focus the entire time. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally.

    Under these circumstances, nobody really paid attention to Drifter''s last attack. If anyone saw it, and the silver glow on his body, they just thought their eyes must have been tricked by the lighting. After all, there were dozens of skills flashing around at the time. Not to mention, they all believed it was impossible for someone to use a skill without a weapon.

    But it was a fact that Drifter had, indeed, done just that. If one wanted to understand this matter, it must start from four days ago, the afternoon after Argo had led the party to that dreadful clearing.

    --------------------------

    "Ha! Ha! Ha!"

    Periodic shouts cut the air, each time followed closely by a low ''thud''. Nautilus wiped the non-existent sweat off his face, and panted.

    "Damn... Rock... Is too... Hard... Aff!"

    "Slow down, Naut. We''ve been going at this for almost two days now. A few minutes more or less won''t make a difference.

    Yuna tapped the ash-haired boy''s shoulder, and dragged him to sit down with the rest of the party. Nautilus took the water Asuna offered him and eagerly gulped it down.

    "Ack! I know, I know. But when I think that we are wasting time here while everyone else is leveling up..."

    The blade-user sighed, and stopped talking. It wasn''t like the others didn''t understand what he meant. All of them were so-called frontliners, the group of people who charged head-first into battle, always climbing higher and higher. How could they not feel restless when they had to punch a stupid rock the entire day?

    "Think of it as an investment, Nautilus. We are losing a few days of leveling, but we will get an extra skill, and one which doesn''t share a cooldown with sword skills on top of that. It''s more than worth it."

    "Besides, we haven''t even started clearing the tower yet. We need to get past the field-boss first."

    Only a few days had passed since they unlocked the 2nd floor, but the players had already found the entrance to the tower, and were almost ready to fight the field-boss << Bullbous Bow >>. Drifter even had a feeling that finding the boss room wouldn''t be so hard this time. It was quick. Part of it could be attributed to the players getting used to SAO, but Drifter was almost sure that month-long period of terror and despair had been caused by Kayaba''s direct interference.

    He didn''t know what the madman wanted to accomplish by trapping all of them in SAO. Akihiko Kayaba was a name known throughout the entire world due to his contributions to virtual reality technology. So what could he want? Fame? He was already famous worldwide. Money? He had more than he could spend in ten lifetimes.

    Maybe he was overthinking it, and Kayaba was just an evil megalomaniac who wanted to be God of a world of his own creation. Drifter sighed. Thinking of this was a waste of time. Getting up, he idly scratched the dammed whiskers on his face, and walked towards the rock.

    After an entire night and almost two full days of six players taking turns to hit it, the boulder was now a spiderweb of cracks, some as wide as two fingers. Every time someone struck it, large amounts of dust and debris would fall.

    Taking a stance, Drifter closed his right hand into a fist, and punched with all his strength. The entire rock shook, and the cracks expanded a few millimeters more.

    For the nth time since this hidden quest started, Drifter thought about how lucky they were that SAO didn''t simulate pain. He didn''t know if that was because it was too complicated to imitate, or because Kayaba still had a little bit of morals left - doubtful - but this was probably the only thing the players could feel thankful for. Otherwise, not to mention two days, even if he spent two years in this clearing, their party wouldn''t be able to shatter the boulder. After all, which sane person could continuously punch a rock while feeling the pain of broken bones every time?

    CRACK!

    Drifter was so absorbed in his thoughts that he only registered the loud noise after throwing a few more punches. He looked at the big rock, and saw it shaking slightly. A large fissure had appeared underneath where his blows landed, and was spreading quickly!

    "Hah?"

    "Wait, is it breaking? It''s breaking!"

    The other five who were sitting in a circle not too far away also heard the noise, and looked over. Their faces first showed confusion and then astonishment, before lighting up with joy. They all quickly rushed over to inspect the boulder.

    "Haha! We are almost done! Finally!"

    "C''mon, Drifter! Hit it a few more times!"

    Just as excited as the rest, Drifter increased his pace. Now the cracks were getting visibly larger with each blow. Kirito, Asuna, and Yuna also couldn''t hold themselves back, and started hitting it too.

    CRACK!

    In the end, it was, ironically enough, the songstress, who had the lowest strength stat of the whole party, who landed the final blow. With a loud noise and a lot of dust, the huge boulder shattered completely.

    Everyone stepped back, covering their eyes and nose because of the dust. When their vision cleared, what they saw were many irregular rocks and debris scattered around. All of them, even the usually silent Sinon, laughed and celebrated.

    "Ho ho ho! I did not expect the brave warriors to complete my test so fast, I did not. But a reward shall be given where a reward is due. Here, here!"

    The old man, who had jumped away from the rock without anybody noticing, startled the party by suddenly appearing behind them, and clapping Nautilus on his back. Then, just as quickly as the first time, the old NPC waved his hands in front of everyone''s faces. When the party looked at each other, they discovered the whiskers were gone.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "Just like that?"

    Asuna wasn''t the only one who felt it was very anticlimactic, the others too were speechless. But the old man ignored them, and jumped from rock to rock until he disappeared into the trees, agile like a monkey. All he left behind were a few cryptic words.

    "Heroes, warrior heroes. Take the newly given strength and reclaim this precious land from the tyrannical one above. Ho ho ho!"

    "That was... Something."

    The party automatically ignored what the old man said. For the past two days, whenever the mad NPC opened his mouth, he would belittle them, so they couldn''t be bothered to try and make sense of his parting words.

    "Stop complaining and look at your skill tab. We really didn''t waste those two days."

    When Sinon spoke out, the others immediately opened their skill tab. Sure enough, the << Extra Skill: Martial Arts >> was there. Furthermore, this was a whole new skill branch instead of just one skill. For now, since they just acquired it, the only skills unlocked were << Martial Arts: High-Kick >> and << Martial Arts: Brick Break >>.

    No one felt discouraged by the simplistic names, however. If anything, they were more excited than ever. Look, they had just acquired << Martial Arts >>, but they already gained two new skills! How many more would they have when they reached full mastery of it? And not only that, but it was also a skill with a separate cooldown from the sword skills.

    "Sinon''s right, it wasn''t a waste of time, not by a long shot. No, more than that. Even if we had to spend a week here it would be worth it."

    "True. But we still have to make Argo pay."

    "That''s for sure. Hahahaha..."

    Seeing everyone in a good mood, Drifter suddenly had a very mischievous idea. He clapped his hands to catch their attention, and smiled. For some reason, the others shivered.

    "It''s great that everyone is happy. Now all we have to do is catch up to the rest of the frontliners!"

    "Drifter, you don''t mean..."

    "Yep! Let''s get to grinding!"

    ----------------------------------

    Back to the present, 2nd floor wilderness.

    How come the last-attack bonus wasn''t there?! Drifter clearly saw the << Bullbous Bow >> shatter as he hit with << Martial Arts: High-Kick >>! Could it be that someone else hit it at the exact same moment? That was the only option Drufter could think of. And, if so, how unlucky was he?!

    Now, he couldn''t care less about the other rewards from the field-boss. Drifter quickly turned to his group.

    "How is it? What did you get?"

    Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed. Everyone knew what he was really asking about, and shook their heads. Sinon was biting her bottom lip with a surly look. To her, getting the last-attack bonus wasn''t just a matter of getting a new weapon, but of survival. Her throwing picks were becoming more useless by the day, and if she couldn''t get her hands on the bow, the only weapon which truly suited her, soon she would have no choice but to leave the frontlines. She knew Kirito, Drifter, and the others would never kick her out, but she would be the one to make that choice. She couldn''t accept becoming a liability and deadweight to the party. But, as someone who chose to dive into the labyrinth on her own, who fought << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, how could she easily accept leaving the frontliners? She just didn''t want to be a burden.

    "I got Argo''s quest item, but not the other thing."

    Enkidu shared a screen with the rest, showing a broken horn. At least not all was bad. As much as they would like to get Sinon her bow, the quest item was still more important to the SAO players as a whole.

    Seeing as the ALS and DKB were already dispersing after trading insults a few more times, Kirito gestured for everyone to go back to Urbus.

    "We''ll get Argo to ask around and discover who got the last-attack bonus, Sinon. I''m sure we can trade with whoever it is."

    "Hmm."

    The short-haired girl mumbled something in agreement, but everyone could see how dejected she was. Unfortunately, there was little that they could do now.

    Just as they were arriving in Urbus, Orlando halted, his brows furrowed at a message he had received. The leader of the Legend Braves sneaked a glance at Kirito before gesturing to his party members to follow him. He turned to the rest of the group and apologized.

    "Sorry everyone, something came up, so we will go ahead. T''was a mighty battle we engaged into tonight! I hope to share the battlefield with you again!"

    Without giving the other two parties a chance to make heads or tails of what he just said, Orlando rushed with his team members towards Urbus. Drifter, Kirito, Agil, and the others exchanged glances.

    "Okay?"

    Before they could reach the city, a repeat of what just happened occurred, but this time Kirito was the one who stopped to read a message. Immediately, afterwards, he opened his mouth, as if to speak, then closed it again, glancing at Agil''s party. The merchant noticed it, and waved.

    "We will be goin'' to. I''ll see y''all tomorrow?"

    "Sure. Thanks for all the help today, Agil. and sorry. Party business."

    "Don''t sweat it, Kirito-san. See ya!"

    "Bye people!"

    Drifter''s party was much more familiar with Agil''s than they were with the Legend Braves. They warmly bid farewell to the merchants, and Asuna and Yuna hugged the cheerful blacksmith. Liz might not have contributed much to the battle today, but just the fact that she was willing to follow them to fight a field-boss in the middle of the night meant a lot, so everyone felt grateful to her.

    After waving goodbye to everyone, Drifter turned to Kirito, and waited for him to speak. Nautilus, Yuna, Asuna, and Sinon also looked at him inquisitively.

    "I''ve just got a message... From Kibaou."

    "What?! Kibaou?!"

    "What does that cactus hair want with you?"

    Instead of answering, Kirito changed his menu settings to public, and showed everyone a print of the << Grafted Horn Bow >>, as well as Kibaou''s message.

    [ Kibaou: Beater, that girlie from your party wants this, right? Meet me behind the old market tonight. And bring your sword with you! Don''t try to cheat me, beater! ]

    Reading this, even Drifter couldn''t help but curse under his breath. Just how rude could someone be?! But it was Asuna who noticed something which they didn''t at first.

    "Wait. That part of the message here, where he''s asking that you bring your sword - as if anyone would go anywhere without their weapon. It''s almost like a challenge, but the meeting point is in a safe zone. Unless he wants to duel... Kirito, wasn''t there somebody pestering you and Argo to buy your sword?"

    "You don''t think Kibaou is that guy, do you? He hates me!"

    Kirito seemed to be panicking slightly, so Drifter stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "No, it all checks out. You should go, Kirito. That bow is important to Sinon. To us. Having a long-range fighter could make a big difference in boss fights."

    "B-But! I can''t trade my weapon!"

    As he spoke, the boy placed a protective hand over his << Anneal Blade >>. But Drifter smiled. He swiped at his menu for a few seconds, materialized a second sword, and threw it to Kirito.

    "You don''t need to. We have a replacement, remember?"

 Chapter 31 - The Archer

    When Kirito returned it was already past 4 AM, but no one was sleeping. Drifter and Nautilus were playing a game of stabscotch under Asuna''s disapproving glares - she only allowed them to play after they convinced her that, since this was a safe zone, the knives would actually bounce off their skin and they wouldn''t be hurt. When the fencer huffed and looked the other way, annoyed, the two boys exchanged smiles. Nearby, Yuna rolled her eyes.

    It was obvious that of all of them, the one who was the most nervous about the trade was Asuna. Even more so than Sinon, and the other girl spent the last hour staring at the inn''s door.

    They were both anxious, but for different reasons. Sinon was more rational, and knew Kirito would be completely safe inside the city as long as he didn''t agree to a duel - which the young swordsman had already assured them he wouldn''t do. So, Sinon was more worried about whether or not she would get her bow.

    As for Asuna, she had been very vocal against Kirito''s insistence on going alone to meet Kibaou. Even if this was a safe zone, she was still worried about his well-being. But Kirito argued that Kibaou might refuse to trade if he felt pressured by the whole party, so she could only begrudgingly accept it. Drifter and Nautilus'' sudden wish to play stab scotch was a very obvious move to distract her, but it worked.

    Still, when Kirito pushed the door open, Asuna immediately forgot how angry she was with him. She leaped off of her seat, and was standing in front of him in a matter of seconds. The others weren''t too far behind.

    "Kirito! How did it go?! Are you all right?! Did Kibaou..."

    "Woah, slow down Asuna. Let Kirito breathe."

    Drifter put a hand on the fencer''s shoulder to calm her down, but there was a very conspicuous smile hanging on his lips. Next to him, Yuna was even less discrete, and giggled. She gave Drifter a meaningful gaze, to which he could only roll his eyes.

    A few days ago, when he first noticed Kirito''s interest in Asuna, Drifter had made a bet with Yuna. He put money on the fencer taking another floor to reciprocate the feelings, while the songstress bet it would happen on the 2nd floor still. To both Drifter and Yuna, it was never a matter of ''if'', but ''when'' it would happen. And while Asuna hadn''t exactly said that she liked Kirito out loud, neither had he, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that they cared about each other.

    When she heard Yuna giggling, Asuna blushed so furiously that SAO animated steam flowing out of her ears. The fencer glared angrily at the girl who had quickly become one of her best friends, and didn''t forget to stomp Drifter''s foot, for being the one who started the teasing.

    "Ehem... Err... I''m okay, Asuna. It was... Weird, but Kibaou didn''t play any tricks. Speaking of which, this is yours, Sinon."

    Kirito scratched his cheek in the manner he did when he was embarrassed. Catching a glimpse of Yuna''s grin, he quickly changed the subject, and took out an item from his inventory.

    Once it appeared, everyone''s eyes were drawn to it. Not because it was impressive - no, it looked like a simple curved bow made of white bone, with a few lines and engravings. But it was a bow. In Sword Art Online.

    Sinon picked it up in an almost reverential manner. It was clear this was the first time she ever touched this kind of weapon, and she pulled the string awkwardly a few times. She would have to ask Liz and Agil to make her arrows later.

    "Oh. I just got << Bow >>. Talk about lazy naming."

    "Eh, all the other base skills are like that. << One-handed Sword >>, << Dagger >>, << Two-handed Spear >>, etc... Just the fact that there is a basic skill for it is a good sign. It means this is probably not just a one-time thing or an abandoned project by Kayaba, but that there will be more bows dropping later in the game, and even combat skills for it."

    A genuine smile of happiness graced Sinon''s normally stony expression. The girl kept playing with the << Grafted Horn Bow >> in her hands as if it was a new toy. Drifter, meanwhile, turned back to Kirito.

    "You said the meeting with Kibaou was weird? How so?"

    "Well... He didn''t scold me. Called me a beater, but that was all. I was sure he would yell and curse, but he was very serious. It looked like he really wanted an << Anneal Blade >>, to the point which he didn''t even care much about me."

    "Hmm... Truly strange."

    "Does it really matter? That cactus-haired brute is probably putting on a show. To the other players, not Kirito, I mean."

    "Hum? What are you talking about, Asuna?"

    The fencer paused for a second to organize her thoughts. She pulled on her bottom lip with one finger, unaware of how that action had Kirito staring at her before Nautilus poked him in the ribs.

    "Well, you see, Kibaou founded the ALS on the premise of protecting the low-level players and whatnot, right? But a large part of his... Recruitment propaganda was how he would stop beta-testers and cheaters and make them all give up all the equipment they supposedly stole. We all know that he meant Kirito by that."

    "Right."

    "Uhm. If there weren''t live broadcasts, that might have worked. After all, if you believe his speech, Kirito is a cheater who hacked the Cardinal System and is controlling SAO to make players'' lives hell. But that''s a moot point, because of the broadcasts. Everyone watched the battle, so after they calmed down, anyone with half a brain can tell Kirito might be a beta-tester, but he is not a cheater."

    Asuna showed a smile in the young swordsman''s direction when she said that, and, for once, Kirito answered with a genuine smile of his own. He knew no one in the party considered him a beater, but hearing Asuna say it out loud was still reassuring.

    "Anyway, I said Kibaou is probably putting up a show because he certainly understands that as well. But the ALS was partially built around hating Kirito. If he went back on that, he would lose the respect of his subordinates."

    After Asuna finished speaking, there was silence. The fencer discovered that everyone was staring at her wide-eyed, and raised her hands embarrassed.

    "S-Sorry, I didn''t mean to ramble!"

    "Don''t be, Asuna. That was very well analyzed. I hadn''t thought of any of it. You know, I''m starting to think that I can only be the third-in-command of this party. You are clearly much better suited to be Kirito''s right hand than I am. Or maybe he should be your right hand? Ah, well, you can just lead together."

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Drifter''s words took a teasing edge towards the end, and Yuna made the situation even more embarrassing for the two teens when she started jeering, but Drifter was being completely honest. He always knew Asuna was an intelligent girl, but this was the first time she truly came out of her shell and said what she thought.

    The party chatted for a few more minutes before Nautilus yawned, and they decided to turn in. It had been an exhausting night, but none of them thought of taking a break the next day.

    Before Drifter could escape, Yuna grabbed his arm with a cheeky smile. The spearman grumbled, but took out a small bag of cor and passed it to her. The songstress grinned widely.

    "Thank you for your patronage!"

    "Just you wait..."

    "Hihihi!"

    "How about another bet then, Yun''?"

    "Oh?"

    Clearly interested, Yuna stopped in her tracks and looked at him. Drifter smiled defiantly.

    "Which floor do you think we will be when they get together? Closest wins?"

    "Deal! What''s the wager?"

    Drifter was about to say ''money'', but stopped when he saw Yuna tilting her head sideways to look at him. He didn''t know what came over him, but he changed his mind.

    "How ''bout a secret? If I win, I will tell you something I''ve been hiding. If you win, you can choose whatever you want."

    "That... If you win, you''ll tell me a secret? Sounds like you lose even if you win."

    Obviously, the bet didn''t make much sense to Yuna. But to Drifter, it did. He would win a lot, indeed. Not trusting himself not to chicken out and take back his words, he didn''t answer verbally, but just smiled meaningfully. Yuna saw that, and nodded.

    "All right, you''re on!"

    -----------------------------

    2nd floor labyrinth.

    "Here it comes! Brace yourselves!"

    The mob, a monstrosity half-human, half-bull, known as a << Lesser Tauros Striker >>, spawned in already swinging its damn gigantic hammer. Nautilus was the one who jumped forward to receive the attack, thrusting his shield at a very specific angle, so that, instead of withstanding the brute force of the hit, the hammer was deflected to the side. That not only saved the ash-haired player from losing a lot of HP, but also caused the mob to stumble forward, right in the path of Kirito and Asuna''s combo.

    << Linear >> and << Vertical >> knocked back the monster, giving Drifter enough space to accumulate momentum and throw it in the air with a << Rage Spike >>.

    "Sinon! Switch!"

    He needn''t have said that. While the << Lesser Taurus Striker >> was still falling, a shadow flew over Drifter''s head, and buried deep into the mob''s right eye. It was a critical hit, and the monster shattered, leaving behind only the arrow that killed it. Sinon casually walked over, picked it up, checked the durability, and stored it away on her quiver.

    "Phew... I never thought we would have such an easy time killing labyrinth mobs one day."

    "Hear, hear. Remember how hard we had to fight against the << Ruin Kobolds >>?"

    "It won''t be that easy always, Yuna. To start with, we now have a complete party, not to mention that our tactics and gear have improved by leaps and bounds."

    "Hm, there''s also the fact that this floor''s mobs are mostly solitary. And the << Lesser Taurus Striker >> has high attack, but low defense and health. As long as we don''t let it start its rampage, it''s not that hard to kill."

    Yuna snorted and blew a raspberry as Drifter and Kirito went on what she called ''lecture mode''. The boy scratched his cheek and flushed a little, but Drifter, in all of his maturity, stuck his tongue out at Yuna. Ignoring the giggles from all around, he gave Sinon a thumbs-up.

    "You''ve really gotten used to the bow, haven''t you, Sinon? That was a masterful shot."

    "Yeah, it''s like it was made for me."

    Sinon had taken to the bow like a bird to its wings. Drifter and Nautilus caught a few unlucky shots to the back of their heads at the start, but not even ten tries in, Sinon was already able to aim properly. By the end of the first day after she got the << Grafted Horn Bow >>, Sinon could already accurately hit most of the time. Now, she had completely integrated the bow into her play style.

    The only downside of all that was that, once again, there were some idiots spouting rubbish, saying that Drifter''s party had used Kirito''s beater knowledge to cheat and gain another unfair advantage. Asuna was incensed when she heard that, but Kirito just told her to forget it, and Drifter was of the same opinion.

    "What they think and say doesn''t matter, Asuna. We indeed have a beta-tester in our party, and it is also true that we are using Kirito''s knowledge of the beta. We would be stupid not to. But we know we are not cheaters, and that''s enough."

    "B-But! This is so unfair! It''s not even Kirito who is using the bow and they are blaming him! No offense, Sinon."

    The girl waved Asuna''s apology off. She also felt somewhat guilty that Kirito was, once again, getting scolded, but like the boy, she didn''t care much about what unrelated people thought of her. In the end, it was Argo who put forth an argument even Asuna had to agree with.

    "Let ''em cry, Aa-chan. That''s all they can do while they''re hidin'' in the safe zones. Just remember, they complain and bitch ''bout, but ya are the ones they watch when the broadcasts come."

    "Argo! Language!"

    Though Asuna answered that almost as a reflex, she stopped insisting after that. And Argo, after having gotten her point across, turned to Kirito.

    "But ya see, I never expected our Kii-bou to be so cunnin''! Tradin'' Kibaou a +5 << Anneal Blade >> while makin'' him think that was your main weapon. And all that to get Sin-chan her bow! How romantic!"

    "Argo!"

    "Argo!"

    The info broker, ever-happy to cause chaos, gleefully ignored the blushing teens. Her chocolate-brown eyes hadn''t lost the familiar teasing glint yet.

    "Still, your party''s accumulatin'' lotta titles now, ain''t it? The Beater, Kirito. The Songstress Yuna. And now, Sinon the Archer. Dri-bou, Nau-bou, Aa-chan, ya need to hurry up or people are gonna forget ''bout ya!"

    Drifter wasn''t anywhere near as offended by the thought as Argo thought he would be, and that upset the info broker, who pouted. If this was just a normal game, Drifter might relish the chance to become famous. But this was SAO. There were enough expectations laid on him as it was.

    "Changing the subject, what''s the deal with the Braves, little rat? They didn''t seem too happy with you when we passed by them yesterday."

    "800 cor."

    It spoke loads about their familiarity with the info broker that Drifter didn''t even blink before tossing her a money bag. While 800 cor wasn''t exactly a lot, it wasn''t little either. If Argo was asking for that much, it meant the intel was worth it.

    "Can''t tell ya the whole story ''cause I made a promise, but the Legend Braves had a sixth member none of yous met, and he was doin'' some bad things. I convinced - threatened - him to stop, but I haven''t been able to find a solution to their problems."

    She didn''t say anything else, and the party didn''t pry. If it was intel she could sell, Argo would''ve put a price on it. The fact that she didn''t meant she wouldn''t open her mouth no matter how much they offered. And they weren''t that interested either. The Legend Braves were a cheerful and easy-to-get-along group, not to mention good fighters, but they only had one battle together. Drifter''s curiosity was only so much.

    "Hey, Drifter! Look over there!"

    The spearman was snapped out of his memories by Kirito. They had just turned a corner, and, in front of them, was a sight that filled Drifter with both trepidation and fear in equal measures. A set of engraved steel doors, flanked by two pairs of ominous torches.

    "You think that is..."

    "Hm. We found it. The boss room."

 Chapter 32 - The Second Time

    The world was waiting for it. The moment screens all over the globe were hijacked by the man known as Akihiko Kayaba, so he could proudly display his perversion. His conquests. His creations.

    Sixteen days after the boss raid of the 1st floor was live-streamed, it happened again. Many were caught by surprise, having assumed that, since logically Sword Art Online should only get harder the higher players went, it would take more than a month for that moment to arrive. But this time the news organizations around the world were quick to broadcast it. Nobody bothered trying to take it down like the first time, knowing it would be a wasted effort.

    In Japan, it was not only news channels that were buzzing with activity, but also the government, and, indeed, the entire country. Schools interrupted classes, knowing that it would be useless to try and make the students maintain focus during that time. The teachers weren''t much better either.

    Of course, the ones who paid the most attention were the family members of the trapped SAO players, and Kikouka in his office. He closed himself off in his room, and watched the broadcast on his computer. As the frontliners entered the boss room, he had only one wish.

    "Please nobody die."

    ---------------------------

    Argo was running. She was running as fast as she could. But she knew she would be too late. And it was that blockhead Kibaou''s fault! His and Lind''s, damn them!

    When Drifter and his party brought back the news that they had found the boss room yesterday, their intention was to gather all the frontliners and formulate a plan, much like they had done on the 1st floor. But of course Kibsou and Lind couldn''t wait. The two arrogant idiots instead spent the entire meeting fighting about who would lead the raid-party, and, obviously, neither of them was willing to concede. They didn''t let anyone else put forth their opinions either. And since the ALS and DKB were the two largest player forces, Kirito, Agil, Orlando, and the other party leaders couldn''t intervene either.

    Unable to come to an agreement, the two players decided to start the boss raid the morning of the next day, meaning, right now. And they set off with not even a basic attack plan, and, to make matters worse, full of infighting. The fact that Argo was on the verge of completing a quest that would give them possible intel about the boss'' weaknesses was also completely glossed over.

    Well, now Argo had completed the quest, but it was too late. She was sending messages to every player she knew in the raid-party, but no one responded, which meant they were already inside the boss room. She didn''t have the time to be distracted by the broadcast, so she didn''t even open it to watch.

    She knew trying to rush there in time was a futile effort. But she still had to try. Because if she didn''t make it, people were going to die.

    ----------------------------

    Drifter scanned the boss room with cautious eyes. Much like Illfang''s, this one lit up section by section when they entered. But while Illfang''s boss room looked like a throne room, this one was more similar to an arena. It was fitting, he supposed.

    Their enemies - plural - roared and appeared in front of them. Almost immediately, Drifter frowned. Through Kirito and Argo''s guidebook, they had learned that the 2nd floor boss fight was actually multi-staged. Their first enemy would be << Nato the Colonel Tauros >>, a three-meter tall, blue-skinned minotaur, and, after the player brought him to the red of his third and last health bar, the real boss, << Baran the General Taurus >> would join the battle. But now, both appeared at the same time. This upped the difficulty by a lot.

    Thankfully, that had been one of the possible changes they thought Kayaba might make, and had discussed amongst themselves what to do if that was the case. He saw the ALS and DKB scrambling to fight Baran, who they recognized as the main boss, and, as such, the one which would deliver the most rewards when slain. Just as expected. How disappointing.

    "All right, let Lind and Kibaou struggle against Baran, they should at least be able to tie him down. We will join hands with Agil, the Legend Braves, and the other smaller parties to bring down Nato first."

    Kirito nodded to show that he approved of Drifter''s decision, and made a comment of his own.

    "Watch out for Nato''s << Numbing Impact >>, it is his most dangerous attack. In the beta the telltale sign he was going to use it was a long moo and raising his hammer above his head. And the horns are weak points of both bosses."

    Quickly imparting all he knew to the others, Kirito was the first to charge towards the boss - before the tanks aggroed Nato, they had to kite him away from Baran. Drifter nodded somberly to Agil and Orlando while he took his position.

    "Let''s watch each other''s backs. We can''t count on the two idiots to come to our rescue if we get in trouble."

    "Ha! Way more likely that we have to save their asses! But you got it, Drifter."

    "Hahaha! When I said I hoped to do battle by your shoulders once more, I didn''t expect it to be so soon, spearman Drifter! But an occasion better than this there isn''t, don''t you think?"

    "I couldn''t agree more, Orlando. Let''s get a drink on the 3rd floor when this is over."

    Fun fact, you could get drunk in SAO. Drifter had never tried, but the defeat of a floor boss seemed like an appropriate occasion to celebrate.

    "Switch!"

    Like an arrow leaving the bowstring, Drifter shot forward as soon as the heard Asuna yell the first syllabus. His speartip shone blue when he struck << Nato the Colonel Taurus >> with a simple << Sting >>.

    << Sting >> was one of the more basic one-hit skills, and was shared by the sword, dagger, and spear. It didn''t deal much damage, but had almost no cooldown, making it a great opener for bigger combos. And Drifter utilized it as such. << Sting >> was followed by a << Horizontal Arc >> cutting across Nato''s shin, and then two more regular attacks before the boss turned its attention to him, and Drifter decided it was time to retreat.

    "Switch!"

    Nautilus took his place, bashing Nato''s knee with his round shield, and causing the boss to stumble and lean to the side. Safely in the back, Sinon was letting arrow after arrow fly at the boss. She was aiming for his pair of horns, his weak points, but Nato was moving around so much that she missed most of the times. After all, while she was a natural, she only had the << Grafted Horn Bow >> for a few days. Eventually, she settled for a bigger target, and fired at the boss'' head, which had higher chances of scoring critical hits.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Ahhh!"

    Many screams suddenly startled Drifter. His head snapped to the left, and he saw a disaster happening.

    At least a dozen players from the ALS and DKB were laying on the ground, defenseless. Sparks were flying around their body, the visual effect of the paralysis debuff. << Baran the General Taurus >> raised its hammer from the crate it had left behind after it used << Numbing Detonation >> - the upgraded and more dangerous version of Nato''s << Numbing Impact >> - and prepared to bring it back down on one of the paralyzed players. If that truly happened, there was no doubt the unfortunate DKB member would be smashed into a pulp.

    Thankfully, Lind wasn''t a complete idiot, and had arranged for two parties to stay back. Initially they were supposed to switch with the ones in combat, but now they were playing the part of rescuers. And, while they bickered daily, at this time of need the DKB didn''t abandon the paralyzed ALS members, but dragged them back too. It was one thing to dislike someone, and another entirely to watch them die, after all.

    As for the reason why Kibaou didn''t have other ALS members rescue his own people, it was because the fool had too engrossed in his own battle to notice Baran about to use the one skill the guidebook mentioned in bold red letters, and was, as such, also one of the paralyzed players. Unfortunately, paralysis only meant players couldn''t move, but they could still speak, and so Kibaou was letting out a string of expletives.

    Okay, maybe Drifter was being a little harsh. Kibaou was actually giving some orders - as much as his current condition allowed him to. But he had been behaving like an idiot the entire time the raid-party made their way through the tower earlier. He was particularly vicious towards Kirito after he saw the young swordsman had a second << Anneal Blade >> in his hands. He probably thought he had been tricked - which wasn''t entirely untrue - but from his behavior, Drifter had come to realize that Kibaou''s objective in trading with Kirito wasn''t actually to have an << Anneal Blade >> for himself, but to deprive Kirito of his main weapon. After understanding that, any modicum of respect Drifter had left for the cactus-haired brute vanished.

    But now the spearman didn''t have the time to dwell on how much he wanted to slap some sense in Kibaou. Seeing as all the paralyzed players had been saved and were recovering, he turned his attention back to << Nato the Colonel Tauros >>. The group attacking the secondary boss had about fifteen people less than the ALS and DKB combined, so, even though Nato was slightly weaker, having only three health bars instead of Baran''s five, they had to put in just as much effort.

    "Agil, fall back and heal! Braves, take their spot!"

    Logically, their group should be having even more trouble, since they were composed of many smaller parties. But Kirito was having no problem commanding everyone. That could only happen because Agil and Orlando were both listening to his orders. If the other players didn''t, they might end up without any support - not because Kirito purposely abandoned them, of course, but the young swordsman could only focus on so many things at once. It was also because all of Kirito''s orders made sense, otherwise no one would obey him.

    "Kirito, you have to rest too!"

    "I can still keep going!"

    "No can do! Look at your health!"

    Drifter barely heard Asuna and Kirito discussing while the duo dodged another of Nato''s hammer blows. A quick glance at his HUD showed Drufter that Kirito''s health had fallen to yellow at some moment.

    "She''s right, Kirito. Retreat and heal. All of us actually. Vass, switch with us!"

    "Right!"

    Ignoring Kirito''s protest, Drifter landed one last << Snake Bite >> on the boss, and had Asuna drag the boy away while he followed. At the same time, he called for one of the reserve parties to take their spot.

    Kirito was a great fighter, but his sense of responsibility was too much sometimes. He would tell other people to switch and heal, but only did the same himself when his health was in the red. That was a trait of his that Drifter and the others had been working hard to change. This was why, while Kirito was the party leader, Drifter sometimes used his authority as the oldest - both in terms of age and being one of the original three - to overrule him.

    When they got back, Yuna switched the melody she was playing from << Firemare >> to << Rest >>. In doing so, she also had to change her instrument from the small harp to her old flute. It had come as a surprise for everyone the first time she did that, since you couldn''t change your weapons while in combat. Apparently, musical instruments didn''t count as weapons - which made sense, they supposed.

    "You all right, Naut?"

    Smiling at the songstress, Drifter patted Nautilus''s shoulder. Other than Kirito, the ash-haired boy had also been hit a lot - inevitable, in his position. But that wasn''t what Drifter was asking about, and Nautilus knew that. He showed a forced smile amidst his labored breaths.

    "Yeah. No problems."

    Nautilus'' FNC hadn''t flared up since the battle against Illfang. They had been worried it would happen when fighting the << Bullbous Bow >>, but it didn''t. It seemed like it was truly random.

    "Good. Let''s bring this thing down then."

    They had barely rejoined the fight when << Nato the Colonel Tauros >> roared and raised his hammer. Drifter''s eyes widened, but he was in the middle of unleashing a skill. Even if he canceled it, he wouldn''t be able to get out of << Numbing Impact''s >> range in time.

    "Get back!"

    Drifter wasn''t sure who yelled that, but he could only watch as the massive hammer opened a crater in the ground, thankfully far from him. Still, the sparks and bolts that left it struck him, and Drifter felt his whole body go numb. Unable to stand, he fell face-first into the ground.

    "Drifter!"

    His right arm, still holding his spear, was uncomfortably stuck underneath his body, the shaft poking at his ribs. In the corner of his vision, he saw a yellow lightning bolt symbol next to his health bar.

    The spearman wasn''t the only one who had fallen. Although they were more prepared than the group fighting Baran, there were still six or seven players paralyzed. And, to his despair, he discovered that three of them were the tanks. Without them, << Nato the Colonel Tauros >> was free to roam. And it was coming right for him.

    ''Move, move! Dammit!''

    Inwardly, Drifter was screaming at his body to move. Of course, that was useless. This was a game. A death game, but a game nonetheless. Any amount of willpower was useless, and the system was absolute. He couldn''t rid himself of his paralysis status just because he wanted to.

    Watching the boss raise its hammer to crush him, Drifter couldn''t help but wonder if this was how he died. His health was almost full, so he should be able to take one blow, right? And his party should be able to get to him in time, no? But that hammer was huge. So was the boss. What the hell had he been thinking when he decided to become a frontliner?!

    Unwilling to, but unable to stop himself, Drifter flinched and closed his eyes when Nato prepared to swing its hammer. But the expected hit never came. Instead, he heard the boss scream, and opened his eyes just in time to see an arrow land on its horns, causing shards to fly off.

    And then Nautilus was there, the brave blade-user, who was many years younger than him. The shy boy who had a condition that caused him to literally freeze in fear. But there was no hesitation in his steps as he placed himself between the defenseless Drifter and the hulking minotaur.

    "Ugh!"

    Nautilus grunted and stumbled when the delayed blow smashed into his round shield, but he didn''t fall. He stood his ground, allowing Asuna and one of Agil''s friends, Namate, to grab Drifter and pull him to safety.

    "Drifter, how are you?!"

    It took Yuna shaking his shoulder with a worried voice, and putting a paralysis heal potion to his lips, for Drifter to tear his eyes away from Nautilus'' back. As the numbness receded, he got up and ruffled the songstress'' hair.

    "I''m good now, Yun''. Thank you."

    "I didn''t do much. It was Sinon and Nautilus who reacted fast."

    "Yeah... I can''t believe he ever thought he was a coward. He is really brave, isn''t he?"

    The conversation was so random and out of place, considering the situation, that Yuna was stunned for a second before she smiled brightly.

    "Yes. Yes, he is."

 Chapter 33 - Asterius the Taurus King

    "Phew!"

    The young girl let out a sigh of relief, and patted her chest. That had been a close one. If the archer and that other player didn''t have such quick reactions, the spearman would have died.

    "Woah, that was really close!"

    "Yeah, no kiddin''!"

    "Hey, stop shaking your phone!"

    Kirigaya Suguha was in class today when someone screamed and interrupted their homeroom teacher. The teacher glared, but the student who was sneakily playing on his phone didn''t even care. He yelled to whoever was listening that the SAO players were fighting the 2nd floor boss.

    That set the entire class ablaze. Everyone - including the teacher - took out their phones to watch the broadcast. Suguha was the quickest. After all, the other students might treat this just as some kind of show or entertainment, but it was different for her. Her brother was trapped in that death game too.

    And just as she expected, he was also part of the raid-party. Again. Gods, how she hated Kazuto - or Kirito, as he was called in-game - for that. She had cried so much when she discovered he was laying in a hospital bed, and might die at any moment. And then she had felt so happy when she saw him again a little over half a month ago, only to cry again when she realized that the only reason she could watch him was because he was battling against the most dangerous monster in SAO at the time.

    Even though they won in the end, Suguha was still so worried for him. And then when the whole beater thing started, she felt so angry. Even after that nice man from the government, Kikouka Seijirou, explained why he did it, she still didn''t forgive Kazu- Kirito for trying to make himself to be the villain. How stupid was that?!

    As much as she wanted to see him again, to know he was still alive and well, Suguha had hoped she would never find Kirito in one of the SAO broadcasts again, because that would mean her brother was, once again, fighting the worst Kayaba had to offer. But deep down, she knew she would be disappointed.

    And she wasn''t mistaken. Unsurprisingly, Kirito was there when the live stream of the battle against the 2nd floor boss - bosses - started. But she was also surprised to see that not only he was leading his party, he also seemed to be ordering a lot of other players around. To her, who knew Kirito was a loner, that came as a happy shock.

    During the fight, she paid special attention not only to her brother, but also to the other five who were members of his party. During the chaotic melee, she managed to catch their names.

    There was Drifter, the spearman who seemed to share leadership of the party with Kirito. He was older than the rest, but if he was fighting with her brother, he should be a good person.

    Then, there was also Asuna, the unbelievably pretty girl who used a rapier, and always followed Kirito to attack the monsters. The two of them were incredibly in sync, and Suguha''s little sister instincts told her there might be something going on between them.

    The only person in the party who used a shield was called Nautilus. He was pretty plain-looking and didn''t have much of a presence, at least in Suguha''s opinion. There was also Yuna, the girl who took a musical instrument of all things to a boss-raid. According to some analysis she saw on the internet after the 1st floor boss fight, she could use music to heal people.

    Lastly, there was the archer girl. Suguha barely noticed her in the first broadcast, that was how inconspicuous she was. Even now, she still didn''t know her name, because the girl hadn''t spoken a word the entire fight. But she had a freaking bow, so it was kinda hard to miss her now. Where the hell had she found a bow between the 1st and 2nd floor boss raids?!

    Whatever the answer to that was, Suguha decided to pay attention to Kirito''s party members too. When Drifter was almost crushed by << Nato the Colonel Tauros >>, she was horrified. Thankfully the archer girl and Nautilus saved him.

    "Are you okay, Suguha... Eek! I mean, Kirigaya-chan? You are kinda pale."

    Suguha glared at the skinny boy sitting next to her. He flinched, his glasses almost falling off his freckled nose, and charged the way he addressed her.

    The boy was called Nagata Shinichi, and he could probably be considered Suguha''s best male friend. She still didn''t like others to know that, however, so she didn''t allow him to call her by her first name. But seeing how he had noticed how she was pale while everyone was focusing on the broadcast, her heart softened a little.

    "I''m just a little worried. He almost died."

    "Well, yeah. Those bosses can paralyze players. I''m surprised no one was seriously hurt yet. I guess that''s why they are the ones fighting the bosses, hum? They really are the elites of SAO. Especially that boy with black hair over there. Look at how good he is!"

    Suguha followed Shinichi''s pointing finger, and discovered he was talking about Kirito. Her brother was, at the moment, using Nato''s hammer handle as a platform to jump up and hit the minotaur in the face with some sort of skill. Suguha couldn''t help but stand a little taller when she heard people praising her brother.

    "Uh? He looks kinda familiar... Don''t you think so, Sugu... Err, Kirigaya-chan?"

    "What are you talking about?! Pay attention to the fight!"

    Startled, Suguha panicked and slapped Shinichi on the back of the head. The boy pouted, confused by why she hit him, but too afraid to ask. Suguha sighed in relief when she saw he had stopped asking questions.

    Suguha hadn''t told anyone that Kirito was her brother. She was pretty sure that if she did, her friends wouldn''t stop pestering her with questions. The guy who died on the 1st floor boss raid, Diavel, was already being treated like some kind of celebrity. Could you imagine her brother, of all people, receiving the same treatment?! Her classmates probably wouldn''t believe her even if she told them anyway.

    Sighing inwardly, Suguha suddenly felt conflicted. She was glad that her brother had found friends and people he could trust inside SAO, but at the same time she felt like she had lost something.

    The truth was, for a few years now, her relationship with her brother had become strained. One day, Kirito simply started distancing himself from her, and she never understood why, until a few weeks ago, when her mother explained to her that Kirito wasn''t actually her brother, but, in fact, her cousin. His parents had died in an accident, and her mother adopted him. She planned on telling him when he was older, but Kirito found out by himself when he was just ten years old.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    For the longest time, Suguha had thought that Kirito was pushing her away because of something she had done. She had been relieved when she discovered that wasn''t so, and more than a little angry at him for doing what he did. Adopted or not, he would always be her older brother!

    There was so much she wanted to tell him. Unfortunately, now it was impossible. But when - not if - he got out of SAO, she would tell him everything. After she scolded him for making her worry, of course.

    ------------------------------

    "Careful! It''s going berserker!"

    Drifter didn''t need Chuchulainn''s warning to notice that. It was hard to miss how << Nato the Colonel Tauros'' >> blue skin suddenly acquired a reddish hue.

    Their group, even though smaller than the ALS and DKB, was the first to get a boss down to the last third of its last health bar. << Baran the General Taurus >> had two more HP bars than Nato, so that was understandable.

    What wasn''t understandable nor acceptable, in Drifter''s humble opinion, was how Nato''s raging mode consisted of it repeatedly spamming << Numbing Impact >>. Not to mention damaging the boss, the players were now running around like headless chickens to avoid being paralyzed to death.

    The only one who could unconcernedly attack was Sinon, who stood in the rear with her bow fully drawn, launching arrow after arrow. Very soon the boss, who had its aggro cleared when it entered its berserker phase, turned to the archer, steam puffing out of its nostrils.

    "Tanks, make a barrier! Everyone else, when it stops, hit it with everything you have!"

    Seeing this as a chance they couldn''t miss, Drifter silently apologized to Sinon in his heart for using her as bait. It worked surprisingly well.

    << Nato the Colonel Tauros >> smashed into the shield wall, sending quite a few of the tanks to the ground. But they managed to stop the boss, and, in the short interval before it could charge again or initiate a skill, attacks rained down on it from all sides.

    It was very anticlimactic. After struggling for a long time, and a lot of close brushes with death due to the annoying paralysis, the combined attack of over twenty players wiped out the last of << Nato the Colonel Tauros'' >> health without it even being able to unleash one last << Numbing Impact >>.

    A player from some party Drifter didn''t know was the one to get the last-attack bonus. It seemed to be some kind of armor, but the spearman didn''t have the time nor energy to care about it now. Kirito was already gathering everyone again to go help the ALS and DKB against << Baran the General Taurus >>.

    A quick glance told Drifter that Lind and Kibaou''s people were holding on, albeit just barely. Unlike their side, which was more or less coordinated, the two large groups of players were actively bickering and sabotaging each other in the middle of the battle. For example, right now the DKB tanks held Baran''s aggro, but instead of helping them split up the pressure, the ALS players were wildly attacking in a desperate bid to steal the boss.

    ''Those idiots! Do they even realize this battle is being watched by all the players in SAO?!''

    "Tsk!"

    Grunting in annoyance, Drifter trailed Kirito and rushed towards Baran. The black-haired boy positioned his sword behind him, almost dragging the tip on the ground. Seeing the signature starting stance of << Sonic Leap >>, Drifter grinned. His spear glowed red as he prepared a << Rage Spike >>.

    Without the need to communicate, the duo suddenly accelerated, leaving Asuna, Orlando, and Agil behind.

    "Oi! What do ya think ya are doing, ya goddam beater?!"

    Kirirot turned a deaf ear to Kibaou''s insults. When he was still more than five meters away from << Baran the General Taurus >>, the swordsman jumped, leaving only a dust cloud in his wake.

    Bringing his sword in an upwards slashing motion, Kirito cut open Baran from the hip all the way up to the shoulder. The wound was so deep it was a surprise the boss hadn''t lost an arm.

    "Mooooo!"

    Angered, the gigantic minotaur general tried to punch Kirito with its free hand while the boy was still in the air. It failed miserably. Drifter was right behind Kirito, << Rage Spike >> launching him forward, his spear drilling through Baran''s left wrist.

    So heavily wounded twice in quick succession, the four-meter-tall boss staggered, and then fell. It still had almost an entire health bar left, so it was by no means dead. But it was vulnerable.

    "Kill!"

    ------------------------------

    "Waa! Did you see that?! So cool!"

    Shinichi was fanboy-ing, but Suguha had to - although reluctantly - admit that the pincer attack Kirito and Drifter had performed was pretty cool. No, scratch that, it was awesome! The two of them flew towards the boss like a pair of green and red comets. And the way Kirito left himself completely open after his attack... He didn''t just trust Drifter to be there for the follow-up. He knew he would.

    For some reason, Suguha suddenly felt like crying. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry, her eyes watering. The way her brother jumped in front of that monster... There was no hesitation whatsoever. When had he grown up so much?

    ------------------------------

    The duo of Drifter and Kirito had knocked down the boss. There was no suspense left after that happened. Struggling to get up and surrounded by over fifty players, << Baran the General Taurus'' >> fate was sealed. It couldn''t even use << Numbing Detonation >> anymore, because each time it tried, at least four different attacks would knock the warhammer off of its path.

    Though the DKB and ALS were the ones who did most of the work, Agil was the one who landed the last hit on << Baran the General Taurus >>, and Drifter would guiltily admit that he took no small amount of pleasure when seeing Kibaou and Lind''s sour faces.

    Feeling all the tension leave his body at once, Drifter sat down, panting heavily. This hadn''t been an easy fight, but they had won. And nobody died. A complete victory! He was tempted to join the others in celebration when he happened to look at the entrance of the boss room, and saw someone he never thought he would.

    "Argo?"

    It was unknown whether the info broker heard him or their eyes just happened to meet, but when Argo stared right at him, what Drifter saw wasn''t joy, but panic.

    "Careful! It''s not over yet!"

    Unfortunately, Argo''s warning was lost to all but Drifter, drowned by all the voices. Before he could get up and ask her what she meant, one of the dark corners of the boss room started to shine. Before anyone could react, they all heard a roar, and then a pillar of lightning tore a path right through the middle of the raid-party.

    "What the?!"

    Momentarily blinded, Drifter rubbed his eyes to get rid of the white spots. He almost wished he hadn''t.

    What greeted him was a scene of despair. Two dozen players were laying on the ground, paralyzed, and none of them above yellow. Some of the more fragile ones were even deep in the red, just a breath away from dying.

    Looming above them was the worst monster Drifter had yet to see in SAO. A minotaur, like the other two bosses, but this one had three pairs of horns, and stood at well over six meters. Each of its legs was as thick as a tree trunk, and its lower body was covered in chainmail. Literal lightning flared out of its nostrils, and on top of its head sat a platinum crown.

    Looking at the gigantic golden warhammer, easily twice as big as him, and many times as wide, Drifter gulped in fear. Now he knew what Argo meant.

    << Asterius the Taurus King >>

 Chapter 34 - A Pair of Idiots

    Drifter looked up at the monster approaching them with heavy steps. << Asterius the Taurus King >> walked towards the players almost unhurried. Casually. A ruler in its palace.

    Drifter was terrified. But there were almost two dozen players who were in critical condition on the ground, and no one was doing anything. Forcing back his fear, he kicked Kirito, who was staring at the boss slack-jawed, to catch his attention.

    "Kirito, think you can distract it for half a minute? We need to drag back the people paralyzed!"

    "Hum? Ah, yeah! Well... I can try at least."

    The young swordsman swallowed loudly, and Drifter berated himself for asking a kid to fight such a monster. But there was no other way. Suddenly, a black hand dropped on Kirito''s shoulder.

    "We will be right there with ya, kiddo. Let''s go!"

    The swordsman shot a grateful look at Agil, who was visibly scared, but still offered his aid. Drifter held back the merchant, however.

    "No, wait, Agil. Let Wolv, Namate, and Shigio go with him. Nautilus, the same. Orlando, you and the Braves too, support Kirito. You need to stall that beast until we get everyone on their feet."

    "Roger that!"

    "Agil, I need you to beat some sense in Kibaou and Lind. Get them moving!"

    "Aye!"

    The people Drifter called didn''t discuss his orders, following them automatically. After Asterius'' massively destructive and demoralizing attack, they were barely holding on. They just needed someone to tell them what to do.

    "Asuna, Yuna, gather the scattered parties, you are responsible for taking back the paralyzed players and distributing potions."

    "Okay!"

    The two girls rushed to do as they were told. Meanwhile, Kirito and the others had already reached the boss. Their attacks did nothing to it, but at least they distracted the monster, which was exactly what Drifter wanted. They needed to buy enough time for the ALS and DKB to put themselves together and start cooperating.

    "What about me?"

    Sinon stopped next to Drifter, looking up at him with her piercing gray eyes. He gestured towards << Asterius the Taurus King >>.

    "Both Nato and Baran''s weaknesses were their horns, it stands to reason Asterius will be the same. Do what you do best, Sinon."

    "Hmm. And you?"

    Sinon asked that question more as a passing thought than anything, one arrow already knocked on her << Grafted Horn Bow >> and ready to fire as soon as she got in range.

    "He needs to talk to me, Sin-chan. I''ll give him back to y''all soon. Meanwhile, go get it!"

    The archer cast a glance at Argo, and just nodded. She didn''t see when the info broker had gotten there - or when she had entered the boss room at all, for that matter - but now wasn''t the time to worry about it. Without another word, she ran to join the fight.

    Drifter surveyed the battle. This was the reason he could be Kirito''s second-in-command. The role he played in the party. His job was to keep a cool head.

    Kirito was a great leader when everything was going according to plan, and no slouch either when it came to improvisation, but in the end, he was still too young. When things got way too out of hand, he panicked. Everybody did. Just look at how that lighting storm Asterius conjured left everyone stunned and unable to muster a reaction.

    Drifter wasn''t much different. He also panicked when it happened. But he knew what was expected of him, even if no one else did. So he suppressed his panic, and looked at the battlefield objectively. Coldly. He was no great commander, but when everyone else was lost, he could stand up and give orders. So that''s what he did.

    If one had to make distinctions, you could say that Kirito, Orlando, and even Kibaou were leaders who led by example. They would always be the first to throw themselves into the fray. Drifter, and to an extent Lind, on the other hand, were the kind of party leaders who were better at ''seeing'' a battle in its entirety.

    Seeing that he had somehow managed to contain the situation, Drifter let out a sigh of relief. It felt like a long time had passed, but in fact only twenty seconds had gone by since the boss - the true boss - appeared. He finally turned to Argo, who was hyperventilating next to him. Clearly, the info broker had rushed to reach here.

    "C''mon Argo, don''t waste time. Tell me what I need to know and leave specifics for later."

    "Aight. Asterius is the final boss, Nato and Baran were just appetizers. He has a lightin'' breath attack - you already saw it. Telltale signs he is gonna use it are rearin'' back, suckin'' air in, chest inflatin'', and sparks flyin'' ''round his snout. It''s a straight attack, so ya gotta dodge to the sides as soon as ya notice it. Weakness''s not the horns but the crown. Get Sinon to shoot it and there''s a chance Asterius will stagger. That''s all I got."

    "It''s more than enough. Thanks, little rat. Really. We''ll talk more after we put down this overbearing cow."

    "Go get ''em, tiger!"

    Drifter smirked tiredly, and fist-bumped Argo. Then, he drew his spear and rushes into the fray. The info broker looked at his back, and collapsed.

    "Hah... Hah... I might''ve just made it. Don''t die, please."

    Drifter didn''t hear Argo sighing, nor her quiet plea. His mind was completely focused on the situation at hand. He quickly went around the boss room relaying the intel the info broker had just given him, starting with Sinon.

    "Aim for the crown, Sinon!"

    The archer just nodded, shifting her aim slightly. The platinum crown was a much harder target to hit than the horns, but she didn''t question Drifter. She trusted him to have his reasons for asking that.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Yuna, how are the wounded?!"

    "Healing. But we pretty much exhausted our paralysis heal potions fighting the first two bosses, Drifter. They have to wait for the paralysis to fade on its own."

    Drifter cursed, and checked his inventory. He also only had one of the potions left. Out of options, he gestured for Yuna and the others to drag the paralyzed players even further away.

    "Asuna, go help Kirito and Nautilus. Watch out for Asterius''s breath attack, and try to kite him to the other corner of the room."

    "Okay!"

    The fencer dashed away the next second. She was a pure and kind young girl, and seeing Kirito and the others struggle against the boss had obviously made her anxious to help.

    It was just one person, but having Asuna join them helped relieve the burden. The chestnut-haired girl integrated seamlessly with Kirito and Nautilus. Especially the former. He and Asuna seemed able to read each other''s thoughts.

    Drifter''s final stop was the huddled group of Agil, Kibaou, and Lind. For once, the last two weren''t quarreling, but Drifter couldn''t imagine what was taking them so long to mobilize.

    "What''s going on? Why aren''t you fighting?"

    The three had very different reactions to the question. Agil showed a helpless expression, Kibaou snorted - as was his norm when talking to someone from Kirito''s party - and Lind had an inscrutable expression.

    "We were thinking it might be better if we withdraw for now, Drifter."

    "No we, ya coward! I say we bring down this monster now! Y''all just have to follow mine, Kibaou, lead!"

    "And I told you to stop being a stubborn knucklehead, Kibaou! Look at the situation!"

    Drifter looked between the two party leaders, stunned. So the temporary ceasefire he thought they had come to was in fact just a pause in their argument. But the spearman couldn''t even be bothered with that right now. He was staring at Lind with an unbelievable expression, and couldn''t help but blurt out what he was thinking.

    "Withdraw? You want to retreat now?!"

    "Yes! That monster is too strong! Just look at my Dragon Knight Brigade and Kibaou''s Aincrad Liberation Squad! They are in shambles!"

    Drifter was stupefied before, but now he was annoyed. So Lind wanted to retreat and fight another day, that was understandable. They would have more information and be able to prepare better. He was worried about his subordinates, also understandable, even commendable. But Lind was completely ignoring the fact that it wasn''t just the DKB and ALS that composed the raid-party. He was looking down on Drifter''s party, Agil''s party, the Legend Braves, and all the other smaller groups who were here today. No, to be more correct, he was treating them as if they didn''t even exist! As if only the group led by him was important.

    "Are you fucking stupid, Lind?! So what if your parties are in disarray?! You are the party leader, get them in order! While you two are butting heads over here, the rest has been fighting Asterius for two minutes now! Are you blind or do you not even put us in your eyes, hum?!"

    "Hey! Don''t lump me together with him!"

    "Shut it, Kibaou! To start with, we wouldn''t even be in this situation if the two of you had more than a single brain cell and hadn''t rushed out as soon as we discovered the boss room!"

    The two people Drifter was berating obviously wanted to retaliate, but he couldn''t be bothered with listening to them bark when his party was fighting for their lives nearby. The spearman turned around and started walking towards << Asterius the Taurus King >>.

    "C''mon, Agil. We are eating roasted beef tonight. As for you two fame-chasing fools, try to keep your selfish thoughts to yourselves next time. Remember the whole of SAO is watching."

    Leaving behind two dumbstruck idiots - that last word quickly becoming Drifter''s preferred one when dealing with Lind and Kibaou - the spearman dashed towards the boss, Agil hot on his heels.

    It was only when they got closer that Drifter realized just how absurd of a command that he had given when he told the others to stall the giant minotaur. << Asterius the Taurus King >> was a monster in all senses of the world. Each of its swings sent the tanks flying, and if it weren''t for Kirito, Asuna, and Orlando taking turns intercepting it, as well as Sinon''s timely saves in the format of flying arrows, people would''ve certainly died by now.

    "Switch!"

    Drifter didn''t stop running, though. Asterius was scary, yes. Terrifying, even. But the boss committed the mistake of standing between the players and freedom. And it would die for it.

    "<< Comet Break >>!"

    With all the power and speed of a javelin, Drifter''s spear pierced through Asterius'' guard, and into its naked torso. The force behind the skill was such that even the six-meter-tall boss staggered. And Drifter wasn''t finished yet.

    << Martial Arts: Senda >>!

    Using Asterius'' knee as a stepping stone, Drifter jumped up, making use of the skill''s momentum to go much higher than it should have been possible, and reaching the boss'' head. His hand was clenched into a silvery-glowing fist, and with a grunt, Drifter drove an uppercut into << Asterius the Taurus King''s >> chin.

    << Senda >> was a single-hit skill, and definitely the most destructive one inside << Martial Arts >>. Not only was its damage devastating, but it also inflicted a heavy ''stun'' status effect. Of course, Asterius was a floor boss, so what would normally leave a common mob defenseless for 3 to 5 seconds translated to less than an entire second when applied to it.

    But in this case, the ''stun'' wasn''t as needed as the powerful knockback the skill carried. The boss, who was already leaning back due to << Comet Break >>, was unable to keep its balance, and fell to one knee.

    You could hear a pin drop in the boss room. The whole raid-party had gone quiet. From Nautilus and Yuna, to the Legend Braves and Agil, and even the two idiots and their subordinates, everyone was staring at Drifter in stunned silence. They couldn''t be blamed. The scene of a human beating down a monster thrice his size was just too shocking.

    Meanwhile, Drifter fell painfully on his butt after the impressive display. << Martial Arts: Senda >> was powerful, there was no denying that, but its shortcomings were obvious too. Drifter''s whole body felt heavy as lead due to the forced cooldown. The fact that he had used it right after << Comet Break >>, an equally taxing spear skill, didn''t help.

    "Woaaarghhhh!"

    Asterius shook its head, as if trying to shake away the dizziness, and roared in anger. The guttural shout woke everyone up from their stupor. Fired up by Drifter''s eye-catching attack, the players roared back, and charged at the boss.

    Agil had been right behind the spearman, and, as such, was the first to reach the kneeling boss. His huge double-bladed axe shone bright green as it cut down on Asterius''s warhammer-wielding arm with an << Execution >>.

    A deep wound was left on the boss'' wrist, and it roared in pain. Asterius swung its arm, hitting Agil head-on, who barely had time to put his weapon in front of his body to partly block the attack. Still, the merchant was forced to take five or six steps back to offset the blow.

    "C''mon, boss, let''s take this overgrown cow down!"

    One of Agil''s party members, Wolv, put a hand on his back to secure him, a wild smile on his face. After seeing Drifter act, his fear had turned into anger, all of it directed towards << Asterius the Taurus King >>. Agil grinned back, but someone was even faster than him to respond.

    "Attack, ALS! We will defeat this boss today!"

    "Brothers of the DKB, we will take down this monster! Attack!"

    Agil watched dumbstruck as Lind and Kibaou led their subordinates to run past him, and engaged the boss. He looked at Drifter, and saw the spearman smiling wryly, an expression he was sure mimicked his. Both were thinking the same thing.

    ''Idiots.''

 Chapter 35 - Beginning of a Legend

    With a flick of her wrist, Asuna pulled her rapier out of << Asterius the Taurus King''s >> body, leaving a circular wound, small but deep. Bright red pixels flowed out of the cut, floating for a few seconds before dissipating into nothingness. That was the SAO equivalent of blood.

    Twirling about, the fencer dodged under one of Asterius'' swings, and stabbed the boss in the thigh twice more. With narrowed eyes, Asuna pressed on the offensive, using a << Linear >> to carve a long gash across the boss'' naked torso.

    Right now, Asuna was so focused that even the noise the fifty-something players around her made were muffled. She was in her own world.

    A quick stab, retreat. The left side is open, two more cuts. Drifter didn''t panic when Asterius appeared. Switch with Nautilus, heal. Go back in, Asterius'' back is unguarded, hit it with a skill. Drifter managed to take control of the raid-party with a set of quick actions. Jump over the warhammer, a combo aimed at the wrist. Drifter only used two skills to bring the boss to its knees.

    A DKB player is in trouble, use a 2-hit combo skill to interrupt the boss, pull him back. She was rooted in fear on Asterius spawned. Two slashes on the inside of the boss'' knees, stagger it. She couldn''t do anything until Drifter ordered her. A wide swing is coming, duck under it, an upwards stab to the elbow. She had attacked so many times and Asterius hadn''t fallen.

    She was weak.

    A << Line Cut >> to the boss'' flank. Retreat out of range of << Numbing Detonation >>.

    Why did she freeze in fear?! Why couldn''t she just get up and fight? Wasn''t that what she had promised herself she would do?! Wasn''t the reason she joined her party and fought in the frontlines because she thought she was strong?! Then, why was she still so weak?!

    Sidestep a << Crushing Impact >>. Four quick successive strikes, withdraw, switch out. Switch in again, a single slash.

    Weak, weak, weak! Powerless! Useless!

    Leaning back, chest inflating, sparks flying around the snout. A lighting breath was coming. Dodge to the side, barely. Take advantage of the period Asterius has to stay still to cast the attack. Stab. Stab. Stab.

    Even now, she couldn''t do anything. Her attacks barely tickled the boss. Weak.

    A quick reverse slashing motion to the leg of the boss. No reaction. Use the knee as a platform to jump up. The belt buckle is large enough to serve as a foothold. Reach higher, now at the same level as Asterius'' head. The crown is the weak point. Prepare a skill. One, two, three, four, five stabs.

    The tinkling sound of her rapier hitting the crown mocked her. She was weak. The boss wasn''t even...

    "Asuna!"

    Wait, where was the boss?

    "Asuna!"

    << Asterius the Taurus King >> had disappeared. Asuna landed softly on the ground, and spun, searching for the boss. Maybe it was some kind of new skill? But she couldn''t find the boss anywhere, only a bunch of polygons swirling around her.

    "Asuna!"

    Startled, Asuna looked at Sinon, who had grabbed her by the shoulders. For some reason, the archer had put her bow away. Now that she was looking, everyone had lowered their weapons. What was happening?

    "Sinon?"

    Her grip on her rapier was still tight, and Asuna was still feeling tense. Her friend noticed that, and, for some reason, smiled. Sinon cupped Asuna''s head with one hand, and lifted it up.

    "We did it. We did it, Asuna."

    Asuna didn''t think she had ever heard Sinon speak so softly or with so much relief imbued in her voice. But she had all the reason in the world to do so.

    [ Congratulations! ]

    When Asuna saw the word hanging above their heads, she trembled, and then her shoulders sagged, and she collapsed. All the stress and tiredness from the boss-raid caught up at once.

    It took a while for her to realize that something was still off with the atmosphere. They had just defeated the 2nd floor boss, so why wasn''t anyone cheering? Maybe somebody died?!

    That thought terrified Asuna so much that she opened her eyes with a start, only to discover the entire raid-party staring at her. Feeling shy, and more than a little uncomfortable, the fencer quietly tugged at Sinon''s sleeve.

    "W-What happened?"

    "What happened? You happened, Asuna! That was incredible!"

    "W-What?!"

    Sinon wasn''t making any sense. She hadn''t done anything special. She couldn''t even damage the boss that much. She was nothing compared to Drifter.

    Asuna wasn''t jealous of Drifter. Not even close. Quite the opposite, actually. She looked up to the spearman too much, and, because of that, she couldn''t help but compare herself to him. And she found out that she was worse than him in every aspect. Drifter was a good leader, and an even better fighter. She, on the other hand, couldn''t speak up when strangers were involved, much less take control of a party or even an entire boss battle as he did. As for fighting, there wasn''t even a need to comment.

    Of course, only Asuna thought that. If she asked any of her party members, or even the man in question, they would scold her for being dumb. They all looked up to her, and yet here she was, looking down on herself. A good leader? Asuna might not be one yet, but they all thought she had the makings of one. She was smart, thoughtful, and stubborn. As for her combat capabilities... Drifter could see that Asuna''s low self-esteem was acting up again, so he walked up to her and rested a hand on her head.

    "Asuna... You just wiped the floor with Asterius."

    "Huh?"

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    Dumbstruck, the fencer stared at Drifter. The way her hazel eyes opened wide and her mouth curled in surprise were almost too much for him. As it was, Drifter couldn''t restrain his joyful grin from appearing.

    "I don''t know what kind of anime state you entered towards the end there, Asuna, but you were like a tornado. You were running everywhere, and Asterius couldn''t catch you no matter how hard you tried. I swear you took out a third of his last health bar alone."

    As he spoke, Drifter ruffled Asuna''s hair, and gestured with his thumb to the other players, who helpfully nodded their heads to show the spearman was telling the truth. Only now did Asuna understand that the admiration she saw in their eyes was directed at her. Even Kibaou was nodding, though begrudgingly.

    "Drifter''s right, Asuna. You were so fast I could barely catch a glimpse of you."

    "Uhum. Like lightning!"

    "Yeah! That was damn impressive, girl!"

    Kirito''s words broke the spell that seemed to be holding everyone from commemorating. Suddenly, shouts of joy and relief filled the boss room, as it finally sunk in that they had won. They won, even though the battle started out so catastrophically. And they won without losing anyone!

    Some people laughed, others cried. Players from the DKB and ALS hugged, much to their respective leaders'' muted discontentment. But Lind and Kibaou didn''t interrupt the celebrations. The raid-party deserved it.

    More than one person came up to Asuna to congratulate her. Drifter patted her head one last time before clasping hands with Agil and Orlando. Sinon, Argo, Yuna, and Nautilus were wrapped in a four-way hug.

    "You were amazing, Asuna."

    No amount of praise made Asuna happier than this one. When Kirito approached her and smiled so happily, Asuna felt all her worries vanish, fade away. She smiled brightly, her cheeks dusted with pink.

    "Thanks!"

    She was still talking with Kirito when someone suddenly hugged her from behind, lewdly grabbing her waist. Asuna squeaked and spun around, before sending a pointed glare at the offender. Who could it be other than Argo?

    "That was a show and a half, Aa-chan! Especially that last bit. What kinda skill was that ya used to defeat the big cow? I''ve never seen it before. It was a 5-hit combo, wasn''t it?"

    "Ehh... I don''t know?"

    Of course the info broker was the one most interested in the unknown skill Asuna used. She hadn''t seen one like that in the beta. Several others were eavesdropping on the conversation, but Asuna''s answer shocked all of them.

    "You don''t know?"

    She really didn''t. She was just fighting normally - or apparently not, from what everyone was saying - and it happened. Asuna quickly opened her menu - there were a lot of notifications - and entered her skill tab. No doubt, at the very top was a new skill.

    "<< Glass Shard >>..."

    "Humm... Never heard of it. Kayaba probably added it after the beta. But a 5-hit sword skill, hum? That might be the first in the game. What are the unlockin'' conditions?"

    As she asked, Argo transferred a bag of cor to Asuna. The fencer accepted it absent-mindedly, knowing that if she didn''t, the info broker would complain. Argo liked to run a fair business, after all.

    "390 mastery in << Rapier >>. I have... 391."

    "Waa... Ya must''ve reached it just in the nick of time then."

    "Yeah... I think I unlocked it... And just kinda used it without even knowing."

    Hearing that, the players around lost interest. They didn''t really expect to be able to use << Glass Shard >> since it was very clearly a unique skill to rapiers and other light swords, but one could always dream. Unfortunately, Asuna was the only fencer amongst the frontliners, so that skill was destined to only be shown by her hands for a long time.

    After all, choosing a rapier was a very courageous choice. It was a weapon with low base damage, that depended entirely on scoring multiple hits in quick succession, and aiming for weak points.

    Not only that, but a fencer had to put almost everything they had on dexterity, and couldn''t use heavy armor or shields, otherwise their agility would be affected. In other games, that wouldn''t be a problem, but in SAO, where death was real, a rapier was a very bold choice. That was another reason why so many people looked at Asuna with admiration.

    In their minds, she had to be extremely skilled and supremely confident in her abilities to come to the frontlines with such a build. If any of them discovered that Asuna was a total noob, and chose the rapier simply because she thought it looked pretty, who knows what they would think.

    "All right, chatting is good and all, but shouldn''t we make our way to the 3rd floor? I''m sure the people watching are anxiously waiting for us to unlock the teleporter."

    Agil clapped his hands, catching the raid-party''s attention. The DKB and ALS were obviously the first ones to take action, almost racing to climb the stairs that appeared. Or at least they would be, if their members weren''t dead tired.

    The rest of the players left in small groups one by one. No one mentioned the last attack bonus, which obviously went to Asuna. Unlike the 1st floor, nobody contested her right to it. Not after that display of sword skills.

    "See you around, people. Drifter, Asuna, that was a marvelous fight."

    "T-Thanks!"

    "Hahaha... Don''t forget our appointment, big man. Let''s test SAO''s alcohol!"

    "Course! Message me."

    Drifter waved to Agil and his party members. The only reason they weren''t going to the 3rd floor together was because Argo signaled for them to stay behind.

    "We''ll get going too. It was a fantastic battle, my friends."

    "Actually, think ya could wait a minute, Or-bou? I need to talk to ya. Nothin'' bad, I promise. Kii-bou, ya guys too."

    Though they were all curious as to why Argo wanted them to stay behind, Kirito and the leader of the Legend Braves just nodded - nervously, in Orlando''s case. Argo then guided them out of the boss room - thus ending the broadcast, which was still active as long as someone remained in the room.

    They slowly climbed the stairs, all of them exhausted. Though Drifter wanted to go drink with Agil and Orlando, that could wait until tomorrow. Today was a day to celebrate with his party, and to rest.

    "Aight, here should be good enough. Dri-bou, your << Searching >> catchin'' anythin''?"

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at all the precautions, but activated the skill nonetheless.

    "All clear, little rat. Why the mystery?"

    "Ya will see. Aa-chan, can ya bring out the last attack bonus?"

    "Ah, I forgot about it!"

    Asuna nimbly operated her menu, and took out << Asterius the Taurus King''s >> unique drop. In her hands materialized a... Pair of iron rings? No, they were much larger, almost the size of Drifter''s head. And their edge glinted in the light of the torches, showing how sharp they were. Argo nodded slowly.

    "Uhm, my info was right after all. What are they called, Aa-chan?"

    "Eh... << Moonlight Chakrams >>. It''s... A throwing weapon?!"

    When she read the description, Asuna''s voice unintentionally took a higher pitch. Her surprise was justifiable, as the amount of long-range equipment in SAO was below pitiful. Just look at how much Sinon struggled to get her hands on her << Grafted Horn Bow >>.

    "Just like I thought. Aa-chan, sell those to the Legend Braves."

    "Huh?"

    "What do you mean, Argo the Rat? Why would we buy those?"

    The Braves were as confused as Drifter''s party. Argo didn''t falter, however. In fact, Drifter rarely saw her so serious.

    "Ya are gonna buy them so all the Braves can fight together one day. That''s the solution, Or-bou."

    Orlando''s eyes lit up with realization. Of what, Drufter had no idea. Without hesitation, the Brave opened a trading window with Asuna.

    "We''ll buy it."

    "Err..."

    Unsure, Asuna looked at her party members. Drifter and Kirito stared at Argo for a few seconds, but the info broker didn''t waver. In the end, Kirito nodded.

    They obviously wouldn''t take advantage of the Legend Braves, who could be considered friends, so Asuna set a low price, and Orlando accepted the trade without hesitation. Almost immediately after, the Braves hurriedly bid farewell to the party, and left.

    "You are going to tell us what that was all about later."

    It wasn''t a question. Argo nodded again, and finally seemed to regain some of her cheerful demeanor. The info broker gleefully grabbed Sinon and Nautilus'' hands, ignoring the protests of the two quietest members of the party, and dragged them up the stairs.

    "Sure! But for now, the 3rd floor awaits!"

 Chapter 36 - City on Treetops

    The 3rd floor was nothing like Drifter was expecting. While the 1st floor was mostly composed of grassy plains, and the 2nd was a grand savanna, the 3rd floor was a lush forest.

    The exit of the labyrinth was a grove between the roots of a giant tree. All around them was a verdant forest teeming with life. The sound of birds and insects made for a very pleasant background noise. Even though he knew so many trees would only make fighting harder, Drifter thought the change of scenery was a welcome one.

    "Wow... This floor is so beautiful!"

    "Heh! Wait till ya see Zumfut, Aa-chan. Of all the main cities I saw in the beta, it''s by far the prettiest one."

    "Zumfut? What a name."

    Kirito snickered at Nautilus''s interjection. The young swordsman was excited for this floor. He opened his arms, and started walking a path he knew too well.

    "Yes, Zumfut. The City on Treetops."

    ----------------------------

    While Drifter, Kirito, Argo, and the others were making their way to Zumfut, in the real world Suguha stared blankly at the black screen of her cellphone.

    She knew the players weren''t having an easy time in Sword Art Online, that much was obvious. Over 2.200 people had died already, after all. But the battle against the trio of bosses on the 2nd floor had been something else.

    She wasn''t impressed by the bosses, however, but by the players. Sure, << Asterius the Taurus King >> had been terrifying. Even just from watching it, Suguha could feel how fearsome the boss was. But if the monster scared her, then the players who slayed it gained her utmost admiration.

    Especially Drifter and Asuna. In her heart, she would always consider her brother the most powerful, but even Suguha had to admit that the spearman and rapier-user were the highlights and major contributors of the boss raid. First it was Drifter''s unbelievable combo which struck down Asterius. Then, Asuna''s lightning-fast offensive which killed the boss. And they were both in her brother''s party.

    In the following days, Suguha would rewatch the battle many times. And she would never cease to be amazed by how incredibly strong the players were. Not just Drifter and Asuna, but all of the raid-party. Most of them might not have shone as much as the spearman and fencer, but that didn''t make the fact that they would willingly fight the strongest monsters in SAO any less impressive.

    Maybe... Maybe there was a chance she could see her brother again.

    ---------------------------

    "Woah..."

    Drifter had to agree. Woah.

    "City on Treetops, huh? Very accurate."

    After crossing a palisade guarded by several NPCs dressed in weirdly lackluster armor, the party plus Argo had entered the city of Zumfut. Though Kirito and the info broker had already described the city as the most beautiful of the first ten floors, nothing could prepare you for a settlement that was literally carved inside trees.

    Zumfut was composed not of ordinary buildings, but rather three gigantic trees, each at least thirty meters in diameter and three times as tall. The trunks were almost entirely hollowed out, with wooden buildings occupying almost the entire space. Needless to say, Zumfut was a vertical city, with ladders and stairs carved on the hollowed trunks connecting different areas, and bridges linking the three trees together.

    Of the few buildings at ground level, the most eye-catching one was, without doubt, the teleporter. That was partially due to the fact that it was constantly flashing and spitting out wide-eyed players.

    "We didn''t get the bonus experience this time, what a pity."

    "We can''t always hog all the benefits, Yuna."

    "Eh, I know. I''m just joking, Kirito."

    The black-haired swordsman grinned at the songstress before turning to Nautilus to explain something to the older boy. Slightly behind him, Asuna had her head raised, looking at the suspended bridges above them. Seeing her distracted, Yuna showed an impish smile, and winked at Drifter. The spearman raised an eyebrow in curiosity, before seeing her subtle gestures, and smiling back.

    Nonchalantly, Drifter slowed down his footsteps, as if he was taking in the view. To avoid bumping into him, Kirito had to move a little to the right. At the same time, Yuna put her hands around Asuna''s neck, hugging the girl from behind, and making her accelerate her walk just a little bit. When the fencer threw a questioning glance at her, Yuna just smiled, before releasing Asuna and looping her arms between Argo and Sinon''s, dragging the two away.

    "Hey, Naut, come take a look at this!"

    Faking interest in something, Drifter gestured for the ash-haired blade-user to come with him. At the same time, he also casually bumped Kirito''s shoulder with his fist, as if to say they would be right back.

    Of course, everything Drifter and Yuna did was calculated - improvised, but calculated. When he touched Kirito, he just so happened to push the boy towards Asuna, who had unknowingly started to walk next to Kirito while they were both distracted. Unknowingly to her, of course, because Yuna had planned exactly for that.

    The two teenagers, who had yet to realize how close to each other they were, brushed shoulders.

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    "Ah, sorry..."

    Both Kirito and Asuna apologized at the same time, only to discover they hadn''t bumped into some random player, but each other. Then, very slowly, they realized their shoulders were still touching. Almost at once, they split, their faces burning. When they looked around and discovered that everyone seemed to suddenly be doing something else, leaving the pair alone, they became even more embarrassed.

    Now, this was the 21st century. There should have been no way such a mundane thing as brushing shoulders should cause such a shy reaction - from both of them, nonetheless! But Drifter and Yuna had known the two teens for long enough now to understand some things about them even without Kirito or Asuna having to tell them.

    Kirito was your typical shut-in gamer, who had very little contact with other people, much less girls. And Asuna had very clearly lived a sheltered life until now. Add to that the fact that they were both young teenagers who were just starting to discover romance, and clearly were interested in each other, and voila!

    From where he was faking looking at something on a tree trunk, but was actually sneakily peeking at the lovebirds, Drifter covered his mouth with both hands to stop himself from laughing maniacally and ruining the atmosphere. But it was so damn hard not to! He never thought he would one day see a scene that looked to be straight out of a crappy romance anime!

    Nautilus had caught on to what was happening by now, and wasn''t faring much better. On this his normally quiet disposition was an advantage, as he could control his laughter much better than Drifter, the only sign being his twitching lips.

    Others didn''t have so many qualms. Yuna was giggling away, and Argo was guffawing so much tears appeared on the corners of her eyes. Even Sinon had to cover her mouth to hide her smirk.

    "Yuna! Drifter!"

    ''Oops.''

    Feeling two sets of glares directed towards him, Drifter put on his most innocent expression - which was totally ruined by his cheeky smile. Even though they had been uncovered, he considered their little prank a success on all accounts. After all, even if she had her hands on her hips and was pouting, Asuna didn''t move further away from Kirito than it was necessary to avoid accidental touches. And the boy, while flushing, kept stealing glances at Asuna. Overall, Drifter was happy.

    The mood, which had been somewhat heavy ever since the boss fight, cleared up, and everyone felt more spirited. They started walking around Zumfut, deciding not to go out again, even if there were still a few hours of daylight. They had just defeated a floor boss, so a little free time was in order.

    "Excuse me... You are the Songstress Party, aren''t you?"

    Ever since they beat Illfang on the 1st floor, the party had grown used to the stares of other players. But this was the first time someone stopped them. All of them tensed up, but thinking that this was a safe zone, Drifter quickly relaxed, and looked at the player.

    The one who stopped them was a young girl. Too young, in fact. She couldn''t be more than eleven or twelve years old. Her brown hair was styled in a pair of ponytails, and tied up with a cute bow. She was gripping the hem of her shirt nervously, but her eyes were glinting with what Drifter was quickly coming to recognize as admiration.

    "Err... Yeah, I guess you could call us that."

    Kirito cautiously answered the girl, keenly aware that a lot of people were watching their interaction. Drifter agreed with his cautiousness. While he doubted that she meant harm, he had had his fair share of unhappy encounters with other players. It was better to always be on alert.

    Thankfully, it seemed they were overthinking. The girl''s smile widened when she heard the confirmation, and her eyes nearly became star-shaped, especially when she looked at Asuna.

    "I knew it! You were so amazing today! The way you killed the floor boss was incredible! I wish I could be as strong as you one day!"

    "T-Thanks!"

    Asuna didn''t know how to react, and, truth be told, neither did Drifter. He was just a white-collar worker who hadn''t even finished college yet. How was he supposed to deal with a child''s worship?!

    "My name is Silica! I''m so glad I could meet you today! W-Well, I was hoping that would happen, anyway. That''s why I came to the 3rd floor."

    Towards the end, Silica''s excitement seemed to wane, and she looked down, blushing. The girl had used all her courage to come forward and stop them, and now she didn''t know how to proceed.

    Fortunately for her, Asuna was soft-hearted. Realizing Silica was timid, she put on a gentle smile.

    "Well, I''m happy you found us, then, Silica. It''s a pleasure to meet you!"

    "R-Really?"

    "Of course. Though I don''t know why you wanted to find us so much."

    Two big brown eyes stared back at Asuna, and Silica''s answer was almost a whisper.

    "You... You gave me courage. I-I... I was too afraid to leave the Town of Beginnings. Until today. Watching you fight, how fearless all of you were... I decided I should do something too."

    Asuna''s mouth opened, but no sound came out. She was too shocked to answer. And she wasn''t the only one. The rest of the party was also looking at Silica, stunned.

    Drifter scanned the crowd with his gaze. He saw a lot of people nodding or with pensive expressions. There were also many clenched fists, as if Silica''s confession represented all of them. The spearman had never realized how much of an impact they had on the other players.

    For a long while, nobody said anything. Finally, it was Kirito who broke the silence. The swordsman stepped forward to stand next to Asuna, and looked at Silica with a small, yet sad, smile.

    "We are not fearless, Silica. Not by a long shot. We were all terrified when Asterius appeared. I''m scared every time I face a monster, thinking it might be the last."

    "B-But..."

    "But, although we''re scared, we still have to fight. Because we want to leave this place, and go back to the real world. We want to beat SAO. And no floor boss can stop us from doing that."

    Whether Kirito was being honest when he spoke the last sentence, probably not even he knew. But the conviction inputted on it was enough. Silica''s shoulders shook, and when she raised her head again, there was a bright smile on her face.

    "You are right. We are going to beat SAO!"

    Without waiting, Silica waved goodbye and left. Drifter was worried she might try to go out here on the 3rd floor, even though she was obviously under-leveled and clad in beginner''s equipment, but luckily Silica went to the teleporter, and shouted ''Tolbana''. It seemed she was going to the 1st floor to grind. Even so, he was still somewhat concerned about the girl, so he turned to Argo.

    "Little rat, think you could get someone to keep an eye on her, just for our peace of mind?"

    "I was thinkin'' the same, Dri-bou. Can''t help but want to help a cutie like her. I''ll get one of the shinobis to look after her."

    "Fuumaningum? I thought you didn''t get along with them?"

    "Eh. We clashed ''cause I didn''t wanna sell unverified intel to them. Now that we know the << Martial Arts'' >> quest''s still the same - hehehe - I sold it. Furthermore, there was no way I was gonna let go of a bunch of perfect informants like ''em. Even if they''re not right on the head."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

    "Where''s our commission?"

    "Ah, look at that stall over there!"

    Shaking his head in amusement, Drifter dropped the topic. He didn''t really care about the profit Argo made with the intel they provided her - though he was going to extort a lot of information out of her as revenge for the prank.

 Chapter 37 - Changes

    It was about 8 PM, and Drifter was ready to go to sleep after an entire day exploring Zumfut. He had repaired his equipment, checked out the stalls to change some outdated pieces of armor, and even accepted a quest or two.

    When he thought back to the battle against Asterius earlier that day, he still shuddered. It had been intense, and way too close for comfort. Especially his charge at the start. When had he become so bold?

    Of course, he knew the answer. It was not boldness, but desperation that led him to take such rash actions. He had gambled on the fact that his combo would be able to halt Asterius'' momentum, and he won - this time. That the boss fell down came as much of a surprise to him as it did to everyone else.

    Still absorbed in his thoughts, Drifter saw his HUD flashing. When he opened it, he discovered it was a message from Kirito, forwarded to all party members.

    [ Kirito: Can you come to my room? I want to talk about the 3rd floor. ]

    Instead of replying, Drifter simply got out of his room and went to Kirito''s. Almost at the same time, Sinon, Nautilus, Yuna, and Asuna also opened their doors.

    Kirito was sitting on his bed when they entered the room. Drifter and Yuna, the wannabe matchmakers, very quickly pushed Nautilus and Sinon to sit down on the chairs, leaving the spot on the bed next to Kirito for Asuna.

    Their not-very-subtle actions didn''t go unnoticed, though Kirito did his best not to look at them and blush. Asuna, on the other hand, was gaining a certain immunity to their antics, and directly rolled her eyes at Yuna. The songstress didn''t care. Both she and Drifter were having too much fun trying to match the shy teenagers.

    "Ehem. I asked everyone to come because we need to talk about this floor."

    Kirito cleared his throat to bring their focus back to the reason why he called the party to his room. Seeing that he was serious, Drifter and Yuna stopped their teasing and started paying attention.

    "What''s so special about this floor?"

    Asuna tilted her head and asked what everyone was thinking. Kirito raised three fingers.

    "Three things. The first isn''t that big of a change. There''re two field-bosses on this floor. One of them, << The Indolent Treant >>, isn''t that important, but the other is related to the second thing I want to talk about."

    The others waited for the swordsman to continue. Kirito looked at each of them in turn, taking in their reactions.

    "The second field-boss is called << Nephila Regina >>, a giant spider."

    That provoked varied reactions amongst the party. Drifter and Sinon frowned, Asuna squeaked and showed an expression of disgust, and Nautilus kept a straight face. It was Yuna who had the biggest reaction.

    "Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Not fighting a spider. I won''t. I refuse. No!"

    The songstress started babbling and shaking. It was only when Nautilus and Drifter each rested a hand on one of her arms that she stopped mumbling. The blade-user sighed.

    "Yun''... Doesn''t like spiders."

    It was obviously a lot worse than simply ''doesn''t get along''. If just the idea of facing a giant spider monster left her in shambles like that, it was a very clear case of arachnophobia.

    "Err... I''m sorry, Yuna."

    "N-No, never mind, Kirito. Just... Why is that field-boss more important than the other?"

    "Because it drops an item needed to create a guild. Meaning, from this floor onwards, guilds will start to appear."

    "Guilds?"

    It was Asuna who asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term. Kirito nodded.

    "Guilds are larger groups of players, above parties in the scale. While a party has a limit of 6 players, that''s only the minimum amount required to create a guild. There are a lot of advantages to being part of a guild too, such as a shared inventory apart from your personal one, larger scale communication channels, and, most importantly, a buff when guild members are in the same party. Ah, not to mention that guilds can have their own headquarters, which only guild members can access. An impenetrable stronghold."

    Kirito''s tone was very even as he explained, as if guilds had nothing to do with them, even though they had enough members to form one. Drifter guessed this was a remnant of his solo habits, but decided not to comment for now.

    "Kibaou and Lind probably already know that. Dammit! This floor is gonna be a nightmare! They are going to be at each other''s throats, and we are gonna be caught in the middle of it, I just know it!"

    "Unfortunately, I think you are right, Yuna. They are going to fight for the honor of being the first guild. I just hope they know when to stop."

    Kirito said that in a surly tone, and the mood took a sudden downturn. Drifter frowned, thinking back to all his interactions with the two aforementioned players. If their enmity continued, it was just a matter of time before something tragic happened.

    ''It might be time to sit down with the two idiots and beat some sense into them. I''ll have to get Agil.''

    He didn''t say that out loud, and only thought it. Honestly, Drifter shouldn''t be thinking of going behind his party leader''s back to talk to Kibaou and Lind, but Kirito was just a fourteen-year-old kid. It wasn''t right for him to participate in a conversation where insults and curses were sure to fly. Drifter would take this burden gladly.

    "Actually, there''s one more thing. It''s also what I think matters the most to us."

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    Noticing all the serious expressions caused by what he said, Kirito quickly raised the third topic he had.

    "Don''t keep us in suspense, Kirito."

    "Yeah, what is it?"

    "A quest. A multi-staged quest, spamming several floors, to be exact. It''s called the << Elf War >> campaign."

    Kirito looked like he was expecting a big reaction, but everyone just looked at him curiously. To them, this was indeed less explosive news than being able to create a guild. The boy heaved a sigh.

    "I forgot you guys weren''t in the beta. The << Elf War >> campaign is important because it goes from the 3rd to the 9th floor, and it''s loaded with clues to the floor bosses."

    This time, everyone''s eyes widened. They already knew how vital information on floor bosses was. Truth be told, the reason they struggled so much on the two boss raids until now was exactly because they went in relying only on the knowledge of the beta-testers. Because of that, Diavel died on the 1st floor, and they almost suffered casualties on the 2nd.

    "Sounds like we have to complete the questline on each floor before challenging the floor boss, then."

    Nautilus pointed that out, and Drifter nodded.

    "The two airheads aren''t reliable, so we can''t count on them to share. We should talk to Argo - even though she probably already knows."

    "Hm, she knows."

    By the way Kirito furrowed his eyebrows when he said that, Drifter felt a ''but'' incoming. And he wasn''t the only one. Asuna poked the swordsman on the shoulder.

    "There''s more, isn''t there?"

    "Yeah... The introduction to the << Elf War >> campaign is that you find a forest elf and a dark elf fighting, and you choose to help one of them. In the end the one you chose to support sacrifices themselves to kill the other elf, and you have to deliver the item they were fighting for to the camp of whoever you chose."

    Basically a multiple-choice quest, then. You had to choose a camp right at the start, and help it defeat the side you didn''t go with. Since it had ''war'' in the quest''s title, Drifter imagined there would be lots of battles against the enemy NOCs and whoever chose to...

    ''Shit!''

    When he reached the end of this line of thought, Drifter slapped his tight, startling his party. He didn''t even apologize, as he was too unsettled right now. He had a bad premonition, and stared at Kirito.

    "It''s a branching questline, isn''t it? Multiple parties can choose different options. Bastard! Kayaba is making us fight other players!"

    Understanding dawned upon the others, and their expressions also turned gloomy. Obviously, whatever camp the players chose, they would want that side to win. But what should they do if they encountered other people in direct opposition?

    "They... They wouldn''t fight each other, right?"

    Asuna''s voice trembled when she spoke. Even Yuna was behaving meekly.

    "I don''t know, Asuna. I really don''t. I want to think they won''t, but..."

    "What Kirito fears is probably the same as I, Asuna. To smaller parties like us, that won''t be a problem. We can just compete without fighting other players or give way if necessary. But the DKB and ALS... Each of them has about twenty people. And they are sure to be on opposite camps. If it''s those two... I really don''t know."

    ...

    Field-bosses, guilds, quests, those weren''t all the changes happening on the 3rd floor. The next morning, Drifter and his party went down to the lobby to have breakfast, only to find the Legend Braves waiting for them. They also had a skinny player Drifter had never seen before with them, and Argo was in a corner watching.

    "Orlando?"

    "Heya, Kirito. Hello to everyone else too."

    Confused, the party nodded. The Braves seemed to be feeling uncomfortable, because they kept shuffling their feet and didn''t talk for a long time.

    "What is it, Orlando? Dilly-dallying is not like you. You are making all of us anxious."

    "About this... We are leaving the frontlines for a while. This is Nezha, he is also part of our party. We are going to help him."

    Once he started talking, Orlando didn''t stop, as if a restriction had been lifted. He told them about Nezha''s FNC, about how they made him use the << Quick Change Mod >> to cheat other players - Nehza interrupted at that point, insisting that he hadn''t been forced, but chose to do it himself - and even talked about how Argo threatened to out them if they didn''t stop by themselves.

    "In fact, we knew what we were doing was wrong, but we just didn''t know how else we could help Nehza. It''s all thanks to you that he can fight by our side now, Asuna!"

    "Huh?"

    "The chakrams ya sold to them, Aa-chan. Nehza has a depth perception issue. It won''t be perfect, but at least with the chakrams he can fight."

    Argo, who had simply been watching until now, joined the conversation. Suddenly enlightened, Asuna realized why the info broker was so insistent she sold the << Moonlight Chakrams >> to the Legend Braves.

    "Then, are you leaving the frontlines for good or..."

    "We will be back one day, my friends, fret not! We just... Want all of us to come back together, so we will train a little more."

    After the Legend Braves left, the party finally set down to have breakfast. It was an eventful start to the day, but, in the end, they still had to have a good meal. There was a lot to be done.

    While taking a bite of a triangular-shaped fruit, Drifter glanced at Argo. The info broker was sitting next to him, stuffing her mouth with food with no regard for her image.

    "Hey, little freeloader, what''s on your mind?"

    "Hum? What''chu mean?"

    "You haven''t teased anyone yet, so obviously there''s something worrying you."

    Deftly avoiding Argo''s vengeful fingers trying to pinch him, Drifter smirked. At least he had managed to lift up her mood, but he knew there was still something weighing on her mind. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her until the info broker gave up.

    "Nehza and the Braves didn''t come up with the idea of usin'' the << Quick Change Mod >> on their own. Somebody told ''em how to do it."

    "This kind of thing... I suppose only a beta-tester would know it, right?"

    "Yep."

    "But why would they do something so needless? Can you think of any advantage they could get?"

    "I dunno. Chaos, maybe?"

    Drifter frowned. As Argo said, the only thing that could result from the trick the Legend Braves were pulling was chaos when they were found out.

    "Uff..."

    Hearing Argo sigh, Drifter grimaced. Mature as she was, the info broker always tried to carry all the burdens alone. It was only with Drifter and Kirito that she opened up, and even then it was rare. Stretching his hand, he ruffled her curly hair.

    "Cheer up, little rat. You got a whole new floor to uncover. And lots of new toys to pass the time, from what Kirito told us."

    Argo pouted, but didn''t shake his hand off. Instead, she punched him on the shoulder.

    "Ya know, it''s unfair how easy ya can read me, Dri-bou."

    "Nobody told you to come find me that day."

    "Nah, but I like how it turned out. Besides, I''ve got a bet ridin'' on ya."

    "What?"

    No matter how hard he tried to make her talk afterwards, Argo refused to budge. Breakfast ended on a joyful note. That is, until drill sergeant Drifter - as Yuna called him on certain occasions, like now - clapped his hands with a meaningful smile.

    "Let''s get to grinding, shall we?"

 Chapter 38 - Forest of Wavering Mists

    16th of December, 2022, 3rd floor of Aincrad, << Forest of Wavering Mists >>.

    The party cautiously made their way through the forest. Nautilus was leading, with Kirito right next to him. Asuna, Sinon, and Yuna were in the middle, while Drifter brought up the rear.

    It was unknown when, but mist had started to pervade through the trees, surrounding them. Even their maps didn''t show their position correctly.

    "Eyes open, people. If this isn''t the prelude to an ambush, I don''t know what is."

    Drifter''s words proved to be prophetic. Not even five minutes later, he, Kirito, and Sinon all stopped at the exact same time. Exchanging glances, Drifter traded positions with the archer.

    "Your << Searching >> caught that too, right?"

    "Yep. Ten meters ahead, behind the tree."

    "Not behind the tree, it is the tree. A << Treant Sapling >>. If it hadn''t moved just now, << Searching >> wouldn''t have found it."

    As he spoke, Kirito readied his sword. << Treant Saplings >> were at the same time easy but difficult enemies to face. Easy because they stayed still most of the time, and their attack pattern consisted mainly of whipping moves from their branches. Difficult because when they walked, it was an extremely fast and deadly charge, and they could use their roots to restrict players'' movement.

    "All right, attack with everything you have. Nautilus, its vines will go around the shield, so don''t bother defending too much, attack too. Sinon, try to hit its eyes and mouth if you can, it should be its weaknesses."

    "Hm."

    "Okay."

    After giving out the general orders for the battle, Kirito was the first to rush towards the mob. The << Treant Sapling >> looked just like any other withering tree, until the swordsman entered its aggro range. Then, three holes opened up on its trunk, inside two of which ghoulish purple flames burned. The third and bigger hole had a ragged edge, eerily similar to a mouth full of sharp teeth.

    "Shreeeek!"

    Coming alive, the tree let out an ear-piercing screech. The branches on both sides of it suddenly trembled and tied each other, creating two long, whip-like arms. Without warning, one of them lashed out at Kirito.

    The swordsman tilted his body to the left, resting his sword over his right shoulder, and leaning forward. With a shout, he delivered a heavy one-handed overhead slash, leaving a deep cut on the monster''s arm.

    Nautilus followed on the wake of Kirito''s << Slant >>, his own blade shining a pale blue as he swung it from the right to the left in a simple << Horizontal >>, hitting exactly on the same spot as Kirito. The wooden limb, which was already badly damaged, was now hanging on by a literal thread.

    If left alone, the wound would soon regenerate and close, but of course Drifter wouldn''t pass on such a wonderful chance. He used one of his quickest skills, << Snake Bite >>, one hand holding the back end of his spear, the other gripping the middle of the shaft, both facing opposite directions. With the support of the system, the solid body of his weapon seemed to turn flexible for a moment, soaring over Nautilus'' shoulder to fully sever one of the << Treant Sapling''s >> arms.

    The monstrous tree shrieked, waving what was left of its limb. Drifter felt it hit his forearm, but it was just a chaotic flailing of its arms, and his health barely dipped.

    Two arrows quickly found their way inside the << Treant Sapling''s >> open mouth, one of them scoring a critical hit. After that intense round of attacks, the mob was already on its last legs, its health bar on the low end of red.

    "Switch, Drifter!"

    Without hesitation, Drifter spun to the side, leaving just enough space for Asuna to come bowling through, her rapier a blur. Amidst the flurry of normal blows, Drifter saw the flashing light of a << Linear >> and a << Sharp Hail >>, the former being a straight jab, and the later a 3-hit combo of frontal stabs, all aiming at different weak points of the mob. Only someone as dexterous and agile as Asuna could accomplish this feat so effortlessly.

    The final blow left Asuna''s << Wind Fleuret >> stuck deep inside the mob''s gaping mouth for a second, before the << Treant Sapling >> burst into shards.

    "That was... A lot easier than I thought it would be, if I''m being honest."

    Yuna whistled. She had been using << Firemare >> to buff the party, but even if she had done nothing, all it would take would be two or three more hits to kill the mob.

    "It was partially because we detected it before it could ambush us, but you are right, Yuna. I think we''ve been using floor bosses as a basis of comparison, which is why the treant seemed so weak."

    "Good thing we followed Kirito''s advice and went back to the 1st floor to get that << Wind Fleuret >> for Asuna too. I''m sure it made a difference against Asterius, but seeing it in action against a normal mob makes it a lot clearer how much stronger it is than your old rapier."

    To that, Asuna just smiled happily, and stroked the handle of her new weapon. It was quite the beautiful piece of work, and much stronger too. It also meant a lot to her that the party had taken time off their busy schedule to go back to the 1st floor to get it, and then farmed << Windwasps >> on the 2nd for upgrade materials. Even if they said it was because that would make her stronger against the floor bosses, her gratitude didn''t vanish.

    "What ''bout drops?"

    "Nothing of note. Some special logs, a << Vile Will-o-Whisp >> for that quest we accepted."

    "Okay. Let''s continue. I think the location of the primer quest of << Elf War >> isn''t too far, and..."

    "Awoooooo!"

    A low-pitched howl suddenly interrupted Kirito, coming from somewhere in front of the party. Two other bone-chilling sounds cut the misty forest''s air soon after, coming from behind them.

    From the mist, three wolves with vibrant yellow manes appeared. The predators slowly circled the party, growling and snarling.

    "Wolves again?! Doesn''t Kayaba have any imagination?"

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    "Those are not quite the same as the ones on the 1st floor, Yuna. They are << Roaring Wolves >>. They are much faster and stronger."

    As if to prove what the swordsman was saying, one of the beasts pounced at the party, targeting Sinon. Before its sharp claws reached the archer, however, a round shield blocked their path. Three long lines were carved on the equipment, its durability instantly reduced by 20 points, but Nautilus managed to use a << Counterforce >> to bash the mob away, hacking at it with his blade at the same time. The << Roaring Wolf >> whined, and halted its attack. Nautilus grinned.

    "So are we."

    "Heh!"

    Sinon snorted in amusement, while Asuna, Yuna, and Kirito chuckled. Drifter also had to smile. A somewhat badass Nautilus was not something he ever expected to see.

    "Awooo!"

    "Grrr!"

    This time, all three << Roaring Wolves >> lunged at the same time. Their AI seemed to be much more developed than the << Treant Sapling >>, and they had even used one of them to unleash a probing attack.

    Dragging his speartip on the ground, and then abruptly swinging it upwards in a half-moon shape, Drifter hit the wolf closest to him with a << Vertical >>. Back to back with him, Sinon shot another point-blank with an arrow, causing the creature to whimper in pain.

    But neither of the mobs stopped. Changing his hold on his spear, Drifter used the blunt end to smash the << Roaring Wolf >> in front of him on the snout. Then, sliding his hand over the weapon''s shaft, he made a 270 degrees turn, delivering a devastating blow to the wolf''s ribs. This time, the mob was sent reeling back in agony.

    Behind him, Sinon had stored away her bow in favor of her dagger. Even after she had gotten her deeply desired << Grafted Horn Bow >>, she hadn''t slacked off on her << Dagger >> mastery, exactly for situations like this. While Nautilus held the << Roaring Wolf >> at bay, Sinon repeatedly jabbed at it with normal attacks and << Canines >>. The ''bleed'' effect from the skill was also sapping away at the mob''s health, slowly but surely.

    As for the third wolf, Kirito and Asuna were dealing with it without breaking a sweat. If the mob wasn''t trying to eat them, Drifter might feel pity, because what the duo was doing to it could classify as bullying.

    Even as he threw a quick glance over his shoulder at them, Drifter saw Asuna repealing the wolf with a flurry of blows. Kirito was backing her up by using wide slashes and the occasional << Sting >> to control the mob.

    Back to Drifter, one would think he was at a disadvantage for having to deal with a << Roaring Wolf >> alone - after all Yuna could only buff the party, but not directly fight - but that was not at all true. Of the entire group, he was the best suited to solo a mob like the wolf. Due to his longer reach, the beast couldn''t make full use of its agility, and was constantly pushed around.

    Though the name of the game was Sword Art Online, there obviously had to be more kinds of weapons, otherwise it would be too boring. Besides, a party without variety wouldn''t be able to beat the game.

    Without a doubt, the sword was the king of all weapons in SAO. Whether it was the normal one-handed sword, the intimidating greatsword, the nimble rapier, the long katana, the sharp blade, or any other, swords dominated SAO.

    But each type of weapon had its strong points and weaknesses. In Drifter''s humble opinion, no sword could beat his spear when it came to controlling the battlefield. The longer reach allowed him to keep enemies away while hurting them, killing them without ever getting too close. With a spear in hand, even fighting a crowd was no impossible feat.

    Of course, the disadvantage of the spear was that all its lethality was concentrated on the spearhead. Once enemies managed to get past it, Drifter''s combat effectiveness dropped a lot. Which was why the << Roaring Wolf >> couldn''t be allowed to get close.

    "Awoooooo!"

    "Awoooooooo!"

    Two wolves howled, the one Drifter was fighting, and the one Kirito and Asuna were taking care of. Their health had fallen to 50% at the same time.

    When the two << Roaring Wolves >> retreated and started howling, that actually gave the party time to take a breather. They focused on the last beast, who was fighting Sinon and Nautilus. Unfortunately, that one also ran away after its health dropped to half. It was when the third wolf howled that Drifter started seeing a pattern, and he didn''t like it.

    "Kirito, do you know what they are doing?"

    "N-No. There was nothing like this in the beta."

    "Stay sharp them, I have a bad feeling about..."

    "Awooooooooo!"

    A repeat from when the << Roaring Wolves >> first appeared moments earlier, more howls came out of the mist, but this time Drifter was pretty sure he saw them spawning. All six of them.

    "Great, more dogs. Ugh..."

    Sinon groaned sarcastically, perfectly reflecting the mood of the party. The << Roaring Wolves >> weren''t exactly hard to deal with, but if all of them called two more whenever their health fell to the halfway mark, it wouldn''t take much longer for the party to be overwhelmed.

    "Kirito..."

    "We are breaking through in that direction! Kill the wounded mob and abandon the fight!"

    The black-haired boy gave the orders with decisiveness and swiftness, quickly finding the weakest link in the wolf pack, and choosing to run in that direction. Unlike real wolves, as long as they broke the encirclement and left their aggro range, the << Roaring Wolves >> would leave them alone.

    Having laid out the plan, Kirito was the first to dash towards the mob. It was the wolf Drifter had fought earlier, which was already down to 50% of its health.

    The first attack to reach the mob wasn''t Kirito''s, however, but an arrow shot from Sinon''s bow, striking the wolf right in the forehead. Thank the gods that bows and other throwable weapons weren''t restricted by the system limitation of not being able to change equipment mid-battle.

    The wolf whined in pain, but it was useless. Kirito''s sword had already arrived by the time it recovered, leaving a deep gash on its neck, and scoring a critical hit. Asuna followed up almost immediately with a << Parallel Sting >>, her rapier shooting forward twice, leaving two identical puncture wounds on either side of the << Roaring Wolf''s >> chest, and killing it.

    Meanwhile, Drifter and Nautilus were responsible for keeping the other mobs at bay while Kirito and Asuna spearheaded their escape. They did that by using wide area of effect skills, such as Nautilus'' << Horizontal Arc >> and << Serration Wave >>, a single-hit sweeping strike, and Drifter''s << Tidal Sequence >>, a series of three wide horizontal swipes, meant to push enemies away instead of hurting them.

    Finally, after killing two more << Roaring Wolves >>, and being chased for a few hundred meters, the mobs abandoned the chase. That would never happen in reality, but here the monsters were governed by their aggro range.

    "Uff... Hey, did you notice it?"

    "You too, Asuna?"

    "Hum? What are you talking about?"

    Drifter put away his spear while taking out some lotus bread they had brought in Zumfut, the kind that slowly regenerated health. They had potions, but those were expensive and better set aside for emergencies.

    "The three wolves we fought first called others when their HP fell below a certain level, but the new dogs didn''t, even when we killed one of them."

    "I see. So each << Roaring Wolf >> can summon two others, but those are like special reinforcements, they can''t do the same."

    "Correct. Sinon, think you can type all that and send it to the little rat? Argo should be willing to pay a lot for that."

    "Okay."

    Now aware that they wouldn''t be overwhelmed by a never-ending stream of mobs, the party was much more carefree when they found << Roaring Wolves >> in their path, only avoiding them if they were in packs of four or more. It was like that that, two hours later, the sound of metal clashing and sword fighting came from the trees ahead of them. Kirito perked up, excited.

    "Finally! The << Elf War >> campaign starts here!"

 Chapter 39 - Elven Dance

    Deep in the << Forest of Wavering Mists >>, the sounds of battle, of swords clashing and the screams of the wounded echoed. Two elves were locked in mortal combat, fighting their hardest to claim the other''s life.

    From afar, it looked almost like a dance. One elf, dressed all in black clothes and wearing a dark cloak, waving the sword in her hand, and fleeting around like a butterfly. The other elf her partner and opponent at the same time, holding his ground while donning his all-white heavy armor. A deadly dance of yin and yang.

    Hidden behind the bushes at the edge of the clearing, Drifter and his party watched the duel. The one from the faction of the forest elves was a male knight, holding a shield and a long sword. He looked like anyone would imagine an elf to be, pointy ears, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face.

    As for his opponent, the dark elf, she was a dark-skinned beauty - and Drifter would be the first to admit that it was strange to think of an NPC like that, but it was the truth. She wore mostly black leather armor, and even her cloak was of a purple dark color, complementing her lilac hair and violet eyes.

    "Are you sure those are NPCs? They look so real, just like players!"

    "To be more exact, they aren''t even NPCs, they are mobs. Look."

    Asuna looked at where Kirito''s finger was pointing. The two elves had been fighting for a while, but neither seemed able to take the upper hand. Above both of their heads was a quest marker. Drifter turned to Kirito.

    "What''s going on here, Kirito?"

    "We have to choose one of them to help, and attack the other. We have to be careful, though. Each of them is as strong as a 7th floor elite mob."

    "What?! How are we supposed to defeat them, then?!"

    "We aren''t. In the beta, the moment my health fell below half, the elf I chose sacrificed themselves to kill the other. I''m guessing it should be about the same this time, probably half or all of us have to enter yellow for it to happen."

    Frowning, Drifter stared at the elves. Even if he hadn''t exchanged blows with them yet, he could tell they were strong, far stronger than the players. If one of them was to target the squishier members of the party, such as Yuna and Sinon, not to mention half-health, a single hit might be enough to kill them.

    "Then... Do they both have to die?"

    Asuna whispered with a dejected look on her face, but Kirito didn''t seem to notice.

    "Huh? Well, I guess if we can beat one of them while avoiding losing too much health... But that''s not possible."

    "Is that so..."

    Drifter didn''t quite understand why Asuna looked so down when she heard that, but didn''t dwell on it. Unhooking his spear from his back, he looked at the elves.

    "Let''s use the advantage we have, and choose the same one you did in the beta, Kirito. Which one was it?"

    "Do you even need to ask? It was the dark elf."

    "Yeah, it was... Wait, how did you know?"

    Shaking her head, Asuna seemed to clear her mind of all other thoughts. She smirked at the young swordsman with ''really'' written all over her face. Kirito blushed in embarrassment, while Yuna was having a fit of giggles.

    "Somebody''s gonna suffer a bit today."

    "Err... Well, we just have to come out and point our swords at the forest elf then. The system will recognize that as us choosing the dark elf faction."

    Asuna snorted at the awkward change of subject, but didn''t insist on the topic. She didn''t have any reason to, really. Kirito was a boy, it was obvious what elf he had chosen to save in the beta.

    The fencer had already unsheathed her rapier, ready to jump into the fray, when Sinon put her hand on her arm, holding her back.

    "Wait, Asuna. You want to try and save the dark elf, don''t you?"

    "Uh? Kirito already said it''s impossible, so..."

    "Yes, but you want to try it all the same, don''t you?"

    Stumped, Asuna looked at the serious Sinon, then at everyone else. Yuna was smiling brightly, Nautilus smirked and gave her a thumbs-up, and Drifter grinned and nodded. The one whose opinion she cared about the most made a show of sighing and shaking his head in despair, before giving her a reassuring grin that caused her heart to beat faster. Moved, Asuna bit her lower lip, and nodded.

    "Yes. I want to save her."

    The archer smiled, squeezing Asuna''s arm once before letting go. The next moment, she already had an arrow knocked on her bow.

    "Drifter, you are our strategist, what say you?"

    "Haha! If everyone''s in accord... Let''s do this properly then, shall we? Sinon, find a good position to snipe the forest elf. Yuna, you go with her, sing for us."

    "Leave it to me!"

    "Nautilus, you circle around the back with me, we''ll try to surround him and pin him down. Kirito, Asuna, can you take the frontal assault? Support the dark elf."

    "Gotcha."

    "Okay!"

    "Sounds like we have a plan, then. Also, we will try to save the dark elf, but it''s just an NPC in the end, so personal safety is a priority, got it? That forest elf looks like he hits hard, so try to dodge rather than block. Just because we have a failsafe in case our health dips below 50%, doesn''t mean we should risk it."

    There was a series of grunts and nods from the group as they all spread out according to Drifter''s instructions. When Kirito and Asuna walked into the clearing, the elves paused their battle to stare at them. The forest elf was the first to speak.

    "What is humankind doing in these woods?!"

    In contrast with the forest elf knight''s imposing manner, the dark elf lady''s voice was much more pleasing to the ears, but no less commanding.

    "Do not interfere! Begone from this place!"

    After a slight hesitation, Asuna trained her << Wind Fleuret >> onto the forest elf. Almost immediately, the cursor above his head turned red, while a health bar and a name, << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >>, appeared next to it.

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    "Sorry about this."

    "You fools, you side with the dark elf?"

    The cursor above the other elf, however, turned green, and she hopped back to stand next to Kirito and Asuna.

    "It seems that some humans understand honor after all."

    The dark elf warrior was just following the script and plot set by the Cardinal System, otherwise there was no way she would call what the players were doing honorable. Nautilus and Drifter had appeared behind the forest elf''s back, completely trapping him, not to mention Sinon who was still hiding, waiting for the chance to launch an ambush. This was a 1 versus 7 fight, but why would players care about honor when battling mobs?

    "I have come to take back that which you have stolen from my people. The << Secret Key >>!"

    The dark elf said something that was probably relevant to the << Elf War >> campaign plot, but Drifter didn''t pay attention. They had Kirito to fill them in all the details later. Now, the spearman was much more concerned about the way the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> raised his blade above his head, about to strike.

    "Very well... Then all of you shall dye my sword red with your blood!"

    "Here he comes! Focus on dodging, only try to block it if you don''t have any other option!"

    Only when the forest elf attacked did the party understand the horror of a 7th floor mob. Before the last words had even left Kirito''s mouth, the enemy''s sword was already coming down upon Asuna with unstoppable momentum. Drifter''s eyes widened, and for a moment he thought he saw the blade cutting right through the middle of the girl''s head.

    At the last second, the fencer managed to move out of the path of the blade, leaving part of her cloak behind. Asuna buckled her knees, feeling the sword touch the edge of her clothes, and launched herself to the left, almost parallel to the ground. Then, she raised her rapier in a swift thrust, right at the unguarded jaw of the forest elf, aiming to pierce through it and all the way through his head.

    Drifter could have sworn he never saw a player move so fast or react so quickly. He was sure Asuna was acting based on pure instinct, because there was no way she could have thought through and planned all that in the milliseconds she had. And yet, the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> was even faster.

    The shield he carried on his left arm blocked the rapier''s path, knocking it out of the way. The thin blade was no match for the robust shield, and was slammed away, with Asuna, who was gripping the hilt tightly, stumbling along with it.

    "Stop, traitor!"

    Before the forest elf could muster another attack, the other NPC present made her move. The dark elf''s sword snaked forward, just as fast as the forest elf''s had been. The enemy was forced to raise his own blade to parry, leaving himself open for Kirito to cut his midsection with a << Horizontal >>. Both Nautilus and Drifter also didn''t let go of the chance, hitting the elf with their own skills. And, from the tree line, an arrow came, slamming right in the middle of the forest elf''s back.

    After close to a month - more, in Drifter, Nautilus, and Yuna''s case - of constantly fighting together, the party had already achieved astounding synchronization. Such teamwork would take years to develop in the real world, but here, under the pressure of death, it was, as Argo once said, ''be better or be dead''.

    Their organized assault worked - whether poorly or outstandingly had yet to be seen. Hit by four different attacks, three of which were highly damaging skills, all buffed by Yuna''s music, the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> lost a tenth of his health instantly.

    Just like Kirito said, this was an elite monster comparable to those on the 7th floor. The combined attack should have been able to wound any mob on the 3rd floor to the red, if not kill them directly, and yet it only took away a tenth of the forest elf''s health.

    "Pesky ants! How dare you get in my way!"

    Enraged, the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> roared. His shield slammed into Kirito, sending the black-haired boy flying, and his sword bypassed Nautilus'' shield to nick his forearm. That single cut was enough to bring his HP down to the upper limit of yellow. Another hit like that and he would fall below half-health.

    "Careful! He is much stronger than he was in the beta!"

    Kirito yelled while quickly running to intercept the mob. Honestly, it was understandable that the forest elf would be harder to fight, after all, he was going against a full party, unlike how Kirito had played solo in the beta. The system probably adjusted the difficulty based on that.

    His warning was unnecessary, however, because the whole party had already understood how tough of a nut to crack the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> was.

    They fought for several more rounds, and if it wasn''t for the dark elf warrior saving them at all the right moments, the party would have long been annihilated. As it was, Drifter and Kirito were quite hurt, while Nautilus had to retreat to heal, leaving only Asuna untouched of the close-quarters combatants. Without Nautilus there, the pressure on the trio increased drastically. Thankfully, they had at least managed to take the forest elf down to 30% health.

    As soon as his health entered the red, the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> went berserk. In an unfortunate coincidence, Sinon''s arrow just so happened to hit him in the back of the head exactly at the moment his aggro cleared, causing the mob to turn his aggression towards her.

    "Foolish humans, I vow to claim your lives with my blade today!"

    ''This is bad!''

    Just because there was an apparent safety net in the form of the dark elf warrior, it didn''t mean the start of this quest was safe. The harshest lesson all players learned during the first month in SAO was that everything in the game was out to kill you, and a moment of carelessness more often than not equated to death. Now, the forest elf was gunning for the lightly armored Sinon, whom he could hack to death in two hits. Things weren''t looking good.

    At times like this, the only one who could intercept the frenzied mob wasn''t Drifter or Nautilus, but Asuna. The lightning-quick fencer rushed to block the forest elf, and her rapier struck true, carving a long gash along the side of his neck.

    Another person who was able to catch up with the enemy was the other NPC in the clearing. While Asuna was attacking from behind, the dark elf lady had somehow managed to appear in front of the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >>, and, while he was distracted by Asuna''s attack, she slashed down on his neck, aiming to cut off his head.

    Even in the awkward position he was in, the forest elf still managed to defend. Asuna was preparing to launch another offensive when Kirito yelled something that caused her to halt.

    "Asuna, remember that shields are covers!"

    "Wha... Oh! Got it!"

    As if enlightened, the fencer suddenly leaned close to the ground before dashing towards the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >>. Her rapier glowed cyan, and Drifter recognized the skill << Folium >>, one which he had rarely seen Asuna use due to its weird starting stance. The skill started as an upwards slashing motion beginning from the lower left hip, then making a loop when it reached its apex, and transitioning to a downwards slash to the right.

    The forest elf sneered and raised his shield to block the clearly telegraphed blow, already raising his sword to deliver a counterattack. And yet, the expected impact to his shield never came.

    With his vision blocked by his own shield, the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> realized too late that Asuna''s << Folium >> hadn''t been aimed at him at all, but it was in fact just a bluff. When he finally started turning, Asuna was already at his back, and delivered a high-powered << Oblique >>, a short-range thrust with all her weight behind it.

    Barely able to keep his balance, the forest elf almost fell face-first into the ground. He growled like an animal, but before he could retaliate, Kirito was there, cutting his back with a << Horizontal Square >>. Nautilus and Drifter weren''t lagging behind, and neither was Sinon, who was unfazed by the murderous charge of the mob.

    "Well fought, human warriors!"

    Meanwhile, the dark elf lady had, strangely, paused her attack, and complimented the party. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Drifter thought she sounded a lot less robotic than before.

 Chapter 40 - In The Background

    "Gah!"

    Deep in the << Forest of Wavering Mists >>, a lengthy and terribly difficult battle was concluding. Even if it was seven against one, it was hard to say who had suffered the most.

    Drifter stabbed his spear on the ground and leaned on it as he watched the dark elf warrior plunge her curved blade into the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight''s >> belly one last time, wiping away the last bit of his HP.

    The party was in a terrible state. Kirito and Asuna were both barely above half health, and even that only because they had taken turns healing during the battle, together with Yuna''s << Rest''s >> constant regeneration. As for Nautilus, even though he was the one with the largest HP bar in the party, he was also the one who weathered the brunt of the damage, and, as such, wasn''t in a much better spot. Drifter himself was dangerously close to the red zone due to a berserker attack from the forest knight. Now that he looked at it, the dark elf wasn''t faring much better than them, her health also perilously low. Only Sinon and Yuna stayed unharmed the entire battle.

    "I am... Beaten..."

    "Holy... We actually won!"

    Watching the last bits of health of the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight >> vanish, Kirito exhaled, tired but happy. Near him, Asuna stared at the forest elf with a modicum of pity - he looked far too similar to a real human, after all.

    "But I should warn everyone, even I don''t have any idea of what will happen now. As far as I know, nobody has ever defeated him, so we have completely veered off from my beta knowledge. It''s kinda exciting, actually."

    Asuna stuck out her tongue at the swordsman, but didn''t disagree. The fact that the << Forest Elf Hallowed Knight''s >> HP gauge had already disappeared, but his body hadn''t shattered like it always happened meant there was still some plot to go through.

    "Ahhh... What a terrible shame."

    Marred in wounds, the forest elf pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like some sort of bag made out of leaves. Drifter had no idea what it was, but the dark elf had a big reaction to it, her violet eyes widening.

    "That''s!"

    "I''ll not cede my spoils to the likes of you!"

    While the dark elf lady had just started reaching for the bag, the other NPC threw it high up in the air. Drifter''s confusion as to what he hoped to accomplish by doing that didn''t last long, because he saw a shadow swoop down and grab the item with its talons.

    A huge falcon had suddenly appeared and carried away the bag. Waiting for it was another forest elf, this one dressed much more sloppily than the first, with an insufferably smug look on his face. He had an arm outstretched for the falcon to land on, and his other hand was ready to receive the bag.

    "Oh, those hopeless knights, too proud for their own good."

    "A << Forest Elf Falconer >>! That''s another elite mob!"

    "Well, at any rate, I''ll be taking custody of your ''secret key'', or whatever this is. So no need to worry."

    The falconer spoke in a sing-song voice, mocking the party for wasting all that time and effort, only to lose what they were fighting for. However, the smug grin was soon wiped from his face when Sinon hit the falcon circling above him, causing it to fall from the sky with a piercing shriek and an arrow skewering one of its wings.

    "Pests! How dare you!"

    The << Forest Elf Falconer''s >> face contorted into a mask of boiling rage when he witnessed his pet hitting the ground, and his prize rolling away. But his anger was nothing compared to the bloodlust the dark elf was emanating.

    Drifter had never felt chills as strong as what he experienced now. If anyone had told him about killing intent before, he would mock them for reading too many wuxia novels. But now, thanks to the SAO system, his skin was crawling with the visible bloodlust manifesting itself around the dark elf warrior in the form of a distortion in the air.

    "You are... The falconer!"

    Threatened by the menacing aura the dark elf was exuding, the new enemy forgot about the ''secret key'' and his anger, and whistled. The huge falcon took flight and then landed on his arm, the health bar above it showing that, while Sinon''s arrow hurt, it would take a lot more to kill it.

    "Do I know you? I don''t think I would have forgotten such a beauty... Even if you are a dark elf."

    As he caressed his pet''s head, the << Forest Elf Falconer >> calmed down, and even his arrogant smile returned. Drifter tensed up when several figures appeared behind him, a whole bunch of forest elves. Though they looked weaker than the knight and the falconer, there were still a lot of them.

    "Although, now that I look closely, you remind me of that herbalist I killed, to get that very key."

    The forest elf didn''t laugh, but his mocking expression and deranged smirk showed what the distorted glee he was feeling in provoking the dark elf lady.

    With a guttural growl, the dark elf threw herself at the falconer, her blade chopping down on his neck with such force that, even though he blocked it, the forest elf was still forced to crouch to withstand the impact.

    Kirito wasn''t sure of what was going on anymore. The hatred the dark elf held towards the falconer was palpable. He had never seen any NPC behaving like this. But now he had no time for such considerations, because the moment the dark elf warrior attacked, she signaled the restart of the battle.

    "Here they come!"

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The moment he first clashed against one of the new enemies, his spear blocking a short sword, Drifter realized the mobs, simply called << Forest Elf Scouts >>, weren''t anywhere as strong as the knight had been. Thankfully, the system wasn''t that cruel.

    Tilting his weapon, Drifter caused the opponent''s sword to slide along the shaft of his spear, causing the forest elf to stumble forward, and right into his incoming knee. << Martial Arts: Hiza >> hit the mob on his belly, causing him to double over in pain. Twirling his spear, Drifter smashed the blunt end of it on the << Forest Elf Scout''s >> face, then finished his combo with a straight << Sting >> to the elf''s throat. While it wasn''t quite enough to kill the mob, it certainly worked well to keep him at bay.

    Instead of pressing on the offensive and finishing off the enemy, Drifter chose to abandon the fight, and circle around him. Without the need to communicate, all his teammates had done the same, and the party met in the middle of the clearing. In this type of situation, where they were facing multiple enemies, it was obviously smarter to group up.

    The songstress and archer had already begun to move the moment the << Forest Elf Scouts >> appeared. When they rejoined with the others, Yuna and Sinon were placed in the center of their small circle, with Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Nautilus each facing a different direction. This was their normal battle configuration when they were exploring the labyrinth, where enemies could spawn anywhere, and it worked well in this situation too.

    "You... Have to... Die!"

    The whole party had this really odd feeling when they saw the frenzied dark elf warrior fighting against the << Forest Elf Falconer >>. It was as if they were side characters, and their battle was only serving as background to the NPCs''.

    Honestly, Drifter didn''t care much even if that was the case. He would much rather the dark elf tied down the elite-tier mob, than having the falconer target them.

    Heaving a sigh of exertion, Drifter drove his spear through the chest of one of the << Forest Elf Scouts >>, thus killing it. Taking advantage of the opening, he glanced at his party members to see how they were doing.

    Kirito was struggling against two mobs at the same time. Thankfully, he had Sinon as backup, and any time one of the elves lowered their guard, an arrow would surely find its way through their defenses and into their bodies. As for Asuna, the fencer was easily dealing with her opponent, her rapier leaving cut after cut in his body.

    Turning over to his left, Drifter looked at Nautilus. He always worried the most about this friend of his, though he made a conscious effort to never show it. It couldn''t be helped. Nautilus'' FNC could resurface at any moment, so Drifter was always on the lookout. Fortunately, the ash-haired boy was doing okay.

    Thanks to the broadcasts, pretty much everyone knew about their party. And yet, whenever they talked with other players, even other frontliners, two members of their party were quite routinely overlooked. They were Drifter and Nautilus.

    Everyone recognized the Beater Kirito, and Asuna was also famous not only because of her beauty, but also because of her overwhelming speed and ability. Yuna and Sinon, being two very unique players in their own right, also shone brightly. Due to that, Nautilus and Drifter, who didn''t have any defining qualities to set them apart, went mostly unnoticed most of the time.

    However, the truth was that both were extremely skilled players. They had to be, otherwise they couldn''t have earned their spots on the frontlines. Nautilus'' quiet nature and low-key attitude only highlighted his abilities, if only you searched for it.

    The battle right now was the perfect example. The blade-user was facing off against two << Forest Elf Scouts >> at the same time, and yet his movements were steady, without any hint of nervousness.

    Blocking one attack with his shield, Nautilus knocked the sword aside and stepped closer to the mob, restricting his range of movement. With a << Horizontal >>, he almost cleaved the forest elf in half, and the position he ended in just so happened to allow him to dodge the second enemy, before performing a backwards slash on his leg. What others might consider luck, Drifter knew it was, in fact, the result of carefully made calculations.

    This was the kind of fighter Nautilus was. Calm, steady, even cold. The boy didn''t earn his place amongst the frontliners to being in the same party as the beater Kirito, as many thought, but had earned it himself.

    Swiping his spear, Drifter deflected an incoming attack, and focused on the new enemy that appeared in front of him. The party had already killed three << Forest Elf Scouts >>, and yet three more had spawned to replace them, keeping their numbers at six, the same as the party. He could see from that that the battle didn''t depend on the players, but rather on the result of the NPCs'' fight.

    "Asuna! Watch out!"

    Hearing the desperation in Kirito''s voice, Drifter''s head unconsciously snapped to search for the fencer. It was so sudden that he even forgot he was in the middle of a fight, and was hit hard in the chest because of it, losing a good portion of his health.

    With a grunt, he refocused on the << Forest Elf Scout >> in front of him. Using a << Vertical >>, he knocked the enemy''s sword out of the way, before following through with a thrust through his head, and another swipe to finish it all off.

    His attention immediately went to Asuna, and what he saw caused him to despair. The << Forest Elf Falconer >> had somehow managed to untangle himself from his fight against the dark elf lady, and had rushed towards Asuna with a haughty smirk on his face.

    "Do pardon me, but as I did back then, I''ve identified the weakest one."

    Kirito had moved to stand in front of Asuna, and crossed swords with the falconer. But, as it turned out, the mob was using himself as a distraction, allowing his pet to grab Asuna in its talons, and fly up with her.

    "Asuna!"

    Just as Drifter and the others were despairing, a shadow pounced on the falcon''s back. A huge mob, which looked like a << Roaring Wolf >>, but with its fur many tones darker, bit the falcon''s neck, dragging it down. Asuna and the two animals collapsed into a heap on the ground, but the fencer was quick to regain her footing and slip away from the brawling creatures.

    Going through a roller-coaster of emotions, Drifter lowered his spear, and Sinon relaxed her bowstring. The party looked at each other while forcing back the << Forest Elf Scouts >>. Asuna was the most haggard of the bunch, her hazel eyes open wide, traumatized by the sudden flight.

    "W-What is it now?!"

    "Of course! If the forest elves have falconers, then the dark elves have... Wolf-handlers!"

    Out of who knows where, another dark elf had appeared, this one a male. His face was contorted in rage as he immediately attacked the << Forest Elf Falconer >>.

    "Falconer! In the name of my fallen wife, you must die!"

    Staring at the two NPCs duke it out, the party didn''t know what to do. Why did it feel like their roles were inverted, and the elves were the main characters? It was like they had been drawn into their story.

    "Wife?! Fallen?! Kirito, what the hell is going on?!"

    "No idea! But this should be the end of the plot for this quest. No more << Forest Elf Scouts >> are spawning, see?!"

    The others realized what the swordsman was saying was true. There were only four forest elves remaining, without including the falconer.

    "All right! Let''s finish them off and watch the show!"

 Chapter 41 - Kizmel

    "Hyah!"

    Shouting, Asuna ducked under a swing of her opponent''s sword, and retaliated with two quick jabs of her rapier. Before she attacked again, a blade appeared above her head, hitting the << Forest Elf Scout >> diagonally on the neck, and almost cleaving him in half. Puffing, the fencer stood up straight, and high-fived with Nautilus.

    "Thanks, Naut!"

    "You had it under control."

    "Hehe!"

    Drifter looked at the pair exchanging mock praises, and chuckled. That had been the last forest elf. Now, the party could just watch the other two battles which were happening in the clearing.

    On one side, a wolf and a falcon were trying to tear each other apart with teeth, beak, claws, and talons. It wasn''t a confrontation anyone ever expected to see, but the way the two animals fought was brutal and savage.

    Nearby, the duo of dark elves - which appeared to be brother and sister-in-law from the snippets of conversation Drifter managed to catch - were trying their hardest to murder the << Forest Elf Falconer >>. The mob was holding his ground against them, though his haughty smirk had disappeared.

    "Should we help?"

    "I dunno... The falconer is strong, far stronger than the knight."

    "The NPCs already did the majority of the damage, even if we attack him there probably won''t be any rewards."

    "But, they seem like they are struggling. Shouldn''t we... Huh? This is..."

    They were just chatting idly when Yuna happened to spot a small leaf bag on the ground. With an exclamation, she picked it up, prompting a notification to show up on the party''s HUD, saying they had acquired the quest item << Secret Key >>.

    Almost at the same time that happened, the << Forest Elf Falconer >> turned his head and glared at them. The party immediately tensed up, and prepared to deal with the enemy.

    "Vermin!"

    He didn''t disappoint. With a shout, the forest elf sent both of the friendly NPCs staggering back, and charged at the players. His speed was almost too fast for them to react, and before they knew it, the falconer was already on top of them. He completely disregarded Nautilus and Kirito, who were the first line of defense, homing in onto Yuna, who held the satchel.

    Drifter and Asuna tried to stop him, but the forest elf simply ignored their attacks, allowing their weapons to sink into his body without losing speed. It was Sinon who finally managed to stop him, by standing right in front of Yuna. The archer had forsaken her bow in favor of her dagger. A wise choice, considering she would only be able to fire one arrow before the mob got up close and personal.

    Relying on her quick reflexes, Sinon dodged the incoming sword, letting it hit the ground right next to her feet. The dagger in her hand immediately slashed upwards, leaving a shallow cut on the << Forest Elf Falconer''s >> left shoulder. Right after, she twirled her fingers, changing to a reverse grip, and delivered the real killing blow, a << Fatal Flaw >>, which could only be used when the opponent left their guard completely open - just like the falconer did when he disregarded her to go after Yuna.

    And yet, just as the dagger was about to sink into the side of his neck, the << Forest Elf Falconer >> jerked his head back. A thin red line was drawn on his neck, but it barely did any damage. That cocky smirk returned to his lips, and he looked down upon the archer. It looked like the mob was about to say something - mock her, probably, his AI was really infuriating. Whatever it was, however, was interrupted by Yuna smashing his nose in with her elbow.

    << Martial Arts: Brick Break >>!

    "Ugh!"

    If even Sinon could take time to put down her bow and improve on her close-quarters skills, how could Yuna not do something similar? Only, instead of << Dagger >>, she had focused on << Martial Arts >>. The songstress didn''t need to defeat any enemy using it - only be skilled enough to survive until her party could support her.

    This was something the group had discussed a long time ago. As a unique player who used musical instruments instead of real weapons, Yuna would always be seen as the weak link of the party. Against normal mobs that wouldn''t be a problem - they just followed their aggro system, after all. But Kirito had already told them that higher floor mobs had much more developed AI - and today''s battle provided hard evidence of this.

    Yuna didn''t want to play the role of damsel in distress. No, she absolutely refused to be a burden to her party.

    The << Forest Elf Falconer >> clearly wasn''t ready for the blow, and stumbled back. By then, Kirito, Asuan, Nautilus, and Drifter had already turned around, and there was no chance in hell they would let the mob continue to do as he pleased.

    Several different skills landed on the forest elf, causing him to scream in pain. But an elite mob was an elite mob, after all. His HP fell by another 10%, and entered the red, but the << Forest Elf Falconer >> managed to knock the entire party back with two swipes of his sword, before jumping away, and climbing a tree to stand on one of the branches, looking down upon the others. By now, the two dark elves had joined the party, and the forest elf knew his chance was lost.

    "Our whole troop was wiped out. I must admit, I am impressed. But on the other hand..."

    Suddenly throwing his head back  the << Forest Elf Falconer >> screamed.

    "Aaaaaargh! Why did all my allies have to be a bunch of useless garbage?!"

    Grimacing after the outburst, the forest elf held his side, where a large wound could be seen. He whistled, and his falcon disengaged from the scuffle against the wolf to fly towards him.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "I will come back to take that key someday. But I hope we can put an end to this vengeance business someday..."

    "Wait! This isn''t the end of this!"

    "Don''t flee, coward!"

    The two dark elves launched themselves at the falconer, but it was too late. Grabbing one of the ankles of his pet, the << Forest Elf Falconer >> was carried away through the sky, his last words still audible.

    "You see, I have no interest in this childish rivalry."

    "Ahhhh!"

    Without another world, only a guttural shout, the wolf-handler rushed in pursuit of the forest elf. He didn''t even spare another glance at the party. As for the original dark elf, the female warrior, for a second it looked like she was about to do the same, but in the end she stopped, and stayed. Walking towards Yuna, she put forth her hand.

    "The << Secret Key >>. Might you entrust me with it?"

    "Oh! Of course."

    "Haaa... The Sanctuary is safe for now."

    The dark elf lady gripped the small bag tightly, holding it close to her chest as she murmured something in a language none of them understood. Only after putting the << Secret Key >> away did she look at the party.

    "You have my thanks, human warriors. The commander will wish to reward you personally. Please, will you come with me to our base camp?"

    Even though they just finished a harsh battle, the dark elf still showed a beautiful smile. Above her head, a quest marker appeared. The party looked at Kirito, the only one who might know something, but by now they had screwed up the quest line so much that the swordsman could only shrug. Seeing this, Asuna stepped forward and bowed formally.

    "In that case, we accept your offer!"

    "Eh, Asuna, it''s best to give a clear-cut answer to NPCs..."

    "Very well. The base camp is through the woods to the south. Come with me."

    The dark elf interrupted Kirito, and turned around, leading them deeper into the forest. The black-haired boy was staring at her back agape. The party looked at him weirdly, and Drifter nudged him to get him moving.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Ah, nothing... It''s just I''ve never seen an NPC behaving like this."

    "I get what you mean. The NPCs in the cities are very robotic compared to her. She''s a lot more natural when she''s talking."

    "Yeah. They really beefed up the AI since the beta."

    "What''s a beta?"

    "Huh?!"

    The party had automatically ignored the dark elf as they talked. NPCs followed a routine, and even if you mentioned the most outrageous things in front of them, as long as it didn''t trigger their response system, they wouldn''t do anything. But... Why was this particular NPC not following the norm?

    The dark elf had, at some moment, slowed down to stand next to the group, and was looking at the players curiously. Her pointy ears shook when she tilted her head, looking nothing like an elite mob, and more like a curious kid.

    "What''s a beta? Pardon me if I am intruding."

    She seemed to think they didn''t understand the question, so she repeated it. She even apologized, thinking she might have touched upon some secret. Little did she know that the players weren''t answering because they were completely and utterly stunned.

    An NPC asking what a beta test was. Was there anything more ridiculous and outlandish than this? If the party told other players, they would be laughed at, because it was simply unbelievable. And yet, it was happening right now. Yuna barely managed to stammer a response.

    "A-A beta is like a... S-Simulation of something. A test trial."

    "I see. Humankind comes up with the most interesting terms."

    The dark elf warrior giggled, which did not fit at all with her image. Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, Asuna, and especially Kirito, were still too dumbfounded to appreciate her smile. It was only after a few seconds that they seemed to regain their mental facilities.

    "You said we are going to your base camp... Right?"

    "Yes. It was only due to your timely assistance that I was able to survive and recover the << Secret Key >>. I am sure the commander will want to congratulate you."

    "Okay..."

    There was an awkward silence for the next few minutes, but they had Yuna in their party, who simply couldn''t stay quiet for long. And this time, they made sure to include the dark elf in the conversation, as it was clear her AI was advanced enough to keep up.

    "So, what''s your name? It''s weird to keep addressing you as ''you''. Ah, we should introduce ourselves first. I''m Yuna, and those are Nautilus, Sinon, and Kirito. The one fidgeting over there is Asuna, and the grumpy looking one is Drifter."

    "Yuna! I''m not fidgeting!"

    "I''m not grumpy, it''s you who are a little kid, Yun''. And why did you single me and Asuna out anyway?"

    The dark elf''s AI was impressive and all, but Kirito was the only one still shocked by it. Maybe because the rest of the party didn''t have nearly as much experience with MMORPGs, they didn''t think too much of it, and soon resumed their normal behavior, which included a lot of Yuna and Drifter trading barbs.

    "Pffft... Hahahaha... You are pretty close, aren''t you?"

    The dark elf wasn''t talking just about Drifter and Yuna, but the whole party. From how they fought, she could see how much they valued each other. In fact, she wanted to say that they were actually pretty strong, but that would have been impolite, as it would sound like she was slighting them.

    What struck her the most about this group of humans was how casual they were. A Hallowed Knight of the forest elves was no weak enemy, and the troop of scouts that followed, not to mention the falconer, weren''t to be overlooked either. After fighting such an extensive and tiring battle, the humans should have been exhausted, at the very least. And yet, not much time had passed, but they were already conversing and joking without a care. This kind of mentality was something only the most experienced of warriors could have.

    Deciding they were worth her respect, the dark elf gave them a proper military salute of the dark elves, heels touching and back straight, a closed fist crossed over her chest.

    "My name is Kizmel. A proud member of the Lyusula Royal Guard, and more specifically, the Pagoda Knights Brigade. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

    The greeting was so formal, the party felt the urge to bow in return. Two of them, Asuna and Kirito, in fact did, saying the customary ''nice to meet you''.

    After that, Kizmel completely integrated into the conversation. Kirito, Asuna, and Yuna asked her plenty of questions regarding the dark elves, and the party once again marveled at her AI. In their walk to the elven camp, Kizmel told them a lot about their war against the forest elves, filling in the details of the lore that Kirito had forgotten, or simply not cared about during the beta.

    Apparently thousands of years ago, the dark elves and forest elves lived in relative harmony, each in their own kingdoms. But one day they suddenly lost their power to use magic. Skip forward some few hundred years, the two tribes of elves started fighting because of the << Secret Keys >>. The dark elves'' belief was that they had to protect the keys, and never allow them to be used, or their entire race would perish, while the forest elves believed the opposite, that by bringing the keys to the sacred Spirit Tree and using them, magic would be returned. The two types of elves had been fighting for centuries because of their different beliefs.

    It was only a few weeks ago that a forest elf spy stole one of the << Secret Keys >> guarded by the dark elves on the 9th floor, and Kizmel had been hunting him down since then. Finally, she had managed to recover it with the help of the players, and had to report to the dark elf commander. According to Kirito, that was pretty much how the quest is supposed to go, with the special addition of Kizmel, who shouldn''t have survived originally.

    "Woah... Magic?! So cool! You really can''t use it anymore?"

    "Unfortunately not, Asuna. Ever since the Grand Separation, magic has been lost to all races."

    "Grand Separation? What''s that?"

    Kizmel looked weirdly at them, as if unable to comprehend how the players didn''t know such basic knowledge. It was the most famous legend amongst all people, after all.

    "The day we were punished by the gods and chained to our floating prison, of course."

 Chapter 42 - Talks in the Bath

    The dark elf camp was pretty much what one would imagine. A few dozen tents, surrounded by a wooden palisade. The trees around it had been cut down, clearing the line of sight so they could spot enemies more easily. Inside, hundreds of dark elf warriors went about their day. They didn''t even glance at the players when they appeared, as if they weren''t there.

    The commander himself behaved much more like the NPCs the party was used to. He gave a clearly scripted speech and thanked the party for assisting them against the villainous forest elves. When Kirito purposely said things in a roundabout manner, as a test, the dark elf commander froze for a second, before repeating his last sentence. It appeared only Kizmel was able to keep a natural conversation and understand the players.

    That discovery caused Drifter to unconsciously heave a sigh of relief. He liked Kizmel and all, but if every NPC was advanced like her, SAO would be a thousand times more complicated.

    The completion of the first quest in the << Elf War >> campaign brought a surprise to the party. Amongst the rewards they received, besides experience and cor, there was also a piece of equipment.

    Drifter held the shining new spear in his hands, admiring it. The shaft was made of dark wood, rigid and solid. It had a leaf-shaped spearhead, thin but deadly. Some orange plumes and feathers were tied by a string and hanging on the other end of the weapon. It reminded Drifter a little of the Hoko Yari spears seen in historical dramas.

    Running his fingers along the weapon, the spearman let out a sigh of admiration. His << Kobold Spear >> had served him well, but it was, after all, a 1st floor drop, and was starting to lag behind. This << Caldea Fana >> came just in time.

    "It means ''Lone Leaf'' in our language. It once belonged to a mighty royal knight. I''m sure it will serve you well, Drifter."

    The spear was heavier than he initially thought, but it suited him well, as his level was also much higher. Giving it a few practice swings, Drifter nodded satisfied, and sheathed it on his back as usual. Kizmel smiled.

    "Then, let me guide you to your tent. It may be cramped, but I trust you do not mind sleeping together?"

    A few of the party members - namely Asuna, Kirito, and Nautilus - blushed, but ended up agreeing, feeling it would be rude to reject. Besides, all six of them would be sleeping together, so it was a lot less embarrassing than just two or three of them.

    Drifter, on the other hand, didn''t pay much heed to it. He was older than the rest of his friends, and was a university student, so sharing a living space was nothing new to him. Since the dark elf camp was classified as a safe zone, it was a lot more convenient than having to go back and forth between Zumfut and the camp.

    The tent Kizmel guided them to wasn''t big, but it could accommodate all six of them quite easily. It even had a stove and several pieces of furniture. The only difference between this and their inn rooms back in Zumfut was that they would all have to sleep together.

    Without any regard for her image, Yuna threw herself on one of the fur mats, and rolled around. Drifter facepalmed and sighed, which attracted her ire. Sitting up while clutching a pillow, the songstress pointed a finger at Drifter, Kirito, and Nautilus.

    "You boys better not be thinking anything perverted, okay?!"

    "Oi! The only one who has to take her mind outta the gutter here is you."

    "Humph! Asuna, Sinon, let''s cuddle together tonight! Do not give them a chance!"

    The two boys plus Asuna blushed and stammered an answer. Sinon, on the other hand, simply flicked the songstress on the forehead, then sat down next to her. As for Drifter, he had learned that when Yuna behaved like that, the best way to deal with it was to ignore her. Plus, watching her pout was a joy in itself.

    He was doing exactly that when he saw Kizmel taking off her cape and armor, and hanging it on a stand. The NPC noticed his inquisitive look.

    "This is just a temporary military camp, so we do not have enough tents to house guests. This is my tent."

    "Ah, then thank you very much for having us."

    Drifter nodded his gratitude to the dark elf. It was hard to treat her just as an NPC when she was so realistic, and the reply came naturally.

    "You can dine at that oval tent in the middle of the camp whenever you are hungry. There is also a simple bathing tent you may use."

    "Woah! You have a bath?!"

    "Of course, we are not beasts or savages, but civilized elves. Being able to eat and rest well is essential to a warrior''s well-being."

    Intimidated by Asuna''s brightly shining puppy eyes, Kizmel led the party out of the tent. Drifter had never seen anyone who liked to take baths as much as Asuna. Every night, as long as it was available, the fencer would soak for almost an hour before going to bed.

    "W-Wait, Asuna!"

    With the tone of someone trying to prevent a calamity, Kirito rushed to stop the fencer. Yet, he was a little too late. Asuna stopped in front of the bathing tent, as Kizmel unhurriedly went in, lifting the tent flaps.

    "Err... There''s only one tent, meaning it''s a mixed bath. And it''s a tent, so there''s no door."

    Drifter and the rest of the party suddenly found something very interesting on the other side of the camp, leaving Kirito alone to his fate. As for why the swordsman was singled out by Asuna, everyone knew, but decided it was wiser not to comment.

    "Hahahaha... Are all human couples as funny as you?"

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    "W-We are not a couple!"

    Kirito and Asuna froze for a second before yelling in unison. Meanwhile, Drifter''s and Yuna''s eyes shone when they looked at Kizmel, who was covering her mouth and laughing. Both had the feeling they had just found a new ally in their efforts to matchmake their friends.

    After much shouting and rustling, it was decided that the girls would take a bath first, while the boys would stay outside and guard the tent - since there was no door, there obviously was no lock either. Whether that was a reward or a punishment to them was unknown.

    After things settled down, the girls started chatting. And, with just a wall of cloth between them, the men could hear everything, so it wasn''t long before they too were involved in the conversation.

    Kizmel told them the tragic story of how her sister, who was married to the wolf-handler from earlier, had been killed by the << Forest Elf Falconer >> during a raid on their village. It was due to that tragedy that Kizmel, who is a royal knight and should''ve been guarding the main settlement of the dark elves, on the 9th floor, requested to come on this military expedition in search of the << Secret Key >>, and, more importantly, of revenge.

    The NPC also talked about the capital of their kingdom, the Royal City of Lyusula, and its many scenic points. According to her, it was a beautiful place, one of the only two remaining kingdoms since the Grand Separation. The other kingdom was Kales''Oh, of the forest elves.

    "This isn''t the first time you mentioned this Grand Separation, Kizmel. What exactly was that?"

    The party didn''t have time to ask earlier, during their walk, as they arrived at the camp and got busy with handing the quest in and accepting the next one. Once more, the question caused the dark elf to look at Yuna curiously.

    "You really don''t know? I thought the old legend was well-known amongst all races. Though... You don''t see many humans around anymore, so the tales might have been lost."

    The 3rd through the 9th floor was elven territory, so there were very few human NPCs. Luckily, Kizmel kept going, so they didn''t have to create a story to explain to her why they didn''t know Aincrad''s lore.

    "The legends say that many thousands of years ago, our kind lived on the ground, and so did countless other races, from humans to dwarves. While there were disputes and skirmishes, the land was mostly at peace. Until one day, a disaster struck. Something angered the gods, and so they decided to punish all people by separating them and trapping them in this floating prison. Aincrad."

    Even though she was too young to have personally experienced any of this, there was still a trace of forlornness in Kizmel''s voice.

    "The gods cut a hundred different regions of the earth in circles, and raised them into the sky, carrying with them my ancestors and yours. The smallest circle was no more than three kilometers across, while the largest was over ten kilometers. They were then stacked and connected by the towers, creating the floating fortress on which we are now."

    There was a small pause before Kizmel continued, as if she was deciding what to say.

    "Even after the creation of Aincrad by the gods, there was still a time when all races could go wherever they pleased inside the castle. But, as magic started to fade and vanish, so did our ability to go beyond the floors we were on. It is only through the blessing of the Spirit Tree, which extends its roots across several floors, that elven kind can still travel between some floors. But it has been several years since we encountered any sentient being from the first two floors, or any beyond the 9th."

    "Eh? You can go through the labyrinth whenever you please? What about the floor bosses?"

    "Floor bosses? Ah, you must mean the guardians. They are powerful fallen beings, and traveling through the towers would require us to slay them. That would be far too perilous and costly. We travel through the Spirit Tree."

    "Can we do the same? I mean, travel with you via Spirit Tree?"

    There was a faint trace of hope in Asuna''s voice, but everyone knew how unlikely it was that Kayaba would leave such a huge loophole. Kizmel''s next words only confirmed their suspicion.

    "Unfortunately not, my human friend. Only those of elven blood can do so. But why do you want to travel to other floors?"

    Seeing their dejected but unsurprised looks, Kizmel couldn''t help but ask. Ever since she met the humans, she had a strange feeling. They were all very skilled warriors - even Yuna, who played music in battle - but at the same time, they were all so young. She knew humans aged much faster than elves, but still, she thought them too young to be partaking in such dangerous battles. Elves of their age would still be considered small children. Even Drifter, who was slightly older, would be the same.

    "I won''t lie to you, Kizmel. Until two months ago, most of us had never heard of Aincrad, much less set foot on it."

    "What? How is that possible?"

    After a moment of hesitation, Drifter spoke. He couldn''t mention anything about the real world or Aincrad being part of a game, or he might bug Kizmel''s AI. She was giving them a lot of useful information, so he didn''t want that to happen. Besides, the dark elf was kind of growing on the party. It was getting hard to think of her just as an NPC. But spinning the tale in such a way that it aligned with the lore should be okay.

    "''Bout two months ago, a maniac captured ten thousand people - humans - and trapped us on the 1st floor of Aincrad."

    "Who would have the power to do that? And why?! What kind of evil god..."

    Drifter paused. Evil god... He refused to think of Kayaba as a god, but in the world of Sword Art Online... Maybe that was an apt description.

    "Maybe the same one who created this prison. As for why... I''m not sure. Probably only he knows."

    "T-This... This is an incredible tale, Drifter."

    "Hah! A lot less incredible and much more horrifying when you are part of it. But Akihiko Kayaba - that''s his name by the way - gave us a way out, if it can even be considered that."

    "What way?"

    "To climb all one hundred floors of Aincrad, defeating all the floor bosses, and then challenge him in his palace at the top. If we win, we will be free. If we lose... Heh."

    There was a long period of silence after Drifter finished, during which only the sounds of bodies moving in the water, and then that of clothes rustling. After a few minutes, Kizmel walked out of the bathing tent wearing a tunic.

    The girls came out right after her, and stood next to Drifter, Nautilus, and Kirito. They were unsure of what the dark elf wanted. The whole party was surprised when she gave them a military salute.

    "My friends, I swear that after my quest to retrieve and return the << Secret Keys >> to their rightful places is complete, I will aid you in escaping Aincrad."

    "Kizmel!"

    "You... Why?"

    The dark elf smiled.

    "You said the evil god Kayaba trapped you on the 1st floor. That means in two short months, you have climbed to the 3rd floor, and bested two guardians. I do not know what price you paid to accomplish such a remarkable feat, but now I am even more certain you are venerable warriors. Pledging myself to your cause is no shame. And besides... I might find the way to save my people too if I go with you."

    This had gone far beyond the behavior any NPC should - could - have. But no one cared or even remembered about that now. Seeing the resolute expression on the dark elf''s face, they all felt moved. Kirito put out his hand to her.

    "It would be our honor to have you fight beside us, Kizmel."

    The dark elf stared at the offered hand for an awkward minute, seemingly confused. Only then did she realize what the gesture meant, and put forth her own hand to grip Kirito''s. Her reaction caused the entire party to laugh.

    "Human costumes are weird."

    [ Kizmel joined your party. ]

 Chapter 43 - Yunas Fears

    The following morning, the party set out to complete the second quest in the << Elf War >> campaign: << Vanquishing the Spiders >>. Only, they now had a seventh member with them.

    Maybe because she was considered a quest-related NPC, Kizmel didn''t count towards the limit of six people per party. So now, below their health bars in the HUD, there was an additional one. Her level also seemed to have been adjusted to fit with the rest, so they unfortunately didn''t have an overpowered 7th floor elite NPC they could use to one-shot every mob in their path. Nevertheless, her addition was a huge boost to the party''s fighting prowess.

    A lot had been discussed last night, including what Kizmel''s existence meant to the << Elf War >> campaign. And wasn''t that an awkward talk to try and have with her around. They couldn''t just say she was supposed to die originally, right? But they managed to skirt around the more tense points leaving Kizmel only confused, but not with her world-view shattered.

    According to Kirito, their local MMORPG specialist, the << Elf War >> campaign was composed of many multi-instance quests. Meaning, every time a new party started the quest, a new instance would be generated. Asuna had been especially horrified to find out that there were several copies of Kizmel who would die to start the campaign. The swordsman said that it was already a miracle that they managed to save her, and he doubted any other party would even try when it was much safer to just follow the script.

    "Drifterrrrr... Do we really need to go?"

    Yuna hopefully clutched his sleeve, trying to stop him. She had been acting like that ever since she first saw the name of the quest. However, she hadn''t accepted to stay back in the dark elf camp, and insisted on coming with them. Her fear of the eight-legged critters and her resolution to fight alongside her party were clashing, resulting in her very hesitant pace.

    Drifter knew that, but the fact Yuna was still here meant she had also made her choice. He never doubted her. No frontliner would stop because of something as inane as fear. He patted her head.

    "Of course we do, Yun''. Even I know spiders are a common trope in RPGs, much like the wolves we keep finding. You''ve gotta get used to them. Besides, it will be a great chance to try out your new song."

    The night before, Kizmel had curiously asked Yuna about why she played music in the midst of a battle. After learning that the songstress could use music to heal and buff her allies, the dark elf connected it to the old shamanic rituals of her people. She then offered to teach Yuna several elven songs she knew. One of them resulted in a skill. << Del Din >>. Silent Fear.

    The name was intimidating, and so was the melody. A deep, slow tune that sent shivers down the spine of whoever was listening. Enemies especially would feel intense dread when hearing the song, causing their agility stat to drop drastically, and with a chance of inflicting a ''fear'' debuff, which rendered them unable to attack for the next few seconds.

    "Ugh... Okay."

    "You showed no fear even when facing the despicable falconer of the forest elves, Yuna. Why do you behave like so when against mere spiders?"

    "They are disgusting, Kizmel! They have so many legs and eyes! And they are hairy! And they are so fast, and they hide, and... Kirito said they are almost a meter big here!"

    "I''m eyeballing it, but I would say it''s ''bout a meter and a half, actually."

    "See? How can you not be afraid of a spider that gigan... Wait. Drifter, did you say you are ''eyeballing'' it?"

    "Yup. It''s right over there."

    "Kyaaaah!"

    Later, the party would swear they never heard Yina reach such a high tune before, not even when she tried her hardest during her performances. The squeal she made was so high-pitched that it momentarily stunned her friends. Kizmel, who was more sensitive to sound, even rubbed her pointy ears.

    "Sorry!"

    Directing a glare at the songstress, Drifter raised his newly acquired << Caldea Fana >> to meet the incoming << Thicket Spider >>. << Rage Spike >> pierced right through its exoskeleton, and he swung his spear at the ground, with the mob still impaled in it. With a disgustingly wet noise, the spider was crushed.

    Of course, just two attacks weren''t enough to kill the mob, but the << Thicket Spider >> relied on its venom to hunt. After the short combo, it had almost half of its health.

    Drifter would give it to Yuna, the creature was ugly. The fact that it was now leaking green blood from the holes and cracks in its exoskeleton didn''t help either.

    "Ahhh! Kill it! Kill it with fire!"

    "Yuna, stop screaming and start singing!"

    Exasperated, Sinon smacked the songstress in the back of the head. Ignoring her pout, the archer knocked an arrow on her bow, and fired, piercing one of the eyes of the << Thicket Spider >>, and luckily scoring a critical hit.

    Kirito and Asuna also rushed forward, and started dishing out attacks. As for Nautilus and Kizmel, they both hung back, attentively watching the surroundings. The spider in front of them was already done for, but this type of individually weak mob rarely appeared alone.

    Sure enough, another two << Thicket Spiders >> were stalking them, and only showed up now that half of the party was engaging the first one.

    Nautilus used << Taunt >> to draw one of them his way, while Kizmel charged the other with her sword glowing purple, a sign of the usage of some skill Drifter had never seen before. With a single slash, the dark elf cut off two of the spider''s legs, leaving it shrieking in agony.

    Just then, a sad and depressing flute melody rang out, causing even the party to shudder. The spiders had even more extreme reactions to << Del Din >>. Not only did their speed noticeably drop, but the one Nautilus was fighting even stopped attacking and covered its head with two of its legs. That was the ''fear'' status effect in action!

    The shield-bearer was far too good of a player to waste such an opportunity. His blade flashed forward, cleaving half of a leg and one of the << Thicket Spider''s >> pincers. Then, Nautilus twisted his weapon, gouging out a deep hole in the mob''s face. To finish his combo, he smashed the monster''s head in with the appropriately named << Shield Bash >>.

    "Switch!"

    The ash-haired player didn''t even have to end the mob''s life himself. Having already killed the first spider, Kirito came to his aid, while Drifter and Asuna went to help Kizmel - not that either of them needed it. Within twenty seconds, the remaining two << Thicket Spiders >> had been slain.

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    "Oh, << Durable Spider Web >>! And two of them! We struck it rich, people! Those can sell for 250 cor each, or we can find a tailor to fashion some armor for us!"

    "Really? We gotta get some more then. Liz''s << Cyan Scale Armor Set >> is good, but it''s too heavy for the lightly armored players. That could be a good replacement."

    "Nautilus, that was a great combo!"

    Chatter filled the clearing as the party looked at the drops. With three players with high levels of mastery in << Searching >>, they weren''t worried about being ambushed.

    "See, Yuna? It wasn''t so bad, was it?"

    Kizmel showed a candid smile, and gave the songstress a crooked thumbs-up - a gesture she had learned from Asuna earlier today. Yuna could only smile wryly, knowing the dark elf meant well and wanted to encourage her.

    "You even managed to perform perfectly under those circumstances. I must admit, I am astounded. Never had I imagined music could be used in battle, and yet, the effect was noticeable. Truly unbelievable."

    "Hehehe! It''s all thanks to you teaching << Del Din >> to me."

    "Hey, you two! We found the cave!"

    Their conversation was interrupted by Asuna, who was waving her hand. She had used her rapier to cut some vines which were covering an opening into the earth.

    "Coming!"

    Without much hesitation, the party entered the cave. It was dark, and they had to rely on the torches Kirito and Drifter were carrying to see anything. They naturally placed Yuna and Sinon in the middle of the group while the rest surrounded them.

    "How are we supposed to fight while carrying these?"

    Amongst the many base skills, there existed a << One-handed Spear >>, and Drifter''s mastery in it was not low, near 400 points. However, that didn''t mean he could fight well using only one hand to hold his spear, only that the damage reduction from not wielding the weapon properly would be less. It also allowed him to use some skills one-handedly, such as << Linear >>, << Sting >>, and << Horizontal>>. Any of the more complex abilities, however, needed both hands.

    Unfortunately, there was no one else more suited to carry the torch in this environment. Kirito could still fight while holding the flame since he used a one-handed sword, but Yuna, Nautilus, and Sinon all needed two hands to fight. Asuna relied on her speed, so she also couldn''t carry it. That left only Drifter and Kizmel, and the dark elf would be more useful than him inside the cave.

    It was said that one inch longer was one inch stronger, but there were always exceptions to the rule. Inside a closed environment like this cave, Drifter couldn''t exert his spear skills to the maximum, so he was delegated to the role of torch-bearer.

    "Incoming!"

    At the front, Nautilus was the first to spot the two << Thicket Spiders >>. Here, with only the flickering light of the two torches to illuminate, the mobs looked a lot more menacing.

    There was no need to taunt the monsters, as they launched themselves at the blade-user as soon as he came into range. However, before they could reach him, Asuna had already knocked one of them back with a series of stabs and jabs. Under her leadership, it didn''t take more than two minutes to eliminate the mobs.

    "I didn''t mention it before, but you really aren''t afraid of spiders, are you, Asuna?"

    "Hmm? Why did you think I would, Sinon?"

    "I dunno. Just seemed like the kinda thing you would dislike. You love cute and clean things, and you hated the kobolds on floor 1, and they were nowhere near as gross as those << Thicket Spiders >>."

    "Eh, I don''t like spiders, but they don''t scare me. You''ve just gotta squash them. Although those are a little too big to be squashed."

    "Hahahahaha!"

    Everyone laughed when they saw Asuna''s innocent and cute expression, with one finger tapping her lips in doubt.

    Like that, the party advanced deeper into the cave, fighting off batches of << Thicket Spiders >>, sometimes as many as five at once. With their abilities, not to mention the fact they were a never-seen-before seven-people party, they made it through almost unscathed. There was only once where Asuna got a little careless, and ended up bitten and poised, but they had prepared antidotes just for that.

    Their << Vanquishing the Spiders >> quest was comprised of two objectives. The first was to kill 100 << Thicket Spiders >>, which they were slowly but surely coming close to accomplishing. The second was to find a dead dark elf scout, and bring the leaf-shaped emblem he carried back to the commander.

    They found the dark elf pretty easily. Or, at least, what was left of him. Apart from some broken bones and strands of silk, there was only a small badge, the quest item. Kizmel clutched it strongly, an unreadable expression on her face, before putting it away.

    "Wait. What''s that noise?"

    "Sounds like people talking. Players."

    "Players?"

    Kizmel asked them curiously when she saw that her companions'' faces had turned grim. Maybe a ''player'' was some sort of monster?

    "Players are what we call each other, the people Kayaba kidnapped."

    "Isn''t it good news then, finding one of your own?"

    "Not all players are on good terms. Especially that one who is coming, I would recognize that obnoxious voice anytime. C''mon, enter that side tunnel over there. I would really rather not meet Kibaou right now."

    Asuna put her hands on Kizmel''s back and pushed the dark elf, who was still looking in the direction Kibaou and the ALS players were coming. They hid where the fencer had shown, and, soon enough, heard the other group passing by, with Kibaou cursing loudly about how dark the dungeon was. They didn''t see the ALS people, but by the noise, there should''ve been only one party. It made sense. Any more than that wouldn''t be viable in the cave.

    After Kibaou and his minions were gone, the party returned to the main path, and continued to brave their way deeper into the cave. Still, Kizmel was full of incisive questions, causing Kirito to sigh continuously as he answered.

    "Do you have enmity with each other? Pardon me if I''m being rude, but humans in the castle have always been mostly peaceful, so I am curious."

    "Ahhh... I wouldn''t use ''enmity'' to describe it. We simply had some conflicts of interest before. After all, there are... Were ten thousand players, but resources are limited."

    "You''ve fought them before? How is their strength?"

    Kirito was stunned for a second before chuckling and waving Kizmel off.

    "It''s not to the point where we would draw swords on each other. Just... They don''t like us, and we don''t like them, so it''s best to avoid confrontation."

    "Humph! He is an idiot!"

    Asuna muttered under her breath, grumbling, and Kizmel made the smart choice of acting as if she didn''t hear it.

    "I see... There are certainly some other brigades that don''t have the best relationship with my Pagoda Knights Brigade. But in the end, we are all on the same side."

    "Yeah, that''s pretty much the same situation as us. To be honest, if there was no Kibaou, we might not have made it to the 3rd floor at all. Though he is a hot-headed moron, he is a good fighter."

    "Why was he even here at all? Could he also be doing the campaign? Kirito?"

    Thinking of the cactus-haired brute, Drifter put forth the question. Kirito pursued his lips, then shook his head.

    "No. He is probably here for the guild creation quest. But if he thinks it''s going to be that easy, he is being too naive."

    It was not even two hours later that they heard a huge commotion from up ahead. Once again, they hid in a side tunnel, but this time they didn''t even need to bother, because the ALS party was running for their lives, and had no time to pay attention to them.

    "Fuck! Who the hell said that thing was easy to kill?!"

    Kibaou and his party ran past them leaving behind only a string of expletives. Chasing after the players was a gigantic silvery-black spider, at least two meters tall and six meters long. No matter how you looked at it, that was the field-boss, << Nephila Regina >>.

    Yuna paled considerably when the huge spider appeared, but thankfully the field-boss was too occupied hunting down Kibaou and his party to notice them. That is, until Kizmel and Asuna rushed out at the same time and struck it. The spider turned to them with venom dripping out of its fangs. The songstress almost fainted at the sight.

    "Ahh! Why did you do that?!"

    "Such a foul beast can''t be allowed to live, or others might suffer the same fate as our scout."

    "I don''t like Kibaou, but I can''t just watch."

    Hearing their reasons, Drifter and the party smiled wryly. What else could they do but fight?

    "Argh! Whatever! Let''s get this over with! Agh! Disgusting!"

 Chapter 44 - Gold Mine

    Drifter didn''t see the attack before it hit him. One moment he was piercing his spear in the abdomen of << Nephila Regina >>, and the other something struck him and sent him flying until he collided with the wall. Worse yet, he didn''t fall down, but was glued to the rocks by a sticky spider web.

    The more he struggled to free himself, the tighter the web bound him. Worse still, he had no idea how long it would last, and even if he could free himself alone or needed someone''s help.

    "Drifter!"

    "Don''t worry about me! Finish it off!"

    Raising his gaze, he saw this party still engaged with the field-boss. Nautilus yelled his name, but the shield-bearer was too occupied to come to his aid. The others also had their hands full, so, looking at << Nephila Regina''s >> almost empty HP gauge, he shook his head and told them not to worry about him.

    The battle against << Nephila Regina >> had started... Not great. Not only was the field-boss a fearsome monster in its own right, with huge, venom-dripping fangs, eight legs as sharp as spears, and the ability to shoot out webs to trap the players, but Kayaba had also made another of his... Nifty changes to the monster. Now, any contact with the needle-like hairs that covered << Nephila Regina''s >> body had a chance to induce a paralysis debuff. Asuna was the first one to discover that, with nearly tragic consequences.

    The fencer had just finished an attack by using the field-boss as a stepping stone, and somersaulting away. Right in the middle of the jump, her body froze, and she crashed on the ground.

    While everyone was still stunned, trying to understand how that happened, << Nephila Regina >> hovered over Asuna, raising both of its front legs, ready to impale the defenseless player. It was only due to her quick reactions that Kizmel was able to block one leg, but the other hit Asuna directly, piercing the left lower side of her stomach and coming out of her back. Just that one hit shaved off more than half of Asuna''s HP. If both attacks had landed, she would''ve died instantly.

    The near-death experience sent left everyone feeling cold, not just Asuna. Just the other day they were joking that the 3rd floor mobs weren''t as hard as they expected. Now, they almost paid the price for their arrogance.

    After that scare, the party fought a lot more cautiously. Thankfully, the battle ended without any more accidents. << Nephila Regina >> was a field-boss, that was true, but she was designed to be handled by one, or at most two parties. What made the fight hard was the diversity of status effects it could apply: paralysis, poison, and that web which was as good as any crowd control skill.

    Now Drifter could see exactly why Kibaou and his minions ran away from the field-boss. Knowing the muscle-for-brains, he had learned that << Nephila Regina >> had high attack but low HP and defense, and brought a party composed entirely of heavy hitters, hoping to overwhelm the field-boss. With this kind of strategy, it was a surprise that all of them managed to survive.

    "Hey, is any of you going to free me, or are the drops more important?!"

    "I dunno, Drifter. Should we? You look pretty comfy."

    Drifter rolled his eyes. Great. Now even Nautilus was making fun of him. Where would his face go? But it couldn''t be helped. His position now was really compromising, stuck to the wall with one arm twisted behind his back and his legs akimbo. He knew that if it was someone else from the party in his place, he would also be snickering.

    "Har har har. Now get me down from here!"

    In the end, it was Kizmel who took pity on him and cut him free. Drifter thanked the dark elf, and glared at his so-called friends. But he couldn''t hold it for long before shaking his head and smiling wryly. He was not truly angry.

    "Great fight, Kizmel."

    Saying that, Drifter put up his hand, palm facing the dark elf, expecting a high-five. Kizmel just stared at his hand for a long  awkward while, before putting her palm together with his, and holding it there. She tilted her head and looked at him.

    "Is this another human custom, Drifter?"

    After a stupefied second, the players burst out laughing. Kirito went up to them, and demonstrated how to do a proper high-five.

    "It''s called a high-five, Kizmel. It''s a human gesture of commemoration."

    "All right!"

    The dark elf nodded, and, for some reason, her eyes shone with joy. Imitating Kirito, she clapped her hand with Drifter in a proper high-five. It was clear that she was very excited about it.

    "I call dibs on the drops."

    "You''re gonna be disappointed, Drifter. Just some mats, nothing else."

    "No way! Isn''t that the boss we have to kill for the guild creation quest? How come it''s so stingy?!"

    "We didn''t accept the quest, so the item didn''t appear. Otherwise, players could just endlessly farm it, and it would lose meaning."

    "Bah! All right. What''s next then?"

    "Hand in this quest, and continue the campaign. More importantly than the rewards, I think we should try to dig up as much information about the floor boss as we can. We don''t want a repeat of the previous floors."

    Several heads nodded, and Kirito led the party out of the cave following his map. It was when they were walking back and chatting that Drifter suddenly had a ''light bulb moment'', as Yuna called it.

    "Kizmel... The dark elves lived on the 3rd floor for a long time ago, right? And even now you still come here from time to time."

    "Yes. Why do you ask, Drifter?"

    "Well... You wouldn''t happen to know anything about this floor''s guardian, would you? Or know someone who does?"

    Kirito froze. The party froze. And then, as one, they slapped their foreheads. Of course! The reason Kirito was so invested in this << Elf War >> campaign wasn''t for the experience, cor, or items - even though they were nice. It was for information. Now, no one dared to fully believe the intel from the beta. Even Kirito and other beta-testers like him doubted themselves. But to make sure all of them survived, information was key. And there was a gold mine of it walking next to them, and they hadn''t realized it until Drifter brought it up just now! Instantly, all of them turned to Kizmel with hopeful eyes.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Uhmm... I don''t know much about the guardian myself, only that it is a corrupted treant. However, I can ask the commander when we go back to the camp. He should know more."

    "Thank you! You have no idea how helpful that will be!"

    The dark elf just waved off their gratitude, saying it was nothing. At the same time, her eyes shone with appreciation, and her already high approval of the humans grew even more. Though young, she saw not a sliver of hesitation in them, even when they talked about fighting an ancient and evil beast like the floor guardian.

    Their way back to the dark elf camp to hand in the quest and start the next part of the << Elf War >> campaign was done in a joyous mood. It only got better when Kizmel quickly fulfilled her promise, and went to talk to the commander.

    Drifter wasn''t actually sure if their new friend really had a conversation with the commander - the NPC was a lot more rigid than Kizmel - or if that was simply the excuse the system found for inputting new knowledge in her head, but either way, when the dark elf rejoined them, she had a whole lot to tell the party.

    Most of it was similar to what Kirito already knew from the beta. The 3rd floor boss was known as << Nerius the Evil Treant >>, a gigantic living tree that was rooted dead center of the boss room. It used its branches, roots, and vines to attack the players, and was a well-rounded boss, with high HP, high defense, and high attack. Its only major weaknesses were its slow attack speed, and the fact that it couldn''t move.

    Only, that last one was a lie. According to Kizmel, once enraged the floor boss would be able to use its roots as legs and chase after whoever was attacking it. In their heads, the players summarized that as its ''berserk phase''. Not only that, but Kizmel also said the boss was able to, in her own words, ''corrupt'' opponents. She didn''t know exactly what that entailed, since it had been centuries since the dark elves last challenged the evil treant, but that ''corruption'' was what wiped out the armies they sent.

    "Like we imagined, it will be different from the beta. Better let Argo know. And we also should do our best to finish the campaign as soon as possible."

    "How about we split tasks? I need to go to Zumfut to enhance my << Caldea Fana >> and talk to Liz. I also promised to meet Agil, and I can see Argo along the way. Meanwhile, you guys continue doing the quests."

    The party easily accepted Drifter''s proposition. The next few quests in the << Elf War >> campaign were mainly fetch quests and escort quests, so unless there were any accidents, they could complete them without any problems, even if Drifter wasn''t there. Not to mention, they had Kizmel to fill in for him.

    ...

    Once back in Zumfut, Drifter''s first stop was Liz''s blacksmithing stand. Like on the floor below, she had set up shop in the main plaza of the city. By now, Lisbeth was already a well-known name, one of the best, if not the best, non-affiliated forgers. All the other renowned blacksmiths belonged to either the Dragon Knights Brigade or the Aincrad Liberation Squad.

    Liz herself had received numerous offers to join the two soon-to-be guilds, but she rejected all of them. Her reason was that she wanted to help more players improve their equipment, and because of that she couldn''t become an exclusive blacksmith for either group. However, Drifter always felt that was just an excuse, and that Liz was just waiting for the right group of people to invite her.

    Anyway, even though it was the middle of the day, there were quite a few players waiting in line in front of Liz''s stand. The blacksmith saw him and nodded in greeting. He waved back, but didn''t go up to her.

    Drifter had a close friendship with her, and, exactly because of that, he wouldn''t cut in line and cause her trouble, so he went to the end of the queue. Liz saw that, and stuck out her tongue at him, then grinned.

    While waiting, Drifter started sending messages to Argo and Agil. The info broker was somewhere else doing who knows what, so she couldn''t come meet him. Instead, Drifter just sent her everything his party had about the << Elf War >> campaign, plus what Kizmel told them about << Nerius the Evil Treant >>. He refrained from telling her about Kizmel herself, though. It was not that he didn''t trust Argo, but he knew the dark elf was unique, unlike any other NPC. If news spread that she was anything other than a quest NPC, he could already imagine the fuss Kibaou and Lind would make. It would be the whole beater thing all over again.

    [ Argo: Quite the harvest, hum, Dri-bou? I don''t have enough cor at hand for that. ]

    [ Drifter: Doesn''t matter, this is info that should go into the guide anyway. You should especially make sure all frontliners know about it before the boss raid. ]

    [ Argo: Ya got it! I''ll put aside any juicy bits of intel I get for ya! Now I gotta go. Bye! ]

    "Hey, dude, the line''s moving."

    The player behind him tapped his shoulder, and Drifter took his eyes off his menu. Nodding, he saw that it was already his turn. He greeted Liz happily.

    "I like the hair, Liz."

    "Thanks! I''ve wanted to dye it since forever, and I''ve finally found an NPC who sells what I needed!"

    "Haha... You have to tell Sinon about it soon, then. She talked multiple times that she wanted to dye her hair too. If she comes to see you and you still haven''t told her about it, you are going to suffer."

    "Hehehe! Got it! And what do you have for me?"

    Liz''s hair was now dyed a light shade of pink, her bangs held up by a hammer-shaped hair clip. It suited her well. Drifter took out his new weapon, and handed it to her.

    "I want to enhance it. It can go up to +8, so getting it to a +6 should be doable."

    "Uhmm... The mats needed are all 2nd floor drops, but they are still quite rare."

    "Don''t worry, I''ve got them here."

    "Great! I''ll get started then! And while we wait, why are only you here today? You normally don''t go anywhere without at least Yun'' and Naut."

    While striking down with her hammer, Liz made small talk with Drifter.

    "They are following the elf campaign quests. I had to enhance this beauty, and I also promised Agil that we would try SAO''s alcohol together!"

    "What?!"

    The blacksmith looked up from her anvil, stunned. She was having trouble discerning if Drifter was telling the truth or just joking. Surely she had heard wrong, right?

    "Are you serious?"

    "Yep."

    "You... You really are something. How can you even have the peace of mind to go get drunk in our situation?"

    "I never said I was going to get drunk, only that we are going to try it out. Besides... We just beat the 2nd floor with no casualties. If that isn''t reason for celebration, what is?"

    "Still..."

    "Liz. I want to go back just as much as you and everyone else. But it isn''t happening anytime soon. You need to loosen up every once in a while."

    Whatever Liz wanted to say stopped in her throat. Drifter was right. If they didn''t even commemorate the good occasions, would they even have the willpower to make it to the end?

    Drifter had also left unsaid something else, but Liz didn''t notice his underlying meaning. Even if, and that was a big if, they one day managed to escape SAO, how many of the people they knew would still be with them? Drifter didn''t have any confidence in surviving, which was why he was so eager to enjoy the little moments.

    "Here, your << Caldea Fana +6 >>. It''s probably the second best equipment I saw ''till now, only behind Kirito''s << Anneal Blade +6 >>."

    "Thanks, Liz. We are lodging on the dark elf camp, so it might be a few days before we see you again. Good business!"

    After bidding the blacksmith farewell, Drifter turned around to leave. There was still a long line of customers behind him, after all. But just as he was walking away, Liz called him.

    "Drifter! When the strategy meeting happens... Message me, okay?"

    Hearing that, many emotions flashed through Drifter''s face. Surprise, curiosity, worry, admiration, joy. In the end, he grinned.

    "Will do."

 Chapter 45 - Drunken Stupor

    His meeting with Agil was going to happen on the 1st floor, Town of Beginnings. So, Drifter thought he might as well make use of the free time he had before the appointment to meet Sasha and the kids back at the church. He and Yuna had been coming here regularly, but with all the preparations for the 2nd floor boss raid, the battle itself, and then getting wrapped up in the << Elf War >> campaign, it had been a few days since they last showed up.

    After spending some time playing with the kids, and promising to teach them how to fight someday, it was finally time.

    The spot Agil had chosen was in the periphery of the town, an old dilapidated, and shabby brick building. Drifter raised an eyebrow and entered, only to discover that the interior was much more well-preserved.

    "Hey, Drifter! Over here!"

    Agil''s loud voice attracted his attention, and he saw the big man waving to him. Not that it was hard to miss him, considering they were the only patrons of the bar.

    Much to Drifter''s surprise, Agil wasn''t alone. With him were Orlando and, stunningly enough, the second-in-command of the DKB, Shivata. It took him a moment to recognize the older man without his characteristic heavy armor.

    Shivata was closer to Agil in age, maybe approaching his thirties. Though he hadn''t had many interactions with the man, Drifter quite liked him. Shivata was a cool-headed warrior, able to control his emotions even in the most hectic situations. If it wasn''t for him taking control of part of the DKB during the 2nd floor boss raid, the fight against << Asterius the Taurus King >> wouldn''t have gone nearly so well.

    Pulling a chair back and sitting down, Drifter fist-bumped Agil and Orlando, before offering his hand more formally for Shivata to shake.

    "Hello there. I wasn''t expecting to see you here, Shivata."

    "Am I unwelcome?"

    "Not at all. In fact, you are one of the people in the DKB I feel like I could be friends with."

    "Haha... We are not all bad, you know? But I''m glad to hear that."

    Drifter just smiled politely. While he could be more casual with Agil and Orlando, he wasn''t anywhere as close to the DKB member as he was to the other two. Not to mention, Shivata''s inclusion in this little outing made it seem less like just a few friends going out for a drink, and more like a meeting between the higher-ups of some of the most famous player groups.

    He also caught a glimpse of something in Shivata''s eyes. He had a feeling that the other man had other objectives today other than just drinking.

    "All righty! Now that everyone''s comfortable, bring the alcohol! I want to see whether the stuff in SAO is as good as it has been made out to be!"

    Maybe sensing the slight tension between Drifter and Shivata, Agil slammed his big hands on the table and called for an NPC waitress.

    When the order arrived, Drifter appreciatively looked at it. SAO''s naming system was as ordinary as always, simply calling the drink << Strong Liquor >>. However, everything from the color to the smell had been perfectly reproduced. He couldn''t help but swallow his saliva. Although he was more of a beer guy, it had been truly too long since he drank any alcohol.

    "To beating the 2nd floor flawlessly! To clearing his hellish game! Cheers!"

    "Cheers!"

    The four people touched glasses, and took a sip. Feeling the burning sensation down their throats, they all exhaled contentedly. Agil poured more into his glass, and laughed.

    "Ahh... It''s not as good as what I have back home, but I can''t believe they actually managed to reproduce it to this extent."

    "Yeah. SAO will never cease to amaze me."

    Orlando and Drifter nodded in agreement to Dhivata''s words. Though SAO was their prison, and they wanted to escape with all their being, no one could deny that Kayaba had achieved something which would go down in history - and that was before he kidnapped ten thousand people.

    "Oh, yes! Orlando, didn''t you say you wouldn''t come? How come you changed your mind?"

    "About that... It''s actually thanks to Argo. She... Err... Borrowed Nezha from us, so we decided to take a break."

    "Borrowed?"

    Drifter raised an eyebrow. Looking at Orlando''s expression, it didn''t seem like ''borrow'' was the original word he wanted to use. Not to mention, Drifter liked to think he knew Argo pretty well, and she would never do something as polite as asking please. Most likely, she had approached the Legend Braves, grabbed Nazha, and dragged him away. That was more in line with the little rat that he knew.

    "Did she say why?"

    "Apparently she needed an assistant for something, and we still have a debt to pay with her. Anyway, he should return in one piece. Probably. Right?"

    Seeing Orlando''s pleading expression, Drifter burst out laughing. Whatever it was that Argo wanted Nezha for, it shouldn''t be a bad thing. And if it was dangerous, she would have come to him first.

    Drifter didn''t know when, but he started to get tipsy. He was not drunk, and the icon blinking on his HUD ruined the feeling a little, but he was certainly not as stable on his feet as he was before. Unfortunately - or thankfully, depending on how you looked at it - the intoxication status caused by alcohol only lasted for half an hour after you stopped drinking.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Yo! Shivata! Where are you going?!"

    "Just taking a breather. Be right back."

    "What?! Such a lightweight! Nevermind! Agil, fill it up!"

    It was well into the night when the DKB player got up to go outside. Orlando, who was by now well and truly smashed, yelled incoherently, and quickly changed his focus. Drifter looked at the back of the player, then at the other two at the table, and got up to follow Shivata. Agil glanced at him, but Orlando didn''t even notice.

    He found Shivata sitting on a bench outside, fiddling with his menu, as if waiting for him. Taking a deep breath to clear his head, Drifter slouched down next to him.

    "What''s up? You looked like you wanted to talk to me throughout the entire thing."

    "I do."

    "Why not just send a message, though? Why go through all the trouble of getting Agil to be the middleman?"

    "Ah, you noticed that?"

    Drifter snorted. He knew Shivata didn''t mean to sound condescending, that was just how he normally spoke. It was still a little infuriating, however.

    "Hard not to, when both of you have been sneaking glances at me the entire night. It sends mixed signals, y''know? Besides, I''ve never seen you and Agil speak more than a few words, but suddenly he invites you to drink with us? Strange, don''t you think?"

    The player sitting next to him chuckled, and nodded.

    "Yeah. I wanted to talk to you face-to-face, but I didn''t think you would accept if I just sent a message asking. Lind hasn''t exactly made his best effort to establish a good relationship with your party."

    "He''s kind of an asshole sometimes, yeah. But we know he''s pretty much gotten over the beater problem already. It''s mostly pride and the need to look strong that keeps him away. That goes for both of our groups, actually."

    "Heh."

    For a few minutes, they both said nothing. Each player had their own difficulties. They, even more so. As frontliners, they weren''t only responsible for their own lives, but also for the remaining 7.500 players still alive. Willingly or not, they had taken up that burden when they chose to go against Illfang, and this was not a ride they could get off midway.

    "Well, what is it that you couldn''t say through a message?"

    "Two things. One is something Lind wanted me to pass on, the other something I myself want to talk about."

    "Lind''s first."

    "This is something both he and Kibaou discussed, mind you. We are all pretty sure you and your party are going to form a guild of your own. But, in the off chance that''s not the case, they hope your party can split up, half to each the DKB and ALS."

    Hearing this, Drufter was startled. He first stared at Shivata, to make sure he was being serious and this wasn''t just the alcohol talking. It wasn''t. Opening his mouth, Drifter enunciated each of his words clearly.

    "Not a chance."

    The player wasn''t offended nor surprised by the flat-out refusal. He was already expecting it.

    "I told them that was what you were gonna say. Alas, your party is smaller than us, but each of you is too unique, so they can''t help but be tempted."

    Drifter just snorted. First they shunned Kirito, now they wanted them to dissolve their party? Lind and Kibaou better wake up if they think there was any chance of that happening.

    "My personal suggestion is that you create a guild. There are only benefits and no downside, after all."

    "We will see. What''s the second thing you wanted to talk about?"

    "Ah, that. You see, I''m the mediator between our guild and Argo the Rat. I was talking to her about our progress in the << Elf War >> campaign yesterday - we sided with the forest elves by the way - and she mentioned your party. Apparently not only you are further along than us, but you also triggered some sort of special sequence and managed to acquire info about the floor boss?"

    Drifter furrowed his eyebrows. Where was Shivata going with this?

    "Something like that."

    "I bought the intel she was selling, and it was damn expensive. But if it is true, it was worth it. How sure are you?"

    "As sure as we can be without actually going into the boss room."

    "Good. I have a proposition for you, on behalf of the Dragon Knight Brigade."

    Hearing this, Drifter straightened his back. Though Shivata seemed to be contradicting himself by saying this was something he came up with, but then mentioning it was on behalf of the DKB, Drifter took it very seriously. That was because Shivata''s position in the DKB was very similar to his. Both of them could be considered vice-leaders of their respective groups. So, Shivata had all the right to speak for the DKB, while Drifter could very well answer for his party.

    "My proposal is that the DKB will withdraw from the << Elf War >> campaign, and focus on clearing this floor and finding the boss room. If possible, I will convince Kibaou and the ALS to do the same. On the other hand, I wish your party can focus all your efforts on finishing the campaign on this floor as perfectly as possible, and before we raid the boss."

    "Why?"

    "Two reasons. First, because Kayaba is obviously aiming at putting players at odds by having us choose different camps in this campaign. Though I don''t believe we would ever truly fight over it, it would certainly create an even bigger rift between players, and waste time we do not have. Secondly, I know your party managed to unlock some special NPC or trigger some sort of secret quest or event. You are our best bet at finding out how much the floor bosses from here to the 9th floor have changed since the beta."

    Drifter didn''t respond immediately, and Shivata also didn''t rush him. He knew this was an important decision, which couldn''t be made lightly. After all, if he agreed, Drufter would be basically confirming that his party wouldn''t participate in the clearing effort of the labyrinth for the next seven floors. While some might see this as a good thing, for the frontliners who were always striving to upgrade their levels, skills, and equipment, it was not necessarily an advantage.

    "I need to speak to the others first. But... I believe they will agree. I''m in favor of it, at least."

    It was only five minutes later that Drifter finally spoke. Even though he didn''t give a direct confirmation, it was as good as, so Shivata smiled happily, and shook hands with the spearman.

    "Great! Thank you very much, Drifter. As long as we all band together, I believe we will beat this game one day."

    Drifter merely nodded, and followed the DKB player back inside. Soon after, Shivata bid farewell to them, and Orlando also left. As fun as it would be to drink until the next day dawned, none of them forgot their situation. Tomorrow would be another day of fighting. At least, SAO didn''t have a hangover mechanic.

    When only Agil and Drifter were left, the black man glanced at him.

    "Shivata told you what he wanted?"

    "Yup. It was a good thing."

    "Great. He is a nice guy, and much more level-headed than Lind."

    "Hmm, I saw that. Thanks for the help, Agil."

    "Nevermind that. I just wanted to drink, it reminds me of the real world. Let''s get together again when we clear this floor, how about it?"

    "Definitely."

 Chapter 46 - Trouble

    With his head full of suppositions and considerations, Drifter separated from Agil and walked towards the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings, where the teleporter was located. His party was in the dark elf camp, and he wasn''t about to trek through the wilderness in the middle of the night alone, but if he slept in Zumfut, it would save some time tomorrow.

    At this hour, there was no one on the streets, neither player nor NPC. However, Drifter wasn''t worried. This was a safe zone, he couldn''t take damage here. In fact, the emptiness made it easier for him to think.

    What Shivata proposed today has to be carefully considered, even if he was inclined to agree. If they could focus on finishing the << Elf War >> campaign, his party would save a lot of time - and that was the most valuable currency in Sword Art Online. How long did they have until their bodies in the real world decayed? How long did they have until somebody outside decided pulling the plug was a mercy? How long until the players gave up?

    Drifter knew that asking everybody to wait until they finished the campaign before fighting the boss was not viable. He didn''t want to do that. Every day more here was a day less in their lives. No one would be willing to wait, even if it meant taking risks. Not even him.

    Opening his menu, Drifter started typing a message for his party, but then stopped. He could see in his HUD that only Asuna and Yuna were still awake, probably bathing. It was better not to bother them right now. He could tell them everything tomorrow.

    Suddenly, Drifter halted his steps. His hand also shot to his back, and he pulled out his spear. This wasn''t because he suddenly felt like training some new skill, but rather because two people had appeared in front of him.

    If this was the real world, being stopped by two strangers in the middle of the night would already be enough reason to be put on edge. But this was Sword Art Online, a world where no law existed. Even if Drifter kept telling himself he was inside a safe zone, it was hard not to be spooked.

    "What do you want?"

    "We merely wish to pass to you our lord''s message, brave warrior."

    "This way of speaking... Fuumaningum?"

    Only now did Drifter take a good look at the two players. They were dressed from head to toe in black garbs, covering practically their entire bodies, and leaving only their eyes out. On their waists were slim swords which resembled katanas.

    Seeing that the two wannabe ninjas didn''t have hostile intentions, Drifter put away his spear. He was still eyeing them warily, though.

    "What is it with people not refusing to send a message today?"

    "Our lord does not possess you on his friend list, and felt that an anonymous message would not only be overlooked by you, but also belittle your status, brave warrior."

    One of the ninjas, a woman from her voice, answered his grumbling seriously, leaving Drifter tongue-tied. He was just complaining... Although she had a point - the part about him ignoring an anonymous message, not the second one.

    "Please, call me Drifter. I really can''t do role-playing right now."

    "You are one of the courageous fighters who risk their lives against the demons who guard Aincrad. It would be an offense to address you directly, brave warrior."

    "No, it''s... Ah, you know what, never mind. So, what''s the message? I''m getting a lot of those today. Actually, first, how did you even find me?"

    The other ninja, a male, bowed.

    "A great figure such as yourself doesn''t go unnoticed, brave warrior."

    Meaning, someone saw him go to the bar earlier. Still, Fuumaningum had an impressive network to be able to receive news so quickly. Drifter wasn''t sure he likes the feeling of having people watch his every move.

    "Aight. Say what you want then. It''s late, I''m tired, and I''m not even drunk anymore, so make it short."

    Was Drifter being unnecessarily grouchy? Maybe. But he had enough of how everyone seemed to want him to be a message boy today.

    "Argo the Rat values your council. Our lord asks that you help set up a meeting between them."

    "So everything ties back to Argo, hum? Why are you guys bothering her again?"

    "We are not privy to our lord''s intentions."

    Shaking his head in exasperation, Drifter gave up. He was pretty sure Argo had mentioned employing people from Fuumaningum before, but apparently she had a one-way communication channel with them. Honestly, not his problem.

    "I will tell her, but it''s up to Argo whether she will take your leader on it or not. Can I go now? Or maybe you want me to deliver some message to someone else too, to keep the chain going?"

    "Thank you, brave warrior."

    Acting as if they didn''t hear Drifter''s snarky remark, the ninjas bowed one last time, and then ran into an alley. Before they even reached it, their figures were already blurry and vanishing. Their level of << Hiding >> was impressive, at least 30 points higher than his << Searching >>.

    "Teleport! Zumfut!"

    ''Ugh, so much trouble. This was supposed to be a night to take off the stress. Let''s see... Argo... Uhm? She is still awake? And... Nezha too? What are those two doing?''

    Frowning, Drifter stepped out of the teleporter in Zumfut. The icon next to Argo''s and Nezha''s names showed they were both still awake even though it was nearly one in the morning. Swiping his finger, he opened his map, and his worry deepened. Argo wasn''t in the city.

    In SAO, there were some settings you could turn on and off in the friends list. By default, you could freely send and receive messages from friends, as well as trade items even if you weren''t next to each other, as long as both were on the same floor. However, there was another function that you could choose to activate, which was the ''following'' setting. If you turned it on, your position would appear on the map of the players you denominated. It was something Drifter had insisted Argo turned on for him after she recounted a close encounter with death she had during one of her many scouting outings. And, right now, Argo appeared on his map as being deep into the 3rd floor jungle.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [ Drifter: What are you doing, little rat? Everything good? ]

    Without any hesitation, Drifter sent her a message. Not only that, he spanned it to make sure she saw it. As long as she was out of combat, the info broker should have her HUD overcome by notifications at the moment. It worked.

    [ Argo: Investigatin'' somethin'', don''t worry ''bout it. Nezha''s with me. ]

    [ Argo: That will cost ya 50 cor btw. ]

    [ Argo: How was the party? ]

    Drifter snorted, but also let out a sigh of relief. If Argo had the time to demand payment, she was truly okay.

    [ Drifter: Pretty good, all things considered. After-party not so much. The role-players stopped me, apparently their leader wants to meet with you. ]

    [ Argo: Him again? Did they say what is it ''bout? ]

    [ Drifter: Nope. I said I would be the middleman, but couldn''t guarantee you would agree. Do you want me to reject it? ]

    [ Argo: Nah, I''ll talk to him, sort things out. Leave it to me. Thanks a lot, Dri-bou! ]

    [ Drifter: No problem, little rat. I''m going to bed, you be careful. ]

    [ Argo: Gotcha! Sleep tight! ]

    Chuckling, Drifter closed his menu. Since Argo was still in the mood to joke, there shouldn''t be any problems.

    --------------------------

    Somewhere else on the 3rd floor, Argo was having a very similar reaction to Drifter. She chuckled and thought Drifter was worrying too much, but still felt the warmth in her heart. Who told her to pick up such a considerate older brother?

    Shaking her head, Argo looked at Nezha, who was crouching next to her. Although the man didn''t have as high of a mastery in << Hiding >> as her, it was still passable. What she needed from him was his chakram skills, after all.

    At the moment, Nezha was looking at Argo fearfully. That was because Argo had just asked him to do something which, in his opinion, was the same as courting death.

    "Y-You want me to hit that thing?"

    "Yeah, I already said that, didn''t I? Just use your chakrams to cut off that flower over there, and I''ll collect it, then we leave. Simple."

    Nezha''s eyes widened in disbelief. Sure, he had learned how to use the << Moonlight Chakrams >>, and plucking a flower from a distance wouldn''t be hard. The only problem was...

    "That flower is growing on the head of the field-boss!"

    The former blacksmith all but hissed at Argo. He owed her a huge debt, that is true, but what she proposed was simply suicide. Attacking << The Indolent Treant >> with just two people was impossible.

    "So? I don''t need ya to kill it, just cut off the flower. Then ya can scamper, and leave the rest to me."

    "Ugh..."

    "Well, c''mon! Stop wastin'' time and do it!"

    Looking at the purple flower growing on top of the field-boss'' head, he shuddered. The treant was basically immobile, so as long as he ran away as soon as he did what Argo asked, it wouldn''t be able to catch up to him. Yet, he couldn''t help but be afraid.

    Taking a deep breath, Nezha readied his chakrams. When he looked to his side, the info broker had already disappeared. He knew that Argo had gone into hiding, and was probably as close as she could get to the field-boss without triggering its aggro.

    Throwing away the last of his hesitation, Nezha launched one of his chakrams. The deadly ring flew through the air, leaving behind it only the sound of parting wind, and accurately hit the stalk of the purple flower. Not only that, but after cutting through the plant, it turned in the air, and went back to Nezha''s hand.

    "Raaaaaarrrghh!"

    Right then, the formerly motionless << The Indolent Treant >> roared and stirred, its hollow eyes turning to stare at Nezha. When that happened, the player immediately turned tail and ran. So fixated the field-boss was on chasing him, it didn''t discover that the flower Nezha cut had, at some moment, disappeared.

    "Aff... Uff... I''m alive!"

    Even though the field-boss'' attacks never came close to him due to the fact that he escaped immediately, Nezha was still scared tremendously by the imposing monster. After all, it was hard to stay calm when a six-meters tall tree was trying to kill you.

    "Of course ya are alive, idiot. I told ya there wouldn''t be any problems. Now let''s go, it''s gettin'' late and I need my beauty sleep."

    Nezha didn''t even have the energy to jump when Argo suddenly popped into existence next to him. He also didn''t ask if she got what she wanted, because he knew he couldn''t afford to know. Tiredly, he nodded and followed her.

    -------------------------------

    Morning of the next day, Drifter reunited with his party. However, he only needed to take one look at their sullen faces to discover something was wrong. Only Kizmel was going about her day normally.

    "What happened?"

    Kirito frowned, then sighed. It looked like he wanted someone else to explain it, but in the end it still fell to him to do so.

    "After you left yesterday, we continued the << Elf War >> campaign. It was going well until we received a quest to take back an item a forest elf spy stole. We had to infiltrate their camp, but it was a stealth mission, not a combat one. Sinon has the highest level of << Hiding >> of all of us, so she went in with Kizmel. Everything went well, but just when we were leaving..."

    At this point, Kirito trailed off. If it weren''t for the fact he could see all of his friends in front of him, well and unharmed, Drifter would start to think the worst.

    "There was a player waiting for us outside. He had to have been a beta-tester, otherwise he wouldn''t have known where we would escape from so perfectly."

    "He requested to have a duel with Kirito."

    "What? A duel?"

    Drifter couldn''t believe what he was hearing. It was not like he had never heard of players dueling - it was a good way to train without risking your life - but the timing left something to be desired.

    "Yeah. I refused, and wanted to ignore him, after all, we were still right next to the forest elf camp. But then he threatened to reveal our location..."

    "You accepted?"

    "I don''t know if he actually had any way of doing so, but I didn''t want to risk it."

    "Hm. What rules?"

    "Half Loss Mode."

    Hearing that, Drifter breathed a sigh of relief. There were three types of duels in Sword Art Online. One was called First Strike Mode, where the player who landed a hit first won. The second was none other than the Half Loss Mode, which, as the name indicated, lasted until one player fell to half health. As for the third and final type of duel, it was called Total Loss Mode. The win condition was... Emptying your opponent''s HP bar, and thus killing them.

    "How did it go?"

    "He was strong, very strong. We both lost equal amounts of health, and it got to the point where one more blow would end the duel. It was only then that I discovered he was actually controlling his damage output, so he could lower my HP as much as possible without finishing the duel. And then... He suddenly erupted with a single-hit skill I had never seen, but which was very powerful. If it hit me... I believe my health would have been fully emptied. In other words... I would''ve died."

    "What?!"

    "Kirito''s telling the truth, Drifter, we all saw it. That guy, whatever his name was, he deliberately lowered Kirito''s HP, and then tried to kill him with a single blow."

 Chapter 47 - Catching Butterflies

    "Kirito''s telling the truth, Drifter, we all saw it. That guy, whatever his name was, he deliberately lowered Kirito''s HP, and then tried to kill him with a single blow."

    Unable to believe what he was hearing, Drifter stared at each of his party members in turn. Unfortunately, they didn''t seem like they were joking.

    "B-But... That would be murder!"

    At this time, Drifter could no longer retain his calm. Just thinking that while he was away drinking and enjoying himself, one of his friends was almost killed, and by a player''s hand, on top of that, caused him to feel immense guilt.

    No one said anything in response to Drifter''s exclamation. Kirito also didn''t continue his story, as what happened next was very clear. Kirito was alive and well, so that other player''s fatal attack must have missed or been blocked. As for who the almost murderer was, Kirito kept referring to him as ''that player'', so he shouldn''t know it either.

    After a few dozen seconds of panic, Drifter forced himself to calm down. He grabbed Kirito by the shoulders, and hugged him briefly. Then, he looked at his party, his friends.

    "From now on, we stick together, no matter what we are doing."

    "Agreed."

    After that somewhat emotional moment, the party set off to continue the << Elf War >> campaign quests. At the moment, they had to complete another fetch quest, something along the lines of catching some rare species of butterfly. Drifter didn''t really pay attention to the lore.

    "Right, with everything that happened, I almost forgot I also have something to tell y''all. It should be considered good news."

    "Oh?"

    Without wasting time, Drifter explained what went on the last night, especially Shivata''s proposition. Kirito didn''t say anything immediately, and instead looked at the others. While he was getting more comfortable in his role as party leader, he still felt he had to ask for their opinion regarding such an important decision.

    "What do you think?"

    "I think we should accept. Even though we will lose some experience and equipment from the labyrinth, we can always buy the items we need from Agil. I''m sure he will be happy to help."

    "Hmm, I agree with Nautilus."

    "Same. Not to mention, if we focus solely on completing the << Elf War >> campaign quests on this floor, it''s likely we will be finished before the rest even finds the boss room."

    Seeing Asuna nod in agreement with what the other three were saying, Kirito turned to Drifter, the only one who had yet to say something.

    "Drifter, what are your thoughts?"

    "I also think it''s in our best interest to accept. More than anything, I think having the DKB and ALS withdraw from the campaign is the best thing that could happen. I already thought that before, and I''m even more sure of it after hearing what you went through yesterday. We need to avoid conflicts between players at all costs."

    "All right then, it is decided. You added Shivata to your friend list last night, didn''t you, Drifter? Send him a message saying we agree, please."

    Nodding, Drifter did just that. The DKB player''s response came almost immediately, a mix of gratefulness and joy. He also had good news, saying that Kibaou had agreed - though begrudgingly - to abandon the << Elf War >> campaign and focus on the clearing efforts.

    "Great! I really didn''t want to deal with cactus-hair more than necessary!"

    Asuna sighed in relief, and the others echoed her sentiment. Kizmel, seeing that they had finished their private conversation, rejoined them.

    "Has your discussion reached a good ending? You look happier, Asuna."

    Without a doubt, Asuna was the one who was the most sullen after last night''s events, even more so than the direct victim, Kirito. Although Kizmel didn''t find anything strange with the infighting between humans - humankind was well-known for that particular trait - she knew it came as a shock for the girl, and the rest of her friends.

    "Hm, I am, Kizmel."

    "That''s good. We have a lot to do today. Once again, I must deeply thank all of you for offering your help."

    "Don''t sweat it, Kizmel. Let''s go catch butterflies!"

    Asuna''s enthusiasm was contagious, and soon everyone forgot the darker topics they were discussing earlier. The party set off to the quest area, eager to start the day.

    ...

    "Kizmel! This is not what I had in mind when you said we were catching butterflies today!"

    The previously cheerful fencer was now screaming in panic as a one and a half meters long butterfly gripped her by the leg and tried to carry her away, upside down. Meanwhile, her party was struggling between deciding if they helped her or hugged their stomachs laughing. That was because the giant butterfly was simply unable to take off while holding Asuna, so the whole situation looked comical, with the fencer hopping on one leg while raining blows on the monster.

    The monster in question could be considered a mini-boss, and not even a dangerous one. At least not to them, who had faced Illfang and Asterius. It was called << Fluttering Butterfly Queen >>, and it was the insect they were supposed to capture. According to Kizmel, those types of monsters were frequently used by the forest elves to scout ahead and send messages.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "Stop laughter and help me!"

    "Hahahaha!"

    Chuckling even louder than before, Drifter nevertheless raised his spear and pierced through one of the monster''s wings.

    The mob screeched, and let go of Asuna to try and stab Drifter with its legs. Unfortunately for it, Kizmel and Kirito took the opportunity to cleave down on the extended limbs, cutting them off. After a few more attacks, the heavily wounded mini-boss perished, leaving behind only a normal-sized butterfly, which Kizmel promptly stored away in a pot, and a rolled-up piece of paper.

    "You all... Why are you still laughing?! I won''t make sandwiches again if you don''t stop!"

    "Noooo! Please, pardon us, Asuna!"

    While the party begged for forgiveness under the world-ending threat of losing their snacks - no one was sure why, but Asuna turned out to level extremely fast in << Cooking >>, so her meals were something to look forward to - the dark elf had opened the message, and was reading it. As she did, her expression changed, passing by surprise, shock, fear, and settling on anxious. Panicking, Kizmel yelled.

    "Quick, we need to return to the camp!"

    "What? Why?"

    "What happened, Kizmel?"

    "The forest elves are after the << Secret Key >> again!"

    Kizmel had barely finished speaking when she set off in the direction of the dark elf camp. The party had no choice but to chase after her.

    "What?!"

    "But didn''t the commander send it back to your kingdom?"

    Confused, the party stared at the dark elf. While running ahead, Kizmel shook her head.

    "We knew there were spies of the forest elves disguised amongst our ranks, so we spread fake news that the key had been sent back via special means. Actually, the real << Secret Key >> is going to the << Western Spirit Tree >> today, protected by a small convoy. I even came out here with you today to complete the trick, but the forest elves somehow saw through it! The message said they are going to attack the convoy!"

    Almost at the same time, the party received a notification saying that they had received a new quest: << The Western Spirit Tree >>. Furthermore, it was a timed quest, and if they failed it, they would''ve failed the entire << Elf War >> campaign.

    Seeing that, the players exchanged glances, and picked up the pace. They had just agreed to be the one to finish this campaign, and even the ALS had withdrawn for their benefit, so they couldn''t afford to drop the ball now. Furthermore, Kirito had already told them about this quest, though the time limit was an unwelcome addition. They were surprised, but not overly so.

    After arriving at the dark elf camp, they discovered that, to no one''s surprise, the convoy had already left. They then set out to the west, hoping to reach it before the forest elvesˇŻ programmed ambush. Drifter knew that was a vain hope, as no quest would be that easy, but Kizmel didn''t, so she was still urging them to go faster.

    Eventually they caught up to the convoy. That was mostly because it was now a flaming pile of debris and bodies - the kind that didn''t despawn so it could give the whole scene a grim look.

    Frowning, Drifter surveyed the wreckage. Even if there was no blood, it still wasn''t a pretty sight. There were a dozen dead elves spread around, as well as a few wolves, the trusty companions of the dark elves. Clearly, a violent battle had taken place.

    Kizmel knelt by one of her fellow dark elves, and closed her eyes while muttering something. Drifter kept a serious expression throughout the entire process. Those were just NPCs - in fact, not even that, as they hadn''t even ''lived'' at all, only been created by the Cardinal System to set the scene - but to Kizmel they were real, so even if it was just for her, he had to show respect.

    Activating his << Searching >>, Drifter overlooked the small battlefield, and quickly discovered traces of where the attackers had gone. It also appeared that some of the original escorts of the convoy had survived and were pursuing the enemies.

    Kirito had noticed the same clues as him, because as soon as Kizmel got up, he put a hand on her forearm and pointed north.

    "They went that way. There''s a trail of that shiny blue liquid you mentioned you use to track prey."

    "Some of my people must be following them. We must rend aid to them immediately, and recover the << Secret Key >>!"

    "That''s what I''m thinking too. Let''s go!"

    "Wait, you two! Didn''t you notice something strange?"

    They were about to set off again, Kizmel anxious to pursue the ones who had harmed her kind, when Nautilus stopped them. The shield-bearer was crouching next to a dead elf, and appearing very uncomfortable to be so close to a corpse.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Kizmel, correct me if I''m wrong, but this one doesn''t look like a forest elf. And she''s not a dark elf either."

    "Uhm?"

    Not only Kizmel, but the entire party was curious, and approached the body. Just like Nautilus said,  the dead elf didn''t look like either of the two kinds they knew. Her skin tone was somewhere in between the dark elves'' and forest elves'', a light-brown color. However, dark veins were clearly visible, especially on her hands and around her eyes. Overall, it was an eerie sight.

    "This! It''s not possible! What are they doing here on the 3rd floor?!"

    Suddenly, Kizmel let out an exclamation of shock. Reeling back, she covered her mouth, eyes wide open. Then, she went around the battle site, checking out all the deceased elves. As she did so, her astonishment grew.

    "Kizmel? Do you know her?"

    Taking several deep breaths to calm down, the dark elf first nodded, then shook her head to deny the claim.

    "Not her specifically, but I know her kind. Fallen elves."

    "Fallen elves?"

    "Yes. Remember how I told you the reason why my people and the forest elves are at war?"

    "Yeah, because of the << Secret Keys >>, ain''t it? You want to keep them safe and stored, while the forest elves want to use them."

    "Indeed. But the fallen elves... They worship an evil god, which is why they look this way. This woman... She was probably a dark elf before passing through the fallen elf rituals and becoming... This."

    It was plain to see that Kizmel absolutely despised the fallen elves. In fact, she looked disgusted.

    "But if you want to keep the keys safe, and the forest elves want to use them, what do the fallen elves want? And why did we find a message about their plans in a forest elf''s butterfly? Are they allied?"

    "I-I don''t know. Fallen elves haven''t appeared for generations. They were a story mothers told their offspring to make them behave. I have never seen one of them before, let alone understand what they are thinking."

    Kizmel was clearly shaken by what had happened. Still, she soon recovered her demeanor of a veteran royal knight, her expression changing to one of resolution and no small amount of anger.

    "Whatever it is that the fallen want, we can''t allow them to get it. Follow me!"

 Chapter 48 - Those Who Have Fallen

    Somewhere on the 3rd floor.

    Many moons had passed since he lost the one he cared for and loved the most in this world. Many moons during which he grieved, he mourned, he hated.

    Time didn''t diminish the fury he felt. It didn''t heal his broken heart. In the silent nights with naught but his blade and his loyal companion by his side, hatred festered inside him.

    He trained. He tracked. He hunted. Oh, he hunted. Not birds and deer, but the two-legged animals who had taken her from him. He became their nightmare. The reason why they couldn''t fall asleep at night. Across floors he hunted them. He hunted and killed.

    Now, the one he wanted to tear apart the most stood in front of him. He was different. More cruel, more evil. Fallen. But it didn''t matter. Men and beast stared at one another, four pairs of eyes crossing. One cold and devoid of emotion. One full of bloodlust. One mocking and exultant. One burning with undying ambers of hate.

    "Falconer! Die!"

    ----------------------------

    Kizmel was running like her life depended on it. For some reason, her heart throbbed with anxiety.

    "Pay attention, everyone! We are getting near!"

    Hearing Kirito''s warning - which was prompted by a change in his quest log, though the dark elf didn''t know that - Kizmel instead accelerated. She was afraid of what she would see, but she was even more worried about what would happen if she didn''t hurry.

    Unfortunately, her worst fears came true. After bursting into the man-made - or elf-made - clearing, she discovered her brother-in-law and his wolf pet battling against the hated << Forest Elf Falconer >> and his bird of prey. Only, the falconer was no forest elf anymore. He was already a fallen elf.

    Paler than before skin and black veins protruding around his eyes, the << Fallen Falconer >> Was cackling madly while continuously hacking at the wolf-handler the party met the other time, Kizmel''s brother-in-law. All the dark elf could do was defend, but even so he was still full of cuts and wounds.

    His pet wasn''t doing much better. Somehow, the falconer''s falcon had also ''fallen'', as Kizmel called it. The bird''s eyes were of a blood-red color, and it was clawing away at the wolf while trying to blind it with its sharp beak.

    "Locke!"

    Unable to stop herself, Kizmel yelled. However, just as she tried to rush forward to help the other dark elf, many fallen elves appeared out of who knows where and blocked her path. Drifter and the party had no choice but to engage them.

    "Kizmel?! Get away from here! That bastard is much more powerful than... Arghhh!"

    Kizmel''s brother-in-law, Locke, turned to look at them after hearing her voice. He was first stunned, but then showed a panicked expression. He was full of hatred for the falconer, fallen elf or not, and was willing to die as long as he could drag his enemy down with him. But the longer they fought, the more he realized the << Fallen Falconer >> was simply toying with him. He had already lost his beloved, he didn''t want the falconer to turn his sights to her sister, the only other person he cared about.

    However, the moment Locke got distracted, his fate was sealed. With a cruel sneer, the << Fallen Falconer >> pierced his sword through the dark elf''s torso, the tip of the blade coming out of his chest. Then, he twisted the weapon.

    Locke gasped, eyes wide open in shock. He tried to turn around, unwilling to fall like this, but it was useless. The falconer planted a foot on his back and pulled out his sword, causing the wolf-handler to fall face-first on the ground, where he lay unmoving.

    "Awoooooo!"

    "No!"

    Kizmel and Locke''s wolf both let out simultaneous sounds of despair. Drifter, who didn''t have any connection with the wolf-handler other than his relationship with Kizmel, frowned while parrying a sword strike. Locke''s death felt... Unnatural. It was too forced, too out of place. They never had a chance to even get close to him, much less save the dark elf. Everything felt very scripted. Unknown to Drifter, his guess was very close to the truth.

    ------------------------------

    Somewhere else, outside of Sword Art Online, in the real world, a man in a lab coat reclined on his chair and drank coffee while surrounded by screens. One of them beeped, and a message appeared.

    [ Variable ERROR 0026 eliminated. Detected variable ERROR 0025 in close proximity. Proceed with correction? ]

    The man took a sip of his mug, unhurriedly. Then, he shook his head.

    "How many corrections has this error 25 avoided, Cardinal?"

    [ This is the third time, sir. ]

    "And why do you think that is?"

    [ There is a 78,52% chance ERROR 0025''s continuous glitches are due to the interactions with players Asuna, Drifter, Kirito, Nautilus, Sinon, and Yuna. ]

    "Uhmm..."

    [ Proceed with correction attempt number 3, sir? ]

    "No, I''m interested in its evolution process. Rename variable ERROR 0025 to ''Kizmel''. Keep me updated."

    [ Understood. ]

    With this particular situation dealt with, the man, who was none other than Akihiko Kayaba, took another sip of his coffee. He soon archived that matter in the back of his head. There were countless other warnings and problems that required his attention.

    ------------------------------

    Back in SAO, Drifter glanced at Locke''s body with a complicated look. In all honesty, the dark elf was just another NPC to him, and one with whom he barely had any interactions on top of that. But to Kizmel he was someone very important, and seeing her in pain hurt him too, because he had long since stopped thinking of her as just another line of code, and started treating her as a friend.

    "Falconer! I will kill you!"

    Driven by rage and anguish, Kizmel kicked the two fallen elves who had ambushed her away, and launched herself at the << Fallen Falconer >>. He, however, had no plans to fight her.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Whistling, the falconer stretched his arm for his pet to grab. With three or four beats of its powerful wings, the falcon took its master into the air, and out of reach. With how high they were flying, it could be seen the fallen elf still had some lingering concerns about Sinon.

    "Looky look, what''s this? Oh, it''s your precious key! Hahahahaha!"

    While laughing, the << Fallen Falconer >> had his bird fly him away, uncaring for the men he was letting behind. He didn''t even mention Locke, only throwing a contemptuous sneer at the body, which he made sure Kizmel noticed.

    Realizing Kizmel was so enraged she wasn''t even paying attention to the battle anymore, Drifter moved closer to her. It wouldn''t do if she was injured because she wasn''t paying attention.

    "Kizmel! Snap out of it!"

    It was cruel to yell at her like that when her brother-in-law''s body was still laying on the ground right in front of her, yes. But those fallen elves weren''t weak, and there were nine of them. Drifter could control one, maybe two, but having to take care of the one who was already fighting him, plus the two Kizmel had been dealing with before, was too much for him. He was struggling to hold them back.

    "Hah!"

    A sword slipped past his guard, and bit into Drifter''s flank. The blow grazed his armor, and didn''t do much damage, but it still caused him to yelp in surprise. After all, although there was no pain, the sensation of having a blade cut your body wasn''t pleasant.

    The sound of his discomfort seemed to wake Kizmel up from whatever rage-induced trance she was in, though, so maybe it was worth it. Without any courtesy, the dark elf hacked away at her fallen counterparts'' backs, delivering a frenzied tempest of deadly attacks.

    In no time, the two fallen elves had - well, fallen. Their brethren followed in their footsteps soon enough. Drifter breathed heavily while leaning on his spear. Those kinds of battles were always the hardest. They caught you by surprise, leaving you no time to prepare or plan, and were short but intense.

    "Locke... Why are you so silly? How can I face my sister''s soul when I follow her into the Spirit Tree?"

    Kneeling besides Locke''s body, Kizmel cradled his head in her hands. While she wasn''t crying, her eyes were red, and her voice laced with deep sorrow. Locke''s wolf was next to her, prodding his hand with its snout, as if asking for caresses.

    "F-Feredir... Don''t grieve, old friend."

    Suddenly, Locke strenuously opened his eyes. With a trembling hand, he patted the wolf''s head. Contrary to what one would expect from someone at death''s door, the dark elf''s eyes contained only warmth and a measure of relief.

    "You too, Kizmel, don''t mourn me. I can finally see my beloved Tilnel again."

    "Locke... You know she is going to scold you, right?"

    "Hahaha... Cough! Cough... Cough! Hahahaha... I''m looking forward to it."

    His laughter was interrupted by a violent coughing fit, and Locke''s expression turned painful. He looked at the players, who were standing a respectful distance away.

    "Humans... Take care of my sister-in-law."

    Having said that, Locke closed his eyes again. Then, his body started shining, and finally it broke into countless shards.

    "Awoooooo!"

    Feredir howled mournfully, raising its head to the sky. Kizmel choked back a sob, but didn''t cry. Closing her eyes, she muttered an old dark elf prayer for Locke''s spirit to reach their sacred tree.

    At that time, Nautilus was surprisingly the one to step forward and place a hand on Kizmel''s shoulder. His eyes held a forlorn gaze, full of understanding. He didn''t say any superfluous words, but gently guided the dark elf to stand on her feet.

    "We will get the << Secret Key >> back from him, Kizmel. And this time he won''t escape."

    "Hm."

    Kizmel nodded forcefully, then started following the << Fallen Falconer''s >> trail without a word. Drifter exchanged wry smiles with the others when he saw that.

    Soon after, they approached a hole in the ground, a downward slope directly into darkness. At the same time, their quest log updated, and Kirito sent a message in the party chat.

    [ Kirito: This is the last leg of the Elf War campaign on this floor. There will be plenty of fallen elves, as well as one commander, so be careful. Plus, there''s also the falconer, who wasn''t in the beta. ]

    The party nodded. And, just like Kirito said, the fallen elf hideout was fraught with dangers. They experienced all kinds of ambushes in a short span of time. << Fallen Elf Scout >>, << Fallen Elf Warrior >>, << Fallen Elf Broken Knight >>, << Fallen Elf Wing Commander >>, and all other kinds of enemies with deceptively simple naming sense appeared.

    However, while the battles were taxing, they weren''t impossible. This once more reaffirmed Drifter''s belief that, as long as one was careful and didn''t overestimate themselves, surviving SAO wasn''t actually that hard, even for the weaker players. Only the boss fights were programmed to be deadly. Unfortunately, many players still died every day because they overextended past their limits.

    After three hours of being on edge, always waiting for the next ambush, the party arrived at a huge cave, illuminated by flickering torches and shining gemstones. Two people were sitting on stone chairs in the middle of it, drinking wine. On the table in between them was a leaf pouch, the << Secret Key >>. They seemed to be expecting the players.

    "Finally! I was starting to wonder if you were even weaker than I thought! Why did it take you so long?!"

    "Stop your yapping, falconer. Just kill them and transport the key to our lord."

    The << Fallen Falconer >> started to taunt them, but was cut short by the other fallen elf, who was wearing heavy metal armor. Above his head was a red cursor and his name: << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >>.

    "Ugh, arrogant bastard. All right, I will take care of this garbage."

    Having said that, the << Fallen Falconer >> got up and walked towards the party. Seeing that the commander seemed to have no intention of interfering, this was most likely a two-phase battle, similar to the 2nd floor raid.

    "Awooooo!"

    At this moment, the one who launched the first attack actually wasn''t the falconer. It wasn''t even Kizmel or the party. Instead, it was Feredir, Locke''s wolf, who had been quietly following them the entire time. The large wolf suddenly erupted in fury, and charged at the fallen elf.

    However, from its perch on the ceiling, the until now unseen falcon dove down, smashing into Feredir. Both animals rolled on the ground, clawing and biting each other.

    The << Fallen Falconer >> also rushed towards them, and his target was, not surprisingly, Kizmel. He seemed to hate the dark elf with a passion. But, he wasn''t fighting Kizmel alone. Instead, he was fighting their entire party.

    Nautilus took the lead, positioning himself in such a way that the falconer had to either change his target to him, or try to go around, showing his defenseless flank in the process. The mob chose the first option, and his sword let out sparks as it clashed against Nautilus'' shield.

    From behind, Sinon shot an arrow that hit the << Fallen Falconer >> straight in the head. His hate-filled gaze turned to the archer, and so he didn''t see Asuna''s and Kirito''s swords coming from each side to leave deep cuts on his body.

    "Arghhhhh! Why can''t you ants just die?!!!"

    Completely enraged, the fallen elf kept throwing ruthless attacks at the party, in no time bringing Nautilus down to yellow. Yet, he was unable to kill the players as easily as he thought he would. Instead, he was the one being slowly whittled down to death.

    "Hey, falconer! Take a look at this!"

    Suddenly, a loud shout caused the battle to come to a pause. The << Fallen Falconer >> looked towards where it came from, and his eyes instantly widened in astonishment.

    Drifter was holding his spear up, and pointing it at the falconer. But what really caught the mob''s attention was the falcon skewered in the tip. Kizmel and Feredir were standing on either side of him, and the dark elf had a joyous grin on her usually stoic face.

    "No! How dare you!"

    The << Fallen Falconer >> had been so engaged in his battle that he forgot to pay attention to the surroundings. It was only now that the falconer realized two people hadn''t been attacking him this entire time. Drifter and Kizmel had gone after his pet.

    Swinging his spear, Drifter sent the moribund falcon barreling through the air toward the << Fallen Falconer >>. But before the pet reached its master, Feredir jumped up and bit down on it, shattering the falcon between his strong jaws.

 Chapter 49 - Farewell For Now

    "Kyaaaaa!"

    With one last agonizing shriek, the falcon that had accompanied the << Fallen Falconer >> through all his life, perished. However, other than showing a flicker of rage, the mob did not react to his pet''s death at all. From that, it could be seen that, sadistic as he was, the falconer was different from Kizmel. He was still just a monster following a script.

    "Useless trash! It seems I will have to deal with them myself."

    At this moment, the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> who had been sitting the whole time suddenly barked those few words. Getting up, the fallen elf brought out an enormous double-bladed axe.

    "Second phase incoming! Nautilus, Drifter, delay him with me! Everyone else, focus on the falconer, eliminate him first!"

    "Roger that!"

    "Got it!"

    Even though the fallen elf commander had been sitting quietly before, just watching the battle unfold, the party had never stopped paying attention to him. They all knew he was the main boss of this chapter of the << Elf War >> campaign. As such, they had noticed him even before he shouted.

    Drifter ran towards the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >>, his body tilting forward at a 45-degree angle with the ground. He was holding his spear in front of his body, both hands near the end of the shaft, keeping the weapon parallel to the ground.

    "Hah!"

    With a grunt, Drifter shot forward in a << Rage Spike >>, his speartip accurately finding the gap between two of the iron plates that composed the belly portion of the fallen elf''s armor. Then, he twisted his weapon, and violently pulled to the left, tearing through the torso of the mob.

    Something worth mentioning was that Drifter and the others had been wrong about one thing. Focusing solely on completing the << Elf War >> campaign had not been detrimental to them in any way. Much the contrary, the experience they gained from completing the quests and slaying hard enemies such as the fallen elves was much more than what they would have earned if they were simply farming normal mobs. As such, they were a few levels higher than the average frontliner.

    Drifter''s attacks emptied the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander''s >> health gauge by at least 5%. While that might not look like much, this was, after all, only Drifter. But the spearman wasn''t by any means alone.

    When the huge axe of the fallen elf was raised and then chopped down at him, Drifter didn''t even move. That was not because he had been scared stiff, but because he knew it was unnecessary.

    A round shield suddenly appeared in-between Drifter and the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >>. Moreover, the shield had been positioned at an angle, so that, instead of catching the axe head, which would surely cleave right through it, it clashed against the weapon''s shaft, deviating it to the right, where it sunk harmlessly into the ground.

    From the side, Kirito tried to cut off the mob''s left hand with his sword. In SAO, as a general rule, humanoid monsters were stronger than other kinds of mobs at the same level. At the same time, however, they were also more susceptible to status effects - if chopping off a limb could even be called a ''status effect''.

    Of course, cutting off a hand or a leg wasn''t so easy. Otherwise, players could just aim to chop off all four limbs of any humanoid mob, crippling them and leaving them defenseless, thus breaking the game. Kayaba would never leave such an obvious loophole.

    Before you could cut off a mob''s - or player''s - limb, a certain threshold of damage needed to be surpassed. Even so, a heavy sword blow to the wrist had a chance to inflict ''weakness'' on enemies, which was exactly what Kirito was aiming for with his slash.

    "Ugh!"

    The young swordsman got what he wanted. With a groan, the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander''s >> left hand let go of his axe''s handle, and dangled powerlessly by his side.

    However, even that wasn''t enough to stop the boss. Even though his axe was almost as tall as him, and appeared to be heavy as a mountain, the fallen elf raised it with a single hand, and swung it horizontally, from the right to the left, knocking both Nautilus and Drifter back. Even with his attack power halved by his ''weakness'' debuff, the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> still managed to take away about 20% of their HP.

    Switching his hold to grab his spear with his left hand, Drifter put his other hand on Nautilus'' back, lest the two of them fell. Then, he immediately lashed out with his weapon, leaving a long gash on the fallen elf''s arm.

    "Nautilus?"

    Drifter had been about to launch another attack, an overhead swing, when he discovered that his ash-haired friend wasn''t moving. Due to that, he was forced to suddenly change his motion, or he might hit the other player. Confused, he called out to Nautilus, but received no answer. It was only then that he noticed that the blade-user''s body was trembling. With a start, Drifter''s expression morphed into one of horror.

    ''Shit! Not now!''

    Nautilus'' FNC was acting up again, and at one of the worst possible times. Since the shield-bearer had << Taunted >> the boss beforehand, the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> was single-mindedly focusing on him. As such, he even ignored Kirito''s attacks, and raised his giant axe once more. Only, now Nautilus didn''t have the ability to block or dodge anymore.

    Without much time to think, Drifter did the only thing he could, and pushed his friend out of the way. However, who would have expected the boss to mimic Drifter''s earlier move, switch his grip on his weapon''s handle, and reverse the direction of his swing? Now, not only had Drifter not saved Nautilus, he had instead pushed the blade-user right in the path of the axe.

    With a sickening ''crunch'', the axe head struck Nautilus square in the chest. His chest plate, one of Liz''s masterpieces, crumbled immediately, and the ash-haired player was sent flying. An enormous red line cut across his torso, giving the impression that he would split into two halves at any moment.

    "Nautilus!"

    Several people shouted together when they saw the sorry state the blade-user was in. However, everyone was locked in their own fight, and were unable to rush out to help Nautilus. Even Drifter, who felt responsible, was the same. He took a step towards the fallen player, but then stopped. Kirito alone couldn''t possibly stop the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> from running amok.

    "Drifter, go help him! I can stall the boss!"

    Just as he was being indecisive, the boy who was much younger than him smashed into the boss with his shoulder, sending the fallen elf stumbling back, and then immediately delivered a flurry of blows at him.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Kirito..."

    "Just be quick!"

    Seeing the slight smile Kirito gave him, even in this situation where his face was filled with tension, Drifter couldn''t help but tremble. All along he thought of himself as the brains of the party, the one who could keep calm when everyone else was panicking. And yet, wasn''t the exact opposite happening right now?

    Shaking his head, Drifter nodded to Kirito, and ran towards Nautilus. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn''t have been so worried. After all, as long as they were still alive, they could just drink a health potion and recover. But Nautilus'' FNC caused him to be unable to do even that.

    Sure enough, even though the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> had already turned his sights to Kirito, Nautilus was still frozen, even in his precarious situation. While feeding him a health potion and watching his HP go back to yellow from deep red, Drifter noticed the unwillingness in his eyes.

    "Why... Why now? Why me?! Why?!!"

    Seeing his friend like that, Drifter sighed. It was truly unfair. Nautilus was one of the best players in SAO. He was a frontliner. Every day he risked limb and neck fighting against the worst Aincrad had to offer, all for the sake of the thousands of people trapped with them. He fought floor bosses and came close to death more than once. There was no one who put as much effort as him in becoming stronger. It was... Truly unfair.

    "You are recovering, right? Come back quickly, we need you."

    In the end, Drifter didn''t choose to say any comforting words or to answer Nautilus'' rough questions. Instead, seeing that the ash-haired player was already regaining control of his body, he got up and went back to help Kirito.

    Drifter''s last sentence touched Nautilus profoundly. Right now wasn''t the time nor place to talk about Nautilus'' FNC or about how unfair life was. Now was time to fight, and they needed him. They needed their friend. Their shield.

    "Ahh... Agh!"

    Grunting, Nautilus forced his shaky limbs to obey him. Using his blade as leverage, he climbed up. But even though he was now standing, he still couldn''t take a step forward.

    ''Damnit!''

    While Nautilus struggled, not far away Yuna, Asuna, Sinon, and Kizmel were locked in combat with the << Fallen Falconer >>. Compared to the three men, who were barely managing to resist the mighty << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> - and that was before Nautilus was wounded - the girls were having a much easier time.

    Now, the once smug and arrogant falconer presented a sorry sight. His entire body was full of cuts and gashes, and there was more than one arrow stuck in his body. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes carried a trace of madness. However, said madness was covered by unwillingness. This was different from Nautilus, who was unwilling to accept his weakness. The falconer was unwilling to accept defeat, accept the fact he was being suppressed by those he looked down upon.

    "You..."

    The << Fallen Falconer >> started to speak, maybe to threaten them, maybe to throw insults, maybe to beg for his life. No one would ever know, because the moment he opened his mouth, Kizmel swung her sword, the blade flashing forward and cleanly cutting off the mob''s head. For but a single moment, the falconer''s expression showed surprise, before he shattered into countless polygons.

    To outsiders, that might seem like an anticlimactic end. However, Kizmel had learned her lesson. Every time she allowed the cursed falconer to speak, he somehow managed to escape. Not this time. Besides, scum like him didn''t deserve any last words.

    "Pah! Sister... Brother-in-law... I''ve avenged you."

    After killing the << Fallen Falconer >>, Kizmel''s first action was to spit on the spot where he died, something very uncharacteristic of her. However, that was the only way she could air all the grievances in her heart. Finally, finally she had gotten her revenge. Tilnel and Locke''s spirits could rest easy on the Spirit Tree.

    But now wasn''t the time to reminisce about the past or drown in the many different emotions she was feeling. Holding her sword, Kizmel charged at the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >>. In the end, the falconer had been just a puppet. The real culprit was the fallen elf in front of her.

    "Bah! That trash couldn''t even beat a bunch of girls! Whatever, I will do it myself!"

    The boss roared in annoyance. By now, Drifter had already returned to Kirito''s side, and both players were struggling against the mob. Thankfully, while the commander had absurdly high damage, his speed wasn''t anywhere near as overwhelming.

    "Hum?"

    Suddenly, Kirito let out a surprised gasp. That was because someone had appeared in front of him and blocked an attack from the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >>. Only, that person wasn''t Kizmel or Drifter, but Nautilus.

    "Are you okay now, Nautilus?"

    "Y-Yeah. More or less."

    It could be seen that the ash-haired boy was still affected by the outbreak of his FNC. Nevertheless, Nautilus had returned to the battle relying on his unyielding willpower. He, like all the others in the party and, indeed, like all frontliners, refused to step back, to be cowed by fear. Refuses to be defeated by SAO.

    "Let''s finish off this bastard then."

    Pointing his << Caldea Fana >> at the boss, Drifter smiled savagely. Before, he, Kirito, and Nautilus were simply able to stall the monster, and Nautilus was even seriously injured in the process. But now they had Asuna, Sinon, Yuna, Kizmel, and even Feredir, with them. It was time for payback.

    What followed next was a heated, but at the same time pitiful battle. Heated because the << Fallen Elf Expedition Commander >> was a very powerful boss. Pitiful because he was not strong enough.

    When he died, not only did the fallen elf drop experience in abundance, but there were also several pieces of equipment. After examining everything, Yuna, Kirito, and Sinon would all gain an upgrade in defensive capabilities.

    More importantly, when Asuna picked up the << Secret Key >> that was laying on the table, the party received a notification saying that their quest had been completed. Furthermore, the follow-up quest of the << Elf War >> campaign could only be started once they reached the 4th floor.

    "Here, Kizmel. This belongs with you."

    Even though the quest didn''t mention anything about giving the << Secret Key >> to Kizmel, Asuna still did so. It was only natural, after all the dark elf went through to retrieve it. Besides, the key belonged to the elven kind anyway.

    "Thank you, Asuna. And thank you too, my friends."

    "If you really consider us friends, then don''t be so courteous, Kizmel."

    Yuna grinned widely at the dark elf. The others also had huge smiles on their faces. Getting to know Kizmel was truly one of the best things to have happened to them in SAO.

    "That being so, I''m afraid I will have to leave you for the moment. I must deliver the << Secret Key >> back to Lyusula with all haste. I fear I won''t be able to accompany you in your battle against the floor guardian."

    Though Kizmel showed a slightly dismayed expression when she said that, the players weren''t surprised. Just the fact they could have the dark elf as a seventh member in their party throughout the entire duration of the << Elf War >> campaign was already a game-breaking mechanic. They expected that she would have to separate from them at some moment. If the Cardinal System was anything, that was fair.

    "Don''t worry, Kizmel. Everything you''ve told us about Nerius is already a huge help. I''m not kidding when I say it will save many lives amongst our fellow players."

    "That''s so? I''m glad to hear it. I will see you again soon, my friends. For now, farewell. Come on, Feredir."

    First Kizmel showed a thumbs-up to everyone, and then waved them goodbye. Taking Locke''s wolf with her, she rushed out of the cave. From her haste, it could be seen that she was in a hurry to offload the hot potato that was the << Secret Key >>.

    "I''ll miss her..."

    "Don''t worry, Asuna. It will be only for a few days. I''m sure once we reach the 4th floor, I''m sure she will join us again."

    "Hm. Kizmel already surpassed any AI in SAO - no, in the world. As long as she wants to meet up with us - and I believe she does - even the system will have to accommodate her."

    It took a moment for the rest to digest what Kirito had said. They didn''t continue on the topic, however, as there were more important things. Things such as returning to Zumfut to repair their equipment and replenish their consumables.

    The 3rd floor labyrinth had been almost entirely mapped. The boss raid was coming.

 Chapter 50 - 3rd Floor Boss Raid

    20th of December, 2022, tower of the 3rd floor.

    Fifty-two players assembled in front of a pair of huge wooden doors. The group included all the frontliners who had partaken in the 2nd floor boss raid, as well as a few new additions. One of them was the blacksmith Lizbeth, who had temporarily joined Agil''s party. As it turns out, ores weren''t the only thing Liz was proficient in smashing with her hammer.

    "How long do you think they will go on?"

    "Until Kibaou loses his patience. So... I''ll give it five more minutes."

    "I think you are too optimistic, boss. I say three minutes tops."

    Liz, Agil, Namate, Shigio, and Wolv were sitting in a circle on the ground, supposedly doing some last-minute checks. The truth was that they, like everyone else, were sneaking glances at the six players standing in front of the boss room''s doors.

    They had already concluded the strategy meeting yesterday, so the frontliners should have just started the raid without further ado. However, upon arriving here, they discovered that the doors to the boss room were covered in engravings depicting gruesome scenes of the floor boss massacring elves. Usually, no one would pay attention to that, after all, it was just lore and aesthetics, but Asuna had insisted they tried to interpret it, and Shivata, the second-in-command of the DKB, supported her idea. According to them, even if it turned out to be useless, they would''ve at most lost a few minutes. But, if the engravings held, by any chance, a clue or tip that could help in the boss fight, it could potentially be life-saving.

    Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Kibaou, Lind, and Shivata were examining the doors. Unfortunately, it seemed like everything they could glean from them, they already knew. Saving Kizmel had really sequence-broken the plot of this floor.

    "Enough wastin'' time! Let''s kill this sonuvabitch already!"

    "For once, I agree with Kibaou. Those engravings are useless now."

    As usual, one of every five words that left Kibaou''s mouth was a curse or an expletive of some kind. By now, the others were already used to it, and Drifter - albeit reluctantly - held the same opinion as the ALS leader.

    By the way, the Aincrad Liberation Squad and Dragon Knights Brigade were officially guilds now. Both had completed the guild creation quest yesterday, and announced it at almost the same time, so no one knew who came first. That had become another topic for the two groups of players to bicker on.

    Seeing that no one else had any opinions about the matter, Lind nodded, and walked towards the players. It had been decided that, to avoid miscommunication, the ALS and DKB would take turns leading the raid-party. Through the very mature method called ''rock-paper-scissors'', Lind had won the right to command the 3rd floor boss raid. Next floor it would be the ALS''s responsibility. Of course, if any other major guild arose, that arrangement would have to change.

    "Everyone! Thank you all for coming today! I''ll be commanding this battle. We already covered pretty much everything in yesterday''s strategy meeting, but there are still some points I would like to bring to your attention."

    "The boss will be stationary for the first phase, but it has an extremely wide reach, so support players, don''t lower your guard just because you are at the back. Also, watch out for underground attacks from its roots. We don''t actually know if this is a thing with this boss, but it was with the field-boss, so keep an eye on your feet!"

    "Finally, the second phase. That will be the most dangerous part, ''cause it wasn''t in the beta, so we only have the clues the songstress'' party got from the << Elf War >> campaign. Kirito?"

    "Uh? Me? Right!"

    Hearing Lind call him forward, Kirito was startled for a moment. Looking at the not-so-large crowd, he swallowed nervously.

    "Err... Well, what we got from the quest is very vague, but we are sure of two things. The first is that after the boss goes berserk, it won''t stay rooted anymore, but start moving. The second, and most concerning, is that the boss has something the NPCs called ''corruption''. We don''t know exactly what that is, but our best guess is that it''s some kind of DoT status effect. Could be ''bleed'', could be ''life drain'', we don''t know. So... Just keep that in mind."

    When Kirito stepped back, the young swordsman heaved a deep sigh of relief. Drifter couldn''t contain a snicker at his reaction. It seemed like that, to Kirito, speaking before a crowd was even more unnerving than fighting a floor boss.

    "You heard him, people. Don''t get cocky, and watch out for sneak attacks, that seems to be this boss'' main suit. Once we enter second phase, let the tanks take the lead and test that ''corruption'', so we can figure out what it actually is."

    Seeing several dozen heads nod, Lind glanced at the other leaders of the frontliners, then put both of his hands on the giant doors. With a gentle push, they opened. Orderly, the raid-party entered the boss room.

    At the same time, thousands of players opened the broadcast in their HUD, as they had already been waiting for it. Over half of the player population had gathered at the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings since yesterday, when news that the frontliners would tackle the floor boss today spread. It was human instinct to group up when faced with perilous situations, and, even if they weren''t the ones fighting, their lives nevertheless depended on the result of this battle.

    In the real world, however, things weren''t nearly as organized. After all, they didn''t have any advanced notice that a boss raid was going to happen. However, having experienced it twice before, it didn''t take more than a few minutes for news channels across the world to start transmitting the battle, and for people to stop whatever it was that they were doing to watch. This was especially so in Japan, where schools and businesses closed, and cars were parked on the roadside, yet no one cared. The entire country was completely focused on SAO.

    Of course, the raid-party didn''t know that. Someone had raised the topic of what if the people outside could see what was happening in SAO before, but then everyone agreed that it didn''t matter. If the people in the real world could do something to help them, they would''ve done so already. The fact that almost two months had passed and nothing changed could only mean that they were powerless to do anything. The SAO players could only depend on themselves to escape.

    The moment he entered the boss room, Drifter realized that it wouldn''t be an easy fight. That much had been obvious from the start, but it turned out to be even worse than they expected. The boss room wasn''t just a simple throne room like the others, but instead, it looked like a clearing in a forest. There were trees everywhere, and the ground was uneven and covered in partially revealed roots. Which ones were just aesthetic elements and which ones belonged to the boss, it was anyone''s guess.

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    The floor boss in itself was easy to identify. << Nerius the Evil Treant >> was in the middle of the room, a giant dead tree a dozen meters tall. At least seven or eight people would be needed to encompass its trunk.

    The boss looked like a dead and decayed tree, its bark falling apart and molding, its branches bare of leaves. Even the stench it was emitting was that of something putrid. However, none of the players let their guard down. They just waited.

    "Start!"

    At Lind''s command, the tank parties stepped forward, holding their shields high. Sinon knocked an arrow on her bow and aimed. When the DKB guild leader shouted once again, she let go.

    As it flew, the arrow acquired a red hue. By the time it reached the boss, the tip was already sparking. Once it hit << Nerius the Evil Treant >>, a giant blaze was suddenly lit. This was no magic, but rather a combination of one of Sinon''s skills, << Breaking Airflow >>, and an item, << Flame Fruit Oil >>, which easily caught on fire when something hit it hard - or it hit something. While it was too dangerous to be used with melee weapons - believe it, many players tried and regretted it - it was perfect for Sinon.

    "Yaaggggghhh!"

    "Yup, that''s the boss all right. Tanks, << Taunt >> and << Brace >>! Damage dealers, wait for them to grab the aggro and then go mental! Parties F through H, get ready to switch in! Party I, lookout duty! Identify the telltales of the boss, especially of the AoE attacks! Let''s chop down this tree!"

    With Kayaba''s familiar flair for the dramatic, << Nerius the Evil Treant >> woke up. Purplish will-o-whisps lit up on its body, looking like dozens of creepy flickering eyes. At around four meters of height, two sections of the boss'' trunk split up in a vertical mouth, dripping some kind of black goo.

    Sinon''s arrow just so happened to hit one of the boss'' ''eyes'', causing it to roar in pain. The shriek brought a smile to the player''s face. She had guessed that, being a treant, the boss would be weak to the << Flame Fruit Oil >>, and she was right. The attack scored a critical hit, and a small dent appeared on the first of Nerius'' four health bars.

    Suddenly, the ground trembled. Roots and branches started moving and wiggling on their own before coiling around each other to create giant arms, which the boss promptly swung at the incoming players. While the tanks didn''t quite get sent flying, they stumbled back and their formation was broken. Even to those players who invested everything in vitality, a good third of their health vanished.

    However, instead of feeling overwhelmed, Lind, Kibaou, Kirito, Drifter, and the others showed an expression of happiness. That was because, from their experience in the floors below and with field-bosses, the first attack would always be more powerful than the normal blows of the boss. Seeing as the tanks managed to weather through it with little problems, they were obviously overjoyed.

    Still, it had to be said that the reach of << Nerius the Evil Treant >> could be a problem. The tanks were still fifteen meters away from him when the boss struck. But the raid-party wasn''t discouraged, and neither was Drifter. Running forward, he deftly sliced through a flailing branch, then thrust his spear through the trunk of the boss, piercing one of its many eyes in the process.

    Pulling back his weapon, Drifter spun his entire body using the momentum of << Horizontal Arc >> and changed his position. The battles against the treant-type monsters on this floor had taught him to never stay in one place for too long.

    "Careful! It''s using a skill!"

    One of the support players at the back, responsible for identifying Nerius'' weaknesses, yelled. Drifter had already noticed the dark-green glow, and was retreating. Just as he got out of range, the boss swung its two whip-like arms, grabbing two or three players with each of them, and smashing them onto the ground. Not only did the unfortunate souls lose half of their health, they also entered a ''dizzy'' status. Seeing this, Lind''s eyes widened.

    "Pull them back and heal! Everyone, make sure your HP is above half at all times! If you need, switch with the backup parties!"

    At this time, not even Kibaou and the ALS were willing to disobey Lind. Their conflicts apart, they knew the frontliners needed to present a united front and work together against << Nerius the Evil Treant >>.

    For Drifter, the next forty minutes of battle passed by in a flash. He attacked, retreated, defended, and switched when needed. While this was the 3rd floor boss, he didn''t find it nearly as dangerous as the triple bosses of the 2nd floor. Maybe it was because he had gotten more skilled since then. Anyway, no unusual situation arose, and << Nerius the Evil Treant >> entered its berserk phase as expected.

    When its last HP bar entered the red, the boss roared once more, a piercing shriek that caused even the people watching the raid in the real world to grimace.

    Black vines oozing goo sprouted from << Nerius the Evil Treant''s >> body, enveloping it like a cocoon. When it fell apart, the boss was revealed standing on two legs, and with five giant arms. Not only that, but the black goo was now coating its wooden limbs. Whenever a drop fell, it would corrode the ground, leaving only toxic smoke behind.

    "Shivata, take the lead. Everyone else, get ready to support him!"

    This was what they had discussed beforehand. Shivata was currently the player with the highest HP and defense of the frontliners. Liten from the ALS was a close second, but his equipment wasn''t as good. As such, it had been left in the DKB vice-leader''s capable hands to test out the so-called ''corruption'' << Nerius the Evil Treant >> inflicted.

    Shivata didn''t disappoint. Even when the boss stomped his way towards him, leaving small craters where he walked, the player stood firm. He also used an advanced tank skill, << Shield Wall >> to temporarily raise his defense and stability.

    Even so, when Nerius'' tree-like arm crashed down onto him, his knees bent, and Shivata was forced to kneel. And the boss wasn''t done. Another arm smashed into the player, and this time he fell. Still, even as he ungraciously rolled through the ground, he didn''t forget his task.

    "It''s a status effect called ''sap''! I''m losing 5% of my HP every 3 seconds, and it can stack!"

    "Got it! Drink a potion and heal. Tanks, aggro it! Everyone else, full offense! Kill it before it can hit too many of us!"

    Lind''s decision was the same Drifter and Kirito made in their heads. Against << Nerius the Evil Treant >>, who could attack many players at once, instead of taking it slow, it was better to disregard defense and go all-out, otherwise once most of the raid-party was inflicted with ''sap'', they would all be done for.

    Knowing that, Drifter attacked ferociously, letting out all of his skills with high damage, heedless of the long cooldown. All around him, the raid-party was doing the same. He saw Kirito using a four-hit combo skill, and Liz using a charged attack. Asuna had willingly stepped on the boss'' arms and been inflicted with ''sap'', just so she could deliver a << Line Cut >> to its weak point. Sinon was shooting arrow after arrow coated with << Flame Fruit Oil >>, basically burning cor to kill the boss.

    [ Congratulations! ]

    Grinning widely at the message floating above them, Drifter high-fived Nautilus, who was next to him. From afar, he saw Shivata looking at him, and nodded. Another floor had been cleared. Just 97 more to go.

 Chapter 51 - Inversion

    Ogawa Kana and her husband, Ogawa Genji, sat on their sofa, and snuggled against each other. The last forty-eight minutes had been one of the three worse times of their lives - the other two being the broadcasts of the 1st and 2nd floor raids, obviously.

    "He made it again, thank god."

    "I told you, our son isn''t some hot-headed teenager, he will be okay."

    "I know, but I still wish he hadn''t joined the frontliners. Though... This is very in character with him, isn''t it? He has your genes, after all."

    "Hey!"

    "But, he has a lot of hot-headed teenagers in his group. I hope he is taking good care of them."

    Genji didn''t answer, only holding his wife closer. Looking at the TV, which was playing replays of some of the more exciting parts of the battle, he sighed. There were even special analysts breaking down the raid, could you believe it?! And some of them had the guts to say the players could''ve done better. No one had died, that was already the best result possible! Genji really wanted to shove them in SAO and see how they would fare.

    Of course, this was just his worry taking the better of him. He was just glad Itsuki had made it through another of those harrowing floor boss raids. As for the hot-headed teenagers Kana mentioned... Seeing their fearlessness and skills, he wasn''t sure if it was Itsuki who was taking care of them, or the opposite.

    "Who are you calling at this time?"

    Seeing that Kana had pulled out her phone and was dialing a number, Genji asked curiously.

    "I''m going to call Midori. I want to ask if her boy is okay."

    "Isn''t he the one called Kirito? He was fine, wasn''t he?"

    "Bah, you are a heartless man, you wouldn''t understand."

    Genji shook his head. What heartless man? He had been just as worried as Kana. However, he knew better than to contradict his wife over such a small thing.

    --------------------------

    "Mom? Who was that?"

    Suguha raised her head curiously, still holding Kazuto''s hand within her own. Her mother and she had been on their way to the hospital when the battle started, so Midori floored the pedal to get here faster.

    Usually, when they were in Kazuto''s room, Suguha''s mother would be changing the flowers and cleaning the room, or simply watching Kazuto. Suguha already knew he wasn''t her real brother, but actually her cousin - and wasn''t that a shock - but Midori treated Kazuto as her son nonetheless. So, it surprised Suguha when her mother received a call and then proceed to spend the next fifteen minutes on the phone, mentioning her brother many times.

    "It was Kana. She called to ask about Kazuto."

    "That new friend of yours? How did she know about brother?"

    Suguha had reason to be curious. They had been advised multiple times by the government agent, Seijirou, to avoid mentioning that they had a family member in SAO, much less that it was The Beater Kirito, who had gained a not-so-insignificant amount of fame due to the broadcasts.

    But now, her mother was happily spilling the beans to someone she randomly met in the hospital corridor just two weeks ago, so how could Suguha not be surprised?

    "Ah, I forgot to mention that to you, didn''t I? Kana is Drifter''s mother. I thought it would be nice to keep in touch with her considering her son is on the same team as your brother, don''t you think?"

    "I already told you, it''s called a party, not a team. But, yeah, it''s actually a great idea. Do you think... If we asked Mr. Kikouka, he would tell us who the families of Yuna, Sinon, Asuna, and Nautilus are? I would love to get to know them!"

    Suguha wanted to know everything about the people around her brother. She obviously wasn''t worried they had underhanded intentions for him, but was simply curious about the players Kazuto chose to entrust his life to. Especially the girls. Which one did he fancy? There was so much potential blackmail material for when he came back!

    Thinking of that, Suguha giggled. She bet her brother never expected other people would be watching him fight. The danger apart, he behaved so differently from his taciturn self that she would have no other option but to tease him.

    -----------------------------

    Back in Sword Art Online, the players were just as excited, if not more, as the people in the real world. No, it would be more correct to say that they were ecstatic. Sure, there were still 97 floors to go, a discouraging number, but nonetheless they were one floor closer to freedom.

    Over four thousand players had gathered in the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings to watch the boss raid, and even now, after it was over, many still lingered, chatting.

    Amongst those players was the little ponytail girl who Drifter and the others met back when they had just unlocked the 3rd floor. Right now, Silica was watching the live stream in her menu - as the frontliners had yet to leave the boss room, the broadcast was still going - while talking with a boy sitting next to her.

    The boy looked to be a little bit older than Silica, maybe fourteen or fifteen. He had a pretty normal appearance, except for his eyes. They were emerald green, an uncommon hue in the country, and which spoke of his foreign origins.

    "What do you think the 4th floor looks like, Vallerk?"

    "Won''t we know when they unlock the teleporter? Isn''t that why we are waiting here, Silica? So we can tp over to take a gander?"

    "Bah! You are no fun! Where''s your imagination?!"

    Silica stuck out her tongue in a cutesy manner, and the player named Vallerk smiled. Silica amused him, which was one of the reasons why he decided to party with her.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Look, they are moving to the stairs. Let''s go to the teleporter. There''s going to be a line."

    "Coming!"

    ---------------------------

    Shortly after defeating << Nerius the Evil Treant >>, the raid-party started ascending the stairs to the next floor.

    "Hey, beater! What''s the next floor like?"

    Hearing the obnoxiously loud voice, Kirito closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just as he calmed down and was about to answer, an incensed Asuna stood in front of him.

    "Give it a rest, will you, Kibaou?! We all know the truth, so stop using that disgusting word when you talk to Kirito!"

    Seeing the furious fencer, Kibaou snarled, but didn''t say anything else, and stomped off. His problem was with Kirito only, and he still had - vain - hopes of hoping in Asuna and the rest of the party the day they decided to kick out the black-haired boy - something he firmly believed would happen, since in his mind Kirito was a cheater.

    "Ignore him, Kirito. He''s just an idiot."

    "Uhm, I know. Thanks for standing up for me, Asuna."

    The chestnut-haired girl grinned brightly, and a red blush dusted her cheeks when she saw the warm smile Kirito gave her. Behind them, out of sight from the duo, Sinon and Nautilus rolled their eyes when Drifter and Yuna high-fived.

    "Right, Kirito. Now that the fool is gone, can you tell us about the next floor?"

    "Well... There''s really nothing much to say. Compared to the floors below, it''s actually really ugly. Just a bunch of canyons and sand. And dust. A lot of dust. The mobs... They are somewhat weaker, but they hide and launch sneak attacks."

    Shrugging his shoulders, Kirito stopped talking. He really couldn''t think of much more to say about the 4th floor, as it was very lackluster compared to the others. However, he didn''t expect that he would eat his words as soon as they stepped out of the labyrinth.

    When the bright sun shone upon them again, the party discovered that the ALS, DKB, and all the other members of the raid-party were standing around the exit of the tower, dumbfounded. Drifter could understand them. They were in a stretch of land covered by vibrant grass, and nothing more but a single tree. Surrounding them on all sides was water. A lot of water.

    "Err... What were you saying, Kirito? Something ''bout canyons, sand, and dust?"

    "Did we skip a floor by any chance?"

    The young swordsman looked at the small island they were standing on, and then at the crystal clear river around it. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times, but nothing came out. Nearby, Agil sighed.

    "Looks like he pulled another ''Kayaba'' over us. What a bastard."

    The last few words were spoken in English, but the meaning got across pretty well. As for who Agil was referring to, there was no need to ask.

    Meanwhile, Drifter was already feeling a headache. From what Kirito said, in the beta this was an arid floor, similar to a desert. Now, it was a lush landscape, with rivers flowing and water absolutely everywhere. It was the complete opposite of what they expected.

    ''Well, this is going to through a wrench in Argo''s plans. The new edition of the guidebook ain''t coming out anytime soon."

    "Soooo... How the heck do we get out of here? Are we supposed to swim?"

    Liz raised the question that was baffling everyone. Never mind the fact of whether all the players could swim or not, but how were they supposed to fight in the water? None of them were so naive as to believe the Cardinal System would be kind-hearted enough to not put aquatic monsters in the river. Drifter was fully expecting something like the << Cyan Rock Fish >> to jumpscare them at any moment.

    "Uhh... Sinon, tell me I''m hallucinating."

    "You are hallucinating, Yuna. Why, though?"

    "Because I think that tree is growing swimming rings."

    With a deadpan expression, the archer turned to look at the singular tree in the center of the island. She raised a finger to contradict Yuna, then lowered it.

    "Huh."

    Logically speaking, the players should''ve noticed the tree earlier. However, the frontliners had been so astounded by the sight before their eyes after exiting the labyrinth, that nobody paid attention to it, even though it was very distinctive. Now that Yuna drew the focus to it, however, everyone noticed that the tree was, indeed, growing uninflated swimming rings as if they were fruits.

    "Well, I think I know how we are getting to the city."

    After a few seconds of stunned silence, Drifter shrugged and walked towards the tree. They were trapped in a virtual world, and had just fought an ancient evil living tree. Floating downriver with the small possibility of fish attacks wasn''t enough to faze him anymore.

    "The clearers are going to have a field trip with this floor."

    "Yeah. Suddenly, I''m a lot more glad we agreed to focus on the elf campaign. Mapping this is going to be a nightmare."

    After having ''plucked'' a swimming ring - bright yellow with pink bananas drawn in it, because apparently Kayaba was in a vacation mood when he designed this floor - Drifter started inflating it while talking to his party.

    On the last floor, partially because of the deal they made with Shivata, a new division had been created amongst players. Now, the player population was basically split into three groups. The first and largest was composed of the low and mid-level players. While the frontliners explored the 3rd floor, they were still fighting on the first two, where mobs were weaker.

    The second unofficial group of players used to be the frontliners. They were initially the higher leveled players, who fought in whatever currently was the highest floor. And, while that still stood, frontliners were now more specifically recognized as the players who faced the floor bosses.

    The third group, the clearers, referred to those players who explored the highest floor, but didn''t have the confidence to go against the floor bosses. Instead, their task was to map out the floors and the labyrinths, and, more importantly, to relay any information they discovered about the floor bosses to the frontliners.

    In a way, it could be said that, while all frontliners were clearers, not all clearers were frontliners. This distinction wasn''t meant to cause conflicts between the players, but it was simply how things were. Not everyone was capable of standing amongst frontliners. This was not solely a matter of strength, but also of willpower. Knowing you were going to face the most deadly enemy at any given moment, but still being willing to do it was not something most players, most people could do. After all, while death was always lurking around the corner in SAO, it was never as clear as when a floor boss charged right at you.

    "Here goes nothing..."

    Cautiously, Drifter put his now-inflated swimming ring in the water, and waited for a few minutes. When nothing happened he, very carefully, laid down on the object, trying the best he could to find a position where he could fight back if something attacked him. Everyone was looking at him, also waiting.

    "Pffft... Hahahaha!"

    Finally, someone couldn''t stop themselves, and burst out laughing. Drifter threw a glare at Yuna while putting on a wounded look, but the corners of his lips curled upwards. He could imagine how comical of a sight he was right now. A fully armored warrior holding a spear, while using a blindingly yellow swimming ring adorned by drawings of pink bananas, his feet dangling in the water.

    After everyone had a good laugh, and Drifter inwardly thanked Kayaba for only streaming the boss raid, and not what happened after it, the frontliners each set down their swimming rings in the water, and let the current carry them.

    At first, everyone was tense, ready for a battle at any moment. But, as time passed and nothing happened, they realized the system was giving them a freebie for clearing the 3rd floor.

    Floating downriver with the sun shining down upon him, hearing the gurgling sound of the water and the laughter of his friends, Drifter slowly closed his eyes and smiled. Before he realized it, he had drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 52 - The Sisters

    Agil had once visited Venice with his wife, during their honeymoon. Standing on the pier of Rovia now, he reminisced about the unforgettable memories he made at that time.

    Rovia was beautiful. Ancient buildings made of white clay. Crisscrossed by waterways, and there was even a beach inside the safe zone. There was no doubt this city would be one of the major tourist destinations in SAO in the near future.

    "Say... What do we do with them?"

    There were eight other individuals accompanying Agil on the pier. They were all looking at the water, where a few tens of swimming rings were abandoned, floating by themselves. Except two of them, which still had people in it.

    Drifter and Kirito had fallen asleep during the trip downriver in the swimming rings, and even after arriving in Rovia, they had still to wake up. Basking in the sun while gently bobbing up and down in the water, they were having an enviable nap.

    The other frontliners had already left to activate the teleporter, so the only ones who stayed watching the two players were Yuna, Asuna, Sinon, Nautilus, Agil, Liz, Wolv, Namate, and Shigio. None of them could bring themselves to wake up Drifter and Kirito, especially when the two were sleeping so soundly. Kirito was even smiling! When was the last time they saw such an earnest and true smile on his face? Probably never, not in SAO.

    But all good things had to come to an end. While spending the rest of the day relaxing sounded like a great idea, soon the lower-leveled players would come flooding in to visit Rovia, as they always did whenever a new floor was opened. Besides, while no one would fault them for taking the rest of the day off, some amongst their ranks were anxious to meet their friend again.

    "Right. Sinon, would you like to do the honors?"

    "Gladly."

    An evil smile crept its way into Yuna''s expression as she looked at the archer. Sure, they felt it was a pity to wake up Kirito and Drifter. But, since they had to do it anyway, might as well make it fun.

    From their place strapped to her chest, Sinon pulled out two of her throwing picks. They had been left without use for a long while, but she still kept them with her just in case. They would come in hand now.

    Holding the throwing picks between the fingers of her right hand, Sinon took aim, and launched them. The projectiles flew true, piercing the swimming rings of Drifter and Kirito accurately, and dropping both of them in the water.

    "Gah!"

    "What the hell?!"

    Splashing water everywhere, the two players resurfaced. Having been so abruptly woken, it took them a few seconds to gather their bearings. Once they did, a twin set of glares was directed towards the players laughing their asses off on the pier.

    After they reached dry land, both Drifter and Kirito looked at their so-called friends while soaking wet. Sinon was the one who popped their swimming rings, but just by looking at their party, they knew from which mind the evil idea had come.

    "Hahaha... Uh? Hey, hey! What are you doing?! No, don''t you dare! Ahh!"

    Drifter and Kirito exchanged glances, and, without a word, the two men grabbed Yuna by her arms and legs, and hurled her into the water. They smiled. What a beautiful splashing pattern.

    ...

    Half an hour later, a much drier group of players entered a tavern. The establishment was as stereotypical as it could get, named The Rotten Fish, with dirt and stains everywhere, and a gruff NPC for a barman.

    After sitting down and ordering some food, they started discussing what to do next. Normally, they would take the rest of the day off since they had just defeated a floor boss, but << Nerius the Evil Treant >> had been truly an easy enemy when compared to << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> and << Asterius the Taurus King >>. They weren''t even that tired, and it felt like a waste to do nothing in the afternoon.

    "So, what''s your party thinking?"

    "I don''t know, Agil. The 4th floor of now is completely different from what I experienced, so much that I don''t even think anything of the beta will be of use here."

    "If Kirito''s saying so, we can only play it by ear. We are going to continue the << Elf War >> campaign, we only have to find out where to start. What about you?"

    Drifter looked at the black man, waiting for an answer. Their parties didn''t necessarily need to work together, but they trusted each other, and that was a huge advantage. Keeping in touch was a must. Agil scratched his bald head.

    "We are probably going to join the clearing efforts. Liz? You comin'' with us?"

    "Ehh... Maybe for a while? I want to see what new ores and materials I can get on this floor, and then set up my stall."

    The people around the table nodded. Not mentioning the fact that Liz was the only blacksmith Drifter''s party employed, she also had a pretty successful partnership with Agil and his merry band of warrior merchants. They sold all the excess equipment she made during training, for a commission, of course.

    After thinking for a few seconds, Kirito opened his map of the 4th floor, setting his HUD to public. At the moment everything it showed was fog, apart from Rovia and a twisting stretch of blue - the river they traveled through to reach the city. After a few seconds, the swordsman pointed at a certain location.

    "I know I just said we can''t rely on my beta knowledge, but there used to be an active volcano right about here. It was somewhat dangerous, but there were some special kinds of metals and rocks in the periphery. And, from what I''ve seen and can remember, the general layout of the floor hasn''t changed since the beta, only been filled with water. I''m guessing the volcano became a lake, so I don''t know if there will still be a mining spot around, but it might be worth a try."

    "Yay! Thanks, Kirito!"

    Liz jumped up and hugged the black-haired boy, much to his embarrassment. Liz came from a family of swordsmiths in the outside world, and even though gorging in SAO was nothing like the real thing, it was still her passion. More than that, it was her anchor to sanity. Hearing that there was the possibility of finding higher-leveled crafting materials, she was obviously happy.

    Soon after, Liz left with Agil and his party. Drifter, Kirito, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, and Asuna talked for a while more before getting up. According to the young swordsman, there was a dark elf fortress at the northern end of this floor. They might find clues to start the next quest in the << Elf War >> campaign there, and, if they were lucky, might even meet Kizmel.

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    However, soon after they made the decision to set off, they discovered a huge problem: Kirito had been right about the volcano becoming a lake, but how should they go about crossing it? They weren''t naive enough to believe that they could swim their way across in the floating rings.

    After two frustrating hours of circling the lake, only to discover that one side of it was blocked by a huge river, while the other fell directly from Aincrad''s side, the party returned to Rovia.

    After that, it took another hour for them to finally discover some clues about how to cross the lake. Mainly, they noticed DKB and ALS players frantically running around, and came to the conclusion that they knew something. Soon, they had an ALS player guiding them.

    They could have sneakily followed that player - but it''s hard for six people to do that at once, not to mention it didn''t sit well with them. So, Asuna chose the second best option, walked right up to an ALS player, and asked if they knew how to cross the lake. Just because they were at odds with Kibaou, it didn''t mean they hated everyone in his guild - and it helped that the one who asked was a pretty girl like Asuna, instead of The Beater Kirito.

    As it turned out, they needed boats to easily move across this floor - Drifter kicked himself mentally for not thinking of that sooner. And the one who could give them the vehicle they needed was a shipwright NPC called Romolo. He had a complicated backstory, something involving being kicked out by the Water Carrier Guild and retiring, and whatnot, but Drifter honestly didn''t care. He might have liked lore before, but now all he wanted was to beat Sword Art Online as soon as possible.

    Basically, Romolo could build their ship for them, but they needed to gather the materials themselves. The first item needed was bear fat, used to seal the wood and prevent leaks. To gather it, they had to go to the aptly named << Bear Forest >> south of the town, where mobs known as << Enraged Black Bears >> could be found.

    "Say, don''t you there was something strange about that NPC?"

    "He didn''t seem quite right in the head, but nothing too weird. Why do you ask, Naut''?"

    "Well, he gave us the quest to get bear fat, but he kept mentioning that Megno... Magna... M-something!"

    "<< Magnatherium >>?"

    "That''s it! Unless I''m thinking too much into it, he wants us to hunt that thing instead of normal bears."

    Drifter nodded. It did seem that way.

    "Maybe the bear fat of that << Magnatherium >> is some kind of... Premium item? That doesn''t feel right, but it''s the best I''ve got."

    "No, it makes sense, Sinon. Maybe the boat we get will be better if Romolo uses it."

    The archer didn''t seem convinced it was worth the effort, but she could already see the stars in Asuna and Yuna''s eyes, so she didn''t bother arguing. She knew the two perfectionists of the group would want to get the best of everything.

    Once they entered the << Bear Forest >>, it didn''t take long for them to find their first enemy. The three-tons bear wasn''t exactly stealthy.

    When the animal charged at them like a runaway truck, even Nautilus wasn''t bold enough to try and stop it. The party dodged out of the way, but the mob was nimble for its size. The << Enraged Black Bear >> lifted its gigantic left paw, and tried to hit Asuna. Thankfully, compared to the minotaur in the 2nd floor labyrinth, it was still a little lacking. Asuna bent backwards to avoid the attack, and retaliated.

    Drifter couldn''t see what she did as he was on the other side of the giant bear, but it must''ve hurt, because the beast reared on its hind legs and roared. Seeing the gaping mouth, Drifter put his spear through it.

    Before the << Enraged Black Bear >> could reel back in pain, Drifter hit the butt of his spear with his knee as if he was hammering a nail in. The skill, named << Dirty Play >>, had very specific uses, in very specific situations, but this just so happened to be one of them. The guaranteed critical strike took out 20% of the mob''s HP in one fell swoop.

    The rest of the battle was intense, but without any mishaps. The << Enraged Black Bear >> managed to get a strike or two in before falling powerlessly to the ground and vanishing. Other than some cor and the bear fat they wanted, the party also received a high-quality << Black Bear Pelt >>, which Kirito kept. They had yet to find a reliable tailor, but Sinon and Yuna could do with some new leather armor.

    For the next hour, the party hunted << Enraged Black Bears >> while searching for the fabled << Magnatherium >>. As more and more players discovered the shipwright quest, the map was getting fuller.

    "It''s almost dark. Do we keep going or..."

    Drifter looked at Kirito. The black-haired boy thought for a few seconds before gesturing towards the deeper end of the forest.

    "Another hour or so. But if we don''t find it, I think we should just hand in the normal quest requirements. Sorry, Asuna, but we can''t spend too much time on a boat."

    "Hm, I know."

    The fencer smiled, showing she didn''t mind. With a plan set, the party continued searching for the special mob. To save time, they started going around the << Enraged Black Bears >> they found, avoiding fights when possible.

    They were almost giving up when they finally found their target. It was already night by then, and most players had returned to Rovia, making the huge flaming bear all the more conspicuous.

    The << Magnatherium >> was huge, even when compared to the other bears. Standing at three and a half meters tall, the mob had red fur, and a lightning bolt-shaped horn in its forehead, which was the source of the flames they saw from afar.

    "Is that a field-boss?"

    "No. Just one health bar, see? It''s an elite mob."

    "It''s sure to hit hard, elite mob or not. Yuna, we will be relying on you to debuff it. Nautilus, Drifter, and I are going to be the main offense force. Asuna, Sinon, try to blind it. It worked with the << Enraged Black Bears >>, so it should work in it too."

    The party launched into action immediately after that. One of Sinon''s arrows accurately pierced the right eye of the << Magnatherium >> while it was still unaware of their presence. The players ignored the roars of the injured beast, and attacked relentlessly, carving wound after wound in its body.

    The giant bear wasn''t going to go down quietly, however. When it lost a fifth of its help, the flaming horn on its head shone brightly, and fire spewed out of it like a flamethrower, hitting Nautilus and Drifter directly.

    Unable to bear it, Drifter fell back to put out the flames. While it didn''t exactly hurt, the sensation was... Less than pleasant. Not to mention, it was eating away at his HP at an alarming rate.

    "Heya! Oh! Ohhhhh!"

    While Drifter was downing a health potion, there was a sudden outburst of noise as an unfamiliar player appeared out of nowhere, followed closely by two others.

    "Ah, shucks! Someone''s already fighting it. We are out of luck, sis!"

    The first person had her sword pointed at the << Magnatherium >>, poised to attack, but stopped when she noticed Drifter and the party. Disappointment covered her face as she pouted. The other two players, also girls, lowered their weapons too.

    "Be right with you, just give us a sec."

    Seeing as they didn''t plan on interfering, Drifter nodded curtly at them before focusing back on the battle. From the quick glances he got of them, two of them were identical, without a doubt twins. Their ages couldn''t have been much older than Kirito, Asuna, and the rest. The third player seemed to be a bit older, but not by much. Sisters, maybe?

 Chapter 53 - An Odd Trio

    On the 4th floor, on the map south of Rovia, << Bear Forest >>, an interesting scene was taking place. A party of six players was fighting against a gigantic bear with a flaming horn, while three other people watched. Even more interesting, two of the ''audience'' members were twins.

    The twins both had long purple hair - dyed, obviously - and petite builds. Their most distinctive feature was without a doubt their eyes. They were just an ordinary shade of brown, but they were so clear it seemed to peer into your soul when you looked at them. No matter who it was, when they first met the twins, their gaze would be drawn to their eyes.

    Even the equipment of the twins was identical, both using one-handed swords, similar to Kirito. However, it was easy to tell them apart due to their disposition. The one who was clearly the younger twin could barely stand still, punching the air and cheering for the players fighting the monstrous bear. Meanwhile, her sister was much more mature, calmly observing everything without saying a word.

    The third player had also dyed her hair, maybe to be included in the group. However, she had chosen a deep blue color instead of the purplish-black the twins went with. Her hair was cut short, but unlike Sinon''s untamed locks - and don''t mention that within earshot of the archer - her hair was neatly combed. Despite being just as small as the other two girls, she carried a huge broadsword on her back.

    "Wah, did you see that, sis?! Look at that guy with the black sword! Woah, and that one with the spear! What skill was that?! That girl with the rapier, her hair is so pretty! And why is that other girl singing? Oh, wait! That one with the light-blue hair has a bow! Don''t tell me they are..."

    "Calm down, Yuuki. And yes, I do believe they are the songstress'' party. Hence the girl playing the flute."

    "Haaaaa! Sis, sis, we need to talk to them! You know they are like my..."

    "Your idols, yes. We know. Now stop bothering Ran and watch, Yuuki. This is a rare chance to see how the frontliners fight from up close. Can''t you see how focused your big sister is?"

    "Ouch! I told you to stop knocking my head, Merida! I''m gonna grow stupid if you keep doing that!"

    "You already are dumb as a board, Yuuki. Now shut up and watch."

    The younger twin, Yuuki, pouted and rubbed her head where the blue-haired girl, Merida, had hit her. However, she didn''t dare disobey her older sister when Ran told her to stop talking. She just stuck her tongue out at Merida, who smirked, and turned back to watch the battle.

    By now, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, Sinon, and Nautilus were close to finishing off the << Magnatherium >>. If it wasn''t for the presence of the trio, they would''ve killed it already, but because they were there, the party was forced to keep an eye on them, to prevent a possible kill-steal, even if it didn''t look like they planned on sabotaging them. Still, better safe than sorry, as they had painfully learned.

    That also meant Drifter heard everything the trio said. They weren''t exactly being discrete, especially Yuuki, who was fangirling pretty hard over them. Fans. That was one thing Drifter never imagined he would one day have.

    Impaling the << Magnatherium >> through its neck with a << Sting >>, Drifter glanced at the trio of girls. He briefly captured the gaze of the older twin, Ran, and saw a kindred soul. The moment passed almost immediately, however, as he focused back on the giant murderous bear trying to rip his head off.

    Sidestepping a huge paw, Drifter flexed his wrists, spinning his spear. Using the momentum he built, he hurled the weapon at the furry chest of the << Magnatherium >>, which was by now marred with wounds. Then, pulling back his spear, he slashed sideways, leaving another deep cut. With one last sorrowful roar, the elite mob crumbled.

    Kirito quickly went through the battle log, to see if the rewards were worth the trouble. Thankfully, there was something called << Fire-Bear Fat >>, which should be the rare item they were looking for.

    After all that was done, the party leader turned to talk to the newcomers, only to almost stumble right into one of them. Yuuki was almost glued to Kirito while excitedly asking questions.

    "Hi! My name is Yuuki, I''m a huge fan of yours! And your party! You looked so cool when you fought that bear just now! And the 3rd floor boss, how did it feel to... Hey, sis! What are you doing?! Okay, okay, I''ll stop, release me! Sorry."

    Overwhelmed, Kirito didn''t manage to get a single word in, and had to be rescued by Ran, who grabbed her younger sister by the collar and dragged her to a respectable distance from Kirito. Ran apologized to him.

    "Sorry about that. She has always been a little hyperactive."

    "Ah, no worries. It''s just... Having someone look up to us so much still kinda freaks me out."

    "Agreed. Damn broadcasts."

    Their lovable archer muttered under her breath, but everyone heard it. After Kirito, Sinon was the one who hated the idea of having their battles live-streamed the most. She was always one to stay out of the spotlight and hide at the back during major events, but now she had become a public figure - and she didn''t even know about her fame outside of Sword Art Online.

    "Anyway, thanks."

    While Kirito didn''t specify why he was thanking them, the trio knew it was because they simply watched without butting in. While that was common courtesy, there were many who didn''t abide by it.

    "You looked like you had it. I''m Ran, by the way. This is my sister Yuuki, and the other one is Merida."

    "Heya! I''m Yuuki, nice to meet you!"

    "Hi."

    "It''s great to meet you too. You already know who we are, but... Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, Drifter, Nautilus, Sinon."

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    As he spoke, Kirito indicated each person. Like he said, the trio already knew who they were, but manners were manners.

    It was about this moment that Ran lost control of Yuuki again, and the girl started jumping around and asking questions about everyone. Most of them were related to how it felt to fight floor bosses. From that, it could be seen she was another one of those combat junkies who wanted to become a frontliner. Considering they only had half a party''s worth of manpower, but were still hunting on the 4th floor, they shouldn''t be bad fighters. Clearers, at the very least.

    Yuuki reminded Drifter of an excited puppy, and he couldn''t help but smile at the comparison. While the girl was... A lot, he didn''t dislike her, and he knew his party didn''t either. In just a few minutes, Yuuki had managed to befriend all of them. Ran and Merida, while more silent - or maybe calmer is the right word - weren''t bad conversation partners either.

    "Kirito, night''s turned. We should go."

    "Right. Yuuki, Ran, Merida, we are going back to Rovia. Want to come with us?"

    After a few more minutes, Drifter nudged Kirito, alerting the boy to the fact that it was already considered nighttime by the Cardinal System. While mobs wouldn''t necessarily become stronger during the dark hours, they had a much higher chance of going berserk, and none of them wanted to wrestle a mindlessly furious black bear in the dark.

    "If you don''t mind our company."

    "Not at all. Drifter, think you can reach out to Argo..."

    "''Bout the materials? Already did. She said she''s searching for a tailor too, but not many have taken the << Tailoring >> skill, and even less leveled it up enough."

    Kirito sighed. One of the saddest things for a SAO player was having materials sitting in your inventory that you couldn''t use, or pieces of equipment you couldn''t put on. Who knows how many players died thinking that if they had been able to make use of a certain item, they might''ve pulled through.

    Drifter was looking at his menu, so he didn''t notice Ran raising an eyebrow at Merida when they overheard his conversation with the young swordsman.

    ...

    After they arrived at Rovia, the nine players didn''t split up as one thought they would. Along the way Yuuki had managed to make Asuna open up, and now the two wouldn''t stop talking, with Yuna interjecting from time to time. Even Ran was a little less cold now, and she, Nautilus, and Kirito were in a deep discussion about different ways to break an opponent''s guard without losing the durability of their swords.

    As for Drifter, he had been focused on talking with Agil and Shivata in a group chat about the difficulties they faced in finding the trigger to start this floor''s chapter of the << Elf War >> campaign. He asked them to keep their eyes open and ears peeled for clues.

    "Hey, Drifter."

    "Uhm? What''s up, Merida?"

    Drifter looked up at the blue-haired girl. He wasn''t sure what to make of her. She was the same age as Ran, Yuuki, Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon, and sometimes she would act that age, but more often than not, she simply looked at everyone impassively, as if she was watching children. She was far too mature for her age, or at least that was what Drifter thought. But then again, he had only known her for an hour or so, so he didn''t have any grounds on which to base those speculations.

    "Sorry for intruding, but I overheard you and Kirito. It sounded like you needed a tailor quite urgently?"

    Drifter scratched his head.

    "Well, I wouldn''t say urgently... But we certainly wouldn''t turn up our noses at a decent tailor. For you to be asking this, do you happen to know one?"

    "How about me?"

    Drifter raised an eyebrow. Merida had a cheeky smile which told him she was waiting for him to ask this question.

    "You took up << Tailoring >>?"

    "Yes. My mastery is only 220 points right now, though."

    "That''s..."

    Drifter trailed off. He didn''t want to offend Merida by saying that her proficiency was too low, but that was the unfortunate truth. But the girl just smiled at his awkward silence. Raising two fingers, Merida took on a tone that reminded Drifter of himself when he went for job interviews.

    "I know it''s not good enough for what you want, but I wouldn''t make this proposition without reason. First off, I should make known that I abandoned << Tailoring >> to focus on developing my combat skills. We want to become frontliners, after all."

    Drifter nodded. Many players, including himself and the rest of his party, were like that. Drifter had given up on << Cooking >>, Sinon on << Crafting >>, and Kirito on << Bartering >>. It couldn''t be helped, since raising their mastery in those lifestyle skills took time and resources they couldn''t waste as frontliners. Not to mention, every player had a limited number of skill slots. If they couldn''t train a skill to the max, it was better to give up on it early. Of their party, only Asuna still insisted on learning << Cooking >> - not that any of them were complaining, since those sandwiches were out of this world.

    "And the second thing?"

    "Most of the players who focus on lifestyle skills are low-level and stay in the Town of Beginnings. On one hand, that leaves them with a lot of free time on their hands to raise their mastery. On the other, they don''t have any high-quality mats to work with, and hit a roadblock because of that. Blacksmiths apart, of course."

    Once again, Drifter raised his head in agreement with what Merida was saying. There were plenty of blacksmiths to go around, mainly because everyone, without exception, required their services.

    But until now, all Merida had done was state facts. Drifter looked at her, waiting for a real reason why he should trust her as their tailor. Sure, she was a nice girl and all, but he was the vice-leader of his party, and couldn''t make this kind of decision lightly. After all, it wasn''t easy for them to gather all those crafting materials.

    Merida swallowed nervously, and Drifter felt a pang of pity, but didn''t relent. He was aware he was being painfully cold to a teenager five or six years younger than him, but people matured fast in SAO. You didn''t make it far in this game without changing your mentality. You just needed to look at how Drifter behaved around his party. He had long stopped treating them like children, and put them on the same level as he. They had earned that when they challenged floor bosses by his side.

    "What I want to say is, most players can''t get their << Tailoring >> to a high proficiency because they either need to sacrifice their leveling speed, or because the mats they have access to aren''t good enough. But if we come to a deal, it would be different. My 220 points in << Tailoring >> might not be much, but they aren''t few either. If you can provide me with materials, and I focus solely on it for a week, I can get it to 400 points without a doubt."

    "And give up on being a frontliner?"

    "Not at all. Allow us to farm and complete quests with you. Being able to fight alongside actual frontliners will be a huge help to Ran and Yuuki. And I will be the personal tailor of your party. How about it?"

    Though she tried to put on a confident expression, Drifter could see Merida was actually very nervous. He pondered for a few seconds.

    "We don''t need exclusivity, just let us get first pick. We aren''t the only ones in need of a good tailor."

    "You mean..."

    Drifter smiled, and put out his hand for her to shake.

    "Welcome to the frontlines, Merida."

 Chapter 54 - Aye Aye Captain!

    It was nearly midnight already, and only Drifter and Kirito were still in the inn''s lobby, talking. The spearman had an apologetic expression as he scratched his cheek.

    "Sorry I made the call without consulting you and the others, Kirito."

    "No, no, don''t be. We trust you."

    Hearing the last three words, Drifter smiled fondly. He knew Kirito meant it, and it was an honor. He wouldn''t let him, nor Yuna, Asuna, Nautilus, or Sinon down.

    "You think they have potential, then?"

    "I think they are strong. When we were fighting the << Magnatherium >> earlier, they were watching and even chatting. They didn''t show fear, even though there are only three of them."

    "That''s not necessarily a good thing."

    Drifter snorted in amusement, but regretted it immediately after when he saw Kirito''s downcast expression. He knew it wasn''t his fault. The swordsman was simply thinking about the past. Just like Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus didn''t share everything they went through in SAO with the others, neither did Kirito, or Asuna and Sinon, for that matter. No one liked to look back at painful memories.

    Seeing Drifter''s face change, Kirito quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was a part of him he disliked a lot, but knew it was unfortunately necessary. He wasn''t responsible just for himself, but for his friends too.

    "I''m not sure I''m fit for teaching other players... But I''m not against it. We have to see how they fare tomorrow. Their equipment is good, and so is their mentality, so I''m hopeful."

    "It would be great if they are as good as I think they are. You know just how desperately we need more people on the frontlines."

    Kirito nodded thoughtfully.

    "Yeah. We can probably make do with just fifty-something for this floor, but... We are starting to get overwhelmed. Ideally, we can recruit twenty or thirty more people for the 5th floor and above."

    "I would feel better if we had triple the amount of people we have now, but it is what it is."

    "Haaa... We can''t force people. But Argo told me there are quite a few good parties amongst the clearers, they just started later than us. They should be catching up soon."

    Watching their last floor boss raid, you might not think this, but the frontliners were terribly short-handed. However, even if that was the case, they couldn''t simply allow anyone to join them. If people died because they recruited them just to make up numbers, their deaths would be in their conscience. And there was the more practical concern of trust. The moment you stepped into a boss room, your life didn''t belong just to you anymore. Everyone had a role in a boss raid, and if someone screwed up, people died.

    "Something else, Drifter. Ran''s trio can tag along tomorrow, of course, but then we''ll be nine players in the group."

    "Ten, probably. Asuna messaged Liz about Yuuki wanting to upgrade her gear, she''ll probably join us."

    "Right, ten. That''s... A lot of people."

    Kirito was beating around the bush, but Drifter knew where he wanted to arrive. They had discussed this issue before, and archived it due to the swordsman''s resolute negative. But since Kirito was the one bringing it up now...

    "Yup, a lot of people. Enough to form a guild, actually."

    "Yeah... About that. Are you sure?"

    He was. Drifter only saw benefits in creating a guild. But then again, he wasn''t the one who was going to lead it. That role would fall on the dark-haired boy in front of him, and Kirito knew it. That was why he looked so unsure.

    "Kirito, I''m not saying we have to make a huge guild to compete against the ALS and DKB. Quite the opposite, I''m content to let the two fools duke it out while we stay back. And I know you aren''t stoked about the idea. But we''ll have to join a guild at some moment, there''s no way around it. And I would prefer if it was our guild instead of someone else''s."

    There were many advantages to joining a guild, and the beta-tester knew it better than anyone. Not to mention the bonus experience and cor, once the guild was at level 5, they could choose different kinds of boons, such as extra damage, defense, HP, and so on. And they were based on percentages, so while they might not make a huge difference at the start, in the later stages of SAO, each extra percent could amount to hundreds of bonus stats.

    Apart from that, another benefit of being in a guild was being able to know where your guildmates were at any moment, even if it was across floors, and being able to see the health and status of everyone in the guild, not just your party members. That could be a literal life-saver if unexpected situations arose.

    Now, Drifter wasn''t sure why Kirito was so against creating a guild, other than his usual anti-social tendencies. But now that he saw the swordsman open up to the idea, he was going to try his best to convince him.

    "Think about it, Kirito. It won''t be much different from what it is now. I know that Liz will want to throw her lot in, but apart from her and us six, there won''t be many more people. Maybe Agil and his bunch, but I doubt they will join right at the start. As for Yuuki, Ran, and Merida, we can invite them later on if we think it''s a good idea. So it will be just us and Liz to start with. We are almost always together anyway."

    "This... I''ll think about it. But I won''t be guild leader. You or Asuna are much better..."

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "Nope. You don''t get a say in this."

    Before Kirito could finish, Drifter cut him off. He knew that compared to convincing the swordsman to set up a guild, this was the major obstacle. Unfortunately for Kirito, he refused to budge on this topic, and so did the others. They would only accept the black-haired boy as their leader.

    "Drifter..."

    "Don''t. I''ll be straightforward here, Kirito. You have an inferiority complex. No matter how hard we try to knock some sense in you, you refuse to accept that we want you to be our leader because we trust you. I trust you. Asuna trusts you. So do Sinon, Nautilus, and Yuna. We aren''t pulling your leg or making a prank, Kirito. We chose you as our leader because we firmly believe you are the best option."

    Drifter grabbed Kirito''s shoulders with both hands, and stared right into the boy''s eyes, trying to convey his seriousness.

    There was something about Kirito that was just... Different. The first time he laid his eyes on him, Drifter knew that. Deep down, in a place unknown even to him, Drifter believed the swordsman would be the one to bring them out of SAO. It was like... He, Yuna, Nautilus, Asuna, Sinon, Argo, Agil, Liz, and everyone else, they were all trapped in SAO. They all saw themselves as prisoners, outsiders. But Kirito... Kirito lived. To him, SAO was more than just a sadistic game, more than just a prison. It was a world, as real as the one they came from.

    "I and Asuna will be your vice guild leaders, Kirito. We''ve discussed that before. If we think you are being dumb or making something stupid, you can trust we''ll tell you that to your face. You just need to know, you will never be alone. It''s too late to get rid of us."

    The swordsman chuckled weakly at the joke. He said nothing for the next few minutes, his gaze lost in the distance. Then, having made up his mind, he heaved a deep sigh.

    "Only if everybody else agrees."

    Drifter grinned.

    "You got it, boss."

    "Ugh..."

    -----------------------------

    The next morning dawned on a deeply regretful Kirito. Looking at the five raised hands and joyful - teasing - smiles, he sighed for the nth time.

    "All in favor say ''aye''. Aye."

    "Aye!"

    "Aye."

    "Aye."

    "Aye!"

    Yuuki, Ran, and Merida were watching the peculiar scene from nearby. From their perspective, Drifter had dragged a very downbeat Kirito, and casually asked everyone to vote for him to be their guild leader - implying they were going to create a guild.

    "You guys are really... Hah! I''ll try my best."

    "We will be in your care, guild leader!"

    "Ugh! Please don''t call me that, it gives me goosebumps. Just continue calling me Kirito."

    Kirito shuddered, and his party laughed. After a few minutes of joking around and teasing their new guild leader, they finally got down to business.

    "All right, we can complete the guild establishment quest later. Meanwhile, brainstorm names, people."

    "Roger that."

    "Plans for the day are these, then: complete the shipwright''s questline, get our boat, and cross the lake to meet up with Kizmel and continue the << Elf War >> campaign. That okay with everyone? Ran?"

    First getting nods of affirmation from his party, Kirito then looked at Ran, the older twin, and leader of the trio.

    "We''ll follow you wherever you go, if that''s okay."

    "No problem. Well then, let''s go! Clearers are already starting to map out the floor - where they can reach, anyway. We can''t be too far behind."

    One little-known fact about Kirito was that he didn''t overthink things. He didn''t want to be guild leader, and he still thought he wasn''t the best one for the job, but since his party had chosen him, so be it.

    The following objectives from the shipwright chain quest involved getting wood, a special kind of silk for the sails, and a whole lot of other things - of course, Asuna and Yuna insisted on always getting the rare items, which meant fighting plenty of elite mobs. At least they got many chances to watch their new friends and possible recruits battle.

    They were good. Drifter already expected that, but he was still surprised. Ran, Merida, and Yuuki were totally at the level of frontliners. In fact, he was confused as to why they didn''t join them earlier. But there could be a plethora of reasons for that, and he wasn''t about to ask them. Everyone had their secrets.

    The purple-haired sisters both used long one-handed swords, as he had already noticed yesterday. While their reaction speed wasn''t quite as fast as Kirito''s, it was still enough to put many frontliners to shame. But what really set them apart was their synchrony. Whether it was because they were twins or because they had fought alongside for a long time, Drifter didn''t know. But watching as they made identical cuts on the stalk of a << Gaudy Nepenthes >>, almost snapping it in half, he gave them a mental thumbs-up. They might be a little slower than Kirito, but their teamwork more than made up for it.

    And then there was Merida. There were a few players who used greatswords amongst the frontliners, but Drifter never interacted with them, so this was his first time seeing someone fight with it from up close. What he thought would be a cumbersome weapon turned into a whirlwind of death in the blue-haired player''s hands.

    With one glance, Drifter could see Merida had invested pretty much all of her attribute points in strength, and was relying on her equipment to compensate for her lack of agility and vitality. It was a bit of a glass cannon build, but enemies had to hit her first, and it was hard to do that when she cleaved everything that came close to her in half.

    By the time they finished gathering all the materials and returned to Rovia, it had all but been confirmed that the trio would join them on the frontlines. Liz was also getting along swimmingly with them, so poor Agil was probably about to lose his temporary party member.

    The group split up once they reached the city, Yuuki and Ran going to the inn, Liz and Merida going to the plaza to sell their wares, and the original party searching for the shipwright Romolo to get their boat.

    Thankfully, this was a game. After handing in the materials, they just had to wait half an hour to get a small sailboat, enough for ten people to comfortably navigate in. It was quite tiny compared to the ALS and DKB ships, which could sit thirty players each, but for the party it was already more than enough.

    Just as they were thanking the shipwright and preparing to turn in for the night, Romolo gestured for them to wait, and follow him. The party did so, albeit confused. This was a standard start for a quest, but according to what they knew, Romolo''s questline had ended already.

    No matter what they asked, the NPC only told them to stop talking and quietly follow him. His routine was rigid, and he only repeated the same lines over and over again, so the party had no option but to go after him. Sometime later, they reached the pier, where they saw a bunch of sailors sneakily loading crates onto a ship.

    "I knew those bastards were up to somethin'', sneaking ''bout at night! My ol'' bones are too weak to sail like I did back in my days, so I need ya to follow them and discover what they are schemin'' for me, adventurers."

    [ Received quest: Follow the Clandestine Sailors. Accept? ]

    Without thinking too much, they clicked yes. All the signs pointed to this being a hidden quest they somehow stumbled upon.

    This was how, while most players were heading to the safe zones to sleep, Drifter and his party ended up sailing their newly built boat into the night, after a bunch of criminal NPCs.

 Chapter 55 - Exhausting Day

    "Well... I guess we now know why only we received this quest prompt."

    From their hiding spot near the entrance of a lakeside cave, Drifter and his party watched as the smugglers handed over the crates to none other than the fallen elves.

    Just two hours earlier, the players had been grabbed by Romolo, the shipwright, and given a quest to track a bunch of clandestine sailors around the << Caldera Lake >>. Thankfully, sailing in SAO wasn''t anywhere as hard as it was in real life. They pretty much just pointed the ship in the direction they wanted to go, and the system always made sure there was wind to fill their sails.

    After two hours of following the other boat through the dark lake, they finally set foot on land again, at the entrance of the very cave they were in now. The party anchored their sailboat to shore farther away, and walked the rest of the way.

    This was how they found themselves spying on thirty fallen elves - way too many for them to deal with. Luckily, the quest didn''t task them with eliminating the mobs, it just wanted them to scout the situation.

    "The smugglers are leaving, but the fallen elves are going deeper into the cave. Do we follow?"

    "The quest is still ongoing, so yeah."

    Just as they stepped into the cave, there was an instant change in the atmosphere. Drifter sighed. It looked like this mission wasn''t going to be as easy as they thought it would.

    "A dungeon. On your toes, people."

    Dungeons were different than your normal open map. For starters, they only activated for quest-related players. It also meant this wasn''t just a simple tailing quest anymore, and that enemies would start appearing. More importantly, once in a dungeon, you couldn''t send or receive messages to players who weren''t also in said dungeon. That made dungeon dives a lot more uncertain and dangerous.

    Soon enough, they found their first obstacle. Two << Fallen Elves Guards >> were patrolling the tunnels, and the party would have to go through them if they wanted to proceed. So much for the stealth mission.

    As they habitually did, the party split up to deal with the mobs. Nautilus and Drifter would distract one while Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon focused on killing the other. To accelerate things, Yuna would buff them with << Firemare >>.

    After the first clash, Drifter refrained from using skills, opting to use the mobs as training dummies. This wasn''t because he looked down on them, but because such perfect practice targets were hard to come by. Sure, there were many humanoid mobs, but as of yet, there were none as similar to players as the elves. As for why he wanted to train how to better fight against humans... The story of Kirito''s duel and his own experience at the start of SAO had shown him that monsters might not be the only enemy they would have to face. That was a thought he tried to push to the back of his mind every time it appeared, but it always resurfaced.

    "Naut, think you can step back for a sec? I want to try and solo it."

    "You sure?"

    "Yeah. Stay nearby in case I''m biting more than I can chew, though."

    After assessing the strength of the << Fallen Elf Guard >>, Drifter reckoned he could take it on alone. His ash-haired friend didn''t ask many questions, and used a << Shield Bash >> to push the mob away, leaving it all to Drifter as he retreated.

    The spearman held his weapon horizontally as the fallen elf charged him, sword raised. When the distance between them shrunk to less than two meters, he took a large step forward, spear shooting out to meet the incoming blade.

    With a loud ''clang'' of metal hitting metal, the mob''s sword slid along the shaft of Drifter''s << Caldea Fana >> harmlessly. The spear, on the other hand, continued forward with seemingly unstoppable momentum, having barely trembled due to the clash. With little resistance, it pierced through the stomach of the << Fallen Elf Guard >>.

    Such a wound should be fatal, but this was still SAO, after all. The mob grunted in pain, but then resumed attacking as if nothing happened. Drifter leaned back to avoid a slash, then pulled out his spear from the enemy''s body. Switching the position of his hands, with the right grabbing the middle of his spear''s shaft, while the left gripped the end of it tightly, Drifter flickered his wrist up, leaving a vertical gash along the left side of the fallen elf''s torso and face.

    When he was pulling back, his arm was nicked by the elf''s sword, but Drifter ignored it. He took advantage of the small opening the enemy showed after the attack to cut down with a diagonal slash, leaving another red line in the mob''s upper body. Without pausing, he then spun around, reversing his momentum to deliver another blow to the << Fallen Elf Guard''s >> side.

    One of the few - or maybe only - downsides of combat skills in SAO was what the player base collectively called the cooldown. However, contrary to other games before it, the cooldown in Sword Art Online wasn''t having to wait a certain amount of time before using the skill again. In SAO, the cooldown meant being stuck in the ending position of your skill - the more complex the skill, the longer you were rendered immobile.

    Take << Sting >> for example. It was a simple 1-hit skill - a stab. The ending stance when using it with a spear was right leg in front, feet half a meter apart, knees slightly bent, right hand holding the back end of the weapon, while the left hand was near the middle of the shaft, both arms stretched forward. Since it was such a basic skill, the time a player spent frozen - the cooldown - was less than half a second - and it could be even lower depending on their proficiency.

    As for << Comet Break >>, Drifter''s strongest single-hit skill, the cooldown was a full one and a half seconds. While that might not sound like much, it was enough for him to be killed ten times over amid battle. That was why he only used this skill when he had others to cover for him, or as a last resource.

    But Drifter wasn''t using << Sting >> or << Comet Break >> right now. He was fighting using normal attacks only, and there was no cooldown between them. His damage left to be desired, and it would take an awfully long amount of time to kill the mob, but his motions were a lot more fluid, without pause between them.

    Without the urgency he would normally have in the labyrinth, where more enemies could spawn right behind you, Drifter took his time to slowly whittle down the mob''s HP while training. It was nothing out of this world, just stab, swipe, slash, cut. The same old routine he had gone through a thousand times since he was first trapped in SAO. But he was getting better each time. More natural. It felt liberating.

    For the next six minutes, Drifter and the << Fallen Elf Guard >> traded blows. Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, and Sinon had long since finished their battle, and were spectating. Drifter didn''t even notice that he now had an audience, so focused he was. It was only when the fallen elf groaned one last time and fell to his knees, then shattered, that he looked around and saw his party watching him.

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    "Soooo... What was that all about?"

    Drifter shrugged.

    "Just trying something out. I wanted to see if I could stun-lock him by just using normal attacks. It didn''t quite work. But I recommend you try it sometime, it was very... Fulfilling."

    "Okay..."

    "Also, Kirito, I think we should do a few practice duels between us. Just in case."

    The others looked at him, unsure. Kirito frowned, but then seemed to realize something as his eyes widened. After a few long seconds, the swordsman nodded.

    "Good idea. We can use lower-level weapons since it''s just for training purposes."

    "All right, are you boys done? I swear you can''t go a minute without wanting to wave your swords around."

    Asuna interrupted them, seemingly exasperated, but Drifter had the distinct feeling she had caught a hint of the underlying meaning in Drifter and Kirito''s conversation, and was trying to change the topic. So, he went along with it.

    "Mine''s a spear, not a sword, Aa-chan."

    Just about everyone groaned. Drifter speaking coyly and using Argo''s nickname for Asuna was something they never wanted to hear again.

    "C''mon, we have a dungeon to clear. And it''s gonna be a long one by the looks of it, so buckle up."

    ...

    Kirito was right. The dungeon was quite monotone, the only type of enemies being the << Fallen Elf Guards >>, who always appeared in pairs or trios. But even so, by the time they reached the end of the cave, over five hours had elapsed, and the party was exhausted. After all, they had spent the entire day running around completing quests, and now the entire night fighting. However, whenever they thought of giving up for today and coming back when they were well-rested, the players would tell themselves that they had come too far to give up now.

    It was only when they reached the end of the dungeon that they came across a different mob. This one was taller and bulkier than all the other elves Drifter had come across, who were usually quite slender. The << Fallen Elf Foreman >> in front of him was not just strong - he was jacked, with bulging muscles that wouldn''t look out of place in a bodybuilding competition. His weapon of choice was also interesting: a whip. Drifter had never seen one of those before in SAO.

    ''This is gonna be interesting.''

    "Kirito, what''s the battle plan?"

    The swordsman was frowning, which was never a good sign. More likely than not, he also had never met a whip-wielding enemy. His next words confirmed that.

    "The same as always, I guess. He''s probably going to have the range advantage on us - apart from Sinon - and also flexibility. Nautilus, you will have to be especially careful. That whip can probably go around your shield, so don''t blind yourself. Other than that... Improvise."

    Their leader sounded uncertain, but Drifter couldn''t fault him for that. They had learned the hard way that going into a fight without proper intel was never advisable, but sometimes you simply didn''t have an option.

    "Who are you?! And what are you doing here?! Guards, take those filthy humans away! Guards! Where are you?!"

    The moment they entered the aggro range of the << Fallen Elf Foreman >>, he surprisingly didn''t attack them immediately. Instead, the mob started screaming for help - presumably from the << Fallen Elf Guards >> the party had killed.

    "Guards?! Why is no one answering?! Useless pieces of garbage, a waste of resources! You better bow down in your own accord, humans, or I shall whip you like the dogs you are! Lowly being like you have no place..."

    The obnoxiously xenophobic curses sprinkled in between his cries for help were obviously made to anger the players, but they just tuned it out. Like most times, Sinon was the first to land an attack, her arrow piercing right into the open mouth of the screaming fallen elf.

    "Agh! You!"

    The party didn''t hear what the << Fallen Elf Foreman >> said next, and didn''t care. They launched everything they had at him, hoping to defeat the enemy swiftly, and partly succeeded. They quickly discovered two things, however. The first was that Kirito had been correct, and the whip''s flexibility was a problem. It would bypass Kirito and Nautilus, who were the vanguard, to strike at Drifter, Asuna, and sometimes even Sinon and Yuna, the weapon stretching impossibly far. The mob didn''t seem to have a fixed aggro list, and attacked people at random.

    The second thing they discovered was that the fallen elf was a right bastard. He aimed for their eyes, attempting to blind them, latched his whip around their necks to suffocate them, and tied up their legs to trip them. Every dirty trick there was, the foreman used it.

    It was only twenty-eight minutes later that the fallen elf screamed one last time and died. The fight went for an uncannily long time, even though the mob only had one HP bar, because the << Fallen Elf Foreman >> wouldn''t stop running around.

    "Tha was... So annoying! Argh!"

    "Agreed. If I never see a whip-user again, it will be too soon."

    The others nodded alongside Asuna and Yuna. The fallen elf hadn''t actually managed to hurt the party much, since his choice of weapon severely lacked in the damage department. However, he had been extremely infuriating and slippery. If it was just one or two players against him, the foreman could probably toy them to death.

    While his friends were discussing the battle and going over what they could''ve done better - a good habit they had picked up somewhere along the way - Drifter walked over to one of the many crates the smugglers had delivered to the fallen elves. The moment he pushed it open, a notification saying he had completed the quest popped up in his HUD, but the spearman waved it off. He was looking at the contents of the box utterly confused.

    "It''s... Empty?"

    "Hum? What do you mean, Drifter?"

    "This box, it''s empty. Check the others."

    They did just that, and discovered, to their consternation, that all the crates were empty.

    "What the hell? All that just for a good amount of nothing at all?"

    "Maybe they were supposed to receive something instead of delivering it?"

    "Anyway, the quest is complete. Instead of burning our last brain cells trying to figure out the stupid plot, can''t we go back to Rovia? We''ve been awake for almost 20 hours."

    It was only when Sinon spoke that Drifter realized how long they had been out. Suppressing a yawn as all his energy left him, he nodded.

    "I concur. We all need a good night''s sleep and..."

    "Hold up, shush. Someone''s coming."

    Drifter paused to listen, and then cursed under his breath.

    "Shit, more fallen elves!"

    "And a lot of them judging by the noise."

    "The only way out is the one we came from. Prepare to fight!"

    "No! Into the boxes, now! Hide!"

    "What? Are you crazy, Asuna?"

    "Not crazy, just following what the quest log is telling us to do. Quick, hide!"

    Only then did Drifter notice the follow-up quest. After a short moment of confusion, they each entered a crate and closed it. And they were just in time, because the newly arrived enemies entered the cave, oblivious to the fact that dozens of their brethren had just been killed there.

    "Check everything, make sure the preparations are perfect!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    "All the items are here, sir."

    "Good, move to the next zone. Careful not to blow our cover!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Drifter was glad they hid quickly, because he could hear at least several dozen people moving around the cave.

    Whether it was by game design or luck, none of the boxes the players were hiding in were checked. Just before the fallen elves left, the voice belonging to their leader echoed in cold laughter.

    "Hehehe... Soon it will be time for us to bring the foolish dark elves and forest elves to their knees, my brothers. In five days we will burn their cities to the ground, and shatter their beliefs. We will destroy them!"

    "Yeah!"

    When the fallen elves were long gone, still shouting and celebrating, the players left their hiding spots and looked at each other. They now had a time limit.

    "Kizmel needs to know about this."

    "Yeah."

 Chapter 56 - Reavers Requiem

    Three days later, Drifter and his party were still in Rovia. The reason they hadn''t crossed the lake to meet up with Kizmel and continue the << Elf War >> campaign yet was simple: there was a field-boss in the lake.

    A small party of four had been the one to discover the field-boss, a gigantic and ancient two-headed turtle named << Biceps Archelon >>. To advance further on the floor, the players would have to defeat it.

    The 4th floor was so different from the beta that Argo, Kirito, and the other beta-testers considered all their previous information invalid. No one had expected the field-boss, especially not the party who discovered it. All they had wanted was to get a headstart on the floor''s exploration, so they had gotten the simplest boat they could from Romolo. When they encountered the field-boss... None of them made it back.

    In view of that, a strategy meeting had been organized, set to happen now in the pier of Rovia, after which the frontliners would set off to fight the field-boss. It wouldn''t be an easy battle. Just to get there, they had to fight several aquatic monsters. Thankfully, the players didn''t need to go into the water, as the mobs would jump on their boats, but the fact that each ship was basically its own little battlefield, signified it would be hard, if not impossible, to cooperate with other parties.

    "Thinkin'' hard, Dri-bou?"

    With a start, Drifter directed a glare at Argo, who had at some point made her way next to him. The petite info-broker grinned, knowing that this time she got him. He sighed.

    "We are going into a fight against a boss we know almost nothing about, and in unfavorable conditions, little rat. I''m worried."

    "Hm, I know. Believe me, I''m even more uncomfortable than ya with it. I couldn''t find jackshit ''bout this field-boss. But it killed four people already, Dri-bou. We can''t wait until it kills more to act."

    "Yeah... You should start the meeting, Argo. Everyone who''s gonna come is already here."

    "Roger that, Dri-bou!"

    The spearman chuckled as Argo mock saluted. Before the info-broker walked to the front of the crowd, he laid a very gentle hand on her shoulder.

    "Don''t be hard on yourself, little rat. They were clearers, and we are frontliners. We all know what we are getting ourselves into."

    The girl made a small noise of affirmation, then shook Drifter''s hand off. He knew she would never stop blaming herself for the players who died. He knew because he was the same. All the higher-leveled players were. It was hard not to feel the responsibility when you were stronger than the majority of the players.

    Standing in front of the frontliners, Argo didn''t show a spec of unease. She had always been a bit of a wildcard, and a resolute one. The way the conversation stopped and everyone looked at her, a girl who barely reached their chests, with respect, was quite unnerving for those who didn''t know who she was.

    "Aight, folks, listen up! We know close to nothin'' ''bout this boss, so y''all will have to stay on your toes, got it?"

    "What DO we know, info-broker?"

    Argo threw a disdainful glare at Kibaou for his unnecessary interruption, but answered all the same.

    "Like I said, not a lot, Kibaou. From the little we could see, the boss has at least three attack patterns - it could be more, but we don''t know. First, it can bite - and it has two heads, so it can target two ships at the same time. Secondly, it has those huge fins, and it uses them to create waves and knock people down. Finally, it also has a charge attack. If ya think it''s coming, get outta the way. Remember, we are talkin'' ''bout a twenty-meters long two-headed turtle here."

    "Talk strategy, Argo the Rat."

    Why Lind saw the need to use Argo''s nickname in conjunction with her actual name, Drifter had no idea. But he could understand his impatience. They hadn''t lost anyone to a boss fight- be it a floor boss or a roaming one - since Diavel died. Not that the demise of the unfortunate party could be blamed on them, but it still put pressure on their shoulders.

    "Unfortunately, there''s not much. Y''all will be split into thirteen'' different ships. Ya can''t simply climb on top of the field-boss - don''t even be thinkin'' of tryin'' that, it would only end in death - so y''all have no option but wait ''till it attacks to counter. The DKB and ALS have the largest ships, and also the sturdiest, so ya are responsible for tanking the heads, with four others as support. The rest should encircle the turtle, and attack its fins when they are exposed."

    There were murmurs of agreement and quiet nods from the frontliners. Drifter looked to their new trio of friends, who would be joining them - after three days of watching them, he was convinced Yuuki, Ran, and Merida had what it took to stand at the frontlines. But today''s battle would be their baptism of fire, their practical test, per se. Even the ever-cheerful Yuuki was somewhat subdued.

    "Anyone got anything else they wanna say?"

    When no one said anything, Argo clapped her hands, a grin on her face which Drifter could tell was fake from a mile away, but which probably came across as mischievous for the rest.

    "Aight then, get to fightin'', ya lazybones! I expect to drink turtle soup before nightfall, ya hear me?!"

    Several players, Drifter included, chuckled at the obvious attempt to diffuse tension. But it worked, and that''s what mattered.

    The crowd split up, each party or guild going to their own boats, Drifter''s included. Liz, Yuuki, Ran, and Merida would sail with them. They were already inside when Drifter spotted Argo jumping on their ship. He raised an eyebrow.

    "You are coming along, Argo?"

    "Nah, I''ll leave the fightin'' to brutes like ya. Just came to see how y''all are holding up."

    The info-broker cackled at the good-natured complaints Yuna, Kirito, Asuna, and the others made at being called brutes. Seeing through her worries, Drifter ruffled her hair.

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    "Just another day on the job. Leave it to us, little rat. We won''t disappoint."

    "I''ll be countin'' on ya then, Dri-bou. And Kii-bou!"

    "Yes! What is it, boss?"

    The curly-haired girl pit on a haughty expression in response to the swordsman''s teasing, but her eyes betrayed her mirth.

    "Bring my Reavers back safe and sound, will ya? I don''t want my investment to go down the drain."

    "I''ll do you one better, Argo. We will bring the last-attack bonus back to you to commemorate our first battle."

    "Ya said it, not me. Don''t disappoint a gal."

    Just like always, Argo came and went as she pleased. After winking to Kirito one last time, she jumped down the side of the sailboat, and disappeared within moments in the crowd that had been slowly forming to see them off. With a quick glance, Drifter recognized many clearer parties, as well as more than a few low-level players.

    By now already used to having others stare at him, Drifter turned around to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at Kirito. The others were also looking at the young boy, who flushed.

    "Talking big, hum, Kirito? That''s unusual for you."

    "Err... Heh. Please, don''t tease me. I just thought it would be a nice motivation."

    "And a nice trophy too, no?"

    "Yeah, that too. But mostly it''s to celebrate. You know, the establishment of our guild."

    Hearing the almost hesitant tone with which the swordsman spoke, Drifter couldn''t help it. He laughed out loud, attracting more than a few stares from nearby players. But he didn''t care. Unsure as he obviously was, Kirito was still doing his best to lead the guild they created merely yesterday.

    Reaver''s Requiem. Deciding on the name hadn''t actually been that difficult. At least, nowhere as near as Drifter thought it would. Despite the almost somber undertone behind the name, no one had any objections when Sinon suggested it. They were called the songstress'' party by many, after all. And instead of an imposing name like Aincrad Liberation Squad or Dragon Knights Brigade, Reaver''s Requiem suited them much better.

    For now, there were only seven people in the guild. Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, and Lizbeth. They had mentioned the possibility of inviting Argo, Agil, Wolv, Namate, and Shigio in passing, but ended up not doing so.

    Argo would''ve rejected them outright, they knew. The info-broker was a blunt - and even rude - person, who didn''t like to have any strings attached to her. Besides, she would say that joining a guild would hurt her business, and she wouldn''t be wrong. Lind and Kibaou, for once, would trust her a lot less if she officially became part of Kirito''s group.

    As for Agil and his band of merchants, the party had discussed and decided now wasn''t the time to invite them. Much like Drifter and the others wouldn''t have joined the DKB and ALS - and they were asked to more than once - the big man and his friends also enjoyed their freedom.

    Yuuki, Ran, and Merida also hadn''t joined the guild, not because an invitation wasn''t extended, but because the trio asked for some time to think. More accurately, they wanted to wait until after the field-boss fight to accept. While Drifter was quite confident in their capabilities, the girls themselves were somewhat nervous, even the happy-go-lucky Yuuki. They seemed to be afraid that, if they joined Reaver''s Requiem but made a mistake during the battle, they would be kicked out. While he could have assured them that this would not happen - not every member of the guild had to be a frontliner - Drifter ultimately held back, and decided to let things play out. If one fight was enough to shake their spirits even more it happened, then they might not fit in their guild after all.

    "Cactus-hair and Lind are leaving."

    "Then we should set sail too."

    "Aye aye, captain!"

    "Hahahaha..."

    Drifter could already see the first advantage of establishing a guild in the way Liz, Asuna, and Kirito joked around. It was a sense of unity you couldn''t find in scattered parties. Not that their party had ever been anything if not united, but just the fact that they were an official, system-approved guild now, lifted their spirits. That was especially so for Liz, who could''ve long been considered an unofficial seventh - or eighth, if you took Kizmel into account - member of their party. The blacksmith had been positively shining since they invited her yesterday.

    "We got algae boys incoming!"

    From her spot near the bow of the ship, Sinon called out a warning. At the same time, three figures shot out of the water and landed on the deck, one of them with an arrow already sticking out of its body. The archer was getting faster each day.

    The ''algae boys'', as Sinon called them, were actually << Murderous Kelpies >>, a kind of human-shaped mob, whose body was comprised entirely of algae. Each of them held something similar to a pitchfork made of rocks and coral.

    According to Asuna - and that particular piece of knowledge had caused more than a few heads to turn when the girl first said it - Kelpies were an old legend in Europe, a kind of monster made of algae, which took the form of a horse and attracted passerby to then drown them in their moors and swamps and eat them. Clearly, Kayaba had taken some creative liberty with the mobs, only to make them even more dangerous.

    Sinon wasn''t the only one who had improved, however. Over the past few days, the players << Murderous Kelpies >> several times. An important lesson they had learned was to not give the mobs time to group up, or they would become ten times more bothersome to deal with. As such, as soon as the monsters touched the deck, Drifter had already launched a << Comet Break >> at one of them.

    The spearman had to admit, the visual effect of hitting a kelpie was probably the most pleasing of all he had seen in SAO to date. Because the mob''s body was made of algae, his spear burrowed right through it, tearing the green strands and leaving a fist-sized hole behind. Then Drifter twisted his wrist and spun his weapon, which was still embedded in the mob, shredding more of its body.

    With a shrill shriek, the << Murderous Kelpie >> raised its pitchfork to stab Drifter. Before it could do so, however, a broadsword cleaved through its arm. The limb fell to the ground, as did the weapon it was holding.

    Drifter flashed a smile at Merida and Ran, who had come to aid him. Broadswords, like axes, had a higher chance of clipping- read ''cutting off'' - limbs, as the blue-haired girl had so clearly demonstrated.

    Nearby, Asuna, Kirito, and Yuuki were fighting off a second mob. The youngest of the twins had become really close to the fencer in the last few days. They had hit it off immediately, with the chestnut-haired girl taking to Yuuki as if she was the younger sister Asuna never had. Yuuki''s actual older sister, Ran, was only too happy to see that, as the siblings had very few friends before they met the party.

    The third << Murderous Kelpie >> was being dealt with by Nautilus, Sinon, and Liz. Yuna was playing one of her new tunes and supporting the group from behind the rudder.

    In no time the mobs had been dispatched. A quick look around showed that none of the other frontliners'' ships had any trouble either, and Drifter sighed in relief. It would''ve been very difficult to offer help in their current circumstances.

    Ninety minutes and several skirmishes later, the... Fleet approached the center of << Caldera Lake >>. The two boats in the lead, ALS and DKB''s main vessels, slowed down at the same time. No one said anything, but they knew the true battle was approaching.

    A massive figure was slowly raising from the lake, tons upon tons of water streaming down its back in countless waterfalls, and creating massive waves in the until then still surface.

    The Reavers, as the guild members had quickly taken to being called by others, clutched their weapons. A monstrous beast now stood before them, four pitch-black eyes greedily staring at the ships.

    << Biceps Archelon >> had joined the battle. And it fell to the frontliners to defeat it, otherwise they would never be able to advance in the 4th floor.

 Chapter 57 - Boat-Eating Turtle

    << Caldera Lake >>, 4th floor of Aincrad.

    A most unusual battle was taking place. About a dozen ships of different sizes encircled a massive figure which had slowly risen in the middle of the lake. Shell the size of a small house, covered in moss, barnacles, algae, hydroids, and many other ''lodgers''. Four fins easily as big as the ships the players were sailing. And, of course, the two massive heads with beady black eyes full of anger, hunger, and greed.

    The << Biceps Archelon >> was the biggest monster any of the players had ever confronted, no doubt. And, add to that the fact they were fighting in unfamiliar terrain - the middle of a freaking lake - this was sure to be a hard battle.

    "Attack!"

    Surprising no one, the person who yelled was Kibaou. At his command, the ALS players started hacking at the nearest head of the field-boss - those who could reach it anyway.

    At the rear left fin, together with Agil''s party''s boat, the Reaver''s Requiem, or just Reavers for short, focused on attacking their designated appendage. Each time the fin struck their ship, sending splinters flying and rocking the entire boat, they would counterattack by landing their strongest skills on it.

    It quickly became clear to everyone involved that this wasn''t a battle of finesse or tactics, but of time and numbers. The players could only hit the field-boss when it attack them, so they had to deal as much damage as possible in as short of a time span as possible. This was a race of who would cave in first. Would it be << Biceps Archelon >>, or their ships?

    Once more glad for the extra range his spear granted him, Drifter prepared to launch another << Comet Break >> as soon as the field-boss attacked again. After all, even if it was just one more hit, it would add up to something in the end.

    The spearman could see that Kirito, Asuna, Nautilus, Yuuki, Liz, and Ran were all getting frustrated with their inability to fight properly and get their combos in. Merida, like Drifter, was simply relying on her already incredibly high attack power to heavily wound the fin whenever she had the chance. Yuna was standing at the back of the ship, as out of range from the field-boss as possible, boasting their damage with << Firemare >>. And Sinon... Sinon was having a field day. She was shooting arrow after arrow at << Biceps Archelon >>, already having emptied one quiver barely ten minutes into the battle. Unhindered by the obstacle called distance, the archer was in fact dealing so much damage that Drifter had to warn her to be careful not to steal the aggro from the DKB and ALS. Their boat wasn''t nearly large enough to tank the heads of the turtle, after all.

    It was five more minutes later, when the HP of << Biceps Archelon >> had fallen to 85%, that the giant turtle started flapping its fins, and smashing them into the already turbulent surface of the lake, causing huge waves to form.

    A few of said waves crashed against the Reavers'' sailboat, making it sway violently back and forth. Caught by surprise - even though he really shouldn''t have - Drifter stumbled and fell, hitting his head on the deck. A good third of his health vanished - much more than a simple fall should have caused, meaning this was considered part of the ''damage'' of the field-boss'' attack.

    Scowling and affected by a ''dizziness'' debuff, Drifter scrambled to get up before he was thrown about the ship again. The rest of his guild, as well as Ran''s trio, and, in fact, every player surrounding the fins of << Biceps Archelon >> had suffered a similar fate as his. Only the vessels near the field-boss'' heads hadn''t been affected by the waves, but they had something much worse to deal with. Namely, two mouths big enough to swallow a person whole snapping at them.

    Quickly drinking a health potion, Drifter wobbled his way towards the helm, where Yuna was previously standing. Once there, he helped the songstress to her feet.

    "You okay, Yun''?"

    "Yeah, just a tad rattled. I know Argo said to watch out for the waves, but gods above, we didn''t take that warning seriously enough."

    "More like we couldn''t even if we wanted to. Everyone got a whole minute of ''dizzy'' too?"

    There were several grunts of confirmation. The players didn''t even bother attacking the field-boss for the next sixty seconds, which seemed to last an eternity. Not only there was a 50% chance of missing due to their ''dizziness'' status, but they might even end up stunning themselves.

    Thankfully, a minute was, in the end, just a minute, no matter how unbearably long it took to pass. Soon enough, Drifter and his guild were back on the offensive.

    And so the battle went. It was a weird one. Other than the occasional wave attack << Biceps Archelon >> unleashed every time its HP fell for another 15%, the field-boss barely caused any injury to the players. Their boats, on the other hand, were quickly becoming more and more damaged. Even now, the Reavers'' own ship was starting to fall apart, cracks spreading throughout it, chips and splinters flying every time the boat rocked, and, if the way it was tilting to the left was anything to go by, there was a hole in the hull.

    Seeing the health of the field-boss drop by another percent, and getting close to the red zone, Drifter struck once again, this time opting for << Tidal Sequence >> - it seemed appropriate for the occasion. Poetic justice and all.

    Another party must''ve hit << Biceps Archelon >> with a heavy combo at the same time, because as his 3-hit skill landed on it, the field-boss screeched in pain. Its HP fell to the 40% mark, but Drifter couldn''t celebrate. He watched as the large fin in front of him once more smashed into the water, giving rise to several large waves. He was too close to the edge of the boat.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ''Shit!''

    The spearman tried to pull back, but it was too late. The first wave hit the ship, and he was afflicted with the debuff he knew was coming. Seemingly tripping on his own legs, Drifter stumbled forward, and right over a destroyed portion of the railing. Without so much as a scream, he fell into the water.

    The drop wasn''t that high, but it was so abrupt that the spearman only reacted when he had already sunk a few feet. And the damn turtle was still flapping its fins, creating strong currents that made it impossible for him to swim up. Drifter was helplessly dragged around underwater.

    On the top left of his vision, he saw a bubble symbol appear in his HUD, and next to it a small countdown of two minutes. That was how long it would take before he started drowning, and Drifter didn''t want to know what the icon for that was.

    He tried to drink a health potion to stabilize the rapid decline in his health - thanks to all the debris smashing into him - and failed miserably. Watching the potion get ripped out of his hands by the torrent, a string of bubbles left his mouth as Drifter cursed. He also had an idle and unwelcome thought back to a conversation he had with Kirito, where the beta-tester commented that on the 10th floor things called health crystals appeared and replaced the potions. That would have surely come in handy right about now.

    It was only an entire minute later that the field-boss stopped waving its fins, and another thirty seconds before Drifter managed to breach the surface of the lake. He had come dangerously close to drowning, and that knowledge scared him more than he would ever admit. While it might not be painful - nothing in SAO was - such a way of dying was much more terrifying than falling in battle.

    Gasping for air, more on instinct than need, Drifter swiveled his head around, trying to find his ship. He spotted them more than fifty meters away - the underwater currents had dragged him much farther than he imagined. Worse still, the gigantic fin of << Biceps Archelon >> was currently between him and his guild.

    Agil''s ship was way closer, however. Without wasting time, Drifter started swimming toward it. His spear had been lost at some moment during his wild ride under the surface, and by now it was probably resting at the bottom of the lake. Thankfully, with it being more than ten meters away from him - and that it certainly was - he could recall it to his inventory.

    Strenuously climbing the hull of the ship, Drifter was thankful for its size. It was a boat meant for four players, and as such much smaller than the Reavers'' own vessel.

    He did give Namate one heck of a surprise when he rolled over the railing and laid on the deck, panting. The merchant party clearly hadn''t seen what happened to him, and neither were they expecting another player to suddenly appear on their ship.

    "What the... Drifter?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

    "Aff... Aff... Went out for a swim, can''t you tell? The big fucker threw me to the water, obviously."

    In his defense, Drifter wasn''t having a good time. Namate could tell that much, and ignored the spearman''s rudeness. In fact, a hint of a smile appeared on his face, and he turned to Agil.

    "Hey, boss! We got a stowaway!"

    "Huh?"

    Suppressing a groan, Drifter rolled over and forced himself to stand up. He didn''t forget to direct a glare at Namate, who was completely unrepentant. Quickly navigating through his menu while Agil turned to look at him with wide eyes, Drifter re-equipped his spear. Before the merchant could ask anything, he gave a brief summary of what happened.

    "The turtle threw me overboard. You were closer, so I swam here. End of the story, and we never talk ''bout it again, got it, Agil?"

    The axe-wielding warrior blinked rapidly, then nodded, a grin hanging on his lips despite the situation.

    "''Kay. Gotcha."

    Ignoring Agil, Drifter turned to look at his ship, and waved. While he couldn''t hear them over the cacophony of battle, it was apparent that his guild had been frantically searching for him. A quick headcount showed he had been the only one to be thrown off the boat. He didn''t know if he should be grateful or ashamed about that.

    With Merida spotting him and quickly spreading the word, Drifter saw everyone on the Reavers'' sailboat turn to look at him, before visibly sagging in relief. He thought he heard a few ''are you okay'' and ''how are you'' yelled over to him, and raised a thumbs-up in response. Then, he turned to << Biceps Archelon >> with murder in his eyes.

    Drifter liked to think that it was his renewed efforts in utterly and completely slaughtering the turtle that caused its HP to drop so precipitously in the next few minutes. He was also very careful to always be holding something whenever the wave attack came, so as to not repeat what happened and would never be mentioned again.

    Of course, as a field-boss who had already taken a few lives, << Biceps Archelon >> wouldn''t go down so easily. When nine-tenths of its HP was gone, entering what was commonly known as the berserk phase, the turtle suddenly retracted its heads and fins, and stopped moving. Drifter had a bad premonition when he looked at what was now basically a floating island. And he wasn''t the only one.

    "Whatever it is doing, don''t let it! Hit it hard, everyone!"

    He couldn''t quite identify who yelled that, but Drifter agreed with the sentiment. Especially so when the field-boss started slowly rotating counterclockwise. His eyes widening in realization, Drifter started launching skill after skill at the turtle. Next to him, Agil, Namate, Wolv, and Shigio were doing the same, completely forgoing defense.

    With << Biceps Archelon >> as the center, a whirlpool was slowly forming, and all the player ships were being dragged towards it, no matter how hard they tried to steer away.

    Already, Drifter could see boats colliding, the horrible creaking of the hulls a premonition of what would soon happen. Shuddering, the spearman watched as one player was thrown overboard by a particularly violent collision.

    "Ahhh!"

    "Help!"

    "Attack! Don''t stop attacking!"

    "Ugh!"

    Tuning out the voices, screams, and panic, Drifter focused on striking at the field-boss, again, and again, and again. Whenever the spinning << Biceps Archelon >> was out of his range, he even resorted to throwing his spear at it, hoping to deal just a few more points of damage.

    After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably just two or three minutes, the players finally heard the long-awaited sound of glass shattering. With one last roar, << Biceps Archelon >> was fallen. Drifter stared surprised at the last-attack bonus in his inventory. A turtle-shell shield, obviously.

    Looking around, he took in the haggard state of the frontliner fleet. There was not a single ship intact, and most looked just a single larger wave away from sinking. Agil''s and the Reavers'' included.

    As much as they wanted to simply collapse on the spot, the players forced themselves to sail towards the other end of << Caldera Lake >>. There would be time for crashing of exhaustion after they were all safely on dry land.

 Chapter 58 - The Forgotten Holiday

    It was a group of haggard but happy players who arrived at the other shore of << Caldera Lake >> after the field-boss fight. Despite their fleet being in shambles and the warriors themselves exhausted, just the fact that no one had died in the battle was enough to lift their spirits.

    "Drifter!"

    Once on dry land, the first thing Drifter did was reunite with his guild. Yuna grabbed his arm, while all the others looked at him worried. He gave them a smile to reassure his friends he was okay.

    "It''s more my ego that got bruised than anything."

    That got him a few laughs. After showing them the last-attack bonus, which the others promptly agreed to hand over to Agil, so he could sell it for them - for a commission, of course - Drifter then turned to Yuuki, Ran, and Merida.

    "So? What did you three think of your first boss fight?"

    "It was awesome! And terrifying! But mostly awesome!"

    Yuuki was practically jumping on the spot as she answered, a huge grin on her face. Drifter reckoned that, had someone lost his life, she would''ve been nearly as bubbly and excited. But, hey, he wasn''t about to rain on her parade, especially so when he was also chuckling along.

    "She said it all."

    Merida giggled, and Ran nodded. Seeing that, Asuna not-so-subtly prodded Kirito in the ribs. When the swordsman yelped and glared at her, she raised her eyebrows and gestured with her head towards the trio. After a moment of confusion, realization showed on his face.

    "Oh! Right. Err... Ran, Merida, Yuuki, so... Have you changed your mind after this battle? Do you still want to become frontliners?"

    "Of course!"

    "Then, what about what we discussed before? Would you like to join Reaver''s Requiem?"

    As one, Yuuki and Merida looked over to Ran. It was clear both of them would follow the elder twin''s decision. The purple-haired girl, on the other hand, didn''t respond immediately, neither to agree nor refuse. Her silence caused Kirito to slightly panic, as he wasn''t sure if he had done something wrong. The boy hadn''t quite settled on his role as guild leader yet.

    "You don''t need to say anything now if you don''t want to. And we won''t ever force you to..."

    "We accept."

    "Hum? You do?"

    Ran nodded easily.

    "Yes. We would be honored to join Reaver''s Requiem, guild leader."

    "G-Great!"

    "Yay!"

    "Welcome to our guild, Ran, Merida, Yuuki!"

    "It''s good to have you."

    Ran smiled. Yuuki, never one for subtlety, whooped and shouted loudly in joy. She quickly made the rounds hugging everyone, and almost tackled Asuna to the ground by the end of it. Merida snorted in amusement, but she also had a happy grin on her face. Drifter patted the blue-haired broadsword-user on the back.

    "You sure about that? It will only get more dangerous from here. Well, I suppose you can back out whenever you feel like you aren''t up for scratch anymore."

    Drifter smiled to take out the sting of his words, and to show he was just teasing her. Merida rolled her eyes.

    "Bit late to say that, no?"

    The spearman''s smirk grew wider, and he reached out his hand for her to shake, before repeating the action with Ran and Yuuki. He was the vice-leader of Reaver''s Requiem, after all.

    "Welcome to the frontlines, all of you. Officially this time."

    "Thank you, Drifter."

    "Congrats, you lot. They may not look like it..."

    "Hey!"

    Agil walked towards them at this moment, and slapped Drifter in the back with a huge grin plastered on his face. Ignoring the spearman''s objections, he continued.

    "... but they are actually the third strongest guild in the frontlines. And I say third ''cause they have low numbers, otherwise they would be tied with the DKB and ALS for first."

    "Heh. Just don''t let Kibaou or Lind hear you say that, Agil. They''ll scream bloody murder and attack you for defamation."

    "It''s not defamation if it''s the truth."

    "Somehow, I don''t think they will see it that way. Hahahaha!"

    Not only Drifter, but the entire group laughed. After letting some of the tension out, the players walked towards the second settlement of the floor, Usco Village. If the 4th floor was the same as the one before it - and there was no reason why it wouldn''t, at least in this matter - then the entrance to the tower would be close to this village.

    But the Reavers weren''t aiming for the tower at the moment. In fact, Drifter wasn''t entirely sure what they were aiming for. As soon as the teleporter in Usco Village was open, Argo had appeared and dragged Kirito away to discuss something she ''couldn''t tell them but they were gonna like it''. Just that sentence had left the guild - even the new members - quaking in their boots.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    However, when Kirito came back, he was positively shining, like some overcharged version of Yuuki. By that, Drifter meant the swordsman had the biggest smile he had ever seen on his face, at times leaking some anxiety, but mostly joy. And he also refused to tell them what was going on.

    Together, swordsman and info-broker led the party through the floor, showing no intention of going back even though the night was rapidly approaching. When Nautilus mentioned that, Argo simply said they would have somewhere safe to stay the night.

    The sun was just coming down over Aincrad''s edge - and when had that become a normal sight? - when they arrived at... Wherever they were.

    Drifter looked at the building in front, and tilted his head. A thought suddenly assaulted his mind, and he snorted in self-amusement, drawing a few curious looks from his friends.

    "Sorry. It''s just... That''s a castle. In Aincrad. Castle Aincrad. So that''s a castle inside of a castle."

    "Lame."

    "Haha... I know. I think it just now hit me how absurdly absurd our situation is. Not the whole death game thing, but the background story."

    That had a few others chuckling. Ran turned to Kirito.

    "So, guild leader, mind telling us what we are doing here now? Please don''t tell me we are assaulting the castle."

    "Ugh... Please just call me Kirito, Ran. And no, we aren''t attacking it. They are our allies."

    "Allies?"

    Before Kirito could explain, Sinon, who had the best vision out of all of them, exclaimed.

    "Ah, I see. Dark elves."

    "Kizmel! She''s here, isn''t she, Kirito?!"

    "Yup! Surprise!"

    Asuna jumped up happily, and hugged Kirito. It only lasted for a brief moment before the fencer let go, but it left the boy dumbfounded. Snickering, Drifter followed Asuna as she practically ran towards the entrance of the castle.

    "It was a great idea, Kirito. And thank you for finding the path so quickly, little rat."

    "T''was nothin'', Dri-bou. Wouldn''t do not to have everyone together for tonight."

    Halting, Drifter glanced at Argo, who was grinning from one ear to the other. He felt like he was missing something.

    "What''s special ''bout tonight?"

    "What day is it, Dri-bou?"

    "Today? It''s the 24th of... December. Christmas Eve!"

    Drifter ground to a halt, and slapped his forehead. Everyone else, with the exception of Kirito and Argo, stopped in a mix of shock and horror, their gaping mouths big enough to fit an egg. The info-broker, meanwhile, was giggling.

    "Right in one!"

    The spearman ignored Argo for now. How had he forgotten the date?! Though, he supposed he had bigger things to worry about. And it wasn''t like there was a gift shop in Aincrad where he could buy presents for everyone. Heck, he didn''t even know if they would celebrate Christmas! For all he knew, it was very likely they would spend the entirety of the holiday doing the same thing they did every day: grinding. Christmas lost a lot of its meaning when you were trapped in a death game.

    Shaking his head, Drifter wrapped Argo in a quick one-armed hug. The info-broker had been a little mischievous by not reminding them earlier, but she did bring them to meet Kizmel, so he would let it pass.

    The << Dark Elf Guards >> at the entrance didn''t give them any trouble, the cursors above their heads green. Drifter noticed with some interest that the NPCs gave the guild members that elven salute Kizmel had shown them, but Argo, Agil, and the others were simply ignored.

    "Kizmel!"

    Once inside the castle, it didn''t take long for them to find who they were looking for. With a girly squeak, Asuna launched forward like a bullet, and hugged a very surprised, but overjoyed, dark elf.

    "Asuna! And everyone else too! You''ve finally arrived!"

    After hugging Asuna, Kizmel then held her at arm''s length, and inspected the fencer. Her gaze also lingered on Drifter, Kirito, Yuna, Nautilus, and Sinon, all the members of the original party. The spearman was momentarily surprised by the real worry and relief he saw in her eyes, though he knew he shouldn''t be. Kizmel had always been special.

    "I take it you managed to defeat the guardian? Did you have any problems? Were any of you hurt?"

    "Yes, no, and no, Kizmel. It''s good to see you."

    Saluting the dark elf, Drifter answered her quick questions. Then he grinned and hugged her too, mimicking Asuna. The others did the same, while the other players stared alternatively at them and Kizmel, probably trying to make out how and why the party was so close to an NPC, and why was said NPC so life-like. Drifter noticed that.

    "Kizmel, let me make some introductions. First of, everyone, this is Kizmel, a Royal Knight of Lyusula. It was thanks to her that we managed to beat Nerius so easily. She has helped us a lot."

    Argo''s eyes shone. The info-broker had probably connected the dots, and realized the dark elf was the secret source of information for the then party.

    "You are too polite, Drifter. Had it not been for your aid, I would have lost my life, and the sacred item of my people would''ve been stolen too."

    Drifter simply waved off Kizmel''s gratitude. She was a friend, there was no need to get all formal about it.

    "Kizmel, those four are members of our guild, Reaver''s Requiem. This is Lisbeth, or Liz for short. She is our blacksmith. The little bundle of energy over there is Yuuki, and next to her is her twin sister Ran. Last but not least, this is Merida."

    "Hello."

    "Hi! Are you an elf? Can you talk to..."

    "Slow down, Yuuki. You can pester Kizmel later."

    Chuckling, Drifter held up a hand to stop the younger sister. Kizmel once more placed her fist in front of her chest as greetings.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, human friends. I''m glad you found others you can trust, Drifter, Asuna, Kirito, Sinon, Nautilus, Yuna."

    The original party smiled. Drifter then gestured to Argo.

    "The sneaky-looking one over here is Argo. Don''t let her fool you, her mind is sharp as a blade, and she will very probably try to scam you for information. She has a good heart, though."

    "Hey! I''ll have ya know I run a very legitimate business, ''kay? Don''t go ''round scarin'' away my clientele, Dri-bou!"

    Ruffling Argo''s hair just to annoy her, Drifter then turned to Agil and his party.

    "Finally, those are Agil, Wolv, Namate, and Shigio. They are frontliners like us, and very powerful warriors. They have been fighting against the floor bosses - the guardians - with us since the very first floor of Aincrad."

    "Aww, you''ll make me blush, Drifter."

    Agil feigned embarrassment, causing many snorts of amusement throughout the group. Kizmel also smiled. She was well aware of Drifter''s skill level, so anyone the spearman considered strong was likely to be a fearsome warrior in their own right.

    While most of the others were still getting used to talking to Kizmel as if she was more than an NPC - they kept waiting for robotic responses, and were surprised when a fluid answer came - Argo had engaged the dark elf in a conversation about Aincrad and the << Elf War >> campaign''s background. In fact, she even managed to convince Kizmel to ask the ruler of Yofel Castle about the floor boss before Drifter or Kirito could do it.

    Explaining the concept of Christmas and Christmas Eve to Kizmel was also a fun experience. It earned them a literal banquet, though, when the dark elf asked the cooks of the castle to prepare a feast for the players.

    Later, laying in bed in the room he was sharing with Kirito and Nautilus, Drifter thought that, all things considered, this wasn''t a bad Christmas.

 Chapter 59 - Raids and Leaks

    If someone asked Drifter how he thought he would be spending his Christmas of 2022 a few years ago - or even just a few months - he would have many answers. Maybe with his family, having a nice dinner and opening presents. Maybe with his girlfriend, if he was lucky enough. There was always the possibility of spending it traveling and having a nice time.

    One way he would never imagine he would spend the most cheerful holiday of the year was waking up at the crack of dawn, donning his set of armor, hanging his spear on his back, and walking out to meet the group of teenagers he had ended up creating a guild with, and come to think of as family, so they could discuss how they would be risking their lives today.

    Well, such was life. Life in SAO at least. One might think they would be eager to use the holiday as an excuse to take a day off, but that wasn''t the case. Not even close. To them, this was just another day of their real lives lost while they were trapped inside of a megalomaniac''s game. A Christmas they would spend away from their families and loved ones, and not by choice. Probably the first of many, on top of that.

    No, that wasn''t exactly right, Drifter thought as he looked around. Merida, Liz, Nautilus, and Sinon were already up, the latter two chatting with Kizmel. They were early risers like him.

    "Mornin''."

    "Good morning, Drifter."

    Greeting his guild members, he sat down and took the food Kizmel offered him. Some kind of elven bread. He wasn''t sure what it was, but it was delicious.

    Soon, the rest of his guild, as well as Argo, and Agil and his people, appeared. The long table, the same in which they feasted last night, was now full, not only of people, but also of chatter and laughter. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

    ''Yup. It''s not Christmas home, but this ain''t bad either.''

    Watching everyone, Drifter smiled. SAO brought people closer a lot faster than it would naturally happen. He wasn''t sure exactly when it happened, but there were at least a handful of people around the table he considered family.

    "So, what are our plans for today?"

    Though Yuna asked casually, she was eyeing Kizmel as she spoke. Yesterday, the party had told their dark elf friend about what they overheard the fallen elves planning. Kizmel, in turn, had brought them before the ruler of the castle, and they then repeated their story. Apart from a few rewards, they also unlocked the next quest in the << Elf War >> campaign, but the objective was simply to ''aid Royal Knight Kizmel''. Not a lot to go on.

    "I think it might be best for us to stay in Yofel Castle, my friends. We had several skirmishes with the forest elves in the last few days, and I would rather not be away from the castle in case anything happens. There is plenty to be done here, if you are willing to help."

    The quest then changed to ''help Yofel Castle prepare''. Only the members of Reaver''s Requiem received it, however. That included Liz, Ran, Yuuki, and Merida, although they hadn''t done the << Elf War >> campaign up to this point. Agil''s party, on the other hand, didn''t get anything.

    The merchant and his friends left soon after breakfast, taking Argo with them, much to the info-broker''s chagrin. She had wanted to explore more of the castle, but she had a busy schedule. It also appeared Fuumaningum was bothering her once again, though when Drifter asked if she needed help, Argo said it was just the cosplaying getting on her nerves.

    That was how the Reavers spent most of their Christmas holiday. They weren''t just laying around, but they also didn''t try too hard, nor went grinding. Drifter and Yuna even had time to go to the Town of Beginnings to wish Merry Christmas to Sasha and the kids.

    As he lay on his bed and turned in for the night, Drifter smiled at the ceiling. Once again, he thought that, while this wasn''t a perfect Christmas, it wasn''t a bad one either.

    ...

    Of course, while Kayaba let Christmas go by without using any of his machinations, once the clock turned the bastard was back at it.

    It was four in the morning when Drifter was woken up by bells being rung in alarm, and people screaming. After a few moments of confusion, Drifter shot up, his finger a blur as he navigated his menu and equipped his spear. Nautilus and Kirito weren''t any slower than him.

    "What''s happening?!"

    "No idea!"

    "The forest elf attack Kizmel mentioned! That must be it!"

    Drifter cursed under his breath, and ran out of the room. Dark elves were running up the ramparts and looking over the barricades. To his surprise, Drifter noticed most of them were concentrated on the sides of the castle that faced the river, instead of the ground entrance.

    "You are awake, my friends."

    "We would have to be pretty heavy sleepers to still be in bed with all this noise, Kizmel. Is this what I think it is?"

    "I''m afraid so, Kirito. The forest elves have come in full force this time. Their ships are approaching as we speak."

    Drifter left his guild leader speaking with Kizmel, and strode towards the ramparts. Asuna, Sinon, and Ran, who had appeared at some moment with the rest of the girls, went with him. Once there, all three drew in a sharp intake of breath.

    Over two dozen ships were currently sailing downriver towards Yofel Castle, each filled to the brim with forest elves. Even as they watched, the dark elves in the ramparts started raining arrows at the attackers, relying on the height advantage.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "God, this is a full-on war."

    Even the normally expressionless archer had a gaping mouth at the sight, shocked. Drifter nodded wordlessly. This was not a battle they could fight on their own. If anything, the players would be background actors.

    "Right. We stick together, single out enemies and take them out fast. When they break in, we''ll try to use the gate as a chokepoint."

    Drifter nodded. Asuna''s plan was basically the same he came up with. There was little more that they could do. He sure as hell wouldn''t risk his guild members by having them charge the incoming army for a mere few more experience points.

    Climbing down the ramparts while dodging the dark elves still coming up, the four met with the rest of their guild, and Asuna quickly explained what they saw. Kirito heard her plan and nodded, ordering the Reavers to group up. Kizmel gladly joined them.

    "They are breaching the gates!"

    Twenty tense minutes passed, during which the players only watched as the dark elves fired arrow upon arrow at the incoming forest elf boats. Over ten ships were destroyed - either by having their entire crew killed, or by being set on fire - before the enemy NPCs finally reached the walls. Once they did, however, the forest elves made quick work of the gates that connected the castle to the docks.

    The moment the gates were breached, the forest elves came - appropriately - flooding in. The guards just as quickly moved to engage them, and the battle turned into a mess, with hundreds of bodies clashing, and NPCs dying by the tens every minute. Drifter had been in three floor bosses'' raids and several hundred minor battles until now, but this was unlike anything he had ever seen.

    He didn''t have much time to admire, though. Six << Forest Elf Raiders >> rushed at the Reavers. Not for the first nor last time today, the spearman was glad the entire guild was there today. Having all of them train together on normal days was impractical - too many people caused them to move too slowly, not to mention the experience gain when split between ten people was poor, to say the least. But, on occasions like this, more people made one hell of a difference.

    Dodging under a cutting saber, Drifter thrust his spear through the attacker''s stomach. Then, leveraging on the fact that his speartip was still buried in the forest elf''s body, Drifter used a << Horizontal >> to push him towards Ran and Yuuki, who both used << Slant >> with uncanny synchrony to finish off the mob.

    Without batting an eyelid, Drifter switched with Nautilus, spear held parallel to the ground in a << Rage Spike >>, impaling the monster his ash-haired friend had been fighting. Following the skill routine, he lifted the << Fallen Elf Raider >> in the air by his spear, before then slamming him into the ground, where Liz dealt the final blow with a << Bone Breaker >>.

    There was a brief moment of respite, during which Drifter took the chance to scan the battlefield. He couldn''t tell whether their side was winning or not, but at least they didn''t seem to be losing. For the players, the battle had been somewhat frantic, but other than that it was quite easy.

    He frowned. Nothing in SAO was easy. The moment you started thinking that, you were in danger. Overestimating Kayaba and his Cardinal System was a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

    "Kirito, Asuna, something''s wrong."

    "Did you spot something out of place, Drifter?"

    "No, and that''s what''s bothering me. This is almost like we are in a cut scene, don''t you think? There''s no real challenge."

    "And Kayaba doesn''t make simple battles. I see what you mean. But do you have any idea of what could be going on?"

    Inwardly, Drifter rejoiced a little at how the swordsman didn''t even question his words, even though Drifter was basing them on a gut feeling. This kind of trust wasn''t something you could buy.

    But, happy as he was at the comment, it didn''t change the fact that Drifter had no clue as to what could be wrong - if there even was something. It was Yuna who came up with the obvious solution to their predicament: ask their friendly NPC.

    "Kizmel, if the forest elves wanted to take control of the castle, what would they need to do? And which areas would they need to take over?"

    The dark elf stabbed a << Forest Elf Raider >> through the neck with her blade, killing him, and turned to the songstress. She tilted her head in confusion for a second, before a calculative look appeared in her eyes.

    "There''s the arsenal, but controlling it now would be useless, since pretty much all our weapons are in use right now. Then there are the warehouses, but the forest elves can''t afford a battle of attrition, so they are out too. The only other valuable target would be the inner area of the castle itself, but it is well guarded, and, as you can see, their army isn''t getting through here."

    Drifter nodded, then scowled. He should be feeling joyful the battle was going in their favor, so why did he still feel like he was missing something?

    "Well, maybe not an army, but what about just a few people? Could they sneak in?"

    Kizmel looked at Merida, and slowly nodded.

    "Maybe, but what would be the point? They wouldn''t have the manpower to take over the inner castle."

    "But what if their aim isn''t a place, but a person? Such as... The ruler of Yofel Castle?"

    "Hiss!"

    "This! We need to hurry!"

    Drifter slapped his forehead. That was it! The quest didn''t say they had to deter the forest elven army. The exact wording was ''protect Yofel Castle from falling''. Having its ruler be killed could very well qualify as ''falling''.

    Kizmel didn''t wait for another second after hearing Merida''s rationale. The dark elf simply urged them to follow her, and rushed into the castle.

    The hallways were mostly empty, which, at first, was normal considering most of the defenders were outside. But, as they approached the main hall, where Yofel Castle''s ruler was, the lack of guards started to become concerning. The open doors and sounds of battle confirmed their suspicions.

    Bursting into the hall, the Reavers saw about two dozen forest elves, a mix of << Forest Elf Raiders >> and << Forest Elf Spies >>, besieging the ruler, who had only four guards protecting him now. Even as they watched, one of the dark elves perished, putting an even bigger burden on the remaining three.

    Yelling, Kizmel dashed forward, her blade cleaving one of the invaders in half at the waist. The others barely had time to react as the Reavers bore down on them. While the forest elves had an overall number advantage, they were spread too thin, with only ten or so being able to turn and face the players, while the others pressed on their assault against the castle ruler. Unfortunately, that was what spelled their doom.

    Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, and Ran, the fastest amongst them, rushed past the attackers so they could reinforce the dark elf guards. Pressed between two fronts, it didn''t take long until the last forest elf was slain. Almost as if on cue, horns sounded, signifying the retreat of the enemy.

 Chapter 60 - Trickle

    Aincrad was determined not to give the Reavers a break. Exhausted from fighting from dawn till daybreak, it was not even two hours later that Argo messaged Kirito, saying the clearers had found the boss room. Clearly, Reaver''s Requiem wasn''t the only one who worked right through Christmas.

    "That has to be a new record, no?"

    Yuna whistled in amazement, and Drifter nodded from where he was sitting across from her. They had found the tower entrance on the 24th, and now it was morning of the 26th. The clearers had taken less than two days to sweep through the labyrinth.

    "I''m not complaining. This floor is beautiful and all, but it makes me uncomfortable."

    Kirito shuddered. The swordsman had been on edge their entire stay on the 4th floor. According to him, it was too different from the beta to his liking.

    "Well, you''ll just have to endure it for another half a day, Kirito."

    "It may be so, but I''m not looking forward to having Kibaou lead."

    "Ugh... Don''t remind me."

    There were several groans around the table, mainly from the original party. Yuuki, Ran, and Merida hadn''t yet had the displeasure of meeting the ALS leader.

    "It could be worse, Kirito, just think about it. What if we had Kibaou as the raid leader, and we were going in blind on top of that? At least we know what we are facing. Or some of it."

    "Yeah... By the way, thanks again for all the information on the floor boss, Kizmel. It really helps a lot."

    "You are welcome, Kirito. And I am sorry I can''t follow you into battle against the guardian."

    The swordsman waved off the apology.

    "You didn''t have a choice, Kizmel. You can''t not answer a royal summon."

    "Kirito''s right. But don''t sweat over it, Kiz. We''ll take care of the overgrown seahorse in a jiffy, you''ll see."

    The players were under no illusion that the so-called royal summon was a plot device to stop the NPC from helping them. It didn''t come as a surprise, as they were already expecting it after what happened on the 3rd floor.

    Kizmel tilted her head at Yuna, and Drifter at first thought she was going to question the nickname the songstress used, but instead the elf showed a confused expression.

    "But... I''m not sweating?"

    The genuine confusion in the dark elf''s voice sent all the players into a giggling fit.

    ----------------------------

    Kikouka Seijirou rubbed his temples and watched the vanguard players, as the news had been calling them lately, enter yet another boss room. This was the fourth live stream, but it wasn''t getting any easier to watch them. This one in particular. He had no idea what kinds of challenges the players faced on the 4th floor, but sixty-seven people had died in the less than two weeks since it was opened.

    Sighing, the leader of the SAO task force reclined back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him. He wished there was some way to know more about what was happening inside Sword Art Online. Until now, all his analysts, programmers, and technicians managed to tell him was a whole load of nothing at all.

    ---------------------------

    If he was being honest, Drifter wasn''t looking forward to this boss raid. Kizmel, bless her heart, had gotten them a lot of intel about the floor boss, but most of it only served to worry the spearman more. His main concern being, of course, how the boss, << Wythege the Hippocampus >> would flood the room during the final phase of the battle.

    (A/N: Normally I don''t like to interrupt in the middle of the chapter since it breaks the flow, but I few like this is important, at least to some people. I am aware that, in canon, the boss room was flooded and the door closed, until Kirito and Asuna opened it and saved everyone. I''ll be changing that, since SAO didn''t have closed boss rooms until the 75th floor. This is actually a major plot point of the anime, because the entire scout party gets annihilated when they get trapped in the boss room, and the frontliners then realize that, from that point onward, every boss battle is do or die. I don''t know if having the 4th floor have closed doors was a mistake or not, but in this fic, doors will be opened the entire time. Just thought I would explain that before someone pointed it out.)

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Sure, the players wouldn''t be in danger of drowning, since the water would only reach up to their chest, but it would still make the battle much harder, and much more dangerous.

    "Aight, ya flea bags, let''s go!"

    It was at this moment that Kibaou finished his little speech, which Drufter wasn''t really paying attention to. With a small frown, he followed the rest of the raid-party into the boss room.

    The room looked like some kind of enclosed beach, the floor covered in loose sand the frontliners had long learned how to fight on. In the center, very conspicuously, was a deep pond, from which, to no one''s surprise, the boss dramatically surfaced.

    << Wythege the Hippocampus >> had to be one of the weirdest monsters Drifter had ever seen, and that was saying something. It looked like a huge seahorse, of a pale yellow color. That is, until you looked at its front half, from where horse legs and a horse head emerged. Only, the equestrian parts of the boss were also covered in the same yellowish scales, making it look like someone had mashed a fish and a horse together.

    As if that wasn''t enough, the boss also neighed, a high-pitched noise that caused their eardrums to hurt. Drifter grimaced, holding his spear high.

    When the boss charged, it was accompanied by splashes of water, wetting the tanks. They mostly ignored it, focusing on the giant seahorse. Drifter himself was at the vanguard, his spear reaching over the heads of the players in front of him to stab << Wythege the Hippocampus >> in the face.

    As several attacks landed on its body from different directions, the boss screeched in pain, and spun, its tail slapping away most of the nearby players. It didn''t do much damage, but it knocked them back a good distance. Drifter was one of the few exceptions, as he was behind the only tank able to hold their ground, an ALS player by the name of Liten. He was covered from head to toe in heavy metal armor, such that even his face couldn''t be seen, and only his muffled voice heard. He didn''t even carry a weapon, only a heavy tower shield Drifter idly recognized as the one << Biceps Archelon >> dropped, and he handed over for Agil to sell.

    Taking full advantage of that, Drifter pressed on the offensive, knowing he would aggro the boss. He was counting on Liten to defend him, and his gamble paid off. Though the ALS player had zero attack power, his defensive stats were outstanding. After the seahorse trashed around and hit him three or four times, Liten still had over half of his health remaining.

    "Switch!"

    Without even needing to look back, Drifter ducked to the right, knowing that whoever was trading places with him - Kirito, by the voice - would come up on his left. This was the system all frontliners used, in case they needed to improvise.

    While the young swordsman went to town on << Wythege the Hippocampus >>, and the tanks took back their positions, Drifter stepped back to catch his breath. He hadn''t taken any damage, but his furious barrage of sword skills, martial arts skills, and normal attacks had tired him somewhat.

    "How are you holding up, Drifter?"

    "I''m all good for now, Yun''. The boss has many AoEs, though. You should keep up with << Rest >>."

    "Got it. Be safe."

    Smiling, Drifter laid a hand on Yuna''s shoulder and gently squeezed it twice. Then, he prepared to switch in, this time with Nautilus, who had just taken a pretty heavy tail hit. But, before he could do so, Yuuki had already called out and advanced.

    Not for the first time, Drifter realized how fast the younger twin was. It wasn''t exactly a matter of speed or agility - in SAO, those were just numbers, and there were many players, Kirito included, who had the exact same amount as her. No, it was her reaction speed that left him speechless every time he saw Yuuki fighting seriously.

    Whenever the boss attacked, Yuuki would dodge, block, or parry with just centimeters to spare. The way she moved out of the way of attacks without even looking, was like she had eyes on the back of her head. And when she struck, every move was optimized to the extreme. Drifter knew he could never hope to be as fast as her. The only one who could compare to Yuuki amongst the frontliners, and probably the entire player base, was Kirito.

    Next in line would be Asuna and Ran. While their reactions weren''t as perfect, they more than made it up for it with their speed - in Asuna''s case - and with the surgical precision of their strikes.

    Of course, the rest of the Reavers were no slouches either. It was unnecessary to comment about Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, and Sinon, as they were each masters in their specific fields - at least when compared to other players. Drifter was sure there was still much to learn - that they needed to learn - to survive SAO.

    But Liz and Merida were providing themselves to be worthy additions to the guild. While the blacksmith was somewhat lacking in levels, she was still a fearsome fighter, though more diverse in abilities than the rest of her guildmates - whenever it was needed, Liz doubled as a secondary tank.

    Merida, on the other hand, compensated for her lack of levels - she was falling a little behind due to her recent focus on << Tailoring >>, but nothing worrisome - with sheer brute strength. In the blue-haired girl''s own words, she didn''t need techniques, only to hit hard as hell.

    Overall, the damage output of Reaver''s Requiem had grown so much with the addition of the four girls that << Wythege the Hippocampus >> even threatened to aggro on them a few times over the course of the battle, much to the dismay of the DKB and ALS players who composed the main tank party. They had to scramble with << Taunts >> and << Enrages >> to grab back the boss'' attention.

    Whenever that happened, however, Kirito, Drifter, or Asuna would always warn their guild members with time to spare, telling them to slow down their barrage and step back to rest, allowing the tanks to reaffirm their grasp on the floor boss'' aggro gauge. Like that, the Reavers managed to strike a delicate balance between damage and control, not once stealing the aggro.

    "Last red, everyone! On your toes, people!"

    No sooner than Kibaou yelled, << Wythege the Hippocampus >> neighed, and went back to the pond in the middle of the room. The boss started swimming in circles and flapping his tail against the water - with Sinon still insisting on pelting it with arrows even mid-cut scene, if for no reason other than to vent the collective players'' anger at being soaking wet.

    With little surprise, as << Wythege the Hippocampus >> smashed its tail into the water, waves started to form, quickly flooding the room. The water level was, at first, just at their shins, but it quickly surpassed their knees and reached their waist height. Though the boss stopped flooding the room and swam, now much faster, to attack the players, the water was still slowly rising.

    "That''s it, lads! Rain hell on it!"

    Tuning out Kibaou, Drifter just focused on attacking, but the boss had become more slippery than a lamprey. It swam between players, diving at times and resurfacing at others, slapping people down with its tail or biting them with its horse head. It was like it didn''t have an aggro list anymore.

    Drifter himself soon became a victim of the seemingly random attacks. << Wythege the Hippocampus >> emerged out of the water behind him, and the spearman, slowed down by the near chest-height water level, wasn''t quick enough when turning around.

    First a hoof smashed into his hastily raised right arm, the giant appendage thoroughly tearing off his limb. Drifter groaned in shock, but that was all he managed before << Wythege the Hippocampus >> slapped him with its tail, and he slipped and sunk.

    By the time he resurfaced, the boss had already moved on to another target, leaving behind a very pissed off and not just a little terrified Drifter, tightly grabbing his spear with his left hand. He alternated his glance from the rampaging boss and the stump of his right arm.

    Many thoughts crossed his head at the moment, but while he watched Agil chop off << Wythege the Hippocampus'' >> tail with a mighty blow of his axe, killing the boss in the process, he mainly thought of how useless he became once he lost the limb.

 Chapter 61 - Treasure Hunt

    Ogawa Kana watched the broadcast with eyes brimming with tears. She was a mess of emotions right now. Fear, for when her son disappeared beneath the waves after being struck by the abomination that was the 4th floor boss. Horror, watching his entire right arm be ripped off and shatter. Relief, when he resurfaced. Joy, when the monster was killed and the water started draining away. Pain, when she saw the scowl on her Itsuki''s face when he looked at the spot where his arm used to be.

    The limb would regrow, and it was only a matter of minutes, she knew that. Her son also didn''t feel any pain, only annoyance. And yet, her heart ached for him. Sniffling, Kana burrowed deeper into her husband''s side. All the man could do was run his fingers through her hair reassuringly while whispering in her ear.

    "There, there. He is okay, dear. He is okay. You have to be strong for him."

    Kana just let out another muffled sob, before wiping her eyes and turning back to the television. As the frontliners were still in the boss room, most sitting down or sprawled on the ground, uncaring for the sand and mud sticking to them - and just as uncaring for their image - the live stream was still ongoing.

    Her eyes locked on her son, Kana saw several people approach him. Most she recognized as his party members, or the team of the big black man named Agil, but there were also some she had never seen before. Kana strained her ears, trying to make out what they were saying over the noise of several tens of players.

    ------------------------------

    Drifter looked at the stump of his right arm, his expression constantly changing between a scowl and a grimace. His guild and friends came near, with Yuna grabbing his intact hand, her eyes trained on his missing limb. If it wasn''t for the green HP bar above his head, she would probably be forcing a health potion down his throat right now.

    "How are you feeling, Drifter?''

    The spearman sneered, though it was directed at himself, rather than the songstress.

    "Angry, mostly. Wythege took my arm, and I could just stand there like an idiot."

    "That''s not what I was asking, and you know it, so don''t act like a prick, Drifter!"

    "Haa... Sorry, Yun''. I know, I''m just... Hah. Anyway, I already drank a potion, as you can see. But it appears there''s a penalty for losing a limb. I''ve got a ''crippled'' status effect, one hour to go before my arm regenerates."

    "Hm. Again, how are you feeling?"

    This time, Drifter knew the songstress was referring to the physical aspect. Sheathing his spear on his back, the laid a gentle hand on her head.

    "No phantom pain, if that''s what you are asking. Maybe because I know it will... Grow back, it doesn''t bother me as much as it probably should. I don''t think I should get back to fighting before it does regenerate, however. Not to mention I lost my dominant hand, it''ll upset my balance."

    Yuna sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before taking a step back.

    "No more fighting for today."

    "Agreed. I''m making an executive decision to take the rest of the day off."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at Kirito, and a sly smile took over his face. With a teasing edge to his voice, he smirked at the swordsman.

    "The first time I see you exert your authority as guild leader, and it is to tell everyone to laze around."

    The black-haired didn''t rise to the bait, and smirked back, joining the others in their laughter. Drifter grinned impudently, and with not just a little gratefulness. He knew his guild had noticed his sour mood, and the members of the original party, especially Yuna and Nautilus, had known right away the reason behind it. Their attempts to light the mood and change the subject of the conversation, while obvious, were very welcome. And it worked, so he wasn''t going to complain.

    A short while after, having had a few minutes to catch their breaths, the frontliners started to stir, one or two parties already walking towards the stairs. Seeing that, Kirito gestured for Reaver''s Requiem to follow him.

    "If, and that''s a big if considering the floor we just went through, Kayaba hasn''t changed too much of the 5th floor, it''s going to be a fun one."

    "Fun? I never thought I would hear you describe Aincrad like that one day, Kirito."

    "Not Aincrad, just the 5th floor, Asuna. Still dangerous as heck, but at least the safe zones have a lot of entertainment. Just keep your eyes open, and you''ll understand what I mean soon."

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The swordsman stopped speaking then, his eyes shining with anticipation as he looked at the exit of the labyrinth.

    To their surprise, the exit was right in the middle of a safe zone, camouflaged amidst some ruins. In fact, the entire town of Karluin was in ruins. But, judging by Kirito''s wide smile, everything was as it should be.

    It was also dark, even though according to their HUDs it was barely past midday. Looking up, Drifter saw that, instead of the false sun they had on the floors below, this time there was a moon hanging in the sky.

    "A-ha!"

    Drifter was still cranking his neck to gaze at the sky when he heard Kirito exclaim. Looking over, he saw the swordsman had bent down to pick something up. With a smile that threatened to split his face, he threw the emerald ring at Sinon. The archer caught it with ease, and glanced at the stats, her eyes widening in astonishment.

    "Bonus to critical damage... And an accessory on top of that! Where were you hiding this, Kirito?"

    "Hehehe... Nowhere. Just found it!"

    If Drifter hadn''t seen Kirito pick it up with his own eyes, he would have doubted his guild leader. But, as it was, he had a hunch something was going on, and that it had to do with the ''entertainment'' Kirito mentioned.

    Activating his << Searching >>, Drifter was shocked to find several glowing spots on the ground. Going towards the one closest to him, he saw a few coins. Turning off the skill, they again disappeared from his vision. When he activated it again, there they were. Picking up the two coins, Drifter found himself 2 cor richer.

    "Huh. That''s interesting. Sinon and whoever else has it, try using << Searching >>."

    While the Archer, Ran, and Wolv did so, the others turned to Kirito, wordlessly urging him to explain. The swordsman was glad to do so.

    "During the beta, this was one of the most visited floors, ''cause it has a treasure hunting mechanic. Throughout the entire floor, there are lots of prizes hidden. Most of them are cor, and very small amounts on top of that - though there was a guy in the beta who found 10.000 cor at once - but there are also gems, precious crafting materials, and accessories like the ring I gave Sinon. We are lucky we are one of the first to enter the 5th floor, because the more precious items are limited. Also, as you''ve seen, you need to use a tracking skill or an item with a similar effect to find the treasures, since they are otherwise invisible to the naked eye."

    "That''s why you said this floor was fun!"

    Kirito grinned, and nodded.

    "Yup! We can go treasure hunting in the safe zone while taking the rest of the day off! Especially since we won''t have time for it later, with clearing the floor and all."

    Feeling Kirito''s happiness and eagerness, Drifter nodded his agreement straight away. He hadn''t seen such a childlike expression on the swordsman''s face in a long time. Just that made taking the day off worth it.

    ...

    Later that day, after a fruitful day of running around Karluin treasure hunting, the Reavers found an inn and settled down for the night. Even the people who didn''t have << Searching >> got in on the action, as Kirito took them to a restaurant that sold << Blue-Berry Tarts >>, an item that gave a player a similar ability to the skill, for a limited amount of time. By the end of the day, they had not only found a lot of cor and precious gems, but many were even outfitted with new accessories.

    Sitting at the edge of his bed, Drifter stared at his right arm. The limb had regenerated shortly after they started treasure hunting, and it was as good as new. But the spearman couldn''t feel happy.

    He had felt useless today. Even now, the feeling still hadn''t faded completely.

    Drifter knew his capabilities well. While he would never go and say it out loud, he was sure he was one of the best players in the entirety of Sword Art Online. Even amongst frontliners, he was at the top. When it came to spear techniques, he would even go as far as to say he was the best. It wasn''t like he was unrivaled - not even close - but he was a little better than the others.

    But, take away his ability to use his spear, like Wythege had done today when it stomped his arm right off, what did he have? The answer was nothing.

    Kirito, though the boy loathed to admit it, had his leadership skills and his inhumane reaction speed. Asuna also had her absurdly high agility. Nautilus was a tank, the most important role of any party, and could shine even with his FNC. Yuna could heal or buff people with songs. Sinon had a freaking bow.

    Even the new members were unique in their own ways. Liz was SAO''s best blacksmith. Yuuki was right up there with Kirito when it concerned her adaptability and reaction speed. Merida was the strongest player Drifter had ever met. And though Ran might not look like she had anything special, her accuracy and teamwork with her twin made her stand out.

    Drifter, on the other hand, had his spear, and only that. Sure, he was also a leader, but had few chances to showcase it. And when he lost the ability to use his spear, he was left stunned, rooted on the spot.

    "Fuck..."

    Cursing silently under his breath, Drifter punched his tight. He was not about to allow himself to descend in this spiral of self-deprecating and loathing. Most importantly, he wouldn''t permit himself to feel jealous of his guildmates. Each of his friends was special in their own way, and they goddamn deserved it! They fought every step of the way to get to where they were now, and he would continue to show his support to them.

    So absorbed in his thoughts, he almost didn''t notice someone knocking on his door. When he did, he slowly got up to open it.

    "Yun''? What are you doing here?"

    Standing in the doorway was the girl with milky-tea brown hair and dimples, who had so quickly wormed her way into his heart and become one of the most important people in his world.

    The songstress didn''t respond immediately. She spent a few seconds staring at his face with a cute frown, before pushing him back into the room. The door closed behind her, the privacy settings put in place by the Cardinal System stopping any possible eavesdroppers.

    "Yun''?"

    Still confused, Drifter sat back on his bed, while Yuna pulled the chair from under the desk and put it down in front of him, proceeding to sit down too. Her fixed stare was quite unnerving.

    "What''s wrong, Drifter? You''ve not been you since the boss raid."

    "Humm? What do you mean?"

    Yuna stared some more at him and sighed, before looking around at the room, and at anywhere but him.

    "You''ve lost your arm - sorry, but there''s no way of putting it nicely - and even though it''s back now, I can see it''s bothering you."

    "You noticed, huh?"

    "Obviously, silly. Naut and Asuna did too, I think. But they let me be the one to talk to you. If it was anyone else, I might think they were traumatized. But not you, Drifter. I know you. You were annoyed, but that was all. So, there''s something else bothering you. And I want to know what it is."

    When Drifter didn''t answer immediately, Yuna turned to him again, and laid her hand on his knee. She spoke softly, a whisper.

    "I''m worried about you, Drifter. The way you are behaving... Though you try to hide it, it reminds me too much of how you were after the... Situation on the 1st floor."

    Drifter started, a haunted expression taking over his face.

    "Does it?"

    Yuna nodded gravely, and Drifter allowed himself to fall on his bed, one hand covering his face.

    "Fuck. Sorry, Yun''. I didn''t mean to, I swear. I''m just feeling a little down."

    "Why?"

    "Uff... When the floor boss took my arm, I was stunned silly. I couldn''t even muster a reaction."

    "A giant seahorse ripped off your arm, Drifter. Anyone in your position would''ve been dumbfounded."

    "Maybe, but I shouldn''t, Yuna! What if it had been some other situation?! What if, the boss hadn''t been killed but went after one of you?! I wouldn''t be able to protect you, only watch helplessly! Useless!"

    Drifter was almost shouting by the end. It was only his last thread of rationality, which told him Yuna wasn''t at fault and he shouldn''t vent on her, that caused him to lower his volume. The songstress didn''t show any signs of being offended, however, and looked at her friend with compassion, pity, and anger.

    "You are not useless, Drifter! Don''t ever say that again! You were the one who kept me and Nautilus alive when we first met. You sacrificed your conscience to protect us. You were - no, you are - the one who ties all the Reavers together. You are irreplaceable, Drifter. Don''t ever doubt that."

    "Yuna..."

    That was all Drifter managed to say before the songstress latched onto him, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder as she lightly sobbed. Stunned at first, Drifter slowly reached around her back to hold her, wondering how he had gone from the one being consoled to the one doing the consoling. But he had to admit, he felt a little better after hearing what Yuna said.

 Chapter 62 - Myriad Feelings

    Drifter wasn''t sure of how much time passed while he held Yuna in his embrace. He just hugged the sobbing girl to his chest until she was no longer crying. After what felt like an hour, but could just as well have been just a few minutes, the songstress pushed away, eyes puffed up and red, but no longer with tears streaming down her face.

    "I-I am sorry, Drifter. I came here to see what was wrong with you and console you, but..."

    "But nothing, Yuna. You did exactly that. I was being an idiot, feeling down for something which I can''t control, and even being jealous of my family. You snapped me out of it. Admittedly, your method was a little unusual..."

    "Humph! You ass!"

    Yuna snorted when Drifter smirked, but her blush betrayed her. Pouting, she turned away from him. Her curling lips, however, allowed him to know she wasn''t truly angered, only somewhat embarrassed he had seen her in such a state.

    Drifter simply sat there, looking at Yuna''s side profile. At this moment, he understood it. He couldn''t deny it anymore. He was starting to fall for her. It wasn''t love yet, and there were so many things wrong and that could go wrong about it, but he knew it to be true.

    For starters, there was the age difference. Three or four years might not be much in later points of their lives, but right now it was an insurmountable gap. In a normal situation, Drifter would never even entertain the thought of it. But SAO had derailed both of their lives, and countless more. Having fought shoulder to shoulder with her, shared burdens with her, almost died and watched her almost lose her life more than once, and overall lived every second of the last two months with her by his side, Drifter''s heart couldn''t help but yearn for it. For her.

    There was also Nautilus. In their current situation, the shield-bearer was probably the reason for Drifter''s biggest hesitation. From all the time he had known the ash-haired player, Drifter had come to realize Nautilus cared deeply for Yuna - that much had always been obvious. However, he didn''t think the blade-user loved the songstress, at least not romantically. Like a brother loved his sister, sure, but not like a man loved a woman. But he couldn''t be sure. And, until he could, Drifter wouldn''t make a move. It wouldn''t be fair to Nautilus or anyone involved if he did, not to mention that it would probably shatter their friendship and guild if Drifter guessed wrong.

    "Hey, Earth to Drifter."

    With a start, the spearman realized he had been lost in thought again, and that Yuna had been calling him. He grimaced.

    "Sorry, Yun'', I spaced out for a sec."

    "Hm. Bad thoughts?"

    Her tone was dangerously low, like she was getting ready to give him another serving. Drifter quickly shook his head.

    "No! I don''t think so, at least. Err... Maybe? Humm... Nevermind that. Please."

    Hearing his plea, the songstress glared at him for a moment before nodding.

    "Okay."

    They sat in silence - the awkward kind, just silence - for the next couple minutes. Seeing that Yuna didn''t look like she intended on leaving, Drifter had to ask. It was getting late, after all.

    "Err... Was there anything else you wanted to say, Yuna?"

    "Of course! You told me what the problem was, now we have to find out how to solve it!"

    "Huh?"

    "You felt powerless when you couldn''t use your spear properly, right? Then, let''s brainstorm how we can fix that."

    Staring at the fire burning deep in Yuna''s caramel eyes, Drifter felt his own spirits lifting. With a small, but true smile, he started a discussion that would go well into the night.

    ----------------------------

    Watching Yuna enter Drifter''s room and close the door behind her, Nautilus quietly re-entered his own room. Once inside, he laid belly down on his bed.

    He was feeling contradictory. On one hand, he felt somewhat sour when he saw his oldest friend so clearly falling for Drifter. On the other, he was the one who pushed her to admit her own feelings, and he was happy the songstress had found in the spearman not only someone she could trust, but also possibly love.

    There was a time when Nautilus loved Yuna. It was hard not to, back then, when the girl was not only his best friend, but his only friend. On top of that, she was also sweet, kind, honest, and pretty. Perfect, if you asked him.

    But, as they grew up, Nautilus realized his feelings weren''t reciprocated. And then he realized that his feelings for her weren''t what he initially thought they were. What he felt for Yuna back then was merely infatuation for the only female figure of his age in his life. Now he could say for certain that he loved Yuna, but those feelings were only that of a brother to his younger sister.

    Even so, he couldn''t help but feel a little jealous earlier today, when he saw how worried Yuna was about Drifter. And then he immediately felt disgusted with himself. He had already recognized his feelings long before Yuna and he met Drifter. Years before. He had no right to feel jealousy now, when he had long decided to step away.

    Nautilus would support his friends, whatever their choice may be, he decided. Just like Drifter, though neither knew the other knew it, the shield-bearer had realized some time ago that he had changed. He had started looking at the people around him - not just Yuna - and thinking of how to protect them. For Yuna and Drifter, he was willing to die. He would be their unbreakable shield, and protect them from harm.

    Whatever little seedling of envy and jealousy was born in his heart, Nautilus snuffed it out. He drifted off to sleep, while not entirely okay, determined, and with a smile on his face.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    --------------------------

    The next morning was decidedly strange. Everyone could tell something had changed in the dynamic between Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus, but they weren''t sure what it was, and they weren''t about to ask. Not even Yuuki and Kirito were that dense.

    Drifter, still half asleep, considering he went to bed well after three in the morning, smiled at Yuna before his gaze found Nautilus. Looking at his oldest male friend in SAO, he felt a twinge of shame, but it vanished when the ash-haired boy walked up to him and patted his back, and grinned. The look in Nautilus'' eyes told the spearman that his friend knew of what happened last night, and was all right with it. Knowing that gave Drifter immense relief.

    Asuna was another one to whom Drifter sent a thankful nod. He hadn''t forgotten how Yuna mentioned that the fencer had noticed his turbulent feelings yesterday, but decided to allow the songstress to take care of him. Asuna smiled brightly and winked at him in response.

    Drifter smiled even wider, and turned to Kirito, who was staring at his guildmates in curiosity. He didn''t ask anything, however, and Drifter took the chance to steer the attention away from him.

    "Since this floor is apparently similar to the beta, what''s the plan today, Kirito?"

    "I was thinking we should split up. Myself, Asuna, Liz, Sinon, and Yuuki can be one party, and Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Ran, and Merida another. The main maps of this floor are catacombs and caves, so we would only get in each other''s way if we tried to fight all together. Yuuki and Ran, I split you up on purpose. When you fight together, you tend to unconsciously always team up. That''s not a bad thing at all, quite the opposite, but I believe you should train to coordinate with others."

    "Preparing for all unexpected circumstances, right? That makes sense. Don''t worry, guild leader."

    It was a sign of his growing confidence that Kirito only blushed slightly when Ran teased him with the way she addressed him. Drifter thought for a while, and spoke up against the idea.

    "Actually, Kirito, if you don''t mind, I have another suggestion."

    "No worries, Drifter. Shoot it."

    "You know how we talked about setting up practice duels, but never actually went ahead with it?"

    "A lot happened very quickly back then."

    "Yeah. So, I was thinking now might be a good chance to do just that."

    Not all of Reaver''s Requiem knew the true reason why the original party wanted to train with duels between players, but they didn''t question it. Yuuki, for one, was completely taken by the idea.

    "Right. But we can''t forget about leveling."

    "It won''t be a problem, Kirito. Who''s interested in the duels, and who would rather explore? There are no wrong answers, people."

    Asuna, comfortable in her whole of vice-leader of the guild, smoothly took over, for which Kirito was glad. She looked at the raised hands, and quickly made a decision.

    "We still split up, then. Kirito, Drifter, Yuuki, and I stay here for the 1 on 1 training. Nautilus, Yuna, Liz, Ran, and Merida, you can go explore the floor. Sinon, you lead. Remember to always be careful."

    "Got it."

    "Sounds good."

    There were nods all around, and the guild soon split up into the two designated parties. After the others were gone to explore the catacombs, Drifter turned to Kirito.

    "How are we doing this?"

    "We are just doing this to polish our techniques, so First Strike Mode. How about... Me and you first, Drifter, I think, then Asuna and Yuuki, and we swap from there."

    They all nodded their agreement, and Drifter and Kirito found a nice open spot to fight their duel. Asuna and Yuuki spectated with visible excitement. Drifter wasn''t surprised. They were combat junkies, after all. Most frontliners were.

    [ Player Kirito sent you a duel invite: First Strike Mode. Accept? ]

    Drifter easily clicked ''yes'', and a timer appeared in the space between them. Positioning his left leg in front, knees slightly bent in a very obvious and very telegraphed stance for a charging thrust, Drifter held his spear parallel to the ground, aimed at Kirito, his eyes staring at the countdown as 30 seconds trickled by.

    He randomly remembered what brought about this idea at first. It was the day Kirito told him an unknown player - his name couldn''t be seen in the duel request as he wasn''t in the swordsman''s friend list - had tried to kill him outside of a forest elf war camp. Drifter had then realized that SAO was a lawless world, and, if it brought out the best in many, who chose to fight for their and everyone''s freedom, it certainly also dragged to the surface the worst in some, who saw it as a place where they could let their twisted desires run free. Mobs wouldn''t be their only enemy, and Drifter had a feeling one day it would all come to a head.

    Clearing his head and focusing back on his sparing partner, Drifter saw Kirito raise his << Anneal Blade >> over his shoulder, body leaning forward and left arm slightly bent in front of him. Not a standard stance by any means, but in SAO numbers reigned supreme. Frontliners had stats that long surpassed what would be considered humanly possible in the outside world.

    The moment the timer hit zero, both players surged forward. Neither used skills, by unspoken agreement. This wasn''t really a duel so much as it was a test.

    As it should be, considering the obvious differences in their weapons of choice, Drifter''s spear thrust was going to reach Kirito first. The swordsman already knew that, however, and his overhead blow wasn''t aimed at Drifter, but rather at his weapon, from the start.

    Seeing the blade about to smash into his speartip and knock it off course - leaving him open for Kirito to attack - Drifter made a decision in that fraction of a second, and pulled hard with his left hand, yanking his spear out of the way. Kirito tries to correct his sword''s path, but Drifter let his momentum carry him forward, and attempted to smack the black-haired boy in the shoulder with the butt of his spear, by spinning to the left.

    Not to be outdone, Kirito quickly lifted his sword so that Drifter ended up hitting the flat side of his blade. After parrying the blow, the swordsman immediately delivered a backhanded slash, which Drifter only barely blocked.

    Kirito pressed on, sending cut after cut at Drifter, who struggled to dodge or block them. The swordsman refused to open the distance between them, and Drifter couldn''t properly wield his spear.

    Knowing that his guildmate had the speed advantage, and that if he allowed this to continue he would only find himself in a worse position, Drifter decides to use his tried and tested method to get out of tight spots. As Kirito pulled back his arm to gather momentum for another strike, Drifter kicked out, hitting the black-haired boy squarely in the stomach.

    The blow dealt some damage, and thus should have ended the duel, but apparently the system didn''t think so - another loophole they would have to pay attention to. Not that Drifter had planned to stop. He was now fully in combat mode. His spear came up swiftly like a viper, targeting Kirito''s head. It was a vicious attack, but SAO was a brutal world. Always trying to deal the highest possible damage was a behavior ingrained in players'' bones by now.

    [ WINNER: KIRITO! ]

    Before his spear reached the swordsman, however, a system message popped up declaring Kirito the winner. His momentum carried through, however, and Drifter''s spear hit the other player, only to bounce off with a [ Immortal Object ] notification.

    Drifter scowled for a moment, looking down to where Kirito''s sword was embedded into his waist, before quickly wiping the expression away. The swordsman had managed to slip in that last attack by trading his sword from his right to his left hand at the very last second.

    "That was impressive, Kirito. And sneaky too."

    "Hah, thanks. You would''ve won if this was a real duel, however. It''s almost certain yours would''ve been a crit."

    "Meh, nonsense. You won fair and square. Won''t happen next time, though."

    Both players grinned, and clapped hands. A victory was a victory, and the means by which it was achieved didn''t matter. What was important was that Drifter had seen the path forward.

 Chapter 63 - Gaining Momentum

    In one of the secondary plazas of Karluin, on Aincrad''s 5th floor, Drifter and Kirito grinned at each other. The spearman may have lost their practice duel, but he wasn''t at all putout.

    Drifter twirled his spear with practiced ease and sheathed it in his back. Kirito did the same with his sword. They were turning to talk to Asuna and Yuuki, and ask their views on the duel, when a smattering of applause startled them.

    Looking around, the two fighters realized that, at some moment, they had unknowingly drawn quite a crowd with their duel. Two dozen players were watching, clapping, and discussing the fight. It was not every day that they had the chance to watch frontliners duel, much less in person.

    While Kirito shyly scratched his head, Drifter waved at the crowd. This was a good chance to promote their guild - not that they wanted any random person joining but still - and, more importantly, to show anyone who still wasn''t convinced of Kirito''s innocence that he wasn''t a beater, no matter what Kibaou and his cronies called him.

    "Thank you, everyone. There''ll be a few more training duels between the Reavers in a few minutes, and you are welcome to watch. I wouldn''t recommend betting, however. At least not on me. Our guild leader made quick work of me, as you all saw."

    Drifter chuckled at his own joke, prompting the crowd to mimic him. Kirito blushed and stammered a reply, which Drifter simply waved off. Then he turned to their guildmates.

    "Well, Asuna and Yuuki, are you up for it? Or do you have stage fright?"

    The wink he sent in their direction dulled the edge in the question, and Asuna, always quick on the uptake, smiled and strode towards them. Yuuki, of course, was just as excited as before, with not one bit of shyness.

    Drifter sat down on one of the many stone blocks that passed as benches in the plaza, watching as the two girls went at it. His mind, however, was on his own duel, as he tried to pinpoint what he had done wrong, and how he could improve.

    To start with, he shouldn''t have used a starting stance that displayed his intentions so clearly. It allowed Kirito to think of a countermeasure for it. Drifter had thought that, with his bigger reach, even if the swordsman knew his plan, he wouldn''t be able to defend against it. The mobs never had. But then again, Kirito wasn''t a mob, was he?

    That was probably his biggest mistake. He fought as if Kirito was a system-generated monster. He was only partially to blame for that, having never faced another player, but still, he should have thought of that. Thankfully he realized his error in a friendly duel, and not in a real battle.

    Back to his retrospective, Drifter thought he had dealt well with Drifter''s first counterattack, but could have done better than trying to hit him with the blunt end of his spear. Sure, this was just a spar, but in a real combat situation, the blow would''ve been pretty ineffective. He also shouldn''t have allowed Kirito to close the distance. He had the advantage of a longer weapon, he should capitalize on it.

    The kick, though... The kick was good. He could still see the moment Kirito''s expression morphed into one of stunned surprise, never having seen it coming. Though all members of the original party had the << Martial Arts >> skill - as an afterthought, they had to take the new members of Reaver''s Requiem to acquire it too - and incorporated it in their fighting style, the unarmed skill still felt uncomfortable, so they rarely used it.

    This was one of two ideas of how Drifter could improve that he and Yuna had come up with during their late-night talk. They had come to the conclusion that diverting his attention to learning an entirely new skill would only do harm in the long run, and that it was better for him to focus on improving what he already knew. And that was his spear skills, and the << Martial Arts >> skill. If he could take inspiration from the latter, his playstyle might see a massive overhaul - and for the better.

    As for the second idea they had come up with, Drifter still thought it was dumb, even though he was the one who first suggested. Deciding not to think about it now, he turned his gaze back to the duel. It was already winding down, with Asuna keeping Yuuki on her back foot, as it was to be expected. He could already see that it was a matter of a just a few more blows for one of the fencer''s stabs to get through the purple-haired girl''s guard.

    "Can we sit here?"

    Drifter looked up to the origin of the tingling voice, and saw a familiar face. Two big round eyes, light-brown hair, and twin ponytails. The young teen he had met back when they just unlocked the third floor.

    "Of course. Your name was... Silica, right?"

    "You remember! Yes, I''m Silica, and this is my friend Vallerk!"

    Scooting to the side, Drifter opened space for the excited girl to sit down, along with the older boy following her. Drifter glanced at him, the emerald-green eyes catching his attention for a brief moment, and nodded a greeting before looking back at Silica.

    "Hi. And you made quite the impression, Silica. Your encouragement was very much appreciated. But what are you doing on the 5th floor? Sightseeing?"

    He didn''t think Silica could fight on this floor. Rather, he didn''t want her to be fighting on this floor. She was much too young to be amongst the clearers. But the young girl dashed his hopes when she giggled.

    "Nope! I and Vallerk can already deal with 4th floor labyrinth mobs, so we thought we would try our hand at the 5th floor."

    Drifter snapped a quick glance at the green-eyed boy, trying to see what he thought of Silica''s statement. But the player kept an unreadable expression.

    Worried, Drifter looked back at the ongoing duel - now it was Kirito versus Yuuki - to try and compose his next words. He knew they might hurt the duo, but better that than learning that they died later.

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    "Silica and... Vallerk. I appreciate the effort you are making to clear SAO. I really do. But every floor we go up, it only gets harder. More dangerous."

    "We know, but we can''t just do nothing when you are fighting for us!"

    "Not to mention, we are also fighting for ourselves."

    For the first time, Vallerk spoke. Contrary to Silica''s excitable and somewhat hurt tone, his voice was calm and stern. Drifter could see why he was wearing a full set of heavy metal armor. His temperament really suited that of a tank. But Drifter powered on, despite their objections.

    "Like I said, we appreciate the sentiment, Silica. But trying to conquer a new floor is different than grinding in the ones below. We never know what to expect, and your lives will be in danger - much more danger than normal, that is - with every step you take in uncharted territory."

    "We can..."

    Drifter raised a hand to interrupt the teen. It spoke loads of the respect a frontliner commanded that she stopped talking immediately, even though it was obvious she wanted to rebut his claims.

    "We lost 17 clearers on the 4th floor, Silica. Four of them because they met a field-boss no one had any idea existed. They didn''t stand a chance. And if you become clearers, what happened to them goes from being an unfortunate accident to being a hazard of the job, and even a very real possibility. Think about that, please. You are far too young to take on this kind of responsibility."

    "We aren''t much younger than you! And almost all of Reaver''s Requiem is just a couple of years older than us! Why can they fight, but we can''t?!"

    "We just want to help, Drifter. And above all else, we want to get out of this hell."

    Drifter heaved a sigh, and held his head with his hands.

    "I can''t really argue with that, Vallerk. But Silica... Look, this is going to be insensitive and you are probably going to hate me, but you are what? Twelve, thirteen?"

    "Twelve..."

    Silica mumbled, looking down at the ground. She could imagine what Drifter was about to say, and didn''t like it.

    "Twelve. Barely a teenager. That''s too young to be risking your life on the frontlines. If I had it my way, I wouldn''t have my guildmates doing it either. Don''t tell them I said that, or Asuna and Yuna are gonna hit me."

    Silica laughed dryly at his joke - without knowing it was actually the truth. Drifter too smiled sadly.

    "But even the youngest of the Reavers is two years older than you, Silica. In our circumstances, not only I can''t control them, but the frontliners can''t afford to lose them. Us. I can''t... I won''t put you in their position."

    "That''s not your choice to make. It''s ours."

    Before Silica could answer, Vallerk did it for her. Drifter stared at the emerald-green eyes for a long while, before rubbing his face with his hand in resignation.

    "No, it isn''t. But I would hate myself for the rest of my life if I let you go now and something happened to you. Asuna! Come over here for a sec!"

    Even though it was unintentional, Vallerk and Silica were guilt-tripping Drifter into accepting it. And it worked, much to his chagrin.

    "What''s it, Drifter?"

    The fencer approached them and greeted the two other players, recognizing Silica just like Drifter did. The spearman nodded towards them.

    "After duels are over, think we could take them for a field trip? They want to become clearers, and I''m trying to convince them that it is a bad idea, but they used logic on me, and you know I can''t do that."

    "What? But you are too young, Silica! Err... No offense."

    Before the girl with ponytails could embark on the same argument she just had with Drifter, he stopped both of them.

    "I already tried to tell her that, Asuna. Since it didn''t work, I thought we might take them to level in one of the zones Sinon and the others mapped. That way, it will at the very least be somewhat safer than the two of them on their own or with randoms. They''ve got two people, we''ve got four. A closed party."

    Asuna stared at him for a minute, her face scrunched up, before her expression eased. She knew Drifter wasn''t the kind of guy who would play with the lives of others, so it only took her a few moments to realize that what he wanted was to show Silica and Vallerk how dangerous the frontline was, so they would give up becoming clearers.

    "All right. We can do that."

    ...

    Not much later, the improvised party found themselves in one of the 5th floor''s many catacombs. Those dungeon-like maps were the perfect place to scare someone away from the frontlines, Drifter thought. Cramped, dark, gloomy, with general mobs like skeleton soldiers and mummies.

    Not that it was working. Silica, while a little more jumpy than normal, seemed almost ecstatic at the idea of farming experience with the famous Reaver''s Requiem. Vallerk, on the other hand, barely had a change in expression. Drifter wasn''t sure if it was because he truly wasn''t feeling any different, or if he was just really good at keeping a poker face.

    And, Drifter had to admit, they weren''t bad players. An odd duo certainly, but somehow they made it work.

    Silica was a dagger-user, but unlike Sinon, who only used her blade as a last resort, it was clear the ponytail girl had poured a lot of time and effort into her fighting style. She utilized her small frame well, dodging under the swipes of << Moldy Mummies >> and << Humid Mummies >> - Drifter was still trying to decide which of those was grosser - and attacking their joints, aiming for a ''crippled'' status effect.

    Vallerk was the exact opposite of his partner. He was tall, almost at Drifter''s height - not that he was exactly a giant, but Vallerk was still just fifteen. The player was also, as Drifter had noticed before, donning a complete set of heavy armor. His weapon of choice was a bit surprising. He was only the second player Drifter had ever seen using a tower shield.

    It was damn useful, though. Drifter stabbed a mummy through the right side of its chest by thrusting his weapon over Vallerk''s shoulder, noticing as the player stumbled back a little from a swat of the mob. Just like he thought, Vallerk and Silica''s level weren''t quite high enough to be on the 5th floor yet, but his skilled use of his shield and her nimble reflexes made up for a portion of the lacking numbers.

    Kirito, Asuna, and Yuuki were also beginning to see that their plan to discourage Silica was going down the drain quickly. They were debating what to do when a new message popped up in the guild chat, and they forgot everything else.

    After glancing at the message, Drifter burst forth with action, jumping past Vallerk with a << Snake Bite >>, followed by << Martial Arts: Brick Break >>, << Horizontal Arc >>, << Vertical >>, << Martial Arts: High-kick >>, << Sting >>, and << Double Tap >>. He took two hits in the process, having forsaken defense in favor of an explosive offensive, but quickly finished off the mob, leaving behind a gaping Silica and a Vallerk who was for the first time showing some kind of emotion. The spearman didn''t pay attention to them, as he was too occupied looking through the guild chat.

    [ Sinon: We''ve got trouble. Two players discussing PK. ]

    [ Nautilus: One of them is the guy who Kirito fought. ]

    [ Sinon: They saw us! ]

    [ Sinon: The bastards ambushed us with a group of mobs. ]

    [ Sinon: We need help right now! ]

    [ Yuna: Come fast! ]

    The messages stopped there, presumably because their friends entered combat state. Drifter, Kirito, and Asuna quickly sent messages asking how they were, but received no answer. It was only because they could see in the guild tab that all of them were alive and in the green that they weren''t panicking.

    "We need to go!"

    Using his authority as vice-guild leader, Drifter opened his map and found the cluster of dots that represented their friends. After a quick glance, he started running, Kirito, Asuna, and Yuuki right next to him. They didn''t even realize Silica and Vallerk were hot on their heels.

 Chapter 64 - Plans In The Dark

    Drifter was running like he had never run before. Any mob he came across was utterly demolished by the combined efforts of him and his guildmates, barely slowing them down.

    There was no way 5th floor mobs should be this easy to kill, but desperation was pushing them to break their limits. Drifter had never felt like that before. It was like he could see better, move better, react better, fight better. Because he needed to. Because if he didn''t, his friends might die.

    Snarling, Drifter stabbed through the head of a << Vengeful Wraith >>, following up with two normal slashes before pushing the mob towards Yuuki, who decapitated it. Nearby, Kirito and Asuna worked together to dispatch a << Humid Mummy >>.

    Drifter didn''t even pause his steps after dealing with the pair of mobs. He simply chugged down a health potion and continued running. His map was open in his HUD, and he could see that they were getting closer to their guildmates.

    A quick glance, however, showed that Ran, Merida, Liz, and Nautilus were all in the yellow. Even as he watched, another large chunk of the boy''s HP vanished, leaving him dangerously close to the red zone.

    ''No! No, no, no, no, no...''

    Turning a corner and barreling through cobwebs, Drifter finally saw his friends. He didn''t even have the time to heave a sigh of relief when discovering they were all still alive - albeit barely. No, Drifter immediately threw himself into the fight.

    Nautilus, Yuna, Sinon, Liz, Merida, and Ran were surrounded by over a dozen mobs. Drifter stabbed the one closest to him, a skeleton, in the back without hesitation.

    The mob roared, which should have been impossible for a skeleton, but Drifter wasn''t questioning it. Without stopping, he swept the monster away, smashing into two others in the process, and clearing a path for his party - and wasn''t he surprised to see that Silica and Vallerk were still following them - to go through. They immediately created a circle, putting their guildmates in the middle so they could rest and recover.

    With another quick glance to, once again, reassure himself that they were okay, Drifter''s gaze was caught by Yuna. The songstress hadn''t stopped playing her music even for a second, but her eyes conveyed her gratitude and relief. He smiled at her before turning back to the mobs.

    Not a word was spoken between the two parties during this entire time. They were all alive, and that was enough. Asking needless - even if emphatic - questions wasn''t as important as eliminating the threats.

    A << Tidal Sequence >> saw two mobs blasted away from him, and a normal diagonal slash killed off one of their attackers. Drifter was focusing more on crowd control than damage, but he wouldn''t say no to an easy kill.

    Behind him and a little to the left, Vallerk had positioned himself in such a way that he could shield both Liz and Nautilus at the same time. The two players were the ones who suffered the most damage, due to their role as tanks.

    Drifter was focused on the fight, so he didn''t see the surprised faces of his guildmates at the two unknown additions to their group. He also didn''t hear their soft exclamations, and even if he had, he couldn''t turn around now.

    Taking a big step forward, Drifter used both of his hands to hold the very edge of his spear, and spun his body a full three hundred and sixty degrees. If he had done that in real life, there was no doubt the weapon would have slipped his grip and been sent flying, but as it was part of a skill, << Tornado >>, he managed to retain his hold.

    The three mobs he hit weren''t so much cut as they were smashed away, as if struck by a giant baseball bat. Drifter pressed on the attack by immediately stabbing the downed monsters while they were defenseless. He would also have loved to continue to use a few << Martial Arts >> skills here and there, but this battle was too crucial for him to try something he wasn''t yet proficient in.

    "Ugh!"

    To his left, Asuna groaned when a << Vengeful Wraith >> managed to get a hit in, but she didn''t slow down as she pierced the mob with a flourish and shattered it.

    During a temporary lull in the combat, Drifter took a look around. Over a dozen mobs had been too much for Sinon''s party to defeat, but with their addition, plus the fact the archer and the others had managed to more or less injure all the monsters before they arrived, they were making quick work of the creatures. To his and everyone''s relief, it seemed like they would make it through this more or less unscathed.

    Immediately after he thought that, Drifter felt like slapping himself. By now, he should know better than to tempt fate like that.

    Luckily, it seemed like his error went unpunished. With each mob they killed, the pressure on the group lessened considerably, especially when Nautilus, Liz, and the others healed up and rejoined the fight.

    Ten minutes later, it was all over. Apart from Nautilus, whose health had dropped to the red right before reinforcements arrived, everyone else had only gotten as low as yellow. Still, for many of them this was the first time coming so close to death.

    Ran, Merida, Yuuki, Liz, and, to an extent, Sinon, Vallerk, and Silica were all somewhat shocked. They collapsed as soon as the last mummy was killed, trembling.

    Drifter looked at his friends on the ground, and then glanced at those still standing. Yuna and Nautilus he understood. They had not only come close to it, but seen death before. Drifter himself had no less than three close calls in which he was a literal finger flick away from dying. And Kirito''s disposition didn''t surprise him. He had always known something had happened to the black-haired boy before they met. He just never pried, and never will. Drifter saw a kindred soul in him.

    Asuna''s calmness, however, was somewhat of a shock. She had been quiet and shy when they first met, but now she was a cheerful and outspoken girl. He really couldn''t associate her with someone who showed only this level of reaction to close brushes with death. Drifter knew this wasn''t something one was born with, but something that came from experiencing it.

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    Walking over to Yuna, Drifter squeezed her arm softly for a moment, and she smiled back at him. Tired, but safe. Another glance at Nautilus had the ash-haired boy nodding at him. His shoulders sagged with relief.

    "How are you feeling?"

    Kirito strode over to Ran and Merida, who were closest to him, and helped them up. The two girls nodded gratefully, still dry heaving.

    "We''ll be fine. You saved us. Thanks."

    "I''m sure you would have managed just fine on your own."

    Merida scoffed, and the others laughed. They knew better than anyone whether they would have made it or not. But this wasn''t a subject anyone wanted to dwell on. Liz tilted her head towards Vallerk and Silica.

    "And thanks to you too, strangers. Who are you, by the way?"

    While Asuna and Yuuki launched in a quick introduction and explanation of who the duo was, Drifter and Kirito walked over to Sinon.

    "Heyo, Sinon. How''s your first time as party leader? Having fun?"

    "..."

    The archer ignored Drifter, and gave the two of them a morose eyebrow raise, which was, to them, the best assurance she was okay. Kirito smiled.

    "Could you make some sense of the messages you sent us? It sounds like a lot has happened in a short time."

    "You tell me. If I get my hands on the fucking bastards who..."

    "Language!"

    Everyone chuckled at the enraged Asuna, who was glaring at Sinon for the curse. Sinon just raised her hands above her head in mock-fear, which incited more laughter.

    "Starting from the beginning, we were farming not far from here when a << Sly Shrewman >> took Merida''s weapon..."

    "<< Sly Shrewman >>?"

    Sinon nodded tiredly.

    "Yeah. Probably the most annoying mob I''ve ever seen, and will ever see in SAO. They have basically zero attack, defense, and HP, but they are fast, and if they touch you they can steal any item you are currently equipped with."

    It wasn''t just Drifter who cursed Kayaba after hearing that - quietly, of course, so Asuna wouldn''t hear and scold them. A mob who stole people''s equipment was every player''s nightmare.

    "We managed to hunt it down and kill it, and Merida got her sword back. Just as we were about to continue mapping, we heard people talking. We decided to take a look, see if it was anyone we knew."

    "And it was. Just not someone we wanted to see."

    Yuna cut in at this moment, her voice low and angry. Nautilus and Sinon both had dark expressions too.

    "One of them was that player who tried to murder Kirito in the duel."

    All those not in the know gasped when they heard the word ''murder''. Especially Silica. To her young mind, the thought that someone might want to kill another player was simply unbelievable. Drifter gestured that he would explain later, though, and told Sinon to carry on with her story.

    "When we saw that it was him, we hid. Seeing as he was clearly a crazy psychopath last time, I thought we might want to know what he was planning. I''ve got no idea why he and his friend would be talking here instead of through messages, but I didn''t want to pass up the chance."

    "What about the other player, the one he was talking with? Did you recognize them?"

    "No, they were both using cloaks. Long story short, we were still spying on them when two skeletons spawned behind us, and we had to fight them. They discovered us, but instead of simply running away, the assholes lured in more mobs. The rest you know."

    This time even Asuna couldn''t chastise Sinon for her language, as she was too angry at the would-be murderers to care.

    "What about what they were planning? Did you manage to hear what it was?"

    "Yes... But it''s frontline related."

    The archer glanced at Vallerk and Silica. To be completely honest, she didn''t trust them. Not that she thought they were in cohorts with the two players, but she didn''t want what she now knew to spread. Kirito threw their two new friends an apologetic grimace, but didn''t tell Sinon to talk.

    "Sorry, Silica, Vallerk. I know you helped us a lot, and that you deserve just as much credit as us for saving them - more, even, considering you didn''t have any reason to - but this is for guild members only. Sorry."

    "No, no, don''t be, Kirito. We understand completely. Maybe one day when we join the frontliners you can tell us, if it''s still important."

    Silica shook her head from one side to the other, while Vallerk just nodded silently. Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon all let out sighs of relief. While the first two didn''t know what it was that had Sinon so worried, they were glad Silica and Vallerk didn''t feel hurt by the fact they were excluding them.

    "After seeing what I saw today, I''m sure it won''t take too long, Silica. Though I don''t like having to admit it since I still think you are too young for this, no one can deny you have the potential. Both of you do."

    Silica beamed at him, and Drifter smiled back. He also patted her silent partner on the shoulder twice before turning to his guild leader.

    "We should probably go back, Kirito. This was excitement enough for one day, I think."

    "Agreed. Let''s go."

    "And we need to get Argo. She will be useful in this."

    Kirito nodded to Sinon, and then smiled wryly.

    "Better start emptying our pockets then. I have a feeling this won''t be cheap."

    ...

    Forty-five minutes later, the Reavers were back on the surface, and crowding Drifter''s room - for no reason other than it being the first in the corridor. They all agreed it was better to hear Sinon''s story behind the privacy of an inn''s walls, since she was being too cautious about it.

    Silica and Vallerk had bid them farewell after they returned to Karluin, and the Reavers had promised to grind with them again some other time.

    "Hello! How are y''all... Oh! It really is y''all. Like, in all of ya."

    Argo burst into the room shouting, before coming to a halt as she saw that, indeed, the entirety of Reaver''s Requiem was bunched up in the room.

    "Hey, Argo. We need you to be serious right now, please."

    "Oookay?"

    The info-broker saw all the long faces, and saw down on the spot that had been left vacant for her. Once she was comfortable, Kirito looked at their resident archer.

    "Sinon, do you mind?"

    The girl shook her head, and quickly recounted her entire tale, minus what the two players had actually discussed. By the end of it, Argo was sitting with her back straight, all business.

    "I can see why that would''ve y''all spooked. But what''s it that the two bastards said that requires all this secrecy?"

    Sinon looked over to her guild leader. She had already told the rest of her guild what it was before Argo arrived, and they agreed to let Kirito be the one to tell the info-broker. The boy sighed.

    "According to Sinon, they were discussing the last-attack bonus of this floor''s boss. Do you remember it, Argo?"

    "Yeah, of course... Shit! How did we forget ''bout that, Kii-bou?! How did I forget?!"

    Argo jumped up from her seat and started pacing in the very crowded room, pulling at her hair. It was only when Drifter took her by the shoulders and forced her to sit back down that she stopped cursing and mumbling.

    "We all have a lot on our plate, little rat. And Kayaba made so many changes to the beta that it''s normal you two forgot about it. But this is something we can not leave up to chance, which is why you are here."

    "Right, right. So the two of them were talkin'' ''bout the flag. What ''bout it, specifically?"

    Kirito took a deep breath, his expression grim.

    "They want to use it to incite a war between the DKB and ALS."

 Chapter 65 - Last-Attack Bonus

    Drifter watched as Argo paced around the room, shooting questions at Kirito at times, and answering what the swordsman asked in turn. Unfortunately, their brainstorming session on how to avoid a player war wasn''t going too well.

    This had all started when Sinon was leading a portion of the Reavers to grind, and found two players hatching an evil plot. As dumb and childish as it sounded, that was the truth.

    Argo didn''t even need to hear the whole story to understand what the problem was, though they forced her to calm down afterwards. Now that Sinon was finished, however, the info-broker had gone back to pacing and cursing. Drifter didn''t blame her. He felt like doing the same.

    Apparently, in the beta there was a very broken item, which led to many complaints against the beta-testers because of how unbalanced it was. That item was called << Flag of Valor >>, and it was the last-attack bonus of the 5th floor floor boss. From what Kirito and Argo said, the flag gave a guild-wide buff that literally doubled every player''s attack.

    When Drifter first heard that, he snorted, thinking Kirito was joking. The serious expression on his guild leader''s face, however, told him that was not the case. Such a broken item actually existed in the beta. And very possibly it still existed now, seeing as this floor was virtually unchanged.

    Worse yet, the two conspirators also knew about the flag. And they were planning on using that knowledge to incite a war between the Aincrad Liberation Squad led by Kibaou and the Dragon Knights Brigade led by Lind, by having the guild that didn''t get the item attack the other for it.

    "Kirito, Argo, I get this flag is broken and that everyone will want to have it, but isn''t thinking that Kibaou or Lind would kill others because of it a little too... I dunno, out of this world? They may be idiots and hot-headed, but even they won''t go that far, right?"

    "It''s not them that I doubt, Asuna. But from what Sinon overheard, the player I dueled is in one of those guilds, the ALS or DKB. But listen and tell me you can''t picture this: the raid''s over, everyone''s tired and still full of adrenaline. Someone got the << Flag of Valor >>, probably Lind or Kibaou simply by virtue of the size of their guilds. They get in an argument ''bout who should keep it, how is it unfair if the other gets it, and whatnot. They are yelling and shouting - and you know they will - and suddenly that... Spy attacks someone from the other guild. Maybe even kills them. From there, it''s just a matter of someone, anyone retaliating to start a battle. I''m not saying they will all try to kill each other, but there''s a very real possibility someone dies, and, whether that happens or not, the frontliners will be completely divided. Shattered."

    Asuna and pretty much everyone else but Argo and Drifter looked back at Kirito, horrified. Ran spluttered for a response.

    "T-This... What kind of sick person does that?! W-Why would anyone do that?!"

    "It would completely nullify our efforts! W-We will never beat SAO if that happens!"

    "And that''s probably what they want."

    "W-What?!"

    The grim look on Kirito and Argo''s faces told Drifter they had arrived at the same conclusion. The spearman felt his stomach lurching, but resisted the urge to throw up.

    "W-What do you mean, Drifter?"

    The player got up, and paced around for a few steps much like Argo, just silently. Finally, after what felt to the others like a decade, he started speaking.

    "SAO is not... A kind world. I''m sure all of you know that. And I think all the players can be divided into three categories. There are those who hide and never leave the safe zones - they are the majority. Then, there are those who decided to fight against SAO, to get stronger. To escape. We are included in that group, and I like to believe SAO brought out the best in us, even though it''s under the worst possible circumstances."

    "And what is the third category?"

    Before answering, Drifter directed a long and heavy gaze at Yuna and Nautilus. Both of them nodded back gravely, knowing what he was asking.

    "The third category is a minority of players who saw in Sword Art Online an opportunity. An opportunity to let their twisted desires run free. They saw in SAO a world where they could do whatever they want, things they would never do outside, without laws or rules to stop them. We - me, Yuna, and Nautilus, that is - know that... Personally."

    "What... What do you mean? What happened?"

    Drifter took a deep breath. This was a large step, one he hoped to never have to take. But he trusted his guild members, his friends, with his life. He could trust them with his darkest secret, which, until now, only three other people knew - two of which had been right there with him when it happened. At least, he hoped.

    "Two weeks after SAO started, we were exploring the labyrinth on the first floor. Back then, it was just Yuna, Nautilus, and me. We got into a bad situation, kobolds spawning all around us. We were hurt and tired, but we could still manage it. Until two other players appeared, being chased by even more mobs."

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    The spearman paused. Argo had quietly walked over to him and taken his hand in hers. He smiled down at the info-broker.

    "Even though we were in a tight spot ourselves, we tried to help. But one of them died before they reached us, and the other... The other went into << Hiding >> as soon as we engaged the mobs. Tried to transfer the aggro to us, and ditch."

    He vaguely heard several people gasp in shock, but Drifter''s mind was already someplace else, relieving that memory he saw almost every night already.

    "We were going to die, and I... I made a decision. Threw my spear at him, even got an orange cursor for a day. I broke his << Hiding >>, and the kobolds aggroed back onto him. I grabbed Naut and Yun'' and ran. Left him behind, and refused to look back."

    When he finished, Drifter sat back down. Yuna and Nautilus both wrapped an arm around him, and Argo had never let go of his hand. Taking comfort in their presence, Drifter found the courage to look up.

    His guildmates were looking at him - no, at them, since Yuna and Nautilus were just as much a part of it as he was - some crying. Drifter felt tempted to look away, unable to bear the pity he saw in their eyes, but forced himself to stare back, searching for any trace of loathing, disgust, or fear. He didn''t find any.

    "I went through something similar."

    Before anyone could say anything, Kirito spoke up, taking the focus off of Drifter. The spearman would have been glad, if not for the dark connotations of the swordsman''s words. Before he knew it, Argo had left his side, and was standing with Kirito.

    "With me, it was way before I met all of you, when I was still solo. A player tried to use mobs to kill me, so he could get my << Anneal Blade >>. I did almost the same as you, Drifter. He died too."

    The room was immersed in a depressed silence for the next several minutes as the until-then-innocent members of Reaver''s Requiem realized that SAO was a lot darker than they ever imagined.

    "And then there was the murder attempt in the duel. Point is, there are players out there who don''t want SAO to be beaten. To them, here is a place where they can do all kinds of horrible things they don''t there to do outside."

    "W-What... What can we do?"

    Argo broke the silence, but it was Drifter who answered Yuuki''s whispered question.

    "About them? Nothing. Nothing unless you are willing to go full vigilante and become a red player."

    "What?! No! I would never!"

    "Never thought you would, Yuuki. I''m just saying there''s little we can do to stop that third group of players I mentioned. Besides, I don''t think there are many of them, and they are opportunistic, like what happened to Kirito. So we don''t give them chances."

    "But in regards to the two scumbags Sin-chan and the others overheard, there''s somethin'' that can be done, Yuu-chan. We gotta make sure their plot fails."

    "How?"

    The question stomped Argo. While the info-broker thought, it was Liz who spoke up.

    "We have to get the flag ourselves, obviously."

    "Yeah, but that would have Kibaou up in arms on a whole other crusade about Kirito being a beater and corrupting us."

    "Then we have to come up with a way to convince him."

    "Hah! Fat chance. Kibaou''s more likely to leave the frontlines and become a baker than to believe anything we say."

    Yuna snarked, but she was right. The eleven players spent the next hour discussing possible solutions and outcomes, but none of them resulted in a perfect - or even remotely good - resolution.

    For now, Drifter firmly believed the best choice was for Reaver''s Requiem to get the last-attack bonus. He would be the first to admit that this thought was fuelled by a little selfishness and greed, but he truly thought it was better than the alternative, which was for the ALS and DKB to break off relations completely - and that was the best-case scenario.

    Sure, if they went with that plan, the Reavers would become even more pariahs than they already were, but in the end the << Flag of Valor >> would have to end up in one guild''s hands. It wasn''t like the item could be passed around... Actually, why not? Drifter suddenly had an epiphany, and a huge grin that didn''t fit the mood of the room spread through his face.

    "There is a way."

    Drifter interrupted Nautilus and Ran, who were arguing about something. They stopped and looked at him intently, and Drifter was once again surprised by how much trust he could see in his guildmates'' eyes. He repeated, and expanded on his thought.

    "There is a way. We win the last-attack bonus, but instead of holding on to it, we give it to someone else, a third party."

    As he spoke, Drifter turned to look at Argo, who quickly caught on to his meaning, and showed a doubtful expression.

    "Me? Why would ya give the flag to me, Dri-bou?"

    "''Cause we trust you, little rat. More importantly, everybody trusts you. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone amongst the frontliners whose hide hasn''t been saved at least once thanks to the intel you provide."

    "But... What good would the << Flag of Valor >> do in Argo''s hand? No offense, Argo."

    "None taken, Mer-chan. I''m actually quite curious ''bout that myself. I know we are tryin'' to avoid infightin'' and all, but the flag only works on guilds, and, in case it slipped ya mind, Dri-bou, I''m guild-less. Leavin'' it with me would be a waste."

    "Right you are, little rat."

    Drifter nodded in agreement to the statement, causing the info-broker to choke and glare at him. Seeing the confused looks on the faces of the others, he smirked and ruffled Argo''s hair.

    "But that''s where my devious plan comes in. Just like we switch who leads the raid, we can switch which guild has the flag for the boss battles. But if we simply give the flag to anyone, it''s more likely than not that, at some moment, someone would refuse to give it back. And that''s when you come in, little rat. You are, as you put, unattached. If you are the owner of the flag, you can join the guild leading the raid just before it starts, and then leave immediately after. As all the frontliners trust you, and, more importantly, are dependent on you, they might complain and whine a bit, but in the end they will accept it."

    Drifter wasn''t sure if he should be offended by the gasps of surprise and admiration from the others, but he raised his nose proudly in a mock haughty stance. Argo grinned mischievously in response.

    "Ya are right, Dri-bou. That''s positively devious. Let''s do it."

 Chapter 66 - Colossus

    Kikouka Seijirou was not having a good day. He had just received a call from the hospital saying that a patient was showing unusual levels of activity. That was code for ''the patient is fighting for their life''. Worse yet, this was a SAO player who usually didn''t show such high levels of activity, and that combination of factors was, more often than not, followed by death.

    By the time he reached the hospital, almost running past the reception after flashing his work pass to the woman in charge, it was too late. Not that it would have changed anything even if he was on time.

    The room was silent when he entered, a doctor and two nurses standing next to a bed upon which a middle-aged man lay. Seijirou could see their pain, anger, sadness, and resignation, amidst a myriad other emotions, in the way the doctor and nurses clenched their fists and silently sobbed. They probably felt even more helplessness than him, considering their profession.

    A quick glance at the monitors showed only flat lines, and the NerveGear had already been taken off, and was placed at the bedside table. Seijirou took off his glasses and rested his head in his hands.

    They had almost made 24 hours without any deaths, which would have been a new record in the SAO case unit. The frequency of player deaths has been falling over the last few weeks, which Kikouka considered a huge victory - not that he had contributed anything to it. No one had, but the players themselves.

    "Family?"

    "Divorced, with two daughters, both already of age. We already contacted the last two. The ex-wife wasn''t mentioned on any of our files nor ever stopped to visit, so we didn''t call her."

    Seijirou nodded slowly to show that he acknowledged their course of action. In his head, he started going over what he would say when the man''s family arrived. He knew it wouldn''t be enough. It never was.

    ------------------------------

    Drifter felt oddly calm when he stood in front of the huge doors leading to the boss room of the 5th floor. Considering what was at stake, he should have been even more anxious than normal, but that wasn''t the case.

    His guildmates didn''t share his state of mind. They kept throwing cautious and not just a little anxious glances in the direction of the DKB and ALS, unconsciously trying to figure out who amongst them was the wannabe murderer.

    Drifter, on the other hand, wasn''t nearly as worried, mainly because they had a more pressing concern, which was to make sure Reaver''s Requiem got the last-attack bonus. If they didn''t, their plan would fall apart before it even took form.

    His attention was drawn away from the square doors when a boisterous group arrived. Drifter felt a smile spreading through his lips. With a few large steps, he was in front of the Legend Braves, grinning widely.

    "About time you came back, Orlando."

    "It''s good to be back, Drifter."

    The two men laughed and hugged each other. Then, Drifter proceeded to greet the other Braves, while his own guild approached, those who knew Orlando and the others enthusiastically hugging them, those who didn''t being introduced.

    Drifter was genuinely happy the Legend Braves were back on the frontlines. He didn''t see Nezha with them, but he was already aware that Argo was working the poor man haggard as her assistant. While the ranged help he could provide would be missed, just having Orlando, Chuchulainn, Enkidu, Gilgamesh, and Beowulf would bolster their strength by a not insignificant amount.

    "Oi, Kirito? That''s you, right?"

    While they waited for the strategy meeting and subsequent raid to start, Drifter, Orlando, Beowulf, and Sinon were chatting. It was during one of the lulls in the conversation that the spearman heard someone calling Kirito, and looked over his shoulder to see a red-haired man hesitantly call the guild leader, who was engaged in a discussion about sword techniques with Ran, Yuuki, and Chuchulainn.

    "Klein?"

    There was a note of incredulity in Kirito''s voice, but, more than that, Drifter detected an undertone of sorrow. He knew the swordsman far too well not to. And he wasn''t the only one. From the corner of his eye, Drifter saw Asuna subtly going closer to Kirito.

    "It''s really you, man! I mean, I already knew that, with the broadcasts and all, but I just wanted to make sure. You are really impressive, you know that?!"

    "Ah, thanks. But, what are you doing here?"

    If they didn''t want others to eavesdrop on them, Klein shouldn''t have started this conversation here. Drifter nodded to his friends, not even trying to hide from Orlando and Beowulf that he was listening in on Kirito''s conversation.

    "Joining the Assault Team, what else?"

    "Really?!"

    "Yup! Argo the Rat gave us the all-clear too."

    The red-headed player, Klein, grinned, and Drifter could already see he was one of those people with a happy-go-lucky attitude. Which was good, the frontliners could use more people like him, especially since Argo was the one who suggested them.

    Ever since that party died on the 4th floor, fighting << Biceps Archelon >>, Argo had taken it upon herself to collect intel on potential clearers and frontliners, and evaluate them. Those she considered skilled enough to become clearers would get the go-ahead, those she didn''t, were gently told they should train a little more on the lower floors. Argo couldn''t control their decisions or whether they would listen to her advice or not, but this was pretty much all she could do to avoid needless deaths.

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    As for frontliners, the criteria were a lot more strict. You couldn''t simply walk up and say you wanted to join the Assault Team. Each guild, each party in it had very specific roles doing boss raids, and if anyone failed, it could - and would - cause a catastrophic domino effect. They couldn''t risk it. For now, there were only two ways of joining the frontliners: getting a recommendation from Argo or one of the guild leaders, or approaching the Assault Team for a test.

    Well, if Argo vouched for them, Drifter wasn''t going to question it. The info-broker had a far better eye for talent than he ever did. Besides, after the initial tension, Kirito seemed to be truly happy to see Klein, and that was enough for the spearman. His guild leader deserved all the friends he could get, especially after the whole beater bullshit.

    "Drifter, Kibaou''s calling. Looks like it''s time for your briefing."

    The spearman groaned, but Yuna just jabbed him in the ribs and fixed him with a stern glare. With no choice, Drifter walked to the front of the Assault Team, where Kibaou, who would lead the raid, was waiting.

    Like it had been agreed back on the 3rd floor, the Reavers became responsible for completing the << Elf War >> campaign and uncovering as many clues about the floor boss as they possibly could. They had done just that, and bid farewell to Kizmel yesterday, after the dark elf helped them ask the leading NPC of the dark elf faction on this floor about the ''guardian''. Kirito, using the annoyingly logical argument that he was a vice-guild leader, had delegated the role of explaining everything to the rest of the Assault Team to Drifter.

    After Kibaou called - more like shouted - for everyone''s attention and made a little speech, he passed the metaphorical mic to Drifter. The spearman made a quick headcount - sixty-eight people, more than he was expecting. Luckily he wasn''t as shy as Kirito.

    "Let''s get straight into it. The boss is called << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >>. For those who care ''bout background, he is an ancient mechanical construct left behind by dwarves. The boss had two phases, the hard one, and the harder one."

    The joke earned him a few dry chuckles, and Drifter smiled at his guildmates, who were shaking their heads in exasperation. If they didn''t want him to make lame jests, they shouldn''t have pushed the job onto him.

    "You''ll notice the boss room is slightly different than the others we came across. There will be a bunch of lines crisscrossing the floor, which you have to pay attention to. During the first phase, the Colossus will be just a giant floating head that can shoot lasers - yes, you heard me, it can fire lasers from its eyes. But the thing you really should focus on are those lines I mentioned. Whenever part of them starts to shine, it means one of the hidden limbs of the boss will strike. Fuscus'' head has nearly impenetrable defense, so we have to concentrate our attack on the limbs."

    He paused to see if everyone was following. They were.

    "Second phase is simpler, but more dangerous. All the parts of the boss will merge to form a body. Mobile, high defense, obnoxiously high attack, and it can still shoot lasers. Based on the last four floor bosses, we should also be expecting some kind of AoE attack, but we don''t have any idea of what form it will take, so keep your eyes open. That''s about all we got, Kibaou. Floor''s yours."

    Kibaou nodded and explained their tactics. By now, the frontliners already knew the drill, but even so, many were still nervous. The new additions, like Klein and his guild - Fuurinkazan - were understandably on edge.

    The red-headed player unsheathed his katana, licking his lips nervously. His guildmates, Dale, Harry One, Issin, Kunimittz, and Dynamm, were equally jumpy, their grip on their weapons leaving them white-knuckled.

    Drifter saw Kirito pat Klein on the shoulder and say something which made the other guild leader laugh quietly. On his end, Drifter made the rounds around his friends, confirming Reaver''s Requiem was ready. As if that was ever in doubt.

    Lifting his spear, Drifter cautiously followed the tanks into the boss room. They had yet to be ambushed by a floor boss, but Drifter wouldn''t put it past Kayaba, despite the man''s flair for dramatic entrances.

    He also let out a sigh of relief when he saw the seemingly random lines on the floor. Kizmel''s intel was, once again, proved reliable. He didn''t even jump when a gigantic stone head floated up from the ground, a horrendous expression carved in it.

    With a booming sound, the entire room lit up and the head came to life. Shining eyes locked onto the players, who, having been forewarned, scurried to get out of the path of the incoming laser beams.

    It was an impressive sight of destruction - pun intended. Drifter chuckled to himself, more to abate the sudden bout of nervousness that overcame him than anything. A little detail Kizmel had either left out or, more likely, didn''t know, was that the lasers left a trail of molten ground on their wake, effectively dividing the room - and the Assault Team - in two. Drifter had no doubt that stepping on the burning ground would be painful, nor did he have any wish to test that theory.

    Before he could go down that train of thought, a cluster of lines a few meters to his left started shining, right in the middle of one of the smaller guilds. The players, an agility-focused party, jumped out of the way just in time for an enormous stone leg to rise from the ground and stomp the area where they just were, creating a small shockwave. After missing its attack, the foot stood still. Drifter, never one to let an opportunity like that go by, launched a << Comet Break >> at the limb, sending shards flying.

    That was the wrong move. Immediately after he hit it, the leg sunk back into the ground before anyone else could land a blow on it, the boss having lost only a single percent of the first of five HP bars. Drifter yelled.

    "Time your attacks, it vanishes straight after it''s hit!"

    << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> roared and fired another laser. This time, the raid-party was split into three groups. Drifter didn''t like where this was going.

    "Kirito, the attacks are too random! There''s no pattern!"

    "Yeah, I noticed! Kibaou, we need to change strategies!"

    From the other side of the room, where the ALS was attacking an arm that had appeared, the cactus-haired player turned his head and glared at Kirito.

    "What do you want, beater?!"

    "If this goes on, we''ll all be separated before long! We have to prepare! We need to switch party compositions, each one needs at least one tank!"

    Kibaou growled and looked like he wanted to retort, but he knew Kirito was right. The frontliners had split their parties according to which ''class'' they were playing. All tanks were more or less together, all pole, axe, and spear-users too, and dagger and sword-users by themselves. This way, each of them could play their roles better. This also worked because most bosses had a clear aggro list. But not Fuscus. The floor boss kept dividing them, and if this went on, each party would soon become stranded on their own little ''island''. And, without a more diverse composition, the light-armored players would be left defenseless when the limbs of the boss struck.

    By the time Kibaou gave the orders, the Reavers had already evenly split into two groups. The first was Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, and Asuna. The second was Sinon, Yuuki, Ran, Merida, and Liz.

    Watching as << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> fired another laser, this time mercifully in the other direction from where they were standing, Drifter tightened his grip on his spear. This wasn''t going to be an easy battle.

 Chapter 67 - Uncovering Secrets

    Drifter grunted when << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus'' >> disembodied hand smashed into his side even after he attempted to block it with his spear. While he wasn''t quite sent flying, Drifter stumbled a few meters before toppling down. Curling his body, he transitioned into a roll and immediately jumped up, missing a third of his health but just as ready to fight as before. One thing you learned quickly in SAO was to never stay down for longer than it was necessary.

    He needn''t have worried so much in this case, however, as the boss had already been beaten back by his party. Drifter nodded to them and looked around with a frown. The difficulty of this battle wasn''t so much in the floor boss itself as it was in how... Compact the battlefield was becoming. Everywhere he looked, smoldering trails of molten rock split the room into countless sections, each smaller than the last.

    The good news was that the trail left behind by the lasers fired by the boss'' head did disappear - or cool down - after a while. The bad news was that the rate at which this happened was much slower than the frequency of the lasers - not to mention the annoying burning DoT effect some players had unlucky discovered.

    Now, with still two health bars to go, the Assault Team was split into over a dozen different parties, and with increasingly less room to maneuver. Had it not been for Kirito''s early demand to change party composition to something more balanced, they would have started to see casualties already.

    A scowl took Drifter''s face as he watched a giant stone leg appear a few meters away from him and send Liz bowling over, right into Yuuki and Ran. The three fell in a mess of tangled bodies, while Sinon and Merida made a token effort to hit the limb, more worried about their friends than doing damage.

    The Reavers had a few precious brief moments of respite after that, as the boss went after the other players. Drifter cradled his spear in his arms and panted. The fight was dragging on for longer than anyone thought it would.

    "Argh! This is so annoying!"

    As much as he agreed with Asuna, there was nothing they could do, nor any ingenious improvisation Drifter could pull off this time. Maybe he could throw his spear at the Colossus'' head repeatedly - he had gotten quite good at that - but the damage would be laughable.

    That thought bothered Drifter more than he would like to admit. He knew it had to be possible. There was a skill for throwing javelins, why couldn''t there be one for spears? Sure, he knew they weren''t the same, and that he was disregarding the different types of spears, but this was, after all, a game set in a fantastic world of floating castles, elves, and monsters. Surely there had to be some leeway.

    Drifter had even told Argo about how it was possible to retrieve any weapon you were currently equipping if it was further than 10 meters from you, and how he thought he could use that loophole to transform his spear into an infinite throwing weapon. The info-broker then repassed that idea to Nezha, he later learned, who made good use of them with his chakrams. Now the player didn''t need to wait for the time it took for his spinning circles of death to make the return trip, he could simply recall them, basically doubling his attack rate.

    Deciding it was worth a try anyway, even if just to annoy << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> and possibly interrupt its next laser beam, Drifter assumed the stance he saw javelin-users take when throwing the projectile.

    Left leg in front and his left arm stretched for stability, Drifter held his spear by the middle of the shaft above his head with his right hand, took aim, and slingshot his arm forward, hurling the weapon towards the boss'' head.

    His aim held true, and he hit Fuscus on the right cheek, doing absolutely nothing apart from chipping away some stone. With a sigh, Drifter recalled his spear and turned around to find his guild looking strangely at him.

    "Err... Just trying somethin''. It didn''t quite work."

    The spearman scratched his head shyly. It was weird, but he didn''t mind the thousands of players he was sure just watched his pathetic attempt at throwing his spear, but the gazes of his guildmates and their teasing smirks caused him to squirm. Of course, if he knew that there were several million people currently watching the live-stream, including his parents, he would have felt much more embarrassed.

    "Look out, it''s here!"

    Drifter was saved from any teasing remark his friends - especially Yuna - might have when << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus'' >> arm appeared next to them. Timing his attack with those of his party, Drifter gladly embraced the distraction by using << Sting >>, << Double Tap >>, and << Martial Arts: Hiza >> to chip away at the boss'' HP.

    It took the entire Assault Team, almost seventy people, another fifteen minutes before they got << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> down to its last bit of health. As soon as the boss entered the 30% red zone, the entire room started shaking as the lines on the ground all lit up at once.

    The four detached limbs that had been attacking the frontliners suddenly flew out of the ground, smacking a couple of players aside in the process, and started circling Fuscus'' head. There was another bright glowing light that caused all of them to close their eyes, and when they opened them again, a gigantic humanoid monstrosity stood before them. Fifteen meters and several tons of pure, deadly, laser-emitting rock.

    Eyes ominously glowing, << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> fired another laser. Only, this time it wasn''t in a straight line like before, but rather a sweeping attack that hit almost half of the boss room, and everyone who was unlucky enough to be in that portion of it.

    Even so, the frontliners still let out shouts of joy. While the second phase of the boss may be harder, it was also much shorter, and allowed them to see the end of what was the hardest boss raid any of them ever participated in, with the exception of Illfang''s.

    There was a guild, however, which wasn''t nearly as excited as the rest. The members of Reaver''s Requiem exchanged wary glances. Now came the most important part of their plan: getting the last-attack bonus.

    While most of the Reavers went wild on the offensive, to the point where they ignored the ''burning'' effect inflicted by the aftermath of the lasers, Sinon, Kirito, and Yuuki all hung back. They were still attacking, to avoid suspicions from the rest of the raid-party - and, indeed, from all the SAO players watching - but less frequently than they could have if they were trying their best.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    This kind of behavior, holding back when everyone else was putting their lives on the line, left a bitter taste in their mouths, but they had all agreed it was better than the alternative. They wouldn''t - couldn''t - allow the two criminals to succeed in their plot.

    It had been decided that Kirito, Sinon, and Yuuki would be responsible for dealing the last hit mainly because of the absurdly high reaction speed of the two sword-users, and Sinon''s unique position which let her overlook the battlefield more easily and prepare ahead of time.

    With every percent of HP the boss lost, the more nervous they felt. When << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> was down to 10% health, Drifter started scanning the battlefield. If one of the two would-be PK''ers was indeed part of the ALS or DKB, as they suspected, he should start showing signs now, considering how close to its end their plan was.

    Or so Drifter thought. But all he saw were the crazed expressions on the frontliners'' faces as the finale of the boss raid approached. The spearman saw the exact moment when everyone switched gears from ''trying to defeat the boss'' to ''striving to get the last hit'' - just about when << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus'' >> HP bar had only 5% left. No one was acting strange - or more strangely than normal, he supposed.

    The Reavers watched with rabid attention the slow decline of the boss'' health.

    4%.

    Kirito and Yuuki stopped attacking altogether, charging up their long cooldown skills.

    3%.

    Drifter, Asuna, Liz, Ran, and Merida jumped forward, unleashing a bunch of normal attacks on the boss, and just so happening to get in the way of some ALS and DKB players.

    2%.

    Sinon fired her strongest skill to date, << Breaking Airflow >>. The arrow embedded itself in the right eye of << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >>.

    1%.

    Two dozen players charged at the floor boss, with Kirito and Yuuki in the lead, both of their swords glowing in a threatening red hue. << Vorpal Strike >>.

    0%.

    With a final roar, << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >> crumbled, the twin red streaks forming an ''X'' across its torso, the most glaring wounds in its body. The boss shattered.

    [ CONGRATULATIONS! ]

    There were the normal shouts of happiness and celebratory pats in the back, as well the now customary laying on the floor and panting - the frontliners had long since stopped caring for their image, especially after such an excruciatingly long boss raid.

    Drifter and the Reavers did the same, but their gazes were glued on Kirito and Yuuki, who were both scrolling through their notifications at light speed. Finally, a huge smile parted Kirito''s face, and he showed a thumbs-up to his guildmates.

    "Ahh... Hahaha! Thank god."

    Feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest, Drifter flopped down, limbs spread wide, and whispered softly to himself. It said a lot about his state of mind over the last two and a half months that even though he was literally laughing in relief, he still had his fingers wrapped around his spear. By now the weapon was almost like an extra limb to him, an extension of himself. He would have trouble adjusting to a life without it once they left SAO, but that was a concern for the future.

    "Wait! Who got the last-attack bonus?!"

    Freezing mid-laughter, Drifter suppressed a groan. Talk about subtly, which Kibaou obviously had none of. Drifter shot a glance at Kirito, and saw the swordsman also was looking at him. He nodded. Seconds after, Drifter retrieved an item from the guild inventory.

    "I did."

    A large red flag wrapped around a pole appeared in Drifter''s hand. He stabbed it on the ground while proudly announcing his ownership of the item. The entire Assault Team stared at him, most in confusion, but more than a few with knowing - and greedy - expressions. Clearly, the rumors about the << Flag of Valor >> had made the rounds.

    Two of the players specifically were looking at Drifter with distaste, as if they had just been forced to swallow a slug. To no one''s surprise, they were Kibaou and Lind. Quite clearly, they liked the fact that the beater''s party had gotten their hands on the last-attack bonus even less than they would if the opposing guild had.

    "Ya better hand..."

    "What are the stats, Drifter?"

    Just as Kibaou was starting to shout something which would most certainly cause a fight, Shivata, bless his heart, cut off the other player. DKB''s vice-guild leader shared a glance with Kirito, who subtly nodded in thanks. Meanwhile, Drifter was looking at his HUD, suddenly feeling a little bit hopeful when he turned to address the others. Maybe the worst-case scenario wouldn''t happen.

    "It boosts attack and attack speed by 20%. Just twenty."

    No one who knew what the original stats of the << Flag of Valor >> were missed the emphasis Drifter put in his words.

    Shivata sighed, Drifter didn''t know if in relief or disappointment. Either way, the shield-bearer put a hand on Lind''s arm to calm down his guild leader. After a brief struggle, Lind huffed and turned to look the other way, but didn''t say anything. If only Kibaou could do the same.

    "Hold up! That item doesn''t belong to a cheater! It should be ours, the great Aincrad Liberation Squad! Tell your man to pass it over, beater!"

    "Are you stupid, Kibaou?! You know the rules! Whoever gets the last-attack bonus keeps it!"

    "You shut up, girl! Don''t talk to our guild leader like that!"

    "Yeah! The beater doesn''t deserve that flag! Just look at the name!"

    The situation was rapidly dissolving into a shouting match between Asuna, Yuna, Liz, Kibaou, and the more vocal members of the ALS. Drifter ignored it for the moment, having already expected something like that to happen. His piercing gaze was focused on the first player to jump to Kibaou''s defense.

    It was a male player, using a tattered black coat. He looked a few years older than Drifter, maybe twenty-five or so. His weapon of choice seemed to be a short-handled axe, which didn''t fit in the description Kirito gave of the player he dueled. But his expression... While everyone else was red-faced and angry, Drifter saw the very moment his lips curled up in a smirk. And then he, as if sensing Drifter''s gaze, turned to the spearman and gave him a mocking smile.

    His blood running cold, Drifter stared back. The player knew they knew his plans. And yet, not only he was still going through with them, fanning the flames of Kibaou''s unhappiness, but he was also provoking Drifter. Something was very wrong.

    Passing the flag to Nautilus so he could hold his spear with both hands, Drifter sneered at the ALS player and walked over to Kirito, who had joined the shouting match.

    "I found him, Kirito."

    "Where? Who?"

    Drifter gestured with his chin to the player. He didn''t know who it was, but chances were his guild leader did. Argo had spent a lot of time with the boy yesterday discussing possible candidates.

    "Morte. He''s one of ALS'' party leaders. Are you sure?"

    "Very. And he knows we know who he truly is. He mocked me."

    Kirito''s head whipped to look at Drifter, eyes wide open. The spearman put a firm hand on his trembling guild leader''s shoulder.

    "Call Argo, if she''s not already on the way, and let me continue to do the talking, Kirito. Kibaou''s a little less likely to blow his top if I''m the one who makes the suggestion."

    "All right. I''ll tell everyone to stick together, just in case Morte decides to go through with it anyway."

    Drifter nodded, and took the flag back from Nautilus. Once again stabbing it into the ground, this time a little more forcefully, he yelled.

    "Shut up!"

 Chapter 68 - Death, Shi, DčŚ…cčŚ…s, Tod, Morte

    "Shut up!"

    They did. Drifter was almost as stunned by the fact that all the yelling players - including his guildmates - all followed the order, as the players were shocked when he suddenly shouted. The frontliners stared at Drifter with gaping mouths, having never seen Drifter be anything but polite before. Taking advantage of the few seconds of startled silence, Drifter stared straight at Kibaou and started speaking before the ALS leader could make a comeback.

    "Not mentioning the fact that this discussion shouldn''t even be happening in the first place, since it was decided by everyone that whoever gets the last-attack bonus keeps it - something you agreed to, Kibaou - did you really try to order our guild leader around?"

    Kibaou flushed red at that, whether of anger or embarrassment didn''t matter. At the time the frontliners gathered to discuss the last-attack bonus and other rules for raids, back on the 2nd floor, it had seemed like a great idea for him to make it a first-come first-serve order, as he commanded the largest guild in Sword Art Online. Now, he was starting to regret it. But his pride wouldn''t let him admit it.

    "So what if I did?! Y''all are just a buncha cheaters, and he''s even worse! He''s the Beater!"

    "Are you fucking stupid, Kibaou?! Huh?!"

    Everything Drifter had just told Kirito, about how it was better he spoke to Kibaou because the ALS leader disliked him a little less than the others, was completely forgotten. The way Kibaou said that hateful word as if it were a title, a curse to hang over Kirito''s head, pissed him off more than he could describe.

    "You!"

    Stunned into speechlessness by Drifter swearing, it took Kibaou a few seconds to regain his voice. When he did, the spearman immediately interrupted him again.

    "What?! Are you going to tell me you aren''t an idiot? Then stop behaving like one! You are a fucking adult, so start acting like one! Stop taking out your anger on a fourteen years old boy just because you can''t withstand your own incompetence!"

    Drifter glared at Kibaou, daring him to say anything. He didn''t. The spearman took a deep breath.

    "You are a fucking good fighter, Kibaou. And you are a good leader too, when you can get your head out of your own ass. But you have no right to accuse Kirito of being a cheater. No right!"

    Drifter sighed, and shot an apologetic glance at Kirito for what he was about to say. He knew the swordsman didn''t like when people brought this up, but he needed to drive the point home.

    "He should''ve been entering high school about now, Kibaou. Instead, he''s here on the frontlines, risking his life day after day just like everybody else. This doesn''t make him better than you or me or anyone here. This just makes him one of us. Kirito''s a frontliner, and so are we all."

    Kibaou fumed, but said nothing. Drifter knew something had finally gotten through his thick skull. The fact that most of the ALS and DKB players had the decency to look at least partly ashamed helped him calm down.

    "It''s exactly because he is a beta-tester that Kirito has been taking this far harder than anyone else. That he''s been fighting harder than anyone else. We all want the same thing, don''t we? We want to escape this prison. So stop pointing fingers before you become the reason this dream is shattered."

    If before Kibaou had shut up simply because he couldn''t think of any good arguments, now the player froze. Drifter''s last sentence impacted him harder than anything else that had been said.

    The spearman swept the room with his gaze. Most people avoid his eyes. Shivata nodded resolutely. Agil and Klein grinned. Argo - and when had she arrived? - tipped an invisible hat to him.

    Reaver''s Requiem had varied reactions. Nautilus, Merida, Sinon, and Ran kept stoic expressions, supportive of his claims. Asuna, Yuuki, and Liz smiled sadly. Yuna squeezed his arm and winked. Drifter shook his head at her, a fond smile on his face.

    It was Kirito who had the biggest reaction. The swordsman was looking at Drifter, seemingly trying to cry, smile, and frown all at the same time. In the end, he just nodded once. Drifter put a hand on his shoulder.

    "The << Flag of Valor >> belongs to Reaver''s Requiem. No one can dispute that. But I can see how it may play a bigger role in the hands of larger guilds."

    Kibaou and Lind showed hopeful expressions at that, which Drifter would admit, he felt a small amount of pleasure in crushing.

    "But, we can''t have people fighting over it. So here''s what we are gonna do. Argo the Rat, I''m calling in that favor you own me."

    "Oh? What do ya want me to do, Dri-bou?"

    The info-broker smirked as she stepped forward, completely at ease even with everyone focused on her. There was no favor to call in. They were just putting on a show.

    Drifter unstuck the flag from the ground before throwing it to Argo, who almost fell over when she caught it. Drifter smirked back.

    "Take it. Whenever we do a floor boss raid, join the guild that''s leading the battle. You can leave right after. That way, everyone gets to benefit from the << Flag of Valor >>."

    Argo nodded and quickly pocketed the item when Drifter transferred it over to her. The spearman then looked around. Had it been before, many would have felt disgruntled by his actions and would have made their dissatisfaction known. But after Drifter''s verbal spanking, no one had the face to argue. He huffed.

    "Consider it a loan from Reaver''s Requiem to the Assault Team, on behalf of all SAO players."

    After a few seconds of staring down the frontliners, daring any of them to disagree, Drifter nodded to himself and turned around to walk over to his guild. It was just as he turned his back that several people shouted.

    "What the...!"

    "Hey, stop!"

    "Careful!"

    "Argo, no!"

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Drifter spun around just in time to see Morte run out of the ALS ranks, his axe having been switched for a sword - the same sword that almost killed Kirito, he thought with dread - and charge. Not at him, like he had imagined, but at Argo.

    "That flag belongs to the Aincrad Liberation Squad!"

    "Argo!"

    Drifter watched frozen as Morte closed in on Argo, swinging his sword in a << Slant >>. The info-broker tried to dodge, but everything had happened so suddenly that she had barely taken one step back when the weapon dug deep into her flesh, carving a diagonal red line that went from her right shoulder to her left flank.

    "Ack!"

    Argo screamed, her health falling all the way to half in one blow. A reverse swipe of Morte''s sword left her at the edge of the red zone.

    ''Little rat!''

    Morte readied his sword for another blow, a sick grin plastered on his face. Drifter''s brain went into overdrive as he watched one of his closest friends, someone he considered his little sister in all but blood, about to be killed in front of him.

    Without time to think, and too far away to reach them in time to stop the murderer, Drifter''s body reacted faster than his mind. Before he knew it, his spear had already left his hand, flying towards Morte. The player never noticed it, focused as he was on bringing his sword down on Argo, and the spear pierced through his left side, its momentum carrying him away and saving Argo.

    Morte, now with an orange cursor above his head, rolled a few times, his HP decreasing by a fifth, before jumping up and glaring viciously at Drifter. The frontliners, and, indeed, the entire world, watched in stunned silence for a few brief seconds before pandemonium broke out.

    "Morte! What the hell are you doing?!"

    "You bastard!"

    The Reavers quickly positioned themselves in front of Argo, while Liz basically shoved a health potion down the info-broker''s throat. Meanwhile, they were all glaring at the orange player with murder in their eyes. Drifter especially was straight-up growling. If it wasn''t because there were other people in the way, he would have already attacked Morte.

    "Morte, what the fuck was that?!"

    Another player who was fuming was Kibaou. One of his party leaders, someone he trusted enough to give control over the lives of other ALS players, had just tried to murder Argo right in front of him, and in full view of thousands of players. And it was a murder attempt, no one doubted that. They had all seen Morte preparing that last swing, and he would have succeeded if not for Drifter''s quick thinking.

    "That item belongs to us, boss! We were the ones who worked the most for it! We can''t let the beaters take it!"

    Morte, completely unrepentant, tried to plead, but he didn''t fool anyone. Drifter could still see the mocking smirk on his face, as if he considered everyone else idiots. Kibaou also saw it, and was furious.

    "Don''t bullshit me, Morte! We never raise our swords against other players! Never!"

    "We gotta do what we gotta do to survive, boss. You don''t need to do anything, I will get the flag from the little bit..."

    Morte was giving Argo a sinister look, but stopped mid-sentence, staring at the air in front of him. And it was a good thing he did, because there were at least a dozen different players ready to hack him into pieces if he had finished what he wanted to say.

    The orange player read through something invisible to everybody else before throwing a vicious glare at Kibaou. His words were dripping with venom.

    "Really? You would kick me outta the guild because of that?"

    "Not just that, ya scumbag. You tried to kill someone. You''re going to << Black Iron Palace >>."

    << Black Iron Palace >> was the one and only building in SAO where players could be held against their will. And that was because it was a prison, located in the Town of Beginnings on the 1st floor. NPC guards in any city across Aincrad could send captured orange and red players to it, where they would serve their sentence. For orange players, that was usually a few days. For red players, it was for life - or until SAO ended.

    There was only one way players could send other players to << Black Iron Palace >>, and that was by using a special item to teleport them there, which Drifter was pretty sure Kibaou didn''t have. But seeing the guild leader gesture for three of his subordinates to grab Morte, Drifter supposed that could work too. They would just have to escort the orange player to the next city, where the NPCs could then take charge of him.

    "Hahaha... Hahahahahaha! You stupid fucking idiots. You think I''ll let you do that to me?"

    "You don''t have a choice, Morte. Take off all your equipment and come with us."

    Kibaou''s voice was cold. After everything that happened today, the boss raid, his fight with Drifter, and now one of his guild members attempting to murder someone - all the while blabbering on about how he was doing it for the guild - Kibaou was past the stage of anger. He was irate.

    Morte backed away as his former guildmates approached him, not quite pointing his sword at them, but not putting it away either. He was still sneering in disdain.

    "You know, you could have been great, Kibaou. The ALS could have been SAO''s number 1 guild. If only you stopped being a fuckin'' coward."

    "I''m not a coward, Morte. But I''m not a psychopath either. Clearly, the same can''t be said ''bout you."

    Hearing that, Morte laughed maniacally. At that moment, Drifter confirmed what he already knew. The player was gone, completely. Whether he had always been like that, or it was SAO''s fault, Morte was utterly and completely broken. And in the worst way imaginable.

    "Look around you! We are never getting out, Kibaou! We are all gonna die here! Me, you, everyone! And you too, beater!"

    "Morte..."

    "Hahaha! We are all gonna die, so stop being so fucking boring! Let''s have some fun, shall we?!"

    "Wait! Get back..."

    Drifter saw what Morte was going to do a second before he actually did. When the first ALS member got close to him, the orange player suddenly struck, leaving a red line across his former guildmate''s waist. Then, while everyone was still shocked by the fact that he actually dared to fight back even in this situation, he immediately attacked again, this time using a skill.

    Later, Drifter would regret not doing the same thing he did to save Argo, but the unfortunate truth was that his body moved faster than his mind when someone close to him was in danger. The same couldn''t be said for a player who he didn''t even know the name of. So, just like everyone else, Drifter watched powerlessly as Morte''s third attack scored a critical hit, lopping off the ALS player''s head with a single blow.

    Time seemed to stop, with only Morte''s sword and the soaring head moving, as if in slow-motion. Until the moment the body of the deceased player shattered, and Morte cackled crazily, the cursor above his red turning bright red.

    With a flourish, Morte turned and attacked the second player. He managed to put on more of a fight, and when the third one joined him, they barely restrained the frenzied PK''r. It was clear Morte was much more skilled than he had been showing.

    Finally, one of the ALS players stabbed Morte''s shoulder, leaving him with only a sliver of health. The players unconsciously stopped their attack, seeing as just one more hit would make them into player killers. Not everyone was as cold-blooded and unfeeling as Morte, who murdered his own guild members without a shred of remorse.

    Drifter would probably have stopped too if he was in their position. Unfortunately, that was when disaster struck again. Completely uncaring for how close to death he was, Morte laughed and brought his sword down on the opponent to his left. With a scream, the ALS player watched his health vanish, right before he too, shattered.

    Having witnessed two deaths in less than thirty seconds, the frontliners were too slow to get moving again. Morte took the chance to kick the third and last player close to him - who still had over half of his HP - away, and ran.

    Many made to chase him, including Drifter, but then faltered. So what if they caught up? What would they do? Kill him? Yes, Morte deserved it, but could they do it? Take another human''s life? Hating himself for it, Drifter realized that no, he couldn''t. The very thought of that, after having watched two lives be snuffed out in front of him, disgusted his very being. And so he just stared as Morte disappeared up the stairs for the next floor, leaving behind just a threat.

    "Watch your backs, people, watch your backs! Jump at every shadow, because one day I''ll be there. Hahahahaha!"

 Chapter 69 (Nice) - Devastation

    Aincrad, 6th floor, City of Stachion. January 9th, 2023, close to midnight.

    Drifter sat on a fallen trunk, his head thrown back, staring at the glimpses of the starry sky he could see through the canopy. He wasn''t the only one brooding. Kirito, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, Ran, Argo, Agil, Wolv, and Kirito''s new - old - friend Klein were all there too. The entire city was silent as a grave.

    They had been like that ever since they got to the 6th floor earlier today. The others had gone to sleep, but Drifter knew they weren''t any less shaken than him.

    While they were quiet now, there had been a lot of shouting after Morte killed the two ALS players. Mostly people in panic or cursing the red player. Quite a few were also cursing Kibaou for having someone like him in his guild.

    Only after they tired themselves out did the shocked and inconsolable frontliners depressedly make their way up the stairs to the next floor. From that moment onwards, barely a word was spoken.

    Two people died today. Two humans. Warriors who, while Drifter didn''t know them well - or at all - had risked their lives multiple times for the sake of all the surviving SAO players. And they had died today, not because of the boss, not because of Kayaba, but because of another player. They had been murdered.

    Drifter was still having difficulty coming to grips with the situation. He had seen people die before, and more than once. He was even more than just a little responsible for another player''s death. But to kill like Morte had killed, without mercy and laughing... Just the thought of it left Drifter gagging.

    And what made it all worse was that there was absolutely nothing he could do. Not unless he was willing to hunt down and kill Morte, and he knew he couldn''t do that. Even if he was given the chance, he wasn''t sure he had what it took to deliver a fatal blow to another human, even if it was someone like the red player.

    Feeling lost and powerless, Drifter stood up and left without saying a word. The others barely looked at his departing figure, each lost in their own thoughts.

    Drifter was almost afraid to close his eyes when he laid on his bed. He knew what awaited him, and he was terrified.

    --------------------------------

    Reaver''s Requiem''s famous spearman wasn''t the only one who had trouble sleeping that night. The entirety of SAO had watched the boss raid and subsequent drama, and many suffered nightmares from it.

    Sighing, Sasha looked at the stars one last time, and closed the doors of her church. Putting the children to bed had been an arduous task. They had been so excited when watching the broadcast in the main plaza, along with a good half of SAO. They cheered when the frontliners hit the boss, and gasped when one of them got struck in turn. For their young minds, it was so easy to forget the terrors of Sword Art Online. Not anymore.

    ...

    Laughter. Mad, deranged laughter. A tattered black cloak fluttering around, from which an invisible hand holding a pitch-black sword emerged. Fear. Horror. The sword slashed down, unstoppable.

    "Ahhhh!"

    Silica shot up to a sitting position, her scream slowly dying out. Despite the blanket covering her, she still felt cold all over.

    After a long time of staring at nothing, her ragged breaths slowly calmed down, and she laid back down, resting her head against the pillows. She didn''t fall asleep again.

    ...

    A cave somewhere on the 3rd floor or Aincrad.

    Morte was casually leaning back against a wall, examining his nails and whistling. Now that he didn''t need to hide anymore, his axe and buckler had been permanently replaced by the sword hanging on his hip.

    The red player suddenly stilled, before jumping to his left, just in time to avoid an enormous hatchet-like weapon, which cut through the air where he just was, before embedding itself on the wall.

    Morte''s first reaction when he regained his balance wasn''t to fight back. In fact, he didn''t even draw his sword. Instead, he retreated, putting a few meters between him and the player who wielded the hatchet, and was slowly coming out of << Hiding >>.

    "Boss! Don''t do that, you scared the shit outta me!"

    His tone was light, but Morte was anything but calm, if the way his eyes darted around, as if looking for an escape route, were any indication. There was a lot more respect, and fear - especially fear - in his voice when he called the unknown player ''boss'' than it did when he referred to Kibaou.

    "You were supposed to be my pretty little spy on the frontline guilds, Morte. Tell me, who are you spying on now that you ousted yourself? And while we are at that, start thinking of a reason you still hold any value for me. And think hard. Your pathetic little life depends on what your answer is."

    The player heaved and pulled his weapon out of the wall, before he started playing with it as if it were a plastic toy. Morte looked at the spinning blade, and then glanced at the deep dark-red cursor above his head, a much darker shade than his own, and gulped.

    "S-Sorry, boss. But those little bitches from Reaver''s Requiem were already onto me. Especially the beater and that bastard Drifter. Since they knew, I thought I could, you know, have some fun. I sure as hell shook them."

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    The other player simply stared at Morte. Though his face was covered by a tattered hood similar to his own, Morte could feel his gaze on him, and shivered.

    "B-Boss?"

    "Uhm. It''s a pity Kayaba disabled pain. It''s been a while since I last played, and you would be a perfect toy."

    As he said that, the red player started to lift his hatchet, and Morte almost fell over with how quickly he scrambled to back away.

    "N-No, no, no, wait just a sec, please! Please wait, boss! I''m still useful, I promise! I''ll do anything!"

    The player halted his actions. He grinned under his hood, but the panicking Morte couldn''t see it.

    "I suppose you can be used to cause some panic amongst those blubbering fools. You got your second chance, Morte. Don''t waste it."

    "T-Thank you, boss! I won''t disappoint you!"

    "You better. I don''t keep useless pawns."

    -----------------------------

    "After the shocking happenings of the latest Sword Art Online broadcast, during which the player known as Morte killed two other SAO victims, protests have erupted around the globe in regards to what should be done..."

    "... two more lives were lost today, not by the actions of the evil Japanese mastermind Akihiko Kayaba, but rather by human cruelty when SAO player Morte..."

    "... doing nothing, to stop it! Our government has achieved nothing since Sword Art Online started last year. The people can''t help but wonder, do they even want to save the..."

    "With the latest drama revolving around the death game Sword Art Online, Japan, and, indeed, the entire planet is divided. Many questions are being asked: does the SAO task force know the identity of the red player Morte? And, if the answer is affirmative, what will be done with him? Will he stand trial for his crimes once SAO ends, or does the fact that it happened in a virtual world grant him immunity?"

    "Two innocent people, brave warriors who were fighting for their freedom, and to save the 7.000 players still trapped in SAO, were murdered in cold blood! Is that not enough reason to pull the plug?!"

    Seijirou muted his monitors and banged his head against his desk. It had been twelve hours now, and the commotion was still ongoing. The news channels were having a field day. How could they not? Two murders had been committed live on air, and he had been completely and utterly helpless to stop them.

    Now, all sorts of questions and allegations were flying around. There was also no shortage of conspiracy theorists. Seijirou himself, as the leader of the SAO case task force, was receiving a lot of heat, but it didn''t really bother him. He was, first and foremost, a soldier. He had his orders, and outside opinions were irrelevant. If only he was actually able to complete his task and save the players, instead of being just as powerless as everyone else.

    His gaze turned to one of the dozen screens in his office. Even without sound, he could still make out what the reporter, a somewhat famous belligerent shit-stirrer from England, was talking about as he sat in anger.

    Pull the plug. How often had he heard that sentence in the last few hours? Of course, it was easy for them to say. They wouldn''t be the ones to actually do it, nor the ones who would have to shoulder the consequences.

    Death penalty was a thing in Japan, and it could be applied in fourteen situations as recognized by the law. In practice, only serial murderers - which Morte definitely was - would receive capital punishment by hanging, in one of the seven execution chambers around the country.

    But sentencing someone to death wasn''t that simple. Even the most open-and-shut cases required years of legal action, and Morte''s wasn''t as clear-cut as many would like to believe.

    To start with, Seijirou''s team still wasn''t sure who Morte was. They had narrowed it down to the most active patients during the raid, but the red player always wore a hood, so they never got a clear look at his face. Furthermore, there was also the fact that, being trapped in SAO brought to the table a whole host of extenuating circumstances, such as his inability to defend himself.

    Any lawyer - and he would have to be assigned one by law, even if his family didn''t wish to do it - could simply say that due to his continued imprisonment in Sword Art Online, Morte wasn''t in the right state of mind, and, as such, his actions couldn''t be considered entirely his own fault. Just that would drag out the case for years, which was more than the SAO players had - whether they escaped or not. Further, any lawyer could claim that Morte was being controlled by Akihiko Kayaba, and no one would be able to prove otherwise.

    No, Seijirou didn''t see the plug being pulled anytime soon - or at all. Not legally at least. Morte would continue to live, and continue to kill. The only ones who could stop him were the other SAO players. Seijirou just wasn''t sure if they had what it took to do it.

    -------------------------------

    Drifter would like to say he woke up the next day feeling better about what happened during the 5th floor raid, but that would be the biggest lie of his life. He wasn''t, in any way, shape, or form, okay with it. The only reason he even bothered getting up from the bed was the small possibility that beating up mobs would take his mind off of the scenes he was forced to rewatch in his nightmares.

    So that was what he was doing. Drifter stabbed the throat of a humanoid zombie-like monster, disturbingly called << Cannibal >>, killing it. But his mind wasn''t there.

    They needed to do something about Morte. Drifter wasn''t afraid of the deranged player. He was just one person, after all, while the spearman had at least part of his guild with him at all times. Even if he were to go against Morte one-on-one, Drifter was still pretty confident in, at least, being able to keep his life. He wasn''t a frontliner for nothing.

    But the same couldn''t be said about all the other players in SAO. While Drifter threaded the edge every day, and thus disregarded Morte''s threat, basically every other player who wasn''t a clearer or a frontliner was terribly afraid of the red player. From what Argo said - and the info-broker was surprisingly okay after the attempt on her life - very few players had left the safe zones after the disaster yesterday, and those who did had at least two parties'' worth of people with them. Security in numbers and all that.

    The spearman couldn''t blame them. But they needed to get over their fear if they wanted to escape Aincrad. The Assault Team was desperately in need of new blood.

    Again, he thought that they had to deal with Morte. If not to reassure the mid and low-level players, then to deter others from following his example. Maybe choose some players amongst the frontliners to form some sort of policing team? That was impracticable. They barely had enough players to scrape by floor boss fights, not to mention that there was no viable way to patrol all 6 floors - and however many came after.

    No, there was only one way to assure Morte would never hurt anyone again, and Drifter knew what it was. He just didn''t want to face it. But he had to. Because if he didn''t, it would be Kirito or Asuna or Sinon or any of his young guildmates who would have to shoulder that burden. And that, he wouldn''t allow.

    Drifter would talk to Argo later. Tell the info-broker to send a message to him the moment her informants discovered where Morte was. And while he waited for that, he would have to work on getting over his own morality. That was too deadly a quality to have in SAO.

 Chapter 70 - The Aftermath

    They were behaving strangely. Well, stranger than normal. Kizmel had yet to fully understand her human companions, and she doubted she ever will. But she could tell something was weighing on their minds, although they still greeted her with smiles when they met on the 6th floor.

    Their progress was impressive. The guardians of Aincrad''s floors had killed countless elves over the ages, but the weird humans who had one day appeared in the castle were unstoppable. In the less than two months she had known them, they had slain three floor guardians. It was truly a pity she couldn''t fight alongside them in what were surely battles worthy of being told around fires for centuries to come. However, her duties as a Royal Knight of Lyusula kept her busy.

    Thinking of the newest quest her queen had bestowed her, Kizmel sneaked another glance at her companions. She was to investigate the veracity of some worrying reports they had received, claiming that the fallen elves were congregating in alarming numbers on this floor. For that, she had been offered command of a battalion of the finest Lyusula had to offer. Kizmel had declined.

    When she first heard the contents of her mission, the dark elf''s mind immediately shot to Reaver''s Requiem. She had only known them for a short period of time, but there was no one she would rather have her back.

    So that was how she found herself leading all ten of the humans through the jungle of the 6th floor, towards the tree dwellings their spies said the fallen elves were using as their headquarters.

    "Awooo!"

    Hearing the howl, Kizmel halted. She gestured for her friends to do the same. Kirito and Asuna crouched next to her, the others a little behind. From the bushes ahead of them, a large gray creature appeared. Kizmel affectionately scratched Feredir''s head.

    "Good job, friend."

    Her brother-in-law''s previous partner rubbed against her contentedly. Kizmel patted him one last time, then signaled to the Reavers. Feredir indicated there were enemies ahead.

    "How many?"

    The dark elf shrugged, an action she had learned from the humans, and was growing founder of each passing day. Shrugging was useful. It could transmit many meanings, without actually needing to say a word.

    "I do not know. My connection with Feredir isn''t as strong as Locke''s was. But there are fallen elves ahead."

    Kizmel didn''t ask if they were ready, for she knew the answer. She just walked out, sword in hand.

    ---------------------------------

    Kizmel was a welcome addition to their group. Drifter hadn''t realized how much he missed the dark elf''s presence until they finally met her again. The original six felt much the same.

    Now, the spearman was starting to hope Kizmel hadn''t been kidding when she said she would join Reaver''s Requiem after her assignments - read, the << Elf War >> campaign - were completed.

    Watching the knight deftly slash the throat of a << Fallen Elf Scout >>, he realized that no, it wasn''t simply because she was a good fighter, though that certainly impacted his judgment. But it was more because she was Kizmel. She was a friend. NPC? The Reavers hadn''t thought of her like that for weeks.

    Another enemy charged at him, and Drifter spun to meet him. A downward cut was deflected away with the tip of his spear, and he stabbed. The fallen elf grunted as a hole, not even five centimeters wide but twice as deep, was left on his chest. And Drifter wasn''t done. Pulling back his spear, he passed it over his shoulder, supporting the shaft with his left arm, before swinging like a pendulum. Unprepared, the << Fallen Elf Scout >> was caught on the legs, just below his knees, and fell like a chopped tree. Without any hesitation, Drifter raised his spear above his head and stabbed down twice with << Double Tap >>, piercing the mob right in the mouth. And, to finish it all off, a << Martial Arts: Hiza >> to the face just as the fallen elf was scrambling to get up.

    Sometimes, Drifter found it quite uncanny just how fluidly he could complete this - and others - sets of motion. He was just a twenty-year-old man who had never touched a weapon until three months ago. He still had two years of university to go through. He had just been fired and was still looking for a job.

    But he was also Drifter, spearman and vice-guild leader of Reaver''s Requiem. A Clearer and a Frontliner. And he would never be the same again.

    It wasn''t just skills. No, it was much more than that. It was muscle memory, or whatever passed by it in SAO. It was instinct, instilled into him by hundreds of life-and-death battles. Even after he left Aincrad, he would still have all that. He would still know how to fight. How to use a spear. How to kill. And he would never be the same again.

    Drifter tried not to think too much about that.

    A second << Fallen Elf Scout >> attacked him. Or was it the third, fourth, fifth? He didn''t know. He had stopped counting. Even after several days, he couldn''t take his mind off what happened. Of Morte. Of death. He was just glad there were mobs he could stab and use as an output for his anger at the player, and at himself for being weak-minded.

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    A << Snake Bite >> met the charging enemy, all the joints in his limbs working together to bypass the small round shield he put up. Fingers, wrist, elbows, shoulders, and waist, all twisting and turning in different directions, to make the spear almost bend and swerve, dodging the shield to pierce the elf''s left shoulder.

    Most of it was just the system at work, guiding his virtual body through the correct motions of the skill. But then Drifter pulled back his spear for just a mere moment before shooting it forward again. Another Snake Bite caught the mob on the right side of his body, right below the ribs. Only, this time it was not a skill. It was Drifter. All Drifter.

    "Drifter, switch!"

    He didn''t stop. As the << Fallen Elf Scout >> swung his sword, Drifter dove in and tackled the mob, the weapon grazing his armor but doing nothing. An elbow - not a skill, just a normal hit - struck the fallen elf in the face, and he stumbled to the left. And right into Merida''s greatsword.

    Had it been real life, the mob would have been torn in half. As it was, he still lost a third of his already low HP. Merida saw to it that what little remained disappeared with a second overhead swing. The Reaver stood amidst the fluttering shards of the << Fallen Elf Scout >> and raised an eyebrow at Drifter.

    "That was an interesting switch."

    The spearman shrugged - like Kizmel had learned, it was a very useful action.

    "It worked."

    "It sure did. Seems like the others are almost finished too. Break?"

    Drifter looked around. Kizmel, Nautilus, Liz, and Yuna were teaming up to slay two heavily wounded fallen elves. Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, and Ran were also close to ending their group of mobs. Sinon, who had been supporting Drifter and Merida, was taking potshots at the mobs whenever an opening appealed. He nodded.

    "Break."

    The last mob was killed by Feredir in the short span of time it took Drifter to pull out the food from the shared guild inventory. It was a mixture of health-recovering food sold by the NPCs, and Asuna''s latest attempt at cold fish sandwiches, made with meat from 4th floor mobs. While the effects weren''t as good as the food NPCs sold, they were a lot tastier.

    "Hmm... You made this, Asuna? It''s really good!"

    The fencer blushed at Kizmel''s praise. The dark elf had yet to taste Asuna''s cooking. Until now.

    "Thanks, Kizmel, but it''s really not that good. I''ve got a lot to learn still... Ouch! What was that for, Yuna?!"

    "Take praise where it''s deserved, Asuna. They are really tasty."

    The songstress had reached over Yuuki to smack Asuna on the back of the head. The fencer pouted, and then blushed again.

    "Right. Thanks. But I was being serious when I said I still have a lot to learn. My << Cooking >> is just at 350. And I haven''t figured out how to make mayonnaise or soy sauce yet."

    "What?! You are trying to create mayo?!"

    Everyone stared agape at Asuna, and Kirito shouted before flushing and apologizing to a frowning Asuna. Drifter stared at the fencer, and then chuckled. Of course she was trying to create sauces. While Asuna didn''t live SAO like Kirito did, she was probably the closest. She and Yuuki.

    "Pardon me, but what are these mayonnaise and soy sauce you speak of?"

    Kizmel raised a hand and tilted her head curiously.

    "They are condiments from where we are from, Kizmel. You can put them on basically every type of food. Well, not every type, some combinations are just disgusting, but you have to try..."

    Liz, Kirito, and, surprisingly, Nautilus, went on trying to explain to a confused dark elf the wonders of mayo and soy sauce. The spearman shook his head and reclined against a fallen trunk. He didn''t close his eyes. Not in the wilderness. But this bit of levity helped disperse some of the dark clouds in his mind.

    ---------------------------

    Kibaou was drinking. Heavily. It had been two days since Morte betrayed them. Two days since someone under his command, someone he chose, killed two of his own.

    Everyone had yelled at him. Accused him. He, who spent months defaming the beater. Who spent every awake moment saying the boy was a selfish, ungrateful little bastard. But in the end, it was from his guild that the traitor came.

    So Kibaou was drinking. It was only for the 30 minutes the ''drunk'' status effect was on, but he forgot everything. He forgot the - admittedly, though begrudgingly, deserved - tongue-lashing he received from Drifter. He forgot Morte attacking the info-broker. He forgot one of his subordinates murdering people and laughing. He forgot...

    Nothing. He forgot nothing. It was all still there. And it would always be.

    "Grr!"

    Snarling, Kibaou threw the bottle in his hand at the wall. The container shattered, and [ Immortal Object ] message appeared from the inn''s wall.

    He would never forget. And he shouldn''t.

    Equipping his sword and buckler, Kibaou kicked the door open and stormed out of his room. Morte was going to pay. And that was a promise.

    ©\--------------------------

    A week. Seven days. That was how long it took the players to understand that Morte was not behind every corner ready to murder them. It was how long it took for clearers and frontliners to get back to their jobs. And when they did, it wasn''t timidly. It wasn''t hesitantly. It was ferocious.

    Reaver''s Requiem weren''t the only ones who felt angry. They weren''t the only ones who chose to continue fighting. They all did. And they fought.

    On the eighth day, the labyrinth had been found. On the eleventh, it was mapped. On the twelfth the Reavers completed the << Elf War >> campaign on this floor and bid farewell to Kizmel. The Assault Team waited for them. And on the thirteenth... On the thirteenth day, they fought the floor boss. They brought it down.

    And the world watched. Not cowards, scared of their own shadows. Not broken warriors, terrified of taking a step forward, into the unknown. The world watched. And they saw frontliners.

    Morte had won once. He had beaten them. But he had not shattered them. For they were frontliners, and no one could stop them.

 Chapter 71 - The Flower of the 6th Floor

    Aincrad, 6th floor, January 21st. One day before the boss raid.

    They had to hurry up. The clearers had already found the boss room, and now the whole Assault Team was waiting on them to gather and deliver all the information they could about the floor boss. Tomorrow, one way or the other, they fought.

    The Reavers had never been in this position. They had always managed to complete the << Elf War >> campaign branch on each floor long before the boss room was found. Before the labyrinth was fully cleared and mapped, even. But this time it felt like everything that could go wrong was going wrong.

    Everything had started out great. They met Kizmel and followed her to a special dungeon where they killed a bunch of fallen elves and found their attack plans written on the thin bark the elves used as paper. But then, as they were leaving, a mini-boss, called << Rolagus the Fallen Noble >>, appeared. That was when everything went to shit.

    The fallen elf mini-boss, for all he was a noble, was an absolute scoundrel. After the guild jad, quite easily, brought his health down to red, he suddenly pulled out a poisoned dagger, and stabbed Kizmel with it.

    Any antidote the Reavers gave their friend was useless. They could only watch as her HP drained fast. Thankfully, when it dropped to the last 10%, the ''poisoned'' effect faded, probably by a plot device. Still, Kizmel was too wounded to continue helping them, and, again, potions weren''t working. Without a choice, and more than a little worried for her, they carried the royal knight back to the dark elf camp, following her instructions. They left Kizmel there to recover, but without their guide, the << Elf War >> campaign suddenly became much harder.

    For the next few days, they repeatedly tried and failed to advance in the campaign. Entire days were spent in needless fetch quests they could complete in a mere few hours before. Even Kirito''s beta-tester knowledge was next to useless, since their action of saving Kizmel back on the 3rd floor had derailed the entire campaign - not that they regretted it.

    That was how they ended up where they were now, trekking deep into the southern forested zone of the 6th floor, following a lead that might take them to the stronghold of the fallen elves. According to the hint they received, an item of extreme importance was stashed away there - probably another << Secret Key >> - and they had to recover it. Hopefully, after they did so, they would be able to gather more intel on the floor boss.

    Drifter raised his head when he heard rustling leaves above him. They were in a forest, so the noise wasn''t exactly out of place, but the way it stopped abruptly when his head snapped up was a dead giveaway.

    "Sinon, up there."

    He pointed at the spot where the noise came from, a branch about fifteen meters above the ground. There was nothing there, and even << Searching >> couldn''t detect anything, but Sinon knocked an arrow on her bow and pulled the string all the same. Two seconds later, she let it loose.

    "Acckriiii!"

    A high-pitched shriek sounded, and a humanoid creature, similar-looking to a chimpanzee, slowly came out of its camouflaged state, an arrow sticking out from just below its armpit. Around them, half a dozen of the creatures revealed themselves after the first one was uncovered.

    "Form the perimeter!"

    Kirito yelled, and the Reavers grouped up in a tight circle, with Sinon, Yuna, Yuuki, Ran, and Asuna in the center. They already had some experience fighting the << Chameleon Baboons >> after spending so many days marching through the forest, which was how Drifter had spotted them in the first place. Being ambushed by the invisible mobs was not a pleasant experience, which was why Drifter was carefully looking for clues of their presence. As for why the five girls were put in the middle, even though three of them were close-quarters fighters, it was because the baboons always went after the most fragile - meaning, those with the lowest defense and more lightly armored - players first. Kirito also fit in that category, the only piece of metal armor he used being his chest plate, but it was already hard enough to form a circle with 5 people on the inside, much less 6.

    The << Chameleon Baboons >> didn''t descend from the trees immediately to attack them. Instead, they grabbed some red fruits the size of a fist, and threw them at the players. Nautilus, Liz, Merida, and Drifter did their best to block, but some of the fruits still got past their defense and hit their bodies. When that happened, the red fruits burst, splashing their pulp and juice all over them. Those soaked by it received a, by now familiar, notification saying their defense stat had decreased by 20 points.

    Luckily, each mob only had three of the red fruits. Furthermore, the one Sinon had hit didn''t throw his, and neither did another one when Drifter threw his spear at him, even though the flying weapon barely grazed its skin. Instead, they jumped down and proceeded to attack the Reavers in melee combat.

    Recalling his spear from where it had disappeared amidst the foliage, Drifter readied himself to welcome the charging baboon. His first strike went over the mob''s head as it dodged, but Drifter simply forced his weapon to change path by pulling it down, leaving a nasty cut on top of the << Chameleon Baboon''s >> head.

    The mob screamed and lunged at him, scratching his outstretched arm with its sharp claws. Crouching to avoid a second swipe, Drifter stabbed upwards, piercing the baboon''s stomach at a 55 degrees angle, and then used << Dirty Play >> to push the weapon further in, impaling the mob.

    "Ran, Yuuki, it''s all yours!"

    Straining to lift the wounded mob by the weapon stuck in it, Drifter grunted and threw the << Chameleon Baboon >> over his shoulder. Merida and Nautilus both stepped aside to let the monster pass between them and land none too gracefully on the ground right in front of the twins. Needless to say, the girls made quick work of it.

    Using the tried and tested method of taking out one mob at a time, just ten minutes later the pack... Family? Tribe? Troop. The troop of baboons was wiped out. Their luck also finally seemed to turn, because not long after, they found the fallen elf base they were looking for.

    The camp was discreet, just a bunch of hollowed-out trees to create rooms, and some furniture carved out of the same material. There probably was enough space for forty or so fallen elves to comfortably live there. Yet, when the Reavers approached, there was only a single living being in it.

    Sitting on a large flat stone right in the middle of the base was a female fallen elf. She was calmly observing them, her sickly pale skin almost transparent under the shining sunshine. She was wearing a tight-fitting dress which definitely didn''t seem practical in the forest, and had a lute on her lap, with no weapons in sight. And, Drifter had to admit, though he certainly shouldn''t be focusing on that right now, she was beautiful.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    It was hard not to gape at her flawless face, not because Drifter was a pervert, but because her features were simply perfect. Too perfect, in fact. She had a kind of otherworldly beauty that could only be accomplished in their virtual reality.

    << Deadly Flower Amane >>.

    Well, her name was like a bucket of cold water being chugged over the guild members. Any mini-boss - because that was what she was, no doubt about it - that had the word ''deadly'' in the name couldn''t be good news.

    "Good, you finally arrived. I was starting to get bored."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at the brightly smiling enemy, and exchanged glances with Kirito. This didn''t bode well. The lack of underlings and minions was also unsettling. It meant the Cardinal System considered that Amane alone was enough to challenge the players.

    The fallen elf beauty got up while the Reavers fanned out and surrounded her. That annoyingly coy smirk never left her face either. With a grimace, Nautilus and Liz stepped forward, using << Taunt >> on the boss. Predictably, it failed. It usually did with intelligent bosses.

    Seeing that, Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and Yuuki all lunged at the Amane from different directions. Drifter, Merida, and the others were just a little behind them, ready to jump in and provide support if necessary.

    None of them expected << Deadly Flower Amane >> to smile and touch her flute to her lips. Her posture was eerily similar to Yuna''s when she played, and the connection brought chills to the Reavers as they realized just what kind of boss they were fighting.

    On the first note, Drifter stumbled, afflicted by a ''dizziness'' status effect. The ten meters between him and Amane were suddenly a lot harder to traverse. He kept tripping, and was struggling to find his footing.

    The four who charged first, Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and Yuuki, were a few steps ahead of Drifter, and, as such, reached the boss even through the wave of dizziness. Kirito and Yuuki missed their attacks, their blade passing through Amane''a body but doing no damage. Asuna and Ran, on the other hand, managed to escape the 50% chance of missing, and left their marks in red on the boss.

    Not that it seemed to affect her much. << Deadly Flower Amane >> kept blowing on her flute, the melody suddenly changing to long and drawn-out whistles, and then to a fast-paced tune immediately after. Amane received a defense buff of some sort, while all the players in a twelve-meters radius of her - meaning, everyone except Sinon and Yuna - found their HP slowly draining away due to a ''disorder'' debuff.

    Seeing that, Drifter suddenly smiled, and then laughed. Many of the others did the same. << Deadly Flower Amane''s >> fighting style of applying buffs to herself, while piling up debuffs and status effects on the players would surely be a nightmare to other guilds, especially her ability to damage everyone at the same time. But Reaver''s Requiem had the perfect counter for that.

    "Yuna, do your thing!"

    So what if Amane could drain their health just by singing? Reaver''s Requiem had someone who could restore it by doing the same. And, in Drifter''s humble opinion, Yuna''s voice was much more beautiful than the fallen elf''s.

    As the songstress pulled out her harp - she had discovered early on that, after a song became a skill, she could play it on any instrument or simply sing it, and the effect would be the same - and started playing << Rest >>, << Deadly Flower Amane >> had a distinct reaction. Her eyebrows almost disappeared in her hairline, and her eyes shot open, her gaze zeroing on Yuna.

    "You! How dare you! The music is mine! Only mine! Stop, stop it!"

    The fallen elf beauty, who had displayed only poise and grace until now, shrieked, startling everyone. She stared daggers at Yuna, who paused for a moment, stunned, before she smirked and resumed playing.

    Now, while Yuna could counterattack one of her melodies, << Deadly Flower Amane >> still held several advantages over her. The first, and more obvious, was that Yuna could only play one song at a time, and, if she stopped even for a moment, the effect they granted, such as HP regeneration or attack buffs, would halt as well. Amane, on the other hand, could stack multiple modifiers, both on the players and on herself.

    The second glaring advantage the boss had was, well, her status as a boss. Though slightly offset by Yuna''s << Rest >>, she was still doing more damage than they could heal, though instead of being wiped out in ten minutes, as it would probably happen without Yuna there, it would take twice as much time, but they would still lose. Which meant they had seventeen minutes to bring her down.

    This wasn''t a match of who could live longer. It was a battle of who could kill the other faster. Drifter tightened his grip on his spear.

    --------------------------

    In the real world, a computer biped and a nurse scrambled to get hold of the doctor on call. The heart rate of several SAO victims had just spiked.

    --------------------------

    This had to be one of the most dangerous and yet tedious battles Drifter had ever engaged in. Dangerous because his health was on the red, his potion on cooldown, and he had no less than six debuffs stacked on him. Tedious because he was just standing still and stabbing << Deadly Flower Amane >> again and again.

    The boss made no effort to dodge or block the Reavers'' attacks. She just endured them and played her flute. And somehow, had it been any other guild, she might have won it.

    "Impossible..."

    When << Deadly Flower Amane >> finally fell - or withered, as Yuuki wittily put it - the players sat down, exhausted. None of the close-quarters combatants had more than 25% of their health remaining.

    "Man, this was even more tiring than a floor boss raid."

    "And disturbing. I''m glad you are on our side, Yuna."

    The songstress smiled brightly. She knew she had made the biggest contribution to this battle, and was ecstatic. While she was invaluable to Reaver''s Requiem in normal times, she usually didn''t get much of the limelight, since she never dealt any direct damage to the enemies.

    Shaking his head at Yuna''s somewhat silly expression, her chest puffed out with pride, Drifter laughed. Then, looking at the battle log and the rewards they received, his smile widened. There was the << Secret Key >> they had to find - one of seven in total, Kizmel had confided in them - and also something else.

    "Here, Yun'', you should like this."

    He passed to her an item that, until mere moments ago, had been the target of their rage: << Amane''s Sorrowful Flute >>. Yuna took one look at it and squeaked, before throwing herself at Drifter and hugging him.

    The spearman awkwardly patted her back, not expecting the sudden display of affection. Yuna also was quick to let go when she realized what she had done, and proceeded to hug everyone else, her blush very visible. Drifter, who was definitely not blushing too, pointedly ignored Sinon and Asuna''s smirks.

    The songstress certainly had reason to be overjoyed. << Amane''s Sorrowful Flute >> had one simple effect, which was to double the power of all songs played with it.

    Yuna''s... Class was special. Most of her skills worked on percentages, so she wasn''t exactly getting obsolete, but she did feel like her usefulness to her guild and the Assault Team as a whole left to be desired. Hopefully the new instrument would change that notion.

    She wasn''t the only singer in SAO. Two others had transformed music into skills after her. Only two of however many hundred tried after they discovered the support she could provide. Neither of them was on the Assault Team, or even the clearers for that matter. Kibaou, Lind, and others had tried to recruit them, but not everyone was willing to risk their lives as they did.

    So, for now and the foreseeable future, Yuna was the only singer on the frontlines. And she would forever be the only Songstress.

    Now that he thought of it, Drifter realized Sinon''s case was similar to Yuna, but even more extreme. Until now, no other bow had dropped in the game. And Drifter wasn''t sure if any ever would. Kayaba was well aware of how ranged weapons like Sinon''s << Grafted Horn Bow >> could break the balance of the game, and had only allowed one such to exist. Thankfully it had landed in the hands of someone worthy, and not one of the players who would hide and never use it.

 Chapter 72 - Irrational Cube

    "All right, get ready everyone! We are going in!"

    Drifter was shaken out of his recollection by Lind''s voice. The DKB was the leading guild in this raid. Standing next to him was Argo, who had joined the guild for this battle. She would stay near the door the entire time, so she could quickly escape if the boss ever turned to her or she got in danger. Her only job was to hold the << Flag of Valor >>, not to be a hero. Drifter and Kirito had drilled that into her head.

    Silently, the raid-party entered the boss room. The shadow Morte cast upon them was still there, but they wouldn''t back out. They were frontliners.

    "Remember the plan, people! Spear-users and agility fighters, we are relying on you more than anything else for this raid, so stick to your roles and don''t be dumb!"

    Hearing that, Drifter snorted. Shivata looked at him and rolled his eyes, but the spearman was unrepentant, and glowered right back at the tank. He didn''t like the plan. It was a stupid plan.

    The strategy they had come up with during the pre-battle meeting had been cause of much dissension and arguments between the frontliners, and even amongst the Reavers themselves. Shivata had suggested it, and Drifter and Asuna agreed. The idea was supported by Ran and Sinon, but their guild leader Kirito and the others had disagreed. They didn''t quite manage to reach a compromise before the battle began. Needless to say, there was a lot of dissatisfaction in the air, and more than a few closed faces.

    The name of the boss was << The Irrational Cube >>. A gigantic construct, not unlike a Rubik''s cube, with each of its sides composed of nine smaller squares. Each of the squares had some symbols on them, and that was when the spear-users and agility-focused players entered.

    << The Irrational Cube >> was somewhat similar to the 5th floor boss << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >>, in the fact that its attacks were very telegraphed. Whenever the boss prepared an attack, some runes on its body would glow, and the players had a few precious seconds to hit them and stop the attack before it happened, at the same time paralyzing the boss momentarily and allowing everyone to attack it.

    However, the symbols were small, and flashed for only a brief moment. Hence the need for players with great accuracy and speed. But, to make sure they could reach the boss in time, those players would need to be in the front, even before the tanks. That was the reason behind the big disagreement. Needless to say, Nautilus, Liz, Yuna, and the others weren''t happy with Drifter and the rest putting themselves in (more) danger. They understood the necessity, of course, but that didn''t mean they had to be overjoyed about it.

    Drifter cleared his mind and focused on the giant object slowly coming to life in the middle of the room. << The Irrational Cube >>. Why this of all things was the boss of a forest-themed floor, the spearman had no idea. Nor did he really care, if he was being honest.

    Another boss. Another battle. Another floor. One step closer to freedom if they won. One step closer to hell if they lost. And death, probably. Drifter raised his spear. They would win.

    -----------------------------------

    Suguha was at home when the 6th floor boss raid of SAO occurred. Lucky, because she didn''t want to have to mask her feelings again, not from her teacher and friends. Not from Shinichi. She wanted, no, she needed, to be able to cheer and cry for Kazuto all she wanted, and she couldn''t do that at school.

    She received news that a live stream was starting the moment the raid-party stepped through the boss room''s doors. Not even ten seconds later, she was already on the sofa and turning on the television, yelling for her parents to join her.

    Her mother came running from the kitchen, where she was preparing lunch, and sat down next to her without even taking off her apron. Kirigaya Midori stared at the screen with such intensity that Suguha thought the device would melt. Or she would have thought that, had she noticed her mother''s gaze, but she was just as focused, so she didn''t.

    Kirigaya Minetaka appeared a few seconds later, running down the stairs. His hair was still wet, and his shirt stuck to his skin in damp patches. Her father had probably heard her yell and just thrown on his clothes, bolting from the bathtub where he liked to relax after a tiring week. He plopped down on her other side, and grabbed her mother''s hand behind her back, squeezing Suguha in the middle. They were all trying to find comfort in each other.

    "Their... Their formation is different, isn''t it?"

    As always, the Kirigaya family searched for Kazuto first. It wasn''t hard to find him, especially now that he had his guild, Reaver''s Requiem. But her father was right, there was something different about their positioning today. And not just them, but all the frontliners.

    "Their tanks are staying back for some reason. And look, Drifter, Asuna, and Ran are in the front. Even before Nautilus and Lisbeth.

    "But... That doesn''t make sense, right? Aren''t the more armored players supposed to be the first to engage the boss?"

    "Maybe it''s some new strategy?"

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Suguha pondered. It was a curious arrangement of their forces. She was still thinking about it, trying to understand what was going through her brother''s mind, when she heard her father whispering to her mother.

    "Do you think... It might have something to do with that murderer? Morte? Maybe they fear an attack from behind?"

    Suguha shuddered. Could it be? But no. Even if that was the case, their formation didn''t make sense. It was as she was thinking that the boss, a construct called << The Irrational Cube >> came to life. At the same moment, Drifter, Asuna, and other spear-users and general players of the Assault Team shot forward. They seemed to be aiming...

    "The glowing symbols! That''s why they are at the front! They are trying to hit them!"

    Drifter got his symbol, an upside down ''F''. So did Asuna and all the other players. Just half a dozen of them, because that was how many runes lit up. And the boss... Stopped. Like a machine losing power, the cube that was starting to rise fell down, and the frontliners attacked with wild abandon. The first health bar diminished by about 5%. And then << The Irrational Cube >> was up again.

    Some kind of shockwave sent the attacking players stumbling back, and the cube floated up. It was hard to discern what they were saying, with dozens of voices speaking at once, but Suguha thought they were discussing tactics. Something about which party would take each side.

    The Assault Team knew something. That had become clear by the 4th floor. Somehow, they had information about the bosses, which was great.

    Suguha''s mother yelped as one of the squares detached from the boss and rammed into two players, sending them flying. An impact like that would have killed anyone. But they just got up, chugged down a potion, and hopped back into the fight. Because this was a game.

    But death was still real. Suguha couldn''t comprehend how the frontliners could act like that. They almost died, again and again. Some of them did die. And yet, they always stood back up. Oftentimes without even a moment''s hesitation.

    She saw Drifter rush forward again, his target a glowing symbol high on << The Irrational Cube''s >> side. He wouldn''t be able to reach it... But he did. His legs flashed silver and he jumped, higher than humanly possible. A skill, that martial arts one, aimed at nothing. And then his spear glowed red as he stabbed twice at the rune, chipping away at stone, and causing the boss to fall inert once more.

    Before Drifter even landed, her brother was already leading the charge against the boss, his sword shining orange as he opened a huge gash in << The Irrational Cube >>. But even Kazuto couldn''t compare to the sheer damage from the broadsword-user in Reaver''s Requiem, Merida.

    The girl was almost smaller than her own sword. But gods, could she swing that thing fast. She made two cuts, her weapon glowing with an eerie red hue, almost in the shape of a cross. Suguha could swear the boss, for all its size, was pushed back a little.

    They were doing it. Again. Even though this was the sixth time she watched a live stream of a boss raid, Suguha would never cease to be surprised. She was absolutely enraptured with the battle. Mostly because her brother was there, but also in no small part because of what it was. Many people had already linked the SAO broadcasts to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum. And they were right, because that was exactly what it was. A show. A bloodsport. One you couldn''t take your eyes off.

    Suguha was lost in her musings for a while, but she was still watching the raid. She saw the agility-focused players hitting the runes with increasing accuracy - and now she understood why the strange arrangement of the frontliners. But Kayaba gave the spectators a bird''s-eye view of the battle, so she also saw something none of the players did.

    While they had managed to hit and dim all the symbols on the sides of << The Irrational Cube >>, the boss didn''t halt. There was still one more rune they had to hit, but it was on top of the floor boss. The Assault Team couldn''t even see it, much less reach it.

    The many cubes that formed the boss detached. Nine cubes for each side, six sides in total. 54 cubes, each of them the size of a person, started spinning. Slowly at first, and then faster and faster. Suguha saw the panic on the players'' faces.

    "AoE! Tanks to the front, everyone else get the hell outta the way!"

    Too late. It was way too abrupt for the players to react. Suguha watched one of the spinning cubs smash into the back of a spear-user - not Drifter, thankfully - and sent him sprawling to the ground - only to be hit again. And he wasn''t the only one.

    Asuna saw that she wouldn''t be able to run to the protection of the tanks in time, so she turned around and ducked under the first cube. The second came whirling from her left, and she placed her rapier between her body and the spinning mass of stone. The blade was thin and fragile, but it was better than nothing. The cube hit her, and the rapier... Snapped.

    Suguha stared wide-eyed as the sword in Asuna''s hand broke in half, and then shattered into polygons. The fencer didn''t even have time to be shocked by the loss of her weapon, because the unstoppable cube smashed into her, and she was sent tumbling through the ground.

    "Shit! It''s eating through our durability! Dodge! Don''t block unless you have no other option!"

    Someone from the Dragon Knights Brigade - Shivata - shouted over all the confusion. However, it was easier said than done. The spinning circle of death that was << The Irrational Cube >> had already spread to half of the room.

    She saw more equipment break, weapons and shields shattering. She saw Lizbeth and Ran being knocked aside by the boss, Drifter dragging down the red-haired guy who seemed to be friends with Kazuto just in time to duck under a cube. She saw the boss rumble. And then stop.

    With no warning, << The Irrational Cube >> suddenly halted its frenzied attack. The cubes crashed to the ground, now immobile. And Suguha followed the stares of the frontliners, and saw Sinon standing at the back, legs apart, her bow still glowing with the aftermath of a skill. And she saw the shaft of the arrow embedded in the dimming rune the players had all missed before.

    "Knights of the Dragon Brigade, attack!"

    Time seemed to freeze for a moment, before Lind''s shout shattered the stillness. With a roar, he charged the boss. The Assault Team followed.

    Suguha let out the breath she didn''t even notice she had been holding. They would pull through, like they always did, despite the odds, despite the fear she was sure they felt. She felt a huge smile taking her face as she pumped her fist into the air.

    "Go, Kazuto!"

 Chapter 73 - The Quest for a New Weapon

    Drifter stretched his arms above his head and groaned. The battle against << The Irrational Cube >> had been something. It had ended well, with no deaths and the only close call being a player from one of the smaller guilds, who got hit with a critical strike by the AoE attack of the boss. But not everyone was happy.

    Looking over the railing of their inn''s balcony, Drifter spied on Asuna. The fencer was sitting by the fountain, trying to pierce the water with her glare, and sulking.

    Sighing, Drifter walked down the stairs and went to sit next to her. The fencer barely acknowledged his presence, and shuffled to the side to give him more space.

    "Still feeling down, Asuna?"

    The fencer sniffed, then nodded. Her hands gripped each other tightly.

    "It''s stupid, I know. But I can''t help it."

    Drifter shook his head, and put a hand on her arm.

    "It''s not the end of the world, Asuna, but it''s not stupid either. You had it for a long time. It''s normal you grew attached to it. Trust me, I would know."

    To emphasize his point, Drifter tapped the shaft of his spear. << Caldea Fana >>. The fencer looked at him, and smiled. It was bleak, but a smile nonetheless.

    That''s right. The reason Asuna was so gloomy was because her << Wind Fleuret >> had broken during the battle. It was just a weapon, but the fencer had it since the 3rd floor. Same with Drifter and his spear. Both weapons had followed them for a long time, and carried them through many battles.

    It was just a weapon. Just a piece of equipment. Virtual, on top of that. Like Drifter said, it wasn''t the end of the world. She could just go back a few floors and get the exact same sword. But it wouldn''t be the same. And it still hurt a little.

    ----------------------------

    Kirito looked at Asuna and Drifter sitting silently together by the fountain. There was no jealousy in his gaze, as it was quite clear for just about everyone with eyes who Drifter fancied. But the swordsman was still a little sad, mainly because he couldn''t be the one down there consoling Asuna.

    It wasn''t that Kirito didn''t understand why she was feeling down. He sympathized with her, he really did. But they were different in this regard. Kirito had played a lot of games, and he never considered the equipment in them to be anything more than what it was.

    "You really should make a move soon, you know? Also, stop staring, it''s creepy."

    Startled, Kirito turned around. Sinon was there, smirking at him, a teasing glint in her eyes.

    "W-What are you talking about, Sinon?!"

    The archer rolled her eyes and blew her bangs out of the way of her eyes. Leaning on the railing next to him, she gestured with her head to the fencer and spearman below.

    "Asuna, who else? Really, Kirito, it''s pretty damn obvious. I think the entire Assault Team knows you like her, if not the rest of SAO."

    The young boy opened his mouth to deny it, then stopped. He flushed, stammering.

    "R-Really?"

    "Really. And, just so you know, she likes you too."

    "She does?!"

    Kirito asked a tad louder than he intended to. His blush deepened, and he sneaked a glance at Asuna. She was still talking to Kirito, and didn''t seem to have heard him. Sinon, meanwhile, was giggling, which was the archer''s equivalent of roaring with laughter.

    "Girls talk, Kirito. Besides, it''s just about as obvious as what you feel for her. You two are the only ones who don''t know it. I swear, I never saw a more oblivious pair. Even Drifter and Yuna aren''t like that."

    "You think they don''t know they like each other too?"

    The last word came out a whisper, which Sinon thankfully ignored. Glad to have a chance to change topics, Kirito latched onto it. The cyan-haired girl nodded, then shook her head.

    "I think they know. I''m just not sure if they are gonna act on it. I mean, I never had a boyfriend or girlfriend, but I can see the complications."

    Kirito nodded silently. There were some complications, as Sinon put it. But then again, their circumstances were about as abnormal as they could get.

    "I think you should ask her soon, Kirito. I''m of half a mind to do it myself if you don''t. And, for what it''s worth, I don''t think you will be disappointed."

    Sinon spoke so sagely that Kirito almost forgot she was younger than him. But, if everything she said was true, and it really was that obvious to everyone... He just didn''t know how to go about it. But he was not about to ask the archer for tips, or she would never let him live it down.

    "Anyway, that''s all I wanted to say. I''m going to bed. Goodnight, Kirito."

    The swordsman waved back absent-mindedly, lost in his own thoughts. He never noticed Sinon''s smirk as she left.

    She was speaking from the heart and giving him what she considered sound advice. If Kirito just so happened to ask Asuna out because of it, preferably before the 10th floor, well, that wasn''t considered interfering with the bet the Reavers had going around, was it? She was just being a good friend.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    -----------------------------

    Another day came, and again Reaver''s Requiem was in the wilderness just after dawn broke. Or, at least, part of them were. Drifter, Asuna, Nautilus, and Ran trekked through the waist-high dry grass. The others were on the 7th floor, mapping the floor and following up on the << Elf War >> campaign.

    That''s right. Drifter and the other three weren''t with their guild clearing the newest floor. Instead, they had traveled all the way back down to the 2nd floor, in search of a certain material, amongst the many they needed.

    Asuna''s rapier wasn''t the only piece of equipment << The Irrational Cube >> broke in its rampage. Of the Reavers, Drifter had lost his bracers, Ran her chestplate and gloves, and Nautilus his shield. And that was just their guild. Half of the frontliners were farming on the lower floors for replacement weapons and armor, and the materials to enhance them.

    Reaver''s Requiem was doing it a little differently. Instead of grinding mobs for equipment drops, they were purely going after materials. After all, they had Lisbeth, SAO''s number 1 blacksmith in their guild. She had promised them she could craft new equipment which was just as good as what they could get from mobs and NPCs, save for the new drops of the 7th floor, which they had little access to as of yet.

    << The Irrational Cube >> would have set them back a week just by the sheer amount of items that had to be replaced, if it wasn''t for the split between frontliners and clearers. As it was, the frontliners could calmly farm to recover their lost equipment without losing too much time.

    The DKB and ALS, each a giant guild with more than 80 members - though only fifteen of each were actual frontliners - had their clearer divisions working double time to keep the exploration of the 7th floor up to pace while the frontliners were away.

    Not that what Lind and Kibaou were doing mattered to Drifter. He was happy as long as the two guild leaders didn''t bother Reaver''s Requiem with their beater nonsense. Seriously, one would think that after being rejected no less than seven times, Kibaou would stop trying to convince them to abandon Kirito.

    Drifter felt his mood souring when he remembered the belligerent player, and shook his head.

    Six floors down, ninety-four to go. They still had to climb a long way. But they would do it. It would take years, but they would escape. That was what he believed.

    --------------------------

    "Left!"

    Kirito turned at the yell and slashed blindly. His sword caught something, a red line appearing in thin air first, followed by a snake-like monster that had lunged at him. The wound didn''t deter the mob, however, and it bit his arm, large fangs sinking into his flesh and poisoning him.

    Cursing, the swordsman activated a skill, his sword quickly flashing through three diagonal slashes, the last hit of << Sharp Nail >> cutting the << Mirage Prowler >> in half.

    Quickly drinking an antidote, Kirito charged the next snake, who had coiled around Merida, trying to suffocate her. Once the mobs grabbed their targets, they refused to let go no matter how much you stabbed them. Luckily, the blue-haired girl hadn''t stopped waving her broadsword around, and, as infective as it was in such close range, it still did some damage. The heavy overhead cut of << Slant >> finished off the creature.

    Yuuki ran through the last << Mirage Prowler >> at the same time Sinon put an arrow through its mouth. Kirito panted, and would have sat down to rest if it weren''t for where they were: a swamp.

    The 7th floor had started pretty much like the past three floors when the Assault Team climbed out of the labyrinth. Big trees, a lot of green. But as they walked towards the nearest town, grass gave way to mud and marsh. The entire city of Tikeriel was built on stilts and floating bridges.

    And the mobs... The mobs were the worse. They all had some variation of camouflage or poison or both. Kirito really wished he hadn''t offered to guide the Reavers through this floor while Asuna and the others went to the 2nd and then the 4th floor to look for materials. But he had, because he knew what this floor was like from the beta, and, at least until now, nothing much appeared to have changed.

    The 4th floor was probably looking so nice right now. The sun would be shining, maybe there would be some light breeze to cool you off a little. The water near Rovia was probably cold, but perfect for a quick dip.

    Unlike here. Here, the water was dark and muddy. It got into your boots and clung to your armor. Sucked you in when you tried to take a step forward. And there was no shining sun or breeze, only a canopy of dead leaves and still air. And snakes. Lots of snakes, at least 3 mob variations of the reptile.

    But it should be worth it in the end, if for no reason other than meeting up with Kizmel quickly, and seeing how she had recovered from her injuries. Deep down, he knew it was all a plot device, but he still worried about the friendly dark elf. She was half a Reaver already, or at least he considered her so.

    "How''s everyone looking on antidotes?"

    "I still have 3."

    "Four here."

    "Same. And we have two dozen more in the guild inventory. We should be okay, Kirito."

    Sinon, Yuna, Liz, Yuuki, and Merida all nodded, and the swordsman returned the gesture. Then they continued walking and fighting. It was what they had to do.

    ---------------------------

    77 days. That was how long Sword Art Online had gone for. And only now had the players climbed to the 7th floor.

    Kayaba would admit, he was impressed. Lightly, but he was. He designed SAO. Created Aincrad from nothing. It was all him. So he knew exactly how hard the death game he made was.

    The first month of waiting, of despair, was deliberate. He hid the door to << Illfang the Kobold Lord''s >> chambers. He knew many would die. Many would give up. He didn''t care. What he wanted were heroes. And heroes he got.

    After they breached the 1st floor, the group of players who had taken to being called ''frontliners'' had grown at an amazing pace.

    The first month was deliberate. Not the rest. In a little over a month and a half, the players had conquered five floors. And that showed Kayaba... That he was right. He was right all along.

    There were surprises along the way. The anomaly, NPC Kizmel. The songstress, who had somehow broken past the restrictions imposed by the system, and got something she was not yet supposed to have. The archer, who Cardinal had judged worthy.

    And the murderer. Morte. He had been unexpected. Not because of his actions - Kayaba had always known red players would appear. He was even counting on it. And there were more, not only Morte. One, more depraved than anyone else. What surprised Kayaba was how he went about it. Murdering players during a live broadcast was a bold move. But it made for a good target. A villain, to arouse the righteousness of the frontliners. It would propel them to grow stronger.

    He would have to watch for outside interference. Change his plans a little. Or not. The world was watching. They couldn''t control him or influence his actions. So let them watch.

    It was all inconsequential. Another challenge the players had to overcome. One of many. Another was drawing close, and he was mildly curious to see how the players would react. Would they bend and break? Or would they get up and stand tall again?

    Soon. Soon it would be time for the chess master to join the board.

 Chapter 74 - Moving Gears

    BANG!

    Metal struck metal.

    BANG!

    Hot, incandescent sparks flew.

    BANG!

    Metal, being molded into a deadly edge with each strike.

    BANG!

    At last, the hammer stopped. And Shinozaki Sato put the sickle, the farming tool aside. With that, his daily cota was met, and he could practice forging what he really wanted: katanas.

    Before that, he turned to the laptop he left in the corner of the forge, as far away from the heat and burning furnace as possible. The raid of the 6th floor was over, but the news channels kept playing replays of the ending. Sato watched the equipment of the frontliners break, and fixed his gaze on a pink-haired girl wielding a shield and a hammer. He sighed.

    "Ha... You never liked the family traditions, but it seems you fell to them all the same, little sis. Bend metal to your whims. I''m waiting for you to come back."

    -------------------------

    "Uff! That''s the last of them!"

    Kiz swiped at her brow, wiping non-existent sweat. She had a huge smile plastered on her face as she stared at the knee-high pile of crafting materials she had dumped in front of her forging station.

    A proper forging station. Could you imagine that? With everything she could need. A proper anvil, not like the miniature one she brought from the shop, and a real furnace, instead of a small fire.

    Of course, none of this mattered much when forging in SAO. She just had to hit all the materials a couple of times and a sword or a shield would appear. But it reminded her of home. And, more importantly, it gave a bonus to her << Blacksmithing >> skill.

    Reaver''s Requiem had paid a small fortune to rent the blacksmithing station for the day, all so Liz could have the highest chance of success when forging their new equipment and enhancing it.

    Lisbeth smiled. And then she got to work.

    ---------------------------

    "Woah! These are amazing, Liz!"

    Yuuki held the new greaves the blacksmith had made for her, and hugged Liz. Drifter was also admiring his << Emerald Rock Bracers >>. They were almost thrice as strong as his old << Cyan Scale Bracers >>.

    In the common room of an inn on the 7th floor, the Reavers praised their new equipment and the blacksmith who created it. And she had gone all out.

    Instead of just Asuna, Drifter, Nautilus, and Ran, pretty much everyone had received some new equipment. Sinon and Yuna were the only two left out, because they used leather armor, but Merida had promised to take care of it sometime soon.

    So, almost everyone had received an upgrade - and it was about time. Most of the Reavers had equipment at least two or three floors old. Granted, it was all enhanced to get as high as it could go, but it was still outdated. Not anymore.

    Drifter had gotten not only his new bracers, but also a chest plate. Nautilus held his new shield, which seemed to be made of stone, even though it was created by a blacksmith. Ran was admiring her chest plate and boots - she would have to make do with a lower-leveled glove for now. Yuuki had her greaves, and Merida was staring slack-jawed at her new broadsword. Kirito was testing his movement with the new pair of bracers, the same as Drifter''s own. Liz herself was proudly swinging her warhammer, now enhanced to +8.

    And Reaver''s Requiem weren''t the only ones beholding new pieces of armor and weapons. Players from Agil''s party, the Legend Braves, and Klein''s Fuurinkazan had commissioned Liz to create equipment for them, seeing as how the blacksmith was on a forging spree. Even Silica and Vallerk had somehow found their way there, the girl looking at her new dagger, and the boy his helmet. Argo was chatting with them while idly flexing her new claws.

    And amidst all that, almost thirty players, Asuna stared at the item Liz offered her. The fencer took the rapier in her hands candidly, almost afraid.

    "It''s... It looks almost the same as my fleuret!"

    The fencer stared wide-eyed at the weapon in her hands, and many were drawn by her exclamation, Drifter included. The spearman glanced at the rapier and nodded. It did indeed look a lot like Asuna''s << Wind Fleuret >>. The same slim blade, glinting with a dangerous edge, and the same fragile hilt, curving on itself, looking as if it was about to break any moment. But it wasn''t exactly the same. To start with, the colors were different. Instead of silver and light-green, this rapier was white with dark-green, creating a stark contrast. And, just by the way Asuna was gingerly holding it, Drifter could tell the sword was a little heavier than the old one. Liz scratched her head shyly.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Well, yeah. I knew how attached to it you were... And how pretty it was, and that you liked it a lot... So I thought I would make the new one with a similar look, y''know? That way, it will be kinda like the << Wind Fleuret >> is always with you."

    Liz whispered the last sentence, afraid she had overstepped her bounds. Asuna lifted the rapier, << Spring Breeze >>, above her head admiring the blade. Then, she wrapped the blacksmith in a crushing hug.

    "It''s perfect, Liz! Thank you so much! I love it!"

    Yup, trust Asuna to go for aesthetics over stats. In that, she and Kirito were exact opposites. The swordsman would wear a pink tutu in battle if it gave him better attributes. Though, Drifter could guess the stats of << Spring Breeze >> were good just by looking at it. The rapier was a work of art, and a deadly one on top of that. So, Drifter asked the only thing he could, to the groans of the Reavers.

    "So, who wants to test out their new gear?"

    ...

    Drifter was inclined to agree with Kirito. Fighting invisible snake mobs was not how you spent some quality time with your guild and friends. But even the ambushing reptiles could do little to douse the enthusiasm of the players.

    Nautilus lifted his shield right in the path of a lunging << Mirage Prowler >>, and the mob bounced. Asuna was there before it could submerge in the murky water again, her rapier pricking it full of holes. Nearby, Merida almost cleaved another monster in half with her broadsword.

    Not far, Agil, the Legend Braves, and Silica and Vallerk were also testing their new gear, and Liz was beaming with the praises she received. It took a little getting used to, especially for those who received new weapons or shields - the different lengths and weights were all things to consider - but it was definitely an improvement.

    The crowd - and it was one, 27 players in total since Argo and Nezha had left to do their info-broker thing - waddled through the swamp merrily. It was rare to see so many players in one group, since the experience gain would be almost negligible, but none of them were worried about leveling right now. They simply treated it as a day off with friends.

    Drifter himself was chatting with the Fuurinkazan players. Drifter was remembering what it was like to talk with people near his age. Not that he thought his guildmates were children, far from that, but there were some things they couldn''t relate to, like Klein''s account of getting smashed in a karaoke booth the day after being admitted into university. Agil and Orlando, his drinking buddies on the rare occasions they took the night out to do something other than sleep, were great company, but they were also nearing their thirties.

    "... fired me with less than a week''s notice. That was like two days before SAO."

    "Uff! I feel you, Drifter. I worked at least a dozen part-time and proper jobs during uni, and I would have sworn to anyone who asked that the last one, in one of those big tech companies, would have lasted me, you know? I thought I was set to stay there for at least a couple years after I graduated, but just three months before the bastards laid off about seventy people, myself included."

    That was Issin talking, and he patted Drifter sympathetically on the back. All of the Fuurinkazan members were just 3 or 4 years older than the spearman, so they had more experience in the workforce than him, but their stories were all very similar to his.

    Drifter was really enjoying getting to properly know them. Before today, they had always been ''Kirito''s friend''s guild''. Now, he considered them close acquaintances, and possibly friends.

    Fuurinkazan were good fighters, though not the best. In fact, as far as frontliners went, they were at the low end of the spectrum. But they were frontliners, and that was a threshold most players could never, or didn''t dare to cross.

    But more than just warriors, Drifter looked at Fuurinkazan and saw something he liked. They were friends, companions. They knew each other in real life, yes, but there was a big difference between that and being willing to trust your back to someone else in the middle of a fight. That was the biggest reason there were over six hundred clearers, and yet less than eighty frontliners. But Klein and the others dared to do it, and they were welcomed. Even if the red-headed man was a bit of a pervert.

    Case in point, one of the first topics Klein brought up was women - not any of the girls in Reaver''s Requiem, thankfully, or Drifter would have stabbed him. No, he just talked about women in general, and, from the grimaces and sighs of his guildmates, that was a constant conversation starter with the other man.

    "You know, a lotta people envy you guys?"

    "Hm? What are you talking about?"

    Now, having exhausted that particular topic, Klein''s idle chatter was directed at the Reavers in general. He swept his hand to show Yuuki, Ran, and Liz, who were currently bullying a << Mirage Prowler >>.

    "Well, you know how the male-to-female ratio in SAO''s about 7 to 3, right? Not that it matters, of course."

    The red-headed guild leader quickly amended his statement when Asuna glared at him. Then she smiled, and giggled at his confused expression.

    "Yup, I know. That''s why us girls gotta stick together, right, Sinon?"

    The archer let loose another arrow, which flew between Chuchulainn and Namate''s heads, hitting another mob, and gave a thumbs-up to Asuna. Drifter smirked and shook his head while Klein and the others laughed. The redhead continued.

    "Thing is, some people say you are sticking together too much, Asuna. You''ve got ten people in your guild, and seven of you are girls. Not following the ratio at all. The exact opposite, actually. Course, the people who complain ''bout that the most are either the fools in the ALS or players who don''t even leave the Town of Beginnings, so you shouldn''t give a damn about what they think. It''s just jealousy. Like we have time to think of romance in here."

    When Drifter heard the first half of what Klein said, he raised his eyebrows. This was not something he had ever thought about. And nor did he particularly care, now that he did think about it. Asuna, Yuna, Sinon, Liz, Ran, Yuuki, and Merida were part of his guild, and his friends. Family, even. And that was all he needed to know.

    He missed Asuna sneaking a glance at Kirito when she heard Klein''s last sentence, mainly because he was searching for Yuna. The songstress seemed to feel his gaze, because she turned to look at him from where she was talking with Silica, and smiled. He grinned right back.

 Chapter 75 - Unduly

    A spear stabbed forward, deadly. Drifter pierced through the gaping maw of a << Mud Jaw >>, a kind of mob that looked like an alligator made of wet soil and reeds, but with sharp teeth nonetheless. Then, while his weapon was still stuck inside the mouth of the monster, he kneed it in a << Dirty Play >>, pushing it so that almost half of his spear was now inside the mob.

    Letting go of his weapon, Drifter jumped to the side to avoid a tail swipe, and smacked the mob in the back with a downward chop. << Martial Arts: Brick-break >>. While the << Mud Jaw >> trashed around, disoriented, the spearman grabbed his weapon again and heaved, activating a << Vertical >> while it was still inside the mob''s mouth. The spear came out amidst a cloud of polygons.

    That was one of the secrets of weapon skills that he had learned over the months. Every time you used a skill, the system would automatically guide it, as long as your stance is correct. Usually, for << Vertical >> with a spear, that meant standing with your legs spread apart, one in front of the other, knees slightly bent, arms semi-flexed, the tip of the spear almost touching the ground. Then, you just had to let the system take over and guide your body through the upwards cutting motion.

    But it didn''t need to be always like that. You had to know a skill well enough - not just have many mastery points in it, but truly know the skill. You had to be able to perfectly accomplish the motions, without relying on the system. As long as you could do that, it was easy to adapt. So, instead of needing to take on a rigid stance, Drifter used << Vertical >> by twisting his body such that he would have fallen, if it weren''t for his weapon being stuck on the, until then, very solid mob. Almost as if the bottom jaw of the creature, where his speartip was wedged, was the ground. And then his spear lit up, and the skill went through.

    Looking around, Drifter saw his party fighting off another two << Mud Jaws >>. The Reavers and their guests had split into two parties so they could cover more ground.

    He made to go help Yuuki and Vallerk, charging a << Rage Spike >>, but then canceled the skill. His friends had the battle in good hands. Silica had been supporting him against the first mob, and her partner was keeping the second one at bay with his tower shield while Yuuki darted out from behind him to attack. Yuna was playing << Firemare >> from the back while Asuna was using the last monster as a training dummy to get used to her new weapon.

    Stopping in place, Drifter eyed the two mobs. Asuna was having fun, and she would get irate if he interfered. That left the one Vallerk and Yuuki were fighting. So the spearman raised his weapon in one hand and... Threw it.

    The spear flew through the air, wobbling, and struck the << Mud Jaw >> right behind the head. The tip of the weapon penetrated the mob... And then it fell. It did about one-sixth of the damage a normal blow of Vallerk''s shield did. Meaning, almost nothing. Drifter groaned, much to the amusement of the others, and Yuna poked his side cheerfully.

    "Still no luck, Drif?"

    He glowered at the grinning songstress, and didn''t deign to answer her. Drifter had been trying hard, for the last month, to unlock some kind of spear-throwing skill. And it wasn''t working.

    The thing was, everyone had thought it was impossible to create skills on SAO, just unlock pre-existing ones. Sometimes they might have some requirements other than simply a high mastery on one of the base skills - that was the case with shield-users'' << Counterforce >>, for example, which needed players to fulfill the hidden requirement of learning how to manually redirect blows.

    But then, Yuna had gone and created all those songs, which became skills. She even got to name them! Now, no one was sure if that was something specific to musician players, or if everyone could create new skills - no one but the songstress had managed to do so as of yet.

    Really, Drifter was shooting for both options, no matter how slim the chances. Whether it was an existing skill he simply hadn''t achieved the prerequisites for yet, or creating a new skill, if that was even possible. And it wasn''t simple stubbornness. He felt it, really felt it, that having a throwing skill like that would be useful, if not necessary. Even without it, it had already saved lives three times. And if he managed to accomplish it, the skill would become part of his arsenal, just as much as << Martial Arts >> and normal punches and kicks.

    Sulking, Drifter walked over to the dying mob, and picked up his spear. Yuuki and Vallerk wisely decided to step back and let the spearman stab it to death, if only to vent a little of his annoyance.

    "C''mon, Drifter, don''t be grumpy. You are supposed to be the responsible one!"

    "I can be grumpy and responsible."

    "You''ll get it someday, Drifter. You just need to keep trying."

    The spearman wasn''t sure which was worst - Yuuki''s gentle needling or Asuna''s soothing words. He was saved from having to give an answer when another << Mud Jaw >> spawned and torpedoed through the murky water at them.

    Drifter waited until the mob was almost on top of him before he stabbed... Straight down. His spear pierced through the head of the << Mud Jaw >>, nailing it to the ground, and Drifter jumped and twisted, landing behind the creature. When his spear came out, it was in a long cut which left a red line from the mob''s head to the base of its tail. The two-hit combo skill << Edge Vaulting >> took away 20% of the mob''s health before it even realized what was happening.

    Asuna and Yuuki were already there by the time he landed, dishing out slashes and stabs at the poor mob. Vallerk and Silica, who weren''t as used to higher-leveled battles as the Reavers, took two seconds more to gather their bearings and clash with the << Mud Jaw >>. Once surrounded by 5 players, the mob barely lasted twenty seconds.

    "We''ve got to the edge of the mapped territory Argo has. Everything from here on''s new."

    Asuna pulled up her HUD, set it to public, and showed everyone that they were now entering the foggy area of the 7th floor. The Reavers didn''t have much of a reaction. Yuna was diddling with her harp, Yuuki examining the durability of her sword, and Drifter nodded to his fellow vice-guild leader. To them, this was nothing out of the ordinary.

    Silica and Vallerk, on the other hand, were a little fidgety. They were clearers, but they didn''t usually explore new areas - mainly because they were only two - but rather searched for quests, drops, and the like. Add to that that they were partying with four of Reaver''s Requiem numbers, the third largest frontline effective guild - all of the Reavers fought in the frontlines - and it''s not hard to understand why the duo was nervous.

    "Behind us!"

    Drifter spun, and saw two more << Mud Jaws >> encroaching on them. Vallerk hurried to << Taunt >> one while Yuuki and Drifter quickly intercepted the other.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Right!"

    The spearman had just used a << Tidal Sequence >> to knock back the mob when Yuna cried out again as another monster approached. Drifter exchanged a glance with Asuna, communicating without words, and the fencer rushed out to entangle with the third << Mud Jaw >>.

    The mobs were fast and tanky, but the party could deal with three of them with no problem. But Drifter and Yuuki had just managed to dispatch their << Mud Jaw >> when two more spawned, from an entirely different direction. They were getting surrounded.

    "Something''s wrong! We triggered some sort of event!"

    "No kiddin''!"

    Yuuki started to dash towards the incoming mobs, but Drifter put his spear in her path. He gestured towards Asuna, who was dueling a << Mud Jaw >> with half its health, somehow managing to avoid the tail swipes and snapping maw even in the knee-height water.

    "Leave them to me, go support Asuna. Kill it quickly, before more spawn and we get overwhelmed. Yuna, << Del Din >>!"

    "On it!"

    To her credit, Yuuki didn''t hesitate like she would have a few weeks ago. She gave Drifter a toothy grin and ran over to the fencer, already using a skill.

    One thing everyone had learned was that Drifter was, in no uncertain terms, the best spear-user in SAO. And that also made him the best crowd-controller player, other than maybe Shivata and Litten, who ran pure-tank builds.

    Of course, Drifter himself never acknowledged that. He knew it to be true, at least amongst the frontliners and clearers - and those were really the only groups that mattered in this, since no one who hid in the safe zones had the right to that claim. But even when other people brought it up, Drifter just brushed it aside. It wasn''t that he was overly humble. The spearman liked to brag just as much as everyone else. But there was a limit to pride, and certain claims would only make others dislike you, while you gained nothing.

    And Drifter had been humbled by the system more than once. So what if he was SAO''s best spearman? He still almost died a dozen times. But... He was SAO''s best spear-user.

    He greeted the two << Mud Jaws >> with a << Tidal Sequence >> to the face, the three diagonal cuts blowing the mobs back and splashing water everywhere. Then he jabbed his spear at the one of the left, before kicking it in the face with a << Martial Arts: Low Blow >>. Like many of the << Martial Arts >> skills, the damage was negligible, but it was the stun effect Drifter was really after.

    A giant maw snapped at his left leg, and Drifter jumped out of the way. Taking advantage of the two seconds where he would only have to deal with one mob, he fired a << Horizontal >> and a << Sting >>, both of which had close to no cooldown after his mastery of them reached 600.

    Another << Edge Vaulting >>, and he was in the middle of the two mobs, who charged him without a second''s thought. Right in time to get batted away by a << Tornado >>.

    Drifter refused to let the mobs catch a breather. The first had yet to land from it''s unscheduled flight when his spear went through its belly and out the back. Drifter heaved, spun, and launched the << Mud Jaw >> a good five meters away. Not much, but enough for him to charge and repeat the action, this time using << Rage Spike >>, enabling him to throw the mob twice as far.

    Counting the seconds he had, Drifter turned around to the second mob and immediately dropped down, just narrowly avoiding the tail swipe. Without a change in expression, he kneed the << Mud Jaw >> in the snout with << Martial Arts: Hiza >>, and ran it through with his spear.

    That was when another monster spawned, and lunged at him. This one Drifter didn''t manage to dodge, and the << Mud Jaw >> chomped on his midriff, taking away one-sixth of his HP. Drifter''s response was to elbow it in the eye.

    The mob did not let go. In fact, it started twisting and turning, and Drifter''s health started dropping, so he hit it again, this time with a << Martial Arts: Brick-break >>. Situations such as that were exactly why Drifter, Asuna, and Kirito had insisted all of Reaver''s Requiem, as well as Agil''s party and the Legend Braves, learned << Martial Arts >>.

    The karate chop forced the << Mud Jaw >> to let go, and Drifter promptly smacked it away with a << Horizontal Arc >> before retreating. A quick glance revealed that, while Vallerk, Silica, Asuna, and Yuuki had dealt with the mobs he assigned to them, five more mobs had spawned, including the one that attacked him, and now each duo was fending off two. Yuna had walked closer to the center of their mishaped circle, to avoid being ambushed.

    Surprisingly, even with seven << Mud Jaws >> attacking them, and two of their party members not being frontliners, this still wasn''t a desperate situation for them. Mind you, it could turn into one very quickly, but it wasn''t there just yet.

    It would have left them in dire straits at the start of SAO. But they weren''t the same players from back then. Their levels, gear, and skill had all vastly improved. Even if this was the 7th floor, Drifter reckoned it would take at least 10 normal mobs for things to become truly dangerous.

    He snuffed that line of thought right away, lest he jinxed it.

    So, it might surprise the lower-leveled players, but the party was, in fact, dealing with the mobs quite easily. They weren''t relaxed, not by a long shot, but they also weren''t feeling very pressured. Drifter himself, now that he had all three << Mud Jaws >> in sight, was dancing around them, and keeping them at bay with his spear.

    He slid the weapon across his arm, nailing one of the mobs in the head. Then, using the momentum from the blow, he spun in a horizontal slash - not the skill - and then another << Tidal Sequence >>.

    "Damn it!"

    Yes, three << Mud Jaws >> he could deal with. But Drifter eyed the newly spawned fourth mob charging at him, and cursed. Four was a little bit too much.

    The spearman blocked the attack with the shaft of his weapon, but a second tail swipe caught him on the side, and he staggered. He cut the mobs three times, dodged two attacks, and parried a third, but a << Mud Jaw >> managed to bite him in the leg.

    "Huddle up, everybody! Vallerk, << Taunt >> as many of them as you can, I''ll handle the rest! Asuna, mark a target and go wild! Yuuki, Silica, with her!"

    Left with no other choice, Drifter used << Tornado >> again to send the mobs reeling back, and bellowed for his party to group up. They did so, and Vallerk managed to grab the attention of five of the << Mud Jaws >>, which was honestly more than Drifter was expecting. It might be too much for the clearer, but he had a shield and everyone else didn''t, so that was that.

    Yuna switched to << Rest >> - Drifter and Vallerk were quickly accumulating injuries - and the three girls made quick work of the first mob. Only seven left. And none more spawned.

    Drifter looked around and did a quick mental count. Eighteen. Eighteen << Mud Jaws >> had attacked them without the party even moving from this spot. Was there something special about that number? On a whim, he used << Searching >>, and his eyes narrowed.

    "Asuna, I''m picking up something to the northeast. ''Bout 30 meters. It looks like some kind of NPC."

    Drifter couldn''t actually see what it was, only the highlighted clues the skill showed him. But it had a distinct blue color which was normally associated with non-playable characters.

    "You think whoever it is, they are behind the mobs?"

    "Yup. Too much of a coincidence otherwise."

    "Pity we don''t have Sinon here. Looks like we just stumbled on a quest, everyone! Let''s clear ''em up and see who that is!"

 Chapter 76 - The Last Line

    Somewhere on the 7th floor.

    Six players were fighting against just as many of the common floor mobs, the alligators made of earth and wet soil known as << Mud Jaws >>. Drifter kept checking on the hidden NPC, even as he stabbed one of the monsters through the heart and killed it. Good, he or she hadn''t moved.

    "Looks like you were right, Drifter. They aren''t spawning anymore."

    "We must have fulfilled whatever prerequisite for the event there was."

    "Focus on the mobs, you two! Vallerk''s potions are on cooldown!"

    Asuna showed a sheepish smile at that, while Drifter very maturely stuck his tongue out at Yuna. Nevertheless, both quickly moved to support the tank, Asuna literally jumping over him with a vertical << Line Cut >>. Drifter was a little less showy - nothing to do with his lower agility stat, definitely not - but his << Snake Bite >> curved around Vallerk''s shield, hitting the same mob as the fencer. It was a mystery which of them killed it.

    A blur ducked under his arm, and Drifter was once again surprised by how nimble Silica''s small frame was. And her attack rate was probably comparable to Asuna''s, as she stabbed a << Mud Jaw >> with << Canine >>, << Triple Fang >>, and four normal attacks in a matter of seconds.

    ''We should probably send her to Argo...''

    Seeing Silica''s combat style, Drifter couldn''t help but think that. The Reavers had a deal with the info-broker that, should they think anyone needed to learn << Martial Arts >> and wasn''t part of their guild, they would send them to her. Argo had to earn her living in some way, especially considering how she spent half of her time updating the free guidebooks.

    "Eh?!"

    Roughly at the time the party killed two other << Mud Jaws >>, Drifter, who had never stopped using << Searching >> to lock onto the NPC, made a strangled sound. He immediately whirled around.

    "On your toes, people! That fellow''s closing in!"

    Instantly, Asuna and Yuuki quickened their offensive, trying to take out the remaining monsters before the NPC approached. NPCs were always harder to deal with than normal mobs, and they wanted to be able to fully focus on it.

    While Asuna went for the large combo skill that was << Sharp Hail >>, Yuuki showcased her insane reaction speed which was comparable to Kirito''s by chaining a << Sonic Leap >> straight into a << Vertical >>, and then finally a << Vertical Square >>, which might have been somewhat of an overkill. But then again, overkill was the best type of kill in any SAO player''s opinion.

    They finished off the mobs just in time, as a person finally stepped out from behind the trees it had been hiding. The four Reavers tensed when they saw who it was.

    "A fallen elf? What the hell''s she doing here?!"

    "Hm, looks like this wasn''t a random event, but rather we triggered the continuation of the << Elf War >> quest line."

    "This... It can be counted as a good thing, right?"

    Yuuki scratched her head, a note of doubt evident in her voice. Drifter was also curious. The fallen elf was approaching them with her hands raised above her head, as if surrendering. This was unlike any start of a quest they had seen before.

    "Humans! I offer you my aid!"

    "Huh?"

    Even Drifter was left speechless after that. They had yet to meet a single fallen elf who wasn''t trying to kill them, and then this one suddenly appeared and said she was going to help them? He turned to Asuna. She sighed.

    "Why would you need your help?"

    "My eyes have been opened to the horrors Lord Aater is committing! I wish to aid you in his destruction!"

    The players gave the fallen elf a disbelieving stare. If they weren''t pretty sure she had just summoned about twenty mobs to try and kill them... They still wouldn''t trust her. She was very obviously lying through her teeth. But, there was something interesting in what she said.

    "Who''s this Lord Aater?"

    "Y-You don''t know?"

    The response to her question was Asuna lifting her rapier threateningly. The fallen elf gulped.

    "Lord Aater is the leader of the fallen elves. H-He promised to lead us to freedom and to break us out of our ancient prison. But... He was lying!"

    "How so?"

    "He asked us to gather the << Secret Keys >>, saying they were needed to unlock our magic, but it was all a lie. The keys are simply a medium to revive the ancient god, and he is going to sacrifice all of us to do that!"

    Drifter raised his eyebrows. While he was taking everything the fallen elf said with a handful of salt, that part about reviving some god still seemed like relevant lore, and was probably truthful. If that didn''t sound like final boss stuff,  he didn''t know what did. He glanced at Asuna.

    "Think we can trust that?"

    "Not at all. But it''s a quest, so let''s just take it. We can deal with the betrayal later."

    The fencer shrugged, and the party was happy to follow her lead.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "All righty then, lady. How can we stop that lord something and how are you going to help us?"

    "I know where three of the << Secret Keys >> are hidden on this floor! As long as we steal them, Lord Aater won''t be able to complete the ritual."

    Drifter stared at the NPC, and, more importantly, at the quest that popped up in front of him. Without much thought, he accepted it on behalf of his party. He also drafted a message for Kirito, telling his guild leader what happened, and where they would meet. Once that was done, he gestured with his hand to the fallen elf.

    "Lead the way."

    ...

    It took a grand total of three and a half hours and two miscellaneous quests for the fallen elf woman, whose name Drifter didn''t even bother to memorize, to betray them.

    His party met with the rest of the Reavers deep into the swamp of the 7th floor. Since they were following the NPC instead of exploring the floor, their map showed a long, clear, and straight line surrounded by fog.

    Just before the fallen elf led them into a narrow grove and straight into an ambush, Drifter was talking with Kirito.

    "You''ve done this before, Kirito. What''s supposed to happen?"

    The young swordsman paused for a moment to organize his thoughts. His guildmates, plus Silica and Vallerk, who were still following them, looked at him in anticipation. Kirito was always reticent to talk about the << Elf War >> campaign quest line, because saving Kizmel had changed a lot.

    "Well, in the beta she betrayed me, but she was telling the truth about the fallen elf boss using sacrifices and the keys to awaken their evil god. Only, the sacrifices weren''t the fallen elves, but rather dark and forest elves they took prisoners, and also myself. They are probably going to try to capture us in the coming ambush."

    If their fallen elf guide and soon-to-be traitor was more than a normal NPC, she would have surely felt cold sweat trickling down her back when she heard the players casually talking about her ''hidden'' plots. But she wasn''t Kizmel, so she just kept walking and ignored them.

    "What else?"

    "I obviously defeated them and escaped. After that, the quest prompted me to talk to the dark elf commander, and tell him about the fallen elves'' plans. That was how the campaign ended on this floor. The 8th floor was all about making the dark elves and the forest elves put aside their differences and work together, and on the 9th floor there was a huge war and I had to beat that Lord Aater. I think his name was different in the beta, but the plot should be along those lines still."

    "I always wanted to ask, Kirito, but how did you do all that alone in the beta? No offense, but it doesn''t sound possible for one person to beat the entire campaign."

    Yuuki skipped next to him, and Kirito grinned.

    "None taken, Yuuki. I think the difficulty escalated according to the number of players participating in the quest back then. Same thing with floor bosses. Kayaba wasn''t as interested in the progress of the players as he was in us finding bugs, I believe. That''s why a bunch of people barely left the 1st floor in the beta, since they were focused on lifestyle skills. They even received some sort of incentive from Argus."

    Argus was the company behind SAO. Drifter thought idly for a moment that they should be in complete and utter chaos, if not bankrupt, after the stunt Kayaba pulled. Honestly, they deserved it. How could an entire company not find out that their head developer was actually a sadistic psycho?

    "How high did you actually go during the beta, Kirito? You said you climbed to the 10th floor after... After Illfang. Was that true?"

    Asuna tilted her head, curious, and everyone was suddenly 100% focused on Kirito, waiting for his answer. The boy was flustered, rubbing his cheek while averting his gaze.

    "Well... Yeah. But when I got to the 10th floor, there were barely two days left of the beta. I only managed to explore a little, and didn''t even find the entrance to the labyrinth. Much less fight the boss."

    Answering the unasked question, Kirito quickened his pace, leaving the rest of the players behind. The Reavers looked at each other and sighed. The title of Beater was still a heavy stone in Kirito''s heart.

    "Ahh, I can''t wait to get to the 10th floor. Then Kibaou and the rest of the idiots won''t have a basis to curse Kirito anymore."

    "We can always challenge him to a duel. I''m pretty sure Asuna, Ran, Yuuki, or Kirito himself would be able to wipe the floor with him."

    "Eh, but we are supposed to ''show a unified front''. Didn''t you say that yourself, Drifter?"

    Sinon mimicked quotes with her fingers, and the spearman sighed.

    "I did say that, but I''m not tempted to follow my own advice, if I''m being honest."

    "Hahaha!"

    The others chuckled, and Nautilus patted Drifter on the shoulder. Kibaou''s constant yapping was grating on their nerves, and they would like to do nothing more than to take him down a peg or two. But there were more important things, like clearing SAO, so they had to endure it for now.

    "Oh my god, he is so cute!"

    To the side, while Drifter and the others talked, Silica''s eyes were shining as she stared at Feredir, who had just returned from scouting ahead, and was rubbing head against Kizmel''s leg.

    "Big sis Kizmel, can I pet him? Please?"

    "Eh?"

    The dagger-user hopped towards the dark elf and begged to touch Feredir. Kizmel hesitated, then looked at the wolf.

    "Feredir?"

    "Awoo!"

    Her tone was that of someone asking for permission, and Feredir barked once before walking towards Silica, who showed no fear despite the wolf being almost as tall as her. In fact, the girl had a huge smile of anticipation on her face, which changed to delight when Feredir pushed his huge head against her hands.

    "Woah, your fur is so soft! Amazing!"

    Feredir licked her face, and Silica started giggling while running her fingers through his fur. The other players watched the scene smilingly, especially Vallerk and Drifter. It was nice seeing Silica act her age for once. SAO had forced her to grow up too fast.

    "Stop! We are here!"

    "Where''s here, exactly?"

    Suddenly, the fallen elf guiding them halted. Liz questioned her in a doubtful tone, seeing as they were in the middle of nowhere.

    "You stupid humans, you really thought I would betray Lord Aater?"

    When she turned around, the fallen elf''s normal fearful expression had disappeared, and in its place was a face full of malice. Drifter readied his spear as several enemies spawned around them.

    "You can resist, scum, but it will be useless! You shall be the sacrifices to awaken our vengeful god! Capture them!"

    After finishing her villain speech, the dark elf stretched her palm towards the Reavers, as if trying to grab all of them with her hand. At the same time, over a dozen << Fallen Elf Ambushers >> and << Fallen Elf Scouts >> rushed at them.

    Drifter scanned the enemies. There didn''t seem to be any elites or mini-bosses, only normal fallen elves. So, he raised his spear and attacked... Their traitorous guide. If there was any chance of something unexpected happening, it would come from her.

    Kirito and Asuna had the same idea. While Liz and Nautilus << Taunted >> the other mobs, they charged the fallen elf woman together with Drifter. She barely had the time to let out a cry of pain before shattering into a million pieces.

    From there, taking care of the remaining mobs was simply a matter of teamwork, focusing on one or two fallen elves at a time, and killing them. Fifteen minutes later, the battle was over, and the Reavers were getting ready to go back to the city. Tomorrow, they would accompany Kizmel to talk to the dark elf commander on this floor, and explain the necessity of an alliance between the dark elves and forest elves - the questline of the next floor.

    "Say, Kizmel, do you think we can convince your people to stop hostilities with the forest elves?"

    "Uhmm... It will be hard, but I believe it is possible, Asuna. Our ruler is sensible, she will see the bigger picture. However, I''m not sure the forest elf king will see it the same way."

    "You can leave him to us, Kizmel. The fallen elves are our common enemy, so we''ll try to convince him to... Hm?"

    Kirito paused suddenly, and Drifter looked over to him.

    "What''s up?"

    "A message from Klein. Fuurinkazan found the field-boss. They are asking if we want to tackle it with them."

    The swordsman looked at his guild members inquisitively. They answered in chorus, and with no hesitation.

    "Of course!"

 Chapter 77 - Rotten Fog

    Ogawa Kana was just finishing her daily shopping. Genji would be working overtime today, so she wanted to prepare a surprise dish for him. But all those thoughts ran out of her mind when she was on her way home. She almost let go of the plastic bags she was carrying, one hand covering her mouth in shock.

    On the other side of the road, a street vendor had set shop. They were very common around these parts, and sold all kinds of souvenirs and counterfeit goods to tourists. Kana was used to them, and had even brought a few things herself now and then. But this vendor''s wares caused her to pause.

    Amongst the many miniatures of landmarks, pins, handkerchiefs, small toys, and whatnot, were some t-shirts. And, on those shirts, along with some designs, three very familiar words were stamped: Sword Art Online.

    "Good evening, miss! Would you like to take a closer look? I have all kinds of designs, I''m sure there''s one to your satisfaction!"

    When he noticed Kana, the peddler thought she was interested in what he was selling, so he treated her as a potential buyer.

    "This here is one of the most famous frontliner guilds, the Aincrad Liberation Squad! See how they are all using the same equipment, and lined up like an army? Of course, I also have one of the DKB, riding dragons as it is their namesake!"

    The vendor started his sales pitch, pulling out shirts and hoodies to show Kana. She was too shocked to say anything, and he just took her silence as her not being satisfied.

    "A tough client, I see. But I''m sure you will love these ones! Look, what do you think? I have Reaver''s Requiem''s Asuna, or this one with the Songstress Yuna. Or how about their guild leader, Kirito, standing over Illfang''s body? Maybe this one of Drifter posing with his spear? Which one do you like, miss?"

    Kana stared at the array of goods displayed in front of her, her expression growing paler by the second. She blanched completely when her eyes found a shirt stamped with her son''s face, and another of Diavel fighting the 1st floor boss of SAO, Illfang.

    "Y-You..."

    The vendor''s enthusiasm cooled down when he saw her expression. When Kana finally spoke, almost screeching at him, he flinched.

    "Y-You! How could you try to sell this while people are fighting for their lives inside that death game?! Don''t you have any respect?!"

    Hearing Kana''s outburst, the vendor''s face scrunched up, and he muttered under his breath while putting away his wares.

    "Great, another one of those. Look here, miss, if ya don''t like it, you don''t need to buy anything. Just don''t cause a scandal, all right? I''m trying to make a living here."

    That was the wrong thing to say, and Kana almost swung the bag holding her purchases at him.

    "People are dying in that horrible place, and you are trying to make money by mocking them?! My son is trapped there, you... You heartless bastard!"

    "Oh, shit! Err... I am very sorry to hear that, miss. My condolences. I-I need to go!"

    The vendor still looked like he wanted to argue at first, but when he heard Kana say she had family imprisoned in SAO, all the fight left him. He cursed, his eyes carrying some actual compassion, his words not entirely perfunctory. To avoid Kana''s furious glare, he wrapped up his stuff with the practiced ease of a man used to running from the police with his illegal goods, and left without looking back.

    Kana just stood there for several more minutes, the people who had watched the commotion looking at her with pity. Then, she left.

    -----------------------------

    Of course, Drifter and the other SAO players knew nothing of what was going on outside, though it is likely they would be enraged beyond description if they did. Each of the frontliners fought dozens of life-or-death battles every day, and to have someone, even if illegally, try to make money on top of that, made everything they had done seem like a mockery.

    But they wouldn''t know about it for a long time, if at all. At this moment, Drifter and Reaver''s Requiem were conveying with Fuurinkazan, planning a strategy for the battle against the field-boss.

    "There''s just sixteen of us, do you think it''s enough? Maybe we could get Agil and the Braves to help."

    Drifter put forth this idea, but Kirito shook his head.

    "No. For this boss, having less people might actually be better."

    "Oh? Why?"

    Curious, Drifter and the others glanced at the monster in the distance. From where they were standing, it looked like some giant rotten tree, but if you squinted, you would notice that said tree was swaying slightly and moving. If you looked even more carefully, you would discover that the tree wasn''t growing on a moss-covered rock, as it first appeared, but actually on a giant frog''s back. The reason you didn''t notice at first was because the frog was so still it blended in with the scenery.

    "In the beta, this << Rotten Fog >> was famous for two reasons: its crowd-control and area-of-effect skills. To win against it, we need to be able to spread out and move fast. We would only get in each other''s way if we have too many players."

    Kirito quickly explained. Though it was Fuurinkazan who found the boss, Klein had deferred command to the younger swordsman. He knew his shortcomings, and Kirito was much more knowledgeable, and simply better at leading than him.

    Of course, the only reason this change of command went so smoothly was because of the two guilds involved. Through the relationship between their respective leaders, Reaver''s Requiem and Fuurinkazan were on very good terms. Also, their personalities matched well. Fuurinkazan were all real-life friends, while the Reavers were the misfits of the frontlines. If it had been the ALS or DKB, who were extremely overbearing, this cooperation wouldn''t have worked. It might not have even started, really.

    "Right, so we have to watch out for AoE attacks. Talk positioning now."

    "We need to spread out and surround it. The tanks should << Taunt >> it, but they can''t be bunched up otherwise they might all be incapacitated with one attack. The same goes for everyone else. Keep a distance of at least three or four meters between each other, this way you can support one another if needed, but also dodge without tripping each other. The boss is deceptively nimble, so pay attention to that. Nautilus, can you stay near Sinon and Yuna? You might need to jump in the boss'' path if it attacks them."

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "No problem."

    The ash-haired player nodded. Meanwhile, Klein glanced at Silica and Vallerk, who were standing on the outskirts of their circle.

    "Did the pair join your guild, Kirito?"

    "No, we are just bringing ''em around. They are friends."

    The red-haired guild leader raised an eyebrow, and nodded. His gaze still wandered to Silica from time to time, clearly thinking she was too young, but Kirito was vouching for them, so it wasn''t like he could say anything.

    "Everyone ready? Great, then we are starting!"

    The two guilds plus the unaffiliated duo ran towards the positions they had discussed before. However, when they were still more than twenty meters away from the boss, the << Rotten Fog >> started to stir. The dead tree on its back shook as the giant frog got up and... Croaked.

    "Agh!"

    "Ur..."

    "Ack! What the hell was that?!"

    The noise was like a small bomb being set off, and even the murky water trembled, creating waves in a circle, with the << Rotten Fog >> as the epicenter. Drifter grabbed his head with one hand and blinked furiously. His HP had decreased by 10% seemingly out of nowhere.

    "Told you it has lots of AoE attacks! Though, this one''s new. Attack!"

    Kirito needn''t have said that. They were - mostly - elites, so although the sonic attack caught them by surprise, the players were stunned for only a moment before pressing on.

    Still, in the time it took for them to cross the twenty meters between them and the field-boss, the << Rotten Fog >> let out another attack, some kind of red mist jet which engulfed Issin, Kunimittz, and Liz, who were directly in front of the field-boss, and didn''t manage to dodge in time.

    "A poison and speed debuff!"

    "Drink the antidotes, don''t let it tick too many times!"

    Drifter quickly shouted orders, but never stopped moving. Tilting his body forward impossibly close to the ground, he aimed his spear at the field-boss and charged. The << Comet Break >> tore a long gash along the left rear leg of the << Rotten Fog >>.

    Seeing that the monster was still focused on the tanks, Drifter immediately followed up with a couple of normal attacks. The boss was so huge it didn''t really matter where he stabbed it.

    "Ribbit!"

    Croaking again, the << Rotten Fog >> slammed its webbed feet on the ground, causing a wave in a half-moon shape to spread around it. This time, Kirito, Merida, Klein, and half a dozen others were caught by it. That was how big the AoE was.

    Witnessing that, Drifter raised a hand and gestured to Kizmel, before redoubling his efforts. The dark elf nodded, and sheathed her curved blade again. Then, fingers hovering over the hilt, she closed her eyes and waited.

    Stabbing his spear on the ground and leaving it there, Drifter crouched, his hands closed in fists and glowing silver. After a few seconds of accumulation, he suddenly sprung up, hitting the << Rotten Fog >> with an earth-shattering uppercut.

    << Martial Arts: Senda >>. Not only did the skill deal an unreasonable amount of damage to a field-boss, emptying its health bar by a visible percentage, it actually managed to send the giant frog, which surely weighed at least a ton, stumbling back, and eventually falling on its side. The dead tree on the boss'' back creaked and shook, as if it would break in half at any moment.

    Of course, the drawbacks of << Senda >> were as noticeable as its damage. The << Rotten Fog >> immediately turned its beady red eyes onto Drifter, transferring its aggro completely. Meanwhile, the spearman was rooted in place. Even with his high proficiency points on the skill, he was still stuck in a 3 seconds cooldown, during which he was basically defenseless.

    "Hah!"

    Right before the field-boss crushed Drifter, Kizmel''s eyes snapped open, and she drew out her shining green sword. The weapon - and the dark elf wielding it - blurred, and the << Rotten Fog >> screeched before falling back, one of its eyes split open by a cut.

    "Perfect timing, Kizmel. Like always."

    "Heh, you are welcome, Drifter."

    The spearman slowly got back up and grabbed his weapon again, smiling at the dark elf. That was a combo they had practiced many times before, after he discovered Kizmel also had a powerful skill, but with a long charging time.

    The dark elf was already an honorary Reaver by now, and, if everything went according to plan, she would be a formal one once the << Elf War >> campaign was over. That had caused no small amount of unhappiness by Kibaou, Lind, and a few others when they discovered it, accusing Kirito of using his ''beater knowledge'' to ''steal'' NPCs. Needless to say, none of the Reavers cared.

    Under the continued efforts of the Reavers and Fuurinkazan, it took them a little more than fifteen minutes to whittle the field-boss down to half health. Along the way, they had to withstand all sorts of widespread attacks, from shockwaves causing small tsunamis, sonic attacks, and the venomous belch from the field-boss.

    When the HP of the << Rotten Fog >> reached 50%, however, things got more... Interesting. Instead of getting even more aggressive, the boss actually slowed down, and so did the players. Nothing good would come from rushing the boss when they didn''t know what it was doing. A quick glance at Kirito''s frown told Drifter that the swordsman also didn''t know what was going on.

    Just as they were debating whether to press on the attack or wait, the dead tree of the << Rotten Fog''s >> back shook. The bare branches elongated and pierced the ground, almost forming a cage around the field-boss.

    "A defensive move?"

    Their doubt was understandable, as it was rare to find any monster with defensive skills. Most just tried to kill the players as quickly as possible.

    But they soon learned that they were wrong. With a rumble, the same branches that had pierced the ground shot out from right under their feet. It was so unexpected that no one, not even Kirito and Yuuki, managed to avoid it.

    "Ahh!"

    "Damn it!"

    "What the...!"

    A branch - or was it a root? - pierced Drifter''s chest, and he hissed. A clean 50% of his HP was shaved off instantly, and the same went for everyone else, no matter if they were lightly armored players like Sinon and Yuna, or tanks like Vallerk and Harry One.

    "It''s fixed damage! Heal, heal up!"

    Klein shouted loudly while downing a potion himself. If they didn''t keep their health above the halfway mark, they wouldn''t even know how they died.

    The Reavers were in a better position, since they had Yuna to heal them with << Rest >>, but Fuurinkazan, as well as Silica and Vallerk, directly stepped back. This wasn''t a game where you could resurrect and try again if you died. They couldn''t risk it.

    "Liz and Nautilus, aggro the boss again! Yuuki, Ran, and Asuna, on the left! Merida, Kizmel, and Drifter, with me on the right! That attack should be triggered by its HP, so just contain it for now, don''t overdo it. Sinon, you can take a break for now. Yuna, all out on << Rest >>."

    "You got it, Kirito!"

    "Klein and the others, drink your potions as soon as they come off cooldown. I want everyone on the green before we attack again!"

    No sooner than he said that, the swordsman ran off to intercept the field-boss again. With just their guild taking it on, controlling the << Rotten Fog >> ought to be much harder.

 Chapter 78 - Another One Goes

    Rolling back through the mud, Drifter barely dodged a jet of red mist, looked up, and cursed. The field-boss was looming over him, one giant webbed foot about to smack him down.

    Just before that happened, Nautilus appeared. The ash-haired player raised his round shield and used << Brace >> and << Serration Wave >>. He almost buckled under the weight of the << Rotten Fog''s >> attack, but managed to stay standing. It would look almost comical, a person holding up a giant frog ten times their size, if it wasn''t so dangerous.

    "Thanks, Naut. Hm? Naut?"

    Merida came from the left, swinging her broadsword in an overhead << Power Cut >>, and smashing the field-boss away. Drifter nodded at her, and then grabbed Nautilus''s shoulder to pull himself up. When he did so, he discovered that his friend was trembling.

    Just one look at Nautilus'' clenched teeth and unwilling eyes, and Drifter knew it was his FNC acting up again. His eyes narrowed and he sighed. It had been a long time since this had happened. Maybe it was due to Nautilus'' mentality improving? But here it was again...

    The FNC had always been Nautilus'' inner demon. The shield-bearer wasn''t afraid of bosses or scared of fighting the worst SAO had to offer. He, like all frontliners, faced death every day, and spat on it. But the thought of suddenly losing control of his body while one of his friends needed his protection terrified him.

    Even after the momentary panic from his FNC vanished and he regained control of his body, the ash-haired player stood in place, his fists clenched so hard Drifter was surprised he wasn''t doing damage to himself. Nautilus seemed about to collapse when a hand took his arm and hoisted him back up. He looked to his side and saw Deifter with a reproachful look on his face.

    "What''s up with that face, Naut?"

    "Drifter, I-I..."

    "Did your FNC act up before or after you jumped in front of me?"

    Drifter cut off Nautilus. He knew that if he allowed his friend to overthink, the ash-haired player would go on a downwards spiral of self-loathing.

    "Hm, I just need to look at you to know the answer. And you still managed to protect me. You''re really incredible, you know that?"

    "W-What?"

    Drifter just smiled, and punched Nautilus lightly on the shoulder.

    "C''mon, the fight''s not over yet. We need our shield."

    Having said that, Drifter jumped back into the fray. Nautilus stared at his back, and didn''t say anything. His body was still weak, and his mind in chaos.

    "Are you okay, Naut?"

    During a lull in the combat, Yuna approached him and touched his arm carefully. She took one look at his face, and he seemed so tired... Her heart ached for her oldest friend.

    "I''m sorry, Yuna."

    The shield-bearer shook his head, ashamed. But the songstress, his childhood friend, just stared at him.

    "For what? That was a great save. Drifter would have been squished otherwise."

    "No, not that! I''m talking about my... Problem."

    He whispered the last word, as if afraid, but Yuna just shrugged, and then smacked him on the back of the head. When he yelped in surprise and turned a pitiful face to her, she gave him a mischievous grin, though he could still spot the sadness hidden in her eyes.

    "Your FNC? It''s not something you can control, so don''t you dare apologize for it. Besides, whether it acted up or not, you still saved Drifter. You are getting over it. And we will get through it together. All of us."

    The songstress smiled, and Nautilus felt the strongest urge to hug her. But they were in the middle of a battle. Comfort and crying came later.

    Yuna brought her flute to her lips and was about to start playing. Nautilus took a few steps towards the << Rotten Fog >>, then stopped and looked back. When the songstress looked at him, confused, the ash-haired player showed a rare smirk.

    "Drifter is important to you, so of course I have to save him no matter what."

    Blushing furiously, Yuna avoided her friend''s teasing gaze and started playing << Clear Breeze >>, her speed buff song. And Nautilus laughed, forgetting all about his FNC, even if for just a moment.

    ...

    Even while fighting against the << Rotten Fog >>, Drifter was keeping an eye on Nautilus, so he saw the interaction between him and Yuna. He also saw the songstress looking at him then snapping her head away, and was befuddled.

    Whatever. What was important was that after the two friends finished talking, Nautilus, albeit still shaky, rejoined the battle. The spearman knew that trying to keep the shield-bearer away from the fight, or telling him to rest, would have the opposite effect to what he needed. Which was, to say, to overcome his FNC.

    Was that possible? Drifter had no idea. From what little he understood of FNCs, they were a neurological issue. It wasn''t something you could just point at and say ''fix it''. But he also believed in Nautilus. The ash-haired boy had the strength to overcome it. He just knew.

    "Switch!"

    He was thinking all that, but Drifter didn''t stop paying attention to the battle at hand. Yelling to Ran, who was in front of him, he jumped forward with a << Rage Spike >>. The field-boss was so massive, and its weakness appeared to be a wart on its back, just beneath the dead tree, so accuracy wasn''t that important, seeing as he couldn''t even reach it easily.

    But it was not impossible. Licking his lips, Drifter waited for the moment the << Rotten Fog >> used that deadly branch attack again. This time, instead of retreating and healing immediately, he just chugged down a health potion, and ran at the field-boss.

    He hopped onto one of the front legs of the monster, and then used << Edge Vaulting >>, launching himself up and onto the << Rotten Fog''s >> back. As expected, the giant frog disliked that.

    The << Rotten Fog >> croaked and trashed around - and its movement only became more violent when Drifter stabbed his spear on its back to stop himself from stumbling off.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Step by step, Drifter walked towards the wart beneath the rotten tree. Then, without hesitation, he pierced it with his spear, and used << Dirty Play >> to score a critical strike.

    The << Rotten Fog >> shrieked this time. And, when Drifter pulled his spear out and delivered one last << Horizontal Arc >>, it died.

    Amidst the flickering polygons, Drifter fell back to the ground, splashing water all around. But he didn''t fall, his knees slightly bent and his back straight, holding his spear in his right hand, the shaft resting against his forearm.

    "That was almost anticlimactic."

    "But you looked quite cool, Drif. Did you train that landing?"

    "Quick, what was the last-attack bonus, Drifter?!"

    The two guilds and add-ons crowded around him, all talking at once. Obviously, the ones teasing him were the Reavers, while Fuurinkazan, while also congratulating each other, was more worried about the drops. It couldn''t be helped, since this was the first field-boss battle they took part in.

    To that, Drifter scrolled through his inventory until he found the item he received for delivering the last blow to the boss. When he saw it, he raised an eyebrow. Searching the faces of the group, his gaze stopped on a certain girl with twin ponytails.

    "Looks like it''s your lucky day, Silica. Here."

    Taking the last-attack bonus out of his inventory, Drifter revealed a curved knife with a wavy edge, which shined an ominous red. He handed it over to the stunned dagger-user.

    "<< Rotten Tear >>, what a name. And that attack... You might make frontliner just based on those stats, Silica."

    The girl gingerly held the dagger, her expression still locked into one of shock. She stared at Drifter, and then the others, especially Klein. After all, Drifter had just made the decision to hand the last-attack bonus over to her without consulting him, though it had been Fuurinkazan who discovered the field-boss and called them.

    "I-I can''t take it. I didn''t do much."

    "Nonsense! You were here and you fought, Silica. You deserve a part of the drops just like everybody else."

    To her astonishment, the one who grabbed her hand and closed her fingers over the hilt of << Rotten Tear >> as she was trying to give it back was none other than Klein. The red-haired guild leader was smiling, and he didn''t seem to be faking it.

    "Just listen to Klein, Silica-chan. Items should go to whoever is best suited to them, and you are the only one here who uses a dagger. Well, Sinon can also use it, but she already has her bow, so..."

    "Yep, I''m good. Take it, Silica."

    The archer waved her hand, and Silica stared dumbfounded at her and everyone else. Vallerk was smiling, which might as well have been full-blown laughter from him.

    In high spirits, the players returned to the main city of the 7th floor - and Kizmel to the dark elf camp, as she wasn''t comfortable with how much attention she got when she went into player towns.

    By the time they arrived at the gates, night was beginning to set. Usually the Reavers would have stayed out for a few hours more, but having slain a field-boss today, they considered it was good to end while they were on a high.

    The Reavers bid farewell to Klein and Fuurinkazan at the inn''s doors. Since it was still somewhat early, they decided to split up and go relax however they wanted. Yuna and Nautilus would probably go see the children in the church, Kirito train his skills, and Yuuki somehow managed to convince - drag - Sinon with her to explore the city.

    But, before they went their separate ways, Silica and Vallerk stopped them. It was the boy who spoke first.

    "Guild leader Kirito. We would like to formally ask to join Reaver''s Requiem."

    "Hum?"

    Staring at Vallerk''s very serious blue eyes, Kirito made a noise of consternation. But he wasn''t really that surprised. Silica and Vallerk had been following them for a few days now, and the girl wasn''t exactly subtle about her adoration of the frontliners, nor her ambitions. The swordsman glanced at his guildmates, then back at the duo.

    "Okay."

    It was Vallerk''s turn to be stunned. He peeked at Kirito''s face, as if expecting the swordsman to say it was a joke. But it wasn''t.

    "Just... Just like that?"

    "Yup."

    Kirito said it so matter-of-factly that Vallerk and Silica just stared at him, dumbfounded. The silence persisted for a second, and then ten, and then a minute. Until Merida couldn''t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. That set all the Reavers off.

    "We let you come with us when we went to fight a field-boss and you think we wouldn''t welcome you to the guild?"

    "But... You never said anything!"

    "''Course not. For better or worse, we are Reaver''s Requiem, one of the leading frontliners guilds."

    "But we already talked and decided that, if you asked, we would accept."

    They were enjoying seeing the expressions in the duo''s faces. Clearly, neither Vallerk nor Silica expected to be granted membership so easily. But, why would the Reavers reject them? Young as she was, Silica was nimble and skilled with her weapon of choice. And Vallerk was a pure tank, which was the position their guild lacked the most. Nautilus and Liz did an awesome job, but they couldn''t compare to someone who invested everything in defense.

    "Really?! Thank you! Thank you so--"

    Just as Silica started thanking them profusely, Drifter raised a finger to interrupt her.

    "But, there''s a catch."

    "Huh?"

    Seeing the spearman''s suddenly serious expression, the dagger-user was worried. Vallerk, meanwhile, became guarded, as if he was expecting the Reavers to impose lots of unfair conditions on their joining.

    "Silica, I say this knowing it''s hurtful. You are not ready for the frontlines yet. And, while a tank is sorely missed, neither are you, Vallerk."

    The crestfallen look on Silica''s face almost made Drifter regret the way he worded his statement. Almost.

    "For once, this is not about your age, Silica - although I still believe you are far too young to be here. But you''ve proved to us that age doesn''t matter that much in SAO. You are skilled. Very skilled. But... You still got a little ways to go before you can join the Assault Team. Same goes for you, Vallerk."

    "But..."

    "What do you..."

    Drifter forestalled their objections by raising his hand. There was a reason he was the one saying this and not Kirito.

    "Once you are in the boss room, Silica, Vallerk, your life doesn''t belong just to you anymore."

    That was all he said. And it was enough.

    "If we are not going to fight with you, then is there any meaning in joining Reaver''s Requiem? What should we do?"

    "Haha... You are wrong, Silica. There''s a lot you can do. Even if you aren''t quite ready to enter the ranks of frontliners, you are still top-notch clearers."

    The others nodded, and Asuna and Kirito spoke.

    "And, with you joining us, we finally have two parties-worth of players."

    "Yep. You''re gonna fight with us a lot, just not against floor bosses. Not yet, at least. Maybe in a few floors."

    It took a while, and Silica was still somewhat downcast, but they finally managed to settle everything. Silica and Vallerk would join Reaver''s Requiem as clearers, and, depending on their performance, might enter the Assault Team and the frontlines later on.

    The truth was, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and the others still thought the dagger-user was too young - even if most of them were only two years older than her. Holding her back from joining the frontliners was stimulated by both the belief she was not yet ready, and the fear of the guilt they would feel if she died because of it.

    ...

    Later that night, Drifter was coming back to the inn after two hours of drinking and chatting with Agil''s party and the Legend Braves. He smirked, remembering how jealous they were when he told them about the << Rotten Fog >>. Especially Orlando. It was always fun trying to get a raise from the boisterous guild leader.

    "Hm? Yuuki? Hey, Yuu--?"

    Out of the corner of his eye, Drifter saw a familiar figure slipping through the entrance of the inn. He made to call the purple-haired girl, but stopped, because he saw another person when he followed Yuuki with his gaze.

    Sinon was sitting on the edge of one of the wooden platforms around the inn, so still that Drifter only noticed her because of her striking hair color.

    He saw Yuuki, so unlike her normal loud self, sit down quietly next to Sinon. The swordswoman and the archer simply sat there, staring at the dark sky and saying nothing. Drifter hesitated for a few seconds, then decided to enter the inn and leave them alone. Whatever it was that was going on, it seemed personal.

    ''Huh. I wonder when they got so close.''

 Chapter 79 - Hidden Pasts

    The night of the raid against << Fuscus the Vacant Colossus >>, boss of the 5th floor.

    The entirety of SAO - and, indeed, the world - were still shocked by what transpired after the end of the raid of the 5th floor. A traitor, wishing to break the frontliners. Two murders, live on air.

    It hit some harder than others. Drifter went to bed and didn''t sleep that night. Kirito glared at the ceiling until he passed out. Kibaou drank his sorrows away. Silica cried. Ran sat on her window, legs dangling outside, gazing silently into the night. And Sinon had all the lights in her room turned on while she lay wrapped in her blankets, holding her knees to her chest. And shaking.

    Sinon had seen people die in front of her eyes before. There was Diavel, who was killed by << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>. She had also watched one person suicide by jumping from Aincrad''s edge. But, in Diavel''s case, he was killed by a monster, a creature made of 1s and 0s. But witnessing a person murder another human being...

    She had seen it before too.

    Sinon had a secret. One which only a few people knew, and which caused her immense pain and fear. Every now and then, she would have panic attacks because of it.

    Curiously, she didn''t get any ever since she entered SAO, despite of how stressful the situation was. Until now, that is.

    Curled up on her bed, Sinon felt all the familiar symptoms of a panic attack - which SAO was doing a damn good job of replicating. She was trembling, her heart was pounding at a thousand beats per second, her hands and feet felt numb, it felt difficult to breathe, her chest hurt, and she felt weak all over.

    Morte had killed two players today. And amongst all the twisted reasons he had given to back his actions, Sinon believed only one: because he could.

    Never, ever could Sinon imagine someone would take a life with the obvious pleasure Morte did. To her, killing someone was a sinful, horrid act. Anyone who did so was a monster, deserving of the harshest punishments.

    She was a monster.

    Clutching her bedsheets over her head, Sinon curled up even further, and her shaking got worse.

    When she was 11, Asada Shino killed a man. It was... As much a mistake as it was intentional. Honestly, she wasn''t thinking at the time. She was just a terrified child who wanted to protect her mother. She tackled and bit a robber''s hand, but somehow ended up taking his gun. And he didn''t stop coming, and she was afraid. And she...

    "Sinon? Are you awake?"

    Someone knocked on her door, and a faint voice came through, causing Sinon to freeze. She recognized the speaker. After taking a few deep breaths and feeling her shaking subside, the archer spoke.

    "Y-Yuuki? What do you n-need?"

    "Ah. Well... Nothing actually. It''s just... I saw your lights were on through under the door... And I can''t fall asleep either, so I thought maybe... C-Can we talk a little? I don''t think I''ll be able to sleep otherwise."

    There was something in Yuuki''s voice that caused Sinon''s trembling to cease completely. Even amidst her own panic, the archer could tell something was wrong with the younger girl. Her usual cheerfulness was gone, which was understandable. But she sounded almost... Fragile.

    Pulling herself together, Sinon disentangled from her blankets and got up. Ever so slowly, she walked towards the door and opened it, revealing Yuuki standing outside.

    The purple-haired girl looked even worse than Sinon, if that was even possible. Her eyes were hollow and dark. It didn''t look like she had been crying, but... Despairing might be the verb Sinon was looking for.

    "Come in, Yuuki."

    At first, Sinon was thinking of asking what Yuuki wanted and sending her back. But after seeing the girl, she changed her mind and ushered Yuuki inside, closing the door behind her. She had a feeling this was a talk neither of them wanted others to hear.

    "T-Thanks."

    Somehow, seeing that Yuuki was almost as shaken up by what happened as she made Sinon recover from her panic attack. Having something - or someone - else to focus her mind on helped.

    Yuuki sat on Sinon''s bed, and the archer plopped down right next to her. Their combined weight caused the mattress to bend, and they ended up sliding a little, their shoulders touching. After a second, both leaned on each other, the physical contact comforting to them.

    "What did you want to talk about, Yuuki?"

    "I-I... I don''t really know. I''m just... I can''t sleep. And I don''t wanna be alone."

    "What about your sister?"

    While wildly different in temperament, the twins were always together. Silica would have thought that Yuuki would go to Ran at this time, but here the girl was, in her room. Yuuki shrugged her shoulders against her.

    "She''s looking at the sky. That''s what she always does when she needs to think."

    Her tone indicated that there was something more to it, but Sinon wasn''t going to pry. If she asked for Yuuki''s story, she would have to tell her in return, and she wasn''t keen on that.

    "Do you want to be alone, Sinon? I could leave if that''s the case. It''s just... Like I said, I saw your lights were on, and I thought we could both use the company."

    After several minutes of silence, Yuuki spoke. However, even though she said that, she didn''t get up. Her head was now resting on Sinon''s shoulder.

    "N-No! Err... No. I don''t want to be alone. You being here... Helps. I... I wasn''t doing well earlier."

    "Uhm?"

    Sinon had no idea why she was speaking, but now that she started, she didn''t seem to be able to stop. She shouldn''t talk about her past. This was a terrible idea.

    Stolen story; please report.

    She spoke anyway.

    "To be honest... I was having a panic attack."

    "What?!"

    "I''m better now. When you knocked... Well, having someone else close helped. I was always afraid of things like what happened today. Morte and... Everything. You know."

    Now Yuuki was staring at her with those big caramel eyes of hers. Sinon could see a lot of curiosity in them, and also sympathy and... Fear? Or was that just a reflection of her own gaze?

    "Ever since a few... Since I was a child, I had trouble with death and blood and stuff like that. I couldn''t even watch movies. Still can''t. I get scared and throw up. I get... Cold."

    There was something else that terrified her, and Sinon almost said it. But she held back her tongue at the last moment.

    Has it really only been three years since that incident happened? It felt like a lifetime. Or maybe it was because she hadn''t thought much about it since she entered SAO.

    "I thought by joining SAO I could get over it. Since I would have to fight monsters, y''know? I just... Well, nobody expected what Kayaba did. But even after that, I was still okay. Maybe because it still looks like a game, fighting mobs and bosses doesn''t trigger my fear that much. I even thought I was overcoming it. But after what Morte did today... It''s all coming back."

    She stared at the wall all the while she spoke, almost afraid to look at Yuuki. She hadn''t exactly bared her deepest secrets to the other girl, but it wasn''t too far off.

    "To be honest, I''m very afraid of death too."

    It was a long time before Yuuki spoke. When she did, it was a whisper.

    "Ran and Merida and I, we are all very afraid. That''s why we joined SAO. It was supposed to be a distraction from the real world."

    "It worked a little too great, didn''t it?"

    The swordswoman chuckled. Dry humor was Sinon''s trademark.

    "Yeah... But at least it feels like I''m doing something here. Working towards something. I felt powerless outside. Here I''m not."

    Yuuki''s words were so relatable they hurt. Wasn''t that why she had bought Sword Art Online in the first place? Sinon thought that, if she managed to conquer a game of swords and spears, she might one day get over her fear of guns. Even after being trapped, that idea hadn''t changed. Until today, when Morte reminded her that monsters weren''t the only enemy in SAO.

    Sinon exhaled slowly. An arm snaked around her back and grabbed her shoulder so hard it should have hurt. Yuuki had her face buried in the archer''s shoulder. But she wasn''t crying.

    Like that, two girls sat silently for the rest of the night, supporting each other such that, without the other, both would fall down. Keeping the other from crumbling. Remembering.

    ----------------------------------

    February 2nd, 2022.

    "Huff... Huff..."

    Drifter stabbed his spear into the ground and leaned on it while looking around. The huge [ Congratulations ] above his head brought a smile to his face.

    The ALS had gotten the last-attack bonus again, but this couldn''t be helped. They had the largest number of players in the Assault Team, so they simply had more people hitting the boss at any one time.

    The raid of the 7th floor boss had thankfully concluded without any surprises. Even now, two floors after it happened, most people were still on edge, afraid another Morte was going to appear.

    Drifter wasn''t. He didn''t want another red player to come, but he almost hoped Morte would appear in front of him. If only so he could put the nightmares of his guildmates to rest.

    Shaking his head to push those thoughts away, Drifter retrieved his spear and spun it around deftly, the weapon rolling over his fingers and forearm before he stashed it away on his back. He didn''t even realize how this casual display had the people in the outside world singing him praises.

    While climbing up the steps to the 8th floor, Drifter looked back to Yuuki and Sinon. The archer was silent, as always, while the purple-haired girl was hopping steps and chatting away with her sister and Merida.

    The spearman thought back to the scene he had seen a few nights ago. Drifter had to admit, he was curious. Sinon and Yuuki didn''t have many interactions most of the time. Sure, they talked and were on good terms with each other, but there didn''t seem to be anything different in the way they acted around each other when compared to their behavior around others. And yet, there was something so very clearly special going on that night between them.

    ''Not like it''s my place to ask anything.''

    Drifter himself was hiding dark secrets. Yuna and Nautilus obviously knew everything, and Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon had also been told most of it. But he hadn''t mentioned to Liz, Yuuki, Ran, and Merida, much less their newest members, Silica and Vallerk, how he sentenced a player to death on the 1st floor. He probably would have to one day, but it wasn''t now.

    "Woah... That''s pretty!"

    "Pretty my ass. I can already imagine what a pain it''s gonna be to clear this floor."

    "Mapping should be easy at least. Not like there''re many options."

    Hearing the exclamations of the players in front of him, Drifter quickened his pace, and stepped onto the 8th floor.

    "Huh".

    Drifter stared at all the trees around him. That this floor was also forest-themed wasn''t really a surprise, even if it felt slightly underwhelming. He guessed that, until the << Elf War >> campaign was finished on the next floor, this would remain the norm. Elves and nature and all that.

    Then, Drifter stared at the ground. Or he would have, if he could see anything through the impenetrable mist. As he stood on the bridge running through the treetops, the only thing he was sure of was that the ground was far, far below him.

    "Yeah, don''t fall. There''s water below, and no monsters, so you won''t actually be in danger, but the currents will carry you far away, and the only way to get back up is through the ladders scattered around. You might end up on the other side of the floor, all alone, if you are unlucky."

    Kirito stopped next to Drifter, gazing into the mist below, and spoke loudly for the sake of all the players around. As always, Kibaou scowled and Lind clicked his tongue, but most frontliners nodded their heads at the black-haired swordsman.

    The frontliners walked as one group towards the main city of this floor, Frieven. The narrow pathways and bridges made it so there weren''t many different ways to go.

    Once in Frieven, they activated the teleporter, and immediately hundreds of waiting players poured into the new floor. Drifter greeted a few clearers he was more familiar with, and rubbed Silica''s head when she and Vallerk came through.

    "By the way, has anyone seen Argo?"

    "Hum? You are the one she usually contacts, Drifter."

    "Yeah, I''ve sent her a message telling her to meet us after the... Ah, there she is! Little rat, over here!"

    Waving his hand, Drifter called the info-broker, who bounced her way towards them.

    "Whassup, Dri-Bou, Kii-bou, Yu-chan and... Hey! Stop that, Dri-bou! Argh! I''m gonna scratch ya! C''mere!"

    The spearman immediately tried to ruffle her hair, and Argo dodged, starting an impromptu game of tag. The Reavers rolled their eyes at the familiar scene. It was like Drifter and Argo regressed in age whenever they met.

    "Ha! Gotcha!"

    The info-broker finally caught Drifter, and he allowed himself to be put into a head-lock. Asuna blew a breath, exasperated, and separated the pair.

    "Children, the both of you. Argo, we need your help with the << Elf War >> campaign."

    "Oh? What''s it?"

    "We need that cunning and deviousness of yours to talk the dark elves and forest elves into entering an alliance.

    Drifter cut in before Asuna could answer. He was having a lot of fun teasing Argo. This time he failed, however, as the brown-haired player seemed almost proud of the two characteristics he pointed out.

    "Ah, ya are already at that part of the quest, that''s right. Aight, that ain''t no trouble, Aa-chan! But it''s gonna cost ya some, since my time''s precious."

    "We already expected that, greedy little rat. Kizmel mentioned a side quest on the 9th for some sort of hook you can throw and use to climb things. How about it?"

    Argo''s eyes shone brightly and she bobbed her head up and down before sticking her hand out.

    "Ya got yourselves a deal!"

 Chapter 80 - Animosity

    The first step of the << Elf War >> campaign on the 8th floor was like many others before: an escort quest.

    Quite easily, the Reavers had found the NPC who triggered the quest. He was literally waiting for them outside the gates of Frieven when they stepped out.

    The NPC, a << Dark Elf Scout Recruit >> called Quore, told them he had been sent by Kizmel to guide the players to their base on this floor. According to Kirito, they had skipped two steps of the original questline, once again showing the advantages of saving their dark elf friend on the 3rd floor.

    Of course, the system would never let things be that easy. The fallen elves had somehow gotten notice that the players planned on uniting both kinds of elves to oppose them, so during their trip to the dark elf camp, it was expected that they would be ambushed by fallen elves several times. They had to keep Quore alive through all that, since he was the only one who knew the way and, unbeknownst to them - or it would be, if Kirito wasn''t a beta-tester- he was also the nephew of the current dark elf queen, so relations would get pretty unstable if they let him die.

    All of the above really wouldn''t be a problem if Quore wasn''t an obnoxious, arrogant, and frankly disgusting person. Not to mention the constant sneer he carried, and clear contempt in his gaze, he was also very vocal about how he thought it was beneath him to guide some ''lowly humans''.

    "Hurry up, humans! How can you be so damn slow?! Humph! I don''t know what Royal Aunt was thinking when she told me to obey that knight. Befriending humans, what a shameful act!"

    Drifter dodged a sword from a fallen elf at the same time Vallerk blocked two spears aiming for Quore. They were actively being ambushed, and the damn noble was still complaining.

    "Ugh. Are you sure I can''t punch him, Kirito? Not even a little?"

    "As much as he deserves it, no. We need him to arrive safely at the dark elf camp to complete the quest, Yuna."

    "It doesn''t say he has to get there unharmed, though. Just alive."

    "No. Besides, it would cause trouble for Kizmel if we did that."

    "You sound like Drifter."

    "Hey! I''m not even in this conversation!"

    The Reavers'' playful banter went right over Quore''s head, which was one of the reasons Yuna was just joking when she said she wanted to rough him up, and not actually being serious. If it had been Kizmel, she would have already interjected in their conversation - probably to lightly admonish them while actually agreeing - but Quore was just a NPC following a script.

    "Why did Kizmel send that idiot of all people to guide us anyway? Did we piss her off somehow?"

    "Nah, Sin-chan. Quore''s been maintained from the beta. He''s royalty, so he''s important to convince the dark elf queen."

    "How so, Argo?"

    The info-broker had temporarily joined Reaver''s Requiem to aid them in the << Elf War >> campaign, since only guild members could share the quest progression. It was a loophole they were more than happy to employ.

    Swiping her claws, Argo sliced the wrist of a << Fallen Elf Scout >>. Despite it not being her focus, the info-broker wasn''t half-bad in combat. Barely at the level of a clearer, as she would readily admit, which still put her amongst the strongest players.

    "Well, we probably just have to follow the plot. In the beta, Quore was kidnapped by the fallen elves ''cause they wanted to ransom him for the << Secret Keys >> the dark elves have. By savin'' him, the queen owes us a favor and also sees that the fallen elves are the real menaces."

    Kirito nodded along with Atgo to show that this was also what he remembered. Knowing that, the players simply decided to tune out the dark elf noble from here on out, ignoring him as if he were background noise. They just had to make sure he stayed alive until they got to the base and he got kidnapped. Considering the Reavers were out in full force, with all twelve of them plus Argo taking the field, it shouldn''t be very difficult.

    Maybe it would be smarter to have a portion of them go farm mobs and materials, since the progress was shared by all the guild, but the experience gain from the campaign was just as good as if they spent the entire day grinding. Besides, Kizmel always had special items and even weapons and armor she gave them.

    The Reavers weren''t aware that their little unplanned exploit had been noticed and patched for the future. While he wouldn''t correct it directly, since that would be unfair to the players - and he was all about fairness - Kayaba had already instructed the Cardinal System to make saving NPCs who were supposed to die a lot more difficult - veritable impossible, really. The game master might respect the determination and skills the players showed, and which allowed them to break the plot - which was why he stopped the Cardinal System from erasing Kizmel - but he wouldn''t let it happen again, since it disturbed the balance of the game.

    "Three more spawning to our left!"

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    "Nautilus, intercept them! Ran, Silica, you are on offense. Sinon, cover them!"

    The players followed Kirito''s orders with fluid motions, Nautilus barreling into the first mob with a << Unrepentant Charge >> and staggering it. That wasn''t all, because the shield-bearer also calculated his move so he would be blocking the path of the other two fallen elves.

    From the back, Sinon seamlessly changed her target from the mob fighting Asuna to the three new creatures. An arrow flew through the gap between Ran and Silica, and embedded itself in the eye of a << Fallen Elf Attacker >>.

    After that wave of attackers was dealt with, under Quore''s repeated complaints that they were too slow, the Reavers finally saw the dark elf camp appear amidst the trees. A figure waved at them from the top of the palisade.

    "Kizmel!"

    "Asuna! And Drifter, Kirito, and everyone else, you are finally here! I trust you didn''t have any problems?"

    "Some fallen elves tried to stop us, but we took care of them. How you doing, Kiz?"

    Drifter bowed slightly to the dark elf, his right hand across his chest with three fingers out, just like she had shown them before, and Kizmel returned the greeting, smiling at the affectionate way the Reavers shortened her name when talking to her sometimes.

    "Knight Kizmel! I have completed the task you assigned to me, and will be retiring to my quarters. You can continue to mingle with those... Humans."

    Quore interposed himself into their conversation, throwing a glare full of disdain at the players, then stomping away. Kizmel looked at his back and exhaled, exasperated. Sinon gestured with her thumb.

    "What''s his deal, Kizmel? Why would a noble become a soldier?"

    "Ah, it is traditional amongst our people that peripheral members of the royal family serve in the army for a time, as a show of patriotism and devotion to Lyusula."

    Kizmel shrugged as she explained. It could be seen she didn''t agree with the way those arrogant nobles entered the army only to put on a show, but it was out of her control. The players also quickly lost interest in the subject, and started to catch up with the dark elf, even if it had only been a few days since they last saw her.

    "The fallen elves are getting bolder. My people have four of the << Secret Keys >>, and I know the forest elves used to have the remaining three. However, they were stolen by an unknown group. The forest elves are accusing us."

    "It has to have been the fallen elves."

    "That is what I believe too. But proving it will be difficult. Relations between both kingdoms had been tense lately, to say the least."

    Kizmel shook her head in dismay. She might not have cared much before, but after meeting Drifter and the others, she was growing tired of this unending war between the dark and forest elves.

    "What if we recover the keys and hand them back to the forest elves? That should gather us some goodwill, shouldn''t it?"

    "Right. It might be enough to create, if not an alliance, at least a temporary truce."

    There were more than a few holes in their plan, but the Reavers were assured it would work, based on the experience from the beta test. Kizmel also wasn''t too fussed about it, since she didn''t have a better idea. Besides, her human friends had always proved to be reliable.

    ---------------------------

    When night arrived in SAO, most players returned to the safe zones. It was harder to see when it was dark, monsters spawned in greater quantities and had a higher chance of going berserker, and, overall, fighting at night was a lot more dangerous and simply not worth the effort.

    Not all players thought like that. Some persisted in grinding even in the darkness, although they mostly occupied areas close to the cities and where the level of the mobs was lower.

    But you could also get players like Morte, who didn''t give a damn about about gaining experience. In fact, Morte''s level was even lower than that of most clearers, despite having been a frontliner until three floors ago. He had stopped training after being kicked out of the Aincrad Liberation Squad - unfairly, in his opinion. He hadn''t even killed anyone at that time! Granted, he did so right after, and two at once on top of that, but he still thought Kibaou was being biased. And cowardly. What was the problem with him trying to kill that info-broker anyway? She was just a child, not anyone important!

    Well, Morte considered he was better off now, despite the scolding he received from his boss - and which still scared the living shit out of him even now. But his boss didn''t kill him, and he didn''t need to put on an act anymore, so that was a net positive in his eyes.

    His level was lacking, that was true. But that was just because Morte stopped hunting virtual creatures, which gave him no pleasure whatsoever, and could now focus on his real prey. The cursor above his head was a few shades darker than three floors ago.

    That also meant cities were a no-go to him, which was somewhat of a bother. He still needed to repair his equipment and buy consumables, as well as gather information, but if he crossed even one toe into the safe zones, he was immediately pursued by NPC guards who were many, many levels higher than him. Since going to prison would ruin his fun, Morte was wisely staying away from the cities.

    But he still had to go somewhere to fix and buy his stuff. And Kayaba - bless the brilliant psychopath - had thought of red players when he designed SAO. While Morte couldn''t go into the cities, there was somewhere else where he was welcomed.

    Whistling with his hands in his pockets, the murderer entered the hidden fallen elf base. The guards didn''t bat an eyelid. Every floor had places like this one. They were also safe zones, meaning you couldn''t hurt other players in them, and a lot smaller than cities, but they had all the facilities a player needed. Also, they were basically the inverse of normal cities. Here, orange and red players could stroll around without a care in the world, but green players would be immediately attacked by the NPCs - not arrested, but attacked.

    Walking around, what Morte saw were mostly fallen elves NPCs. He spotted only two other players, both of them with orange cursors, who immediately turned and ran when they saw him. The red color of his cursor was very eye-catching. He guessed they were just some people who fought others over loot, and were waiting for their cursors to go back to green. Maybe he should remember their faces. Those types of players were usually alone. Easy targets.

    Scratching his chin in thought, Morte threw his equipment to the blacksmith and told him to fix it. Easy targets. Easy targets weren''t as fun. They just ran away and didn''t fight back. Not like the frontliners. They resisted. Even tried to hunt him. But they were always in groups. And Morte was crazy, not suicidal.

    Now that he thought about it, weren''t some of the frontliners doing something related to elves? And it was Reaver''s Requiem, the guild full of people he wanted to kill. Well, he wanted to kill pretty much everyone, but especially them and Kibaou.

    Morte glanced at the NPCs around him. Fallen elves. And Reaver''s Requiem was doing a quest campaign with elves. Elves, elves, elves. Would you look at that?

 Chapter 81 - Meeting Morte Again

    The morning sun shone brightly over the largest city in Sword Art Online, the Town of Beginnings. Players left their inns and hotels, most just loitering around in the gardens and plazas, or walking towards the teleporter to go to other floors. The Town of Beginnings wasn''t only bigger, but also cheaper than most other cities, so even many of the clearers and frontliners spent the night here.

    A small portion of the players left the town through the gates, and went to the grasslands just outside to fight << Frenzy Boars >> and << Dire Wolves >>. They weren''t there to level - by now, even the lowest-leveled players were far above the 1st floor, much less the starting area. That is, of course, if you didn''t count the ones who were too scared to even step outside of the safe zones. But people barely saw those players anyway. They only left their rooms to complete the daily quests and then locked themselves into despair alone again.

    No, the reason some players farmed the mobs outside the Town of Beginnings even though there was no experience gain was something else: money. Despite how little cor they dropped, the boars and wolves posed virtually no danger, so some of the low-level players still chose to kill them day after day. It was dull, but allowed them to live a little better - even if just slightly - than the shut-ins.

    But today, there were more players than usual standing on the grassy plains. And their levels weren''t low. The opposite, actually. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone with higher levels than them, even if you searched amongst the frontliners. Which was what they were, of course.

    Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Silica, Vallerk, and Liz were all there. An excessive amount of high-level frontliners for the 1st floor, where the mobs were powerless against them. Literally. Even Yuna, the one with the lowest HP and more lightly armored of them, could stand there and let a pack of << Dire Wolves >> and go wild, and her health regeneration would exceed the damage they could deal.

    Of course, there was a reason half of Reaver''s Requiem was visiting the 1st floor, much to the astonishment of the players in the area. Three reasons, in fact. Their names were Shun, Lala, and Yuka, and they were three of the children Sasha housed in the church and cared for.

    They were the oldest three of the children. Shun and Lala were ten, while Yuka was eleven years old. And the reason they were outside the Town of Beginnings now was for Drifter to make good on his promise to teach them a few moves.

    While he was able to one-shot any of the 1st floor mobs, Drifter still felt that it was safer to have some backup when he, after a lot of begging, was convinced to bring the kids on this field trip. He would never forgive himself if something happened to the children because of him. And he felt that it was better to over-compensate than be lacking in this case, so he dragged half of the Reavers with him.

    "Everyone remember what we taught you?"

    The three kids were holding short swords with nervous but excited expressions. They nodded shakily, their gazes fixed somewhere else as they watched with rapid attention Nautilus kitting around a << Frenzy Boar >>. Drifter smiled when he saw that.

    He had chosen to teach Shun and the others how to use not spears, which required a long time of practice before you could get used to it, but swords, which were much easier to pick up. That''s not to say that swords were inferior, far from it. But the way of the sword was easy to learn, albeit difficult to master. Compared to spears, it was the better choice for children who would barely use them. Sasha and Drifter had made it very clear that the kids could never leave the safe zone without at least one of them - and preferably a bunch more people - accompanying them.

    "Let''s go over it one more time, and then you are all set to go. Look. Stab, slice, and parry. Only block as a last resort, since swords aren''t made for it."

    Drifter was holding a sword in his right hand, and he swung it as he spoke. As mentioned before, there weren''t many secrets to learning how to swing a sword, although mastering it was an entirely different story. Even the spearman had picked up the basics from Kirito and Nautilus.

    "The most important thing you have to remember in battle is to be dynamic. You can''t just stay still, as that makes you an easy target. By the time you start to dodge, your enemy will have already hit you."

    As he spoke, Drifter moved his other hand to the hilt of his sword. Shun, Lala, and Yuka had to use a two-handed grip, otherwise the weapons were too big and cumbersome for them to handle. Since he was teaching them, he obviously had to use the same stance.

    Under their watchful stares, Drifter performed a two-handed stab, thrusting his sword at an imaginary enemy and taking a step forward at the same time. He then pulled back the weapon and stepped to the left, slashing at the empty air in front of him.

    The children mimicked him, their movements surprisingly smooth, even if a little awkward due to the size of the swords. SAO was created with the idea that the youngest players would be fourteen at least, and that was reflected in the weapons and equipment.

    But even so, Shun and Yuka performed the moves Drifter showed almost perfectly. Lala was a little off, but that was due to nervousness more than anything else. They were children, but they were children in SAO, after all. Even if they had never left the safe zones, they had certainly tried swinging a sword in the church''s backyard - and away from Sasha''s eyes.

    In fact, the caretaker was watching them right now by Yuna''s side. Even if six of Reaver''s Requiem''s members were here, she was still wrenching her hands worriedly. Her gaze kept straying to the << Frenzy Boar >> Nautilus was bullying, and it was apparent that she was ready to jump in front of it to protect the three kids, even if her actual level was lower than theirs.

    "Shun, you are up first. You are level 4, so even if the pig hits you, you will lose 20% of your HP at most, so don''t worry. And we are all here to help if we think you need it. Ready?"

    "Y-Yes!"

    The boy swallowed hard, then nodded determinedly. Drifter called Nautilus while quietly swapping the sword for his trusty spear. When all was said and done, he wasn''t going to take any risks.

    "Send it over, Naut!"

    The shield-bearer did exactly so, bashing the mob on the side with his shield, and redirecting it towards Shun. The poor kid froze when he saw the boar, which was as tall as he was, charging straight at him, with its ivory tusks aimed at his chest.

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    "Dodge and slash, Shun. Always keep moving."

    Drifter calmly instructed the young boy, not at all worried. The << Frenzy Boar >> couldn''t one-shot Shun even if it scored a critical hit, so, in his view, this was a win-win situation, regardless of the outcome. If Shun managed to overcome his fear and follow his orders, then that was that. Otherwise, if he couldn''t retaliate and got a scare, he wouldn''t ever feel like leaving the safe zone again, which was all Drifter wished for a child as young as Shun.

    At the last moment, just before the << Frenzy Boar >> hit him, Shun moved, hopping to the left and slicing the back of the mob with his sword.

    "Great job!"

    It was a shallow cut, delivered without much strength or technique due to his fear, but Drifter and the others clapped their hands encouragingly and praised the boy.

    "Try a skill now, Shun. << Linear >>. Remember the stance Nautilus showed you?"

    He did, and, having gotten over his nervousness after striking a blow against the << Frenzy Boar >>, Shun was able to deliver the skill perfectly. Drifter clapped his hands once again.

    "Great! It''s your turn now, Lala, Yuka. Who''s up first?"

    ...

    Afterward, the group returned to the Town of Beginnings, each of the children having fought and killed a couple of mobs, and gained at least one level. Shun, Lala, and Yuka were tired, but ecstatic.

    Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Sasha, and the children returned to the church. Silica, Vallerk, and Liz teleported to the 8th floor, to meet the rest of their guild, who were currently completing some random quests.

    Sitting on a bench in the church''s backyard, Drifter allowed himself this moment of relaxation. They would have to return to the frontlines soon, but while they were here, he was going to enjoy the warmth of the sunlight on his skin and the soft breeze blowing through the trees.

    "Thank you for what you did today, Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus."

    "Don''t mention it, Sasha. I was just fulfilling my promise."

    "Maybe, but you still put a lot of effort into it. Don''t think I don''t know how valuable the time of you frontliners is. And you didn''t need to have brought so many people with you, but you did. So thank you. The children won''t ever forget it."

    The spearman didn''t wave off Sasha''s grateful thanks a second time, instead just smiling. He allowed another five minutes of blissful rest before touching Yuna''s head and bumping Nautilus on the shoulder. Both had dozed off, so he was almost sad to have to wake them up, but duty called.

    "Let''s go, sleepyheads. Kirito says they are almost at the hostage quest."

    Yuna rolled her eyes at Drifter, yawned, and stretched her body. Grabbing his arm, she pulled herself up and went to say goodbye to the kids. Nautilus stood up on his own, blinking a few times to send his sleepiness away. He looked at Yuna laughing with Lala, Yuka, and some other little girls, and smiled.

    "She always was good with children."

    Drifter smiled back.

    "Somehow, that doesn''t surprise me."

    The duo stood there, silently watching the girl who tied both of them together. It would have been awkward and nowhere near as clean if they weren''t in SAO. But they were, and the constant threat of death had a way of making you face your feelings.

    "Hey, Drifter..."

    Suddenly, Nautilus closed in on Drifter, grabbing his shoulder to pull the spearman down so their heads were at the same height. He whispered something to Drifter, whose eyes widened in confusion, then surprise and trepidation.

    "Got it."

    The spearman nodded to Nautilus, who sighed once, a deep, heavy sigh, before a refreshed smile took over his face. He felt much lighter now. While Drifter appeared to be deep in thought over what he had just been told, the ash-haired boy waved and called his best friend.

    "Yun'', we''ve gotta go! We can come back tomorrow or the day after if you want."

    "Coming! Bye, Sasha! Bye, Shun, Lala, Yuka, and everyone! I''ll see you soon!"

    The songstress bounced over to her companions, and they started making their way towards the teleporter. Yuna was happily chatting away with Nautilus when she noticed that Drifter wasn''t participating in the conversation. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him quietly following them, his eyes on the paved road, and his mind clearly elsewhere. She nudged Nautilus.

    "Did something happen? He wasn''t so serious a few minutes ago."

    The blade-user didn''t even look at Drifter. He just nodded.

    "Nothing bad, I think. Just... Personal."

    It could be considered that, right? Nautilus scratched his chin and then decided that yes, it was. He just didn''t say for whom.

    Yuna eyed him suspiciously before looking at Drifter. He was still zoning out on his own world, so she turned back to Nautilus.

    "Okay?"

    ...

    By the time they teleported to the 8th floor and then walked all the way over to the dark elf camp, Drifter had already digested what Nautilus told him, and was back to normal.

    The dark elf base was chaotic, to say the least. Elves were running around, preparing for war, and several patrols could be seen coming and going at any given moment. There was a constant stream of officers entering and leaving the biggest tent in the middle, which the commander inhabited.

    The Reavers watched it all from the sidelines, discussing random topics while they waited. They didn''t need to worry about hurting the feelings of any NPCs, and the only dark elf who might even realize they weren''t worried about Quore''s well-being was Kizmel, who also didn''t hold much love for the arrogant prick.

    Needless to say, however, she still couldn''t let the kidnapping of any dark elf, especially a member of the royal bloodline, which she had vowed to protect, go unpunished.

    "What''s the plan, Kirito, Argo?"

    Merida asked the two beta-testers amongst them, to which the info-broker shook her head.

    "Don''t look at me, Mer-chan. I can tell ya how the quest''s supposed to go, but the actual fightin'' is up to edgy boy over here."

    She poked Kirito on the side, and it was unclear if Kirito grimaced because of her clawed finger or the nickname. Either way, he chose to ignore it, which was probably the smart play.

    "Nothing too complicated, Merida. We have to fight through a bunch of mobs until we reach the place where Quore''s being held. During the beta there was an elite mob guarding him, but considering everything, I think it''s safe to say we are looking at a mini-boss now."

    "Yep. This is the climax of the << Elf War >> campaign'' on this floor, so it''ll be hard. Don''t get cocky, Kii-bou."

    "Never, Argo."

    "How''s the progress on floor clearing, Argo-chan? I''ve heard Laurels of Old found the labyrinth entrance?"

    Laurels of Old was one of the many clearer guilds. Despite how imposing their name was, there weren''t any frontliners amongst their ranks. But they were good at their job, which was mapping and exploring new floors.

    "The way this floor''s laid out made it easier. There were only so many wrong turns we could take before findin'' the right path. Besides, I''ve had the ninjas scoutin'' the out-of-the-way... Oh, Kiz-chan. We finally gonna start movin''?"

    Argo changed the subject easily when their dark elf approached them. Not because she didn''t want Kizmel to hear, but because what the dark elf had for them was a lot more interesting.

    "Yes, Argo. Our patrols found the hidden base of the scummy fallen elves. Giving in to their demands is impossible, but if we mobilize a large number of troops, it''s likely they will just kill the hostage and run away. As such the commander ordered me to infiltrate their camp and rescue Quore. Would you help me?"

    She asked that already knowing the answer, and wasn''t disappointed. Less than ten minutes later, they were on their way to the fallen elf base. After ninety minutes, they met the first group of enemies and eliminated them. Two more hours and night began to fall.

    It took seven hours total for them to rescue Quore. Of those, six were spent fighting their way through a dozen variations of << Fallen Elves >>. The last hour had them locked into a dragged-out battle against what was, indeed, a mini-boss.

    Deep into the night, Reaver''s Requiem finally exited the fallen elf camp, letting out sighs of relief. That was when a figure blocked their path.

    "Well, well, well, you came out at last! I was starting to worry those stupid NPCs had gotten you. Do you have any idea how boring it was waiting for you? There weren''t even other players around to entertain me."

    The familiar, dreaded voice and its sing-song tone sent chills down the spines of all the players. Drifter''s knuckles turned white around the shaft of his spear. He spat a name.

    "Morte."

 Chapter 82 - A Dark Night

    "Morte."

    Despite what his trembling hands and intense glare might indicate, there was no emotion in Drifter''s voice when he spoke. And at the same time, it was so full of disdain that you could practically feel the disgust dripping from the word. And that made Morte laugh.

    "Bingo! Hahahahaha! It''s been so long, Reaver''s Requiem!"

    "Not long enough."

    Yuna muttered under her breath. The only thing keeping her and Drifter and everyone else from throwing themselves at Morte right there and then was their wariness. The red player appearance was too sudden, and he was provoking thirteen players, all very eager to see him dead, by his lonesome self. No one would believe this wasn''t a trap. The question was just: of what kind?

    "Aww... No reaction? You''ll hurt my feelings, friends."

    "We are not your friends, Morte."

    "Sure, whatever you say, songstress. Geez! You kill two people and suddenly no one likes you anymore. You people are sooooo touchy."

    Morte wanted reactions, and he got them. Drifter had to grab Asuna''s shoulder to stop her from charging the red player. Ran and Nautilus had to hold back Yuuki and Yuna. And Sinon...

    Sinon actually let an arrow fly, and Morte had to duck to avoid gaining a new piercing on his forehead. But still, he laughed. A mad cackle that creeped out the green players.

    "Damn, girl! You are even more murderous than me! At least I let my prey finish speaking before trying to kill them."

    Sinon growled, and knocked another arrow on her bow. Drifter let got of Asuna to stop her, but someone else was faster. Yuuki, who had been about to rush Morte herself, suddenly cooled down. She grabbed Sinon''s wrist and shook her head. Surprisingly, the archer obeyed her and lowered her bow, although she never stopped glaring at the red player.

    It was surprising, but Drifter didn''t pay any heed to it for now. His entire being was focused on Morte. He had already made up his mind long ago, and if he had a chance to took the murderer down, he would.

    But everything was too suspicious right now. Morte was out there in the open mocking them as if he wasn''t the least bit worried about any retaliation from the Reavers. And he also said he was waiting for them, which meant this wasn''t a spur of the moment decision on his part, but something he planned beforehand, which only heightened the odds of it being a trap.

    "What do you want, Morte?"

    "Me? Nothing! I was just looking forward to catching up with some old friends. Don''t you remember everything we went through together? Like that boss raid on the 5th floor? Or the time I tried to murder Argo the Rat?"

    "Stop it! And since you''ve come to us, don''t think of leaving. Surrender, Morte."

    "Now, why the fuck would I do such a thing. Hum, Blackie?"

    While Kirito and Morte traded barbs, Drifter scanned the treeline for ambushing enemies or some kind of trap. But it was so damn dark he could barely saw anything. Besides, he didn''t know what exactly he was looking for. Hidden weapons? More red players? That was a terrifying thought.

    [ Argo: My << Searching >> ain''t findin'' anythin''. I think he''s alone. ]

    [ Drifter: Nothing on mine either. Kirito, keep him distracted. ]

    The swordsman answered with a subtle nod. Drifter had the feeling Morte knew they were messaging each other, but didn''t care one bit. The red player was having fun.

    [ Ran: Should we rush him? ]

    [ Drifter: He will just run away. ]

    [ Sinon: Not if I put a << Crippling Shot >>  through his knee. ]

    [ Argo: Don''t be rash, Sin-chan. He''s crazy. There''s no way of knowin'' how it''s gonna go down if we back him into a corner. ]

    [ Sinon: We can''t let him escape. ]

    [ Nautilus: Agreed. ]

    Drifter wasn''t the only one who seemed to have made a resolution not to hesitate anymore. Even through their silent messages, it could be felt that Sinon and Nautilus also weren''t going to back down from doing what they thought needed to be none. That was something the spearman was terrified of seeing.

    [ Drifter: When the battle starts, block his escape routes and watch out for his tricks. Let me fight him. ]

    [ Nautilus: No way! We do this together! ]

    [ Drifter: We need to make sure he doesn''t escape! Just listen to me! ]

    Whatever Nautilus or anyone else was going to type got cut short as Morte suddenly clapped, causing everyone to jump in fright. Kirito, Asuna, and Yuna, who had been talking to the red player, were the ones with biggest reaction. The first two took a step forward, ready to charge, while the later raised her dagger - a musical instrument would do little good here.

    But Morte wasn''t interested in them. He pulled the edge of his hood back just enough so that the lower half of his face could be seen under the moonlight, and grinned a smile full of teeth.

    "Aight, good talk! I''ll see you guys some other time!"

    "What?!"

    "Stop right there, Morte!"

    "Don''t you dare, you..!"

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    No one had expected that the red player, after speaking so much, would simply turn around and bolt.

    Instantly, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and Yuuki shot forward, chasing him. They didn''t stop even after Argo yelled at them that it might be a trap. They would rather walk right into an ambush than let Morte get away again.

    But the fastest to reach the red player was none other than Sinon, or an extension of her, at least. A purple-glowing arrow whizzed by Morte''s head, missing by an inch when he suddenly ducked, and bounced off a tree, triggering the [ Immortal Object ] message.

    "Oops! That was almost bad! Anyway, I''ll see you guys soon! Remember to always keep looking over your shoulders, ''cause I''ll be there someday!"

    Pulling a face, Morte waved at Sinon before accelerating. Then, he jumped over the side of the bridge and onto the mist below. They all heard a splash, and laughter.

    "I''m going to kill all of you! Hahahahahaha!"

    Drifter stopped so abruptly he almost went over the railings. Looking down at the mist, he knew it was useless - not to mention dangerous - to jump after Morte. The currents would carry each player in a different direction, and you could end up literally anywhere on the floor, including inside the labyrinth.

    "Fuck!"

    Furious, he kicked the bridge in a fit of anger. Now he knew why Morte had chosen this moment to appear before them. There was no trap or anything. It was because, on this floor, he could escape at any point he wished.

    "He came here just to mock us. To mock us!"

    Yuna had to repeat it twice for emphasis. Argo shook her head.

    "No, not just that. It was a threat. He wants us to be scared of him."

    "Well, he accomplished that. No one''s walking out of a safe zone alone, even if it''s just a single step. I want everyone to always be in groups of three, at least. That includes you, Kizmel. You are basically one of us already, and Morte knows that."

    It was impressive how level-headed Kirito was, even in this situation. He even thought of the dark elf, who Drifter only now realized had no context for what was happening. The spearman himself, on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling his urge to let out a string of expletives after the first ''fuck''.

    "So that''s it? He comes outta nowhere, threatens us, and now we can''t even go to the bathroom without fearing for our lives?"

    Liz asked almost belligerent, although Kirito wasn''t the target of her anger. But the dark-haired swordsman just shook his head.

    "Yes. He killed two people already, Liz. At least. Probably more. He isn''t joking when he says he will be coming after us. He''s hunting us. And if we give him the chance..."

    Drufter shivered. Morte would kill them if they let their guards down, no doubt about that. And he was in the dark while they were in the light. They would have to watch their backs in the coming days and months.

    "W-What do we do now?"

    Hearing the meek voice poured a bucket of cold water over Drifter''s boiling emotions. Looking back, he saw Silica clutching Vallerk''s arm. Silica, who wasn''t there when Morte murdered two people. Silica, who was a clearer but not a frontliner. Silica, who was just twelve-year-old. He took a deep breath and spoke.

    "We are going to the dark elf camp to hand in this quest, and then going back to the city for a good night''s sleep. Morte''s a red player, so he can''t get into the cities. Argo, spread the word. I don''t believe we are the only ones in Morte''s list. Kibaou."

    "On it, Dri-bou."

    He touched the info-broker''s head, and for one she didn''t complain. She stared into his eyes, searching. She found nothing.

    Drifter didn''t want her to see where his mind was.

    ...

    Town of Beginnings, main plaza. 3 AM.

    The city was silent. Even the rowdiest of players was sleeping by now. SAO''s increased difficulty during nighttime really forced players to get a normal sleep pattern.

    Drifter had snuck out from Reaver''s Requiem''s inn on the 8th floor - which wasn''t easy, considering half of them were still awake. Now, he was waiting to meet someone he wasn''t exactly keen on seeing.

    After half an hour of sitting around, he heard muffled steps behind him - but only because the other party wanted him to hear it. The person Drifter was meeting belonged to the group who probably had the highest mastery in << Hiding >> in Aincrad. He turned around to face the black-clad ninja.

    "You are not the one I messaged."

    "All the disciples of our humble guild function as one, honorable warrior. A mission accepted by one is accepted by..."

    "All right, I don''t have the time for all that role-playing bullshit. I want to know where Morte is. Can you tell me? Yes or no?"

    Drifter cut off the ramblings of the other player. He wasn''t in the mood to have to decipher everything the other party was saying. And Morte''s name had a huge enough impact that even the crazy Fuumaningum role-players knew when to stop their antics. Not to mention, Drifter''s identity and the time and way he was asking made very clear what he intended to do with the information.

    "He should be on this floor still. Red players can''t enter the main cities and use teleporters."

    "I know that. But do you know exactly where he is?"

    "I can find out. But our Fuumaningum doesn''t work for free."

    Drifter stared at the ninja. They had their entire face covered, so he could only see their eyes, and not their expression. And, dark as it was, even the little clues he might be able to glimpse from their gaze were gone.

    "I''m going to put a murderer out of circulation. Isn''t that enough?"

    "That''s fair. But can you actually do it?"

    Drifter stared at the masked ninja. Man or woman, he couldn''t say. And his hand went to his spear almost reflexively. And he was sure.

    "Yes."

    ---------------------------

    Yuna hadn''t slept. There was no way she could, not after meeting Morte. Not because of the murderer - she could ignore him easy enough if she thought she was in a safe zone - but because of her friends.

    The idea of killing Morte herself had crossed her mind before, but it was swiftly pushed away. She was a singer, a musician. Even if Reaver''s Requiem were the ones to end the red player - and someone had to, he wasn''t going to jail - it would not be her to do it. But it might be someone she deeply cared about.

    Yuna was afraid. Tonight, while everyone was focusing on Morte before he gave them the slip, she had instead looked at her guildmates. Those she considered family by now. And she saw at least four of them ready to kill Morte. Kirito, Sinon, Nautilus, and Drifter.

    Morte deserved to die. She wished for him to drop dead with all of her being. But she was scared of what it would do to her friends if one of them was the one to do the deed. Especially to the latter two. The boy who she had known her entire life and the man who had quickly found his way into her heart. How would they change if they were forced to take another person''s life?

    Staring out the window, Yuna felt something wet and hot trailing down her cheeks. She didn''t bother wiping away the tears. There would be more flowing. The night was still young, and she didn''t think she would be able to fall asleep.

    How would they change? And more, wouldn''t that be Morte''s victory?

    --------------------------

    Argo shuffled her way through the crowded streets, pushing aside players who were too focused on their menus to notice SAO''s greatest info-broker passing through. She took that as a good sign.

    A quick glance at her HUD revealed that the raid-party was still going strong since the last time she checked, approximately twenty seconds ago.

    It was now a little less than a week since their encounter with Morte, and the info-broker hadn''t caught a glimpse or heard anything about them simce then. Even her best informants, the Fuumaningum ninjas, had nothing.

    But she had a hunch. And Argo''s hunches were usually right on the money or wildly off-course. She hoped, she really did, that it was the latter. But she doubted it. Which was why she had handed the << Flag of Valor >> to Shivata, trusting him to give it back later, and came here. Argo stopped before the large obsidian stone slab.

    Town of Beginnings, << Monument of Life >>.

    The place players dreaded the most in SAO. She was a constant visitor here. It was an easy - and free - source of information. Almost always terrible, but better than not knowing.

    Argo started walking down the gigantic rectangle of black stone upon which ten thousand names were carved. Too many were crossed.

    "Shit. Fuck."

    She halted when she found the name she was looking for. If any, she should be glad this one was crossed. But she couldn''t, because of the words next to it.

    Morte. February 10h. Player killing.

 Chapter 83 - Morality

    Town of Beginnings, February 10th, 2023.

    3:27 AM.

    Sitting perfectly still, Drifter waited. Twenty-four minutes ago, the ninja had left with the promise of sending him a message as soon as they found Morte. As long as that was before sunrise, the spearman would wait here. He had nowhere else better to be, and he knew many of his friends were still awake, and would be up all night, just like him. Getting out without them noticing once had already been difficult, and he didn''t want to tempt fate. He didn''t have a good explanation as to why he was sneaking out in the middle of the night after Kirito had specifically said no one was supposed to go anywhere alone.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    Once again, he heard the deliberately not muffled steps behind him, and turned. The same role-player from earlier. The person had already seen Drifter wasn''t in the mood for jokes, so they spoke normally and without preamble.

    "Two orange players saw a red player whose equipment fits Morte entering the fallen elf base on the 8th floor yesterday."

    "Fallen elf base?"

    "It''s the spot for outlaw players on that floor. If he hasn''t gone back there yet, he should soon."

    Drifter frowned. He had heard of places for orange and red players, but he had never gone into one, for obvious reasons. At the very least, he knew they were safe zones where green players like him would be hunted, so he couldn''t go after Morte there. He had to somehow ambush him outside.

    His stomach lurched at the thought that he was basically planning another human''s assassination, but he kept the urge to throw up under control. His resolve was formed. He just couldn''t lose it.

    "Any way of knowing if he''s actually there? Or better, of knowing where he is at all times?"

    The ninja stared at him, and Drifter stared back. He knew he was asking for a lot, especially when he wasn''t paying anything. But the Fuumaningum player relented.

    "I have one of my people keeping an eye on the only inn slash tent there, so I''ll know when he comes back or goes out."

    The spearman didn''t miss how the other player said ''my people'', but didn''t comment on it. The authoritarian way the ninja spoke and how he or she was able to make decisions on the spot had already clued him in to their identity.

    "You have players who can enter outlaw cities?"

    His tone was somewhat accusatory, but Drifter got the distinct impression the ninja was rolling their eyes under their mask.

    "It''s not that difficult, nor as horrible as you are making it out to be. I just had my guy slap someone else and voila! Orange cursor! The other person didn''t even lose HP. Besides, there''s some good stuff you can only buy there."

    "I... Huh."

    It made so much sense Drifter was left speechless. He almost apologized. He still wasn''t one hundred percent sure Fuumaningum wasn''t involved in some shady business, but then he thought of how they all acted like they had 8th-grade syndrome, and decided he didn''t want to know anymore. He knew they weren''t murderers, and that was enough for him right now.

    "Argo the Rat is doubtlessly Aincrad''s greatest info-broker, Drifter of Reaver''s Requiem, but she is just one person. There are things which are outside of her means. Not ours. You would do well to remember that."

    The ninja - Drifter was getting a feeling it was a she, although the mask muffled her voice, as it was no doubt intended - glared intensely at him, as if reading Drifter''s thoughts. After a long while, he nodded and got up.

    "Got it, thanks. Message me if your man spots Morte, please and thank you."

    He was already walking as he spoke, heading towards the teleporter. It was only when he was on the 8th floor and almost at the gates that he noticed the ninja was still following him. And not even from behind, but just walking by his side. And Drifter hadn''t noticed anything until now. He almost yelped.

    "Are you coming with me?"

    ''Her proficiency in << Hiding >> must be unbelievably high. And her clothes probably give her a bonus too.''

    "Why?"

    "It''s easier to communicate if I''m with you. Less chances for mistakes and delays."

    "And?"

    "I''m interested."

    Hearing that, Drifter paused for a split-second before resuming his stride and stepping out of the safe zone, ninja in tow. Kirito was not going to be happy if he found out. Drifter was going to make sure he never did.

    ...

    4:05 AM.

    Two figures ran through the 8th floor''s bridges, barely slowing down when they encountered enemies

    It was a good thing the ninja had decided to go with him, Drifter realized. She had all kinds of trinkets which fit her personality awfully well, like smoke bombs and throwing nails coated in paralyzing poison. Thanks to her, he wasn''t forced to fight every mob he came across, instead leaving them in the dust and exiting their aggro range.

    They didn''t say a word the entire time. Drifter just followed the ninja silently. It was twenty minutes later that they arrived outside of the fallen elf base. Drifter saw just a flickering light from a torch and a hole in a giant tree, but the Fuumaningum player assured him that was the entrance to the place.

    "Now we wait."

    "Hm."

    Crouching, Drifter held his spear across his knees. His heart was pounding. He didn''t want to be here. He didn''t want to do this. But he had to. His family would be in danger if he didn''t. Morte couldn''t live past tonight.

    He peeked at the ninja from the corner of his eyes. She was barely a silhouette next to him, her outfit blending so perfectly with the darkness that she also disappeared. She was also using << Hiding >> , and so was he, which made her pretty much invisible. And that was considering Drifter had one of the highest mastery of << Hiding >> in SAO.

    "So, do you have a name I can call you? Or nah?"

    To distract himself from his tension and prevent the traitorous thoughts urging him to give up and go back, Drifter started a conversation. Or at least he tried to, but the other player just stared at him for the next two minutes. He had already given up on the dialog when she spoke.

    "Akari."

    The spearman looked at Fuumaningum''s guild leader for a few seconds before nodding.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Akari. You sure you want to be here for this?"

    Akari''s answer was the longest Drifter had ever heard her speak at once.

    "Red player Morte is a betrayer of everything we stand and fight for, spearman Drifter. When thousands of innocent souls have already been lost, he not only blocks our path to survival, but claims lives with his own hands."

    Her tone was even, but Drifter had spoken like that enough times to feel the boiling rage beneath the words. Somehow, he understood why she was here with him. It wasn''t simply because she was ''interested'', as she had claimed. Drifter felt that, if he faltered and failed to deliver the final blow, Akari was there to rectify his mistake.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "He is a beast. No, he is worse. The mobs are just coded to kill us, but Morte chose to do it of his own free will."

    Drifter talked, not to Akari, but himself. With every word, his grip on his spear grew stronger, to the point where it felt like another ounce of strength was going to shatter it.

    "He is a monster, and he deserves to be treated as such. Put down as such."

    Silence descended after Drifter finished speaking. Even he realized how brutal his words were. But they were the truth.

    4:38 AM.

    After looking at his HUD, Drifter pressed a knuckle to his forehead. He hoped Morte hadn''t gone back to the fallen elf base yet, otherwise he might have to wait until the say started, which would cause some problems with his guild. He hadn''t quite yet figured out how to tell them that he went after a merciless murderer on his own and - hopefully - killed him. Or if he should tell them at all.

    Morte was a red player. Logic dictated he rested during the day and acted at night, when there was a smaller chance of bumping into other players while he was leveling up. Besides, as a criminal, the nocturnal lifestyle fit the stereotypes.

    "You said the outlaw cities had some interesting items on sale. Did you mean those smoke bombs and paralyzing nails? I''ve never seen them before."

    "They are cities for criminals. Their goods reflect that."

    So the answer was ''yes''.

    "Would you be willing to sell some to my guild?"

    "They are very expensive."

    "We have cor."

    This time, the underlying meaning wasn''t so clear cut, especially because Akari didn''t answer. Drifter was getting frustrated.

    "You really don''t like to chat, hum?"

    "And you talk too much. That was not my first impression of you."

    Drifter snorted at the snappy response.

    "I''m trying not to think of what I''m about to do."

    "You shouldn''t. A warrior whose mind is not focused on the battle at hand is a poor one."

    "Piss off! Why do you even talk like that anyway? I think role-playing lost a little of its meaning after we got trapped into a death game, no?"

    Akari glared fiercely at Drifter before he had even finished speaking. For a moment it really looked like she was going to get up and walk away. But then, she was back to being cool as ice, although her tone was decidedly more frosty.

    "It''s our way of coping. We entered Sword Art Online as a group. We wanted to play our roles as badass ninjas and have fun. It''s easier to pretend we aren''t all gonna die if we continue role-playing. We can''t all be like you, Drifter from Reaver''s Requiem."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    Drifter raised an eyebrow, but Akari didn''t say anything anymore, and he also decided not to ask.

    Like that, the two crouched behind a tree while keeping watch of the entrance. It wasn''t until several minutes later that something changed. Akari''s body tensed and she shot up, startling him.

    5:02 AM.

    Also getting up, Drifter looked at the ninja, saw her shining pupils, and followed her gaze. At first, he only saw more of the same old darkness, but after using << Searching >> , he spotted the player coming their way. Even dark as it was, he was unmistakable.

    Morte was walking towards them - towards the fallen elf base, in fact - with his sword sheathed and his hood covering his face. The hem of the black cloak draped over his shoulders almost dragged onto the ground.

    Now, while Morte was a murderer, he was no Professional killer. He always held those twisted intentions inside of him, but he would never have dared to act on them if Kayaba hadn''t presented him with the perfect opportunity.

    Which was why, while Morte was a red player, he was by no means a professional. Sure, he hid his tracks when he went out during the day and picked his fights carefully - meaning, he always ambushed solo players, and never engaged in direct battles against multiple opponents. He was a coward, through and through.

    But Morte never imagined he would one day be the one on the role of the prey. And since he never considered that, he wasn''t on the lookout for enemies nor was he being particularly attentive as he made his way to the fallen elf camp. Which was why he never saw the spear coming.

    The wrongness of attacking someone in cold blood and from the back flashed through Drifter''s mind, but was quickly squashed by the scene of Morte murdering his two former comrades. No, ambushing Morte was the only way to prevent him from jumping off the bridge they were on and escaping again. This had to end tonight, otherwise the red player would be alerted, and Drifter might never get another chance.

    A << Snake Bite >> - it felt appropriate - struck the unsuspecting player on the back, throwing him on the ground and wiping out 20% of his health. Drifter had initially aimed for the back of Morte''s head, but unconsciously changed targets at the last second.

    After crashing down, Morte quickly rolled out of the way of an attack that never came, and scrambled to his feet. Under his hood, his eyes widened in utter astonishment and shock when he saw who attacked him.

    "You?!"

    Drifter paused only for a second, to glance at his cursor with some lingering fear and regrets. But it was still green, while Morte''s was red, which only reinforced his conviction.

    "Me."

    Saying just that one word, Drifter launched into a << Rage Spike >>, which Morte hastily deflected with his sword. However, the force of the blow still sent the red player reeling back, and Drifter''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Ever since the 5th floor, Drifter had been sparring with the other Reavers whenever he had time, so he had become much better at fighting other players. And, from that one collision, he got one feeling from Morte: weak.

    But there was no way that was right. Morte was the red player, the worse criminal in SAO. From the hue of his cursor, Drifter knew he had killed more people after the two from ALS. He couldn''t be this weak. But then, why did it feel like he was actually several levels below Drifter?

    Despite what he was thinking, Drifter didn''t slow down. He reversed his grip on his spear, bringing it back down on Morte, who failed to dodge this time, and got cut in the shoulder. Another 10% of his HP vanished.

    The red player didn''t even bother defending. His head was swinging from left to right, searching for a way out. All Norte needed was to rush into the fallen elf base or jump into the water. But just as he made a break for it, after Drifter''s flurry of attacks had shaved another fifth of his health, a throwing nail appeared out of nowhere, flying directly towards his face.

    "Agh! Who the fuck?!"

    Morte barely managed to raise his sword in time, and yelled, but Akari, who was hidden behind a tree, didn''t respond. She didn''t intend to interfere, but she agreed with Drifter that Morte couldn''t be allowed to escape.

    "<< Martial Arts: Low Blow >>!"

    Likely, Akari didn''t need to have stepped in. Drifter had expected Morte to try to run, so he had been keeping an eye open. As soon as the red player turned his back to him, his silver-glowing leg had already shot forward with << Martial Arts >> skill that carried a stunning effect. He kicked Morte on the back of the knee, and the red player fell down again with a groan.

    A shadow loomed over him, barely discernible in the faint moonlight, and Morte looked up to see Drifter. The spearman had his weapon raised and poised for the final strike, but he was hesitating.

    It was inevitable. Drifter had driven someone to death before, back on the 1st floor, but that was very different than holding his spear over someone and striking them with a killing blow while looking into their eyes.

    Right. Morte''s hood had fallen when he fell, so, for the first time, Drifter was seeing the face of SAO''s worst monster. Messy black hair, sunken cheeks. Not at all the face you expected the player who caused half of SAO nightmares to look like. Except his eyes. Drifter''s grip on his spear tightened.

    Morte''s eyes were exactly like Drifter imagined. Their shape or color wasn''t important, but what they held. Drifter stared at them, and saw madness. Even now, just one blow away from death, Morte''s eyes didn''t hold fear. They were crazy, mocking. Laughing. Just like the red player.

    "Hahaha! I''ll be honest, I never thought anyone would actually come to hunt me. It was always the other way around. I guess this is how it feels to be the prey, huh? It''s shit. Hahaha! But I suppose, if anyone, it would be you, Drifter. Or that fucker Kibaou. But I''m happy it''s you. Making you a murderer is sooooo much more pleasurable. Hahahaha!"

    He laughed. The damn red player laughed. And with each crazed cackle, Drifter felt Morte''s twisted sense of self crumble further.

    By now, the ''stun'' effect Morte was inflicted with had long since run out, but the red player didn''t even try to get up, much less retaliate. He was just laughing and staring at Drifter. At the shaking speartip aimed at his throat.

    "Well? Aren''t you going to do it? Don''t tell me you are gonna chicken out now, Drifter? You won''t make a good killer like that. You are never gonna reach my level if you hesitate so much. Hehehe... You just have to stab, and then stab again and again. That was how I killed my prey, you know? Stabbed them in the back. I dunno why they always seemed so surprised. Hahahaha!"

    Morte threw his head back, laughing at the demented joke only he found funny. Then he looked back to Drifter, and smirked.

    "Here, let me give you a little help."

    Suddenly, Morte lunged at Drifter. The spearman didn''t notice until too late that Morte''s trajectory was strange, almost as if he was throwing himself on Drifter''s spear.

    Reacting on instinct, Drifter stabbed his spear forward. No skills, just a normal blow. It went right through Morte''s throat, and the last few percents of HP the red player had left vanished.

    Glancing at his declining, and then non-existent health, Morte grinned. Again. His stare pierced Drifter.

    "You are welcome. Murderer."

 Chapter 84 - Live With It

    5:08 AM.

    Six minutes. Just six minutes had passed since the moment he first spotted Morte to when the red player exploded in shards under his spear. Drifter stared at the flickering polygons until they vanished. Then he put his spear on his back. And sighed.

    So that was it. He had done it. And there wasn''t even a notification, not a single message acknowledging he had just killed another player. Another human. As if Morte was less than a mob to the Cardinal System. Drifter looked up, and his cursor was still green. It felt wrong.

    He heard the soft footsteps of Akari behind him. The guild leader of Fuumaningum walked out from behind the tree she was hiding, and he looked at her. Her face was still concealed by the mask, but he could see the swirling emotions and conflicting thoughts in her eyes. Drifter could understand that. They had both come here with the determination to kill Morte, but it didn''t feel real until he actually did it. Now he could feel the weight. The burden.

    It was lighter than he expected.

    "Hm... We should go back."

    That was the first thing Akari said. Drifter nodded, and turned around. Silently, they started running back to the city. To the people they wouldn''t tell what had transpired tonight.

    The silence was painful. For both of them, but for different reasons. Akari, for all she had scolded him earlier, was the first to break it.

    "You did it. How are you feeling?"

    Drifter slowed down, mulling over the question. What a stupid one it was. But, what else was she supposed to ask? He chuckled quietly, but there was no mirth in his laughter.

    "Truly?"

    "Yes."

    "Hah... Not much at all. I''m disgusted with Morte. And it feels like I should be disgusted with myself. But I''m not. I think... I had already resolved myself to do it. All that was left was to go through with the act."

    Akari said nothing. She knew it wasn''t that simple - one look at the spearman''s face told her that. But rather than feel like Drifter was trying to make light of Morte''s death, she felt that he simply didn''t know how to put his feelings into words.

    "If anything... I''m scared."

    "Scared?"

    "Yes. Of how easy it was."

    And that was the truth, wasn''t it? Killing Morte had been exceedingly easy. At the time, Drifter had been worried Morte''s weakness was a trick, but after the red player died, it became clear that Morte was simply weak. He must have been at least 10 levels lower than Drifter. A consequence of spending all his time thinking of ways to kill other players.

    But just because it was easy, it didn''t mean Drifter enjoyed it. No, he hated having to kill Morte with all his being. He would have nightmares today - if he could even sleep - and for the rest of his life. But when he weighed Morte''s life and the death of his morality against the lives of countless SAO players, and, more importantly, of his family... Drifter had made the right decision. That, he would never doubt, nor regret.

    5:37 AM.

    Akari and Drifter didn''t exchange another word during their journey back. It was only after they reached the safe zone and crossed the city gates that they stopped and looked at each other again. He hesitated for a moment. Should he say something? Honestly, he didn''t feel like it. But being on good terms with Akari would be beneficial to Reaver''s Requiem.

    [ Player Akari has sent you a friend request. Accept? ]

    Akari broke the impasse by sending a friend request herself. Drifter raised an eyebrow - that was very not in character for the edgy role-player - but was too tired to question it.

    "If you ever find yourself in need of our shadows'' services again, brave warrior, please contact me."

    The spearman snorted and nodded, accepting the friend request. The ninja gave him one last long look.

    "For what it is worth, Drifter, I believe you did the right thing."

    He stared at the retreating player. He could barely see her now, she was almost mending with the alley shadows. Drifter turned around.

    "Bye, Akari."

    "Fare thee well, spearman Drifter."

    -----------------------

    1st General Military Hospital, Tokyo.

    A tired nurse yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. His shift was almost over.

    Suddenly, a loud beeping noise startled him awake. Jumping up, he looked at the computer, saw where the alarm was coming from, and rushed towards the room. The doctor on-call was already on her way.

    By the time they got to the room, it was already too late. Not like they could do anything even if they arrived there on time. The doctor sighed heavily and pulled off the NerveGear from the deceased patient''s head. Another one to the growing list of SAO''s victims.

    ------------------------

    Town of Beginnings, << Monument of Life >>. February 14th, 2023.

    "Shit. Fuck."

    Standing in front of the black stone stele, Argo cursed loudly. Two nearby players, who were also searching the << Monument of Life >> for a name, gave her a sympathetic gaze. They thought she had just found out that a friend of hers was dead.

    Turning around, Argo left the monument running. She went straight to the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings, where the teleporter was located, right beneath the obelisk.

    It was crowded. At least several thousand players were gathered there, watching the ongoing boss raid. It had become a sort of tradition, and smart players took advantage of it to set stalls and sell their unwanted items. By now, the whole thing looked more like an open fair.

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    "Hey!"

    "Watch it!"

    Argo made her way through the crows by elbowing people out of the way and snarling at anyone who complained. That got them to back off. She soon reached the front of the line for the teleporter, all the while watching the raid-party''s progress on her HUD with the corner of her eyes.

    When the [ Congratulations ] message appeared on the live stream, Argo started tapping her foot impatiently. Her gaze was focused on a certain spearman twirling his spear before storing it away. Drifter was shaking hands with Klein and Orlando, and patting Agil on the back. He even went up to Shivata to congratulate the DKB vice-leader on getting the last attack bonus. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary with him.

    But Argo knew better. He might be acting normal now, but four days ago, the morning after they met Morte in the wilderness, she had seen the haunted look on his face. At that time, she had just attributed it to a long night awake - gods knew she had trouble falling asleep.

    But Argo had gone to the << Monument of Life >> today with a seedling of doubt in her heart, which was by now fully grown. The suspicion had been born of many little things she had discovered during the last few days. The way Drifter avoided everyone''s eyes. How he either kept silent or changed the subject whenever someone brought up Morte. The leader of Fuumaningum saying she shouldn''t worry about the red player''s whereabouts. The report from an orange player she found who said they hadn''t seen Morte in the fallen elf base for days.

    Little things. But they added up. Argo would never have suspected Drifter if not for one thing. Two days ago, while she was telling the Reavers about where she thought Morte might be, Drifter had been the only one not to show surprise when she mentioned the fallen elf camp where criminals went to hide. The lack of that emotion was what tipped her off, and made her connect the dots of his erratic behavior lately.

    "C''mon, c''mon, c''mon, c''mon..."

    The hour that took for the Assault Team to unlock the 9th floor teleporter felt like one year to Argo. No sooner than the portal lit up, she was already stepping through.

    "Teleport: Allenz!"

    The info-broker burst out of the teleporter on the quaint little village running. Her head swiveled left and right, and she spotted the Reavers to the side, talking to a few other players.

    "Congrats, Kii-bou, Aa-chan. Ya too, Klein-nii. Dri-bou, I need to talk to ya."

    Immediately marching over, Argo plastered a fake smile onto her face and grabbed Drifter''s wrist. She didn''t see the consternation in Reavers'' expressions as she dragged him away. She also didn''t answer the spearman''s questions, and he eventually gave up and allowed her to pull him along.

    They didn''t go far. The info-broker entered the first inn she saw, threw some cor to the innkeeper, and rented a room. It was the nearest place where she could interrogate Drifter without any prying ears nearby.

    Argo pushed Drifter onto the bed, then dragged a chair over and sat down in front of him. Ever since seeing Argo''s completely serious expression, so out of the norm for her, and seeing how far she was going to make sure they weren''t overheard, the spearman seemed to have discovered something. He didn''t ask her what this was about again. She looked at him, and he stared back.

    He knew exactly what she thought she knew, Argo realized. But he was waiting for her to ask.

    "I went to the << Monument of Life >> today."

    That was all Argo said, and she saw a brief flash of panic cross Drifter''s eyes. The spearman looked down to his lap and sighed. Then his head rose back up.

    "I killed Morte."

    Argo was already certain of that, but she still shivered when Drifter admitted it so readily. The spearman kept his voice carefully emotionless as he spoke.

    "I never intended to lie, Argo. Hide it for as long as I could, yes. But not lie. Although you found out a lot faster than I expected."

    Hearing his calm tone, Argo clenched her fists. She knew him too well to believe he was actually that cold.

    "W-Why..?"

    Drifter frowned.

    "Why? Morte was a monster, Argo. He had to be..."

    "Not that! Not even why you hid it. But why... Why did you go alone? Why didn''t you tell Yuna or Nautilus or Kirito? Why didn''t you tell... Me?"

    That was what hurt her so unbearably so. Drifter had gone after Morte alone. He had taken up that burden without even considering how she and everyone else would feel when they found out. Or maybe he considered too much. Worse of all, Drifter had gone after Morte... And he hadn''t trusted Argo enough to tell her.

    "If I told you, little rat, would you have let me go alone?"

    "Of course not! But ya didn''t need to go alone from the start! Morte was after all of us! We could - no, we should have helped!"

    The info-broker raised her voice, and Drifter flinched.

    "That''s exactly why I didn''t tell you or the others, little rat. Because you would have helped. Helped me to kill a person."

    "Don''t give me that bullshit, Drifter! Morte was a threat to all of us, to all of SAO! So why..."

    "Because you are just a kid, Argo! You are fourteen, for fuck sake!"

    Drifter snapped, and immediately felt bad, because Argo visibly recoiled from his outburst. He wasn''t doing a very good job of pitting his words into action. He sat back down on the bed, feeling the weight of his words.

    "I know... Argo, I know SAO changed everyone. You, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito... Everyone. After everything that happened, it would be unfair to treat any of you like kids. And I don''t. You know that. The only one I still treat like a child is Silica. And that is because I''m stubborn. She is ready for the Assault Team, be it in skill or mentality. She is twelve, Argo. But she is ready. And I damn Kayaba to the deepest pits of hell, because we need her."

    Drifter leaned his body forward, and grabbed one of Argo''s hands with his. She was shaking.

    "I''ve stopped treating any of you like kids after the first week. You, little rat, I always treated like an equal, from the moment we met. I''m not trying to push any of you away. I''m not trying to take on more because I''m older. But I want to protect you. Protect my family. And that includes protecting you from yourselves."

    The info-broker finally looked up from her lap and locked gazes with him. She wasn''t crying. She wasn''t angry. She just looked... Defeated. Drifter soldiered on.

    "I''m being selfish. But I''m allowed to. You are my little sister, remember?"

    Argo looked at him. And sniffled.

    "Yeah."

    "So shut up and trust your big brother."

    Drifter smiled fondly, and put his hand on Argo''s head. He ruffled her hair, and she sniffed louder.

    "Jackass. That''s so cringe."

    He laughed.

    ...

    "Oh? You are finally back! What was so urgent you had to steal Drifter from us, Argo?"

    It was twenty minutes later that Drifter and Argo left the room and walked downstairs to find the Reavers waiting for them.

    A lot more had been said between the two during that time. Mainly Argo cursing the hell out of him for being an idiot, a stupid wannabe hero, a selfish prick, and many other unflattering denominations. But her fake accent was back, so Drifter felt lighter.

    "That''s a secret between Dri-bou and me, Liz-chan. Don''t go pryin'' now, or I''m gonna raise my prices, got it? Especially ya, Yu-chan. We all know that this guy over there can''t say no to ya, so don''t turn your puppy eyes to him. He might faint."

    He guessed he deserved that. Nevertheless, Drifter tried to grab the cheeky info-broker in a head-lock, but she slipped under his arms and hid behind Yuuki, who was only too happy to be used as a battle puppet by Argo.

    "Hass... What am I gonna do with you?"

    "Suffer us! Ya are stuck with us forever, Dri-bou. Tough it out."

    Argo winked, and Drifter supposed he also deserved that one. She had agreed to keep his solo crusade against Morte - and the result, especially - a secret until he was ready to tell his guild. Which, if Drifter could have it his way, would be never, although she didn''t know that. Let Morte fade into obscurity. That was for the better.

    "Right! Let''s get to work! What''s on the list, guild leader?"

 Chapter 85 - Lyusula

    Two days had passed since the SAO players reached the 9th floor. To most, this floor wasn''t any different than others. Just another step of the way. But to Reaver''s Requiem, it was a floor they had been looking for and waiting with anticipation.

    Now, the twelve members of Reaver''s Requiem were standing on Lyusula, capital of the kingdom with the same name. It was the second of three cities on the 9th floor, and it was even bigger than Allenz, the town where players first appeared on this floor.

    The city actually looked somewhat deserted, since only players who had chosen the dark elf side of the << Elf War >> campaign could enter Lyusula. The same went for the forest elves'' capital.

    That wasn''t to say Lyusula was empty, however. While most of the clearers and frontliners had given up on the campaign to allow Reaver''s Requiem free reign, there were plenty of lower-level players who were still completing it. The experience was good, and it was a lot more interesting than killing the same mobs day after day.

    But even to the players on the dark elf faction who had come to tour the elven city, there was one portion of Lyusula that was off-limits: the royal palace.

    Or that would normally be the case. But today, Lyusula''s royal palace had opened its doors to welcome Reaver''s Requiem with the highest honors.

    "Woah..."

    Guided by Kizmel, who beamed proudly at their naked admiration, the players crossed the gigantic double doors of the palace. The entire building was made of some kind of white wood, which at first seemed like a very strange choice of material considering they were dark elves. But, when they entered the palace, they realized that there was something special about the wood.

    "Kizmel, what material is this?"

    Ran waved her hand in front of a torch, casting a shadow on the wall. The wood turned black... And stayed that color even after Ran lowered her hand and the shadow was gone. It was only after a few seconds that the section of the wall started losing color, first into a light gray, then finally back to white.

    "Hehe... Impressive, no? The entire palace is made out of << DayNight Trees >>. This type of tree changes color according to the light. So, it''s white during the day, and black at night. I''ll show it to you later. It looks beautiful at night, just like a starry sky."

    "Then thanks in advance, Kizmel."

    Like that, the Reavers walked through the palace''s corridors, exclaiming and whoa-ing at everything like tourists, which Kizmel seemed to find incredibly entertaining.

    She got serious when they arrived outside of the throne room, however. While Drifter and the others were more curious than anything, Kizmel took her job as a knight very seriously. To her, the queen was the most sacred and important being on Aincrad.

    And she did look sacred. Sitting on her throne, the elven queen was a beauty who had Drifter staring for a few seconds before Yuna coughed and elbowed him on the side.

    Dark skin, like all of her kind, contrasted with the white armor she wore. Yes, armor. Not a dress, but armor, and a battered one on top of that. It was polished and shining, but there was no mistaking the gashes across it. That armor had seen battle, and so had its owner.

    Then you looked up at her face, and that was when the sacred aspect really hit. The queen''s purple-ish long hair was braided, and upon her head sat a crown of pitch-black flowers. The contrast was breathtaking.

    "My Queen, I present to you Reaver''s Requiem. They are some of the strongest of the humans that recently appeared in Aincrad, and honorable warriors."

    Two steps ahead of them, Kizmel greeted the queen and introduced them. She didn''t kneel, but gave the same three-fingered salute, although she did bend her upper body. As they had agreed beforehand, Drifter and the others mimicked her. It didn''t make any difference since the queen was just an NPC, but it mattered for Kizmel, so they did it.

    "Greetings, humankind. I am Queen Melena. We are grateful for your assistance in recovering the << Secret Keys >> and uncovering the plot of the fallen elves."

    Just as they thought, the queen gave them a perfunctory greeting, and her voice, while regal, wasn''t any different than that of other NPCs.

    ''I thought she might be special like Kizmel, but I guess not.''

    Listening with one ear to the queen''s following speech about how the dark and forest elves had to unite, and that she would be sending a delegation to the forest elf kingdom - with the Reavers as escort, of course - Drifter stole a glance at Kizmel. He always wondered why she, of all NPCs, was so different. So alive. He still didn''t have an answer, but his best guess was that it had something to do with them breaking the plot way back on the 3rd floor.

    Thankfully, the system didn''t make them sit through a painfully long ceremony for nothing. After Melena''s speech came to an end, she gestured for three servants to step forward. Each of them was carrying a delicate cushion, upon which sat three items.

    "I now bestow upon you three tokens of our gratefulness, brave human warriors. I hope you will continue to aid Lyusula in our battle against the despicable fallen elves."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked to Kirito, but the swordsman shrugged. So this wasn''t in the beta.

    The first item was a lyre, and Yuna''s eyes sparkled when she saw it. The second item was an ingot of some kind, and Drifter didn''t even get to read its name, that was how fast Liz snatched it. As for the third and final reward, it was a blue crystal, rectangular, and as big as a person''s head. Drifter had no idea what it was, but when Kirito, as the guild leader, received it from the dark elf, his eyes widened in shock and recognition. He mouthed the word ''later'' to his guildmates when they gave him curious looks, but the black-haired boy was almost hopping on the spot in excitement. Whatever the crystal was, it had to be good.

    Drifter and the Reavers anxiously waited for the moment they left the palace. The grand doors had barely closed when they crowded around Kirito. Yuna''s new instrument, which buffed her songs, and Liz''s rare smelting material were interesting, but what really caught their attention was the crystal that made even the beta-tester, Kirito, reveal such a shocked expression.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    "What''s that crystal?"

    "Hurry up, Kirito, take it out!"

    "Yeah, what is it?"

    Under their urging, Kirito took out the item. Like Drifter had noticed before, it was a huge rectangular crystal. And, now that he got a closer look, the crystal was embedded in an ornate silver base. Kirito raised it so everyone could see.

    "Remember how I said that, starting on the 10th floor, the NPCs sell a new type of item?"

    "Yeah. << Healing Crystals >> and << Teleport Crystals >>, right?"

    "And other types too, like << Curing Crystals >> which nullify debuffs, and also << Message Recording Crystals >>, which are self-explanatory. But even though those items are for sale, they are super expensive. I spent all my cor on upgrading my sword during the beta, so I didn''t have enough to buy one. Besides, another important thing is that all crystals are one-time-use items, and only applicable to one player. You can''t teleport two people with a << Teleport Crystal >>."

    Like well-behaved children, the Reavers all nodded to Kirito''s lecture. Kirito might not have had money to buy crystals in the beta, but as a guild now, they had the funds to do so. If Drifter was honest, he would like everyone to have at least one of each type of crystal, with the exception of the message recording one. It would be another safety net if things ever went sideways.

    "Enough suspense, Kirito. What type of crystal is this one? Teleporting, healing, curing? It''s kinda big, no?"

    The swordsman chuckled, throwing the item up and down with a rarely-seen smug look on his face.

    "Neither, Asuna. This is a << Corridor Crystal >>."

    "<< Corridor Crystal >>?"

    "Yup. If the other crystals were expensive, then this one was simply unattainable back then. I''m talking tens of thousands of cor. The only reason it was even displayed in the shops was probably to give players something to look forward to."

    "That''s nice and all, but what the hell does it do?"

    "Heh. Unlike the other types, a << Corridor Crystal >> isn''t restricted to one player. Like the name says, you link it to the coordinates of someplace you have been to before, and it opens a corridor. The corridor lasts two minutes, and there''s no limit to how many people can go through. It''s still a one-time use, though."

    "So, if we find the boss room, for example, we can use it to get the entire Assault Team there without having to walk through the entire labyrinth again?"

    Enlightened, Kirito''s audience exclaimed. It really was an extremely useful item. But Drifter could think of one even better use for it.

    "Or, if we get into a tight spot, we can use it to get everyone out safely."

    His words were a splash of cold water over their enthusiasm, and Drifter almost felt bad for it. But everyone agreed, rather than using the << Corridor Crystal >> for a small convenience like avoiding having to walk, it was better to keep it for a truly desperate moment. Hopefully, they won''t have to use it until they are high enough that this type of crystal became affordable.

    -----------------------

    That night, all twelve members of Reaver''s Requiem were sitting across three tables in the common room of their inn. It was late, but they were waiting for a dark elf - most likely Kizmel - to barge in, telling them that fallen elves had stolen the four << Secret Keys >> the dark elves possessed, and that they needed to recover them. That was the script Kirito had shared with them, and the quest which started the final leg of the << Elf War >> campaign.

    Currently, Drifter was sharing a table with Merida, Ran, and Vallerk. He had called those three over on purpose, because they were the ones in the guild who he interacted the least with. They were all naturally quiet, but he felt that, as one of Reaver''s Requiem''s vice-guild leaders, knowing so little about them was a failure on his part. Vallerk, as a newly added member, could still be excused, but Merida and Ran had been with them for over a month now.

    What to talk about, now? It wasn''t like Drifter had planned this. He had just seen the two girls sitting together, and grabbed Vallerk to sit with them.

    "Now that I think about it, how did you and Silica meet, Vallerk?"

    Merida opened the conversation while tinkering with a piece of low-level leather armor. To raise her << Tailoring >> proficiency, she was always playing around with stuff like leather breastplates, gloves, and capes.

    "Err... It was normal, I think? She''s a dagger-user, so she needed someone to support her, and I use a shield but had no means of effectively dealing damage. We tried partying and it worked."

    "I see. Why the shield, though? It would be one thing if you already were the tank for a party, but you just said you were alone..."

    Drifter trailed off when he saw a dark look cross Vallerk''s face. Right. There was no reason for a pure tank like the younger player to be on his own... Unless he was in a party before and something happened to them.

    "Sorry, Vallerk. I spoke without thinking."

    "Ah, don''t be! It''s not what you are imagining. Not exactly, at least."

    "Huh?"

    The tank quickly waved his hands to erase the misunderstanding, blushing slightly.

    "My old party, they are still alive. But after the first day... Hah... They are part of the group who holed up in their rooms and refuse to leave. They don''t even respond to my messages, so I stopped trying."

    "I see..."

    Drifter repeated. So that was why. Well, it certainly was better than them being dead, but Drifter could understand Vallerk''s mood. He probably felt betrayed. It was likely that they were friends in real life, and yet they refused to even talk to Vallerk now, either out of fear or shame. It couldn''t feel good, but the green-eyed player smiled weakly.

    "They are still on my friend list, and I went to the monument, so I know they are still alive."

    Vallerk shrugged. It hurt, it really did. But it wasn''t the end of the world. In Silica, he had found another friend to care for. And his guildmates were quickly worming their way into his heart. Facing death together had a way of doing that.

    "Each player has to make and live with their choices. I believe yours is the right one, Vallerk."

    Ran, who had kept quiet until now, spoke. Drifter and Merida looked at each other - this conversation was not going according to plan. But before the spearman could find a new, lighter topic to dispel the somber mood, Kizmel entered the inn, puffing. The first person she locked eyes with was Drifter, who happened to be sitting closer to the door.

    "Drifter! The fallen elves have stolen our << Sacred Keys >>! And the king of the forest elves just informed us that theirs also disappeared! The fallen elves have all seven, and they are going towards the << Sacred Tree >>! Their leader, Aater, is going to wake up the evil god!"

    For the first time ever, the Reavers saw Kizmel panicking. Drifter quickly got up and held her by the shoulders.

    "Not if we have something to say about it, Kizmel."

 Chapter 86 - Lord of the Fallen

    Excitement. Nervousness. Those were the two feelings swirling inside Drifter right now, and he smiled a savage grin. It had been a while since he felt like that.

    Even against floor bosses, he only felt the latter. There was no excitement, no sense of anticipation or desire, when several thousand lives hinged on your victory. No, when they raided a floor boss, what Drifter felt the most was fear, although he pushed it down and away.

    But now, as they made their way towards the << Spirit Tree >> to complete the last quest in the entire << Elf War >> campaign - there were only two quests on the 9th floor: << Meet the Dark Elf Queen >> and << Slay the Fallen Elf Lord Aater >> - Drifter felt true excitement, for a variety of reasons.

    They were finally about to finish the campaign that had lasted seven entire floors. And Drifter, as well as all the Reavers, but especially the original party, had gotten very emotionally invested in the questline. Maybe it shouldn''t have been so originally, but after meeting Kizmel and witnessing Locke''s death, seeing Feredir''s true grief when losing its master... It was hard not to be that way.

    Of course, there was another reason why Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, and even Sinon were grinning widely, much to the disconcert of their guildmates, who weren''t used to seeing such expression in... Well, anyone''s faces. This was SAO, after all.

    "Err... Drifter?"

    "What''s up, Liz?"

    "Why... Are you smiling like that?"

    Drifter stared at the pink-haired blacksmith for a moment, confused. Then, he burst out laughing as he realized that Liz and everyone else had only joined them a lot after they met Kizmel.

    "Right, we never mentioned that, did we? I guess it never came up when we talked."

    "What didn''t come up?"

    "Heh. After this... Mission is finished, there won''t be any more threats to Lyusula. Soooo... Kizmel''s coming with us."

    The spearman was careful not to mention the term << Elf War >>. Yuna had committed the mistake of saying it once in front of Kizmel, and the amicable dark elf was not happy.

    But that didn''t matter right now. Liz, Yuuki, Ran, Merida, Silica, and Vallerk were looking between Kizmel and the smiling Drifter repeatedly. The dark elf was also grinning, although she made sure to hide it.

    "By coming with us, do you mean..."

    "Yup. After we defeat Aater, she is going to join Reaver''s Requiem. Ain''t that right, Kiz?"

    The dark elf halted momentarily and sketched a bow, her smile now in full display and she straightened her body.

    "Indeed, Drifter. It will be my greatest pleasure to become the 13th member of Reaver''s Requiem and conquer the rest of Aincrad with you."

    Their mouths dropped wide open as the original six Reavers laughed, and Asuna bounced over to hug Kizmel. Then, everyone started talking all at once.

    "That''s amazing, Kizmel!"

    "I can''t wait to see Kibaou''s face when he hears that..."

    "Glad to have you on board, Kiz!"

    "Big sis Kizmel, is Feredir coming with you? Please, please, please let him come!"

    Overwhelmed, Kizmel struggled to answer. While she always knew she would leave with the Reavers one day, she never expected them to be so supportive of the idea.

    "I-I... Thank you, my friends. I am glad to have met you on the 3rd floor that day."

    With a grateful smile, the dark elf hugged back everyone who had come forward to talk to her. Then, she rested one hand briefly on top of Silica''s head.

    "Yes, Feredir will be coming with me, Silica. I wouldn''t leave him behind no matter what."

    "Yay!"

    Silica jumped up and down, then hugged the huge wolf. Drifter felt like he saw Feredir roll his eyes before sticking out his tongue to lick her hand, but he must have imagined it. As for Kizmel, she watched the scene with a smile. There was no way she and Feredir could ever be separated. They were the only memories, the only ties each other had to her brother-in-law and her sister.

    "But, how would that work? Isn''t Kizmel an..."

    At the back of the group, Vallerk spoke up quietly, only to be almost instantly cut off by Sinon with a warning glare.

    "It doesn''t matter that she is an NPC. She''s our friend and she''s joining us. Nothing can change that."

    Vallerk had joined them later, so he had only heard the story of how Drifter and the others met Kizmel, but hadn''t actually experienced it. It was extremely confusing to the shield-bearer when he first saw the dark elf, who didn''t behave like any NPC he ever met. Even now, he still wasn''t quite sure of what to make of her. The fact that she could join parties was already strange, and now she was going to enter their guild. Vallerk felt that his entire knowledge of RPGs was quickly becoming obsolete.

    "Sorry, Sinon. I didn''t mean it in a bad way, I was just curious. Kizmel is nice, not to mention very strong. I''m glad she can join us."

    The archer''s glower subsided when she heard the apology. Sinon rubbed her cheek, the slightest tinge of red from embarrassment on it.

    "I''m sorry too. I didn''t mean to snap at you. I''m just already imagining the things Kibaou and the other fools are gonna say to Kizmel."

    And that was true, wasn''t it? Vallerk sneaked a glance at his guild leader. Kirito surely already knew that getting Kizmel, an NPC, into Reaver''s Requiem was giving ammunition for the ALS tyrant to call him Beater again.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    But Kirito wasn''t the same swordsman of a few months ago. He was still young, but he had grown into his role. He might never become an authoritative general, but he was a leader. Furthermore, he now had people he trusted. He wasn''t a loner anymore. And being called a beater still stung, but not nearly as much as it once did. Because the ones he cared about didn''t call him that.

    Drifter looked back. He had heard Sinon''s last sentence. But he just nodded to the archer. Whatever Kibaou complained about, he really didn''t give a damn.

    ...

    Excitement. And joy, now that they discovered Kizmel would enter their ranks. That was how Reaver''s Requiem walked towards the location of their final quest.

    A gigantic, ancient tree loomed over them. Drifter had never noticed it before, mainly because this entire floor was a forest, like most of the others before it. After all, a tree in a jungle, no matter how big, wasn''t anything extraordinary. Except this one was.

    Drifter looked up at the << Sacred Tree >>. And then he looked up again. And then some more, because that was how big the tree was.

    The << Sacred Tree >> touched the bottom of the floor above. A thousand meters tall - more. It should have been a sign of eternity. An immovable paramount that had endured ten thousand years. But right, that very tree dark and forest elves alike worship - it was rotten.

    All the leaves were an unhealthy shade of brown and yellow, fraying at the edges and falling. The trunk of the << Sacred Tree >> was hardly any better. Huge cracks extended throughout it, making the tree seem like it would fall apart any second. And from those cracks, a black, noxious smoke drifted. It was putrid. It smelled like death.

    At the base of the << Sacred Tree >>, where a huge crack started, almost like an open door waiting for them, the Reavers spotted their first enemies. They were a trio of heavily-armored fallen elves, each of them holding massive axes. Drifter stared at them with << Searching >>.

    "<< Fallen Sentinels >>. Anyone ever heard of them?"

    "I don''t remember them from the beta."

    "And they are not in the guide either."

    "New mobs then. Whatever they are, they look strong. Don''t lower your guard."

    The players nodded. Drifter gestured towards one of the enemies.

    "We''ll split them, focus on the one on the far right. Vallerk, you tank the other two. Silica, Asuna, Kizmel... And myself will support you. Yuna, you run Rest full-power for Vallerk. Kirito, Nautilus, you and the others take care of the other. Bring it down and then repeat."

    "Roger that, Drifter."

    The sentinels earned their name. The players were still more than twenty meters away when they started to stir and turned their helmets towards them. No chance of sneaking around - not that the Reavers planned to.

    Drifter met the charge of the << Fallen Sentinels >> with one of his own. His spear shone brightly as he swerved it around two axes, striking the enemies in the throat with a << Double Tap >> - one hit each. Even Kirito had to stop for a moment to admire how Drifter managed to turn a single-target skill into a crowd-control one simply by virtue of his incredible control over his weapon.

    Then Vallerk barreled into the << Fallen Sentinels >> with << Unrepentant Charge >>, pushing them back even though they were twice as tall as him, and many times heavier. Asuna, Kizmel, and Silica went around him to strike the mobs. << Folium >>, << Slant >>, << Stop Cut >>. Each of them carried a knockback, stun, or paralysis debuff, effectively halting the sentinels in their tracks. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough for Drifter to charge up his << Tidal Sequence >>, sweeping one of the fallen elves from his legs, and a << Martial Arts: High-kick >> knocked down the other.

    Then, both << Fallen Sentinels >> were on the ground, at their mercy. And the players had none for them.

    "Switch! Send another our way, Drifter!"

    "Here ya go!"

    It took about three minutes for Kirito and the others to demolish their << Fallen Sentinel >>. Drifter looked around, spun his spear, and smacked the mob with the lowest health in the face with the shaft. Vallerk completed the combo with a << Shield Bash >>, sending the << Fallen Sentinel >> stumbling towards the rest of the guild.

    Numbers were the one advantage players had over mobs. Without shame, the Reavers ganged up on the monsters, making quick work of them.

    "Aater should be inside the << Sacred Tree >>. We can expect several checkpoints and ambushes before we reach him."

    Kirito spoke as he prodded at a large cut on his shoulder, the red line slowly vanishing as Yuna''s music worked its wonders.

    The Reavers fought more recklessly than most. No, not reckless, that was the wrong word. They fought more... Straightforwardly than most. They never did anything truly risky - bosses didn''t count - but they allowed themselves to trade blows and get injured more than other players would consider safe. But that was just because they had Yuna. Not only could she heal them during the battles, but also after it, so they consumed fewer potions - they were very expensive. Ran shrugged. She also had gotten hit during the short battle, but her HP was already back to full.

    "Nothing different, then."

    "Yup. Ladies first."

    The girls rolled their eyes - Kirito was getting more and more cheeky later - and Silica and Yuna pushed Vallerk and Nautilus to the vanguard.

    "Yup, ladies first. There you go."

    "Hey, Kirito''s the one who said it! Why are we getting caught in the crossfire?"

    "''Cause you are his friends. And nobody told you to pick shields."

    "Liz also has one!"

    "Well, we like her better. Asuna, get your man under control."

    Merida poked where she knew would hurt, and Asuna was suddenly also collateral damage. The fencer and Kirito blushed bright red while the others bickered. And Drifter and Kizmel, who had wisely chosen to stay silent, looked at each other and doubled over laughing.

    That was how Reaver''s Requiem entered the hollowed trunk of the << Sacred Tree >>. And although they weren''t laughing anymore by the time they reached the center, after several skirmishes with fallen elves, they weren''t worried either. Just serious. Focused.

    The final enemy in the << Elf War >> campaign stood with his back turned to them. He was wearing a stylish - and lavish - robe, not armor. His platinum hair contrasted sharply with his dark, yet sickly pale skin. The seven << Secret Keys >> floated around him. Slowly, the Reavers looked above his head.

    << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>.

    His name had a comma. That was the first time Drifter had ever seen that. Not even floor bosses had such a complicated name. And, as the fallen elf seemed to finally notice their presence and turn around, his eyes glowing red, Drifter gulped. Okay. Maybe they shouldn''t be that relaxed.

 Chapter 87 - Unreasonable Boss

    << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>.

    Staring at the blood-red name above the NPC''s head, Drifter gulped and tightened his grip on his spear. He had the feeling they had been taking the final boss of the << Elf War >> campaign far too lightly.

    "Everyone, stay sharp! I''ve got a bad feeling about this!"

    Evidently, the others felt the same as he, and Asuna shouted a warning. The second vice-leader of Reaver''s Requiem rarely gave commands - but when she did, you followed them. Asuna''s instincts were keener than even Kirito''s, and if she felt something was wrong, you believed it, and braced.

    Which was exactly what the Reavers did. Vallerk took his spot at the vanguard, using a << Shield Wall >> - a shield-bearer''s strongest defensive skill to date, which needed three seconds to set up. Nautilus and Liz were to either side of him and a little to the back with Brace, ready to support the tank if needed. The rest of the players arrayed themselves behind them.

    They still weren''t prepared for what came their way. Aater didn''t say a word. He just looked down on them and sneered. Then he waved a hand, and something hit Vallerk. It was too fast for any of them to see what it actually was. Drifter just knew that it went straight through the younger player, pierced Nautilus, and blew Kizmel, Kirito, and Ran off their feet.

    "Agh!"

    "Careful!"

    "What the fuck was that?!"

    Drifter found himself yelling as he whirled around to stare at the weapon that had just skewered five of them. His eyes widened.

    "A branch?!"

    Yes, a branch. Just a branch, nothing special about it except for maybe the oddly dark color. And the smoke drifting from it. And the fact that it had just taken out 40% of Vallerk''s HP in a single hit, as well as a good chunk of Nautilus'' and the others'' health. So not a normal branch at all.

    "That completely ignored my defense."

    Vallerk spoke without taking his eyes off << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>. The shield-bearer''s pupils were slits, and the hairs on his arms were standing on end. There was nothing more terrifying for a tank than having their defense stat nullified.

    "T-This... It has to be an opening attack, right? No way he can use it again."

    ''Please don''t jinx it, please don''t jinx it...''

    Drifter prayed Yuuki was right. And she could be, because the fallen elf didn''t attack again. He just looked at them as Kizmel spoke up in outrage.

    "A branch of the << Sacred Tree >>. Aater, what have you done?! You have tainted the foundation of our very existence!"

    The boss'' head snapped towards Kizmel, his lips curling in disgust. Aater was a lot more intelligent than most NPCs. He scoffed.

    "You are wrong, sister. The << Sacred Tree >> is nothing but shackles our once glorious race willingly subjected ourselves to. We were great once. We should be great. But the << Sacred Tree >> strangles our potential! It drains our magic. No more. Once our lord descends, he will raze it to the ground. And from the ashes, we will emerge stronger. Better."

    "You are mad! The evil monstrosity you worship seeks only destruction. There won''t be any of our people left if you follow through with the ritual. Please, Aater. Stop. There are better ways."

    The boss regarded Kizmel for a moment, weighing her desperate plea. Then he shook his head.

    "No. There aren''t."

    "Err... Guys? Look around."

    While Kizmel and the boss glared at each other, Liz licked her lips and called out with a trembling voice. Drifter turned and cursed. Dozens, maybe so many as a hundred fallen elves had appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them. They completely blocked the exit. They...

    "They aren''t attacking. Why? Kirito?"

    "I don''t know!"

    The swordsman was panicking. This was nothing like he remembered or what Argo had told them! Although...

    "They are just kneeling there."

    That they were. All the fallen elves, over a hundred of them, had formed a semicircle around the guild, blocking the exit, but not attacking them. They were kneeling, their foreheads touching the ground, unmoving. But when Asuna stepped closer to test the waters, they suddenly got up, weapons in hand. When she ran back, scared, they knelt again. Drifter frowned.

    "They are there to stop us from leaving."

    The spearman looked back to Aater, who was still watching them with a mocking smirk.

    "We have to finish this in one go. It''s do or die."

    "We still have the << Corridor Crystal >>. That''s probably why we got it in the first place."

    Nautilus spoke, and he was right. But Drifter shook his head.

    "True, but if we use it, we fail the entire campaign. Plus... Kizmel''s not a player. She can''t use the crystal."

    It took a few seconds for the meaning of his words to sink in. Drifter saw several emotions flitting across his friends'' faces. Shock, fear. They settled in determination. Kirito raised his sword.

    "Then we can''t fail."

    Kirito spoke with such certainty that the others felt their fear subside. Despite the situation, Drifter smiled. How was that the same boy who said he was too shy to lead a guild?

    "You heard the boss, ladies and gents. And since Aater is being so polite as to stand still..."

    Pushing past Vallerk, Drifter bent his knees and held his now-glowing spear in front of his body. He smirked when Merida joined him, her giant greatsword raised precariously above her head, also shining.

    "That''s a new one. What is it?"

    "You''ll see."

    The spearman and swordswoman grinned at each other as they prepared their strongest skills. Each of them needed five seconds of accumulation before they could be launched, which was a lifetime when you were in the middle of a battle. But Aater was giving them all the time in the world, eyeing the duo cynically. He was going to regret that.

    "Hah!"

    Drifter exploded forward in a << Comet Break >>. The boss actually tried to sidestep and dodge the straightforward attack, but Drifter slammed his right foot down and changed directions, skewering << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>.

    "Raghhhh!"

    The boss roared and raised a hand shaped like a blade to bring down on Drifter. But all he managed to do was make himself an even better target as Merida slammed into him half a second after Drifter, her broadsword slashing down diagonally, almost cleaving Aater in two, before bouncing back up as if it had hit a spring, cutting the boss a second time.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    And that wasn''t the end. As Aater turned his focus to Merida, who had done considerably more damage than Drifter, the spearman crouched and sprung up, punching the boss with all his might in the chin. << Martial Arts: Senda >> left the fallen elf dizzy and he stumbled back.

    And then the rest of Reaver''s Requiem was there. The three consecutive attacks had wiped out a full 5% of the boss''s HP in a moment - an impossible feat to repeat. Now, Vallerk came in with a << Shield Bash >> and a << Taunt >>, while Nautilus and Liz supported him from the sides, striking Aater with << Serration Wave >> and << Tremor >> respectively - the latter being a new skill the blacksmith had learned after her << One-handed Hammer >> had reached 450 proficiency. Two new icons appeared next to Aater''s health gauge: a red drop for << Serration Wave''s >> ''bleeding'', and a broken bone for << Tremor''s >> ''crippled''.

    Kirito was right behind the three shield-bearers, his sword flashing in a << Horizontal Square >>. Asuna and Kizmel attacked from above while Silica dove and cut at the boss'' legs. Ran and Yuuki teamed up to deliver two painful << Sharp Nails >>. Two arrows sprouted from Aater''s forehead as Sinon fired her bow. And Yuna''s << Firemare >> served as background music - while simultaneously boosting their attack power. Drifter high-fived Merida. This was Reaver''s Requiem at its finest.

    As he felt the long cooldown from << Senda >> wearing off, Drifter looked at the short-haired girl next to him.

    "What skill was that? I''ve never seen it."

    Merida grinned while making a victory sign.

    "It''s a broadsword exclusive. << Great Cross Slash >>."

    Drifter whistled. From what he had seen, the skill''s cooldown was even longer than his << Comet Break >>, as was the preparation time. But the damage... He quickly ran some calculations on his mind, and arrived at the conclusion that, if he was the target of the skill, his health would have dropped to yellow immediately, maybe even lower. Of course, Drifter couldn''t even imagine a scenario where any player would allow Merida enough time to prepare the skill, so it was really only useful against mobs.

    "Switch!"

    Despite the fact he had been chatting with Merida, Drifter jumped into the battle again without a second of delay. Aater was the size of a normal person, so only so many of the players could attack them at once. But the teamwork of the Reavers was seamless, and Drifter traded places with Yuuki, piercing the boss'' unprotected side with a << Sting >>.

    "Ants! How dare you stand in the way of this lord?!"

    Growling, Aater shouted and slammed his hands together. A surge of black wind flew from his palms, creating a whirlwind that blew Drifter and Nautilus away. They both fell, countless red lines dotting their bodies from a hundred small cuts. Drifter glanced at his HUD to see that he had lost 30% of his HP with this one attack.

    ''Oh shit!''

    Looking up, Drifter''s eyes widened and he rolled out of the way of a stomping foot. Aater''s kick cracked the ground, and would have smashed his head to bits if he hadn''t moved out of the way.

    Without even getting up, Drifter swung his spear at the back of the boss'' knees, hoping to trip him and even the playing field. He failed miserably. Aater didn''t even flinch, much less fall. And his AI seemed to be much more advanced than any other NPC bar Kizmel, because he was ignoring Vallerk''s << Taunts >> and the higher aggro the others accumulated, and seemed fixated on killing Drifter.

    "Over here, you wannabe lord!"

    Drifter didn''t see where Liz came from, but the blacksmith smacked Aater on the back of the head with her hammer and an audible thud.

    "You dare!"

    "Uh oh."

    << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> swept his hand and Liz grimaced, bringing her buckler to receive the blow. The palm slammed into her shield and she groaned. Liz took six steps back before her legs regained enough strength to hold her up.

    Drifter took the chance to scramble to his feet and put some distance between him and the boss. But the damn monster turned his head back to him!

    "What the hell did you do to anger him, Drifter?! Why is he so focused on you?!"

    "I don''t know! Help me!"

    Kirito screamed, and Drifter screamed back. Aater was charging at him again with that murderous glare, completely ignoring everyone else. Sinon''s arrows pelted him in the back and Asuna and Kizmel cut at him, but he just roared, smacked them away, and continued attacking Drifter.

    The spearman put up a desperate defense, jabbing at the fists the boss threw at him and constantly retreating. Even in this situation, his mind was running. He was in a perilous situation, but it was also an opportunity.

    "Since it''s like that, I''ll be the bait!"

    "What?! No! It''s too dangerous!"

    "Then kill him faster! C''mon, I don''t know for how long I can do this!"

    Kirito bit his lips and exchanged a quick glance with the others. Yuna was staring daggers at the boss and had switched to << Del Din >>. Sinon had never stopped loosening arrows at Aater. Kizmel and Asuna were already attacking. The swordsman nodded.

    "Alright, let''s do this! Vallerk, be ready to tank for Drifter the moment he needs it!"

    "Got it!"

    While his friends went crazy on the offensive, Drifter was struggling to hold on despite the brave front he had put up for the others. He had given up using skills. He couldn''t afford the frozen period of the cooldown, even if it was just a fraction of a second for the simpler skills.

    Well, that wasn''t entirely accurate. Silica, Vallerk, and Ran, who were closest to him at the moment, felt their jaws dropping as they saw Drifter repeatedly using << Snake Bite >> to block Aater''s attacks. Or, at least, that was what they thought he was doing until they realized that his spear wasn''t glowing like it should when he used a skill.

    Every frontliner had at least one skill they had mastered - not in the sense of having 1.000 proficiency points in it, but that they could perform the skill without actually needing the system''s assistance. For Kirito, it was << Sonic Leap >>. For Asuna, << Line Cut >>. Even Yuna had mastered << Martial Arts: Hiza >>. They were the skills that were so ingrained in their being that their bodies could perform them without even thinking.

    And for Drifter, that skill was << Snake Bite >>. Sure, he had also pretty much mastered << Sting >>, << Vertical >>, and << Horizontal >>. After all, they were pretty much just a stab, a swipe, and another swipe. There wasn''t any big secret to them. All the system did when Drifter used them as skills, instead of normal attacks, was improve the damage they dealt. Which was great. But not enough for a truly desperate situation, which was why Drifter had focused on mastering << Snake Bite >>.

    He had accomplished that a few floors ago. It was just that other than Kirito, Nautilus, and Yuna, nobody had really noticed it. He wasn''t forced to use his skilless Snake Bite a lot.

    But Aater was pressuring him to that point. So Drifter was using his favorite move with abandon. Fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, feet. All his major joints twisted as he bent his spear around Aater''s fist and pierced his forearm. Then in the other direction, cutting the boss across the chest. Two steps back and another twist, this time meeting the incoming fist head-on.

    It hurt. Every attack Drifter blocked or failed to dodge chipped away at his HP, and he was now deep in the yellow zone. He simply didn''t have time to drink a potion. But Aater was also paying the price for focusing so single-mindedly on Drifter. His own health bar had only 75% left on it.

    ''Ah. So that''s why."

    Much to his friends'' consternation, a smile appeared on Drifter''s face even in this desperate situation. In fact, he got so distracted by his realization that Aater managed to land a punch on his chest, leaving a fist-shaped red mark and dropping the spearman to a dangerously low health.

    "Drifter, what are you doing?!"

    "Vallerk, get in there!"

    "No! Wait!"

    Drifter stopped the tank just before he interposed himself between Drifter and the frenzied boss. All this while, he had been trying to understand why Aater was so fixated on him, and he had just discovered the reason.

    ''Should I say I''m lucky or unlucky?''

    When the next attack came, Drifter dropped down, avoiding it by a hair''s breadth. Instead of taking the opening to retaliate, he stabbed at the ground with an << Edge Vaulting >>.

    Jumping over the boss'' head, Drifter landed on a crouch and then sprinted towards the center of the room. There, forgotten by everyone, were six floating << Secret Keys >>. The seventh was on the ground, cut in two by Drifter''s first attack.

 Chapter 88 - Devouring the Fallen

    Inside the elves'' << Sacred Tree >>, a ground-shaking battle was taking place. Twelve players and one dark elf against the leader of all fallen elves in Aincrad.

    At the moment, Drifter had just given << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> the slip, and was rushing towards the center of the room, where six of the seven << Secret Keys >> were still floating in circles. As for the last key, he had unknowingly destroyed it when he first used << Comet Break >> to attack the boss.

    Now, he had no idea why Aater was so enraged he seemed to have lost all rationale. But Drifter was willing to bet it had something to do with the << Secret Key >>. So, he did the logical thing, and swung his spear to destroy a second key.

    "Drifter, watch out!"

    The spearman was not ready for the dark bolt that flew towards him as he attacked the key. He had his back turned to Aater, so he never saw the boss produce another branch of the << Sacred Tree >> out of thin air, envelope it in dark smoke, and throw it towards him like a javelin. But he trusted his teammates with his life - and rightfully so. As soon as Yuna''s shout reached his ears, Drifter canceled his attack and dropped down, before immediately rolling to the left.

    His quick reflexes saved his life. Drifter saw the branch fly over his head, then through two of the kneeling fallen elves in the perimeter, who screamed miserably, before embedding itself on the trunk of the << Sacred Tree >>.

    "Sinon, those things are important to the boss somehow! Destroy them!"

    Seeing that Aater wouldn''t let him get closer to the keys, Drifter called Sinon. The archer hesitated for a moment, startled, but then turned and shot an arrow at the hovering << Sacred Keys >> without questioning. She managed to hit one of them, and was aiming at the next, when Aater shrieked, and Drifter realized way too late that if the boss could launch branches at him, it could do the same to Sinon.

    "Sinon!"

    In panic, all Drifter managed to do was yell her name - which was probably the most useless action he could have taken, but he didn''t have a long time to think.

    The archer closed her eyes reflexively as the corrupted branch closed in on her. She couldn''t help it. She had blinked once, and it was already in front of her face. It was too fast for her to dodge.

    "Wha--?!"

    But someone was faster. When Sinon didn''t feel the expected hit in the next two seconds, she gingerly opened her eyes to see Kirito in front of her. The boy had his sword raised in front of him, as if preparing to chop the branch out of the air, but he was staring wide-eyed at a third figure, who didn''t have just the intention to block the branch, but had actually done so.

    Yuuki''s chest was rising and falling rapidly, and she was almost hyperventilating. Her health, already low from taking two punches from Aater earlier, had fallen to the red zone. But her sword was steady as she kept it in the ending stance of << Sonic Leap >>. The two halves of the << Sacred Tree >> branch were somewhere far behind her, having carried their momentum even after Yuuki cut it out of the air.

    "What... What the actual hell?!"

    "Did you two teleport? What was that?!"

    Drifter gasped, along with every other Reaver. While they were all frozen, Kirito and Yuuki had both somehow managed to react and use << Sonic Leap >> to interpose themselves between Sinon and Aater''s attack. Kirito had been a heartbeat slower than Yuuki, which didn''t make it any less impressive.

    Drifter knew right away that this feat was something he would never be able to accomplish, no matter how much or how hard he trained. This kind of reaction speed simply wasn''t something you could practice. It was something you had to be born with. And somehow, Reaver''s Requiem had two people with that kind of otherworldly talent. Kibaou would go green with envy when he realized that.

    "You can be shocked later, guys! Kill the boss first!"

    At this moment, the most clear-headed was still Asuna - even including the two who performed the incredible feat. The fencer''s shout woke the players up, and Drifter turned his head to see that Aater didn''t, in fact, care one bit that Yuuki had stopped his attack. But thankfully he seemed to only be able to launch two branches in succession, so now he was just charging at Sinon - which was still terrifying, but a lot less scary than the sniper shot-like branches.

    "Insufferable lower beings! How dare you interfere with the ritual and delay my lord''s descent! I will kill all of you and sacrifice your blood to the lord!"

    "Hum?"

    Even as he downed a health potion and charged the boss with a << Rage Spike >> to stop him from getting to Sinon, Drifter noticed the strange wording of Aater''s threat. It was almost as if he was giving the players a clue.

    When they were planning for the battle, Kirito and Argo had told them that << Aater, Lord of the Fallen''s >> fight had two phases. The normal one, which they were in right now, and the second, exponentially more dangerous one, which Aater entered after his HP dropped below 50%. According to the info-broker, Aater would try to summon his evil god, gaining a lot more power.

    Now, seeing how enraged the boss became when someone destroyed the << Secret Keys >>, to the point where he ignored the aggro mechanic, Drifter started to wonder if it was connected to the boss'' second phase. The exact verb he had used had been ''delay''. Maybe...

    "Kirito, we have to try to destroy more of the keys. I think each key less makes it so that he enters the next phase later."

    Meaning, at a lower health. Instead of 50%, it could be 40 or maybe 30 or even less. And the less health Aater had, the less time they would spend to deplete it, and the less danger they would be in.

    It was just a deduction without any basis, but Aater clearly hated it when they destroyed a << Secret Key >>, which automatically made Drifter love the idea. The spearman stopped trying to block the boss and turned back to the keys.

    "We''ll juggle it. Vallerk, you be Sinon''s shield. Yuuki and, hum, Ran, you are on defense too, especially against the branches. Liz and Naut, I''m gonna need you two to save my ass when Aater turns back to me."

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "Got it!"

    "Everyone else, split as you see fit."

    Without wasting time, the guild separated as Drifter said, and the spearman found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with Kizmel as he marched towards the floating items. Aater had also noticed him, as he gave up on murdering Sinon. Nautilus, Liz, and Kirito intercepted him, so Drifter ignored the boss and lifted his spear.

    "Sorry about the << Secret Keys >>, Kizmel, but I think destroying them is the better option."

    The dark elf shook her head.

    "The keys had caused centuries of bloodshed between my people and the forest elves, Drifter. They should have been disposed of years ago."

    Drifter nodded and hacked down, cutting another key in half, and leaving only four of them hovering in the air. He would have gone for a fourth one, but Aater roared again, each time more animalistic, and threw another branch at Drifter. Like the spearman had thought, it seemed that this ultimate skill recharged whenever a key was destroyed.

    But the Reavers wouldn''t be frontliners if they were still caught by surprise by the same attack four times in a row, much less when Drifter had already warned them.

    Liz was the first line of defense, and, following Yuuki''s example, she tried to swing her hammer at the branch with a << Crushing Impact >>. It didn''t quite work, and her body was still pierced by the branch, wiping out almost half of her health, but it slowed down the attack enough for Nautilus to get behind her and raise his shield.

    The branch also went through him, but it stopped on the third person - and Kizmel angrily snapped the piece of wood embedded on her shoulder.

    "Sinon, you are up!"

    Instead of trying to take a swing at another key, Drifter called out for the archer. Liz, Nautilus, and Kizmel needed time to recover, or they might die if they were forced to tank another of the piercing attacks. That ability to ignore defense was no joke.

    Like that, the players juggle << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> between the two groups, one << Secret Key >> induced anger burst at a time. It would have been funny, if that specific throwing attack wasn''t terrifying. After all, mobs could also score a critical hit, and if one of those happened against the people with the lowest health status, like Yuna or Silica, it could potentially one-shot them. Luckily, neither the singer nor the dagger-user were ever the target of Aater''s fury - that honor was reserved for Drifter and Sinon.

    When << Aater, Lord of the Fallen''s >> health closed in to the halfway mark, about ten minutes later, all the keys were gone. Following the beta, it was at this point that Aater was supposed to enter the second phase. The players slowed down their attacks, getting ready for it, just in case Drifter''s deduction was wrong.

    But Aater''s HP dropped to 50% and then dipped below that mark, and nothing changed. They all heaved a collective sigh of relief.

    "Alright. That just means it''s going to enter second phase later. Let''s bring him down and go celebrate."

    There were several eye rolls at Kirito''s dry resume of the situation, but no one complained.

    Gripping his spear, Drifter advanced on Aater. He started with a simple jab, which the boss easily deflected with his palm, but the spearman used the momentum to spin his body in a << Horizontal Arc >>, cutting a long gash across Aater''s chest.

    Drifter deflected a punch with the shaft of his spear, and was forced two steps back, losing a tenth of his health even though he blocked the attack - << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> was unreasonably strong.

    "I will destroy you, weaklings!"

    "Switch!"

    Instead of attacking again, the spearman yelled and retreated to the left. He didn''t know who he was trading places with, but he trusted someone would be there. And he wasn''t disappointed.

    "Hah! Die, monster!"

    Kizmel cleaved at Aater''s head with an overhead slash, which the boss hastily blocked by raising an arm. Still, the elf''s curved blade bit deep into his forearm.

    "Argh!"

    His own arm blocked his line of sight, so Aater never saw the rapier coming towards his face from underneath. At some point, Asuna had crouched and closed in on the boss, and she aimed her << Glass Shard >> straight up, covering his face in red lines. Two of the attacks pierced his mouth from underneath, while another nicked his ear, and the last one got him right in the eye.

    Aater screamed in pain and swung his fists blindly, hitting Asuna across the face and Kizmel in the stomach. Then he stumbled back, one hand covering his wounded eye. The symbol for the ''blindness'' debuff appeared above his head, reducing his accuracy by 50% for the next thirty seconds - Asuna had only gotten one eye.

    It already showed, as the punch he landed on Asuna had only pushed the fencer away, but not caused any actual damage.

    "Enough!"

    Suddenly - or not so much, considering how much they had hurt and pestered the boss until now - Aater bellowed, so loudly the entire << Sacred Tree >> shook. He glared daggers at the players with his one good eye, daring them to disobey.

    Sinon shot an arrow at his face.

    "How dare you?! You are mere ants! Insects!"

    There was no way the players were stopping just because Aater told them so. But the boss didn''t even try to avoid the incoming arrow, and it hit him right in the nose. But instead of sinking into his flesh, the metal tip bent, and the wood shaft snapped. Sinon, Drifter, and everyone else stared at the purple message that appeared in front of << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>.

    [ Immortal Object ]

    "Cutscene."

    Asuna breathed the word. Kizmel glanced at her, but it wasn''t the first time her friends had said weird things, and she could tell Aater was currently in an invincible state.The Reavers all took the moment to steady themselves. They had been going at it like crazy, and the boss was covered in wounds. His health had fallen to 15%.

    "5% for each key. You were right, Drifter."

    "Thankfully. But now comes the hard part."

    Aater was screaming himself hoarse. While the players watched, drinking potions to replenish their lost health and taking stock of their supplies, << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>, dropped to his knees, grabbed the pieces of the << Secret Keys >>, and started stuffing them into his mouth.

    "What''s he doing?"

    "We disrupted the ritual. Originally, Aater wanted to use the keys to summon the evil god, but since we destroyed them, he is using his own body as a medium for his descent."

    Kizmel spoke seriously, releasing her battered shield and gripping the hilt of her blade with both hands. Drifter frowned.

    "I''m guessing that''s bad?"

    "Not as much as if the evil god was summoned with its real body. But it''s not good news either. Prepare yourselves, my friends. This will be a harsh battle."

    Drifter nodded grimly in agreement. Aater had stopped screaming now, although his huffing could still be heard. He was sprawled on the ground, and, as the players watched, the exposed parts of his skin started to turn blood-red. He also started to shake, as if he was having a seizure. It was unnerving, to say the least.

    "Here it comes..."

    Suddenly, black smoke shot out of Aater''s body, like several tendrils of death. Drifter and the others raised their weapons to defend themselves, but the smoke flew past them, and pierced the bodies of the worshiping fallen elves.

    "Ugh!"

    "Arghh!"

    "Ah! L-Lord Aater, w-why?!"

    Under the horrified gazes of the players, the dozens of fallen elves screamed in pain, their bodies shriveling up. The tendrils were draining their life force, until all the fallen elves shattered in a shower of shards.

    "Haa... Haa... It is your honor to repay our lord''s grace with your life. As for you, despicable humans and traitorous dark elf... Die!"

    "Uff!"

    Spinning around, Drifter raised his spear just in time to parry a giant swirling fist. Grunting, the spearman stabbed his spear into the ground to prevent his fall. Then, he looked up at << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>. And up, and up.

 Chapter 89 - Descent of the Evil God

    Drifter looked up at << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>. Before, the boss was just a little taller than him. Now, however, Aater had to be close to twelve meters tall. And he didn''t look human- or elf, rather - anymore.

    Aater had grown. And not just in height. He was now a bulky monster made of swirling black smoke and pulsating bare flesh. There was no sign of the Elf he once was but for his face, which looked comically - and terrifyingly - small on his now gigantic body.

    It was one of six fists that had struck Drifter, and the spearman quickly dodged out of the way of another two hands, each as big as the player.

    "Why isn''t it symmetrical?!"

    "Focus, Asuna!"

    Drifter almost burst into laughter right there and then. Here they were, fighting what was basically a small-scale floor boss battle, and the thing that bothered the fencer the most was how asymmetrical Aater''s body was.

    To be fair, it really was uncomfortable in the eyes. Not only was the new form of << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> extremely gross, the way its limbs- all eleven of them - were positioned really didn''t make sense. He had three arms on his left side, one of them so low it was basically glued to his hip, two of them on the right side, and the sixth and final one sprouted directly from his chest. Furthermore, he had two legs in front of his body and three growing from his back, making it so that when he walked, it almost looked like he was laying down.

    "It must be because the << Secret Keys >> were destroyed. Something went wrong in the transformation. My friends, we must take this chance to kill this monster before the evil god can forcefully complete its descent!"

    "You heard her! Vallerk, to the front! Nautilus, Liz, support him! Don''t be stingy with potions, I want you always above 70% HP. Yuna, play << Rest >>."

    Kirito quickly barked orders. They might seem redundant, since the three shield-users were already in formation before he even spoke, but such was the sense of urgency the young swordsman felt.

    << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> seemed to have lost all rationale after entering his second phase. After Vallerk used << Taunt >>, the boss roared incoherently and started punching the boy with all his fists, for the first time following the aggro system correctly.

    But in return for his diminished intellect, Aater had gotten a lot stronger. Each fist caused Vallerk to groan and stumble, some almost bringing him to his knees. Even with all his skills, he was still losing HP faster than it could recover.

    "Oh sh- Vallerk, behind you!"

    Suddenly, Drifter, who had just switched out with Ran, spotted the ground behind the tank cracking. A tendril of flesh and smoke shot out, aiming directly at Vallerk''s unprotected back. Turns out Aater wasn''t that mindless after all, since some of his cunning still remained.

    Drifter immediately used << Rage Spike >>, trying to intercept the sneak attack, but even before the skill went through he knew he would be too late. Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, and everyone else were focused on the boss currently, and they also noticed it too late.

    But someone was there. Nautilus had been juggling aggro with Liz to lessen Vallerk''s burden. Now, he heard Drifter shout and looked back to see Aater''s sneak attack. On pure instinct, the ash-haired player activated << Unrepentant Charge >> and put himself in front of the tendril.

    "Ugh!"

    Nautilus grunted when the tendril smacked into his shield, then coiled around his arm, trying to drag him down. But he hacked down with his blade, cutting it clean off, and staggered back.

    "Watch out for sneak attacks!"

    "Gods above, below, and to the sides, we are on fire today!"

    "Merida, pay attention!"

    The blue-haired girl stuck out her tongue before proceeding to cleave at one of Aater''s legs with her giant sword. But she was right. Kirito, Yuuki, Asuna, Sinon, and now Nautilus, were all surpassing themselves today. Even Drifter felt like he was touching upon the edge of something throughout this entire fight. The thing he had been searching for was right there, he could almost feel it. He was just lacking...

    "Good job, Naut. We are almost there."

    "Don''t jinx it, Drif."

    The spearman grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder. 10%. Aater was almost down for the count. ''Almost'' was the key word.

    "Roooaaarrghhh!"

    The entire << Sacred Tree >> shook when Aater clamored. Drifter''s eyes widened when he saw two of the boss'' hands change and morph into fleshy pikes, which he then proceeded to rip off his body to a shower of red particles.

    "Oh fu-"

    Drifter and Nautilus dove out of the way as << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> threw one of the spikes, exactly how he had done with the branches before. Only, those were made out of his own flesh and over two meters long.

    The flesh spear punctured the ground where the two men had just been standing. Furthermore, as it hit, it unleashed a shockwave of black smoke, which spread for over 5 meters. While Drifter and Nautilus had avoided a direct blow, they couldn''t dodge this secondary attack, and were hit.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "Huh?"

    To his surprise, Drifter didn''t take any damage. But he very much doubted the shockwave was just for aesthetic purposes, so he immediately directed his eyes to his HUD. Lo and behold, he was afflicted with a status effect he had never seen before. The symbol was a broken feather. When Drifter focused on it...

    ''Slowness.''

    His body felt heavy. He tried to take a step and his foot took ten seconds to raise and lower. His movements were beyond sluggish. It wasn''t as bad in his arms and upper body, but he could barely move his legs. His movement speed had been reduced by at least 90%.

    "Drifter! Nautilus! It''s throwing it again!"

    The spearman looked up and saw Aater holding another flesh spike. Ah. That''s right, the boss had made two of the weapons. With the calmness that came from sheer panic, Drifter analyzed Aater''s posture and predicted where the attack would land. Then he did panic for real.

    When << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> had launched the first spike, Drifter and Nautilus had each dodged to different sides. That put about 7 meters of distance between them. Normally, it would take less than two seconds to run that distance. Less, if they used a charging skill. But now, they were both afflicted with ''slowness''. 7 meters might as well be an insurmountable gap.

    "Nautilus!"

    With bloodshot eyes, Drifter turned to the ash-haired player. Nautilus was frozen, staring at the boss. His health was still depleted from blocking Aater''s sneak attack against Vallerk. A direct hit from the javelin-like spike would kill him.

    ''Shit. Nonononono... Not right now, please!''

    Drifter screamed internally. Nautilus was standing stock-still, and he immediately knew it wasn''t because of the debuff. The way the shield-bearer''s hands trembled, the unwillingness in his eyes... Drifter has seen it many times before. Nautilus was having a crisis.

    Time slowed down. Drifter saw Aater pulling his arm back to throw the projectile. He saw the deformed muscles contracting, the hate in the boss'' gaze. He also saw the desperate looks on his guildmates'' faces. They were too far. Sinon was knocking an arrow on her bow, but she didn''t have a clear line of sight. And even if she did, there was nothing she could do to interrupt the action.

    Above all else, Drifter saw two things. The first was the pure horror on Yuna''s face. The second was the unwillingness in Nautilus'' eyes.

    "No!"

    Moving purely on instinct and desperation, Drifter strenuously raised his arm. His hand slid to the back end of his spear, and he unconsciously hooked three fingers around the bottom while resting the body of the weapon on his forearm.

    He was still going too slow. Drifter saw << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> bulge and launch his flesh spike. The makeshift deadly weapon flew towards Nautilus, who could only stare at it angrily, refusing to close his eyes or look away.

    And Drifter threw his spear. Like he had seen Aater do with the branches, slingshotting it across his arm and adding a spin with his fingers. He never thought of any of that, just mimicked what the boss did.

    The spear flew. And while it was in the air, it started glowing silver. Drifter could feel the system correcting its path, aiming for him.

    When his spear collided with Aater''s spike, Drifter didn''t hear a ringing sound, nor was it loud. He also didn''t see the notification telling him he had unlocked a new skill. All he saw was his weapon snapping Aater''s in two. Then he was running to Nautilus. But he was still so slow each step he made took an age to land.

    The others weren''t. Kirito, Asuna, Kizmel, and everyone else quickly grabbed the Aater''s attention. They wanted to ask about Drifter''s throw, but killing the boss took priority.

    When the ''slowness'' debuff on him finally wore off, Drifter didn''t say anything to Nautilus. The FNC-induced fear was still going on full force, and the ash-haired blade-user still couldn''t move. The spearman just patted his friend on the shoulder and rejoined the fight.

    "Nautilus..?"

    "Leave it be. He can''t fight until it passes."

    "We''ll try to kite the boss the other way."

    Quietly, so that only the two of them could hear it, Drifter and Kirito exchanged some words. Nautilus'' FNC was a known issue amongst the guild, but, unfortunately, not one they could solve.

    "Alas..."

    Sighing, both of them went to attack Aater. The sooner they brought down the boss, the better.

    ...

    Nautilus was angry. He had long since gone past the point of feeling scared or sorry for himself because of his FNC. He thought he was past getting frustrated too. But watching his teammates fight the boss while he could only stay still, uselessly, and even needing to be saved, Nautilus was furious. Not at anything in particular, and not even at himself. Just with the whole situation in general.

    It was unfair. And he knew complaining would do him any good - Kayaba certainly wasn''t thinking of their well-being when he trapped them in a death game - but still... It was unfair. That was all.

    "Ggrrrrr..."

    Nautilus wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something, to trash the boss. More than anything, he wanted to be there, fighting alongside his friends. In front of Yuna, keeping her from danger. Next to Drifter, knowing his spear would always be there when he needed, and hoping his shield could do the same for the other player. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ran, Kirito, Asuna, and everyone else.

    It was unfair. He hated it. He hated it so much. Because of some stupid connection problem, he wasn''t only vulnerable, but a liability to his party and guild.

    It was unfair.

    Nautilus trembled. His fingers were digging into his palm so strongly they would have drawn blood if he were in the real world. The feeling of impotence and powerlessness wasn''t fading.

    Nautilus watched as Aater pulled out another of his weird spike-arms and threw it at Ran. Vallerk was there to protect the girl. Even Liz was standing by, ready to be the second line of defense if necessary. Only he wasn''t helping.

    It was unfair.

    It was unfair, it was unfair, it was unfair.

    Unfairunfairunfairunfairunfairunfairunfair...

    But so what?

    << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>, smacked Vallerk away with a wide swing, and practically hammered Liz into the ground with a fist. He made to grab Ran, who was almost immobile due to the ''slowness'' secondary debuff. And Nautilus cut off his hand.

    "Arghhhh!"

    Nautilus was screaming. He didn''t know when or how he had moved. He was in pain. Actual pain, which he hadn''t felt since the beginning of SAO. His head felt like it was about to explode, and he screamed.

    It was unfair. Everything was unfair. But why should he care? He had a shield. He was supposed to protect others, not to be the one being babysat. He had promised to protect Yuna. And then he met Drifter, and swore to keep him safe too. And Sinon, Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, Ran, Liz, Merida, Kizmel, Silica, Vallerk. Even Argo, Agil, Orlando, and the others.

    What FNC? What disability? Screw all that. Vallerk was the tank, but Nautilus was their shield. Reaver''s Requiem first and last line of defense. And he was never going to watch while his friends got hurt.

    All his fury, conviction, and desperation boiled and suddenly burst. Before he even realized it, Nautilus was already in front of Ran, his blade cutting off Aater''s hand cleanly even though his head was thumping with pain. Then he spun around, smashing his shield on Aater''s stomach, before sinking his weapon into the boss'' side and dragging it upwards, leaving a long red line across Aater''s body.

    With a final roar of agony, << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> shattered.

 Chapter 90 - Changes

    Somewhere.

    "Cardinal?"

    "Yes, sir?"

    "Explain everything that happened here."

    Akihiko Kayaba glanced at the screens in front of him while speaking to the extremely advanced AI that managed SAO, Cardinal.

    Kayaba had been watching the players since the first moment they entered his world. He paid special attention to the frontliner guilds such as the Aincrad Liberation Squad, Dragon Knights Brigade, Legend Braves, and, of course, Reaver''s Requiem.

    In fact, that last one had piqued his interest the most lately, mainly because of how they had managed to bend the AI known as Kizmel in ways he had yet to completely understand. The NPC was supposed to have a fixed role - to die - and fixed lines and actions. And yet, Reaver''s Requiem had managed to keep her alive and pervert her code such that she had developed something close to sentience, and would now join their guild - he would have to make some changes to allow that, if only because he was curious as to how it would go. Overall, the whole situation had allowed him to further his studies and his project by a huge amount, so he was feeling charitable enough to let it slide.

    Kizmel aside, the players themselves were most interesting. Starting with the archer, Sinon. The bow was a discarded weapon. Kayaba had tried it out in the closed beta, but felt like it didn''t mesh well with the rest of the game, so he had taken the weapon out. The << Grafted Horn Bow >> Sinon was using was... A mistake. And did he hate to admit that.

    The conditions to get it to drop were to deal above a certain percentage of damage to the 2nd floor field-boss with ranged items like the throwing picks. When he removed the other bows from this version of SAO prior to the release, Kayaba had forgotten to delete this condition. Once Sinon got it, he couldn''t very well erase the item from her inventory. That would be unfair, and Kayaba would never stand for unfairness in his creation.

    He had fully expected Sinon to give up the bow as a useless weapon soon after, maybe one or two floors later. The damage drop was too much, after all. But he had not expected Reaver''s Requiem to basically nurture a top blacksmith like Lisbeth, who could provide Sinon not only with enhancements for her bow, but also stronger arrows, allowing the archer to still be one of the top frontliners even at the 9th floor.

    Lisbeth. She was another oddity. Kayaba had taken into account natural talent and even real-life training when he created lifestyle skills such as << Blacksmithing >>, << Tailoring >>, << Fishing >>, and so on. Lisbeth had still developed far too quickly. She almost managed to unlock one of his Unique Skills, several floors before they were actually supposed to appear.

    And speaking of Unique Skills... Kayaba looked at a monitor to the side. It was covered in lines that kept undulating and pulsating in a hypnotizing pattern. That was the Cardinal System. Or, at least, a representation of it.

    "Well?"

    "There were several unexpected factors during the battle, sir. In total, four subjects, namely: players Kirito, Yuuki, Drifter, and Nautilus, achieved the conditions to acquire Unique Skills 03, 03, 05, and 08 in order."

    "Unique Skills aren''t supposed to be available for several more floors."

    "I have blocked their access for the time being, sir, while retaining their qualifications."

    Kayaba frowned.

    "And yet, player Drifter used << Serpentcoil Impale >>, a skill belonging to << Infinite Spear >>, which he should only have access to after passing the checkpoint AND completing << Two-Handed Lance >>. Which, I will add, he currently only has..."

    Kayaba paused and pulled up another screen with a flick of his fingers. His eyebrows rose in slight surprise, which he quickly controlled.

    "550 points of proficiency. Impressive, considering they are only on the 9th floor. But still 450 points away from complete mastery. Not to mention, all Unique Skills must be personally assigned by me."

    There was a visible pause from Cardinal - the moving mass of lines on the screen actually hesitated for a moment. Kayaba sighed. That was the problem with super-intelligent AIs. They actually felt shame - an unnecessary emotion - when they made mistakes.

    When Cardinal answered, a second later, it was still in the same synthetically generated voice, but definitely more subdued.

    "Subject Drifter''s motions matched << Serpentcoil Impale >> in my database with a 96% similarity. He momentarily bypassed the lock on Unique Skills due to that. I have strengthened the security walls since, and isolated the Unique Skills files to a different database. It won''t happen again."

    Kayaba paused. He hadn''t been exactly complaining, since the battle was enjoyable to watch, and the way the players continued to overcome their obstacles and surpass themselves was very much in line with his goals. He simply didn''t want to release Unique Skills before the time and break the balance of the game.

    But the way Cardinal put it, this couldn''t be considered entirely its mistake. Just in this fight of Reaver''s Requiem against the << Elf War >> campaign final boss, there had been two instances of players breaking out of the system''s parameters. The first was Drifter. The second...

    "Cardinal, pull up the list of qualified candidates for Unique Skills."

    Cardinal did so, and Kayaba looked through the short list. There were only about a dozen skills listed, and, of them, only six had the names of recommended players next to them.

    01...

    02... PoH

    03... Kirito, Yuuki

    04... Heathcliff

    05... Drifter

    06...

    07... Akari

    08... Shivata, Nautilus

    09...

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    .

    .

    .

    Now that Kayaba looked at it, of the 8 promising players currently on the list, half were from Reaver''s Requiem - although two of them were added just this battle. And of the remaining four, one was himself, so it didn''t really count. Which meant that the Reavers had over half of the most promising players in Sword Art Online amongst their ranks.

    "Humm... Maybe something to do with age? Cardinal, pull up the psyche analysis of all the players on the list, as well as their real-life files. This deserves further investigation."

    "Yes, sir."

    "Set them aside for now, I will look over them later. Ah, and another thing. Unlock the skill << Serpentcoil Impale >> to Drifter. It would be unfair and biased to take it away after he managed to acquire it through his own efforts. But only that. Make sure it doesn''t happen again."

    "Yes, sir."

    "Good. Now, where are the scripts for the 48th and 49th floors? I want to go through them again. Play another simulation, this time augmenting the stats of the common mobs by 17% and decreasing..."

    His mind already somewhere else, Kayaba started going over how to improve his creation even further. It wouldn''t do to deliver a sloppy showing for his heroes and his audience.

    -------------------------

    Unaware that the Game Master himself, Akihiko Kayaba, had watched their entire ordeal, the Reavers were currently sprawled on the ground or sitting resting with their backs against each other, completely exhausted. The battle against << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >> had been nothing short of a floor boss raid.

    Drifter sincerely questioned whether the boss of the 9th floor, while doubtlessly more dangerous, could match Aater''s sheer intensity. Especially the throwing attacks. Were it anyone but frontliners like them in their place, they would have died. Even if it was them, several of the Reavers had almost died on multiple occasions. It was only luck and the absurd display of skill from some of their members that saved Reaver''s Requiem from sustaining severe casualties.

    Drifter cranked his neck to look at Nautilus, who was sitting back-to-back with him. Yuna was resting with her head leaning against the shield-bearer''s side, eyes closed. Drifter smiled and ran his hand through her hair.

    "Uhm? What''s it, Drif?"

    Tiredly, the songstress opened her eyes and looked at him. Just looking at her made Drifter yawn. They could all use some sleep. But before that...

    "Look."

    Drifter changed his HUD to public, and pulled up a tab. He grinned while Yuna blinked.

    "Wa- How?! You! When... No, I saw it! Your spear... You threw it and it glow- You got it!"

    The songstress rambled on and suddenly jumped up, grabbing Drifter into a hug. The spearman laughed and hugged her back, also dragging Nautilus into it, who had no idea what was happening. The ruckus also roused the others, who looked up from where they were laying.

    "What''s going on? What did you get? Drifter?"

    The spearman released Yuna and Nautilus and showed his screen to everyone else. There, sitting inconspicuously amongst his other skills, was a new one. << Serpentcoil Impale >>.

    It was a strange name for a skill, albeit fitting. Kirito and the others blushed much like Yuna. And they were opening their mouths to speak when someone did it first.

    "What is that thing floating in front of you, Drifter? There are... Words on it. It''s not a language I know, but I can still read them. << Serpentcoil Impale >>."

    Almost in slow-motion, twelve heads turned to Kizmel, who was looking confused at Drifter. Or, more appropriately, at the air in front of Drifter, where his HUD - which he had turned public - was floating.

    Kizmel. Kizmel the dark elf. Kizmel the royal knight. Kizmel, the NPC. She couldn''t see a player''s HUD. No NPC could, it had been tested before. They had tested it before. Kizmel had no HUD. She had no health bar - they had asked, subtly - she could see, and she also couldn''t pull up a menu to look up her items and skills. Or, at least, that was what they had thought.

    "K-Kizmel? You can see this?"

    Drifter waved his hand in front of his body and then directed his HUD to the left and then the right. Kizmel followed it with her gaze.

    "Yes. Why? Shouldn''t I be able to? I can see all of you seem to be used to it."

    "Erm... Yeah, we are. But you... Hm."

    "Kiz, can you see something right about here? Ah, don''t tilt your head. Just look up, on the left side of your vision. Something like a long green bar?"

    Kirito stuttered with a response, but Asuna was faster on the uptake. She gestured with a finger to where a player''s - emphasis on the word player - health gauge normally was located. Kizmel squinted, then nodded.

    "I can. I hadn''t noticed it until now, Asuna. What is that?"

    The Reavers exchanged glances. Most were still working on picking their jaws from the ground, such was their surprise.

    Drifter was the one who carried out the ultimate test. He sent Kizmel an invite to join Reaver''s Requiem. After explaining what it was to the dark elf - who had drawn her blade at seeing a screen suddenly pop up in front of her eyes - she accepted it.

    Drifter rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating due to exhaustion or something like that. He wasn''t. Reaver''s Requiem had just officially gained its 13th member. The spearman looked around.

    "Huh. We have a lot to talk about."

    ...

    About two hours later, the Reavers were sitting in a restaurant back in Lyusula. They had been so shocked by everything that was going on that they barely noticed the revival of the << Sacred Tree >> or the notification about the completion of the << Elf War >> campaign. If it wasn''t because the entirety of Lyusula was in a celebratory mood over << Aater, Lord of the Fallen''s >> defeat, with festivities everywhere, they would have probably forgotten all about it.

    "W-Wait a second, Aa-chan! Are ya sayin'' what I think ya are sayin''?!"

    "Yup."

    Sitting with them was a very confused Kizmel and a thoroughly flabbergasted Argo. The info-broker was staring at the dark elf and then her friends in turn, as if expecting them to tell her it was a prank.

    "So, ya became a player, Kiz-chan?"

    "That appears to be the case, yes, Argo. Drifter and the others told me this... HUD and menu are part of what makes you - and now me, it would seen - players. I even have a... Level."

    Some of the words rolled out awkwardly, but Kizmel showed Argo her HUD, and there was no denying it. The Reavers had already asked their newest guildmates all the questions they possibly could. Kizmel was, without a shadow of a doubt, a player now.

    "How the hell did ya do that, Kii-bou?"

    After a few seconds of processing what she was seeing, the short info-broker turned to who she believed was the most likely culprit, and asked with the most deadpan expression Drifter had ever seen. The spearman snorted while Kirito splattered for an answer. Ran took pity on their poor guild leader.

    "I don''t think we can blame this one on Kirito, Argo. Besides... I don''t think we should even use the word ''blame''. After all, this is a good thing, is it not? Great, even."

    The eldest twin smiled at Kizmel as she spoke, and the dark elf returned the gesture. She wasn''t sure what was going on, but if she could become a player like her human friends... Well, Kizmel saw it as a positive.

    Argo looked at Ran, and eventually shook her head and sighed.

    "Aight. I still have a lotta questions, but I suppose... Haa... Completin'' the << Elf War >> campaign, Kiz-chan becomin'' a player, Dri-bou gettin'' the silly skill nobody thought he could get..."

    "What do you mean ''nobody''?! You guys believed in me, no?"

    Drifter looked around, hurt, and several people, including a certain songstress and an ash-haired player, avoided his gaze. He harrumphed and decided to ignore them. Argo smirked and carried on.

    "... and everythin'' else that went down. Well, I say ya guys earned some rest. And since ya shared so much with little ol'' me, how ''bout a share a secret back?"

    "Oh?"

    The players looked up at Argo. The info-broker had a huge grin plastered on her face, and she stared at Asuna. And winked.

    "What do ya say ''bout a trip to the hot springs?"

 Chapter 91 - Hot Spring

    North side of the 9th floor of Aincrad.

    "Huh. Who would have thought?"

    Drifter looked around, scratching his head. He was now at the entrance of a tiny wood building stashed away in the suburbs of Lyusula. There were some words in elvish that he couldn''t read above the doorway. Drifter would never have paid attention to the building if it wasn''t for Argo leading him and the others here. It looked like someone''s house.

    But when Argo pushed open the doors and led them inside, Drifter discovered that the humble facade outside was just that. The inside was several times bigger, and, not only that, luxuriously furnished. Marble tabletops and furniture made of the same color-changing wood as the palace.

    Of course, what caught his attention the most was the steam rising from behind a curtain. When a dark elf server raised it so they could step through, Drifter''s eyes widened.

    It was a hot spring, as promised. An open-air one, even. It was in the middle of a delicately decorated courtyard, with plenty of small trees and rocks to add to the ambiance, though without making it seem stuffed. Though it was a mixed bath - like most elvish ones - there were several smaller, hidden areas where one could relax away from prying eyes.

    "Wow! How did you find this place, Argo?"

    Asuna was over the moon. Her eyes practically shone as she stared at the hot spring, and anyone could tell she was raring to go in. Not that the others were much different. Relaxing in the hot water sounded like a very promising prospect after the stressful battle they had. The info-broker was all smiles.

    "Completed a hidden quest, Aa-chan. Mainly runnin'' errands for NPCs in the city. I''m glad Kayaba didn''t think of changin'' this particular quest."

    "The hot springs of Lyusula are famous for their relaxing and healing properties. It is a fitting place to rest after an adventure like ours, my friends."

    Kizmel spoke up, and when Drifter looked over, his dark elf friend was already dipping her bare feet into the spring and taking off her armor. And, after the breastplate came off, she proceeded to pull her shirt over her head. That was when the others snapped out of their surprise and Yuna hurried to hold Kizmel''s wrists and pull the shirt back down.

    "W-Wait Kizmel! You can''t just go taking your clothes off! There are people here!"

    "Only our closest friends are here, Yuna. And this is not the first time we bathe together, is it?"

    "No- I mean yes- Ugh! You are making me confused, Kiz! Yes, we did bathe together before, but it was just us girls. The boys are still around right now!"

    The former NPC cocked an eyebrow at the songstress and looked around. Kirito, Nautilus, and Vallerk, who had gotten a brief glimpse of what was under her shirt, blushed and avoided her gaze, as did some of the more shy girls. Drifter, while also a little embarrassed, was more amused than anything. This wasn''t the first time Kizmel showed the difference between humans and elves when it came to their bathing habits. This was bound to be fun. Argo was already cracking up by his side.

    "I do not see your point, Yuna."

    "W-Well..."

    "I understand humans are more concerned about the difference in sexes. That''s what these are for."

    Kizmel picked one of the light green towels the employee of the hot springs was carrying. Then, before Yuna could stop her again, she took off her clothes - Drifter looked away before Yuna even glared warningly at him - and wrapped the body around her towel.

    "Haa... This is pleasant."

    Drifter looked back when he heard the sound of Kizmel entering the water. Yuna was staring agape at the bold elf, as were most of the others - except for Kirito, Vallerk, and Nautilus, who couldn''t stare at anything since Asuna, Liz, and, surprisingly, Ran, had their hands clamped over their eyes.

    "Yuna, I trust all of you with my life. You are the closest I have to a family."

    From where she was resting her head against the side of the hot spring, Kizmel looked at the songstress and spoke softly. And what could you say to that?

    "I, for one, can''t resist anymore. But we can take one of the alcoves if you would be more comfortable, Yuna, girls. Just let me in the water right away, please."

    Shrugging, Drifter went behind a privacy screen, unequipped his armor and clothes, wrapped a towel around his midsection, and stepped into the water. His reaction was very similar to Kizmel''s.

    "Hah... So warm. This is nice."

    Kizmel grinned at him, and Drifter mimicked her in resting his head on the edge of the spring. The hot, smooth wood around the border felt like it was carved specially to accommodate his head comfortably - which was probably the case.

    He spent the next several minutes with his eyes closed, enjoying the hot water and feeling his tension bleed away. It was the first time since he entered SAO - no, since even before that - that he could truly and properly rest. Even in safe zones he was always on edge. Not here, though.

    "Huh?"

    He almost fell asleep before he felt the water ripple as someone entered the spring and sat down next to him. Cracking one eye open, he saw Yuna''s side profile, with her hair tied up to prevent it from getting wet. He couldn''t tell whether she was red from the heat or embarrassment, but she huffed and pouted cutely when she caught him looking at her.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "See? It''s good, isn''t it?"

    "Just because you are right, doesn''t mean Kizmel can go around taking off her clothes in front of you!"

    Drifter couldn''t help it. He laughed. And he would have hugged the songstress if they weren''t both almost naked - that felt a tad too forward. But he knew Yuna, and she wasn''t really angry.

    "I promise I won''t."

    Yuna scoffed, and Drifter looked around while grinning. Everyone else had done away with their clothes and put on the towels, and joined them in the hot spring. The girls were mostly together, chattering away, while the three other boys in the guild looked distinctly uncomfortable. They didn''t know where to look - and at the same time knew too well.

    That was not to say they were the only ones blushing. Asuna was very red, and kept stealing glances at Kirito when she thought the boy wasn''t looking at her - and both jumped and looked away when their gazes met.

    ''Oh?''

    Someone else who was flushed was Ran. The normally stoic swordswoman was in direct contrast with her sister - Yuuki was splashing around with Merida and Silica without a care in the world. But the eldest twin was nervous, and when Drifter followed her gaze, he discovered she was looking at a familiar ash-haired player. And Nautilus seemed to be directing just as much interest in her direction.

    "When did that happen?"

    He quietly nudged Yuna and pointed out what he saw. There were two almost-couples on Reaver''s Requiem that were obvious to anyone with eyes, although neither was official yet. Kirito and Asuna were one, as were Drifter and Yuna.

    A certain grumpy archer and a hyperactive girl were another possible couple, although Drifter was quite sure he was the only one who had noticed it for now. But Nautilus and Ran... He really wasn''t expecting that pairing. And apparently, neither had Yuna seen it coming.

    "I didn''t... Now that you mention it, Naut really has been spending a lot of time with her. How didn''t I notice it before?"

    The songstress seemed positively appalled that she had missed the developing crush of her childhood friend. So much wasted teasing potential! Drifter chuckled.

    "They are both very quiet. I''m glad, though. I was really worried..."

    Drifter caught himself and stopped talking, but the damage was already done. Yuna squinted her eyes at him.

    "Oh? Worried about what?"

    Drifter could have avoided the question. This was neither the time nor the place to talk about this, with all their friends around them. But also, was there ever a good place or time for this type of discussion? He pursed his lips and sighed.

    "I was worried that I was driving a wedge between you and Nautilus. And also between him and myself. And... Argh, this is embarrassing."

    Drifter paused, but Yina''s expectant gaze pushed him forward.

    "It feels really bad to say this, but I''m kinda glad Nautilus moved on. Not just for him - although that''s also true! But also ''cause... Well... I have less competition now."

    Drifter didn''t mention that Nautilus was the only competition he was worried about. He knew that if Yuna was to choose anyone over him, it would be Nautilus. And he couldn''t fault that, although it would certainly hurt. Yuna and Nautilus grew up together, while he had only known her for a few - admittedly eventful - months.

    So yes, Drifter was happy Nautilus had moved on from Yuna. And he did feel a little bad for feeling like that, but not much. He and the shield-bearer had talked before.

    "Less competition, huh? What am I, a prize?"

    Maybe the words were meant to be scathing remarks, but Yuna couldn''t hide the mirth in her eyes and the way her lips curled. But if she thought this was enough to scare him, she was in for a rude awakening. Drifter had been thinking of this for a long time, he just lacked an opportunity. Well, he had it now.

    "Yes. Definitely. The best prize."

    Stunned, Yuna opened her mouth, but no words came out. Drifter smiled gently.

    "Later, okay? Here''s not the best place to say... Everything."

    "Mm."

    While everyone else seemed pretty focused on their own conversations - or in the splash war rather had now extended to cover half of the hot spring - Drifter really would rather have this talk in private. Yuna nodded quietly, but her eyes sparkled. Drifter grabbed her hand underwater and squeezed it for a brief moment before letting go.

    "On that note, I think I might not be the only one planning something. Our dear guild leader seems to have gathered his resolve too."

    Yuna looked at Kirito when hearing the off-handed remark. It was true. There certainly seemed to be a certain intent behind the way Kirito looked at Asuna which wasn''t there before. Clearing the << Elf War >> campaign had taken a burden off all of their shoulders in more ways than one.

    "Tomorrow is sure to be interesting. But for now... Kizmel, since you are apparently a player now, we should probably teach you what that means and how it works."

    The others stared at Drifter when he spoke, some warningly. Telling Kizmel she is - was - just an NPC in a game surely wouldn''t go down well. Drifter wasn''t sure this was a conversation he ever planned on having. But now, he had in mind the more practical aspects of being a player. The spearman gestured at the air, pulling up a panel invisible to everyone but him.

    "You see, Kizmel, there''s a lot that comes with being a player. The first is the green line on the top left of your vision. We call that a health points bar, or HP bar for short. It is... Your life, I think that''s the best way to describe it. As long as that bar doesn''t reach zero, you won''t die. Even severed limbs will recover naturally after your HP is back to full and a set amount of time."

    Kizmel''s jaw dropped, and she looked at Drifter like he was insane, but that look soon went away. She trusted him, even if she found what he said hard to believe.

    "R-Really?"

    "I swear on it. It happened to me once, on the 5th floor. Disconcerting as all hell, but after half an hour, I had my arm back."

    "I had noticed you recovered remarkably fast from injuries. I did not expect it to be due to your status as a player."

    Drifter chuckled.

    "If that surprises you, wait until you hear the rest. Next up, levels. It''s the big number right next to your HP, and it should be about the same as ours. By killing enemies, you gain experience, and once you have enough, you level up. When that happens - swipe down with two fingers of your right hand."

    Kizmel did as she was told, and jumped when her menu popped up in front of her. The Reavers laughed, but not maliciously.

    "W-What is this?!"

    "Your menu. It''s set to private, so no one else can see it but you. We can show you how to change that later, if you want, although my recommendation is to keep it invisible whenever you are not showing something to someone. But let''s get back on track. On the first tab on the right, you''ll find..."

    Like that, Drifter - with his friends chiming in from time to time - spent the next twenty minutes explaining to Kizmel how the menu worked, from stats to skills, inventory, the friends and message features, and everything else he and the others considered important. Seeing Kizmel''s mouth open wide enough to fit an egg when she discovered she could put on and take off her armor with a click had all of the players howling with laughter.

 Chapter 92 - Confessions

    Originally, the members of Reaver''s Requiem only intended to bathe in the hot spring and chat for a while. But the warm water was so comfortable, and their conversation topics so varied, that by the time they left, it was already well past midday. In fact, the only reason they even left was because their stomachs were growling.

    That led the group to a restaurant, and Kizmel''s presence was turning some heads. But that was all. While it was definitely unusual, most players just attributed the oddity to this being Lyusula, the capital city of the dark elves. Kirito knew that their reactions would be nowhere near as placid after the next floor boss raid. But that was a concern for later.

    The young swordsman looked around while biting on a kind of vegan elvish sandwich. Two of the Reavers were conspicuously absent, and, while he didn''t know where they were gone, he knew exactly why.

    Kirito sighed, looking not so discreetly at the chestnut-haired girl next to him. He already knew what he felt and what he wanted. But how should he go about it? He only wished it was as simple for him as it appeared to be for Drifter and Yuna.

    ----------------------

    1st floor, Tolbana.

    Compared to how it was during the first weeks of SAO, Tolbana was basically a ghost town now. There were still a few players around, mainly low-level ones who had only now started adventuring out of the safe zones, but they were few and far in-between.

    The main plaza of the city was devoid of people when Drifter and Yuna arrived. Drifter looked around, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. He guided Yuna to one of the benches around the fountain in the center of the plaza and sat down, patting the spot next to him to indicate to the songstress that she should sit too.

    Yuna did so with a smile. She went even further than he intended, snuggling closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder. Drifter was surprised by how she - and he - didn''t feel nervous at all about the upcoming conversation.

    "The place where we first met, huh? I didn''t think you were such a romantic."

    Drifter rolled his eyes at the gentle verbal jab. Stretching his hand, he tickled her, causing the songstress to squirm against his side, but she still didn''t raise her head from where it was resting.

    "Someone''s currently one of the top three beauties of SAO. If I don''t put enough effort into it, I''m afraid that someone might get a big head and reject me."

    Yuna snorted.

    "Top three beauties? Since when did that ranking exist?"

    "Dunno. Argo told me about it the other day. I think she wanted to gloat, though I''m not sure about what."

    "Heh. That sounds like her."

    Yuna was very fond of the info-broker, treating her like a little sister - much to Argo''s chagrin - whenever they met. A very independent, slightly narcissistic little sister who ran the largest information market in Sword Art Online.

    "Who are the other two?"

    "Oh?"

    After a few moments of silence, Yuna suddenly asked that. Drifter was somewhat startled, but a smile slowly formed on his face. So she wasn''t as indifferent as she showed about that topic.

    "Humph!"

    "Ouch! Okay, okay!"

    As if sensing the grin on his face, although she couldn''t see it, Yuna harrumphed and pinched him on the side. Though he didn''t feel any pain, Drifter played along by whimpering, and the songstress smirked satisfied.

    "One of them is a lifestyle player that hangs around the lower floors. I was not very interested, so I didn''t actually ask Argo her name. As for the other... She is in Reaver''s Requiem with us."

    "Asuna."

    "Yup."

    It wasn''t a surprise that Yuna managed to guess it so promptly. Asuna was an incredible beauty, even at her young age. She turned heads wherever she went, and since most SAO players were young, between fourteen and the early twenties of age, it wasn''t a surprise she was ranked amongst the top three most beautiful girls of Sword Art Online.

    Of course, Drifter didn''t think the girl next to him was any less beautiful, and he made sure she knew that by grabbing her hand and rubbing his thumb over it. Finally, Yuna shifted her head to look up at him and rewarded him with a bright smile.

    "Any other interesting rankings Argo told you about?"

    "Plenty. She was in a chatting mood. Most handsome man, highest-levelled player - of course - strongest frontliners, most disliked player - Kirito''s apparently first on both of those last ones, though Kibaou comes as a close second on the latter. Also, best blacksmiths - Liz wins that one by a mile - best tailors, even best fishermen. And there are the weapon-specific ones: best sword-users - Kirito, again - dagger-users, shield-users, and so on. Liten from the ALS takes the first spot for shield-bearers, and Shivata is second. Agil is also in the top three for axe-users. Sinon''s a category of her own, so she doesn''t count. Ah, and Asuna is also on the top three for sword-users, and first for rapiers."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Drifter counted on his finger as he spoke. He was proud so many of Reaver''s Requiem members claimed high positions on those last few rankings, even though they were all based on what other players thought, and didn''t really mean anything.

    "Really? And what about spear-users? Where do you rank?"

    Drifter suddenly coughed and looked away, scratching the back of his head. From how close she was, Yuna could see his cheeks turning red. Yuna narrowed her eyes.

    "Well?"

    "Hum-hum. I... Might be first place. But it''s Argo who told me, so she''s biased. And she might''ve been just playing me."

    The songstress shook her head. Drifter could be really odd at times. He was never embarrassed or afraid when he had to speak in front of, and even occasionally berate, the Assault Team or other players, nor did he really care about what they thought or said of him. But the moment someone he did care about - mostly his guildmates - praised him, he would turn all shy. Yuna found it endearing.

    "Was she, though?"

    Drifter stilled, then chuckled. To anyone else, he might have answered differently. But this was Yuna.

    "No. I''m pretty damn good with a spear."

    The songstress laughed, and they fell into a comfortable silence. At some point, Drifter''s arm found its way around her back, pulling her closer to him.

    They spent a long time like that, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her, staring at each other, lost in thought. When it happened, Drifter didn''t know who made the first move, whether it was him, her, or both. It started with a brief touch of lips, which slowly deepened into a full kiss.

    A minute later, they separated, their faces flushed. It had been just a normal kiss, but it was also the culmination of months of built-up feelings, tempered by sharing life and death. More than the kiss itself, what left them flustered was the release.

    Looking at the mesmerizing smile on Yuna''s face, Drifter sighed in contentment and held her closer. There were so many things that could go wrong, starting with the age difference and ending in the high possibility of death for both of them. He didn''t care, and neither did she. This felt right.

    "I guess we lost our own bet, huh?"

    "Hum? What do you mean?"

    Yuna scrunched up her eyebrows and Drifter smiled fondly before planting a kiss on her forehead. He was feeling sappy and corny and all those things the others would surely mock him for if they ever knew.

    "We bet on how long it would take for Kirito and Asuna to get together, but in the end we were the ones who did it first. I didn''t even get to tell you my secret."

    Yuna looked up, remembering a bet they had made several floors ago. It seemed very unimportant now.

    "I forgot about that."

    "No, you didn''t. You were hoping to win and lord it over me."

    Drifter scoffed and pinched her cheek. The songstress grinned unabashedly.

    "You''re right, I was. So, what''s the secret? Though I have an inkling already."

    Drifter''s hand had moved from pinching her cheek to caressing her hair, but he stopped now. The girl could see right through him.

    Gently, Drifter pried her head off his shoulder and moved off the bench, getting down on one knee on the ground in front of her, holding both of Yuna''s hands. The songstress'' mouth was slightly open, both in surprise, anticipation, and, Drifter knew it because he was feeling the same, certainty that this was right.

    "My secret, Yuna, is that I like you a great deal. More than I can probably put in words."

    "You didn''t do a very good job keeping it."

    "No. No, I didn''t. I didn''t really want to. I was rather hoping you would notice it and return my feelings."

    For an answer, Yuna reached down and grabbed his head, lowering her own and kissing him again.

    ...

    A long time later, the couple - and they truly were one now - was still in Tolbana''s plaza. They had moved from the bench to the grass, laying side by side, Yuna using Drifter''s arm as a pillow as she snuggled against his side. More than one player had passed through the plaza and left grumbling about the PDA. Drifter and Yuna were not bothered.

    "You know they are going to tease us a ton when we go back, don''t you?"

    "Nah. Nautilus is gonna smile and congratulate us, Kirito and Asuna will probably be too embarrassed about his own confession to even notice, and Sinon''s just gonna smirk knowingly. As for the others... Probably only Argo and Merida are going to say something. Agil''s just gonna slap me in the back when we tell him. And Klein''s going to make a fuss."

    "You really think Kirito''s gonna confess today?"

    "If he doesn''t, Asuna will. The timing''s just right."

    "Right."

    Drifter stared at the sky. It was just past noon now, and they still had a few hours before they had to go back.

    "Only you..."

    "Huh?"

    "Only you applaud my singing. Right here. That''s how we met."

    The spearman turned his head to look at Yuna. The songstress was reminiscing about the past, not for the first time today.

    "Everyone was still feeling depressed back then. And I bet they are feeling sorry right now. Maybe if they had clapped, I wouldn''t be the one here."

    Drifter said that jokingly, but his girlfriend took it seriously. Yuna pouted and hit him on the side.

    "Don''t say that! It was always going to be you!"

    "Oh?"

    He raised an eyebrow, amused, and Yuna blushed furiously when she realized what she had just said. She averted her gaze.

    "W-Well... Naut and I were always going to join the frontlines, even if we didn''t meet you first. So we would have met you, even if it was later... And I know it would have turned out the same way. I would want it to, at least."

    What could Drifter do in the face of that confession but capture Yuna''s lips once again? When he finally let her go, the songstress was on top of him, her chest heaving as he embraced her. Raising his head so his mouth was right next to her head, he spoke with his breath tickling her ear.

    "I will always applaud you, Yun''. No matter what song you play, as long as it is you."

    Yuna trembled for more than one reason when she heard him. Suddenly, she put her hands on Drifter''s chest and pushed herself up, her eyes burning. He thought he was about to be violently kissed again, but instead, the songstress got up. While Drifter propped himself up on his elbows, she walked towards the fountain while calling out her flute.

    "And I will always sing for you, Drifter."

 Chapter 93 - The 10th Floor

    "Well, if it ain''t the lovebirds. Finally decided to come back, hum? We almost thought ya were gonna spend the night out."

    Drifter and Yuna rolled their eyes as they strolled into the inn hand-in-hand. Argo was the first to tease them. No surprises there.

    "Laugh it up, Argo. I''m the one with a boyfriend here."

    "Who said anythin'' ''bout boyfriends? I''m just sad ya are off the market now, Yu-chan."

    Succeeding on her quest of leaving Yuna speechless, the info-broker guffawed while the others finally came forward to greet them - all with wide grins on their faces.

    As prophesied, Sinon was smirking without saying a word as she hugged them, right before she, Silica, Ran, Merida, Yuuki, and Liz - the last two were jumping in excitement over the gossip - dragged Yuna away to interrogate her. Drifter waved cheerfully to the songstress as she begged for help with her eyes, but he had his own inquisition to face.

    Though, it was, admittedly, a much smaller one. Only the Reavers plus Argo - who was basically an honorary member - were there, so he didn''t have to face Agil, Klein, Orlando, and their friends. Vallerk wasn''t nearly as close to him as the others, and Kirito and Asuna were conspicuously absent. So, it was really only Argo, Kizmel, and Nautilus asking questions. The spearman mock-glared at the former with a raised eyebrow.

    "Do I have to worry about you stealing my girlfriend, little rat?"

    "Only if ya don''t treat her right, Dri-bou. But somehow I don''t think that''s ever happenin''."

    Her expression softened, and she gave him a quick hug.

    "Congrats, Drifter. Just about everyone could see how much ya two like each other. I''m happy for both of ya."

    "And it was about damn time too."

    That was Nautilus. The normally taciturn player sported a grin so wide it threatened to split his face. He dragged Drifter into a hug far longer than the one Argo gave him.

    "You and Yuna have been dancing around each other for almost as long as Kirito and Asuna. I was going to tell you to hurry up and get over with it soon if you still didn''t do anything after the battle earlier."

    When Nautilus let him go and spoke, Drifter shrugged.

    "There was a lot to think about. But I didn''t really doubt it for a moment."

    Whatever it was that Drifter was speaking about, Nautilus understood. The ash-haired swung an arm over his friend''s shoulder and stood there, beaming at everything and everyone, uncharacteristically overjoyed. Drifter shook his head in amusement and turned to the last person. Not to be outdone, Kizmel also hugged him.

    "It has been a most eventful day, my friend. You and Yuna make a matching couple. May the gods bless your union."

    The dark elf was more formal and NPC-ish about it, but her meaning was conveyed well enough, and Drifter squeezed her once before letting go.

    "Kiz-chan over here was under the impression ya and Yu-chan were already datin'', but didn''t like showin'' off, Dri-bou."

    Argo butt in, and the dark elf lost some of her dignified poise when she blushed and looked away.

    "Ah, well... It was a misunderstanding. And I seem to remember you were most amused by it, Argo."

    "Never said I wasn''t, Kiz-chan! It''s always a good laugh with this bunch. Ya made a good choice by joinin'' in."

    Drifter smiled, and ruffled Argo''s head.

    "Ignore the little rat, Kiz. She likes to tease people. Though she is right. Defeating Aater, you entering Reaver''s Requiem, Yuna accepting my half-assed confession. I think those are three great reasons to lay off and have a party. Probably four, when Kirito and Asuna arrive. What do y''all think?"

    There were shouts of agreement from all the people gathered. Yuna had returned to his side and was holding his hand again. Drifter grinned at her and squeezed it.

    "Way ahead of you, Drifter. I already called Agil and his three, as well as Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves. Shivata and Liten too. We held off on telling them about you and Yuna becoming official since there was always the chance it didn''t happen - as minuscule as it was. But the party for beating Aater and welcoming Kizmel was already arranged. We have a room in that fancy restaurant on the 6th floor."

    Liz spoke up, brushing strands of pink hair behind her ear. The blacksmith was typing with the other hand, no doubt sending messages to the invited players that the party was on. Yuna chimed in.

    "Ooh, call Sasha and the children too!"

    "Alrighty! Dunno if there''ll be room for everyone, though."

    "Doesn''t matter. We can always use the common room of the restaurant if it gets too crowded."

    Pulling his girlfriend by the hand, Drifter took the lead in leaving the building.

    "Message Kirito and Asuna to meet us there. Let''s celebrate!"

    ...

    Kirito and Asuna actually didn''t see the messages sent to them until they had gone back to the inn in Lyusula and found out that nobody was there. It was only then that they found out they were supposed to go to the 6th floor.

    When they got there, the party was already in full swing. There was a lot of noise and chatter, with over thirty people - of which more than half a dozen were children- talking, eating, and drinking - water and juice only, since a lot of them were minors. Yuna appeared to be pitting on a performance at the moment, and everyone was clapping. And the cheers only got louder when Asuna and Kirito walked in hand-in-hand.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "Told you they would make it! Pay up, Klein!"

    Agil''s booming laughter woke them up from the startled shock they felt when they saw so many people in one place. The large black man strode over and swept them both into a hug every bit as strong as the one Nautilus had given Drifter earlier today. Even his words were similar.

    "It was ''bout time you two man up and did it! And I don''t mean coming to the party, but getting together. Congratulations, Kirito and Asuna!"

    "Ah, t-thanks. We weren''t expecting... This."

    Asuna managed to stammer a response while Kirito was still tongue-tied. Agil just laughed and slapped the boy in the back.

    "Everyone needs a party every once in a while, and we had more than enough reason to start one. Klein, next drinking night is on you!"

    "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Dammit, Kirito! As if Drifter wasn''t enough, now even you found a girlfriend before I did! And such a pretty one at that! This world is unfair!"

    "Nah, you''re just ugly, leader."

    "Oi! What''s with this stab in the back?!"

    Everything got even more boisterous when Klein strutted his way over, complaining and bickering with his guildmates. But there was no missing the mirth in his voice when he put Kirito in a headlock and messed his hair. Knowing Klein, he would probably do the same to Asuna, but her rapier was very sharp.

    "He is just jealous, Kirito, Asuna. Don''t mind him."

    "Course I''m jealous! I''m the most handsome guy in SAO and I''m still single!"

    "Might have something to do with the fact your voice doesn''t seem to have a quieter setting than ''shout'', Klein."

    "Besides, since when are you the most handsome man in SAO? You aren''t even in the top 10."

    Now, Orlando and the Legend Braves had also come over, and Drifter was making his way towards them. Klein''s defense against the endless mockery of his - self-proclaimed - impeccable face was growing haggard.

    "T-That''s because the players are biased!"

    "Yeah, biased towards the truth."

    "Face it, leader, you''re gonna be single forever."

    Issin delivered the final blow, and Klein slumped over, deflated. Everyone else burst out laughing, including Drifter and Yuna, who got there just in time to hear the last few sentences. The spearman patted Klein on the back while Yuna completely ignored him - that was just adding insult to injury at this point - and jumped on Asuna.

    "Congratulations, Asuna! And you too, Kirito! You look great together!"

    While the two girls hugged each other, Drifter slapped Kirito in the back.

    "You''ve heard it plenty already, but congratulations."

    "Ah, thanks! So, you and Yuna also...?"

    "Yup! To quote everyone, ''it was about damn time''. For me and Yun, and also you two."

    While his face was still bright red, Kirito grinned widely. When Asuma grabbed his hand again, his smile became much gentler, but no less authentic. Looking around, he realized he never felt this happy before.

    The girl he liked, no, his girlfriend, holding his hand, and dozens of friends around him. There were Sasha, Kizmel, and Silica playing with the kids, Klein arguing with Agil before both laughed loudly and clapped each other in the back. Shivata and Liten hung back, chatting happily with each other. Yuuki, Sinon, Merida, Argo, Vallerk, and some of the Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan playing some sort of game to the side, while Ran and Nautilus were talking about something the girl was showing the ash-haired boy on her HUD. And, of course, Drifter and Yuna standing nearby, he with his arm around her back.

    Kirito had never felt so happy and content before, even given the circumstances, and it must have showed on his face, because he felt a soft touch on his cheek. Asuna had just given him a peck, and he flushed, both from shyness and the fact that he was sure others had seen it. Such as Drifter, for example, whose eyes were twinkling with mirth as he shouted above all the noise.

    "Alright, now that everyone is here and all the congratulations are out of the way, it''s time for the moment you were all waiting for. Let''s decide who won the betting pool!"

    Kirito and Asuna tried - and failed - to hide as every head in the room turned to them yet again, sporting unsettling grins, Drifter''s most of all. Especially because they hadn''t heard about any betting pool, which was a bad sign.

    "There''s a lot of cor on the line here, and Klein''s probably gonna go broke - again. So, Kirito, Asuna... Who confessed first?"

    -----------------------

    March 2nd, 2023.

    Maybe it was because they were still on the high from everything that happened on the 9th floor, but the boss didn''t stand a chance, and Reaver''s Requiem and the Assault Team breezed through the raid.

    When the frontliners climbed the stairs to the 10th floor, it was with not just a small amount of awe and trepidation. Because this marked a tenth of their way up. A tenth of their path to freedom. And also, it marked the complete unknown. No beta-tester had ever fully explored the 10th floor. No, only Kirito, as far as they knew, had even reached it, and he was only there for less than 48 hours. From here on out, there was no previous knowledge, no Beater cheats - as if there ever were any. The true climb of Aincrad started here. Drifter had made sure everyone knew that the day before. If only so Kibaou would shut the hell up about Kizmel.

    (Once in a blue moon mid-chapter A/N: I thought I should mention it since it''s the first time I''m doing it in this format: the following paragraphs are all in italics because they are a flashback. This will be the standard model for flashbacks from now on.)

    "Forget about Kizmel for a second, Kibaou. There''s something more important we have to tell you right now. In fact, everyone, listen up!"

    Heads turned in the meeting room, looking at Drifter. There were about two dozen people participating in this pre-raid meeting, mostly guild leaders and their second-in-command. The spearman stared at each of them as he spoke, not once flinching.

    "After we defeat the floor boss tomorrow, we''ll reach the 10th floor. It is uncharted territory. When the beta-testers got to it during the beta, they had less than two days. Not even the main city was entirely explored, much less the floor. Needless to say, the entrance to the tower, the labyrinth, and the field-boss and floor boss are also complete unknowns. Everything is, starting tomorrow. Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    "We don''t have previous knowledge to pull from. Basically, we are going in blind."

    It was Shivata who answered after a long pause during which everyone digested Drifter''s words. The spearman nodded to him and glanced at Kirito. His guild leader was keeping quiet, as they agreed beforehand. If the words came from his mouth, they would probably cause a commotion. As it was...

    "And how do we know that''s the truth? Ya and the Beater could be trynna trick us to get all the good stuff from this floor too."

    Drifter stared at Kibaou, as did everyone else. By now, the only one still stubbornly hanging onto the stupid belief that Kirito was somehow a cheater was the ALS leader.

    "I''m not going to dignify that with an answer. Shivata got it right. Starting from the 10th floor, we don''t know what we are facing or what to expect. We are all frontliners, so I don''t think I need to tell you to be cautious. So just remember this: until now, we had access to plenty of information from the beta. We basically knew everything there was to know about the previous nine floors. And yet, 3.000 people are dead. Don''t underestimate SAO."

    That was how that conversation had ended, and everyone left the meeting in a much somber mood. That didn''t stop them, including Drifter, from gasping like little kids when they got their first sight of the 10th floor.

    The landscape that greeted them was beautiful like none Drifter had ever seen before, not even on the 4th floor. It was like looking at a still scene of spring in Japan. They were on top of a grassy hill, surrounded by sakura trees in full bloom. A giant bamboo forest occupied the left side of the floor, while they could spot rocky mountains with snow-covered tops far away. And to the right, after walking on a pebble road and crossing several bridges over small creeks and streams, they could get to what looked like a classic medieval Japanese city.

    Drifter simply stared at the floor, like everyone else, awed by its familiar beauty. He only recovered when one of the DKB players spoke, echoing his thoughts.

    "I think I know which is going to be the next vacation floor. Damn."

 Chapter 94 - Kleins Paradise

    With eyes full of wonder, the Assault Team walked towards the main city of the 10th floor, a town so stereotypically Japanese you couldn''t find one like it even in the real world. After crossing arched wooden bridges and stepping on a path covered in pink and white cherry blossom petals, they finally arrived at the entrance of the settlement.

    Drifter stared up at the red gate you usually only found in temples or touristic sites nowadays. Two samurais were guarding it on the outside.

    "Ah! Leader!"

    Half of the Assault Team turned back to look at Klein, who had fallen over in a cold faint. Acceptable casualties.

    "Whose turn to unlock the teleporter is it?"

    "Ours."

    Asuna raised her hand to answer Lind''s question, and the DKB commander grumbled a little before leading his guild members into the town.

    "Alright, go do it then. I''m sure everyone else is brimming with anticipation, so don''t keep them waiting. Dragon Knights Brigade, split up to explore the city and find quests."

    "Aincrad Liberation Squad, with me! Search for hidden quests!"

    Kibaou was just half a beat behind Lind, and sparks flew when the two met eyes. Neither even bothered trying to hide their intention to compete, and Drifter just rolled his eyes, together with pretty much every other player.

    "Sure. Should we also split up, Kirito?"

    The swordsman stopped to think for a second, then realized it didn''t actually matter.

    "It will only take five minutes to activate the teleporter. We can all go together and then we decide what to do."

    Drifter shrugged, showing it was fine with him. The moment he crossed the gate and received a notification saying he entered a safe zone, his tense muscles relaxed. The same happened with his friends, an almost audible sigh of relief escaping all of them.

    It was only then, also, that they broke formation, and Drifter slowed down so Yuna could catch up to him from where she originally was, in the middle of the group.

    None of that was conscious, but simply how they behaved after several months of living on the edge. As long as they weren''t in a safe zone, no matter whether it was the 10th or 1st floor, they would instinctively enter the formation most appropriate for the situation. Out in the wilderness, that usually implied a circle with Yuna and Sinon in the center, Drifter, Silica, Asuna, Kirito, Ran, and Yuuki as the first layer, and the others on the outside.

    Inside the cities, however, none of that mattered, as they wouldn''t receive any damage even if they were attacked. But it was easy to differentiate frontliners and clearers from normal players even then, simply by looking at their weapons. Drifter''s spear hadn''t entered his inventory since the day they went to the hot spring, and for weeks before that. Even now, despite being in a safe zone, he had simply strapped it to his back, where he could pull it out at a moment''s notice. When he slept, the weapon would rest next to his bed. Again, none of that was on purpose. Any frontliner would feel uneasy if they couldn''t touch or see their weapons at any given moment, unlike lower-level players, who could constantly be seen strolling around empty-handed when inside a settlement.

    Drifter never stopped to wonder who was happier, frontliners or normal players. One was risking their lives every day, while the other enjoyed the fruits of the former''s labor while not doing much to further their advances in SAO.

    Drifter didn''t feel any resentment towards those players. Nobody had forced him to become a frontliner. Nobody could force any frontliner. They had all chosen this path themselves, whether it was Drifter and Yuna, Kibaou and Lind, or even Vallerk and Silica, who would be joining them on the next floor boss raid.

    They might not be happy all the time, but it was their choice. And it wasn''t like the other players were taking a vacation either. For every clearer who died, there were twenty normal players who lost their lives despite being on lower floors.

    "Whoa. I can see why Klein is so fixated on katanas and samurais. I''m starting to feel the appeal. This place is beautiful."

    Maybe if he had more alone time and darker thoughts, Drifter would ponder on all that philosophical stuff. But right now, he was occupied admiring the sights with Yuna.

    The beautiful street, with carefully maintained trees spaced evenly on the roadside, and the ancient buildings, as well as the friendly NPCs wearing kimonos and yukatas, all of it contributed to a calm and peaceful scenery.

    "It really is. I would say it''s perfect for a date - but later. Argo''s probably already gonna complain our ears off for not activating the teleporter within 5 minutes of clearing the floor, somehow."

    Yuna and the others who heard him giggled. That sounded like Argo indeed.

    "But... The 10th floor, huh? It''s been what, four months?"

    "Four and a week."

    "Doesn''t feel real."

    Liz sighed, and Drifter turned around to sling an arm over her shoulder, dragging the blacksmith between him and Yuna.

    "Hey, we just beat the 9th floor. There''s still a way to go, but a step closer is a step closer, ain''t it? Cheer up. I bet you can learn how to forge katanas and throwing stars here. Klein and the ninjas will never leave you alone."

    "Eww! Was that supposed to make me feel better?!"

    Liz feigned being ill, but she laughed, and the sound was pleasing to the ears. Laughter, true laughter, was too rare in SAO. Yuna nodded gratefully to him from Liz''s other side, one of her hands resting on the small of his back as they sandwiched the blacksmith between them until she begged to be let go.

    "If you two are done bullying Liz, there''s the teleporter."

    Sinon''s snarky remarks fell on deaf ears, as Drifter and Yuna were far too familiar with the grumpy archer not to know when she was joking. Releasing Liz, they looked at the item that connected different floors, allowing players to travel through them almost instantly and without having to go through a dangerous labyrinth.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    As usual, the teleporter was in the middle of a plaza, with plenty of empty space around it. To fit in with the rest of the city, the circular structure was made of some kind of gray-white stone which felt soft to the touch. Kirito stroked it and looked at the others.

    "Who wants to do the honors?"

    The Reavers looked at each other. It didn''t matter who unlocked the teleporter, since the entire guild would receive the bonus experience. But it was always fun the first time.

    "How about you, Silica? You haven''t had the chance yet."

    "M-Me?"

    The young girl jumped, her ponytails swinging from side to side. Drifter smiled fondly.

    "Yup, you. Go on."

    Soothed by his gentle tone, Silica stepped forward and gingerly touched the teleporter. When the option to unlock it popped up in front of her, she clicked yes. Immediately, the structure shone brightly with a white-ish light, and Drifter pulled Silica back just in time for her to avoid the stampede of players coming through.

    "Yeah, that always happens. People were afraid at first, but after they realized there''s no danger, they always rush over the moment the portal''s unlocked."

    A steady stream of players continues to flow through for the next minutes. Many stopped dead in their tracks after seeing the beautiful city, blocking those behind them and causing congestion. The Reavers watched all that while chuckling.

    Quite a few of the players saw Reaver''s Requiem standing there and went up to talk to them with stars in their eyes - and more than a few heartbroken gazes when one of them courageously asked out Asuna, only for the fencer to hug Kirito''s arm and turn him down. The shade of red the swordsman turned had all of them breaking down with laughter.

    Most of the players, however, veered away immediately when they noticed Reaver''s Requiem. A lot of people were afraid to talk to the Assault Team, fearing that they would unwittingly provoke them. Their concerns were valid, as many of the frontliners had bad tempers, and treated the lower-level players with anger, arrogance, and disdain. They needn''t worry about that with the Reavers, obviously - unless they caught Sinon on a bad day - but Drifter was almost glad, as the few players who did talk to them were already overwhelming him. Drifter decidedly disliked being a celebrity.

    "There ya are! Nice fight, everythin'' ''kay? How''s the floor like? And where''s Shivata?"

    Argo appeared out of nowhere, the petite info-broker squeezing her way through the crowd towards them. A bag of cor was already exchanging hands as she fired questions. Drifter answered calmly.

    "Yes, pretty, and no idea."

    The DKB had been the ones leading today''s raid, so Argo had lent him the << Flag of Valor >>. She trusted the player enough that she didn''t need to actually join the guild for the battle.

    "Ya are truly useless, Dri-bou."

    "Hey, I''m not the one supposed to be scurrying around writing guides and scamming people! That''s your job!"

    Argo stuck out her tongue at him, traded a couple more barbs, then bid farewell to everyone and disappeared. This would be the first floor where her skills as an info-broker would be truly tested. She didn''t have the beta to guide her search, so she would have to gather all the information from scratch. But if she proved to be up to the task - and Drifter had no doubt she would - Argo''s spot as SAO''s first info-broker would be secure for life.

    "Anyone has anything they want to do in the city? Otherwise, let''s get going."

    "I want to check out the blacksmiths, see if there are any new designs I can get."

    Liz raised her hand, and Kirito nodded. He looked around.

    "Anyone else wanna stay back? Then, let''s split up and explore the floor. Liz, we''ll meet you back here at nightfall. Send a message if something happens."

    Seeing that Liz was the only one intending to stay behind, Kirito bid her farewell and led the Reavers out of the city. Once there, they habitually split up, with Kirito leading one party and Drifter the other.

    "I''ll take the west side. Asuna, Sinon, Silica, Vallerk, and Kizmel, you are with me. Drifter, you take everyone else and explore towards the north, okay?"

    "Got it."

    It was the usual team division. They always tried to change things a little, to make sure everyone could work with everyone else, but it was a fact that some people simply had better teamwork. Drifter, Yuna, and Nautilus were one such case, as were Kirito and Asuna. The twins were often paired together too. Drifter was half-convinced they could read each other''s thoughts.

    "Right, should we see what this floor has to offer?"

    "Aye aye, mighty party leader!"

    Drifter pulled down one eyelid and stuck out his tongue at Merida''s sassy response. Then he led the party towards the north side of the floor, and the bamboo forest that waited there.

    They met their first obstacle before even arriving at the bamboo grove. A trio of old-style samurais were sitting in the middle of the path, seemingly waiting for them. All three had their backs turned to the party, so Drifter couldn''t see their faces, but the blood-red cursor above their heads left no doubt they were mobs.

    "Humanoid mobs, then? This is gonna be interesting. Watch out for sword skills."

    As the players had painfully learned, humanoid monsters were several times more dangerous than normal mobs, mostly because they could use skills. Drifter could already feel the difficulty increase on the 10th floor if the basic mobs were humanoids and came in groups. He readied his spear for a << Comet Break >>, then changed his mind and altered his posture for a << Serpentcoil Impale >>. Despite having toiled so hard to acquire the throwing skill, he rarely used it. Now seemed like a good opportunity to change that.

    "I''ll attack first, you aggro them, Naut. Yuna, give us a << Clear Breeze >>. Merida, get in position to assist Nautilus if it''s needed. Ran, Yuuki, hang back, you are on support. Let''s play it safe and take it slow. Figure out their attack patterns. We can sell it to Argo later."

    His party members nodded, and Drifter pulled back his arm, twisting his spear with his fingers. The weapon started to glow, and he heaved and threw it towards the mob in the middle.

    As soon as the attack was launched, the samurais detected it and got up. Drifter''s target made to dodge the flying spear even with its back turned, but << Serpentcoil Impale >> was faster, and punctured right through its back.

    The mob didn''t even falter. It eerily turned around as Drifter recalled his weapon, and the spearman discovered that underneath the armor of the << Dishonorable Samurai >> was a decayed skeleton with glowing embers for eyes.

    With a silent shout, all three undead samurais unsheathed their katanas and charged at the party. Their initial target was obviously Drifter, but Nautilus stepped forward and << Taunted >> them, easily gaining their aggro.

    But even Nautilus wasn''t expecting the first attack from the mobs to be a sword skill. Furthermore, all three of them struck at the same time, their katanas glowing red, with even a hint of flames burning.

    None of them recognized the skill, but the mobs'' motions were telegraphed by the way they bent their knees and twisted their lower body, letting Nautilus know that the attack would be an upwards slash. Calmly, the ash-haired player adjusted his shield to catch all three cuts, deflecting them and causing the katanas to get entangled, effectively crippling the next hit of the skill.

    The three slashes that followed were sloppy, and Nautilus easily blocked them. By then, Drifter and the others were already retaliating, their prime target being the first << Dishonorable Samurai >> the spearman wounded.

 Chapter 95 - Bamboo Maze

    The << Dishonorable Samurais >> were tough. Drifter''s spear dug into the crevice between the helmet and armor of one, and Merida cleaved at its side with her broadsword, but the mob still managed to parry Ran and Yuuki''s swords.

    "Ugh!"

    The spearman grunted as a second of the creatures took a shot at him, bringing its katana down on the shaft of his spear. The impact left his arm shaking and his fingers hurting, but he didn''t let go of the weapon. Instead, Drifter pushed forward, slamming his spear into the throat of the << Dishonorable Samurai >>.

    Seeing as the mob was undead, the expected critical hit didn''t appear. But the force Drifter put behind the strike was enough to cause the << Dishonorable Samurai >> to stagger, and Yuuki ran it through the side with her sword.

    The relentless offensive from the party soon brought two of the mobs down to 60% of their health. The third managed to sneak a blow in, however, the two-hit skill cutting a nasty gash across Drifter and Ran''s front.

    "Agh! There''s a bleeding effect! Try not to get hit!"

    "You don''t say!"

    The sudden spike in difficulty on this floor was unnerving. Clearers and frontliners could still deal with the << Dishonorable Samurais >> pretty safely, as long as they were in a well-formed party. But these were just the first types of mobs they found, and this wasn''t even the tower yet.

    As those thoughts crossed Drifter''s mind in a flash, his body didn''t stop moving. Without even bothering to drink a potion, he took a step back to put some distance between himself and the mobs, before spinning his spear in a circle around himself. << Tornado >> blew away the three undead, and the spearman followed up with a << High-kick >>, stunning the << Dishonorable Samurai >> with the lowest health.

    "Hyah!"

    Not a moment too late, Merida ran past him and chopped down with a << Power Cut >>, pushing the mob down to the red. Nautilus held back the other two << Dishonorable Samurais >> with a << Serration Wave >> - giving them a taste of their own medicine with the applied bleeding debuff - while the twins finished off the first mob.

    Since they were still in combat mode, the notifications about the slain mob, experience, and rewards didn''t pop up. Sparing the fallen creature only a single glance to confirm it was already breaking down into shards, Drifter immediately rushed at the now weakest << Dishonorable Samurai >> with a << Rage Spike <<, impaling it through the abdomen. Then, he used << Edge Vaulting >>. Since the mob was still skewered on his spear, what the skill did was swing it around and throw it towards the second undead when it slipped off.

    Caught by surprise, both monsters fell down. Not ones to let go of such a perfect opportunity, Ran, Merida, and Yuuki made quick work of the two << Dishonorable Samurais >>, not even allowing them to get up. It was not bullying if they were trying to kill you.

    After the group of mobs was killed, the party took a brief moment to cool down. While the battle wasn''t exactly hard, it required a lot of concentration, mostly to make sure they always interrupted or impeded the << Dishonorable Samurais >> before they could launch their skills. If the mobs were allowed to use their sword skills as they wished, it would be very easy for the situation to take a turn for the worse.

    "Haa... Huff! Anything from Kirito''s side?"

    Wiping his forehead, Drifter asked without stopping scanning the surroundings. While the terrain was pretty open with a clear line of sight, mobs could literally spawn right next to you. You could never be too careful.

    "They were luckier than us. There''s apparently a small lake to the west and they found an NPC giving out quests. Seems to be run-of-the-mill ones according to Kirito, though. They have to gather drops from << Funay¨±rei >>."

    "Boat spirits? So this floor''s theme is ancient Japan and undead?"

    Yuna shrugged.

    "Seems likely."

    Drifter tapped his chin in thought. Then he sent Argo a message.

    [ Drifter: We found mobs called << Dishonorable Samurais >>, little rat. Skeletons with Samurai armor and katanas. Small groups, at least 2 sword skills. One is a 2-hit combo, the other''s at least the same, probably a 3-hit, we didn''t let them finish it. They don''t hit that hard, but their skills got a bleeding debuff and they have good cooperation. Drops are nothing impressive, but the exp is good. Kirito apparently found a quest and boat spirits, you can ask him about it. We''ll keep updating you. ]

    Along with the message, he sent screenshots of the drops and rewards from the mobs. He didn''t ask for payment for the information - he knew Argo would evaluate its value on her own and send him the cor.

    "Alright, let''s go. Now that we got a feel for it, we''ll take the other << Dishonorable Samurais >> we come across slowly. Try to draw out all their skills and patterns."

    Once he was done sending Argo the message, Drifter gestured towards their main target, the bamboo forest. His map was still just fog with a line cutting across it, but it was easy enough to spot the bamboo forest with the naked eye, so he wasn''t worried about getting lost.

    It took the party over an hour to get to the bamboo forest, despite the fact each floor was smaller than the last one. But the enemies were much harder to deal with, and each group of << Dishonorable Samurais >> they encountered took at least a few minutes to be dispatched.

    They also came across a handful of clearer parties on their way. Most were at the very least familiar to them, and they greeted the six Reavers before going about their business.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    "Uhmm... Anyone else got the chills?"

    As soon as they stepped inside the bamboo forest, Yuuki mumbled and stepped closer to her sister. She wasn''t the only one who suddenly shivered. The temperature inside the forest had dropped at least a few degrees, and the light and shadows were playing games with their perception. They had barely taken five steps into the bamboo forest, and yet Drifter was having difficulty pinpointing where they came from.

    "Drifter, the map..."

    "Is there a problem?"

    Suddenly scared, the spearman swiped his fingers and opened his map. To his relief, it was still working, but he soon noticed the issue Nautilus had spotted.

    "It''s shrinking."

    The others nodded. While the map still showed their position and the path they took outside of the bamboo forest, the small stretch they had cleared inside said forest was slowly being filled back in by the fog. Drifter guessed that, in less than ten minutes, the path they had taken would have vanished completely.

    "It''s a damn maze. Not a maze maze, but it functions as one."

    "Yeah. Getting out shouldn''t be a problem, we can just zoom out and make a beeline for the city. But navigating inside the forest will be stupidly hard."

    "No doubt this is where the entrance to the tower will be. What a pain in the ass."

    "Language, Yuuki!"

    Ran''s quiet scolding of her sister''s choice of words brought some needed levity to the group. While the bamboo forest''s mechanic wasn''t dangerous per se, it could and would be a constant bother.

    "Forget mapping then. Let''s try to get to the border of the floor and follow it. If we can''t find anything noteworthy by nightfall, we''ll go back and leave finding the labyrinth to the clearers. And watch out. New map means new mobs."

    One day Drifter would learn not to tempt fate. But it was not today. No sooner had he finished speaking, the stalks of bamboo next to him rustled and moved, and a wickedly sharp scythe chopped down.

    Unprepared and caught by surprise, Drifter never saw it coming. He was cut on his back, a thin and straight red line that went all the way from his left shoulder blade to his hips. His HP instantly plummeted by 30%.

    Instinctively, Drifter crouched and rolled, narrowly avoiding a slash from a second scythe. He swept his spear upwards, knocking aside the offending weapon, then rolled again and jumped to his feet. Only then did he manage to see what the enemy looked like.

    "Ugh, why is it insects again?!"

    Yuna grumbled as the party put some distance between them and the mob, and took a good look at it. It was a giant mantis-like creature, over 3 meters tall, with thin and long limbs ending in sharp curved blades not dissimilar to scythes, explaining Drifter''s first impression of what attacked him. The monster was lithe and green, with a ring-like color pattern that allowed it to hide so well that even << Searching >> hadn''t spotted it. Even now that they knew where the enemy was, it was still incredibly easy to lose sight of it if it stood still.

    Luckily the red cursor above its head gave away its position. Drifter only wished the icon had shown up before he had been wounded. Squinting his eyes at the << Cursed Mantis >>, Drifter frowned.

    "High attack low defense mob. Yuna and Merida, you two have to be especially careful. And I don''t like its name. Watch out for some special ability and debuffs."

    While mob names could often be misleading, they were rarely lies. Drifter saw nothing unusual about the mantis, be it in its physical appearance, camouflage, or attack. But the word ''cursed'' hinted at something else.

    With a silent shriek, the << Cursed Mantis >> jumped forward and slashed at Nautilus with both arms in a cross shape. The ash-haired player blocked the first limb with his shield, and the second glanced off his blade, creating sparks, before grazing his arm. Even just that slight contact took away a tenth of Nautilus'' HP. But at the same time, the mob lost 20% of its health from a << Sharp Nail >> Ran managed to sneak in while it was distracted, proving Drifter was right about his high attack low defense theory.

    Shaking his spear, Drifter stepped around Nautilus and swung it horizontally in, well, a << Horizontal <<. In response, he got a cut to his chest. The << Cursed Mantis >> was absurdly agile. But with just this hit and another two normal attacks from Yuuki and Merida, it had already lost over 60% of its HP. Just a couple more hits and it would die.

    Tense, Drifter decided to trade blow for blow and end the battle quickly. While this strategy was reckless, he had a really bad feeling. He wanted to finish the mantis as fast as possible.

    Ruthlessly allowing the mob to cut open a gash on his side, dropping his health to yellow, Drifter swept his spear up in a << Vertical >>, cutting off one of the scythe-like limbs of the << Cursed Mantis >>, before immediately dragging down his weapon and smacking the creature on the head. He then spun his spear and stabbed the mantis in the face before hitting the butt of his weapon with his knee in a << Dirty Play >>.

    That was enough to wipe out the last of the << Cursed Mantis'' >> HP, but, as Drifter feared, something unusual happened.

    Instead of shattering instantly like other mobs, the << Cursed Mantis >> raised its head a shrieked, a high-pitched noise that almost made Drifter drop his spear and hold his head. Then, to the absolute shock of the players, the mob raised its sole arm and stabbed itself in the chest with it, only then bursting into a million flickering polygons.

    "What the hell was that?!"

    Drifter wasn''t the only one spooked by what happened. Of the players in the party, only Yuna and Merida were unharmed. The others had all suffered small injuries, with only Drifter''s HP dropping below the green zone. The mob was already dangerous as it was, and the way it died was unsettling.

    "Huh?!"

    Better safe than sorry, Drifter quickly drank a health potion. It was the most advanced and expensive type of potion you could find on the 9th floor, and it should have been enough to heal him almost back to full. But when he looked at his health bar, he had barely re-entered the green. A quick glance at his HUD showed a black skull icon next to the HP gauges of everyone in the party, and Drifter swore.

    "Fuck! We''ve been cursed! A 20% debuff to healing efficiency. And it''s stackable! God dammit!"

    This was really bad. Drifter had seen curse debuffs before, but none as bad as this one. And it applied to all healing, not just potions. That included Yuna''s << Rest >>, and turned the tune practically useless.

    "It lasts for an entire hour. What the hell?! First the map is useless, and now this. Is this forest supposed to be impossible to clear?!"

    Nobody faulted Drifter or Yuna for their language this time. The situation really seemed absurd. Did this mean they had to wait an hour every time they hunted a mob here? Then they would never level up. But if they continued recklessly, they would soon have so many debuffs applied to them that a party wipe wouldn''t be out of the question.

    "Humm... I''m not disagreeing with you, Yuna, but have you looked at the drops? Hunting << Cursed Mantises >>... Might be worth it."

    Ran hesitantly spoke up, and Drifter narrowed his eyes at what she was holding. It was a yellowish, shiny rectangle, very similar to something he had seen before, albeit a lot smaller.

    A << Paralysis Heal Crystal >>. Drifter snorted in annoyance. He hated when video games made sense, but this was a clear case of high risk, high reward. The << Cursed Mantises >> were deadly, but they dropped crystals worth thousands of cor each on the NPC shops - and that was only if you could find one who sold it. Sighing, he started composing a message.

    [ Drifter: Come to the bamboo forest, Kirito. We''ll meet you at the entrance. There are some mobs we have to farm. ]

 Chapter 96 - Sword-smithing

    [ Argo: Crystals? Ya sure ''bout that, Dri-bou? ]

    [ Drifter: Very. I''m holding three of them right now, little rat. Two for paralysis and one normal heal. ]

    [ Argo: Shesh! I dunno if I have enough cor I hand to pay ya for that intel. ]

    [ Drifter: Just make sure that when you sell your guide, you put about twenty eye-catching arrows and warnings surrounding this information. We hunted 8 << Cursed Mantises >> to get the crystals, and now we are sitting on a 40% healing efficiency, 10% speed, and 25% attack debuff. ]

    [ Argo: Jesus, that''s no joke. Be careful. ]

    Despite it being just a written message, Drifter could feel the concern from the writer, and smiled.

    [ Drifter: Each debuff takes 1 hour to wear off, so we stepped out of the map for now and are waiting for Kirito and the others. We are being careful, so don''t worry. ]

    [ Argo: That''s great. I''ll get to writin'' the guide right away. Also, Imma give ya a cut of the cor from when I sell the info to the big guilds. Should be enough to pay ya. ]

    [ Drifter: Sure. Just don''t forget the warnings. Seriously. Those things are deadly. Even to us it''s dangerous. ]

    [ Argo: Got it, got it. See ya! ]

    Argo ended their short exchange, and Drifter closed his message tab. He was not exaggerating one bit with his warnings to her. After hunting a few more << Cursed Mantises >>, the spearman and his party realized that there was a huge pool of debuffs it would randomly curse you with when it was killed, and all of them were party-wide. Even a little bit of carelessness when dealing with the mobs could result in death.

    Raising his head, Drifter saw the other members of his party lazing around while they waited. Of course, that expression was used very loosely. While they were sitting seemingly at ease, they all had their weapons at hand.

    Ran and Yuuki were crouching next to each other, the younger twin using a knife to carve something on the ground while Ran entertained her. At least Yuuki looked amused. Merida was nearby, throwing her own two cents into the conversation every once in a while.

    Nautilus had been chosen as the one responsible for keeping watch, so he was the only one standing. As for Yuna, she had been leaning on Drifter''s side and reading his exchange with Argo over his shoulder - he had set his menu to public. Now she commented softly by his ear.

    "You and Argo are really close, hum?"

    "You jealous?"

    Drufter grinned impudently since they both knew it wasn''t true, and Yuna rolled her eyes.

    "Please, she is my little sister. And yours too. Now that I think ''bout it, the family tree of Reaver''s Requiem is pretty confusing, no?"

    Drifter paused to ponder. He was the oldest one, so he pretty much saw everyone as younger siblings. But he dated one of them. And another two were also dating. And he was pretty sure two more couples were forming. And...

    "You know what, let''s not think about it that way ever again."

    Yuna evidently had gone down the same rabbit hole as him, because she squirmed and nodded.

    "Agreed. Back to the topic at hand then. I''ve never seen Argo that close with anyone but you. Not even Kirito."

    The spearman shrugged, causing Yuna''s body to fall even more against his. He caught Nautilus snorting at their display, raised his eyebrows, gestured with his head towards Ran, and winked. He had the pleasure of seeing Nautilus turn red.

    "Stop teasing Naut and dodging the question!"

    Yuna playfully punched his chest and pouted. Drifter just stared at her for a moment.

    "As if you wouldn''t make a bet in a heartbeat about his love life."

    "Who said I didn''t? It just wasn''t with you. You cheater."

    Drifter raised one of his hands, mock-affronted.

    "Hey, I never cheated. I just left the victor undecided."

    "Humph! You only did that so you could kiss me..."

    "Oh? Who said I need a bet to smooch my girlfriend?"

    To prove his point, he gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. Yuna didn''t even feign resistance and let him plant a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. When she pouted, he smiled.

    "There''s people around. You know I''m more than willing to give you more later. As for Argo... Yeah, we are really close. There''s no special reason either. We were just using each other at first, but then we realized we were kinda similar. Just people trying to survive on their own way, you know? We bonded over that."

    Drifter was smiling as he spoke, just a gentle tug of his lips. He always felt that kind of brotherly love when he thought about Argo.

    "Hey, lovebirds! Step over here for a sec!"

    Drifter and Yuna were interrupted by Merida. They looked at each other, then he helped her up before they walked towards the spot where the three other girls were huddled together. Merida also waved Nautilus over.

    "What''s up, Merida?"

    "We were brainstorming how we could bypass those curses to hunt the mantises safely, and we think we''ve come up with something that might work."

    "Oh? Go on."

    Drifter was instantly hooked. After all, the drops from the << Cursed Mantises >> were too good to pass up, and he had even called Kirito and the others to farm them despite having to suffer the curses every time they killed a mob. It would be perfect if there was a way around it.

    "You see, every time we killed a << Cursed Mantis >>, we got a party-wide debuff. So what if we simply dissolve the party and hunt as individuals? That way, only the person who lands the last hit will get cursed, and we can rotate."

    That... Honestly, it could work. It was such a simple solution that it had never crossed Drifter''s mind. Still, he had to point out the flaws in the reasoning.

    "We don''t know if the debuffs are applied per party or for anyone who damages the mobs or even everyone nearby. But we can just test it. Great thinking, you three."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Merida and Yuuki grinned happily, and Ran showed a pleased smile. But she soon schooled her expression.

    "We shouldn''t get too excited. The Cardinal System isn''t stupid, so I think it''s very likely that it thought of that loophole. Let''s not get our hopes up too soon."

    Ran had a point, but Drifter slapped her on the shoulder and rubbed her head.

    "If it doesn''t work, we''ll go with the original plan. Either way, it is worth a try. I knew we kept you around for a reason, Ran. Though I thought that reason was because you had a funnier twin. Ouch! I''m sorry, don''t slap me! Hey, put the sword away! Ahh! Murder!"

    Ran had been smiling during the first half of Drifter''s praise, but her expression turned murderous as she realized it wasn''t praise at all, and she glared at him. Drifter was smirking until she started chasing him around with a very sharp sword - which couldn''t damage him since they had yet to dissolve the party, but it was the intention that counted. Meanwhile, the others were holding their sides and falling over themselves with laughter.

    That was how Kirito and the others found them, with Nautilus, Yuna, Yuuki, and Merida struggling to breathe, and Drifter still running in circles while being chased by Ran. It said something about their familiarity with each other that they didn''t even blink at the situation.

    "Drifter made a bad joke."

    "Yup."

    "Did he apologize?"

    "Yup."

    "Ran didn''t forgive him."

    "Nope."

    Nautilus barely managed to wheeze out answers to Kirito''s questions. Asuna blew out her cheeks while the others just started laughing.

    "Hah... Hah... Time-out, Ran! Please! Huff... The others are already here! I''m your vice-guild leader, leave me some dignity!"

    "You never had any!"

    Despite saying that, the purple-haired twin stopped running after Drifter and sheathed her sword. Looking at the spearman breathing heavily with his hands on his knees, and the other Reavers laughing their asses off, she blushed. She might have overreacted a tad. But Drifter deserved it.

    "Humph!"

    "Ouch!"

    Walking over and slapping Drifter on the back of the head, Ran hid a smile. Somehow, Drifter always knew when to make terrible jokes whenever his guildmates were feeling down. Maybe that was why it was so easy to follow him.

    Of course, that was a compliment she could never offer to Drifter. Who knew when he would ever let her live it down if she did? Ran glowered at the spearman one last time before walking over to the others, and realized someone was missing.

    "Liz didn''t come? I thought you said you were going to pass by the city to pick her up first."

    Asuna nodded, then shook her head.

    "She was going to come, but Klein popped outta nowhere and dragged her away. Apparently he found an NPC offering a quest that had a katana as a reward, but only players with the << Blacksmithing >> skill can take it."

    Drifter pinched the ridge of his nose. Klein was really... Well, if Liz was on board with it, there was no reason why not. She did say she wanted to learn new forging skills.

    "Right, we''ll meet her later then. Kirito, while we were waiting, Merida and the twins came up with a strategy we think is worth trying. It goes like this..."

    -----------------------

    While Drifter, Kirito, and the rest of the Reavers went on to fight giant insects that cursed you when they died, Liz was on a very different mission. Namely, kicking Klein and his bunch around town on a string of fetch quests.

    "Liiiizzzz! Please! We need to level up!"

    "No way! You pulled me away to get you some ruddy sword, so you''re gonna help me complete the quests! It''s only fair!"

    As if their ages had switched, Liz was scolding a whining Klein while his guildmates watched, with no small amount of amusement at the conundrum their leader had landed himself on, by no one''s fault but his own.

    After grabbing Liz earlier, saying he needed her to complete a quest, Klein led the girl to a hidden shop one of the Fuurinkazan players had found. The shop was actually a forge, and Liz spent at least half an hour browsing through all the items put on display. They were works far above her current skill level, which only gave her hope she might be able to learn new techniques here.

    The smith was a grumpy old man, as stereotypical as they came, who kicked Klein out of the shop while shouting some very creative expletives, but gave Liz a chain of quests because she knew << Blacksmithing >>. The final reward was being able to choose any one type of weapon from the NPC''s treasured collection. Klein obviously had his eyes on a katana.

    Liz was happy to help him with that. Klein was a friend, and Fuurinkazan was one of Reaver''s Requiem''s staunchest allies. Furthermore, there was no reason for the questline to be specific for blacksmiths if all players had to do was run around town and gather items. There had to be something more to it, and Liz thought it was an opportunity to learn something useful for her guild.

    We''ll, her gut feeling was right. After two hours of getting items from one NPC and delivering them to another, Liz received her first real challenge. The NPC forger who first gave her the quest dunked a bunch of rare minerals on the counter, and told her to create something with it. Her HUD also updated, telling her she had 3 attempts to forge an item that impressed the NPC. If she accomplished that, other than the katana for Klein, she would also receive an opportunity to be guided by the NPC - which, in SAO, equaled a sharp increase on her << Blacksmithing >> proficiency.

    It was also at that point that Klein tried to bail on her. Since Liz only had three tries, she was taking her sweet time to decide what to forge. She had already failed once - to create something impressive enough for the NPC, that was. The materials were still good enough that Harry One was more than happy to switch out his old greaves for the ones she had made.

    ''What now? A piece of defensive equipment? I already tried that. A weapon, then? But which one? Hammer, spear? A sword? Katanas seem appropriate, considering the theme. Humm...''

    Not a katana. Klein was the only one interested in it for now, and he would already get one, as long as she completed the quest. Another weapon then. Liz swept Fuurinkazan with her eyes. She was fairly familiar with most of them, even if not overly so. They were an odd bunch. So, something that fits them.

    "A-ha!"

    Struck by inspiration, Liz took out the second set of materials and laid them out. She grabbed one, an oddly shaped lump of purple-ish iron, and put it on her anvil. Something that looked like a petrified branch and a piece of coral joined it. Then Liz brought down her hammer without hesitation.

    She had a mental image of what she wanted to create, and, normally, that would be far from enough. She would need blueprints and whatnot unlocked. But she just felt this was going to work.

    The system gave life to her imagination. After striking her anvil for longer than she ever was when forging anything in SAO, Liz saw her creation emerge.

    It was a short sword, about 40 centimeters in length, almost a miniature katana. It was made for Klein, so Liz had forged it with a Wakizashi - a small sword used by samurais for ceremonial purposes - in mind. But it wasn''t a weapon. She handed the item to Klein without even looking at the stats, already knowing she had completed the question. She could feel it.

    "Here. Try it."

    Klein took the short sword, skeptical at first. But then he opened the item''s page, and his eyes opened wide as saucers.

    "L-Liz... This is amazing! You can make buff items?!"

    The blacksmith grinned widely. She should be tired, but she was burning with excitement, pride, and inspiration. Her urge to forge was at an all-time Hugh she hadn''t felt in years.

    The item she forged for Klein, the << Red Blossom >>, wasn''t a weapon, but an accessory. Each player could equip two, and they were normally rings, bracelets, or small trinkets which gave some extra stats. But the << Red Blossom >> was different. As long as the party leader equipped it, the entire party would receive a buff to their attack power. It was unheard of, even as a reward from the multi-stage quest like << Elf War >>, much less being the work of a player. Somewhere else, a list of names updated.

    "I only managed to forge that one ''cause the materials were amazing. This is probably stuff you can only find from the 25th floor up. But it''s fitting for Fuurinkazan, don''t you think?"

    "More than that, Liz. This is... It''s awesome!"

    "Hahahaha! I''m glad you liked it, Klein. As payment, only if you don''t mind... Could I take the last set of materials? It''s about time a certain someone in my guild traded for a new weapon."

    Klein was more than happy to oblige. And after Liz handed in the quest and received 120 points of mastery on << Blacksmithing >> - which at this stage would normally take her months of grinding - and raised her skill to over halfway to perfection, Liz raised her hammer again.

 Chapter 97 - Business Giant

    It happened that night, after the Reavers had returned from their forays in the bamboo jungle - exhausted, but happy. As taxing as dealing with the << Cursed Mantises >> was, both physically and mentally, no one could complain about the rewards. Reaver''s Requiem was now in possession of about two dozen crystals, with effects ranging from normal heals to paralysis and poison antidotes. Drifter was convinced that that was two dozen more crystals than all other players put together had.

    They hadn''t actually made much progress with mapping. The area of the bamboo forest was all fog again by now, thanks to the special effect of the zone. But they could still remember by memory what path they took, and they really did try to. But it was hard to go anywhere when you could be ambushed at any second by almost-undetectable giant insects eager to take your head off, and which, just because, also cursed you when they died.

    On a side note, Ran''s idea of dissolving the party and switching who delivered the final blow was mostly a success. Not completely, because as it turned out, if you weren''t in a party, the curse actually went to both the player who killed the mob, and to the one who dealt the most damage to it. So, the strategy wasn''t perfect, but it was good enough.

    It was to a dozen players scarfing down their meals that Liz returned. The blacksmith didn''t say much, simply dropping down on a seat between Vallerk and Kizmel and grabbing one of Asuna''s sandwiches, devouring it in a matter of seconds. She seemed as exhausted as any of her guildmates.

    "You okay, Liz? Should we beat up Klein?"

    "Hum? Oh, no, I''m fine. Just tired. But..."

    As if someone flicked a switch, Liz''s eyes suddenly lit up, and now she seemed almost giddy - why, Drifter had no idea.

    "Everyone, one minute of your attention, please!"

    She already had it. Liz stood up and walked to an unoccupied table. There, they saw her waving her hands in the air, going through her menu. Liz''s smile was blinding.

    "I''ve got presents!"

    Another click later and a bunch of equipment materialized in her arms. There was everything, from weapons to armor, and even accessories. Liz unceremoniously dumped everything on the table and spread her hands invitingly.

    The players didn''t need another invitation. They surrounded the table, picking up the items and looking at their stats. Almost all of them were better than what they were equipped with at the moment.

    "Wh- Did you make all of this, Liz?"

    "Yes sir!"

    "How?!"

    Asuna questioned the blacksmith in disbelief. Drifter himself was holding a pair of bracers he knew were made for him - their attributes matched his build perfectly, only they were at least 20% higher than the bracers he had on right now.

    "The hidden quest Klein found! We owe Fuurinkazan a meal by the way, Asuna. I already forged somethin'' for them, but they still deserve a thank you for showing me to that quest."

    Liz launched into a short retelling of what happened. When she finished, all the Reavers were gaping in shock. Liz was already SAO''s top blacksmith. Now that her proficiency in the skill broke the 500 mark, she could not touch her hammer for a month and would still be in an unshakable first place.

    "And that''s not all. After I created the << Red Blossom >> for Fuurinkazan, I still had a set of materials. So I made... This!"

    Prolonging her words on purpose to extend the moment and hype it up, Liz stared straight at a certain Reaver as she pulled out her masterpiece.

    "For you, Kirito."

    What Liz took out of her inventory was a long one-handed sword. The sharp edge gleamed silver. The cross-shaped guard resembled the fangs of a beast. The pommel was shaped like a wolf''s claws. Everything, from the hilt to the blade, was black, of course.

    "T-This..."

    "Your << Anneal Blade >> is good, Kirito, but it''s time to let it rest. I forged this one for you. I don''t think anyone can use it as well. It was a unique creation, y''know? The best blade I''ve hammered so far, no doubt."

    Kirito took the sword carefully. The hilt fit perfectly in his grip, as if it was made for him - which it was. The blade was perfectly balanced, and Kirito swung it around - it felt like an extension to his arm. He didn''t open the sword''s tab.

    "What... What''s its name?"

    Liz smiled wearily. And happily. This sword had taken longer and been harder to forge than even Klein''s << Red Blossom >>.

    "I called it << Shadow Fang >>. It''s not very original, I know, but it seemed fitting."

    "It''s perfect."

    Kirito gently touched the black sword. While he liked his << Anneal Blade >>, he was a gamer through and through. Unlike Asuna, who had been reluctant to change her << Wind Fleuret >> for a new rapier, he readily traded his old sword for the << Shadow Fang >>.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Seeing Kirito so enamored with his new sword he barely registered anything else, Liz rolled her eyes. Everyone else was also eagerly testing their new equipment. Liz''s heart was soaring with well-deserved pride.

    "By the way, Sinon, you''re next in line."

    "Uhm?"

    "I''ve been wanting to make you a new bow for a while, but I always failed. Now that my << Blacksmithing >> broke through 500 however, I feel like I can make it."

    "Really?"

    Sinon perked up. Her bow was under-leveled for the 10th floor. It had already been outdated by the time they got to the 7th. But there were no other options, so she made do with the special arrows Liz crafted. But the lack of bow drops had bothered her for a while now. She worried she would become obsolete if nothing changed. Now it did, and Liz grinned.

    "Yup! The materials weren''t suitable this time - and there''re no bow blueprints, so I''ll have to come up with somethin'' from scratch. But I can do it. Trust me."

    The archer smiled and patted Liz on the shoulder. She knew the blacksmith had been trying to craft her a bow all this while. Sinon would be a terrible ingrate if she couldn''t wait a few more days.

    ---------------------

    Kikouka Seijirou was having the worst week of his life - and he included in that the time first enlisted.

    Sword Art Online had been going well. Yes, 3.000 players were dead. But the mortality rate over the last months had fallen to a fraction of the first month of SAO. There were still people dying every week, but they were few and far in-between, so Seijirou had been optimistic. He had no doubt a lot more players were going to die. But he had begun to think it just might be possible that they would clear SAO.

    Now... Now Seijirou wasn''t so sure anymore. In the past six days since the Assault Team cleared the 9th floor, their battle broadcasted to the entire world, 34 players had died. More than all the deaths on the 9th floor. And following the trend set up on the past floors, the players still needed, in the best-case scenario, a week to find and battle the boss of the 10th floor.

    Seijirou was blamed for that. Or, at least, for the lack of results his unit had presented. He couldn''t even complain about unfairness. It had been five months, and his team was nowhere closer to rescuing the trapped SAO victims than they were on November 6th of last year. Honestly, Seijirou doubted they would ever be able to do anything. No matter from which angle he looked, Akihiko Kayaba''s masterpiece had no holes or weaknesses whatsoever.

    Toc. Toc.

    "What''s it?!"

    Irritated, Seijirou yelled for whoever was knocking on his office''s door to come in. One of his subordinates poked his head in, nervously.

    "There... There is someone to see you, sir."

    "Not right now, Itou."

    "Err... I... Really don''t think we can send that person away, sir."

    "Huh?"

    Seijirou lifted his head, only now noticing that his subordinate''s nervousness wasn''t because of his boss'' bad mood, but the identity of the visitor.

    "Who is it?"

    Seijirou straightened his back and fixed his messy clothes. Like him, all of his subordinates were members of the Japanese Defense Force - soldiers. Hearing Itou stuttering, his first thought was that the visitor was a high-ranking officer. He was wrong.

    "It''s Mister Yuuki Shouzou, sir. The CEO of RECT Inc."

    The man who walked in was high-ranking alright. Not a soldier, but he wielded no less power than a general, only in the business world. Political too, Seijirou imagined. Especially now.

    "Welcome, Mr. Yuuki. Welcome."

    He promptly stood up to greet Yuuki Shouzou, extending both hands to grab one of his. Seijirou felt cold sweat dripping down his back, but he kept a polite and neutral smile on his face. The older man was a giant who could drag him down to hell or lift him up to heaven with one sentence, but Seijirou was born and raised in the army. His backbone stopped him from fawning over a civilian, no matter what their political stature may be.

    In his mind, Seijirou was quickly going over everything he knew about Yuuki Shouzou. He was the CEO of RECT Incorporated, a gigantic company focused on developing new technologies, whose reach stretched far beyond the borders of their small island nation.

    Seijirou was very familiar with the names and faces of Yuuki Shouzou and all of RECT Inc.''s executives. He had to, since the company had just recently acquired Argus, the company which Akihiko Kayaba headed, and which developed Sword Art Online. After SAO''s fiasco, Argus'' stocks had taken a sharp dive, and the board of directors had been forced to declare bankruptcy. Under Shouzou''s leadership, RECT Inc. had bought the rights to SAO from Argus.

    Despite that being a seemingly horrible business decision, Shouzou had more money than he could spend on his lifetime, and one very good reason to keep SAO running as smoothly as possible - which would have been hard after Argus'' bankruptcy. That reason being: his daughter was a SAO victim.

    And Seijirou knew Shouzou''s daughter wasn''t just any player either. She was a member of the Assault Team, one of Reaver''s Requiem''s vice-guild leaders. Yuuki Asuna, or simply Asuna to the other players and most of the populace.

    "Mr. Kikouka. This is the first time we met, I believe. I should have come to you as soon as my company acquired the rights to Sword Art Online from Argus, but we were very busy making sure the SAO servers were running properly.

    Shouzou spoke in an imperial tone, as befitting of someone of his stature. He was polite enough, however, and Seijirou relaxed. It seemed this wasn''t the bad kind of visit.

    "Not at all, Mr. Yuuki. That''s understandable. And call me Seijirou, please. Take a seat. Can I offer you anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

    "No, thank you. This will be a quick chat. I merely wanted to greet the man who is partially responsible for my daughter''s safety. And also, to notify you that I have my best researchers looking for ways to safely disconnect the players. Your team has been working on that for longer, so please ensure they communicate with my people."

    It was an order more than it was a request, but Seijirou didn''t mind. Having the resources of a large conglomerate at his disposal would come in handy. And, if even the personnel of RECT Inc. couldn''t come up with a way to save the SAO victims, his superiors wouldn''t be able to blame him for failing to do so.

    The whole meeting was over so fast that Seijirou didn''t even have the time to exchange pleasantries. But that was alright with him. They were both very busy men. Shouzou just turned around once, at the door, to hand over a note to Seijirou.

    "If you need anything, you can call this number. It''s from the person in charge of the SAO servers."

    Of course, as the CEO of a multinational company, Yuuki Shouzou didn''t have the time to answer calls from a small fry - from his point of view - like Seijirou. The leader of the SAO task force took the piece of paper and bowed, sending away the older man.

    Taking out his phone, Seijirou typed in a string of numbers and saved the contact Yuuki Shouzou gave him. One Sugou Nobuyuki. Then Seijirou went back to work.

 Chapter 98 - Dont Know What to Title It

    Unlike Seijirou, Drifter was only vaguely aware of the increase in deaths after they reached the 10th floor. Even Argo, with her entire information network, couldn''t compare to the leader of the SAO task force, who had the resources of the Japanese government at his disposal.

    No, the info-broker, and, by proxy, Drifter, only knew of fifteen deaths. Which... Really wasn''t a lot when spread out over a week. Not to say two people - that they knew about - dying every day wasn''t worrying, but anyone in their position acquired a certain indifference towards death. It was that, or break.

    They cared a lot still, but Drifter had seen far more than fifteen players die in front of his very eyes, much less just hearing about it. And even if he dwelled on it, what would it change? The answer was nothing. The only way to change anything was to beat SAO faster.

    They were well on the way to accomplishing that. At their current pace of half a month per floor, it should take them a little over 4 years to clear Sword Art Online. It was a long time. And that prediction assumed they didn''t suffer many setbacks. But it was a target, and all the players desperately needed hope.

    Hope. That was the emotion, the yearning, that filled Drifter''s mind as he looked at the doorway in front of him. He pushed it down. There was no place for hope inside a tower, nor any emotion that might take away his concentration. The deadliest monsters on any floor were always in the labyrinth.

    They had finally found the entrance to the tower connecting the 10th floor to the one above. Contrary to what they first speculated, the bamboo forest had been a red herring. The entrance was on the eastern side of the floor, near a camp of << Dishonorable Samurais >>. Two days ago, the Assault Team had wiped out said camp and the field-boss, a humanoid monster called << Betrayed Shogun >>.

    One frontliner from an independent party had died during the battle. It was bad luck. Three players had scored critical hits in quick succession, pushing the field-boss to its berserker phase earlier than planned. The player who died had his potions on cooldown and was too close to the << Betrayed Shogun >> when it went wild.

    Bad luck. It could happen to anyone. Which was why you left hope and everything else out when you entered the labyrinth or thought boss. The colder you were, the less likely to commit a mistake. But you couldn''t control fate. She was a bitch.

    "Eyes open, people. We had undead samurais, invisible insects, spirits, wraith ninjas, and man-eating trees on this floor. An ambush is likely. Drifter, Sinon, and Ran, we are alternating << Searching >>. I want to always have someone using it. Yuna, no singing for now, but speed buff us first thing if we enter combat."

    Kirito gave his orders before they stepped into the tower. He had already sent the coordinates to Argo, but Reaver''s Requiem had been the first to discover the entrance, and would be the first to explore the labyrinth.

    They kept complete silence as they walked, instead communicating through messages when it was necessary. The detection range of mobs was determined by a number of variables, and sound was one of them. It was standard tactics to keep as quiet as possible in a tower until you knew the aggro range of the enemies inside.

    Drifter was at the front of the group as they advanced. Normally that would be Nautilus'' or Vallerk''s position, but until now, all of the mobs on this floor had two things in common: they were undead or cursed, and they were deceptively fast. Most of the battle against them was on being able to react to their first strike. Hence why Drifter, Kirito, Yuuki, and Asuna were on the edges of their formation.

    "Front."

    The spearman whispered, having spotted the first enemy right ahead, just before a bend in the path. It was a fox, but as tall as his waist, with six tails, and in an advanced state of decay. Its fur was mottled and jarred, with large patches of it missing - and also the flesh beneath it. Drifter could see half of its skull and a few ribs showing from where he was standing.

    "Just one. << Six-Tailed Blight >>."

    Drifter''s << Searching >> was picking up just one of the mobs. That meant the creature was probably strong in its own right. The fact that the half of its snout which was still covered in flesh and fur was twitching also told him that, despite being an undead, the << Six-Tailed Blight >> still had a keen sense of smell.

    "Vallerk, Liz, to the front. Nautilus, stay close to Yuna and Sinon, but be ready to switch in. Vallerk, test the waters. Drifter, Merida, close support."

    Kirito quickly assigned their roles. He didn''t need to, since they all knew it well, but saying it out loud helped solidify their confidence. Every time they met a new mob, the players couldn''t help but be on edge. There were just too many uncertainties.

    "Here it comes!"

    The Reavers were still twenty-something meters away when the << Six-Tailed Blight >> turned its head towards them, snarled, and then pounced towards Vallerk. With a single leap, the mob covered half the distance, and a second jump saw it almost on top of the tank, swiping down with viciously sharp claws.

    "Careful!"

    The monster was so agile it almost tagged Vallerk with its first attack. The player barely blocked it with a hastily raised shield. The angle had been unexpected.

    The << Six-Tailed Blight >> growled and bit Vallerk''s shield, shaking its head wildly to try and rip it off his hands. When that failed, it raised a paw again.

    Drifter''s spear, Yuuki''s sword, and Sinon''s arrow reached it at the same time. The spear drilled deep into the << Six-Tailed Blight''s >> side, the sword cut off the tip of a tail, and the arrow went right through an empty eye socket - scoring a critical hit nonetheless.

    A quick glance at his HUD showed that Vallerk had lost about 10% of his HP from the two attacks, despite having blocked them with his shield. The << Six-Tailed Blight >> was down just about the same percentage.

    "It got speed and attack, but its defense and health aren''t that great. Kizmel, switch!"

    The dark elf did that, slipping past Drifter to plant her curved blade on the neck of the << Six-Tailed Blight >>. The mob responded in kind, one of its tails suddenly gleaming and hardening like a spear. Kizmel twirled, and avoided getting stabbed in the stomach, but the attack still grazed her side.

    "Ack!"

    The groan was more instinctive than anything. After she became a player, she stopped feeling pain, a change she was still having difficulty adapting to. She wasn''t sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Pain made the mind sharper in battle.

    "Switch!"

    Drifter hadn''t gone far, and immediately traded places with her again. In the time they had been together, Kizmel had learned all the tactics her friends used, and executed the transition flawlessly, stepping to the side just enough so that Drifter could sever the offending appendage from the mob with a downward << Vertical >>.

    "Raaargghhh!"

    The creature howled, and threw itself at Drifter. He impaled it with a normal attack, but the mob ignored it and bit down on his shoulder. The added weight and surprise caused the spearman to stumble and fall, with the mob still latching on to him.

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    "Fuck off!"

    Drifter cursed. Staring at a decaying snout while the << Six-Tailed Blight >> tried to rip him to shreds wasn''t pleasant. His spear was still stuck in its guts and trapped between him and the mob, as was his left arm. So he punched it in the face.

    The blow, without even a << Martial Arts >> skill to empower it, did nothing to the mob. Merida, Ran, and Kirito hacking down on its unprotected back did, however. The << Six-Tailed Blight >> roared in pain and let go of Drifter. It jumped up and turned to lunge at the broadsword-user, and Silica gouged out its good eye with a well-placed << Rapid Bite >> - an almost instantaneous one-hit skill. Asuna finished off the mob before it had a chance to retaliate.

    "You okay, Drifter."

    "Yeah, just a little battered. Self-destructive bastard."

    The spearman accepted the hand Nautilus offered him, and got up, glaring at the dissipating shards of the << Six-Tailed Blight >>. The mob had caught him by surprise, both with its agility, and the ruthless way it tried to bite him to death while turning its back to everyone else. He looked at the top left of his vision. Half of his health had vanished during the brief struggle.

    "Here."

    Yuna took a potion out of the guild storage and handed it to him. You couldn''t be careless with your HP inside the tower.

    "Thanks, Yun''. Anything good, Kirito?"

    The black-haired swordsman was going over the drops from the mob, and shook his head.

    "Cor and some pelts, but they are of poor quality. We''ll have to hunt more of them to see what the rarer drops are. Right, your thoughts?"

    The Reavers huddled together. As always, after fighting an unknown enemy, they had to analyze how the battle went and discuss tactics and changes to their formation. Kizmel was the first to speak.

    "As all undead we have faced, this one has little regard for its well-being, and doesn''t appear to feel pain. It still retains enough consciousness, however, to recognize and be angered when it is attacked."

    The dark elf still wasn''t used to much of what players considered common knowledge, but she was basically describing the aggro pattern of the << Six-Tailed Blight >>. Several heads nodded, and Asuna took over.

    "It''s fast, but the reaction speed is what caught me by surprise the most."

    "Uhm. And it''s flexible. Three main attack methods: claws, bite, and the tails."

    "Especially the tails. Did you notice? Each of them could move independently. It didn''t happen this time, but I won''t be surprised if the blights can attack in six different directions at once while also trying to bite your head off. No wonder it''s a lone mob. You need at least one full party to take it on safely."

    Again, there were nods all around. Kirito''s analysis was spot on.

    "You think the boss is gonna be something like that?"

    Drifter shuddered. A boss who could attack from multiple angles like that was a terrifying thought. But Kirito shook his head.

    "Labyrinth mobs usually reflect the floor boss, but it''s not a rule. Besides, there should still be 2 or 3 mob types we haven''t seen yet. Considering the whole floor, I personally think it''s more likely for the boss to be a humanoid. An emperor or something like that. We already had a Shogun."

    Each floor had a different lore and followed a certain plot. The Reavers simply didn''t pay much attention to it, leaving that to the clearers. As frontliners, their task was more on the ''killing'' side of things. But, more often than not, the floor boss would be a ruler of some kind. << Illfang the Kobold Lord >>, << Asterius the Tauros King >>, and so on. Like Kirito said, it was not a rule, but it seemed probable.

    "Heads up. Someone is coming."

    Sinon, with keener senses than the rest, warned them. She was looking back the way they came, and now Drifter could also hear people talking. He frowned.

    "That was fast."

    A little over a party, 8 players in total, were making their way through the labyrinth. From how loud and unrestrained, Drifter knew straight away they were new clearers, if they even claimed that title at all. He shot a glance at his party members, and Asuna whispered quietly so only her guildmates could hear. The other players hadn''t spotted them yet.

    "Golden Apple. I''ve seen them around once or twice. I think they just joined the clearers last floor."

    "They are not ready for the tower."

    Yuna muttered, but Drifter and Kirito shook their heads. It was not their place to say anything, and they didn''t want to start a conflict with some overconfident newbies. It would not end well to try and lecture them.

    "Huh? Wait, there''s someone here already."

    "What?! Aw, man! I thought we were the first to discover this place!"

    The Golden Apple guild had finally seen them, and their chattering stopped. A few of them were looking disgruntled and put out when they found the Reavers were already here.

    Drifter looked at the one who was clearly in the lead. It was a tall woman, at least a few centimeters taller than him. She had brown hair and a freckled face, and appeared to be in her late twenties. Drifter knew she was the guild leader, despite the man with a hat standing close to her, because of how she carried herself.

    ''That''s someone with frontliner potential.''

    The woman scanned the Reavers with her eyes and an easy smile, and Drifter saw the recognition on her face. She strode forwards and put out a hand to Kirito, who hesitated for a second before shaking it. The woman feigned not noticing the short pause.

    "Hello. I''m Griselda, guild leader of this rowdy bunch. We are the Golden Apple. It''s a pleasure to finally meet Reaver''s Requiem and you, Black Swordsman Kirito."

    Kirito looked blankly at her, and Drifter raised his eyebrows. Black Swordsman? When had a title like that begun to spread? At least it was better than Beater.

    "Ah, right. This is the sub-leader of Golden Apple, Grimlock. And those are Schmitt, Caynz..."

    Griselda seemed to notice Kirito''s awkwardness, and proceeded with the introductions, as it was proper. The Reavers returned the greetings, although the Golden Apple members knew who they all were for sure. Kizmel was, understandably, the one they stared at the most, but they at least tried to be polite about it.

    While the members of the two guilds mingled, Drifter directed a glance at Sinon, and received a covert nod in return. The archer was staying back, both to keep out an eye for new mobs... And also on the Golden Apple. The Reavers had learned their lesson after Morte.

    The other players seemed amicable enough, however. The sub-leader, Grimlock, was very quiet and withdrawn, and their main tank, Schmitt, seemed to look down on some of the Reavers because of their young age, but he was keeping whatever comments he had to himself.

    Asuna caught Drifter''s eyes and gestured towards Griselda, who was laughing about something Liz said. The spearman grimaced and nodded. He didn''t want to say anything originally, since it could lead to trouble, but now it felt wrong if they didn''t warn the Golden Apple.

    "Griselda. Can I have a moment of your time?"

    The older woman turned to look at Drifter, and he didn''t miss the sharp glint in her eyes. She wasn''t dumb at all, he decided.

    "Sure!"

    The spearman felt Grimlock''s eyes on them as he and Griselda stepped aside. He ignored the gaze.

    "How can I help you, Drifter?"

    The spearman shook his head, slightly amused.

    "It''s more about how I can help you, no?"

    Griselda giggled. She had approached them with second intentions alright. She was ambitious, and wanted her guild to earn a spot amongst the Assault Team someday. To that, they had to first survive the labyrinth.

    "If I can make a couple of suggestions to your team?"

    "I will be very grateful if you would, Drifter."

    He ignored the sass and carried on.

    "Keep volume to a minimum inside the tower. Sounds travel far, and some mobs can track a player down by noise from a hundred meters and three bends in the path away. Don''t know if that''s the case on this floor yet, but it pays to be careful."

    Now the woman had a serious expression on her face, Drifter was glad to notice. She clearly didn''t know about the variation in aggro ranges, but she took his word for it.

    "Thank you. Any more tips you can give us? I will... Truly... Be grateful for it."

    "A lot of it depends on the terrain and enemies you are facing. Keep a tight formation. Labyrinth mobs can literally spawn in the middle of your group, so always be on the lookout. It''s tiring, but the only way to be safe. Ration your potions well, remember you have to make it out of the tower and back to the safe zones."

    Griselda nodded. He could see she was taking note of everything he said.

    "Anything specific for this floor? We''ve gone into other labyrinths before, but we were always over-leveled. This is the first time we are on the right level."

    "We entered just a few minutes before your Golden Apple, and only met one mob. Something called a << Six-Tailed Blight >>. Undead giant fox. It is uncannily nimble and tricky to deal with. It also hits like a truck. But what you have to really watch out for are the tails. We think each of them can act as a separate limb, and attack different targets."

    Griselda''s mouth opened in shock before she thanked him again, this time deeply grateful. She knew how much the intel Drifter just told her could cost - in cor, and possibly lives. But the spearman simply shook his head.

    "I see a frontliner in you, Griselda. I should tell you to go back to the safe zones and never leave. But anyone who got to where you are won''t back down easily. And we need every player we can get, clearer or frontliner. Be careful. Don''t die."

 Chapter 99 - The 10th Floor Boss

    Over the next several days, more and more clearers took to mapping the labyrinth. Information about the entrance to the tower was one Argo always gave away for free, no matter how much she had to pay for it.

    The Reavers themselves spent almost the entire day on the labyrinth, every day. They had just finished off a group of << Imprisoned Akago >> - a truly disgusting mob that looked disturbingly similar to a deformed baby. While the others were organizing the drops, Drifter read the messages Argo had left for him earlier today. He had only managed to skim over it before, but now he read it in depth, and frowned. Of course, Yuna noticed it.

    "Bad news, Drifter?"

    His friends went silent when they heard Yuna''s softly whispered question. Bad news for them usually meant someone they knew died. But the spearman shook his head, and they let out a collective sigh of relief.

    "The clearers in charge of investigating the lore of this floor think they are just about finished with it. I was just looking at the info about the boss Argo sent me."

    "Well? Don''t keep us guessing."

    Drifter chuckled slightly, before the frown reclaimed his face. He saw another message and typed a quick response as he answered Yuna.

    "It doesn''t look great. The boss is supposed to be some kind of samurai lord. They don''t know the name. Uses a katana, obviously. And apparently there are many mentions of an army."

    The others were also frowning now.

    "That''s it?"

    "Hence why I said it isn''t looking great. Twelve days, and that was all they could uncover. I doubt the clearers are slacking, so that''s what we have to go on... It''s not a lot."

    Asuna tapped her chin. She was thinking of what Drifter said.

    "A samurai... It probably is fast, like everything else on this floor. The mentions to an army... Humm... Summoned minions, maybe?"

    "Your guess is as good as mine. I don''t like this, everyone."

    Drifter''s gut was telling him something was wrong. He didn''t know what or why. He just felt it. But with nothing to go on, he could only push the feeling down. He still voiced his concerns, to the shrugs of others.

    "Me neither, but if that intel is what we have, we''ll make do with it."

    "We still need to find the boss room."

    "Shouldn''t take more than a day or two. We already started to come across paths other parties mapped."

    Drifter checked the durability of his spear while the others discussed. He was still in the clear, but the weapon could use a repair. That tied well with the plans of the second person who had contacted him, and he turned to the pink-haired blacksmith in their guild.

    "Liz, are you up for a short trip? Akari - from Fuumaningum - wants to meet with you. She''s close by, so I thought we might as well go now."

    "Hum? Why does she want to see me?"

    Liz was confused for a moment, trying to figure out who Drifter was talking about, before hearing ''Fuumaningum''. Yuna furrowed her brows and stared at him at the mention of the role-player''s name. Drifter caught that, and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it to calm her down.

    He had told them he killed Morte. He hadn''t wanted to, but they asked how he knew Akari when he mentioned her once, and the guilt was eating away at him, so he just told them. It hadn''t been an easy conversation. The angry yelling at his recklessness had been bad. The silence from some worse. Yuna had refused to speak or even look in his direction for two entire days. Her anger would have lasted longer if she didn''t worry about him during their daily battles. But he had gotten an earful and several days without kisses.

    Thankfully, none of his friends had been scared of him. Horrified at the notion that he had to - yes, had - kill another player, even if a murderer? Yes. But not scared or disgusted with him. And that was all he could ask for.

    "Fuumaningum is looking for new weapons that fit their style. How they managed to make the whole ninja shenanigans work as a viable combat style I''ll never understand, but they did. She''s good for her cor."

    "Well, if they are paying, I don''t see why not. Kirito?"

    Liz turned to their guild leader. They were, after all, in the midst of a labyrinth exploration. The black-haired boy thought for a second.

    "You sure it''s safe, Drifter?"

    "Hm, she set the meeting in one of the villages. Safe zone. Besides, the little rat vouched for her. And Akari did help me."

    Kirito stared at him for a second longer, then nodded.

    "Alright. We''ll meet you back at the main town by 10."

    "Roger that."

    Waving to the others, Drifter pecked Yuna on the cheek and pulled out a << Lesser Teleport Crystal >>, as did Liz. They were being extravagant and even wasteful, but it was too dangerous for just the two of them to walk their way back through the tower, and if the other Reavers were to escort them, they would waste the rest of the day. Besides, while << Lesser Teleport Crystals >> were rare and expensive, Reaver''s Requiem had more than enough cor to buy them from the hunting parties in the bamboo forest. Most gave frontliners a discount.

    After specifying where they were glowing, Drifter and Liz glowed blue for a full ten seconds - hence why << Lesser Teleport Crystals >> weren''t suited for emergency, although he had hope for variants bigger than lesser - before disappearing.

    When Drifter could see something other than blue light again, he was already on a plaza in a quaint little medieval Japanese village.

    "Ugh. Those aren''t as smooth as the main teleporters."

    Liz complained as she stumbled and grabbed onto his shoulder to restore her balance. Drifter himself swayed a little before straightening. After steadying both of them, he patted Liz on the back and gestured towards one of the exits of the plaza.

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    "C''mon, Akari''s over that way."

    "How do you know?"

    "It''s shadowy."

    The blacksmith''s outburst of laughter had more than a few players giving them odd looks. Grinning unabashedly, the spearman steered Liz towards the alley, raising his hand to greet a couple of people he knew, even if not by name.

    "Drifter. Blacksmith Lisbeth."

    "Ahh!"

    Liz jumped a good three feet in the air when someone suddenly spoke from behind her. Drifter whirled around, spear unsheathed and jabbing towards the voice. Akari''s eyes widened and she cartwheeled back, barely dodging the attack - which, admittedly, wouldn''t have done anything to her since they were in a safe zone.

    "Spearman Drifter, it''s me!"

    "Fucking hell, Akari! Don''t sneak up on us again! If you did this in the wilderness, I might kill you before realizing who it was!"

    Drifter cussed loudly and glared at Akari. And because it was Drifter, she didn''t doubt it. The ninja looked genuinely apologetic as she bowed her head. Liz was still holding her chest with one hand, as if trying to slow down her pounding heart.

    "Whatever. You said you wanted to meet and that I had to bring Liz, Akari. Here we are."

    "Yes, and I thank thee, Drifter. Blacksmith Lisbeth, it''s an honor to meet one such as you."

    Liz worked her mouth a few times, but failed to say anything in response, and Drifter''s angry facade cracked as he saw someone else utterly befuddled by the role-players.

    "Alright, stop playing around, Akari. Why do you need us?"

    "For Blacksmith Lisbeth''s skills. We recently came across a blueprint, but we do not have our own forgers, nor do we trust any to hand it over to them."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow, and Liz spoke for the first time, confused.

    "But you trust me?"

    "We trust Argo the Rat. And she trusts you."

    Well, that was something. Drifter and Liz exchanged glances, and the pink-haired girl nodded.

    "Alright. What''s the blueprint? And what are you planning?"

    Drifter felt like he was doing something illegal, standing in a dark alleyway while Akari turned her head to make sure no one was spying on them, before opening a trade window with Liz. The blacksmith''s eyes lit up and she accepted.

    "Wow! I''ve never seen something like this. Sinon''s gonna love it. Err... If you allow me to forge some for her, of course, Akari."

    "That won''t be a problem, Blacksmith Lisbeth. I only hope you can create a hundred << Meteor Steel Kunais >> for Fuumaningum free of charge. We will pay for any purchase after that number."

    "Of course! I''ll be more than happy to..."

    Drifter didn''t quite catch the rest of Liz''s sentence. He was looking at Akari and frowning. The ninja was unusually outspoken today. Not like he was familiar enough with her to know how she was normally.

    ''Whatever.''

    ----------------------

    "Ready?"

    "As much as we ever are."

    "Let''s just get this over with."

    Drifter stared at the double wooden doors with flower engravings, completely out of place in the multi-colored stone labyrinth. His spear was resting across his shoulders and over the back of his neck, his arms draped over both ends. Not exactly the posture you wanted to keep in the tower, but they were waiting for the other frontliners to arrive, and Fuurinkazan was bringing up the rear, so he felt safe to relax.

    "How are you feeling, Yun''?"

    Drifter looked at his girlfriend. Yuna was playing idly on her harp, and shrugged.

    "Same old."

    "Hungry then?"

    The songstress huffed and smacked his shoulder. Drifter just grinned impudently. He got closer to her and whispered in her ear.

    "After celebrations are over, how about we have dinner on the 5th floor? That restaurant with the blue cake? Just us."

    Yuna brightened up and smiled. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek.

    "I would like that."

    The pair was still talking quietly when Kibaou called for attention. Ten floors in, the player didn''t bother with a speech, simply counting everyone and pushing the doors open.

    The boss room was a massive courtyard with a sandy floor. On one side were rows of straw dummies and other ancient training appliances. Drifter''s gaze skipped over all of it to focus on the figure kneeling in the middle of the room, with their back turned to them.

    Drifter''s first thought was that the boss was small, just the size of a human adult. His second thought, in direct relation to the first, was ''shit!''. With a boss this size, only three or four players would be able to hit it at a time, and that was if they coordinated well.

    As the Assault Team entered the room and spread out to surround the boss, the samurai started to stir. The way it stood up with jerking and sudden movements, not unlike a puppet on strings, was unsettling.

    When it finally turned around to look at them, the players were greeted by total darkness. All that there was inside the armor was a shade, without even a face. Just nothingness. A bright red cursor flared to life above the boss'' head.

    << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >>.

    The name wasn''t nearly as unnerving as the being itself. Drifter still didn''t let his guard down.

    "Charge!"

    Bloody Kibaou! Drifter cursed in his mind when he saw the reckless ALS guild leader rush at the boss with just one word and no plan, followed by his subordinates.

    The Reavers were much more careful in their approach. Unlike the more hot-headed members of the Assault Team - and they included not just Kibaou, but Lind and Klein in that description - had not forgotten one of the few pieces of intel they had about this boss.

    Drifter''s gaze wandered. There were dozens of players between him and the boss. Sinon kept losing arrows at << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >>, and he could have forced his way to the front to fight it, but he didn''t feel the necessity yet.

    "Aaahhhhh!"

    Until he heard the first scream. His head snapped around and he saw one of the ALS players clutching at the stump of an arm. The scream was of shock rather than pain. Drifter knew the sensation well. But what caught his attention now wasn''t how the boss had chopped off a player''s limb. It was how it hadn''t.

    << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >> was ten meters away from the player, far out of range. But a silhouette, a copy of the boss, completely dark and without depth, had ambushed the man. Literally jumped out of his shadow and, Drifter spotted momentarily, it was connected to Kagachi''s own shadow. And more were appearing.

    Players screamed as an army of shadows manifested into existence right in the middle of them. Over twenty copies of << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >>, appearing in front, to the side, and behind the Assault Team.

    Forewarned by a fraction of a second, Drifter spun around and stabbed the shadow that appeared at his back straight through the face. He didn''t see a health bar, nor did the copy have any reaction to the blow, instead trying to hack him apart, but Kizmel swung at it from the side, and the shadow vanished.

    Another appeared next to Yuna, and Nautilus blocked a sword with his shield before cutting it in two with a << Serration Wave >>. He had moved to protect the most vulnerable member of their group the moment he saw the enemies.

    Silica and Yuuki had teamed up to defeat one shadow. Merida had just cut down another. Drifter also saw Agil and his friends struggling against five copies before the Legend Braves helped them. A DKB player nearby almost died when two shadows teamed up on him and stabbed him through the back. More of the frontliners were being forced to divert their attention to deal with the unending ambushes.

    And they were, in fact, infinite. For every shadow killed, another would immediately pop up into existence somewhere around the boss room. Drifter immediately realized what this battle was about.

    "Kibaou! Get a party to focus on the boss! Everyone else, close ranks around them! Keep the shadows off their backs!"

    There was a second of hesitation from the entire Assault Team, then they obeyed. Because they were not prepared for this, and any plan sounded better than no plan.

 Chapter 100 - Tutorial Ends

    "Kibaou! Get a party to focus on the boss! Everyone else, close ranks around them! Keep the shadows off their backs!"

    There was a second of hesitation from the entire Assault Team, then they obeyed. Because they were not prepared for this, and any plan sounded better than no plan.

    Drifter followed the rest of the Reavers as they closed in on the party attacking the boss. He speared one of the shadows through the chest, and decapitated another with a flick of his wrist. For now, he and his guildmates had yet to be harmed, but the Assault Team was struggling.

    All the copies died in one or two hits max, but if they managed to strike you, the damage was astounding. And terrifying. Drifter spotted more than one player in the red, and countless down to half health. The raid had barely started.

    "Behind!"

    When he heard Kirito yelling, Drifter didn''t even turn around. He knew the position of his guildmates, so he simply thrust his spear behind him without even looking, and felt it hit something. When he tore it to the side and spun, the first shadow was already dead. A second one managed to hack into his shoulder before Sinon put an arrow through its head and Ran and Kizmel diced the last one to pieces.

    From the corner of his eye, Drifter saw another copy rising, this one right behind Liz. His spear was already flying before it was even fully formed. Not with << Serpentcoil Impale >>, that would be overkill for a shadow.

    More and more copies of << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >> were rising now. Drifter dodged under a swinging katana before kicking it with a << Martial Arts: Low Blow >>, right into Asuna''s rapier. He recovered his spear and finished off the shadow.

    "How''s Kibaou doing?!"

    When he didn''t receive an answer immediately, Drifter knew something was wrong. Kizmel, Liz, Vallerk, Yuuki, and most of the others were occupied with their own enemies, but Yuna and Nautilus were staring at the center of the room with mouths agape and obvious horror. The spearman was almost afraid to look.

    Kibaou had switched with another of his guild members, most likely to heal considering his health, but he seemed to have forgotten that. The ALS leader was frozen, as were many others not in immediate combat.

    "Rockal is dead."

    Kirito breathed out the fact as if still struggling to believe it. Drifter understood. Rockal was one of Aincrad Liberation Squad''s tanks. He wasn''t in the main party, but he was a frontliner.

    "D-Did you see how?"

    "Two shadows got him from behind. Kagachi''s sword glowed. It was so fast. And they were all critical hits. Rockal didn''t even..."

    The young swordsman shook himself awake from his stunned stupor when another copy spawned near the. Kirito''s strike was instinctive, and his sword almost a blur, when it slashed through the shadow''s head. Drifter didn''t take his eyes off the boss and the players around it.

    "They are faltering. Kirito, we need to do something."

    "The DKB..."

    "They got their hands full. Everyone does. Kirito. It''s us or nobody."

    The boy started, then nodded gravely.

    "Reavers, we are relieving ALS! Drifter, Asuna, Nautilus, Vallerk, we are taking on the boss first! Kizmel, Liz, Merida, Yuuki, and Ran, second line. Hit and switch tactics. Klein, Orlando, we need Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves to cover our backs! Agil, please protect Sinon and Yuna!"

    Kirito shouted over the cacophony of noises, and those he named looked over before acknowledging his orders.

    "You got it, Kirito!"

    "Take that thing down, leave the copies to us!"

    The three guilds and Agil''s party pushed past the mass of players, cutting down any shadows they came across. It still took them three minutes to get to the center of the room. Drifter didn''t see anyone else die during that time, but it was hard to tell. Everything was a mess.

    "Kibaou! Trade with us for now!"

    It was a sign of how shaken the ALS leader was that he just nodded, barely glancing at Drifter as he whistled for his subordinates to retreat. The Reavers took their places seamlessly.

    For how short and chaotic the raid was until now, Drifter couldn''t deny that the ALS had done a good job by bringing down the boss to only 80% HP in less than 10 minutes. It was also the first time in the battle that the spearman found himself face-to-face with << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >>, and he quickly understood why the others were struggling.

    No sooner than he came in front of the boss, Drifter thrust his spear forward in a quick jab, hoping to catch it by surprise and then use a << Horizontal >> to score a few more points of damage. Instead, the one who was surprised was him, when Kagachi bent its body and parried his spear. Drifter stumbled forward and only saw the katana after he had been hit.

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    "Drifter!"

    Nautilus came to his rescue with a << Shield Bash >>, knocking aside the second sword strike from Kagachi. Drifter took the chance to switch with Ran and pop a potion. That one shallow slash had taken out a fifth of his health.

    "I''m okay, Naut. Thanks. You said it was fast, Kirito, but I didn''t think it was that much. My bad."

    Drifter switched in with Asuna, and this time his spear found purchase in the boss'' flank. It was just one blow, and then he had to retreat, lest he got his arm chopped off in a riposte. But they were hurting << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >>, however slowly.

    Too slow. Drifter heard another scream, high-pitched. Horror. His head followed the sound involuntarily, just in time to watch a blade-user from an independent party burst into shards.

    Two. Two dead already. At least. Two, when they had gone 8 floor boss raids without any deaths. Two too many.

    "Faster, Kirito! We need to be faster!"

    The swordsman had seen the same thing as him, and his expression was grim as he nodded forcefully. In a move most would consider reckless, but Drifter knew was calculated, Kirito launched a << Vertical Square >>, willingly taking a cut to the chest so the skill could hit.

    Asuna flashed from the side with a skill, leaving puncture wounds all over Kagachi''s body. Drifter felt his own strikes empowered by Yuna''s songs as he lashed out with a Snake Bite, and then a << Snake Bite >>.

    << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >> was absurdly fast and strong, but lacked defense. Each blow the boss took resulted in a visible dip of its HP. Drifter ducked under a swing, the katana still cutting a gash across his forehead, but he ignored it, stabbing up at what would be Kagachi''s chin if it had a face.

    For what seemed a lifetime, Drifter and the Reavers worked together to bring down Kagachi. They threw themselves ruthlessly at the boss, trusting in Sinon, Vallerk, and Nautilus to interrupt or intercept the boss'' skills.

    It was reckless. It was stupid. They didn''t care. For every second the fight was prolonged, more copies spawned, and more people died. Drifter counted four now.

    When the battle ended, it was as abrupt as when it started. Drifter hadn''t had time to spare to look at the boss'' health, being focused on staying alive and attacking. His spear pierced through << Kagachi the Samurai Lord''s >> head, and the floor boss shrieked. The first noise it made the whole raid, and it scared him so much he ripped his spear away and launched into another offensive, only to discover that Kagachi was already falling apart. The shadows all vanished.

    Suddenly losing his strength, Drifter flopped down. This was, by far, the most intense battle he had ever been through. Were it anyone but him, Kirito, Yuuki, and Asuna the main attackers, casualties would have been tremendous. Not many, if any at all, could keep up with the boss'' speed but the four of them.

    As it was, Drifter collapsed, panting. He was afraid to look around. Of how many he wouldn''t see. But he had to look.

    Reaver''s Requiem was alive. Not intact, but alive. Merida was kneeling, her broadsword stabbed into the floor as she held onto it for support with one hand. The other, her left hand, was gone. Vallerk was also sporting a missing limb, his right arm. But they were alive.

    The same couldn''t be said of all in the Assault Team. 96 players had joined the boss raid. Less than that were left.

    Drifter ran his eyes over the Assault Team, searching for Reaver''s Requiem''s close allies. The Legend Braves were all there. Chuchulainn and Orlando had lost limbs too, which would make for a gruesome sight and a traumatic experience if the blood wasn''t simply red particles and the limbs didn''t regrow painlessly.

    Fuurinkazan... Drifter experienced a brief moment of panic when he failed to spot their red-headed leader, but he let out the breath he was holding when he saw Klein laying on the floor behind Kunimittz.

    Agil''s party... The giant of a man was there, one of the few who was still standing. Agil looked serious, even perplexed, but so were all of them. This battle had been harder than all the floor boss fights combined. Wolv was sitting down, his head between his legs. Shigio was just staring at the ceiling. And Namate...

    Drifter stirred. He wasn''t seeing Namate. Shooting up to get a better view, he spun in place, searching for the warrior merchant who was always following Agil. He didn''t find him.

    With unsteady steps, Drifter started walking towards Agil. Suddenly, the downcast expression on his friend''s face took on a much darker meaning.

    "Agil?"

    The other man looked up and met his eyes. He wasn''t crying. Drifter didn''t know if his eyes were red from sadness or anger. Agil spat out an answer to the unspoken question.

    "Namate''s gone."

    Drifter heard the gasps from the other Reavers, Yuna''s choked sobs. He should have gone to comfort her. To comfort Agil. He didn''t. Instead, Drifter turned away and asked nobody in particular.

    "How many did we lose?"

    The question echoed in the silent courtyard. They had won, but it was a pyrrhic victory. None of them could feel happy with the results.

    "Six. We lost six."

    It was Shivata who spoke. Drifter could hear him fighting to keep his voice steady. This wasn''t the first time they had seen people die. It definitely felt like the most brutal.

    "Why? What happened? Everything was going so well!"

    Lind''s whisper carried through the room. Drifter knew the answer. He hated that he knew. Because he only realized it now, and not before, when it actually mattered. He still spoke.

    "We got arrogant. Overconfident. We got through nine floors with just one casualty, so we assumed this one would be the same. We were wrong."

    Drifter saw some visibly recoil from his words. It didn''t make them any less true.

    "Even so... Even so, it shouldn''t have been this hard."

    That was Silica. Drifter shook his head.

    "We should have seen it coming. This is the 10th floor. Kayaba would never make an easy game."

    "W-What do you mean?"

    He didn''t know who spoke this time. His mind was somewhere else. He was still staring at Agil.

    "I don''t know. But this is a tenth of the way up. A checkpoint. We should have thought of that. We didn''t. Everything before... 1st floor aside, it has been too easy. It was a tutorial. I thought Kayaba had given us the first month to adapt to SAO. But it was the first ten floors. All bets are off now. This is when it gets serious."

    No one contested him. In hindsight, it was obvious. Other than the 2.000 at the start, less than 600 people had died. Most on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Less than 10 on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors each. Kayaba had been treating them with kid gloves. No more.

    "What do we do now?"

    Drifter didn''t know who asked the question, but it echoed the thoughts of all the frontliners. And for once, it wasn''t him who answered. Agil lifted his head, his voice hoarse with steel-like determination.

    "We climb. I''m beating Aincrad even if I die."

 Chapter 101 - Eyes Everywhere

    The Assault Team weren''t the only ones horrified by the losses suffered in the 10th floor boss raid. And, while Drifter and later Agil spoke, all of SAO heard them. And realized that death, which was always around the corner for them, might actually be much closer than they thought.

    To many, the six deaths against << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >> were another indication that they had to stay away from the frontlines. Hide. Let others fight and die and save them.

    But to some, the battle only stoked their fire. Griselda vowed to push her guild harder, so maybe next time they could be there. They could make a difference. Akari decided Fuumaningum had a bigger role to play than just being shadows.

    It was those who didn''t have an option, whether to run or fight, that the results of the battle hit the hardest. Namely, several hundred million people around the world who watched the broadcast. But most of all, the families of the Assault Team.

    Drifter''s parents were in tears, and they didn''t stop flowing even after the battle was over. It was simply too much to take in all at once.

    Kana and Genji hugged each other tightly. Their son was alive. So we''re his friends. But not all of them. Maybe the man called Namate wasn''t a close friend of his. Maybe others saw him start speaking to the Assault Team and thought him callous. But Kana and Genji knew their son. They saw him. And he was hurting.

    To them, it was obvious on his every move. The way he nodded to Agil and knocked heads with Wolv and Shigio, who were still stunned. How he made the rounds around his guildmates with Kirito, talking to each of them. Never stopping, until he reached the Songstress Yuna and crouched next to her, wrapping the girl in a hug as she buried her head on his neck.

    Drifter didn''t cry. None of them did. Not one in the Assault Team she''d even a single tear. People were dead. More would die. They would still fight.

    It was twenty minutes later that the Assault Team finally started moving, sluggishly climbing the stairs that had appeared after Kagachi fell. The Reavers were herding Agil''s party with them. The Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan followed behind, the last to leave the boss room. No one particularly cared who unlocked the teleporter.

    Kana and Genji hadn''t moved from their positions on the sofa the entire time. They stared at their son hungrily, unsure of when they would see him again, and in what condition. They didn''t bother turning off the TV. The broadcast would end on its own once the last player left the room.

    "Kana. Kana!"

    Drifter''s mother was shaken awake from her grief-induced stupor by her husband. Genji was staring at the television. She knew that all there was after the broadcasts ended was a black screen, but she still looked, thinking that maybe someone still remained in the boss room.

    "Ha!"

    What Kana saw wasn''t the Japanese-style courtyard, but a list of names. Two dozen of them, in alphabetical order. Many were crossed by a black line.

    "Wh- What is this?"

    Genji didn''t answer. He let go of his wife - almost pushed her off, really - and scrambled to get the TV remote. Then, he started scrolling down the list - and it was a long one - until he found the one he was looking for.

    ----------------------

    Suguha watched the raid on her phone during lunch break. She had used an excuse to get away from her friends, and went outside when the first player died. She didn''t want her classmates to see her cry.

    She never made it back to her afternoon classes, also having found Kayaba''s latest update to the SAO broadcast feature. Suguha had found her brother''s name almost immediately, and clicked on it. Her phone went blank for a moment before showing Kirito slowly climbing the stairs to the next floor.

    "Ah!"

    Stifling a cry that was somewhere between a choking sob and laughter of relief, Suguha kept her eyes trained on her brother.

    She could watch her brother now! Any time she wanted! Suguha had never loved and hated Akihiko Kayaba more than she did at this moment.

    If only the circumstances were better. Kirito''s head was hanging down, and he was walking completely silent. All of them were. Suguha quickly switched perspectives, confirming she could watch any player she wanted. She could even zoom in or out and spin the camera to look around.

    For now, all she wanted was to see her brother''s face.

    ----------------------

    Somewhere in Kyoto, an old man was sitting on his heels while wearing an old-style tunic. Around him was a diverse and odd collection of tools. Multiple anvils, hammers, pliers, casting molds, and even three different-sized furnaces.

    One of the furnaces was still smoldering, and a lump of misshapen metal rested on one of the anvils, having long since cooled down. The old man had abandoned his work, something he had not done once in decades prior, but already happened exactly 10 times since the end of last year.

    Despite his advanced age, the hands holding the phone were steady, and his gaze focused on a girl within it with eagle-like precision. She may have dyed her hair pink, but he would never not recognize his dear granddaughter.

    ----------------------

    In a small but stylish cafe, tucked away in an alleyway, a tall foreign woman was methodically cleaning glasses with a rag while watching the screen in the corner.

    That particular beer glass she was cleaning had already been on her hands for fifteen minutes, but she had completely forgotten about it. Her eyes were focused on Agil as he took his first steps onto the 11th floor.

    "Andrew..."

    Trish - short for Trisha - didn''t know Wolv or Shigio or any of the others walking with her husband through the rocky plateau. She didn''t know Namate either. They were all people Agil - whose real name was Andrew Mills - had met inside Sword Art Online. But her heart ached for Namate and for the pain and guilt she knew her husband was feeling right now.

    ----------------------

    Yuuki Shouzou was at home, watching his daughter walk towards a village in the distance with the rest of her guild and frontliners. He had left the office and gone home as soon as the raid ended and he discovered the new feature Kayaba had added - again without RECT Inc''s engineers having a clue of when or how he did it.

    Asuna''s mother, his wife, was in her room. She didn''t show any interest in watching their daughter do something ''barbaric'' like fighting with a sword any more than it was necessary - she did watch all the floor boss raids, however.

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    Maybe it was for the better his wife wasn''t watching right now. Asuna was uncomfortably close to one of the other famous players in her guild, the black-haired boy named Kirito. Black Swordsman Kirito, as he was coming to be called by the media due to his attire and choice of weapons - always black one-handed long swords.

    It wasn''t as if they were talking hand-in-hand and whispering sweet nothings to each other - especially not after the battle they just experienced. In fact, Asuna had her rapier in hand, and if the way she twitched whenever the grass rustled was any indication, was very prepared to use it. But Shouzou had enough experience that he could tell the glances and whispers the pair exchanged meant something more than just friendliness.

    Pensive, Yuuki Shouzou watched his daughter put a hand on Kirito''s arm and say something. He could have listened in, as no doubt countless people were doing right now, but he had the sound muted. Anything of importance he would learn later.

    Maybe it was time for the CEO of RECT Inc. and new owner of Sword Art Online to pay the families of the frontliners a visit. And to the families of Reaver''s Requiem, as a concerned parent of a guild member. Kirito''s family could be the first.

    ----------------------

    The curtains were closed, and the only source of light in the room came from the computer. The two screens illuminated a skinny boy whose eyes kept jumping from one screen to the other, each showing different SAO players.

    The screen to the left showed a cyan-haired girl, who hung her bow on the back of her chair as she sat down with the rest of her guild and friends.

    The Assault Team had split up after reaching the main town of the 11th floor. Someone went to activate the portal, but most found inns and restaurants to sit down and lick their wounds. Reaver''s Requiem was no different, though their main focus was on Agil''s group, and making sure their thoughts didn''t wander in bad - worse - directions.

    "Asada, I''m glad you are okay."

    The soft whisper was filled with relief. Shirakawa Kyouji was Asada Shino''s - Sinon''s real name - closest - and only - friend. Until SAO, at least. He could see now that she had made many new friends in the death game. He doubted many of their acquaintances had recognized her - her appearance, behavior, personality, and the way she carried herself were all a world apart from how she usually was at school. He knew most of that was because of the other Reavers. A small part of Kyouji felt a pang of jealousy, but he was happy for her.

    His gaze then turned to the right screen, which showed another player, this time a man. He was alone in a dark forest grove somewhere, and his face was covered by a skull mask, showing only his red eyes.

    Yet, Kyouji was certain the player was his brother. He didn''t know what the mask or the weird tattoo on his wrist, visible when he flexed the needle-thin sword in his hand, were about, but for now, he was glad he could watch the two most important people in his life.

    -------------------------

    Amidst the hundreds of thousands of people currently watching the SAO players, there was another couple. It had taken them a while to find the one they were looking for, mainly because they didn''t know what name their daughter was using. They had spotted her a few times during floor boss raids - and didn''t that almost give them a heart attack - but she was always in the back and out of sight.

    Now they had found her, however, and the couple held each other''s hands tightly as they watched Argo burst out of the teleporter, check her menu - which was invisible even to those in the real world - and take off running.

    It took their daughter five minutes of running around like a headless chicken to find the inn the Reavers were at, despite not having been to this city, or floor, before - not that her parents knew that.

    When she did find them, Hosaka Carina Tomo - that was Argo the Rat''s real name - didn''t throw herself at Agil to comfort him or hug the Reavers, despite some of them looking like they could use one. She just walked over, pausing along the way to squeeze Wolv''s and Shigio''s arms gently.

    To Agil, Argo gave the briefest of hugs, barely a touch, and tapped him on the head. The giant man returned a tiny smile that didn''t reach his eyes.

    "We are gonna win."

    "Yes."

    ------------------------

    "God fucking dammit! Why are we being blindsided again?!"

    Kikouka Seijirou was in a conflicting mood. On one hand, he was glad they could now watch any player they wanted whenever they wanted. That way, they would have much more information about what was going on inside Sword Art Online and the well-being of the players.

    On the other hand, his team once again had no clue of what Kayaba had planned. And now he had his superiors, and worse, the media, breathing down his neck and asking for a statement.

    The office of the SAO case task force was busier than an anthill, and Seijirou knew that, while yelling at his subordinates helped him vent his frustration, it didn''t actually help in any practical way.

    "Nagouka, I want that press statement ready in thirty! It doesn''t need to be fancy, just take the heat off us! Aiko, Chi, choose whoever you want and start canvassing through the players! I want to match names with faces! Everyone else, I want 24/7 surveillance on players of interest! Kirito, Kibaou, Lind, Shivata, Asuna, Morte, Drifter, Orlando, Agil, anyone who we know about from the previous broadcasts!"

    "We are going to need more eyes, sir."

    "Send the request up the chain, they will agree."

    "Yes, sir!"

    Seeing that they had things more or less in hand, Seijirou turned his gaze to one of the walls, where two dozen screens were being set up. Many of the players shown he knew and had just mentioned. Kibaou, Lind, Kirito, Asuna, Drifter. Some showed random players in different states and locations. Most seemed to be inside cities and villages of some sort. Three of the screens were black. Seijirou pointed at them.

    "What''s up with that?"

    "The two to the right are from players we believe to be inside private zones, sir. Probably rooms in an inn. There''s a warning.

    Seijirou nodded. It was somewhat hard to read since the text was grey on a black background, but there was a message in the middle of the screens.

    [ Transmission currently unavailable. ]

    "Confirmed! I just watched a player check into a hotel room, and the screen went black with the same message."

    "Keep an eye on that player, see if the transmission comes back once they come out."

    "Got it, sir."

    "And what about the leftmost screen, Mokirawa?"

    This time, there was a brief hesitation from his subordinate. Seijirou frowned and stepped closer to the screen.

    [ Player offline. ]

    "That''s Morte, sir. His name was crossed. He''s dead."

    ------------------------

    Genji and Kana didn''t know how much time they spent watching their son. They simply sat on the sofa, transfixed even if all Drifter was doing was eat and talk with the others. They were all downcast and subdued by the losses they suffered, but Kana and Genji were smiling amidst the tears. They couldn''t help it. For the first time in months, they could see their son without it being a life-and-death battle.

    When Kirito stood up, Drifter and the others also did. The Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan had left already, after having managed to extract a promise from Agil, Wolv, and Shigio to go drinking sometime - not today.

    The big man and his friends bid good night and left for their shops on the lower floors. Drifter patted them on the shoulder one last time before letting them leave wordlessly. Agil and the others didn''t need a babysitter, just time alone to come to terms with Namate''s death.

    "Up bright and early tomorrow, people. If Drifter is right - and everything indicates that''s the case - things will get a lot tougher from here on. Progress will be slower, so we''ll need to put more hours into clearing."

    For once, nobody complained when Kirito told them to work harder. There were wordless nods, and the swordsman gently tugged Asuna''s hand as everyone went to their rooms.

    Drifter was among the last to climb the stairs to the second floor, and his parents watched as he stopped in the doorway to his room. The spearman rested his forehead against his arm and the wall.

    "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

    Kana sobbed and started crying again when she saw Drifter punch the doorframe to an [ Immortal Object ] message in mindless anger.

    Suddenly, another person came into frame, and hugged Drifter from behind. Yuna rested her head against his back, holding him tightly.

    "It''s not our fault."

    "Yun'' is right, Drif. This is all on Kayaba''s head. Namate''s death is on him."

    A third player, Nautilus, appeared. Drifter looked at his girlfriend and his closest friend. Steeling himself, he nodded.

    "Namate won''t be the last. But we''ll make sure it wasn''t in vain. Wherever he is, he is going to see us free one day."

    -----------------------

    One last thing. In his office, a man watched Kirito and Asuna walk hand-in-hand, then the girl kiss the boy on the cheek before they each went to their rooms, and threw his phone at the wall.

 Chapter 102 - Air Attack

    "Namate won''t be the last. But we''ll make sure it wasn''t in vain. Wherever he is, he is going to see us free one day."

    The only answer Drifter received was a forceful nod from Nautilus. The ash-haired player was as affected by Namate''s death as any of the others. But he had long since cried all the tears he had. They all did.

    "I''ll leave it to you."

    It was unknown who Nautilus was talking to. He gently stroked Yuna''s hair and patted Drifter on the back before leaving for his room.

    The songstress hadn''t shown any reaction to Drifter or Nautilus'' words. She still had her head burrowed on the spearman''s back and her arms wrapped around him.

    "I''m here, Yun''. Sorry. C''mon."

    Slowly, Drifter shifted and turned around so he could embrace Yuna. He ran his fingers through her smooth hair. She had been letting it grow - more like chosen the long hair option on the menu. It now reached the middle of her back.

    Very gently, Drifter guided Yuna towards her room. She was trembling, and he knew exactly why. Fear. Not for her, but for him. His feelings were much the same, only towards her. There was no curing that. All they needed was to hold each other close, make sure the other was all right.

    (A/N: Sorry to break the flow, but I want to ward off all the comments I know are coming. I''m not using Namate''s death to rush Drifter and Yuna''s relationship to a more physical and sexual point. Read and you will see.)

    Drifter sat down on the bed and cradled Yuna to his side. She still didn''t let go, so he laid down, her head now on his chest as he kept his ministrations.

    "Yuna? Yun''? I''m here. I''m not going anywhere."

    Eventually, the songstress did calm down. She raised her head to look at him, her eyes bloodshot.

    "I thought I had gotten used to it, Drifter. But I''m like this now. I can''t help it."

    She was so afraid. Drifter forced down his own fears and insecurities. They were not what Yuna needed to hear at this moment.

    "It''s not something you ever have to get used to, Yun''. I know I hope I never do. The day we can watch our companions die and feel nothing, Kayaba won."

    The songstress stares into his eyes, as if searching for a sign of reproach or disgust in Drifter''s gaze. She would never find any, not there.

    "I don''t want the nightmares. Don''t leave me, please."

    Tightening her hold on him, Yuna rested her head on his chest again, and closed her eyes. Drifter planted a soft kiss on her forehead, his fingers flicking to turn off the lights.

    "Never. Like I said, I''m not going anywhere, Yun''."

    ----------------------

    Neither Drifter nor Yuna were aware of the outside reactions to seeing them enter one room and the message [ Transmission currently unavailable ] appear. Even then, they probably would have only cared about two sets of reactions: from Drifter''s parents, and Yuna''s father. Those three were very confused, and one of them not just a little concerned when neither of the players came out even two hours later. After all, there was no way for those in the real world to know that all Drifter and Yuna did was sleep.

    But the couple didn''t know they were being watched, and those outside had no way to contact the players inside Sword Art Online. So Drifter woke up the next day cuddling Yuna, and froze.

    His hands were in safe locations, so that was one less worry - and a tiny sense of loss. Drifter also wasn''t a teenager who would panic in this situation, so after a moment of surprise, he settled down and continued holding the songstress.

    He hadn''t intended to sleep here. Boyfriend and girlfriend or not, they still hadn''t gotten to that stage of their relationship, and Drifter didn''t want to do anything to make Yuna uncomfortable. His initial intention had been to put her to sleep and leave, but then she asked him to stay... And how could he say no when she sounded so fragile?

    Good thing he stayed too. Now that he was more awake, Drifter distinctly remembered waking up twice during the night to Yuna thrashing about and mumbling. Only when he hugged her close did she settle down, with him falling asleep again soon after.

    He had seen Namate in his dreams, as he knew he would. Rockal too. And also Diavel, Morte, and everyone else he had seen die. It was always like that. The nightmares eventually faded away, but they always came back, with new additions.

    "Hhmm... Drifter?"

    While he was still musing, Yuna stirred and twisted her neck to look at him with half-lidded eyes. All frontliners slept light and woke up at dawn. Yuna still wasn''t entirely awake when she turned around to kiss him lightly and then snuggled on his chest.

    When he pulled her closer and she shook slightly, however, Drifter knew she had fully woken up and realized what she had done. And he just knew she had to be blushing madly, which was why she refused to take her head away from his chest and look at him. Just imagining her red face made him forget the nightmares and put a smile on his face.

    "Told you I''m never leaving you, Yuna."

    "Yeah..."

    They stayed in a comfortable silence after that. Neither was really keen on getting up, because once they did, it would be another day of fighting for their lives. Unfortunately, someone had to do that if they wanted to escape, and they happened to be that someone.

    "We should get up."

    "You sure?"

    "Unfortunately. As much as I enjoyed hugging you to sleep, the others should already be awake by now."

    Sighing, the songstress propped herself up. Drifter grinned at her grimace, and reached up to give her a short kiss before getting up.

    "C''mon, Yun''. New floor, new mobs, new battles, and all that."

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "I''m thrilled."

    She drawled the sarcastic response, and Drifter grinned impudently. Namate''s death was still fresh in their memory. But it was better to smile and soldier on.

    Holding hands, the two walked out of Yuna''s room. And then immediately stopped. Across the corridor, Nautilus was similarly frozen in the doorway to his room.

    Drifter felt like he had been caught red-handed doing something he shouldn''t. The three of them stood still for two entire minutes. Then, Nautilus very slowly, deliberately, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

    "Good morning to you too. Had fun?"

    "Naut!"

    Yuna shrieked, blushing madly, and whacked Nautilus in the arm multiple times. Drifter himself was a little red, but he took it in stride. The ash-haired player''s eyes were twinkling, and Drifter''s matched his.

    "It was a good night''s sleep."

    "Drifter!"

    It was the spearman''s turn to be smacked, but he just laughed and captured Yuna into a hug. She struggled a bit before sighing and resting her head on his shoulder.

    "I hate you all."

    The two men burst out laughing. Drifter held Yuna''s waist while Nautilus threw an arm over her shoulder, and they walked down the stairs to the inn''s common room while holding her in the middle of them.

    A few of the Reavers were already there. Kirito, Asuna, Ran - Yuuki and Merida were heavy sleepers. Liz and Vallerk were in a corner, the blacksmith seemingly going over a design with him, if her wide motions were anything to go by. Sinon was, as usual, sitting at the end of a table with Kirito and Asuna, eating quietly. Not alone, but also not quite in the group.

    Kizmel was the one who caught Drifter''s eyes. The dark elf was just entering the inn as they came down, and he felt curious about where she had gone so early in the morning.

    "Hey, Kiz. Everythin'' alright?"

    "Hello, Drifter. Yuna, Nautilus. And yes, everything is quite okay. I was just checking out the town."

    Kizmel greeted them with a smile and her usual politeness. Drifter let go of Yuna to grab a slice of some kind of pie on a table and bumped fists with the dark elf.

    "Anything interesting?"

    "About the town itself, no. But I went to the battlements and talked with an old guard. He gave me a monster extermination quest, and I managed to scout some of this floor''s creatures."

    "Yeah? What about them?"

    Chewing, Drifter sat down next to Yuna while Kizmel went around the table to sit across from him. She looked at their cyan-haired archer.

    "I believe we will be relying on Sinon a lot for this floor."

    Sinon looked up from her menu when she heard her name. By the way her fingers were moving, Drifter guessed she was going over her skill list.

    "Relying on me? For what?"

    Kizmel took the fruit slice Asuna handed her, and gestured to the air.

    "All the monsters on this floor have wings."

    ...

    Drifter wasn''t sure how he felt about this floorˇŻs mobs. They were cute, cuddly, and would try to murder you if given the chance. Their name was << Thorn Nimbus >>, and they looked like slightly more solid clouds, just floating about ten meters over the ground. Until they aggroed on you, at which point the cloud reversed to show hundreds of thorns, or, as Silica propositioned, quills, like those of a porcupine.

    "Dodge!"

    The << Thorn Nimbus''s >> main attack method was to become a ball of pain and dive at the players, hitting them as if they were pins and it was a bowling ball. A bowling ball covered in thorns.

    Drifter threw his body to the left, dragging Merida and Kizmel with him. The << Thorn Nimbus >> smacked the ground where they had been standing, carving a deep gorge on the dry soil. The entire plateau was scarred with such marks thanks to the hundreds of clearers fighting << Thorn Nimbus >>. They did fill up again after some time, though.

    "Now!"

    While Drifter and the other two were still recovering from the fall, the rest of the guild started their offensive on the mob. There was a period of time after they attacked during which the << Thorn Nimbus >> would be dizzy and vulnerable. Just a few seconds, but that might as well be a lifetime for elites like them.

    The entirety of Reaver''s Requiem was against that one << Thorn Nimbus >>. It didn''t last long, not with Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, Ran, Silica, and Nautilus all hitting it at once.

    That was when they discovered the second feature of the << Thorn Nimbus >> that made them not so cute and cuddly anymore. They exploded when you killed them. Quills went everywhere, flying at the speed of a bullet - Kirito and Yuuki actually managed to deflect a couple, to everyone''s amazement, but there were too many.

    "Oh crap- Get down!"

    Half of the Reavers dove down, the other didn''t even bother. It didn''t make a difference. They were all struck the same, and their HP dropped. Not by much, but enough to be an annoyance.

    "Right. Forget these mobs. We are going south. You said there''s some kind of flying serpent over there, Kizmel?"

    When they got up, all with two dozen punctures all over their bodies, the first thing Kirito did was declare they were changing targets. When the dark elf nodded, the young swordsman started leading them away from this section of the plateau. Nobody complained. Fighting the << Thorn Nimbus >> was a pain in the ass.

    "Sinon, we''ll try the same tactic again with the snakes. A << Crippling Shot >> to the wings to see if you can bring it down. Didn''t work with the << Thorn Nimbus >> since they didn''t have actual wings - or a body really - but might be effective on the other mobs."

    The archer shrugged. Her bow certainly had the potential to make things easier on this floor, but it wasn''t the end of the world if it didn''t work. Kayaba would never make an unbeatable enemy, so it was certain that every mob would, at one moment or another, get close enough for players to attack them.

    "Hold on. Agil just messaged me, he''s asking if we can meet up."

    They were a few minutes on their way towards the south side of the floor when Kirito held up a hand and stopped them. Drifter tilted his head.

    "They left before we could check up on them today. Think this has something to do with Namate?ˇ±

    "Likely. Drifter, Asuna, can you come with me? He''s asking for the guild''s leadership."

    Truly curious this time, Drifter raised an eyebrow. Specifically asking for the top three of Reaver''s Requiem made this seem like an official thing. Drifter could think of only a handful of reasons why Agil would want them. Some good, some bad. He nodded, as did Asuna.

    "Alright. Ran, Kizmel, you are in charge until we get back. Hunt safely."

    After what happened the day before and the sudden spike in difficulty, the others weren''t about to let Kirito, Drifter, and Asuna split from them and go back to the city alone. They escorted the trio, much to their amusement, to the gates before going to level.

    "Agil wants to meet in that inn east of the teleporter, the one with the big sign."

    "Any idea what this is about?"

    Instead of answering Asuna, Kirito turned to Drifter, a question in his gaze. The spearman nodded.

    "He''s either giving up or going all in. But it''s Agil we are talking about. I know what I''m betting on."

    "Yeah..."

    They stayed silent for the rest of the way. Asuna had caught Kirito''s hand with hers, and Drifter smirked at their slightly ruddy faces. He still owed Yuna a date, now that he thought about it. Their dinner plans had been completely forgotten after the raid and casualties.

    "We are here."

    He was brought out of his musings when Kirito spoke. Without waiting, the black-haired boy swung open the doors to the inn. Agil, Wolv, and Shigio were sitting at a table, waiting for them.

 Chapter 103 - Growing

    In an inn near the teleporter on the 11th floor of Aincrad, Agil, Wolv, and Shigio were sitting at a table, while Drifter, Kirito, and Asuna sat opposite them.

    It felt official, almost like a job interview, although it was unclear who was interviewing who. Agil, normally stoic and steady, always with an easy smile and booming laugh, looked both uneasy and serious. Wolv and Shigio were the same, and kept glancing at their leader.

    Drifter frowned. Then his expression eased. Now he was sure what this meeting was about. And he could also understand why it was hard for Agil to start it, considering Namate''s death had been just yesterday. But in SAO, there was no time to waste, and the big man understood that. Grief, pain, sadness, you spent a few hours on these, maximum. Then it was back to fighting.

    "Hey, guys. How are you holding up?"

    Kirito was the one who opened up the conversation, but even he winced at the bland question. Agil just shrugged.

    "We always knew being frontliners wasn''t going to be just fun and games. Namate knew it too."

    It was the kind of response someone used to seeing people die gave. Like soldiers, such as Seijirou, who was watching the meeting from the real world. Or like SAO players, which was what they were. Whatever the reason Namate joined the Assault Team, he knew the risks, and accepted them. So they just nodded.

    "We''ll strive to make sure he is the last."

    "He won''t."

    "No. But we can try."

    It was Agil''s turn to nod. The big man collected his thoughts for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and spoke.

    "You asked us to join Reaver''s Requiem once, Kirito. We should have taken you up on that then, but we didn''t. Maybe if we had... Things would have been different. I don''t know how much, or if it would be for better or worse, but they would have. Now... It''s too late. But is the offer still standing?"

    Agil wasn''t shaking. He wasn''t begging. If Kirito rejected, it wouldn''t be the end of the world. They would still be frontliners.

    There were a thousand questions Kirito and Drifter and Asuna could have asked Agil here. Why now and not before? What would they do if they agreed? And what if they didn''t? Would three men really make that much of a difference? Was it worth it?

    Kirito didn''t ask any of those questions, because he already knew the answers to all of them. The Black Swordsman looked at Asuna and Drifter, his seconds-in-command, not girlfriend and friend. They nodded, and he stood up and offered a hand. Agil gripped his forearm, and Kirito squeezed back.

    "Always, Agil."

    It was simple like that. And again, it all boiled down to the fact Drifter and the Reavers trusted Agil and his friends with their lives. There were many, and yet precious few, that the Reavers trusted that way. Each other, of course. Agil, Wolv, Shigio, and the deceased Namate. Argo.

    Even Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves weren''t quite there yet. They were close friends, no doubt, but it was not the same yet. Drifter trusted them to have his back in a raid, even with his life during a battle. But the same could be said about all the Assault Team. Even Kibaou and Lind, if push came to shove. But it was not the same.

    Agil and Wolv and Shigio... Drifter had no doubt they would always be there when he needed them. Be it in Sword Art Online or the real world, he knew he wouldn''t even need to call them. They would be there.

    So really, it was simple to accept them into Reaver''s Requiem. And it was equally easy for Agil and the others to integrate into the guild, because everything they would be willing to do for Drifter and Kirito and everyone else, they knew the Reavers would also do for them.

    "Welcome, Agil, Wolv, Shigio!"

    Asuna jumped up to hug the three men, who grinned and hugged her back. Kirito caught Wolv and Shigio''s hands and arms in the same strong grip he gave Agil. And Drifter smacked the black man on the back.

    "The others will be thrilled, Agil. And we''ll be unstoppable. Can you imagine it? Liz, SAO''s greatest blacksmith, and also SAO''s biggest scammers... I mean, merchants! If we add Argo into the fold, it won''t be long before we can swindle enough people to buy an entire floor to ourselves!"

    "Prick."

    Agil grumbled, but he was smiling now, a true grin for the first time in two days. The others laughed at Drifter''s exaggerated claims - even if they were only partially untrue.

    "First things first, we should join the others. Or we can hunt on our own, we got a full party."

    "Slightly unbalanced towards the offensive, but feasible. Shigio''s just gonna have to work overtime. What do you think, Kirito?"

    "Let me message Ran, see how they are faring."

    Shortly after, Ran messaged back saying they were doing well enough that she had already split them up into two parties, one led by her and the other by Sinon. Kizmel had declined to lead in favor of acting as a secondary tank for the archer''s party.

    "Right, let''s go then. Ran said the flying snake thingies are called << Ocantus >>. Sinon can shoot them down, which simplifies the whole process, but we got Drifter."

    The spearman started, then understood what his guild leader meant. He hefted his weapon over his shoulder with a grin.

    "You got it, Kirito. It''s a good way to practice my aim, if nothing else."

    They walked through the south gate of the city. Kirito with his one-handed long sword already out. Asuna had her fingertips gently resting on the hilt of her rapier - Drifter knew from experience how fast she could draw it. The spearman himself was holding his << Caldea Fana >> loosely by his side. The spear had been with him since the 3rd floor, and it was past the time to change it, but Liz''s enhancements made it just every bit as good as the weapons he found on the 10th floor, so he was still using it.

    Agil''s trio was even more heavily offensive-oriented than them. Of course, there was Agil''s door-sized double-axe, which had to weigh more than Kirito and Asuna together. Wolv carried a warhammer which was just slightly smaller than the axe. Shigio was the only one with a shield, a medium-sized square one, which he complemented with a mace.

    "There. Drifter, on you."

    The spearman followed Asuna''s pointed finger and saw one of the mobs lazily flying circles ahead of them. The << Ocantus >> was about four meters long, head to tail, with scales in dark hues of green and blue. The wings were covered in feathers, instead of the membrane-like limb Drifter had been expecting. It had no rear legs, but it did have two sets of curved claws near the front of its body. The creature looked like someone had taken a big snake and glued chicken wings and legs to it, magnified a few times.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "Okay, here it goes."

    Drifter didn''t need to heft his spear and find its balance - he knew it by heart. Curling three fingers around the butt of the weapon and letting it rest on his forearm, he brought his arm back, then heaved and slingshotted it forward.

    "<< Serpentcoil Impale >>!"

    The shout was for dramatic purposes. His << Caldea Fana >> glowed and flew towards the << Ocantus >> much faster than a simple throw could propel it. The spear spun, and it would have fallen short of the mob by about three meters, but Drifter felt more than saw the skill correcting its path.

    "Giiiizz!"

    The << Ocantus >> hissed loudly when Drifter''s spear flashed past it, puncturing a hole clean through its left wing. The monster struggled to maintain its flight, its other wing beating madly, but eventually fell, at about the same time Drifter recalled his weapon through the menu, and Kirito shouted at the party to attack.

    It wasn''t a fair battle. Kirito and Asuna were the first to reach the << Ocantus >>, his sword glowing red with a << Vorpal Strike >>, hers the light green of an << Oblique >>. Agil was next, an overhead slash Drifter recognized as << Earth Sunder >> almost bisecting the mob in two.

    Despite not having been in the same guild before, the Reavers and Agil''s party had fought together so many times their coordination was on point. While Kirito, Asuna, and Agil were attacking from one side, Wolv and Shigio had already moved around to encircle the << Ocantus >>, and Shigio knocked it back down with a << Tremor >> as soon as he saw the mob trying to take flight again. Wolv went for a << Double Cleave >>, just for the damage.

    Drifter wasn''t idle either. He had hung back just in case the Ocantus >> managed to break free from his party members. << Serpentcoil Impale >> put too much of a strain on him for Drifter to use it multiple times in a row, but he wouldn''t need that skill. A well-placed << Sting >> followed by a downwards << Dirty Play >> would pin the mob down and ensure it was permanently grounded.

    It didn''t even get to that. He saw the << Ocantus''s >> HP falling rapidly under the unceasing offensive, so he threw a << Snake Bite >> over Shigio''s shoulder, then swept up, decapitating the mob.

    The entire battle lasted less than two minutes. Incredibly fast, even by their standards. Drifter was under no illusions Kayaba had suddenly had a change of heart and lowered SAO''s difficulty, however. For any normal party, the flying mobs would be a highly threatening enemy. No hidden weapon and throwing pick would bring them down.

    A pity Reaver''s Requiem just so happened to have two walking loopholes. SAO''s only archer, and also the only spear-user with an actual throwing skill. Drifter had no idea why no one else had managed to unlock << Serpentcoil Impale >> - and he did try to teach others - but I was what it was. Maybe only Nezha''s chakrams would have a chance of cutting an << Ocantus >> out of the sky.

    Three, then. Three players with the abilities and equipment to facilitate the hunt of 11th floor mobs by several degrees. Clearly, Drifter''s theory that the first 10 floors were just a tutorial was still holding strong. He would even go as far as to say that the 10th floor boss battle was a checkpoint, and not just signaling the end of the tutorial. 10th floor, 10 out of 100. Round numbers. It seemed valid to think that it would be harder than most. A true checkpoint, to make sure players only climbed higher when they were strong enough, and not through sheer dumb luck.

    A true checkpoint, which required lives as the price to get through.

    "Good work, everyone. Wolv, that was great timing with the << Tremor >>. Drifter, you can come in earlier next time."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    Drifter smiled cheekily to Asuna, who rolled her eyes. She was making the rounds, patting people on the back, while Kirito went through the spoils. He didn''t find anything interesting, so they went back to hunting.

    ------------------------

    Despite the broadcast, despite the warnings circulated by the Assault Team, despite Argo printing it in bold red letters on the cover of her 11th floor guide... Despite all that, people died. And not just a few.

    The mood of the strategy meeting for the 11th floor boss raid was somber. The two dozen people in an inn''s private room all had deadly serious expressions plastered on their faces. From Kibaou and his two vice-leaders, Lind and Shivata, Klein, Orlando, Kirito, Drifter, and Asuna, down to the leaders of independent parties.

    "54 deceased players. I confirmed it on the << Monument of Life >>. I can say with surety that 41 of those were on this floor. Mostly medium to high-level players - six clearers only, in the tower. Of the other 13, eleven died by mobs, though I don''t know which or where. It''s the remaining two that worry me."

    Argo was giving the briefing, showing a list of names that did nothing but add another weight to their minds. The leading figures of the frontliners and, indeed, all of Sword Art Online, kept their silence.

    "Those two were player killings."

    "Morte."

    Kibaou spat the name in a growl which would have intimidated even a floor boss. Because if he could call Kirito a Beater and blame Diavel''s death on him, then Morte was his responsibility.

    Argo snuck a glance at Drifter. She knew they would arrive at that conclusion, but she couldn''t not include it in the briefing. The spearman took a deep breath and took a symbolic step forward.

    "No."

    Every eye turned to him, and Asuna grabbed his wrist, worried. But Drifter shook off her hand and smiled reassuringly. The truth was important in this case. Vital, even.

    "What do you mean no, Drifter?"

    "It wasn''t Morte, because he is dead. I killed him."

    He stared straight at Kibaou as he said it. Drifter saw the shock, surprise, and shame on his face, appearing in turns. The ALS leader pursed his lips, joining the others in their stunned silence.

    "When?"

    Eventually, Shivata spoke. And the question was indeed when, not why or how. They already knew the answer to the first, and the second didn''t matter.

    Drifter looked around. He saw some fear and disgust. Mostly shock. No reproach. His gaze found Shivata again.

    "Some weeks ago. He found us first. Moved and threatened us, and said he would kill us one by one. I believed him. His cursor was darker than when we had last seen him on the 5th floor."

    He let that sink in. It would be too much to say that Drifter didn''t care about what the other people in the room thought of him. But he didn''t think what he had done was wrong. It had been necessary.

    "I went after Morte, and found him. I had him on the tip of my spear. I could have arrested him. I wasn''t sure I wanted to. But he made the choice for me. Threw himself into my spear and called me a murderer."

    His last sentence brought about another long silence. Not just from the players, but also the people in the real world he didn''t know were watching. Seijirou. His family. He probably wouldn''t have admitted it if he did know. But he didn''t, so the point was moot and he had just told the world he had killed another person. If Morte could even be considered that.

    "Good. He is wrong, Drifter, but you did good. Morte wasn''t a player. He was a monster."

    Orlando. The boisterous leader of the Legend Braves spoke quietly. Gravely. But he reached out and put a hand on Drifter''s shoulder. Squeezed and nodded. Others around the room echoed his words. Not all. Lind kept quiet. But Shivata also nodded to Drifter, and Kibaou stared at him with the barest hints of gratefulness.

    "But if it wasn''t Morte, that means we have at least one other red player around."

    "Probably more. After Drifter took care of Morte, I checked the << Monument of Life >> periodically. 27 player killings in total. 26 without counting Morte. So we either have a complete psychopath who murdered 20 people, or we have more than one red player on the loose. I don''t know which one is worse."

    Argo''s words brought the meeting''s mood to a new low. But they recovered quickly, and the info-broker spoke again.

    "I have Fuumaningum looking into it. Meanwhile, we have to focus on our job. A scouting party found the boss room. Let''s get to planning."

 Chapter 104 - Scouting Party

    The players cautiously pushed open the doors to the boss room. They were made of baked clay, and looked every bit as plain and old as the rest of the floor. Slowly, very slowly, they stepped inside.

    Their gaze immediately found the formation in the opposite corner of the room. A giant rock wall, on top of which the floor boss was resting. A king on his throne.

    Almost lazily, the << Storm Griffin King >> got up and stretched, showcasing its wings. The feathers sparked with lightning, and more than one player gulped in apprehension. Electricity normally meant paralysis, which was a player''s nightmare.

    Then the boss jumped off the wall and dove straight towards them, and the 18 players scattered.

    ------------------------

    ''Dodge!''

    Drifter yelled internally. The curved beak and sharp claws sparking with lightning did not look friendly.

    As if they heard him, the players split up, jumping to the left and right. The boss'' dive was so telegraphed everyone managed to avoid it. The spin with open wings that came after, not so much. Three frontliners cried out and retreated, nursing large cuts across their chests and with 20% of their HP gone.

    Three tanks immediately advanced, smashing their shields onto the boss. The << Storm Griffin King >> shrieked loudly, swiping a few claws and snapping at the players. There were too few of them, so they were struggling to damage the boss.

    Drifter watched all rationale through his menu, from the safety of the inn he and the Reavers were staying at. The scouting party was doing a good job.

    Scout party. Liten from the ALS had been the one to come up with the idea, surprisingly. She had suggested it during the strategy meeting, which caused the battle to be postponed for two days, but for good reasons. She had every other frontliner plus Argo repeatedly smacking their heads on any solid surface they could find at the moment, and loudly calling themselves idiots.

    The proposal was simple. Really simple, actually. Since all the floor boss raids were broadcasted to the SAO players, why not use it to their advantage? They would send a small group of players to scout out the boss, while everyone else watched the broadcast and figured out the moves, skills, and attack patterns of the boss. Then they could create a strategy based on actual information, instead of the vague rumors they got from the quests on the floor.

    Another reason all the frontlines were beating themselves over - sometimes literally - was not thinking of it earlier. If they had, the 10th floor would have been different. Maybe no one would have died. Or maybe the entire scout party would have perished, surrounded by the boss'' shadows. Either way, it would have gone down differently.

    "Dodge and evade, mostly, then counterattack. What do y''all think?"

    Ran was pointing out the details of the battle and her ideas as they watched. Only the Reavers were around, each guild having preferred to watch this on their own first, before meeting for the actual raid.

    "Agreed. We need to watch out for those dives. Did you notice? When it comes down claws first, it''s followed by a grab. When the claws are back, it''s a spin."

    Drifter had noticed. He had also spotted the way the << Storm Griffin King''s >> tail feathers sparked whenever it went for a supercharge - in both senses of the word - attack. He thought it quite looked like a character from a certain anime.

    But Drifter was staying silent while the others commented. So was Kirito. The young swordsman had the << Corridor Crystal>> they got on the 9th floor clenched in his hand, the coordinates already set for the boss room.

    This was the first time a scouting party had been created and sent forth to challenge a floor boss. For that reason, they had joined three parties in an 18-man team, half of which were tanks. Safety was the priority. If anything happened and the scout party looked like they were in danger, Kirito would use the << Corridor Crystal >> and Reaver''s Requiem would jump in to rescue them.

    Thankfully, it didn''t look like that would be needed. The scouting party was doing a good job, chipping away at the boss'' HP while doing their utmost to drag out all the possible patterns and skills the creature employed.

    Of course, it would be impossible for 18 players, most of whom had low offensive power, to discover everything about the << Storm Griffin King >>. While the basic attacks stayed the same, new skills would be added once the floor boss was down to the yellow portion of its health. And when it went berserk, at the end of the battle, then everything changed.

    "80%. They are coming out."

    It took the scouting party over an hour to deplete a mere fifth of the << Storm Griffin King''s >> HP. Once they felt they wouldn''t be able to get anything more without putting themselves in danger, they retreated. As soon as the last player stepped out of the room, the boss returned to its perch and the doors closed.

    "That went well."

    "Thankfully. My heart was in my throat the entire time."

    "Everyone, compile what you saw and your ideas for tactics, then we''ll brainstorm on it before Kirito, Asuna, and I head to the strategy meeting 2.0."

    As Kirito stowed away the << Corridor Crystal >>, Drifter clapped his hands to get everybody''s attention, and told them what to do.

    Many of the SAO players were confused when they saw just three parties worth of frontliners start the broadcast, and even more befuddled when they left. Through word-of-mouth, they discovered the objective of the group, and soon there were hundreds of people forwarding suggestions to the Assault Team. Argo and her conscripts - mid-level players from ALS and DKB - were responsible for sorting through the messages for actual useful insight.

    -------------------

    The real world was little better in terms of confusion. At least several thousand people had been watching the live feeds of the players involved in the creation of the scouting party, and news had spread somewhat, but many were still caught by surprise. And like before, they were helpless to interfere, not even able to communicate with the players, only watch.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Seijirou was one such person. He was sitting in his office, elbows on the table and rubbing his temple with his fingers, like he was prone to do since Sword Art Online was launched. His inability to do anything at all to aid the poor souls trapped inside Kayaba''s death game ate him from the inside.

    Drifter''s confession two days prior also didn''t help ease his mood. No one was claiming that he be trialed for killing Morte - at least that he knew about. The voices inside the country were almost unanimous that the red player deserved it. And, as Seijirou had already told a desperate Ogawa Kana earlier, the entire case was full of extenuating circumstances. The biggest was self-defense. It could also be argued that Drifter was lying and hadn''t killed anybody. Or that he wasn''t mentally well because of his extended imprisonment in SAO. Basically, anything anyone could have used to take Morte out of death row, could also be used by Drifter and with much better results.

    All of that was hypothetical, of course. There would never be a trial for Drifter. No one would push for it, because they would lose - and also find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion. And if push came to shove, Seijirou had little doubt he could get a full pardon for Drifter.

    Drifter and the recently deceased Morte were low on his list of worries, however. Argo''s revelation that there were other red players at large had his entire team combing through 7.000 live feeds trying to find who. As of yet, they had found one, but the player was always masked, so there was no way of discovering who he or she was. All they knew was that they used a large cleaver as their weapon - which didn''t help in any way.

    As of yet, there were still several hundred unidentified SAO players. Some were because they never left their private quarters, and hence couldn''t be watched. Others because they used items that covered their faces - and that didn''t automatically mean they were bad people, many simply did for privacy or the stats.

    The main problem Seijirou faced was manpower. After the 24/7 broadcasts started, he had already been assigned 30 new subordinates, just to keep an eye on the key players. And yet, that was barely a drop in the bucket with how many victims there were to monitor. He needed three times as many people as there were players, so they could take turns watching each and every one of them. Somehow, he doubted he had the budget to hire twenty-one thousand underlings.

    Again and again and again, all Seijirou could do was pray the frontliners would survive just another battle without losses.

    ------------------------

    The very next day, the Assault Team found themselves in front of the now-familiar doors to the << Storm Griffin King''s >> room. This time they were in full force, all one hundred and fourteen of them.

    They were less than they were before. No one left, even after six people died on the 10th floor. All the frontliners were fully committed by now, and they would fight to the death, like Namate and the others had. But no one had joined them either. There were a few clearers who could, and planned to, at least when they were winning every raid easily. They got cold feet after the last floor, however, and Drifter couldn''t blame them. It was one thing to be willing to fight, and another entirely to be willing to die. Drifter knew that he wasn''t ready to die yet, willingly or not.

    "Al-Alright! We are starting, everyone! Stick to the strategy, fulfill your roles, and work together with the groups near you to avoid positioning issues! We want every party with enough room between each other to avoid the spinning attack after the dive."

    Unknowingly, Reaver''s Requiem had already grown to be one of the largest frontliner guilds in size. With Agil''s party, they were now fourteen strong. And, while there were other guilds with larger numbers, all the Reavers were on the frontlines. That made them the third largest guild in size amongst the Assault Team, and in contention for first in sheer strength.

    They didn''t care much for the rankings. At the moment, Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Asuna, Kizmel, and everyone else were far too entertained by their guild leader. Becoming such a huge power amongst the Assault Team meant they had the qualifications to take charge of boss raids just like the DKB and ALS, and it pushed Kirito directly into the spotlight, something the shy boy was deathly afraid of.

    Even so, he was doing a good job, Drifter thought. Other than the visible nervousness and the stuttering at the start, Kirito was delivering his planned speech well enough. And the more he talked, the more his confidence grew, and the steadier his voice became.

    "That''s about it. Remember what we discussed during the strategy meeting and we''ll be alright. Help each other when needed, don''t be heroes. Reaver''s Requiem is taking center, with the Dragon Knights Brigade and Aincrad Liberation Squad as support. Let''s go!"

    Kibaou and Lind''s scowling expressions showed their dislike at being called ''support''. They couldn''t complain, however, having already agreed to the plan beforehand. More so, the two kept pushing off the responsibility to the other after the disaster on the 10th floor, so they had no right to complain when Drifter cut in with a proposition for Reaver''s Requiem to take the lead - which Kirito begrudgingly agreed to.

    "What do you think?"

    With only a brief pause in his steps to allow the others to catch up to him, Kirito walked towards the doors to the boss room and put a closed fist against one of them. Drifter mimicked him, and, with a nod, they pushed the doors open, even as Kirito questioned the spearman.

    "Couldn''t have done better myself, Kirito."

    "Liar. I still think you should have been guild leader."

    "Nah, too much work. It doesn''t really matter who is the leader normally. And when the going gets rough, it''s you everyone listens to."

    They bantered as they walked slowly into the boss room. The << Storm Griffin King >> was still perched on top of the rock wall, staring down at them like they were defenseless rabbits. The Assault Team was going to show it that this prey had teeth, and they were sharp.

    "Talk later, fight now. Here it comes."

    Yuna nudged them, and pointed at the boss, who was again going through the routine of getting up and stretching. Drifter held his spear close to his body and waited for it to attack.

    "Wait! Wait... Wait... It''s a grab! Dodge and counter!"

    The value of the scouting was proved immediately, as they saw the << Storm Griffin King >> diving towards them with its claws open and stretched forward. They knew that, if the attack hit, the boss would grab a player and smash them into the ground, dealing a massive amount of damage. Thankfully, spotting the telltale positioning of the claws allowed them to not only know they had to dodge, but also prepare a counterattack.

    Drifter neatly sidestepped the griffin, and many spectators couldn''t help but wonder how he could be so calm in front of a two-ton heavy creature trying to kill him. Drifter didn''t even think about that. He simply spun and stabbed.

    His speartip searched for the weak point they had identified during the scouting session, a small spot underneath each wing where the feathers of the << Storm Griffin King >> were arrayed backward.

    It was barely five centimeters wide, a mere dot compared to the wingspan of over four meters of the boss. Drifter felt he was going to miss, and jerked his spear to the left, creating a waving motion. He hit the weakness head-on.

    "Arrckkkriik!"

    "I think you pissed it off, Drifter!"

    "You don''t say!"

    Ignoring Vallerk''s << Taunt >>, as bosses were wont to do, the << Storm Griffin King >> turned and shrieked at Drifter. The spearman answered by jabbing his spear in its open beak.

    The boss didn''t like that. Rearing on its back legs, the griffin clawed at Drifter. He dodged the first set of sharp claws, but was forced to block the second. Deep scratch marks were left on the shaft of his spear, and Drifter was treated to the second most important discovery of the scouting party: the << Storm Griffin King''s >> claws destroyed a weapon''s durability.

    "Well, this is gonna be hellish."

 Chapter 105 - Broken Spear

    It took the scouting party 75 minutes to drag the << Storm Griffin King >> down to 80% health. The Assault Team only needed a fifth of that time to accomplish the same.

    Reaver''s Requiem was in the thick of it, but that didn''t mean the other frontliners were just standing back and watching. One of the main characteristics of bosses was that many of their attacks were random, and didn''t follow the aggro system.

    Case in point, as soon as its HP dipped below 80%, the boss cleared its aggro, and flew straight towards Fuurinkazan. Klein and most of the others jumped away in time to avoid the deadly spinning move, but Issin and Harry One were just a tad too slow, and got cut.

    The damage was mind-blowing, but what was even more terrifying was the way the << Storm Griffin King >> focused on Harry One, carving three red gashes along his chest while the player was still recovering from the first blow.

    Drifter had a horrible flashback to the previous boss raid, when he watched one of the players being ganged upon by multiple shadows and dying before anyone could help.

    It didn''t happen this time. Everyone was on edge from the last floor boss raid, and as soon as they noticed Harry One was in danger, players swarmed forward to help him. Klein, being the closest, was the first to get there, hacking at the boss with his katana.

    Someone else << Shield Bashed >> the griffin, and several weapons cut it from the sides and back. The << Storm Griffin King >> shrieked and lowered its center of gravity, flexing its wings.

    "Back! It''s gonna spin again!"

    Whenever it was surrounded, the << Storm Griffin King >> resorted to a spin attack, as the players already knew. They quickly backpedaled, narrowly avoiding the sharp feathers, and the Reavers ran to regain control of the boss again.

    Jumping up, Kirito used an airborne Slant to restrict the boss'' movement before it could take flight again. Empowered by Yuna''s << Firemare >>, Ran and Yuuki''s << Sonic Leaps >> caused the griffin to stumble. It was Merida''s << Execution >> that did the trick, knocking down the boss fully.

    Drifter looked at the downed boss and grinned. He whipped out his spear in a << Horizontal Arc >>, followed by two normal attacks, all targeting the eyes of the << Storm Griffin King >>. He failed to blind it, unfortunately, but the critical hits were good damage. Drifter managed to sneak in a last << Double Tap >> just as the creature was getting up.

    What followed in the next thirty minutes was a tense and violent battle. The << Storm Griffin King >> was brutal, its wild attacks leaving any player it targeted in fear for their life. Especially when it managed to grab someone or strike them with lightning, leaving them on the brink of death.

    Still, Drifter couldn''t help but feel that the battle was a little easier than the raid against Kagachi had been. This lent credence to his theory that the round number floors were checkpoints, and hence harder. Maybe, even if they knew everything there was to know about the 10th floor boss beforehand, it still would have been impossible to avoid casualties.

    "Half health! Watch out for pattern changes! Vallerk, grab the aggro! Nautilus, Shivata, and Liten, secondaries!"

    By that, Drifter meant that the three players should be ready to intervene if Vallerk failed to hold the attention of the boss.

    "Here it comes! << Brace >>! << Counterforce >>!"

    The boss had been aiming for some random player, but Vallerk dashed and interposed himself between them. With a loud bang, the sharp beak struck Vallerk''s shield, strands of pure lightning flying off from the impact. However, contrary to everybody''s expectations, the one who stumbled back was the boss, not Vallerk. << Counterforce >> returned the power of the attack two-fold.

    The << Storm Griffin King >> cried in pain and got up to attack Vallerk again. Drifter, Asuna, Kizmel, and the other Reavers moved to support their friend. Yuna was buffing all of them with her sings, while Sinon kept losing arrows into the boss from afar. Kibaou and Lind led their guilds to target the boss'' flanks, rotating with Fuurinkazan, the Legend Braves, and other guilds.

    Overall, the Assault Team was chipping away at the << Storm Griffin King''s >> HP at a respectable pace. And with how cautious they were being, there had yet to be any player who was really in dan...

    ''No!''

    Suddenly, Drifter jerked back and crushed that line of thought. It was being complacent and arrogant that led to so many deaths on the 10th floor.

    "Drifter? What''s wrong?"

    Yuna stopped playing for a moment, and stared at him worriedly. Drifter shook his head.

    "Nothing, Yun''. Just centering myself."

    His girlfriend still looked concerned, but this was neither the place nor the time to show their affection.

    Throughout the rest of the battle, Drifter constantly reminded himself not to get sloppy. Each frontliner was extremely valuable - and he knew it was cold to think that way, but that was the reality.

    Unfortunately, no matter how careful Drifter was, there were things no one could be prepared for. The berserker phase of the boss after its HP fell below 10% wasn''t one such thing. What it did, however, was another matter entirely.

    No one saw it coming. When the boss flew down again, with its claws stretched forward, everyone thought it was going to try to grab a player and slam them into the ground, like it was doing before.

    The << Storm Griffin King >> targeted a party of DKB players, who made to retreat. But the boss was faster than before after being enraged, and it gripped a spear-user tightly, sinking its talons into their armor. Then, instead of smacking them down like everyone was expecting, the boss flew up again. The desperate player was still in its claws.

    "Sinon, shot it down!"

    "I''m trying, but it doesn''t care!"

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Indeed, there were several arrows sticking out of the boss'' wings, but it was still flying. Drifter made to use << Serpentcoil Impale >> when the << Storm Griffin King >> suddenly changed its trajectory, flying straight towards the ground. Just when it looked like it was going to crash, the boss spread its wings, and let go of the player.

    The impact of the player hitting the ground at nearly terminal velocity raised a dust cloud. When it cleared, there was nothing left in the crater but a few flickering polygons.

    "No... Not again..."

    Several players simply stopped and stared. It felt like a nightmare starting all over again. Even Kirito and Drifter faltered for a few moments. Agil didn''t.

    "Stop standing around and fight! Kill that bastard before it gets anyone else!"

    The angry roar of the man shook everyone awake from their listless stupor. Suddenly, the << Storm Griffin King >> found itself the target of a hundred-plus murderous glares.

    Drifter himself tangled with the boss when it next flew down, ready to grab another victim. He waited until the very last moment to use << Edge Vaulting >> to jump over the sweeping claw, and stabbed the griffin through the neck.

    The durability of his << Caldea Fana >> dropped to dangerously low levels when the boss snapped its beak at it. Drifter didn''t even notice. He was focused trying not to get bitten in half.

    He leaned back, dodging another attack and swiping up with his spear, catching the underside of the boss'' neck. Silica slipped underneath his arm to stab the griffin nearly on the same spot, and Liz came from his other side with a << Crushing Impact>> to the side of its head.

    "Shriiikk!"

    Badly wounded, the << Storm Griffin King >> spun, smacking all three Reavers and half a dozen other players away. Then it reared on its back legs and snatched Liten, the only one still standing, thanks to her abnormally high defense and heavy equipment.

    "No!"

    Laboriously, the boss beat its wings and went up with Liten. Drifter saw it all happen in a daze, still trying to make up from down and right from left. He had been knocked down pretty hard. He also heard the pure desperation in Shivata''s voice as his lover was carried away. It might not mean death to Liten thanks to her stats, but there was no way of knowing until it happened. And frontliners were pessimistic to the last.

    Shaking his head, Drifter jumped up. The world spun, but he bit the inside of his mouth and focused. His hand naturally slid down the shaft of his << Caldea Fana >>, and he narrowed his eyes. He had to aim where the boss would be, not where it was now.

    "Hah!"

    With a shout, he let a << Serpentcoil Impale >> fly. It looked like it was going to go over the boss'' head, but the << Storm Griffin King >> flew right into the skills path at the very last moment. The spear pierced a hole right through its chest and shattered, the last of its durability spent. The shards of the weapon were mixed with those of the boss.

    "Catch her!"

    For once, nobody was looking at the floor boss when it died. Led by Shivata, two dozen players rushed to get beneath Liten and break her fall. The sight of all of them falling like dominos when the heavily armored ALS tank crashed on them was almost comical. Drifter barked a short laugh that was half relief and half stress when he saw Liten had survived.

    Then he looked at the empty spot on his character page where his weapon should have been. A sense of loss flooded him. His << Caldea Fana >> had been a trusty companion for almost nine entire floors. He knew he had to change it soon, but it still felt bad to see it suddenly vanish in this way, even if it was for a good reason.

    "That was amazing, Drif. I was sure Liten was a goner when the boss grabbed her."

    Drifter felt a pair of arms wrapping around him, and turned around to reciprocate Yuna''s hug. The songstress pecked him on the lips, the only thing preventing her from giving him a thorough kiss being that a lot of people were around or watching the broadcast.

    "I''m glad it worked. Liz, it seems like I''m gonna have to ask you to hurry up on that new spear you promised me. My << Caldea Fana >> broke. Sorry, Kizmel."

    Drifter didn''t dwell on useless thoughts of how he could have saved the DKB player if he had used << Serpentcoil Impale >> earlier. He had done his best. It wasn''t enough, it probably never would be, not in SAO, but he had been in no position to help earlier.

    Instead, Drifter dragged Nautilus and those nearby in a group hug while apologizing to Kizmel. The dark elf simply shook her head.

    "I couldn''t think of a better end to a weapon than slaying a mighty enemy and saving a friend''s life."

    Drifter smiled. Then he saw Liten coming over, and pulled her into a hug before she could start to thank him.

    The 11th floor of Aincrad... Cleared.

    -----------------------

    The outside world was in an uproar after the successful conclusion of the 11th floor boss raid. Another life had been lost, but since it came right after the disaster on the 10th floor, it was considered a mostly positive outcome.

    Drifter''s last blow was replayed countless times around the world. It couldn''t be helped. Watching Sword Art Online was like having an action movie come to life. Even if it was inside a video game, knowing that the fighters weren''t just actors, but actual people risking life and limb, impacted many deeply.

    Yuuki Shouzou was one such person. As calm and even cold as he was, his heart leaped to his throat every time he saw his daughter fighting - which, now that he left her feed open 24/7 in his office, was every day, all day.

    At the moment, Shouzou was studying an interesting joint proposition by the public relations and marketing teams of RECT Inc. Considering they were now the owners of Sword Art Online, an idea had come to life to create official merchandise of the frontliners. Shirts, mugs, figurines, posters, pins, and hundreds of other items.

    His first reaction was to deny it immediately and fire however was involved in creating this proposition. His daughter would be one of the main characters after all. He already wanted to send his legal team after everyone selling illegal merch containing Asuna''s image

    But once Shouzou stopped and thought better, he realized it wasn''t such a bad idea. In fact, it only had positive points. The money they would earn aside - he already had truckloads of it - creating official SAO merchandise would allow him to control what was put out there. Not only that, the profits could be used to fund the maintenance of the SAO servers, which were a huge drain on RECT Inc.''s funds.

    Of course, they would need permission from the families and guardians of all the players who would be portrayed, and also to send them a portion of the profits. But Shouzou didn''t think many would refuse, especially after he added a clause saying that 50% of the earnings left after liquidating the costs would be set aside and become a fund for the families of the deceased SAO players. Another 30% would be split and sent monthly to the loved ones of the living but still trapped victims.

    Shouzou knew the board would fight him on that, but he wouldn''t budge an inch. He personally knew the pain and loss the families of SAO players were feeling. The board could accept, or they could accept. The only difference was how much resistance they would put up, and how hard he would have to knock them down.

    After signing the proposition, Shouzou started thinking about which players to include. Many were obvious. And he would use the same nicknames and titles that were already starting to spread inside Sword Art Online and outside of it. He knew it was only a matter of time before the news picked up on them. Snatching a pen, Shouzou started writing.

    Dragon Knight Lind and Kibaou the Challenger were no-brainers, as leaders of the two largest frontliner guilds. So was Argo the Rat, the brain behind the Assault Team.

    Liten the Fortress and Shivata, who had yet to be granted a title but was no less notable than any of the others. Hero Orlando and all of the Legend Braves. The katana-user Klein and his guild. Several other players from ALS, DKB, and other frontliner guilds.

    And Reaver''s Requiem, of course. Shouzou was biased, but all the Reavers deserved it. Even the NPC Kizmel - in fact, she seemed to be one of the most famous members of the guild, for her origin and appearance. Her canine partner, the wolf Locke, was already somewhat notorious, despite his sparse appearances.

    Black Swordsman Kirito, one of the greatest SAO warriors. Lightning Flash Asuna, his own daughter. The blacksmith Lisbeth and the twins Yuuki and Ran. Merida, Vallerk, and the much younger Silica. The recent addition to Reaver''s Requiem, Warrior Merchant Agil and his friends, Shigio and Wolv. Indeed, even the deceased Namate.

    Aero Huntress Sinon, the owner of Sword Art Online''s sole ranged weapon. The inseparable duo of Songstress Yuna and Indomitable Knight Nautilus. And last but not least, the one who had just been crowned with his new title: Broken Spear Drifter.

 Chapter 106 - Titles

    The day after the 11th floor raid, Drifter and the rest of Reaver''s Requiem were having their breakfast on a balcony in the main town of the 12th floor. Argo, Fuurinkazan, and the Legend Braves were also there, and the three guilds split up into smaller groups to chat while eating.

    The 12th floor was mountainous, and the city they were in, populated by humans and dwarves, was structured on various levels. They were in one of the highest, looking down at the edge of Aincrad while they ate. The sun had just risen.

    Drifter was sitting with his back to a house''s wall, with Yuna leaning on his side. Argo had her legs dangling over the edge of the floor, carelessly kicking her feet. Sinon was laying down with her arms underneath her head and eyes closed, just vibing.

    Klein and Asuna were sitting cross-legged near them, the samurai trying to convince the fencer of the merits of a katana. It was an old discussion, that never went anywhere, and they both knew it.

    "I''m telling you Asuna, you need to try it sometime! There''s nothing like slicing something with a katana!"

    "It''s too heavy for me! I prefer light and fast weapons. Even if I were to change my rapier, it would be for a dagger."

    "What?! No offense to Silica and everyone else, but swords are the best! Even if you wanted to..."

    Drifter tuned them out, and turned to the last person in their circle. Liz had several sticks of kebab in her hands and was giving them to the others - she had been on breakfast duty today. Drifter gladly took his third serving. They were delicious.

    "So, what are my options, Liz?"

    Yesterday, after they arrived on the 12th floor, the blacksmith had promised to either forge or find a replacement for his broken spear. Of course, Drifter had several backup weapons, exactly for this kind of occasion, but none were as good as his << Caldea Fana >>.

    "I''m still looking for appropriate materials. I think I''ll find them on this floor, but meanwhile you should use this."

    While speaking, Liz manipulated her menu and pulled out a long purple weapon. The wide, curved metal head immediately identified the item as a halberd, not a spear as Drifter expected. Technically, spears, halberds, polearms, and lances were all inside the << Two-Handed Spear  skill.

    That was all, however. Halberds and spears were only similar in the fact that they were both long weapons. Drifter extricated himself from Yuna to take the weapon, immediately feeling the differences. The balance was all off, heavily tipped to the head of the halberd. It weighed several times more than any spear the same size, the shaft being made entirely of a purple-ish metal. It was also completely rigid. Drifter tried to shake it as if he were using << Snake Bite >>, and failed to bend it even a little. It was only when he activated the skill for real that it worked.

    "Err... Are you sure, Liz?"

    The blacksmith shrugged.

    "I know it''s not ideal, but it''s all about the stats. I made this from << Corrupted Ore  back on the 10th floor, as training. I know you favor dexterity and speed over power, but... Well, it''s the stats really. Just take a look."

    Drifter did, and whistled. While heavily biased towards damaging power, there was really no arguing with those stats.

    "I see what you mean. This is going to cleave straight through most mobs."

    "Yup. Bear with it for a few days, please. This floor looks like it''s gonna be heaven for blacksmithing mats. Gimme a few days to find the most suitable ones, and I''ll forge you a spear that won''t lose to that halberd."

    Drifter pondered for a few seconds, then shrugged and nodded.

    "Sure. Trying to use this will be a nice change of pace. Thanks a ton, Liz."

    The pink-haired blacksmith grinned toothly. Whatever she might think about SAO''s simplified crafting system, creating and caring for the equipment of several dozen players - the Reavers, Fuurinkazan, Legend Braves, and some other frontliners who came to her from time to time - wasn''t easy. It was always nice having her efforts appreciated.

    "Well, this is gonna throw some people out for a loop."

    "What do you mean, Argo?"

    The info-broker spun to look at Drifter''s new weapon just before he put it away. Her back was now to the abyss, and he rolled his eyes before reaching over to grab his semi-adopted little sister. Argo stuck out her tongue but didn''t complain when Drifter pulled her down.

    "Well, someone became the focus of SAO since they performed that rather spectacular save yesterday, y''know? But I bet a lotta fans are gonna be disappointed when they see the mighty Broken Spear Drifter usin'' a not-a-spear."

    Drifter blinked. Next to him, Yuna sat up straight, and Asuna and Klein stopped their debate to listen. Liz tilted her head, and Sinon opened one eye and pulled herself up to a sitting position. The temporarily-not-a-spearman worked his mouth, trying to think of an answer.

    "Fans?"

    That seemed to be what caught Yuna''s interest the most, and she turned a speculative stare to her boyfriend. Drifter finally found his voice.

    "Wait, rewind, little rat. What do you mean by Broken Spear Drifter? Is that a dig at me?"

    "Don''t ask me, I didn''t come up with it. Yer fans did."

    By now, some of the others had caught wind of the conversation and were gathering around. Argo was smirking, and seemed to be enjoying their confusion immensely.

    "Broken Spear Drifter? Why do you say it like it''s written with a capital B and S, Argo?"

    Yuuki asked while plopping down on Sinon''s lap, which would have normally raised a few eyebrows, but now everyone was focused on the info-broker. Even the archer didn''t seem to notice, unconsciously wrapping one arm around the purple-haired girl''s waist.

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    "''Cause it is, Yuuki-chan. Congratulations, Dri-bou, on becomin'' one of SAO''s twelve titled players."

    "What?"

    The spearman was simply dumbfounded, and stared at Argo, who was highly amused. Her head swiveled around, her gaze pausing on certain players. Her smirk only grew.

    "Hm, like Kii-bou over there. The Black Swordsman Kirito. Ya were already famous before, now yer a celebrity, Dri-bou."

    Catching on to what Argo was saying, several of the others got curious. Ignoring Drifter still trying to come to terms with it, much to Yuna''s amusement as the Songstress poked him, Klein shouted.

    "Wait, you said twelve, right, Argo?! If Kirito and Drifter are two, who are the other ten guys with titles?!"

    "Well, yours truly, of course. Argo the Rat, at yer service. I think it was even Dri-bou who started it by callin'' me ''little rat''."

    With a flourish, Argo got up and bowed to everyone. Yuuki, Silica, Agil, Dynamm, Dale, and most of the Legend Braves clapped and whistled. Argo smiled wider and saluted them again.

    "Well, who else? Me?"

    Klein was starting to get impatient, and asked hopefully, but his expression clouded momentarily when Argo shook her head. He quickly got over it, however, his thirst for gossip being stronger. Argo gestured grandly.

    "Ya also know all of the others. From the Aincrad Liberation Squad, Kibaou the Challenger and Aincrad''s strongest shield, Liten the Fortress. On the DKB''s side, we have Dragon Knight Lind."

    Kirito, Klein, and a few others grimaced at the first name. Kibaou was already extremely entitled, they could only imagine the levels his arrogance would grow now. But not even they could deny he deserved the title. It fit him perfectly, with the way he only seemed to know how to confront everything and everyone head-on.

    Liten''s title, on the other hand, was well-received. The more jealous shield-bearers might contest it, but Nautilus, Vallerk, Shigio, and Enkidu thought it was well-deserved. There was nothing much to say about Lind''s.

    "That''s six total. What of the other six?"

    Nezha raised his hand and asked, his chakrams dangling from his arm. Ever since Argo took him in as a partner slash errand boy, he always behaved like a student in front of her.

    "Why don''t ya guess? I''ll give y''all a clue: they are all here."

    "Really?!"

    "Oh?"

    The game was on. The players all started glancing at the person next to them, as if seeing each other for the first time. The reality was, it wasn''t that hard to guess. They all knew each other too well. Merida pointed two fingers.

    "Two of them gotta be Yuna and Asuna."

    "Me?"

    "Us?"

    The two girls'' jaws dropped, as if they couldn''t believe it. Drifter, now recovered from his shock, rolled his eyes and gestured to Kirito. In sync, both boys flicked their girlfriends on the forehead for being clueless.

    "And you say I am the humble one. Or do I need to remind you of all those people wanting to hear Songstress Yuna play when we went down to the 5th floor the other day?"

    "Right on the money, Dri-bou!"

    Argo laughed, and Drifter twisted uselessly to try and escape from Yuna''s cruel fingers as she pinched his side for mocking her. Asuna, meanwhile, pointed at herself.

    "Wait, what about me? Why would I have a title?"

    Kirito rolled his eyes again, and started counting on his fingers as he spoke.

    "Let''s see. One of SAO''s top three beauties, gentle and kind to everyone, but fierce in battle. Can use a rapier like nobody else, and is consistently in the top 10 contributors during boss raids. Yeah, I also don''t know why."

    In an uncharacteristic display of public affection, Kirito leaned over and pecked Asuna''s pouting lips. Both the teens blushed bright red immediately after, especially with the catcalls from their friends, but Kirito didn''t retract his statement

    "Right again, Kii-bou. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to ya Lightnin'' Flash Asuna!"

    Asuna blushed even harder, if that was possible. To change the focus from her, she showed them another target.

    "What about Sinon, then? I''ve heard lots of people talking about her."

    Heads turned towards the silent archer. Yuuki was still sitting on her lap, and didn''t show any intentions of moving anytime soon. Ran slapped her forehead, but both her sister and the archer behaved as if there was nothing out of the ordinary there. Sinon even raised a finger to her lips in thought.

    "Me? What would it be? Something like Archer Sinon?"

    "Nothing as normal as that, Sin-chan. Ya are the Aero Huntress Sinon. Peril of the skies, despite yer feet being planted on the ground all the time."

    "Ohh, I like that, Sinon!"

    Yuuki twisted around on her seat - Sinon - and, emboldened by Kirito''s action, kissed the archer on the side of her head. This time, Sinon did flush, and tried to hide behind the other girl, muttering something.

    Everyone laughed, but didn''t poke fun at the pair at this time. They continued to guess, various names being thrown around, together with possible titles. Argo shot down all of them, however, until they arrived at Orlando.

    "Ah, his is a good one! Care to guess, Orlan-nii?"

    "Uhmm... How about the Legendary Brave Orlando? No, that''s too similar to my guild''s name. Maybe Orlando the Mighty? Orlando the Incomparably Valiant?"

    The boisterous guild leader shamelessly gave himself over-the-top and narcissistic nicknames. Drifter guessed about half of it were jokes, and the other half just Orlando being Orlando. Eventually, Argo had enough.

    "Nah, nah, stop! It''s Hero Orlando. But maybe I should try to change it to Zero Shame Orlando! I''m sure I can do it if I had Fuumaningum spread it ''round."

    The Brave paled at the threat, because he knew Argo had both the means and was vindictive enough to accomplish it. He hurriedly waved his hands.

    "No, there''s no need, Argo! There are two left, right? Let''s see, let''s see... How ''bout you, Agil?"

    "Me? I just have a huge axe and buy and sell stuff."

    Drifter had to cut in at that. He gave his tall friend a sly look.

    "I think Orlando is onto something, Agil. How about Pyramid Schemer Agil? Or just Scammer, short and straight to the point?"

    "Looks like somebody''s getting ballsy just because they are my vice-guild leader now."

    Agil sparked back, but without any bite. The exchange, and the whole conversation since Argo brought the topic up, in fact, had everyone laughing without stop. No doubt what she intended.

    "It''s slightly more impressive than that, Dri-bou, although I think yer suggestions are more accurate. Agil-nii, ya are Warrior Merchant Agil."

    The big man seemed quite pleased with his title, and shot a smug look at Drifter.

    "Right, so with Agil, that''s eleven. Who''s the last one, little rat?"

    "That would be our very own Indomitable Knight Nautilus."

    "Me?"

    Nautilus'' reaction was the same as most of the others. He turned a finger onto himself, disbelief coloring his expression. In his mind, he hadn''t done anything worthy of a title - nothing all the others here hadn''t done too, at least.

    Yuna and Drifter wouldn''t have any of that. They hugged their friend and congratulated him. Nautilus had broken through the restrictions of his FNC to protect them. Indomitable indeed.

    "Wait a minute, I almost forgot! Why does everyone get to have a cool title and I''m sick with Broken Spear? It isn''t positive at all!"

    Suddenly, Drifter stopped, just remembering what he wanted to ask right at the start of this conversation. He pointed an accusing finger, but Argo just shrugged.

    "Yer spear broke when ya killed the boss, Dri-bou. The name stuck, but there''s nothin'' negative ''bout it. Ya should''ve seen the players down in the Town of Beginnings, they talked ''bout ya like ya were Superman or somethin'' like that."

    "Ugh..."

    Drifter groaned. He already had enough on his plate without adding all of this to that mess. It was easier to just accept it.

    "Alright. Broken Spear Drifter it is."

 Chapter 107 - Halberd Arts

    The 12th floor of Aincrad was comprised of mountains upon mountains, cliff faces thousands of meters high, narrow paths, and a terrain highly difficult to traverse.

    Because of that, Reaver''s Requiem had decided to split up into smaller parties of 4 or 5 members. Drifter had offered to lead the smaller party of 4 people. With Vallerk, Merida, and Agil in his group, they had both a powerful defense and an overwhelming offense.

    Drifter himself had become more offense-oriented after equipping his halberd. Even against the heavily armored << Rock Crabs >> and << Stone Giants >> that inhabited the floor, he could still deal a hefty amount of damage. Of course, Merida and Agil were tied for first on that board, with their broadsword and axe respectively.

    At the moment, Drifter was gleefully testing his new weapon on one of the aptly named << Rock Crabs >>. The mobs were exactly what their name implied, like huge hermit crabs with one-ton boulders for shells.

    "Send it, Merida!"

    He didn''t need to yell it twice. Lifting with ease the broadsword which was bigger than her, Merida slammed into the << Rock Crab >> with a << Tornado >>. Drifter barely had to activate the << Sting >> he prepared, the mob skewering itself on his halberd.

    Now, with half of the weapon''s head piercing into the << Rock Crab''s >> body, if Drifter had his spear, he would have pulled back and stabbed again. The main damaging power of a spear was on the tip, after all. But a halberd''s true horror was the large blade at the end, almost like someone strapped an axe to a pole. So instead of pulling back, Drifter put his weight behind the weapon, and ripped down.

    If this was a spear, all he would have accomplished would be a thin cut before it either slipped free or broke. But it wasn''t a spear, and a red gash was torn across the shell of the << Rock Crab >>, starting near the highest point of it, and ending at the bottom, where the halberd was finally cut loose.

    With his weapon free, Drifter made to raise it and slash at the still-unguarded rear of the mob. That was when he discovered one of the disadvantages of the halberd. It was much heavier than a spear, and there was no way he could handle it as quickly. Mid-motion, he changed to a spin, letting the weight of the halberd carry him through it, and a stab. A little unbalanced, he missed the exposed leg of the << Rock Crab >>, only hitting it on its carapace, which didn''t deal nearly as much damage.

    "Huff!"

    Puffing, Drifter jerked back his halberd and stumbled away from the mob, which was now turning its giant pincers towards him. Each of the members was about his size, and four times as wide as him, so he wasn''t looking forward to getting squeezed by the claws.

    Thankfully, he didn''t need to experience it. Vallerk dashed in front of him, like he knew he would, and blocked the mob. Drifter stepped around him, and brought his halberd down on a << Vertical >>, right at the joint between the claw and the body of the << Rock Crab >>. The limb was cut clean off.

    "All yours, Agil, Merida."

    Deciding he had done enough, Drifter stepped back and panted. The halberd was heavier and harder to handle than he initially assumed. He stabbed the weapon into the ground and leaned on it while his three companions finished off the << Rock Crab >>.

    "You okay there, Drifter?"

    "Yep, just a little winded. I had tried lances before, but the halberd is really different. It''s gonna take a while to get used to it."

    "Think you are going to change over to it permanently?"

    The player considered the question for a few seconds, gazing at the halberd with a pondering look. Then he shrugged and shook his head.

    "I won''t say no yet, but I don''t think so. The weight and attack power have its uses, but I still like my spear better."

    The others didn''t comment on that. Everyone had their preferred choice of tools. The same << One-handed Sword >> skill was used by Kirito, Asuna, and Nautilus, all with different types of swords. Liz''s hammer skills applied to warhammers and maces. There were countless cases like theirs. Frontliners worked in teams, so for them it was better to specialize in one singular type of weapon than be a jack-of-all-trades.

    It didn''t mean Drifter wasn''t going to be keeping a halberd in his inventory from now on, or a lance and a polearm, for that matter. He would also spare some time to train with them when he could. He didn''t need to become a master of anything other than the spear, but learning to use weapons that fit his skill set would most likely come in handy, even if it was situational.

    Grabbing the halberd and lifting it, Drifter dropped the weapon across his arms when they started walking again. He had found out this was the easier and less tiring way for carrying it, while still having it easily accessible when they came across trouble.

    And come across trouble they did. Half an hour and a handful of << Rock Crabs >> later, the party heard a lot of swearing and someone calling for help. They exchanged glances, and Drifter put a finger to his lips to tell them to stay silent, before rushing over to see who was in danger, and of what kind.

    Sword Art Online was fraught with dangers, both clear and unseen, covert and overt. Just because someone was screaming for help, it didn''t mean you should offer it. You could end up in danger yourself, or even fall into a trap - from both NPCs and players alike.

    Crossing over a ridge, Drifter witnessed one of the weirdest sights yet in SAO - and he had seen a lot of strange things in this virtual world.

    Surrounded by three << Stone Giants >> - which were basically huge golems with mismatched lumps of boulders for bodies - were two players and an NPC. The three people were desperately defending against the mobs, while three other players, most likely from the same party, attacked the creatures from the outside, trying to rescue their friends.

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    Unfortunately, Drifter could see from their equipment that the players were terribly under-leveled for this floor. Their skills were also nothing to shout about - maybe on the low end of the clearer spectrum. But they weren''t clearers, because they were panicking. Probably a party aspiring to get to the frontlines, but who bit more than they could chew.

    "Drifter?"

    Merida called him. No one had rushed over to aid the party, but they were all fidgeting, their gazes shifting from the surroundings to the battle. So was Drifter''s. All caution aside, there was no way they could just watch while others died - and they would die if the Reavers didn''t interfere.

    The spearman scanned the area one last time. Plenty of boulders and crevices people like Morte could hide behind. It could be a set-up, but it didn''t feel like it. Drifter took a deep breath.

    "We''re going. Vallerk, tank the one in front. Agil, Merida, the one to the left has the lowest HP, take it out. I''ll deal with the last giant."

    "Just you?"

    "I''ll gather them and have them help me."

    The other three nodded, and Drifter shot out from behind the rock, followed closely by his party.

    "<< Rage Spike >>!"

    Time was of the essence. Without locking a target, Drifter used the charging skill to jump five meters forward. Then he immediately changed stances into a << Comet Break >>. This one did hit something, the halberd piercing right through the back of the left knee of the << Stone Giant >>, and breaking it at the joint. Even Drifter was surprised by it, despite knowing the halberd had a higher chance of cutting off limbs than a spear.

    He didn''t take even a fraction of a second to recover, however, and transitioned into a << Martial Arts: Tendon Snap >>, a whip kick that bent his leg at unnatural angles to bypass the enemy''s guard - Drifter was still unsure if the name of the skill referred to what it did to the target, or to what his own limb had to do to accomplish it.

    The skill had probably been excessive, since the mob was already falling down due to one of its legs crumbling. As it was, the kick brought it down even quicker, and with a louder sound.

    "Dagger and spear, help me tie this mob down! Mace guy and sword girl, get the hell back here! Spear and staff on control with me! Move!"

    Slashing diagonally with a normal attack, Drifter yelled at the party he was rescuing. They were just stupidly staring, stunned at his sudden appearance. Vallerk, Merida, and Agil rushing in right after him and distracting the remaining two << Stone Giants >> only shocked them more. The NPC, a dwarf, was the only one who didn''t bat an eyelid at them.

    But Drifter needed them moving, and he needed it fast. Although he was confident he could take a << Stone Giant >>, especially a half-crippled one, on his own, that wasn''t how frontliners worked, unless they were desperate.

    "A-Ah, yes! Everyone, follow him!"

    Drifter breathed a sigh of relief when the player using a staff snapped out of his astonishment and commanded the rest of his party - he must be the leader - to follow Drifter''s orders. He had been worried there would have been a misunderstanding even in this situation. Gods knew what a fuss Kibaou would have kicked up if it had been him in their position, and Drifter interfered, even if it was to save him.

    With Vallerk using all his crowd-control skills to draw the aggro of one of the << Stone Giants >>, and Agil and Merida lambasting the other with wounds, the two players initially surrounded by the mobs, a meek-looking swordswoman and a jumpy mace-user, were able to slip away from their dangerous position and drink potions to recover.

    "<< Tidal Sequence >>! Spear first, then staff."

    They hesitated, but did just that. It wasn''t perfect. The spearman simply let the system carry him through the motions of the skill. Drifter would have taken control, so he could direct where the hits would land, and where it would hurt the most. But it got the job done, and the << Stone Giant >> was sent reeling back and crashing down again, from where it had just gotten up on its singular knee.

    The staff-user was better. He actually timed the skill to when the mob was, once again, trying to get up, and sent it back down. That was the secret to surviving in SAO. Use numbers and every advantage you have to make sure the enemies couldn''t fight back.

    Drifter turned minimally to glance at the other three players. The mace-user, a guy holding a dagger with an eager expression, and the girl with a sword and shield who seemed very awkward, like she didn''t know what to do with it.

    "Switch and << Crushing Impact >> three seconds after I attack. Sword and shield girl, you take the front right after he''s done. Dagger, go wild."

    Casually slipping past the staff-user, Drifter used his own << Tidal Sequence >>, the three wide swipes carving long gashes on the unprotected back of the downed << Stone Giant >> - and felling it a third time.

    But unlike the other two, Drifter didn''t stop at that. Kicking the ground, he used << Edge Vaulting >> to pierce the mob''s neck and pin it to the ground.

    "Now! Switch!"

    "Hyah!"

    The mace guy jumped up without hesitation. The girl with the sword not so much. She seemed afraid to approach the mob, which Drifter could understand, but didn''t like. She also slashed wildly, like she had no idea how to use a blade - and no one who was on the 12th floor should be like that. He was forced to switch back in - push past her, really - to tank the << Stone Giant >>.

    Thankfully, by now the monster''s health was already pretty low, and under the combined efforts of Drifter and the party, it was soon killed.

    Merida and Agil had also finished off their own enemy, so the three of them just traded nods and moved to support Vallerk without a word. He also didn''t say anything or ask for help from the other party, so they just watched.

    It was an eye-opener for them, that''s for sure. Drifter, Agil, Vallerk, and Merida were like a well-oiled machine. They didn''t speak at all, but they were always in the right position and made the right moves, switching in and out without even looking at the other player, and it was always on point.

    It didn''t take long at all for the last << Stone Giant >> to fall. Drifter dealt the last blow, a crushing swing that smashed the mob''s head open. Then he turned to the party, who was staring at him wide-eyed - maybe they finally recognized them? - and the dwarf NPC who seemed uninterested in everything now that his life wasn''t in danger anymore.

    "Sorry ''bout barging in without asking, but it looked like you guys were in trouble."

    "A-Ah no! I mean, there''s no problem! You guys literally saved us!"

    Drifter stared at the staff-user for a few brief seconds, then nodded. It was true, after all.

    "Anyone would have done the same. Now, those are Vallerk, Merida, and Agil. And I''m..."

    "Broken Spear Drifter, we know! You are famous, all of you!"

    The spearman cringed, while Agil, Merida, and even Vallerk snickered at his plight. Drifter might have accepted the title, but he still flinched every time someone said it out loud.

    "Yeah, that. And you are?"

    Drifter regretted it the moment he spoke. He should have just left now that the party had been rescued. But his damn moral compass felt bad about leaving them without making sure they wouldn''t get into any more trouble.

    From the way the party brightened up or completely shut down - in the girl''s case - Drifter knew they were in for a lengthy talk.

 Chapter 108 - Moonlit Black Cats

    The party''s names were Keita, Sachi, Tetsuo, Sasamaru, and Ducker - staff, sword, mace, spear, and dagger respectively. They were all in a guild called Moonlit Black Cats, about 16 or 17 years old, and friends in real life. They were also mid-level players who ended up on the 12th floor by a twist of fate and some arrogance and brashness, and that was what Drifter focused on and cut off their introduction. He really didn''t need their whole life story, and he felt like he was going to get it if he let them go on.

    "Wait, stop. Repeat what you just said."

    "Uh?"

    They were on the same spot where the Moonlit Black Cats - what a mouthful - had been attacked by the << Stone Giants >>. Drifter had stabbed his halberd into the ground and was using it as a backrest. The other three Reavers were also in more-or-less relaxed states - meaning: alert to their surroundings and ready to jump into action at any moment, but chatting and snacking on some of Asuna''s sandwiches.

    The Black Cats - that''s what Drifter was going to call them - couldn''t be quite so calm. Ducker and Tetsuo seemed torn between silent admiration of their idols and begging for autographs. Sasamaru was more placid, but he was looking between his spear and Drifter''s halberd as if comparing their equipment, and unhappy with whatever conclusion he arrived at.

    Their guild leader, Keita, was another story. He was nervous, but it was the kind of anxiousness Drifter often saw in clearers and other high-level players. He was aware of their surroundings, and knew his party was in over their heads.

    The sword-and-shield girl, Sachi, was another odd one. She was distinctly uncomfortable with her weapon choice, and Drifter saw a little of himself on her. It almost made him call her over to talk, but Keita''s story was more important at the moment. Drifter raised a hand.

    "Repeat it, ''cause my hearing must have gone bad. It feels like you just said you were taking a gander around the 12th floor''s main town and stumbled upon a multistage quest. Not unlike << Elf War >>, from what you are saying. That''s already pretty unbelievable. And then you and your guild, who are still leveling on the 8th floor, mind you, had the insanely stupid - no offense - idea of going through with it. Here. On the 12th floor. That about sums it up?"

    Keita and his friends flinched. When Drifter put it like that, it really did sound like a very idiotic thing to do.

    "W-Well... Yes? We got very excited and... I''m sorry."

    The staff-user bowed his head, and the rest of the Black Cats followed suit. Drifter sighed in exasperation and put a hand on his forehead.

    "You don''t got to apologize to me. Or anyone really. It''s not like I have any right to scold another guild unrelated to Reaver''s Requiem. I''m still going to, because what you did was unbelievably stupid and almost got you all killed. You would have all been goners if we didn''t happen to be nearby. Quests are important, especially ones that span multiple floors like the one you got, but they are not worth dying for. Remember that. If you want to make it far, or even just survive, be smart. Everything means nothing if you die."

    The Black Cats kept their silence. Drifter could see that at least a few of them were mulling his words over, and he hoped he got through to them. Drifter was no saint, but he didn''t want more people dying because they didn''t have anyone to tell them to stop and think. He turned to the other three in his party.

    "Guys?"

    Vallerk grimaced but nodded. Agil also signaled his assent. Merida smirked and punched him on the shoulder.

    "We are too nice for our own good."

    Drifter scoffed.

    "Truer words have never been spoken. Alright."

    Getting up and pulling out his halberd, Drifter stored it away on his back.

    "Keita, right? Here''s how things stand: the information from the multi-floor questline campaign is invaluable to the Assault Team, but Reaver''s Requiem and the other frontliner guilds don''t have the time to follow it. I know from personal experience how lengthy those campaigns are. Whether the Moonlit Black Cats choose to complete the questline or sell the intel of how to start it to someone else, it''s not really our problem."

    He paused to see if the staff-user was following him. Keita seemed like a smart guy, and Drifter could see the gears turning in his head. After their close shave with death, the guild leader certainly knew where their abilities stood. Drifter pressed on.

    "That being said, my morals and the nagging Yuna will give me won''t allow me to leave you guys like that, so we are gonna escort you to wherever you have to take the dwarf, and then to a safe zone. After that, however, you''ll be on your own to decide what to do."

    "Hm, sorry if Drif comes across as brusque, Black Cats, but our efforts need to be focused on clearing the floor. We''ll give you some pointers while we are together, though."

    The spearman glared at Merida, but the blue-haired girl stuck out her tongue at him. Drifter rolled his eyes.

    "Why not? But let''s get moving soon. I don''t want those Stone Giants to spawn again and catch us by surprise."

    "A-Alright!"

    Overjoyed by the possibility of some one-on-one instructions from SAO legends like Broken Spear Drifter and Merchant Warrior Agil, the Black Cats were quick to jump to their feet. Keita was pretty sure players from a guild like Reaver''s Requiem weren''t going to fall so low as to try and steal their progress on the questline campaign, so he happily shared their current objective: to get the dwarf NPC alive to a mining town in the center of the floor.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Despite how he had been acting, Drifter was very considerate of the Moonlit Black Cats guild members along the way. He gave pointers to Keita and Sasamaru, both of whom entered under spear skills like him. He also allowed the Black Cats to take the final hits on many of the mobs they came across, hence raising their experience by quite a bit. The party knew it was extremely rare to have a group of elite frontliners willing to power-level them like that, so they enjoyed it to the fullest.

    But it was on Sachi that Drifter focused - not for any reason that would make Yuna jealous. He had observed her for some time now, and it was easy to notice that she didn''t know how to use a sword and shield. Even for mid-level players like them that was strange, as she should have, by all rights, been playing with those weapons for a while now.

    Hence, Drifter concluded she had changed equipment for some reason. And, after a few whispered words with Keita, he understood why. Sachi had changed for her party. Simply put, the Black Cats were lacking someone who could take the front and block mobs, and ended up deciding that Sachi should fill that role.

    Normally, that was when Drifter would stop asking questions. Party composition was up to the party leader, and it wasn''t any of his business. But, again, Sachi reminded him of himself, so he asked anyway.

    "What weapon did she use before?"

    "The same as Sasamaru. A long spear."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow. So that was why he felt such a familiar sensation when he looked at Sachi. She was using the wrong weapon, much like he had on SAO''s first day. So... Did that make him the Meowlen in this situation?

    "Sachi, here. Let me see what you can do with this."

    "M-Me?!"

    The girl fumbled and almost let the backup spear Drifter threw to her fall. She timidly looked at Keita, as if confirming she could obey Drifter. After all, it had been a party decision for her to change her weapon. But the staff-user just waved his hand.

    "Go on, Sachi. We all know you don''t like to fight close quarters. We didn''t have an option before because... Well, none of us are really good, are we? But if Broken Spear Drifter thinks you have potential with a spear..."

    Potential? It was still early to say that, but Drifter withheld his words for now. Maybe Sachi really did have potential. Or maybe she didn''t. Either way, he needed to see her use a spear before coming to any conclusions.

    "What spear skills do you have?"

    "Ah, << Vertical >>, << Horizontal >> and variations, << Sting >>, << Rage Spike >>, << Double Tap >>, and << Snake Bite >>. Just those."

    Drifter nodded. Those were the normal skills anyone with a relatively low level of mastery of the << Two-Handed Spear >> and << One-handed Spear >> skills would have.

    "Copy me."

    Raising his halberd, Drifter performed a simple slash. Sachi mimicked him. Then he did two stabs in a row. So did she. Pierce, cut, swipe. He went through all the basic motions with Sachi just a beat behind him.

    Then he started doing the hard stuff. A sequence of attacks at the empty air, a flurry of motions getting faster and faster, even with the heavier halberd.

    At first, Sachi still managed to follow him, but after one or two minutes she started to fall behind. After four, she was so lost she simply lowered her weapon and watched. Drifter was performing 3 attacks in the time it took her to make one.

    He went on for another three minutes, in a deadly dance to no music. Spins and stabs and slashes and torsions and even elbows and kicks. Never a skill, just pure technique.

    That was what Drifter hoped to impart to Sachi in the short time that they had. The proficiency in her skills could be raised through time and effort, but she would only really go far if she had the basics down.

    When he stopped, panting slightly, Sachi wasn''t the only one staring at him, though her eyes were the widest of all. In the end, while Drifter hadn''t used skills, he made moves that looked just like it. They were beyond her comprehension.

    "T-That was... Incredible. How did you do that?"

    "Practice. And a lotta risking my life."

    Drifter said so matter-of-factly. This was the truth all frontliners knew, and there was no sugar-coating it unless you were trying to harm some clueless player. Training and sparring only took you so far. Unless you were willing to put your life on the line, you would hit a wall and stop there.

    "Skills come with time and effort, Sachi. But you can''t rely on the system for everything. Frontliners forge their own path. Follow."

    Spotting a << Rock Crab >> ahead of them, Drifter raced to meet the monster in combat. Sachi hesitated, scared of the huge creature, but went after him in the end. Drifter instructed her as he dodged a pincer.

    "Never stop moving. With small and nimble enemies, you need to be quicker than them. With big and slow ones, you just need to be faster than their attacks. Pay attention to details. You can almost always tell where an attack is coming from and what type it is by watching the subtle signs. A twitch, the flexing of an arm or tail. Doesn''t mean you are always able to dodge it, but you will be better prepared even if you are hit."

    Putting his words to practice, Drifter''s eyes narrowed and he saw the slight shift of the << Rock Crab''s >> legs. By the time the huge claw came smashing down on him, Drifter had already moved out of its path and retaliated.

    "The spear is a long weapon. That''s your biggest advantage. Attack the enemy from where they can''t reach you. Be precise. Despite the length of a spear, the tip is incredibly small. The faintest of touches can change the trajectory and point of impact. Don''t just stab wildly. Use your waist, torso, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers. Even your fingertips. Integrate everything and your prowess will be multiplied."

    It was hard, and Drifter knew that. There was a reason he was SAO''s best spearman. His control over his weapon was unmatched, and, frankly, astounding to all those in the real world who had even the slightest experience with a spear. Several experts had tried to reproduce Drifter''s actions, only to end up chalking it up to the Cardinal System''s aid.

    Sachi wasn''t too bad, however. She was shy and timid and scared easily, but once she concentrated, Drifter saw visible improvement. He very much doubted she would ever make it to frontliner level, not because of skill, but personality. She wasn''t fit for the Assault Team. But maybe becoming a clearer wasn''t impossible.

    Drifter always pushed for more clearers. As long as you were smart and knew your limits, it wasn''t nearly as dangerous as being a frontliner.

    There were many who would likely disagree with him, especially the fallen clearers. But Drifter would still advocate for more players to raise their levels and join the clearers on the top floors. Every soul in Aincrad needed to contribute if they wanted to escape.

 Chapter 109 - 12th, 13th, 14th

    Another month and a half passed since the Assault Team reached the 12th floor, and Drifter had all but forgotten his encounter with the Moonlit Black Cats. Like many others, they were simply passerbies in his life.

    If he had asked, Argo could have told him that the small guild had taken his advice very seriously and trained egregiously during this time. Now they were almost on and at the level of clearers. They had also been providing the info-broker with some very important tidbits of intel from the << Heart of Stone >> campaign that spanned from the 12th to, at the very least, 15th floors. And Argo had, in turn, double-checked the information and relayed it to the Assault Team when it was pertinent.

    It had been a huge help. Accurate information, diligent preparation, scouting raids, and careful fighting had allowed the Assault Team to get through the 12th, 13th, and 14th floors with no casualties.

    It was on the boss chamber of the 14th floor that Drifter was now, surrounded by his friends and the rest of the Assault Team. His breathing was labored, but he was relieved. The floor hadn''t been an easy one, a swamp-themed mess with ogres and all kinds of odd monsters about, with a centaur boss just as the icing on the cake. But they had pulled through with no losses.

    As usual, the players rested in the boss room itself after the raid was over. That meant the broadcast to the other SAO players was still live, but they were used to being watched by now. And while some of them disliked it, others were performers at heart.

    The melodic tune of Yuna''s harp and her otherworldly voice - at least in Drifter''s opinion - created one of the most unreal yet beautiful sights of Sword Art Online. And the smile on the Songstress'' eyes as she put on a show in the middle of a boss room, for the thousands of SAO players, made Drifter''s heart do funny things in his chest.

    All the frontliners had stopped to listen to her. Kibaou and Lind were distributing rations to their guild members to congratulate them on a job well done, and the ALS and DKB sat down while eating and chatting quietly. Despite the rivalry between the two guilds, some of their members were mingling, led by Shivata and Liten, who were not-so-subtly holding hands.

    Orlando and the Legend Braves were somewhere around, talking with other frontliners. Fuurinkazan had simply laid down and closed their eyes to rest to the sound of the music. Reaver''s Requiem was likewise enjoying the show, quietly chatting in pairs and trios or, like Drifter, just staring at Yuna.

    The girl was unafraid in front of an audience of thousands - that she knew about. Indeed, Songstress Yuna was an appropriate name, even if simple.

    This was a concert that would be remembered forever, not only because of the audience''s size - the whole world - but because of the absurd circumstances it came to be.

    If Yuna had it her way, she would play after every successful boss raid. It was nerve-wracking, but she was loving every second of it. Especially the way Drifter looked at her. She wanted to end her song right now and go to him, but that wouldn''t be fair to the audience. So she sang.

    When her performance was finished, Yuna was rewarded with scattered claps. She didn''t mind, as she hadn''t done it for the applause. Her eyes were on Drifter the entire time.

    The spearman had gotten up as soon as she stopped playing, and was waiting with open arms. He wrapped his hands around her waist when she got close and kissed her.

    "Beautiful, Yun''."

    "Me or the song?"

    "Both."

    The answer earned him another peck on the lips, and he grinned. Then he rolled his eyes when Sinon pretended to gag, and kicked the archer. As if their cyan-haired friend hadn''t had Yuuki clinging to her just a minute ago.

    "Careful, Drifter. If Yuna keeps putting on shows like that, you will be fighting the competition off with a stick."

    Yuna gasped, as, of all people, it was Silica who teased them. The young girl only seemed to realize what she said afterwards, because she blushed bright red when all the Reavers turned to stare at her. Drifter just tapped the weapon strapped to his back.

    "Good thing I have a very pointy stick then - no double meaning you bunch of dirty-minded perverts. Yes, I''m looking at you, Klein. I''m not giving Yuna up easily. Or at all."

    Drifter pulled the songstress close and took out his weapon to prove his point. The forked spearhead of Liz''s latest creation glinted under the torches.

    The blacksmith had taken her sweet time to find the perfect materials and forge Drifter''s spear, and he had used the halberd until the very end of the 13th floor. He still kept it in his inventory, in case he ever needed it again.

    Well, a spear was still the most comfortable in the end. And Liz had made it to his preferences, so it was even more perfect. Light and flexible, but unquestionably durable. The spearhead was forged into an odd shape, two prongs with a finger of distance between them, spiraling around each other. Drifter liked it.

    "If you are done, should we start heading to the next floor?"

    Kirito touched his back, and Drifter nodded. The 15th floor. It wasn''t a huge milestone, but it was one step closer.

    For the SAO players, the broadcast cut off after the Assault Team left the boss room. But for the viewers in the outside world, they just needed to switch to their player of preference to watch in real-time as the 15th floor was discovered and unlocked.

    "Another jungle? Couldn''t it be something more straightforward for once?"

    Someone on the DKB group remarked, and Drifter couldn''t help but nod along. This was what, the seventh forest-themed floor? Even though the enemies and mechanics were always different, it did get a bit tedious.

    "There''s something strange, though? What''s up with the acrid smell?"

    "Black mist? No, smoke?"

    Drifter frowned as he climbed the final few steps and set foot on the 15th floor. It was a forest, like the other player had said, but everything in sight was covered by smoke and ashes. The entire floor smelled like the inside of a furnace.

    "Look, the trees are burning!"

    Drifter squinted his eyes and realized it was true. One in every five trees was actively smoldering, the cracks along the bark glowing orange and red, and puffing out smoke. Even the leaves seemed to be coated in molten metal.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Now that he looked carefully, the trees weren''t the only thing on fire. Rocks had turned dark red because of the temperature, and he wasn''t keen on touching them to find out how hot. Strings of flame raced across the ground, seemingly on random patterns. One was right in front of him, and was extinguished when Drifter stepped on it, only to reappear somewhere else.

    "So... What exactly is this floor''s theme? A burning forest?"

    "Please don''t make us try to quench the fire, please."

    "Ugh, the mobs are going to inflict burns. What a pain."

    The frontliners discussed what they thought the 15th floor was about while scouts were sent to find the position of the main town. Sinon and Silica were amongst the first to return, and the archer pointed west.

    "That direction. Seems to be another dwarf settlement, but there''s something weird ''bout it. What we are seeing isn''t all there is to this floor."

    Drifter, Kirito, and Asuna said nothing. Reaver''s Requiem''s three leaders started walking in the direction Sinon indicated, while also having the guild keep a tight formation. The track between the stairs to the town was normally safe, but this floor didn''t exactly inspire confidence. Better to err on the side of caution.

    Drifter carried his spear across his chest. It saved a lot of stamina compared to walking with it at the ready position, but it also meant he would need a half a second longer to react if they came across an enemy. But the entire Assault Team was marching together, so he wasn''t really worried.

    "There''s something up ahead."

    Kirito called out, and Reaver''s Requiem stopped. Drifter''s gaze locked onto a burning bush, and he prepared to use << Serpentcoil Impale >>. Then he stopped and lowered his arm, because what came out was a... Slime?

    The cursor above the glowing orange creature was green. Drifter focused on it and saw it was called a << Magma Slime >>. It wasn''t a monster, but a critter, like rabbits and birds. The players stared as the slime rolled past them without a care in the world.

    "This floor is weird."

    ...

    The town of Firestarter was aptly named in Drifter''s opinion. It seemed like every other shop was a smithy, and all the NPCs were stereotypical dwarves - short, bearded, and covered in soot.

    The Reavers barely stopped by the town to restock, and Liz borrowed a smithy to repair their equipment. Then some of their members went searching for quests, while others went out into the field to fight monsters.

    << Ashen Myconid >>. Drifter narrowed his eyes at the humanoid fungus. With pale gray skin and a blazing cap, the mobs stood at over two meters tall. Their eyes were burning embers, giving the creatures a fierce appearance.

    "Uragghh!"

    Drifter especially disliked their guttural screams. It was as if the mobs were in pain from the flames all the time. It was very unnerving.

    Unwilling to listen to the groaning anymore, Drifter drove his spear through the body of the << Ashen Myconid >>. The spiral shape of the tip gave the weapon an even greater piercing power than his old << Caldea Fana >>, and the spear pierced clean through the mob.

    "Huh?"

    Drifter grunted in surprise. He had launched just a simple normal attack, and yet one-tenth of the << Ashen Myconid''s >> HP had disappeared.

    ''In that case...''

    "Everyone, step back. I''m gonna solo it."

    The others raised their eyebrows. Drifter was usually a team player, so it was rare for him to make this kind of request. It obviously wasn''t because he wanted to monopolize the experience and loot. Nor was it because he was suddenly battle-thirsty, judging by the frown on his face. So it was most likely that Drifter had noticed something about the << Ashen Myconid >> and wanted to confirm it.

    Dodging a wide swing by the mob, Drifter slashed horizontally with a skill, his spear almost cutting the creature in half. Another fifth of its health vanished, but Drifter''s expression only grew darker.

    Before the mob could gather momentum for a second attack, Drifter dashed and closed in on it. He used << Horizontal Arc >> to cut off one of the myconid''s legs, and then, as the monster started to fall, he leaned back and stabbed his spear upwards, at the underside of the << Ashen Myconid''s >> cap.

    His spear seemed to blur as Drifter used one of his newest skills, << Needle Spear >>, a combo of six connected stabs with increasing damage. Without any surprises, that was enough to eliminate the mob. And yet, despite how easy it was, Drifter wasn''t happy.

    "What''s the problem, Drifter?"

    Yuna and the others in the group approached him. They were Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Kizmel, Yuuki, Ran, and Merida. Agil, Shigio, and Wolv had stayed back in the town to trade, while Silica had gone to the church back on the 1st floor to help Sasha with the kids. Vallerk had gone with her for protection. Liz was off searching for new blacksmithing techniques.

    "It was like I thought. That wasn''t a real mob."

    "What?!"

    "Not a real mob? How come?"

    Despite their trust in him, the others still questioned his words. It wasn''t that they didn''t believe him, but just human nature to doubt that which was out of the norm. But Drifter just shook his head.

    "It didn''t drop any loot nor give experience. In fact, there wasn''t even a notification I defeated it, you can check. It felt it when I stabbed it the first time. It was far too clumsy for a 15th floor mob."

    "But if it isn''t a mob, what is it then? It had a red cursor and a health bar."

    Even Kizmel, the former NPC - or maybe she still was one, no one was sure - had adapted to the ways of the players. Drifter smiled at that thought, then stabbed his spear into the ground, digging at something. The top layer of the soil was swept aside, showing a carpet of white and red fungus.

    "It was an extension of the real mob. Now we have to find the real body."

    Drifter''s speculation was proved correct during the next hour. The group came across no less than 60 << Ashen Myconids >>, sometimes alone, others in packs of three to four. None of them were ''real'' mobs.

    "This doesn''t make sense! We already covered a third of this map, how can we not find a single real enemy?!"

    Despite their indignation, neither the angry Asuna nor the rest of the Reavers planned on giving up. The fact that this portion of the floor was so unusual must mean there was a big secret and, consequently, big rewards waiting for them.

    It happened as they were talking. Kirito stabbed his sword into a root to rest, and the forest struck back. An entire tree turned on itself and smashed into the unaware swordsman, sending him flying.

    "Argh!"

    "Ugh!"

    Kirito crashed into Kizmel and Ran, the impact strong enough to knock a few percents out of their health. His own HP dropped by more than a third.

    "Kirito! Are you okay?!"

    "What was that?!"

    Merida, Yuuki, and Nautilus helped Kirito and the other two to their feet. Meanwhile, the rest of the Reavers were watching slack-jawed as the entire burning forest came alive.

    Trees crawled along the ground, roots pulling themselves out of the soil and rolling, revealing the network of parasitic fungi controlling them.

    "There!"

    A huge portion of the ground suddenly exploded, showering the frontliners with dirt. A monstrosity of wood, fungus, and fire presented itself before the Reavers.

    << Myconid Queen of Embers >>.

 Chapter 110 - The Unreasonable Field-boss

    << Myconid Queen of Embers. >>

    Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, Ran, Yuuki, Merida, Kizmel. Ten of the frontliners'' finest, the elites of Reaver''s Requiem, stared at the field-boss that appeared all of a sudden in front of them. A field-boss on the first day of the 15th floor. Kirito screamed.

    "Run!"

    The players didn''t hesitate. Challenging a field-boss with just ten people was suicide. What frontliners'' finest? What elites? They were all dead men and women walking if they dared to delay their escape for even a second.

    They had to run. There was no other option. Drifter stumbled back, almost knocking into Nautilus. He grabbed the blade-user with one hand and pushed him. There was clear desperation in all of their faces.

    "Go, go, go! Faster!"

    One shouldn''t neglect field-bosses just because they seemed lesser than floor bosses. They were weaker, that was true, but it didn''t mean they were any less deadly. A field-boss was generally half as strong as the floor boss from the floor below. Considering over a hundred frontliners were needed to ''safely'' - in many quotation marks - take down a floor boss, it could be imagined that just ten players wouldn''t even make a scratch on the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>, but instead would suffer tremendously, and most likely die.

    "Break left!"

    Even while they ran away, the players didn''t dare to turn their backs to the field-boss. That would be like begging for death. Instead, they backpedaled as quickly as they could. That was how they saw a flaming root piercing the air towards them. Kirito yelled, and Drifter, Yuna, Sinon, Nautilus, and Ran threw themselves to the side, barely dodging the attack.

    The five players rolled and got up in one smooth movement, then kept retreating. Yuna and Nautilus were slower than the rest, so Drifter and Ran were forced to slow their pace to cover their friends.

    "It isn''t moving! We should be almost out of range..."

    "Shut up and run, Yuuki! Ugh!"

    Even as he shouted, Kirito spun his sword in a wide arc to deflect another root. Still, a wound was left on his shoulder, and, to make matters worse, it ignited with a green, sickly fire.

    "DoT debuff! Don''t stop!"

    Now wasn''t the time to be stingy. A quick glance at his HUD showed his HP decreasing at a scary pace, and Kirito made the quick decision to use one of the valuable << Health Crystals >> the guild had. Instantly, he seemed to recover his life, and his health gauge went back up to the lower end of green.

    Drifter let out a short sigh of relief when he saw that Kirito was safe. He didn''t feel at all pained by the use of one of the very expensive crystals. After all, items were meant to be used, and if it saved someone''s life, then they were more than worth their price.

    "Urrgggghhhhh!"

    The grotesque mouth of << Myconid Queen of Embers >> opened in a hellish scream as the players got away. The field-boss was coming after them, but it barely moved more than a few meters by the time they were nearly out of its aggro range.

    But there was a very crucial distinction between almost getting away and truly escaping. One last blazing root shot towards the Reavers, and Drifter''s eyes widened when he saw it coming straight for him.

    In one single movement, Drifter bent his body back as far as he could, and slashed at the incoming attack. The spearhead struck the tip of the flaming root, which changed course and punctured through a few trees, shattering them completely before losing strength.

    "Ack!"

    Drifter, on the other hand, fell on his back after parrying the attack. His spear was almost knocked out of his hand, but he held on to it and rolled away while groaning. There was a large red spot on his lower back where he had hit a rock. The damage he suffered was actually very little, but the whole situation was nerve-wracking.

    "Everyone okay?"

    "Yeah. Scared outta my mind, but yeah."

    While Drifter defended against the last root, the other Reavers had managed to get out of the << Myconid Queen of Embers'' >> aggro range. Yuna and Nautilus helped him to his feet while everyone else stared at the field-boss. Without any immediate threats, the creature was now returning to its camouflaged state - although the destruction it left behind was hard to hide.

    "A field-boss! A gods be damned field-boss! What the hell was Kayaba thinking?!"

    "I don''t believe Kayaba ever had our well-being in mind, Yuna."

    "That''s not the point, Merida!"

    "Yes, what was the point? No, what even was anything that happened today? An entire map with fake mobs that don''t give experience or drop items, and then a hidden field-boss? I always thought Kayaba made SAO to be beatable. Or, at least, plausible. This was completely out of the norm."

    Drifter didn''t join in the discussion. He agreed with what everyone was saying, but his heart was still racing too much to pay attention. That last attack had been almost as fast as one of Sinon''s arrows. And he had never tried to parry one of the archer''s attacks.

    Drifter''s reaction speed wasn''t as fast as Kirito''s or Yuuki''s. Which only made his actions all the more impressive. Especially because it hadn''t been just his body acting on instinct. He had seen the attack coming and, in those brief fractions of a second, chosen the best course of action - to parry, and use the force of the impact to push his body out of the way of the root.

    He had no idea he was capable of that.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "No, there has to be a catch. As much as I hate Kayaba, he has always been fair. We are missing something."

    The ten Reavers had been highly freaked out by the sudden appearance of the field-boss, but they weren''t frontliners for nothing. After a few minutes of venting their heightened emotions, Sinon''s words pulled them back.

    "Right. Nothing we came across has been unbeatable. It doesn''t make sense for it to be different now."

    "Ugh... I hate that I agree with you on this, Sinon."

    "Let''s brainstorm then. But let''s do it with everyone back in Firestarter."

    Drifter ended the conversation with that and a nod to Kirito. There was nothing to be gained by wasting time here, and they also wouldn''t want to go to other hunting grounds after meeting the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>. In SAO, the only way to get stronger was to take risks, and a field-boss, despite how dangerous it may be, was too enticing a prey to pass up. They needed to rejoin with the others and come up with a plan before someone else discovered the boss.

    "Humm. We might need to bring the Braves and Fuurinkazan in on this."

    "We''ll see. Let''s talk first."

    The trek back to the town was quiet. All the Reavers were thinking of possible weaknesses the field-boss could have, but they had only confronted it for less than three minutes, and most of it was spent running for their lives.

    The others were already waiting when the ten players arrived back at the inn. The guild-wide order to return Kirito had sent had clearly set them on edge, if the worried frowns were anything to go by.

    "Kirito, what happened?"

    "Inside, Liz. My room, I think. It''s going to be a little crowded, but we''ll have to make do."

    The blacksmith gulped and nodded. She was a veteran too, so she recognized the expression on the faces of the Reavers who had gone out to hunt. Whatever they experienced, it had been a close one.

    With a heavy heart, Liz, Agil, Shigio, Wolv, Silica, and Vallerk followed their guildmates to Kirito''s room. Like he said, it was a tight fit, but eventually they managed to get everyone inside. This was important because inn doors, once closed, boasted a high level of privacy, which only a high mastery in << Eavesdropping >> could overcome.

    "Can you say what''s got y''all in a bind now, Kirito?"

    Agil asked while leaning against the wall, his big frame allowing him to see over the heads of those in front. Kirito''s answer almost had him falling over.

    "We found a field-boss."

    "You what?! Already?! How?!"

    Pandemonium was an exaggeration, but there was certainly a little bit of chaos when Kirito told them what happened in such a direct and abbreviated manner. Drifter rolled his eyes.

    "Do you want to tell the whole story or are you going to leave it at that, Kirito?"

    The swordsman smirked, at least until Asuna smacked him upside the head. Nautilus and a few others facepalmed, and all the tension left the room.

    "Alright, alright, don''t hit me, Asuna! It''s like this, everyone. We were..."

    In short order, Kirito had everyone brought up to speed. It wasn''t a long story anyway. But Liz, Agil, and the others understood why the Reavers who met the field-boss had such serious expressions. It was never not terrifying meeting an enemy you knew you couldn''t defeat.

    "Hah... Thank god you guys are okay."

    Silica held a hand to her chest. Just by listening to what happened, her heart was beating faster. Yuuki and Merida put their arms over the younger girl''s shoulders to reassure her everything was alright.

    "What''s the plan then, Kirito?"

    "We don''t have one yet. We need to think of any weaknesses the Myconid Queen may have, and how to exploit them. If we think we can''t do it alone, we''ll call Orlando and Klein, but I want to try taking it down on our own."

    It wasn''t greed or selfishness that moved Kirito. It wasn''t even pride. It was conviction. The belief that they were the best of the best, and that they could do it. Because they could. Kirito''s desire was reflected on Drifter, Agil, Asuna, Ran, and all the others.

    "You got it, boss."

    Agil punched his palm with a savage smile. Even Sinon and Vallerk were grinning. They were the best. They were Reaver''s Requiem.

    "Let''s see, weaknesses of the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>... The movement speed is close to zero. The few attacks we saw were also very telegraphed."

    Drifter started ticking off his fingers. Asuna cut in.

    "Yeah, but it doesn''t mean they are easy to defend against. The attack speed is no joke. Comparable to Sinon''s, at least. And since it''s a plant-like monster, we can expect it to have a 360 attack range, so no chance of sneak attacks."

    "There''s also the damage-over-time effect. I didn''t grasp exactly how much or how long it was, but I think 30% HP over 15 seconds is a safe bet."

    Kirito rubbed his shoulder where he had been hit. Yuna took over.

    "It only launched one root at a time, but that was probably just the first phase. I think we can expect the frequency of attacks to rise later on. The power is also no joke considering how banged up it left Kirito."

    "Piercing attacks at a distance, and swipes when we were closer. That was what I saw. So we''ll have to dodge when we are far and block when we are near."

    "We should focus damage. Maybe try to trap and cut off roots when they attack?"

    "Hm, maybe it has a limited number of roots. It might result in nothing, but I think it''s worth a try."

    Questions, ideas, solutions, and counterarguments were being thrown around at mach speed. This lasted until Kizmel brought forth another point.

    "My friends, I believe we might be focusing on the wrong thing. Missing the forest for the trees, I believe is the expression humans use? Quite literally, in this case."

    "What do you mean, Kizmel?"

    "What stood out the most for you about the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> and the map as a whole when compared to the rest of the floor, Drifter?"

    The spearman frowned. Kizmel wasn''t one to make useless remarks, so he thought deeply about what she said. The answer struck him like lightning a mere few seconds later.

    "Myconid. The fungus. It covers the entire map, just a few centimeters below the topsoil and the bark of the trees. Furthermore, both the << Ashen Myconids >> and the field-boss looked like they were being controlled by it, like some kind of parasite."

    "And that''s important why?"

    Liz didn''t see it, but a few others were nodding along. Drifter counted on his fingers.

    "The << Myconid Queen of Embers >> can be split into three parts. It''s right there in the name. The roots are from the trees that form the body, straightforward physical attacks most plant-type mobs have. The DoT effect is from the fire that''s around the entire floor. Then what is the fungi''s method of attack?"

    Liz, Silica, Yuuki, Merida, Shigio, and a few others opened and closed their mouths repeatedly, no sound coming out. They realized they had overlooked a massive - and potentially life-threatening - detail. Not that they could be blamed. Even for those who actually faced the field-boss, the few minutes their escape lasted was barely enough to notice anything.

    "Debuffs? Poison? Those are usually the most common abilities related to fungi, right?"

    "Maybe some kind of stun? Or something that incapacitates us?"

    The Reavers brainstormed for the next several hours, coming up with multiple scenarios and plans to adapt to every possible situation they could think of. Finally, Kirito clapped his hands.

    "Alright, everyone, that''s enough for today. Repair your equipment, check and restock on consumables, and get a good rest. We are raiding the field-boss first thing tomorrow."

 Chapter 111 - The Unreasonable Field-boss (2)

    Firestarter, the beginning town of the 15th floor, was heavily populated by players at the moment. It was only the second day since this floor was opened, so many of the low-level players came to visit. Humans'' capacity to adapt was truly amazing. The players acted like tourists even in this situation.

    The fact that Firestarter was so crowded also meant a lot of people saw Reaver''s Requiem''s dark expressions as they dragged their feet towards their inn. Many would even refer to it as ''sulking''. Not that anyone dared to say it to their faces right now. That seemed to be the perfect way to get beaten up.

    Defeat. Utter and complete defeat. That was the result of Reaver''s Requiem battle against the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>. Drifter shuddered just remembering.

    The battle had started well enough. With the awareness of the field-boss'' hidden presence, the Reavers hadn''t been caught by surprise when it appeared.

    The ground collapsed and then imploded, and Drifter jumped back to avoid the debris. He spun his spear in a circle in front of him, stabbing the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> before it even had a chance to fully emerge.

    Like it or not, they had to get close to the field-boss to engage it. That meant they had a lot less time to react, so Drifter only saw the root when it was practically on top of him.

    Yet, the spearman didn''t panic. He ducked under the madly waving appendage, and cut up again with a << Vertical >>. Drifter saw Ran and Yuuki attacking the same root in conjunction out of the corner of his eye. He linked the skill directly into a normal slash, leaving another gash in the root.

    "Shriiikk!!!"

    "I think we succeeded in angering it! Vallerk, Naut, all yours!"

    The plan they had come up with wasn''t all that different from any other raid tactic they had used before. Drifter, Ran, and Yuuki were a little ahead of the others to bait out the field-boss, while Nautilus and Vallerk were just a few steps behind, ready to switch in and take on the aggro of the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>.

    Everything was going well until then. The two shield-bearers flawlessly caught the field-boss'' attention. Each time a giant root smashed into them, they would be pushed back several steps, but they held strong and didn''t fall, pushing back in immediately.

    The fact they were so close locked the boss to one of its attack patterns, where it could only knock them with the roots as if they were giant clubs, but not pierce the players. And, without piercing them, the DoT effect wasn''t applied.

    Pausing for a brief moment to replenish his stamina, Drifter soon jumped back into the fray. His spear blurred as he repeatedly jabbed at the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>, targeting the exposed areas of the field-boss'' main body.

    His efforts were rewarded with a sequence of critical hits. Drifter knew it was just luck, but a smile spread across his face nonetheless.

    Of course, that was when everything had to go wrong. His speartip, jabbed deeply into a mass of amorphous fungus growing on the side of the boss, got stuck. He narrowed his eyes and tried to pull back his weapon, only for white tendrils to suddenly grow out of the field-boss'' body and crawl along his spear. His pupils constricted and he tried to let go, but it was too late. The fungus had already touched his hand.

    "Ack!"

    As soon as it entered in contact with his skin, the fungus spread like a web, growing at a furious pace to envelop his whole arm. Then, to his horror, Drifter felt his body moving on its own.

    The spear was pulled out of the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> with a disgusting wet sound, and Drifter turned his back to the field-boss. The creature ignored his defenseless stance. For now and the next minute and a half, Drifter was just another of its limbs.

    "Shit! Yuuki, get away! The boss is controlling me! Ninety seconds!"

    His expression contorted when he realized the boss was controlling him to walk towards Yuuki. Luckily, it seemed like the control wasn''t absolute. He felt like a wooden puppet, his limbs rigid and movement awkward as he shuffled towards the younger twin.

    "Huh?"

    Yet, despite his warning, the truth was nobody was prepared for Drifter to suddenly turn around and betray them. They had seen a lot of things in SAO, but there had never been a case of a monster taking control of a player.

    Yuuki reacted too slowly, swirling her head to look at Drifter with a frown and open mouth. His arm jerked forward and stabbed the spear deep into her gut.

    "Argh! What are you doing, Drifter?!"

    Yuuki''s eyes widened in shock and confusion, but her reactions weren''t slow. She brought up her sword and smacked the spear away before putting some distance between them. Drifter''s body was controlled to follow and tried to attack her again, but she ducked and avoided it. He was shouting the entire time.

    "I already said it isn''t me! It''s the boss, it has a controlling skill! Root!"

    Whatever else, it had to be said that the Reavers'' ability to adapt was top-notch. While the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> was using his body as a puppet, Drifter''s voice was still his own. He saw a root coming for Yuuki, who was distracted with him, and shouted. The purple-haired girl didn''t think twice before dropping down to narrowly avoid the sneak attack.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "At least you can still talk... Huh? Why am I...?! Oh no!"

    Surprise aside, Yuuki hadn''t been too fazed by Drifter''s sudden and unwilling betrayal. It seemed the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> couldn''t force him to use skills, so he had stabbed her with just a normal attack. An elite like Yuuki was more than capable of enduring it and dodging Drifter until the 90 seconds ran out.

    That was what she thought, at least. But when Yuuki wanted to step back and kite Drifter around until the time ran out, she found her body moving in the opposite direction, her sword chopping down at Drifter. She completely ignored his spear piercing her body.

    Both of their eyes widened in panic. The white fungus had spread from Drifter''s arm and spear to Yuuki''s body and taken over her. Now, it was forcing them to fight each other.

    A fifth of Drifter''s health disappeared when Yuuki''s sword bit down on his shoulder. On the other side, after two attacks, Yuuki was already down to half of her HP.

    "This isn''t good. Someone?!"

    Drifter shouted, alarmed. Despite how long it seemed, it had only been less than 20 seconds since he was controlled. Still 70 more to go.

    To a frontliner, 20 seconds were a lifetime. At first, the others had noticed what was happening but trusted Yuuki to deal with it and occupy Drifter until his status condition was over. But when Yuuki was also controlled and they hurt each other, the rest of the Reavers reacted immediately.

    Just as Drifter and Yuuki were about to stab each other again, Nautilus appeared in the middle of them. He deflected Drifter''s spear with his shield and smacked Yuuki''s sword away with his blade. Then he kicked Drifter in the stomach, just a normal blow. Silica was also there in a mere moment, nicking Yuuki''s arm with her dagger.

    Drifter and Yuuki were treated like normal mobs now that they were being controlled. And the remaining Reavers were truly elite. The best of the best. In the brief moments after the two started attacking each other, they had already analyzed the whole situation and came up with a plan. It involved lots of unproven conjectures, but the only way to discover what was right and what was wrong was by trying it.

    Drifter was controlled after his attack hit a mass of white fungus on the << Myconid Queen of Embers'' >> main body. Asuna called it a spore scan in the back of her mind. Then, when Drifter attacked Yuuki, he wounded her with his sword still covered by the fungus, and she was controlled too. Ergo, the fungus was the cause, and it could pass from one player to another.

    Now came the first conjecture: the fungus only controlled another host if it touched them directly. Or, in other words, if they were injured by someone controlled. Hence why Nautilus felt safe enough to get in between Drifter and Yuuki, trusting he wouldn''t fall prey to the field-boss'' puppet skill. And he was right.

    And seeing that Nautilus was still with them, Silica, who was on stand-by, also intervened. Her chosen course of action was directly tied to the second conjecture: Drifter and Yuuki were behaving like mobs, so they also must have aggro mechanics, like mobs. Again, that was proven right. Drifter''s body, still not obeying his command, changed targets for Nautilus, while Yuuki chased after Silica.

    All of that in 30 seconds or less. Most of the spectators around the world - and there were tens of thousands of them at any given moment, that was how famous Reaver''s Requiem was - hadn''t even fully understood what was happening and why Drifter had seemingly turned on his friends, and the Reavers had already come up with countermeasures and executed them.

    Kirito made the call.

    "This is a mess, we are pulling back! Nautilus, Silica, get Drifter and Yuuki far away from each other and the boss! And don''t get hit no matter what!"

    Two controlled guild members was already really bad. If they added a third and a fourth, this could very quickly escalate and get out of control.

    Instantly, after hearing Kirito''s orders, the mood took a turn for the worse. They had barely started the raid. The << Myconid Queen of Embers >> still had 95% of its HP left. But they all understood the seriousness of the situation, so they withdrew obediently despite their surly expressions.

    At least it was easy to retreat. The field-boss stood rooted on the spot, and Drifter and Yuuki were lured outside of the boss'' aggro range long before the 90 seconds were over for either of them. Without having to worry about the Myconid Queen''s attacks, it was a simple matter for Nautilus and Silica to dodge and drag them around until the duration of the control was over.

    Drifter was the first to recover, and he stabbed his spear into the ground and scowled. Not angry, just frustrated.

    "That did not go according to plan."

    Agil spoke the obvious to break the silence, and there was scoffing and rolled eyes and suppressed laughter. There had never been a bigger understatement.

    "What now?"

    "Now we go back and rethink our tactics."

    Kirito spoke and the Reavers nodded. Drifter drank a potion and unstuck his spear. Needless to say, any << Ashen Myconid >> they came across on the way back did not have a good ending. Their annoyance needed an outlet, and it was the mobs'' fault for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    ...

    It wasn''t in Reaver''s Requiem''s DNA to sulk for a long time. You had a problem, you thought up ways to solve it, that''s how they worked. So after a token few grumbles, they got thinking again.

    "We are not bringing Orlando and Klein into it."

    "Agreed. The more people, the more likely for everything to go sideways. We already had a few too many, in my opinion. No way to focus on the fight when we have to keep an eye out on our own allies."

    "First things first, let''s figure out how not to get controlled. If we can do that, then everything else is a moot point."

    Everyone nodded and turned to Drifter. He blushed a little, very aware and not just a little embarrassed that he had been the first to get caught by the field-boss'' parasitic abilities, and that it was in large part his own fault. Yuna rubbed circles on the back of his hand to reassure him, and he started talking.

    "I hit one of the big blobs of white fungus on the trunk. It looked like a weak point. I thought I was being clever. Evidently not."

    "Don''t beat yourself over it, Drif. Everyone who saw it thought the same. Sinon even aimed a few arrows at it, but thankfully it seems like it only could control someone through a direct connection. The downside is the boss was basically covered in the fungus, so we''ll have to be very careful during the raid not to hit it. Which means it''s gonna be slow."

    Asuna put her hands on the table and leaned on it. Drifter grabbed Yuna''s hand and rested his head on her shoulder. There was one obvious solution to the whole debacle.

    "We can''t just aim to hit the uncovered portions of the field-boss, not unless we want to spend the next 2 days non-stop on it. We are going to have to rotate, maybe 2 parties worth at a time. The others will have to be out of range, but still close enough that when one of us gets controlled, they can aggro the person and kite them around."

    It was a solution, but it wasn''t a perfect one, nor particularly appealing. Fewer people fighting the boss meant they would spend more time on it. A longer fight meant more tension and fatigue. And the more tired they were, the more likely to make mistakes or simply for bad luck to play its hand.

    More chances for someone else to discover the field-boss too.

    In the end, Kirito shook his head and got up. He was anxious. They all were. But just one look was enough for all of them to calm down.

    "One more try. Let''s go."

 Chapter 112 - Victory

    "Third time''s the charm, right?"

    "Shut up, Agil."

    Agil''s attempt at levity fell flat. Reaver''s Requiem was undeniably tense as they made their way towards the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> for the third time in two days, and second time today. They had restocked and repaired the little durability lost from their equipment, all in preparation for a lengthy battle. They were ready for the raid against the field-boss to go well into the night.

    It started much like the first one, which had happened earlier today - their first encounter couldn''t even be considered an attempt. Drifter, Yuuki, Ran, Asuna, and Kirito were the vanguard and baited out the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>. They were the five quickest players other than Silica, who would be playing another role.

    Agil, Liz, Merida, Wolv, and Shigio made the second group, positioned to switch with the first at any moment. Yuna and Sinon were at the midway point, with Vallerk guarding them. His only job was to protect the two long-ranged Reavers from the piercing roots with his massive shield.

    Silica, Kizmel, and Nautilus were the fourth and last party. They were at the back, and weren''t to attract the field-boss'' aggro under any circumstances. Like Vallerk, the trip only had one job: to rush in and lure any player who got controlled until the debuff ran out.

    Maybe the third time really was the charm, as Agil said. Although Drifter was more partial to experience than luck. If after two confrontations they still suffered a one-sided beating from the field-boss, Reaver''s Requiem wouldn''t deserve to be who they were.

    Whatever was the case, this battle was going infinitely better than the other two. Forewarned, the players were doing their best to avoid hitting the masses of fungus on the << Myconid Queen of Embers'' >> main body, and succeeding.

    The << Myconid Queen of Embers >> was just a field-boss, after all. The main difficulty of the earlier raid laid in the fact they were working with little to no information. Now that they knew what to expect, everything was much simpler.

    Drifter realized he didn''t even need to move around much. Usually he was forced to keep changing positions, either to dodge attacks or chase after the enemy. That was especially the case with bosses, who turned their aggro to different targets every second. But the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> stayed rooted on the spot and, most importantly, only attacked one player at a time.

    Now, Drifter wasn''t just another spearman. He was a master of the weapon. He quite literally only let go of his spear when he was sleeping, and even then it would be on the side of his bed, not his inventory. And while those who didn''t know him might hear the title Broken Spear Drifter and think it indicated his proficiency with the weapon, everyone else knew better. As did he.

    Drifter never had proper lessons in the way of the spear, much less a master. Everything he knew he had learned by himself, through countless battles. Get good or get dead, as Argo said. He chose to get good.

    And one of the many things Drifter learned while fumbling around and later mastering it was that there were really two ways to effectively use a spear. You could either be always moving, or stay absolutely still.

    It wasn''t hard to understand why movement was useful. Momentum added power to a blow. Once you took two or three steps, a simple jab might pierce all the way through someone. And staying mobile also added to your survivability. It was much easier to dodge when you were around going the other direction.

    Or much harder, if you happened to be moving in the direction the blow was coming. You were literally setting yourself up for failure. So movement was really a double-edged knife. If you could read your opponent, 9 times out of 10 you could avoid their attacks. But if the enemy could read you, then 9 times out of 10 you were the one who got screwed. Once you were moving it was very hard to stop, even if there was a sword coming right at you.

    Not moving had it''s advantages. Your actions weren''t nearly as telegraphed. And with a spear, staying still was sometimes the best. You could dig in, and let the enemy impale themselves into your weapon. Or you could just go wild, if the enemy was something like the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>.

    Staying still also took a lot of guts. Because when you didn''t move, you saw the sword coming at your face and had to make a conscious choice to react. Usually a snap decision. But it opened a lot more options. Dodge, deflect, defend. Even trade blows. You were more in control.

    SAO players favored movement over staying still. Mobs were usually easy to read, and they couldn''t predict your actions. Their code made it so they were always on the answering side. Just by a fraction of a second, but for a frontliner that was enough.

    It wasn''t necessary in this case. The << Myconid Queen of Embers >> had no wide area-of-effect attacks that they knew about. It also didn''t move. So Drifter could stand absolutely still and lay it out on the field-boss. And, when it was his turn to be attacked, he could choose to dodge, block, deflect, or trade.

    Deflecting was the option Drifter went for the most. By far the most dangerous if you excluded trading blows - which was suicidal against a boss, really. If he mistimed it just a little, Drifter would receive the full brunt of the attack with nothing in exchange.

    But he was Broken Spear Drifter, one of SAO''s twelve titled players, after all. When the field-boss smashed a giant root towards him, Drifter planted his feet on the ground and leaned forward, his spear raised above his head to parry the blow towards the sky.

    In his experience, up was the best direction to deflect a blow from a strong foe. Any other way and the counterforce would cause him to stumble and even fall. But if he directed the attack upwards, it was much easier to maintain his balance and distribute the impact.

    It was a novel experience. There was a small delay between the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> attacking with its root and then taking it back, and Drifter went all out in that interval, dishing out enormous amounts of damage against the immobile field-boss. Drifter wished he had thought to change to his halberd before the battle. This was the perfect situation for the heavier weapon.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Even without the halberd, Drifter was dealing a hefty amount of damage, slightly impaired by the fact he had to pause and aim carefully at every blow, so as to not hit the white fungus and get controlled.

    << Sting >>, << Horizontal >>, << Snake Bite >>, << Double Tap >>, << Vertical >>, << Horizontal Arc >>, << Dirty Play >>, << Needle Storm >>, and so on... Basically every skill that didn''t require him to get a running start was used repeatedly, as soon as he came off cooldown.

    Of course, not all was sunshine and roses. It took a while, and the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> was already down to 70% Hap when it happened, but someone, in this case Asuna, slipped and struck the fungal mass on the field-boss'' body. The white tendrils spread out and raced over her rapier, quickly infecting the fencer.

    "Dammit! I''m controlled!"

    By the time the exclamation had left her mouth, Nautilus was already rushing over. He << Shield Bashed >> Asuna just as she was turning to attack Kirito. The skill, which did almost no damage but stunned the target, was perfect for the circumstances. Nautilus was quick to draw Asuna''s aggro and lure her away. Merida took her position, making sure the flow of the battle wasn''t affected.

    Shifting to the right a few steps, and giving Merida a wide berth to use her greatsword, Drifter searched for a better angle.

    60% health was when the << Myconid Queen of Embers'' >> attack pattern finally changed. The Reavers weren''t flustered, since they already expected that. No boss would ever stay the same throughout a battle.

    Drifter''s keen eyes caught the fungus on the boss'' body wiggling and inflating, and he was already shouting for the others to get back and doing so himself before green fire spread over it and the fungus exploded.

    A ring of green fire burst out from the boss like a circular wave, sweeping over everything in a 10-meter radius. It just narrowly missed Merida, Agil, Shigio, and Wolv, the slower members of the vanguard group.

    Drifter frowned as the fire died out, revealing the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> again. They had been forced to put some distance between them to avoid the fire, and the field boss took the opportunity to send one of the more deadly piercing roots at Ran. The elder twin barely managed to parry it, but still got a long laceration on her left shoulder.

    "Press in, don''t get pushed back!"

    The command was slightly redundant, with SAO being a game of close-quarters combat, but they followed it nonetheless. Drifter sidestepped a root that flew his way, crossing paths with Kirito to get near the field-boss.

    "Watch out for the percent-skills. Sinon, you are our spotter!"

    Certain skills were only triggered when the boss lost a set percentage of its health, and the << Myconid Queen of Embers'' >> fire wave showed every sign of being one of those. Drifter bet on it being used every time the field-boss lost 10% of its HP, but he asked Sinon to keep an eye open for any warning signs, in case he was wrong. He had no intention of discovering what the effect of the skill was.

    After a few stumbles and two more controlled players - Wolv and Liz - Reaver''s Requiem developed a pattern. Five or six of them faced the Myconid Queen as the frontline, with four or five others as a backup secondary vanguard. Whenever the field-boss'' HP fell by almost 10%, Sinon would warn them and most would retreat, leaving only a couple of the quicker players to deal the last few blows before running away to escape the fire wave.

    It was when the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> was down to 20% health that changes occurred again.

    As usual, they retreated and the ring of fire swept through the area around the field-boss. Safely out of range, Drifter leaned forward with his spear held low, preparing a << Comet Break >>. He was taken completely by surprise by the two roots that pierced through the wall of fire, burning and spinning towards him.

    "Hah!"

    Forcefully canceling the skill, Drifter twisted his body out of the way, narrowly avoiding one of the roots, which passed mere centimeters away from his face. He wasn''t able to dodge the second one, however, and it punctured right through his guard and stabbed into his ribs.

    The root pierced all the way through his torso and came out his back. About 40% of his HP vanished just like that, and the remaining was falling fast. The green flames'' debuff seemed to have been strengthened, and the spearman was forced to do the same Kirito did in their first battle against the field-boss. Without hesitation, he took out a << Health Crystal >> and used it.

    The crystal shattered and his HP returned to the 80% mark, but instants later it dipped again. While it was still in the green, that wouldn''t be the case for much longer.

    "Drifter, switch and heal!"

    He didn''t want to, and started towards the boss before his brain caught up with his emotions and he realized it was the right thing to do. Sighing, Drifter stepped back until he was near Yuna, Sinon, and Vallerk. Shigio took his spot.

    "You okay, Drif?"

    The spearman smiled and patted his girlfriend''s hair, earning himself a pleased murmur. She could see his health and the rate at which it was falling, so she knew he wasn''t in danger as long as he wasn''t attacked by the field-boss again. Still, there was always that emotional and illogical part of Yuna''s mind that worried a disaster would happen whenever Drifter or anyone else got injured.

    "Yup. Thank god crystals and potions don''t share cooldown."

    He downed a health potion to prove his point. Even then and with Yuna switching to << Rest >>, Drifter still lost an overall 50% of his HP to the strengthened debuff.

    While healing, Drifter kept an eye on the battle. Surprises and scares aside, he didn''t foresee trouble. Floor bosses were meant to be deadly. Field-bosses not so much. They tested and pushed the players, and claimed lives under unfortunate circumstances, but as long as they were capable and careful enough, it was more than possible to win casualty-free victories against them.

    The result didn''t differ from his expectations. Not every fight could be a life-or-death situation, otherwise everyone would have died before they got to the 3rd floor.

    When the raid was over and the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> shrieked one last time, the first thing everyone did was look at the drops. This map had been a weird one, with the << Ashen Myconids >> that didn''t give any loot or experience, and a field-boss first thing. They expected all the rewards to come from the field-boss.

    They were right. The long, long list of drops had all the Reavers grinning happily, with Liz positively giddy. Most of the rewards were crafting materials, but there were also valuable << Health Crystals >>, << Paralysis Heal Crystals >>, and even a << Lesser Teleport Crystal >>.

    Liz looked up from her own menu, an ear-to-ear grin on her face. She was holding a piece of wood Drifter recognized as part of a root from the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>.

    "Sinon, I just found the material for your new bow."

 Chapter 113 - Trust

    Liz didn''t manage to make Sinon''s bow. Either her skill wasn''t good enough to handle the high-level materials, or it simply wasn''t possible for a player to craft one. Either way, she was down for a few days because the wood she got from the << Myconid Queen of Embers >> was wasted.

    Not all was bad, though. Unlike floor bosses, field-bosses respawned after a few days. And, with the Reavers keeping a tight lid on the news, most players had abandoned the map as a useless hunting ground, and moved on to other portions of the 15th floor. Obviously, they knew there was something there - Kayaba wouldn''t make a useless map - but it was much better to go somewhere else to level up than spend days searching for something they might or might not find.

    Six days after the opening of the floor, Reaver''s Requiem had already taken down the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>. But they too moved on while waiting for it to spawn again. Mainly because the entrance to the tower had been found.

    The exploration process was already familiar to them. Nothing less than a full party could adventure in a new labyrinth alone. Preferably two or more, if you wanted to be safe. More and more it was becoming apparent to players that Kayaba wasn''t ''actively'' - in many quotation marks - trying to murder them, but always pushing them to get stronger.

    He was an asshole.

    Well, that was just an idle thought that was always around any SAO players'' mind. It surfaced here and there, especially when you had a giant flaming lizard trying to eat your face off. Which was the situation Drifter found himself in right now.

    "Piss off you overgrown salamander!"

    << Volatile Ancient Drakes >> were the main enemies of the labyrinth this time around. Giant lizards the size of a cow, with glistening skin that burst on fire at random. They were also extremely quick for their size, which was why Drifter was getting annoyed with them. Their evasion rate was through the roof. When they didn''t flat-out dodge, his speartip slid over their slick skin.

    "Switch!"

    Grunting, Drifter stepped back and allowed Vallerk to take his place. The player smashed his shield into the mob''s head with such strength that it knocked out a few teeth. Seeing a chance, Drifter stabbed his spear over Vallerk''s shoulder, piercing one of the << Volatile Ancient Drake''s >> eyes. A screaming arrow that flew through the small gap between his head and Vallerk''s took out the other. Neither player so much as flinched. Sinon had missed before, but she had never hit any target she didn''t intend to.

    ----------------------

    Kayaba watched Reaver''s Requiem fight from his control room. He found himself doing so often. The guild was by far the most interesting in Aincrad. Maybe it was because they were young, but they truly lived in this world he created. And they also had a penchant for doing the impossible, as evidenced by Kizmel becoming a player, Nautilus overcoming an FNC, Drifter almost breaking the Unique Skills system, and Sinon getting a bow when it shouldn''t have been possible.

    That last one was a problem. Bows and archers weren''t meant to exist in SAO, but Aero Huntress Sinon was already a staple of Reaver''s Requiem and the game as a whole. Countless people, both in and out of Aincrad, looked up to her. If she started to become obsolete because she couldn''t get a new bow, it would be unfair. It was his mistake that allowed her to become an archer in the first place.

    "Cardinal, what are our options regarding player Sinon?"

    It was just a few seconds of pause before lines of text appeared on a screen to his right. The AI was occupied with an important project at the moment, and most of its computational ability was redirected, so it chose to communicate by text instead of its modulated voice. Kayaba didn''t care much.

    [ Assuming correcting the mistake by erasing the bow player Sinon currently possesses isn''t an option, then there are three possible solutions. ]

    "Elaborate."

    [ The first option is to create more bow designs and add them to the list of drops. I can assign a secondary framework for this process if necessary. However, that would allow more players to become archers. It is not an optimal solution. ]

    [ It is also possible to create more bow skills. Due to the project having been scrapped early on, player Sinon currently only has access to 3 skills, with 4 more that can be unlocked. Most players will have access to 30 to 40 sword skills by the end of the game. ]

    Kayaba rubbed his chin in thought.

    "Scrap the first option, but start working on the second. While it won''t solve the immediate problem, it is a necessary step that would have to be taken at some moment."

    [ Understood. ]

    "And what of the third solution?"

    [ My calculations say that 78.3% of player Sinon''s overall damage and battle contribution come from the special arrows crafted by player Lisbeth. Player Lisbeth is also, currently, the only candidate for Unique Skill 11. ]

    "What are you proposing?"

    [ A slight modification to Unique Skill 11 would allow player Lisbeth to craft bows. A connection could then be made to << Blacksmithing >>. ]

    "It would break the balance of the game. An exception was made for player Drifter because he unlocked << Serpentcoil Impale >> on his own, but that is not the norm."

    [ Player Lisbeth also came extremely close to achieving Unique Skill 11 on her own merits before the loophole was patched. ]

    "Let''s say that you are right. What would stop her from arming half of SAO with bows?"

    There was a pause as Cardinal computed the question. When it responded, it wasn''t with text anymore, but the female voice it preferred.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "I do not believe that would be the case."

    Kayaba shook his head. AIs were still far from perfect, despite the many advancements he made in the area. That was why he needed Sword Art Online.

    "You still don''t fully understand the human heart, Cardinal. Lisbeth and Reaver''s Requiem in general are kind souls. Most of them would agree to sell bows to other players in a heartbeat if they thought it would increase their chances of survival. I only don''t say they would give the bows for free because Merchant Warrior Agil joined them recently, and Broken Spear Drifter isn''t so innocent anymore."

    Cardinal had nothing to say to that. Kayaba stayed silent for the next half an hour, listening to the low murmurs of the machines around him.

    "You are not entirely wrong, however, Cardinal. Let''s find a compromise. Include a bow creation skill on Unique Skill 11, and once her << Blacksmithing >> proficiency surpasses 500, let player Lisbeth craft bows, but make it so only someone with the << Bow >> skill - only Sinon at the moment - can use them. In return, make a patch for the creation of Unique Skill 13, binding it to player Sinon. The only effect will be allowing her to acquire the << Bow >> and related skills."

    "Many players will be discontent."

    "They will have bigger worries in their minds by the time they start thinking about that. Those are your directives."

    "Understood, sir."

    Cardinal went silent after that, the vibrant lines across three of his dozens of monitors going still. Silence reigned for another hour before Kayaba spoke again.

    "I''ll be joining the players in Aincrad soon, Cardinal. Keep me updated about the issues I highlighted before, but otherwise, I''ll leave Sword Art Online in your capable hands."

    Cardinal said nothing.

    ----------------------

    As always, Drifter and the rest of the world were unaware of Kayaba''s and Cardinal''s conversation. Maybe it was for the best. If it became known that Kayaba was soon to enter the game as a player, the already fragile trust between players would shatter completely.

    Trust already was a rare commodity in SAO, thanks to the appearance of red players. Morte''s death had deterred them somewhat - Drifter was fairly certain news that it was him who killed the manic had spread. Knowing there were other players out there who were willing to go as far as killing them had scared the red players into caution. They were in the dark, and only six player killings had happened in the last two months, according to the << Monument of Life >>.

    Privately, Argo had told Drifter Fuumaningum had already identified two red players. However, their surveillance had been noticed, and the two murderers had gone into hiding after ambushing the Fuumaningum member tasked with monitoring them. The role-player survived by the skin of his teeth, but since then there had been no news of the murderers.

    Even if the red players strutted around crowded maps, Drifter wasn''t sure what he would do. Morte had been a personal grudge. Not that he was going to hold back if he came across red players. They made their beds, now they had to lay in it. But hunting them like animals left a bad taste in his mouth, even if they deserved it.

    Arresting them would always be his first option, but if they forced his hand... Putting them out of circulation permanently was the priority. If they didn''t surrender or tried to escape... Then he would kill them. Just like that. Monsters like Morte couldn''t be allowed to do as they pleased.

    But that was a whole other rabbit hole Drifter tried desperately not to go down. Like it had been said, trust was a rare commodity, and the frontlines couldn''t risk another Morte, so every guild made a thorough job of scanning any applicants, Reaver''s Requiem included.

    And there were many. Players asking to join them, that is. Reaver''s Requiem was just as famous as the Aincrad Liberation Squad and the Dragon Knights Brigade. Even more, in some cases, since they had over twice the number of titled players then the other two guilds combined.

    The Reavers were sloppy with their screening process. All applications passed first by Argo - who was not a Reaver but helped anyway. In fact, most of the frontline guilds hired Argo to investigate and veto possible new members, as that was right within the info-broker''s skill set. The difference was that she didn''t charge the Reavers nearly as much.

    After going through Argo, about a fifth of the candidates remained, and were personally interviewed by Drifter and Asuna. So far, all of them had been - politely - declined. Not because they weren''t good enough, but because of trust.

    There were no problems with the players personally, but to turn your back to them and put your life on their hands was a huge step the two vice guild leaders weren''t willing to take without long deliberation, and they had the full support of their guildmates. The truth was, everyone Reaver''s Requiem would even consider letting join them was already in another guild.

    Orlando and the Legend Braves, Klein and Fuurinkazan, Akari and Fuumaningum, Shivata, Liten, Argo obviously. Definitely Griselda - but only her.

    The point was moot anyway, since all with the exception of Argo already had their own guilds, and the little rat was a free spirit. They were just idle thoughts running through Drifter''s head while he and the others rested in one of the labyrinth''s many corridors. They had just killed a pack of << Volatile Ancient Drakes >> and were recovering their health and stamina before going again.

    "Cor for your thoughts."

    The spearman cranked his neck to look down at Silica. The little girl looked both deadly and cute, with her dagger strapped to her waist and Feredir leaning against her legs. The wolf had taken a liking to Silica, which was eagerly reciprocated. Thankfully Kizmel wasn''t jealous, and even encouraged the girl to play with the wolf.

    "Not much going on, Silica. Err... Don''t tell Yuna I said that, she will mock me endlessly. But I was just thinking about whether we should expand the guild or not. We do need material gathering parties, and we could just get random medium-level players for that, but it doesn''t feel right, y''know? Like they won''t be truly part of the guild. Might as well keep buying mats from independent parties like we always did."

    He rubbed Silica''s head, not actually expecting an answer. She had her hair tied up in a single ponytail today, which somehow gave her a totally different look. She leaned into Drifter''s touch.

    "What about the Moonlit Black Cats?"

    Reaver''s Requiem youngest family member looked up at him with one finger on her cheek when Drifter stopped stroking her head. The spearman hadn''t considered the friendly guild, with their clumsy ways, but now that he thought about it, it was a valid option. Better than accepting someone they never met before. Besides, it would be in a support role.

    "You think they would be willing to disband?"

    "Sure, if they want, we have the space. But they don''t need to. DKB and ALS have sub-guilds, don''t they?"

    While that was true, those guilds were more like subcontractors, really. They carried the name of ALS or DKB, but weren''t truly part of either. Still, the more he thought about it, the more Drifter saw the merit in the idea.

    "I''ll bring it up to Kirito and Asuna when I have the time, but it''s a really great suggestion. Thank you."

    "You are welcome! And I don''t think the Black Cats would be as against the idea of merging with us as you believe, Drifter. They said they created a guild because they were all friends. Isn''t that the case for us too?"

    Stunned, Drifter looked at Silica''s bright smile for ten seconds. The dagger-user squeaked when he lifted her up in a hug, rubbing his cheek against hers like she was a mascot. The others smiled warmly at the unusual display of affection and Silica''s flushed cheeks.

    Drifter had a huge grin plastered on his face when he let her down. Sometimes, in moments like this, he was glad he joined SAO.

 Chapter 114 - Hard-fought

    Looking cool was a skill that seemed to come naturally to frontliners. There was no other way to explain their nonchalance when standing in front of the door to a floor boss room.

    Drifter''s parents, Kirito''s family, Asuna''s father, and pretty much everyone else around the world were watching and waiting with clenched fists. SAO, horrifying as it was, had been entertaining and even fun to watch for those in the real world for a while. After all, only a few were related to the SAO victims, so to everyone around the world, it was like hearing about a war in a faraway country on the news. You felt that it was sad, but then you moved on because it had nothing to do with you.

    But suddenly it did. Because the 10th floor came and over 2 billion spectators watched live how 6 people lost their lives in what was essentially gladiatorial combat. And anything felt more personal when you could see their faces and hear them scream as they died. And then another died on the next floor, and now no one could bring themselves to look away and go on with their day when a floor boss raid happened.

    Well, there were still plenty of people who enjoyed watching the raids, and online bets reached frankly absurd amounts, but that was neither here nor there.

    The point was, to the vast majority of the people watching, the manner in which the frontliners behaved, especially after hearing what the floor boss was, was far too composed. They didn''t seem tense - not more than usual, at least - nor were they making last-minute plans or second-guessing themselves. A few of the leaders were chatting in a circle, but it was mostly small talk.

    To most, their behavior was simply unexplainable. To some groups, however, it was identifiable. They were the soldiers. Or cops. Veterans. Anyone who had seen war of any kind, who had seen life and death on the battlefield. To them, the Assault Team at the moment felt familiar. In some way, the frontliners were soldiers who had lived, and were still living, through hundreds and thousands of battles. A different type of conflict, virtual instead of physical, with blades instead of guns, but death was just as real.

    That was the only explanation for their nonchalance. Some would say it even boarded on complacency, but that wasn''t the case. The Assault Team had learned everything there was to learn about the boss previously. They had sent the scout team in, watched, and analyzed the battle afterwards. They came up with tactics, fallbacks, and failsafes. They had prepared as best as they could. So now they were just waiting. No sense in tiring yourself by worrying about the near future.

    Drifter himself had gotten tired of hearing Kind and Kibaou trade barbs, and wandered off. The frontliners weren''t in any hurry to start the battle because they knew it was going to be a short, albeit dangerous, one. The scouting party had proved the floor boss was a glass cannon. The battle would be as quick as it was deadly.

    "Hey, Drifter. Can we speak?"

    The spearman turned his head to see who had called him. An eyebrow rose when he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

    "Griselda? What are you doing here?"

    The brown-haired leader of the Golden Apple guild was looking more haggard than Drifter ever saw her. They had met a few times here and there, with her guild being cleaners and whatnot, and she was always cheerful and upbeat, but now there were dark shadows under her eyes and the smile she gave him was weak and fake.

    It was also weird that Griselda was here alone. Drifter looked around, and didn''t see the rest of her guild or her husband, Grimlock. He changed his question.

    "Actually, how did you get here? I know you are good, Griselda, but going through the tower alone..."

    In the few times they sparred, Drifter noticed that Griselda was at frontliner level. She could give Nautilus or Kizmel a run for their money, and, most importantly, she was cool-headed during a fight. The only reason she hadn''t joined the Assault Team yet was because her guild wasn''t quite there, and she didn''t want to abandon them, which Drifter respected. Still, frontline-tier or not, climbing the labyrinth alone, especially just before a boss raid, when it was most devoid of people, was incredibly dangerous.

    The guild leader smiled again, this time with a little more joy to it. She gestured with her thumb towards Argo, who was, as usual, standing back, but present.

    "The Rat was with me. She might not be a frontliner either, but she is handy with those claws."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at Argo, who smirked, without moving from where she was. He shook his head with a fond sigh.

    "Liz made them, but you aren''t wrong. Anyway, why are you here?"

    "I wanted to ask you something. You once said I had the potential to be a frontliner. Do you still think that?"

    Now both of his eyebrows were raised in surprise, and Drifter stared at Griselda for a long moment.

    "I do. But your timing isn''t the greatest, Griselda. I can''t just include someone who never fought with us in a floor boss raid. It would be too reckless and dangerous, for you and everyone else. We can talk about it after, if you want."

    To his surprise, Griselda laughed. The spearman looked at her quizzically until she stopped. He saw Yuna and a few other Reavers giving him curious looks over her shoulder, and shrugged.

    "Sorry, it''s just that Argo the Rat said something very similar. I had heard you two were close, but she basically predicted what you would say word for word."

    After she finished laughing, Griselda nodded and waved at Argo, who wiggled her fingers back. Drifter signaled the little rat that they would be having a talk later. Argo just stuck her tongue out at him.

    "I know I can''t join in the fun today, Drifter, but I just wanted to know if I really had that frontliner potential you said. I have plenty of confidence in myself, but having Broken Spear Drifter''s opinion is a huge confidence booster."

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "You are welcome, I guess. But what about the rest of Golden Apple? We can put them through the paces, but I''m not sure they are up to it, Griselda. No offense."

    "None taken. And I''m not sure there will be a guild much longer. Grim and I had some quarrels about it. I want to become a frontliner because I feel like I could be doing so much more. But the others disagree. Some are even thinking of quitting as clearers. Even if we stick together, there''s always danger, and now that we know every 10 floors it gets harder..."

    She trailed off, and Drifter nodded in understanding. No one understood the reality of SAO better than the players, but for most it was still relatively safe most of the time. Frontliners and clearers were the obvious exceptions. You had to be a little crazy to become one. Nobody willingly risked their lives just because.

    That wasn''t all that had Griselda feeling down, of course. There was something else, and, if Drifter had to guess, from the way she spoke, it had to do with her husband.

    He never particularly liked Grimlock. The timid man always had a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. And they were cold eyes. Yuna had already mentioned he made her uncomfortable.

    But even if Griselda was having love trouble, it was none of his business, so Drifter didn''t mention it even when the woman went back to talk to Argo. They were on friendly terms, but Drifter wasn''t that close to Griselda as to pry. Especially now that the raid was about to start.

    As Kibaou called for everyone''s attention and Drifter moved closer to the door, Yuna sidled up to him.

    "What did Griselda want?"

    "Jealous?"

    "She is married."

    "And? You are still jealous."

    Drifter needled Yuna with a smirk. The Songstress smacked his shoulder and huffed, her cheeks tinged pink. His grin grew, knowing he had hit the nail on the head. Laughing, Drifter pulled Yuna close and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

    "You are cute, Yun''."

    The songstress pouted, but leaned onto him anyway.

    "This isn''t fair, you don''t ever get jealous."

    "That''s because I know Nautilus has his sights set somewhere else. He''s the only one I really worried about."

    "Oi! Why are you bringing me into this?"

    Drifter had spoken the last bit loudly on purpose. It was no secret that the ash-haired player had a crush on Yuna once, but he had long since moved on, so a chance to get in a two-in-one teasing like this was rare. And when the spearman saw Ran looking over Nautilus'' shoulder with a small smirk, he decided to go for the triple.

    "I thought you would appreciate the chance to make Ran jealous, Naut."

    He ducked away as soon as he finished speaking, to avoid a punch from a now-blushing Ran, only to get smacked upside the head by Yuna.

    "Act your age and shut up, Drifter."

    "Yes, dear."

    Properly cowed, Drifter pouted, before shaking his shoulders and standing upright. Yuna, Nautilus, Ran, and the others also suddenly took on serious expressions, all levity gone from their faces as if it was never there. Kibaou had his hand on the door to the boss room.

    The air around the Assault Team changed in an instant. Gone were the smiles and worry-free faces. Now all that were left were expressions set with grim determination.

    Griselda was taken aback by the sudden transformation. It was one thing to see it through the broadcasts, and another entirely to have a front-row seat like she did now. She suddenly understood a little more why Drifter said she couldn''t just join the frontliners whenever she pleased

    Under the watchful gazes of two worlds, the Assault Team made their way inside the boss chamber. Their gazes were all trained to the front, where there was a big, dark opening on the wall. The entire boss room, which looked like the inside of a giant cave, was covered in tunnels, but the frontliners knew from the scouting raid that the biggest one was where the boss would appear from.

    And appear it did. The ground rumbled like ten trucks were speeding past them, and what looked like a giant red snake, easily thirty meters long and four wide, poked out of the hole. It flickered its forked tongue at them, and saliva fell from its mouth, igniting the ground where it dropped.

    The boss'' appearance was fearsome, but its name was even more intimidating. << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >>. A creature closely related to dragons, and the central piece of this floor''s lore, if anyone cared about it. Frontliners didn''t.

    As planned beforehand, Liten, Vallerk, Shivata, and three other tanks stepped forward in a mixed-guild party to block the first attack. It was a little of a shot in the dark, since the scouting party only saw it once, but if there was an opening move, it was that.

    They weren''t disappointed. The floor boss reared its body, snarling and showing rows of sharp teeth. The visible portions of its underside glowed orange, like it was slowly charging something, starting near the middle of its body, and going towards its mouth.

    "<< Brace >>!"

    The fire breath smashed into the shield-bearers and broke like a wave against reefs. The wyrm hissed, then coiled its body for a strike. Vallerk and the others, still recovering from the fire breath, were smashed out of the way, but the Assault Team had already been expecting that. Prearranged teams encircled Aghyellr and attacked it.

    Despite the shiny red scales, the boss'' flesh was surprisingly soft. Drifter''s spear sunk in it when he used << Rage Spike >>, and left a brutal gash when he tore it free with a << Horizontal >>. He could see right away that he had hurt the wyrm. With dozens of attacks landing on its huge body in the span of a few seconds, << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >> cried out and squirmed, a tenth of the first of four HP bars already gone.

    But Drifter had called the boss a glass cannon earlier for a reason. Roaring, the wyrm swept its tail, smacking him and several others away. Drifter gulped when he saw a third of his HP just vanish.

    After freeing itself from the attackers, Aghyellr rushed towards one of the many tunnels around the room and disappeared. Not eager to fight the deadly reptile in an enclosed and dark space, the Assault Team repositioned themselves in a circle, with tanks and shield-users on the outside, and the others in a second group in the middle.

    It didn''t take long for the boss to burst out from a completely different tunnel, right on Reaver''s Requiem''s side of the circle. Drifter grinned savagely when the monster slammed into Vallerk, the young teen holding his ground against the beast.

    "Kizmel!"

    Drifter slipped to Vallerk''s left, stabbing his spear deep into the side of Aghyellr''s body with a << Dirty Play >>. At the same time, he shouted for the dark elf, who rushed over and, without hesitation, jumped up, stepped onto his weapon, then jumped again, getting level with the boss'' head. A << Cross Slash >> blinded one of its eyes. Feral grins developed onto the faces of every Reaver.

    "Yes, Kizmel! Now we are talking!"

 Chapter 115 - Family Meetings

    Drifter caught Kizmel by the shoulders when she came back down, steadying the dark elf. He grinned and tapped her back in silent congratulations when he saw the lines crisscrossing over << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm''s >> left eye. The boss'' accuracy had to have fallen by at least 50%, for as long as it stayed blinded.

    Tearing his spear off the monster, Drifter jumped back to avoid a trashing tail, then delivered another cut. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nautilus'' and Asuna''s HP fall on his HUD, but it stopped just before entering yellow, so he wasn''t very concerned. Probably a glancing blow.

    Aghyellr disappeared into another tunnel, then came rumbling out from an opening thirty meters away, right in between the Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan. While some of them ran to assist, the other Reavers took the chance to catch their breath and recover.

    "Everyone good?"

    "Yup."

    "Yes, Drifter."

    "No problems here."

    "I got clipped by the tail, but nothing serious."

    "By the way, great work, Kizmel."

    The dark elf smiled, and Drifter glanced at Nautilus and Asuna. Both were sporting large red marks across their torsos, rapidly fading away. There was nothing to be done. With monsters as large as << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >>, sometimes it just wasn''t possible to dodge completely. You had to believe your judgment and act as best as you could to minimize the damage, which both players had accomplished perfectly.

    "Huh. Who knew Silica could work so well with Klein? Do we need to beat him up?"

    "Aren''t you being a little too carefree?"

    "You are the same, though, Asuna."

    Drifter ignored the bickering couple and Agil fanning the flames. It had been his intention to launch a << Serpentcoil Impale >>, but he lowered his arm again when he saw Silica jumping at the floor boss. The tiny girl used Klein as a springboard to climb on top of Aghyellr, leaving criss-cross wounds along the way.

    Just as the girl sunk her dagger into its flesh for about the twentieth time, Drifter''s gaze was captured by Feredir. The wolf was an old companion by now, and the pet of Reaver''s Requiem. He was also an asset in battle although many forgot that sometimes.

    << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >> roared and rolled. For a moment it looked like Silica was going to get dragged and crushed, but she jumped. So did Feredir, and Silica landed on top of the wolf, who immediately turned and took her away from the boss.

    "Wow."

    Suitably impressed, Drifter rejoined the battle. Flipping his spear, he once again prepared << Serpentcoil Impale >>, and this time let it fly. The silver spear pierced through the roof of Aghyellr''s open mouth just as it prepared to bite down on Chuchulainn.

    The Brave gave him a thumbs-up, Drifter nodded back and retook his position when the boss fled again. His gaze wandered to Silica, who was panting. Feredir was underneath her, with his head between her legs.

    It was at the same time inspiring and terrifyingly sad to watch the 12-year-old girl go against a monster like << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >>. It could quite literally devour her in a single bite, and yet Silica showed not an iota of fear or hesitation when facing it. Even after they left SAO, Silica would never be a normal child again.

    Drifter directed his gaze at the boss again. This time it had slithered over to the DKB. It was already an entire health bar down. They were maybe 7 minutes into the fight.

    "When do you want to go, Kirito?"

    "Not yet. Keep an eye out for anyone in need of help. Argo said the ALS had a couple defectors in the last days, so Kibaou will be eager to show off. We need to make sure he doesn''t screw up."

    "What are we, his babysitters?"

    "Don''t complain, Sinon. At the end of the day, what''s important is that everyone makes it home."

    The archer grimaced, but didn''t say anything more. She kept firing at Aghyellr with her new skills, slowly chipping away at the boss'' HP.

    "It''s coming our way again. Ready!"

    << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >> had just gone into a hole and came out another near Reaver''s Requiem. Drifter intercepted it with a << Comet Break >>. Kirito, Kizmel, Ran, and Yuuki came from the sides in a combined pincer move of << Sonic Leaps >>. The others were right behind.

    Due to the Aghyellr''s high mobility, this was a different kind of battle than the frontliners were used to. Instead of actively going after the boss, the Assault Team was being reactive. Each guild had their own section of the circle to defend, and assisted those nearby when it was needed.

    Drifter had his reservations about this strategy at the start, even though he was one of the people who came up with it. But as time passed and Aghyellr''s HP fell down to 50% of the last bar, he became convinced it was the right choice.

    In fact, it worked so well the Assault Team was left dumbfounded when << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >> collapsed after one last fire breath. It felt entirely too anticlimactic, and the frontliners stood still for almost a minute, waiting for something to happen. But the [ Congratulations! ] message left no doubt the boss was, in fact, dead, and that they had won.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    There were a few close calls, but none were life-threatening. Even Kibaou didn''t have the chance to be reckless, that was how fast the battle was. The raid was over in just 27 minutes. About half the time of the second fastest floor boss battle.

    "I wish all boss raids were this easy."

    "Don''t jinx it, Merida."

    Drifter deftly spun his spear twice before storing it away on his back. Stretching, he pulled out a couple of cold drinks from his inventory and passed them around. The drinks were bamboo flavored and acquired a couple of floors below. Despite the weird taste, it was a favorite amongst the Reavers.

    Every day Drifter felt grateful that Kayaba saw fit to simulate taste in SAO. It would have been really tragic if they had to spend years without being able to enjoy food, on top of everything else.

    Sipping on the odd concoction that was the fizzy bamboo juice, Drifter serenely waited for Kirito to give the order to climb the stairs to the next floor. He sincerely hoped the 16th floor wasn''t on fire like this one. It was annoying, not to mention hot.

    ...

    The 16th floor was not on fire. It was under a lot of water, however. They came out of the tower right in the middle of the main town of the floor, Maclanta - which was definitely not wordplay.

    It was a novel sight. The settlement was floating, each individual building on top of a barge, tied together by ropes and bridges. The entire town swayed lightly with the waves, in a way that had some of the Reavers holding their stomachs and groaning.

    As far as the eye could see, the floor was covered in water. A full-blown ocean. The only land players could see were odd shapes in the distance. They looked like islands at first glance, but when you peered more carefully, you noticed that they were man-made structures. Drifter spotted what looked like another town, as well as a huge round building just rising out of the sea, and what he was fairly certain was a castle, or maybe a cathedral.

    "Think we can bring our boat up?"

    "I''m not sure how we would carry it over the tower, Yuna. Besides, we have a lot more people in the guild now."

    The Reavers were entirely blas¨¦ about the situation. This floor looked a lot like the 4th, so, while unexpected, it wasn''t anything new. Already some frontliners were moving towards what looked like docks and shipyards at the edges of Maclanta, to acquire the means of transportation of the floor.

    "I wonder how the dwarf storyline fits into this floor."

    "I''m sure someone will find out. Where should we go now, Kirito?"

    The swordsman looked at his guildmates, then at Asuna and Drifter, who shrugged. Kirito looked around and also rolled his shoulders. It wasn''t even afternoon yet, so calling it a day would be too wasteful.

    "I guess we go find a boat."

    -----------------------

    To the people outside, an entire water-type floor was much more novel. It also made them curious about what the first 10 floors of SAO had been like since, from the conversations of the frontliners, it wasn''t the first time they had seen one.

    Kana and Genji were two such people, although if they knew what the first months of Sword Art Online had actually been like, they wouldn''t have been nearly as enthusiastic. Despite how chilling SAO still was, the first months had been another level of horrifying and depressing.

    "This... Are they talking about vacations? My, your boy is really strong-willed, Kana."

    A woman in her mid-thirties laughed when Drifter made a comment about how the 16th floor reminded him of another floor they already went through, and that they should take a day off someday close in the future to go to the beach there. Then he whispered something to Yuna that had the Songstress blushing and Kana shooting the television a disapproving glare.

    Well, it wasn''t like she could scold him where he was, so Kana turned her attention back to the guests she was entertaining. There were quite a few of them.

    The woman who just laughed with Kana was called Hosaka Miuchi, the mother of one Hosaka Carina Tomo. Or Argo the Rat, as she was called in-game. Miuchi had a good laugh when someone mentioned that particular epithet, saying it suited her daughter. She was a very cheerful woman.

    In fact, most everyone was feeling giddy right now, as a result of watching their loved ones survive another boss raid. It was kinda like how people felt after their country just won the World Cup or something like that. You were tense and worried for a long time, but suddenly you are relaxed and very happy.

    Kana left the SAO broadcast from Itsuki''s point of view - her son was the only one she still thought of by his real name - running in the background and carried four glasses of wine over to her guests. She handed one to Miuchi, another two to Black Swordsman Kirito''s aunt/mother Midori, and Asada Izumi - the mother of Aero Huntress Sinon - and kept the last one for herself.

    Midori was already an old friend by now. She and her daughter, Suguha, had actually helped put this, watch party was a good name, together. The idea was that the family of Reaver''s Requiem members should meet when possible to watch the raids, that way they could support one another through the trying times.

    Suguha and her dad were somewhere else in the house, talking with who Kana believed were Vallerk''s parents and little sister, as well as Lisbeth''s grandfather and older brother. Many - most actually - of the people here Kana had only met today.

    Sinon''s mother was one such. The woman was younger than Kana, but she looked much older, and had a haunted look even when she graciously accepted the wine glass offered to her. Kana didn''t know why that was, and it certainly wasn''t polite to ask about it on their first meeting. At least Izumi seemed ecstatic that her daughter was safe.

    Of course, there were many of Reaver''s Requiem family members that either couldn''t come or couldn''t be found. The government agent, Kikouka Seijirou had said he couldn''t disclose personal details of the SAO victims or their families, which Kana very much agreed with, but she and Midori had asked him to pass along the message to them, with their number, inviting them to meet.

    Some had answered, some hadn''t. Overall, there were quite a few people at the Ogawa''s home today. Other than those already mentioned, there was also a tall foreign woman who was Merchant Warrior Agil''s wife. Her name was Trisha, and she owned a cafe together with her husband, and had already offered it as a meeting spot for another occasion.

    There was also Silica''s father, who had to leave as soon as the raid was over due to a business matter. So had Wolv''s girlfriend and baby daughter, mainly because the cute little girl was tired and the house was too noisy.

    Asuna''s father, a very polite man, had called earlier to say he couldn''t come this time, but looked forward to meeting them on another occasion.

    "That seems to me like a very... Interesting meeting over there. Wouldn''t you say so, Kana dear?"

    Miuchi gestured towards the open kitchen, separated from the living room only by a short countertop. Kana looked over and made a face. Her husband, Genji, was talking over beers with Indomitable Knight Nautilus'' father, a short and stout man. But the reason Kana grimaced was the third participant of the conversation: Songstress Yuna''s father.

    "Genji is a grown man, I''m sure he can deal with it."

    "Hahaha... It must be very awkward for him. For both of them, actually, and the poor father of Nautilus, who got dragged into it."

    "Yeah, well... It''s not often that you meet the father of your daughter-in-law without meeting the girl in question first."

    That had all three other women laughing, and Kana joined in after a second. The circumstances through which they came to meet weren''t the best, but it was nice to have new friends. It was really a pity the family members of some of the Reavers hadn''t answered. They were Ran, Yuuki, Merida, and Shigio''s relatives.

    And Kizmel''s, but she was a special case.

 Chapter 116 - Expanding the Guild

    It was a bright and sunny day on Aincrad''s 16th floor. Drifter was laying on the deck of Reaver''s Requiem ship - a much bigger one than their first, with three masts and giant square sails.

    He was enjoying a short snooze, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin. Feredir was serving as his pillow, though the wolf seemed more than happy with the role. Silica was also fast asleep on the furry pillow, and neither she nor Drifter knew, but the image was already making the rounds around the world. Yuna and the rest of the Reavers certainly seemed to find it cute.

    Their ship was anchored on Maclanta''s port, which was why Drifter let his guard down enough to take a nap. As for the reason why they were still here instead of out in the wilderness - or ocean, in this case - was because they had a meeting, and also because Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and Nautilus were in the process of procuring a map. Not a floor map, but the kind that had a big ''X'' that said where the treasure was.

    From what Argo had found out in the short time she had, the major gimmick of this floor was treasure hunting. Apparently, other than material rewards, that was also how they had to acquire information about the floor boss. The little rat had already promised to sell them the intel with her ''kinda family'' discount.

    "Waa..."

    Drifter felt something poking into his side in his sleep, and opened his eyes while yawning and stretching. Sitting up, he saw Yuna mischievously grinning.

    "Why did you wake me up, songbird? I was having a pleasant dream."

    Yuna smiled wider at the nickname, and crouched to hug him. Drifter''s arm naturally wrapped around her waist, dragging her down next to him, and he pecked her cheek.

    "You did look like you were comfortable, Drif, but it''s almost time for the meeting with the Black Cats. Kirito messaged saying we should meet them back at the inn."

    "Right, there was that. Afternoon naps make me feel like it''s already tomorrow."

    Blinking away the last of his drowsiness, Drifter got up, pulling Yuna with him. He looked around, cracking his neck. The others were scattered around the ship, most looking like they had followed his example. He didn''t blame them, the sun was very sleep-inducing.

    "Mmmm... What time is it?"

    Feredir had woken up when Drifter did, and the wolf in turn woke up Silica by rubbing his muzzle against her face and licking her cheek. The girl was even more sleepy than Drifter, and her hair was sticking out wildly, making them all laugh.

    "Close to two, Silica. Come on, sit up. Your hair is a mess."

    Kizmel scratched Feredir behind the ears before procuring a comb and combing Silica''s hair. The young girl purred much like the animals she liked so much, closing her eyes to enjoy the pampering.

    "At times like this, SAO ain''t too bad."

    Sinon and Yuuki walked over. The couple - and they were one officially since of a few days ago - had been sitting intimately near the bow of the ship, just behind the figurehead - a harpy of some kind.

    Vallerk, Liz, Merida, Agil, Shigio, and Wolv also came from wherever they were napping or waiting. The Merchant Warrior waved his hands.

    "I don''t think this was what any of us were expecting when we bought the game, but it does make everything else more bearable."

    It took ten minutes for Kizmel to tame Silica''s hair and for everyone to get ready, mainly because they weren''t in a hurry. Otherwise, it would have taken a whole two seconds for them to jump into action, wild hair notwithstanding.

    Drifter rolled his eyes when Yuuki, Merida, and Agil jumped off the side of the ship onto the dock instead of walking down the plane like normal people.

    Scrolling through his HUD, the spearman saw a message from Kirito. It was the same Yuna had already relayed, so he simply sent an ''okay'' as acknowledgment.

    "You think the Black Cats will merge with us?"

    "That''s what today''s meeting is about, isn''t it? But yes. At least Keita seemed open to the idea, and I don''t see him taking that step without first discussing it with the others."

    "I think it''s a good thing. We need more people to gather mats and complete quests we can''t waste time on. The Black Cats wouldn''t necessarily be my first choice, but they should be good enough for a clearer group."

    "They will basically continue to act independently, no? Of course, some of us will go with them every now and again, but mostly it will still be just them. Like a subdivision of Reaver''s Requiem."

    "Pretty much. Keita will have to reign in Ducker and Tetsuo, but he already has to do that, so it''s not really that big of a difference."

    "You guys are getting ahead of yourselves. First of all, we have to see if they really want to be absorbed into Reaver''s Requiem. So far, all Keita said was that they were interested."

    "Ehh, that''s basically the same as saying they agree. Let''s be honest, there are very few disadvantages and a lotta benefits for them."

    Drifter shrugged at that, and the topic slowly veered away from the upcoming meeting. By the time they reached the inn, there was a heated debate going on about what would be the best mobs to have as pets if you could tame them. Yuuki was a fervent defender of the << Rock Crabs >> - for gods knows what reason - while Yuna was making very good points about the << Fluttering Butterflies >> of the 3rd floor. Silica ended the discussion by telling Feredir to lick anyone who didn''t agree he was the best pet.

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    "You guys seem to be having fun."

    "Shivata, Liten! You know how we are, chaos all around. But what about you two? Is it a date or is it a date?"

    The DKB vice-leader rolled his eyes and clapped Drifter''s back with his free hand. His other hand was holding Liten''s, who, despite having stopped hiding her gender and started openly dating Shivata, was still very shy.

    But they were all old friends, and quite quickly Merida, Yuna, and some others had pulled her into some girl talk Drifter and Shivata wisely wanted to stay far away from.

    "Yes, sir Broken Spear Drifter sir, we are on a date. What about you lot?"

    "About to interview some potential guild members."

    That got Shivata''s interest. Reaver''s Requiem was famous for being very selective of its members.

    "Frontliners?"

    Drifter shook his head.

    "Clearers. We basically need someone to split responsibilities."

    "Sensible. Reaver''s Requiem has always been a little odd, with the entirety of your guild being frontliners. Lind won''t ever say it, but he''s actually really envious of that. I think he wanted the Brigade to take over the Assault Team, but he has enough common sense to know it won''t happen."

    Drifter chuckled. Only Shivata would talk so freely about Reaver''s Requiem''s oddness in front of them, and about his guild leader behind his back. Still, the spearman felt compelled to defend his guild, even if they were just joking around.

    "We aren''t that strange. Fuurinkazan is also all frontliners, and the Legend Braves too, apart from Nezha."

    "Yeah, that just proves my point, Drifter. You know as well as I do that neither the Braves nor Fuurinkazan are what we would call sane, right?"

    "You could say the same about the entire Assault Team. I''m fairly sure everyone thinks all frontliners are crazy. Not that they are wrong."

    There was a short pause after Drifter finished speaking, before both men burst out laughing. The spearman patted Shivata''s arm when they stopped.

    "We should probably get going. It isn''t good manners to leave our prospective members waiting. Enjoy your date."

    "Thanks. Drinks Saturday are still up, right?"

    "Yup. I''ll bring all the usual crazies. See ya. Bye, Liten."

    "See you, Drifter, everyone. Good luck."

    Waving goodbye to the couple, the Reavers filled into the inn. Obviously, Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and Nautilus were already there - and Drifter noted with interest that the latter two were standing very close. Maybe Nautilus was finally making his move? Or it was just as possible that Ran would be the one to take the first step.

    The Moonlit Black Cats turned out to not have arrived yet, but they blustered through the door even before Drifter could greet his guild leader. They all seemed to be very excited, although the spearman could detect the undercurrent of nervousness in Sachi''s expression.

    Greetings were made and everyone took a seat or found a spot to stand on. Drifter could tell the Black Cats were clearly intimidated by having the entire Reaver''s Requiem guild in the same room as them, but they would have to become used to it if they were to join Reaver''s Requiem.

    "Relax, Keita. We don''t bite. Well, Feredir does, but only if you anger him."

    There were nervous chuckles and Asuna punched Drifter in the shoulder for making a bad joke as they sat to either side of Kirito, like the good vice-leaders they were. The spearman was unabashed, and Kirito rolled his eyes, then looked at Keita.

    "Drifter is being dumb, but he is right. Depending on how this goes we''ll either be in the same guild or not, but we''ll still be friends either way, so don''t get too nervous."

    It was so odd to hear that from Kirito of all people that the Reavers stared at their leader for a moment. Drifter grinned. They had all grown, Kirito more than most. The shy, introverted boy was now outspoken and carried an air of confidence. Of course, there were still times when he needed some support, but that was what Drifter was here for.

    "Instead of beating around the bush, let''s be upfront since everyone knows why we are here. Keita, we are interested in having the Black Cats join Reaver''s Requiem, first as a clearer group, which is kinda what you already do on your own. If any of you are interested in advancing to frontliners, we can see about it later, as accepting new members is a decision that must be taken by the Assault Team as a whole."

    Keita nodded, and Kirito launched into an explanation, with Asuna''s assistance, of what would his and his friends'' roles be if they entered Reaver''s Requiem. And also what would be the benefits, apart from simply belonging to the guild with the largest number of titled players in SAO.

    Meanwhile, Drifter was watching the Black Cats. As a result of a discussion that happened a long time ago, Drifter held the right to veto anyone he didn''t think would be a good fit for their guild - as long as he gave his reasons, of course. But he didn''t think that would be necessary here. Argo had already done a thorough background search on the Moonlit Black Cats - and that had been a costly but necessary job - and nothing bad had turned up.

    Not that he had expected it to happen. Anyone who spent more than 5 minutes with the Black Cats knew exactly what kind of people they were. Good friends in the real world, who only got closer in SAO. Drifter truly hoped they would become part of his growing family.

    Family. What a strange thing to have found in a game of death. But it was more true than anything, and the anchor that kept Drifter centered with everything that happened. Kirito, Asuna, Nautilus, Sinon, Kizmel, Argo, Silica, Vallerk, Ran, Yuuki, Merida, Liz, Agil, Wolv, Shigio. Drifter wasn''t sure what they were to him. Brothers and sisters and cousins and whatnot. Or something not nearly as specified. They were family, and that''s what mattered.

    And there was Yuna, of course, who was family too but in a different way.

    "If we merge with Reaver''s Requiem, would we be able to enlist Lisbeth''s services, Drifter? I... I believe me and my friends have what it takes to be clearers. Good clearers. One of the things holding us back is the difficulty of acquiring high-level equipment."

    Drifter''s mind snapped back to the conversation. That was the first thing Keita had said that he didn''t like hearing. He frowned at the younger man, and spoke when he saw Kirito''s troubled expression.

    "Liz has always been responsible for our equipment, and I''m sure she will be more than happy to forge for you too, Keita. After all, you will be Reavers just like us. Isn''t that right, Liz?"

    "Yup!"

    He glanced at the blacksmith, and she bobbed her head. Then the spearman turned back to Keita, who had an uneasy smile because he could feel the ''but''.

    "Of course, Liz can''t forge air, so you''ll have to source the materials. Liz''s << Blacksmithing >> proficiency is the highest in Aincrad, but it doesn''t mean she can just churn out top-tier weapons and armor. It always takes a lot of mats for her to forge a true masterpiece, as you would expect."

    He stared at Keita, and the man took the mild rebuke for what it was, lowering his eyes. Liz didn''t ask guild members to pay for what she forged, but they had to at least provide the materials.

    Asuna and Kirito took back over, and by then Drifter knew it was already a done deal. Despite the slight hiccup, not even 10 minutes later Keita was shaking Kirito''s hand and then, after a few steadying breaths, dissolving the Moonlit Black Cats.

    Five quick notifications popped up on Drifter''s menu saying that Keita, Ducker, Sachi, Sasamaru, and Tetsuo had joined Reaver''s Requiem.

    Drifter welcomed them all with a big smile.

 Chapter 117 - Loss

    How did you search for treasure in Sword Art Online? You followed the map, that was how. The dashed line led to the big, attention-catching ''X''. Then, you just had to dig the treasure and you were set. Simple as that.

    The problem with that plan was how many things were trying to kill you along the way. First flocks of seagull-like monsters that dive-bombed you, and humongous crabs that climbed aboard your ship and used their wickedly sharp pincers better than most clearers could wield a sword. And that wasn''t mentioning the << Underwater Treants >> and << Crystal Octopuses >> that grabbed the boat from underneath and held it in place and damaged it until someone jumped overboard to cut off their limbs and free the ship.

    And when you finally completed your sea voyage, amongst all those perils, and landed on an island or half-submerged structure, you realized you weren''t even close to finishing your adventure yet.

    This floor had to have the largest variety of mobs Drifter ever saw. He counted four different types just on the ocean, and half as many again on land.

    But the monsters weren''t the worst part. Mobs you killed and were done with it. But each island was also filled to the brim with traps. From the simplest pitfalls and poisoned darts, to logic puzzles that tried to fry you with electricity if you didn''t give the right answer or complete them fast enough.

    The Reavers had just met one such puzzle, and Drifter spun his spear to parry an arc of lightning. A metal spear wasn''t the best counter to the trap, but he had already discovered through painful experience that it was worse to let the electricity hit him directly.

    "Three tiles to the left, Sasamaru. The one with the leaf-like emblem."

    Sinon''s keen eyes found the key to disarming the trap, but instead of simply shooting an arrow at it, she guided Sasamaru to strike it with his spear. After all, this was the perfect place to train their new members.

    It took two tries, mainly because Drifter let a lightning ray slip past his guard, so Kirito had to jump in front of Sasamaru to protect him. But the spearman - and it might be time to start calling Drifter a spearmaster, just because now he wasn''t the only spear-user in Reaver''s Requiem - finally manages to hit the emblem, deactivating the trap.

    "Sorry about that, Sasamaru. Those things are trickier to catch than they look."

    "A-Ah, no worries!"

    The former Moonlit Black Cats were having a bit of a hard time adjusting to Reaver''s Requiem''s rhythm. It wasn''t unexpected, as there was a large gulf between clearers and frontliners, not necessarily in skill - although that too - but in mentality.

    "Oh? That one is mine."

    Drifter was about to speak up and give tips in spear-handling to Sasamaru when he spotted a new type of monster spawning not far away. His eyes lit up, and a grin stretched his face.

    Without waiting for the others to answer, the spearmaster dashes forward to meet the new mob. It was a humanoid creature, which looked like a skeleton, but covered in flowing sand. Its name was << Cursed Death Scavenger >>, but more than the mob itself, what piqued Drifter''s curiosity was the weapon it was wielding.

    The older Reavers rolled their eyes when they saw Drifter clashing directly with the mob, spear against spear. Asuna pushed Sasamaru and Sachi forward.

    "Pay attention, you two. The next one of this mob that spawns is yours."

    "Huh?!"

    The two spear-users had their eyes open wide, not understanding why the fencer was putting them on the spot like that. Asuna just shrugged, and it was Nautilus who explained what was happening.

    "Drifter doesn''t have many quirks, but this is one of them. Whenever we fight against a spear-wielding mob, he insists on facing it alone."

    "I would say it''s one-third a challenge, one-third to prove himself, and one-third to learn. Well, dueling humanoid mobs like this is also good training in itself, I would say. They have a lot more HP than a player, and can also use skills."

    "We won''t be putting you against one alone right at the start, though, so don''t worry. You can face the next one together, and you just need to call out if you need help."

    "You too, Keita. You use a staff, but it''s still broadly in the same category. You will be on your own, though."

    "Waah?! Why me?!"

    Seeing the evil smirk on Yuna''s and some of the others'' faces, Keita realized that his new guild could be petty sometimes. Still, he dutifully turned to watch Drifter.

    The spearmaster was really going at it, and it was clear to anyone who was the more skilled one between him and the << Cursed Death Scavenger >>.

    "This... Why does the mob feel so pitiful?"

    "Putting a simple AI against Drifter... It''s just outright bullying by this point."

    Ducker, Tetsuo, and the others commented while they watched Drifter once again dodge an attack by moving his head just a little to the side, and at the same time counterattacking with a jab that pierced right through the mob''s neck. Sachi''s eyes opened wide in surprise.

    "I-I wasn''t sure before, but he is dodging before the mob even launches the attack, isn''t he? How is he doing that?"

    The founding Reavers beamed proudly, and Yuna grabbed Sachi''s arm.

    "You''ve got good eyes, Sachi. You are right, he is reading their moves and acting before they can. That''s why we told you to watch carefully. This is SAO''s best spear-user. Broken Spear Drifter."

    "When it comes to spears, no one beats Drifter. Not players and not mobs. Spear arts are so deeply ingrained into his bones that he knows what you are going to do before you do. In one-on-one fights like this, it''s rare to have a mob touch Drifter even once."

    "Watch his eyes."

    It wasn''t quite that simple, because Drifter kept moving, and fast. But once they did manage to focus on his face, Sachi, Sasamaru, and Keita followed his gaze, and realized what was different.

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    First of all, Drifter''s gaze rarely stopped in one place. It kept flickering from the << Cursed Death Scavenger''s >> hands, to his wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, torso, waist, face, legs, feet. Basically its whole body, one part at a time. Just a fraction of a second on each, almost imperceptible.

    Secondly, the one spot Drifter''s eyes spent the least time on was the mob''s spear. Which at first seemed counterintuitive to Sachi, since the weapon was what you had to watch out the most for, right? She certainly never took her eyes off the enemy''s weapon when she fought.

    But then Sachi realized that Drifter didn''t need to watch the mob''s spear all the time. He already knew what was coming and where the strike would land, because he could ''see'' the mob as a whole.

    "Is he... Predicting the scavenger''s attacks? By seeing how it moves its body?"

    "Nothing so logical. Like we said, no one knows spears better than Drifter. It''s instinctive. And it''s also why Drifter can''t do the same with swords or axes or daggers. Even against a staff-wielding enemy it would be difficult, Keita, because despite being in the same category, the range of attacks is different."

    "And it''s only against mobs that Drif can make it look that easy. Their patterns are set, after all. It''s much harder against a player who can think freely."

    Just in time to hear Nautilus'' remark, Drifter finished the fight with a fake Snake Bite. He hadn''t used any skills during the battle, only replications of them. The spearmaster turned to his ash-haired friend and spoke with an overly sweet voice.

    "Aww! Thanks, Naut! I really appreciate the vote of confidence."

    The titled player, Indomitable Knight Nautilus, did the very mature thing and gagged. Drifter laughed loudly.

    "Seriously though, don''t let him talk me up too much, Keita. Any of us could do what I just did. You will too someday. Just gotta train hard."

    The staff-user''s eyes trembled before he took a deep breath, and conviction filled them. Drifter grinned. That was it. Keita had just changed from a promising clearer to frontliner material.

    "Now, shall we see what the treasure is?"

    "Let''s!"

    The easily excitable Yuuki and Silica led the charge, and thoroughly dismantled the handful of << Cursed Death Scavengers >> that popped up along the way. Drifter grinned at the duo, and continued to teach the new Reavers.

    ...

    The treasure turned out to be another map. Or, at least, part of one. They needed 3 other pieces before gathering a complete map, which would lead them to the entrance of the labyrinth.

    "Hmm. I''m sending this to Argo, and I''ll get her to see if any of the other guilds have the corresponding pieces. The faster we complete the map and beat this floor the better. Any complaints?"

    The Black Swordsman looked at his guildmates, who all shook their heads. If this was a normal game, then they would keep the map to themselves, since the other guilds would be their rivals. But this was SAO.

    "Alright then. Onwards to the next spot."

    "That gothic-looking building we saw from Maclanta? I think the Legend Braves are there already. Orlando argued with Kibaou for first exploration rights."

    Drifter opened his HUD and checked his last messages with the boisterous guild leader. Orlando insisted that the others called him by his title - Hero - which meant that, obviously, nobody ever did, if only to see him sulking.

    "I don''t think he will mind if it''s us, but the drops are theirs by default. We just need the map, if there''s even one there. Actually, it would be even better if they already found it, and it''s a different piece than ours."

    "Sure. Can I take a look at that, Kirito?"

    Kirito shrugged and passed the piece of parchment. Drifter took it, but put it back in the guild inventory a moment later. The entire thing was a foggy, blurry mess of scribbles. Only if they joined all four pieces would the map reveal itself. The spearmaster scratched his head.

    "The entrance to the tower, huh? I hope this floor boss isn''t like Wythege or whatever it was called. That was not a fun fight."

    Drifter unconsciously rubbed his right shoulder, where the 4th floor boss had ripped off his arm. There was no pain, not now and not back then, but it had been extremely disconcerting.

    A small hand grabbed his, and Drifter smiled at Yuna, his bad thoughts vanishing at the sight of his girlfriend.

    "We might want to pass by Maclanta first, Kirito. Those traps did a number on our equipment, and we also wasted quite a few << Paralysis Heals >>. Plus, the city is on our path anyway."

    Agil pointed out, and the black-haired swordsman nodded. They had plenty of potions and crystals, but it was a habit for frontliners to always restock when they had the chance. You never knew when you were going to get locked into a long fight.

    Liz also nodded her assent and added her thoughts to the discussion while fiddling with her menu.

    "I have my anvil, but the repairs will be better if we use a proper forge. I hope there''s something like a portable furnace on the later floors."

    "We can always dream. Maclanta it is, then. Anyone who needs repairs goes with Liz. Agil, Wolv, you are in charge of supplies."

    "Roger that, boss."

    Reaver''s Requiem went back to their ship, and the trip back to Maclanta was uneventful - in the sense that nothing more than normal mobs appeared. Drifter knew that at some point << Teleport Crystals >> would become mainstream, but he hoped that time arrived sooner rather than later. It would save a lot of time.

    It was forty-five minutes later that they docked at Maclanta''s port. Feeling mischievous, Drifter sneaked up on Yuna, then lifted her in a princess-carry, and jumped over the side of the boat.

    "Aaahhhhh!"

    The fall was of less than 3 meters, but Yuna screamed for a good 10 seconds after they landed, just out of fright at being suddenly picked up. Her arms shot up to grab Drifter''s neck, and refused to let go.

    "Hahahahaha!"

    "Hehehe... What a set of lungs, Yuna. Haha!"

    It was only when everyone burst out laughing, including Drifter, who was still holding her, that the songstress realized she had been the target of a prank by her boyfriend.

    "Hahaha... Ouch! Ah, I''m sorry, Yun''! Hahahaha! Pl-Please stop biting me! Hahaha..."

    Her face burning, Yuna refused to look at anyone, and wiggled out of Drifter''s hold before grabbing his arm and biting it. It didn''t hurt, but he acted like it did to placate the angry girl.

    "Don''t do that again..."

    "Hah... I won''t, I won''t. It was just too good of a chance to pass up. I promise I won''t do it again. I love you, my songbird."

    "Love you too."

    When she eventually relaxed the hold of her teeth on his arm, Yuna immediately buried her face in Drifter''s chest and mumbled. Drifter embraced her and ran his fingers through her hair, whispering in her ear. Yuna flushed even more, if that was even possible.

    "Should we give you two some private time? We can come back here in, say, half an hour? If you think that''s enough."

    "Imma kick you, Agil."

    "Hahahaha!"

    The couple didn''t need to respond to the teasing, as Asuna made good on her promise and went over to shut up Agil the violent way. It sure was a sight, watching a petite young girl chasing a giant of a man around the pier.

    Everyone laughed again, and even Keita and the others joined in. That the older Reavers could play and joke around so easily lessened the pressure they were feeling from joining such a top-rate guild. Drifter smiled at that, still comforting Yuna.

    "Ugh..."

    The moment was interrupted by a soft groan, which was almost lost amidst the laughter. Drifter started to turn his head. The sound that came next halted everything completely.

    It was a terribly familiar sound. One every player had heard at least once. That every Reaver had heard multiple times. Too many to forget. The sound of glass shattering. Of a life being lost.

    "Merida?"

    Drifter had frozen in his tracks, but Yuuki''s pained whisper restarted his brain. He let go of Yuna, and whipped his head around. Kirito, Asuna, Agil, Wolv, Shigio, Silica, Vallerk, Keita and his friends, were all in front of him. Nautilus, Kizmel, Sinon, Yuuki, Ran, and Merida had been behind him.

    Nautilus and Ran were still there, eyes wide in the horror of having witnessed something Drifter didn''t. There was Kizmel, frozen mid-patting of Feredir. Sinon and Yuuki, with their hands covering their mouths.

    And Merida... Wasn''t there. Where the blue-haired, cheerful girl had been standing, now there were only flickering shards.

 Chapter 118 - The Sleeping Knights

    "Merida?"

    Someone whispered the girl''s name again. Ran this time. But now even the shards were vanishing, and all of Reaver''s Requiem was frozen in horror.

    Memories of the blue-haired player replayed in Drifter''s mind. From their first meeting back on the 4th floor, to all the adventures they went through together. Floor boss battles, the deadly fight against the final boss of the << Elf War >> campaign.

    He had known the broadsword-user for less than a year, but Merida had been a constant in his life for all that time. Another cheerful, happy-go-lucky little sister. In retrospect, she had been very quiet and subdued these last few days. Drifter should have noticed something was wrong.

    "Wh-What happened?"

    "Merida... She can''t be... She can''t..."

    "We are in a safe zone! Why?!"

    "No... Please no! Not again!"

    "Merida!"

    Even when watching << Kagachi the Samurai Lord >> tear apart the Assault Team, the Reavers hadn''t been as shaken as they were now.

    Fragile.

    Drifter could see in their faces the same fear he was sure was reflected in his. The attempts to deny the truth, and the immediate realization that it was useless. There was only one reason why a player would shatter and disappear. And that was death.

    Merida was dead.

    Drifter could feel his heart beating painfully in his chest. Merida was dead. She was a frontliner, no monster or player could have one-shotted her without any of them noticing. Merida was dead. They were in a safe zone. Merida was dead. How had she died? Merida was dead. Why... Merida was dead.

    Merida was dead Merida was dead Merida was deadMeridawasdeadmeridawasdeadmeridawasdead...

    Why?!

    Drifter dragged his gaze from the empty air in front of him and looked at his family. He saw Keita, Sachi, and the three new Reavers, shocked and confused. Kirito, wide-eyed and already grieving. Silica, holding onto Vallerk as if both would fall if the other wasn''t there.

    Ran and Yuuki... They were crying. But Drifter saw something in their faces. As if they weren''t surprised. As if Merida''s death hadn''t been a shock, even if it was sudden. As if they had been expecting it, only not now.

    Drifter looked at Yuna, whose eyes were beginning to water as she processed what happened. He touched her shoulder, and she turned to him, tears beginning to fall. His voice croaked with his own suppressed emotions.

    "The Monument..."

    That was all he managed to get out before he took off in a dead sprint. Drifter ran through the streets of Maclanta, dodging players and NPCs, until he reached the teleporter. Ignoring everyone shouting and complaining, he shoved people out of the way and pushed his way through to the head of the line.

    "Town of Beginnings!"

    A blue flash and three seconds of weightlessness later, and he was on the 1st floor. Drifter hadn''t stopped running. His eyes were focused on something he couldn''t see, and he didn''t notice the person watching the teleporter from under the eaves of a building.

    Drifter was a clearer and a frontliner. His level was the highest it could be in SAO, his stats were overwhelmingly higher than normal players, and his equipment was crafted by Aincrad''s best blacksmith. He blitzed through the streets of the Town of Beginnings so fast that most of the low-level players barely saw a blur.

    He arrived at the plaza that held the << Monument of Life >> and halted unconsciously. Even after being here a dozen times, the imposing black slate still took his breath away, and not in a good sense. All the crossed names were an invisible pressure crushing him.

    But Drifter didn''t have time to think about it now. He hesitated only for a moment, before running down the << Monument of Life''s >> length until he found the name he was looking for. It was crossed.

    Merida. June 12th. Forced disconnection.

    "Haa... Haa... Merida..."

    That had been his worst fear. More than some player finding out how to kill people inside a safe zone.

    "We are damned."

    Drifter knelt, starting to lose his cool. Merida had been forcefully disconnected. Someone outside had pulled the NerveGear off her head.

    Those in the real world had given up on the SAO players. They were starting to pull the plug. Merida was the first. Who would be next?

    "So that was why. I''m sorry, Drifter."

    Someone walked up to him and softly put their hand on his shoulder. Drifter didn''t even hear their steps. But he recognized the voice.

    Getting up, Drifter took a deep breath and schooled his expression. He rubbed his eyes with his forearm. He wasn''t crying - yet.

    Turning around, the spearmaster beheld the black-clad figure of Akari. This was actually the first time he saw her during the day, but the clothes she wore and the way she held herself still left just as little clues as to her identity as when he saw her before. The bump in her chest gave away her gender - and yes, that was something Drifter hadn''t yet confirmed about her, that was how secretive Akari was. Her dark eyes still stared straight through him.

    "How are you here, Akari?"

    Despite only having talked face-to-face twice, Drifter had a lot of respect for Akari, and some amount of wariness. Akari had been instrumental in allowing Drifter to kill Morte. On the other hand, she had helped him kill Morte. The cosplayer was on their side, no doubt, but she was someone Drifter couldn''t fully read.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    But Akari wasn''t role-playing today. And Drifter could see her emotions plain as day through her eyes.

    "I have someone watching the teleporter of all major cities. They saw you rushing out of Maclanta and into the Town of Beginnings. Figuring out where you were going wasn''t that hard. There''s really no other place on the 1st floor that someone would come to in such panic."

    The ninja was choosing her words carefully. Drifter appreciated that. Glancing at Merida''s name on the << Monument of Life >>, the spearmaster sighed.

    "Give me a second, Akari. I need to let everyone else know."

    The woman nodded. Drifter swept a finger and opened his HUD.

    [ Drifter: Merida''s gone. Someone outside pulled the plug. ]

    It took a while for Kirito to answer, although he saw the message almost immediately. Yuna must have let him know where Drifter was going. And when the swordsman replied, it wasn''t what Drifter was expecting.

    [ Kirito: Got it. And... Maybe not. Come to the 9th floor. Lyusula. ]

    Drifter frowned. Reaver''s Requiem had a history with Lyusula. It was a familiar place. As close to home as anywhere else they had in Aincrad. It made sense that Kirito had led the guild away from the 16th floor. They couldn''t continue exploring today.

    [ Kirito: Come quickly, Drifter. Bring Argo. Ran and Yuuki say they have something to tell us. But they are not in a good way. Not good at all. ]

    [ Drifter: On my way. ]

    Ran and Yuuki were twins, but Merida was like their third sibling. The broadsword-user herself had called them sisters many times. They had known each other for a long time out of Sword Art Online. Obviously, Merida''s loss would affect them even more than the others.

    [ Drifter: Merida is dead. We are meeting in Lyusula. ]

    Argo wasn''t someone to whom he needed to sugar-coat bad news. Quickly sketching the message and sending it, Drifter looked up again. Akari was still there. He gave her a sad smile.

    "Thanks for coming here. It hit me harder than I expected."

    "If it had been on the battlefield..."

    "It is what it is, Akari. I have to go. The others... Hah. We just recruited some new people too."

    The spearman started walking away, shoulders hunched. Drifter wasn''t running anymore. He didn''t have the energy. And truthfully, he didn''t know how to face his friends. Especially Yuuki and Ran. Akari was right. If it had been in a floor boss raid or something like that, Merida''s death wouldn''t be so hard to accept. But the way she died was so... Pointless. Out of their control.

    Just before rounding the corner, Drifter turned his head one last time. Akari was gone, but he was sure she was still around. She went with him to hunt Morte, she wasn''t the type of person who would just leave like that after coming to comfort him. He spoke, believing she was listening.

    "Keep in touch, Akari. I would hate to find out from..."

    He looked at the stoic << Monument of Life >>. From the shadows, Akari nodded unseen.

    ...

    He ran into Argo on Lyusula. The info-broker was waiting for him on a bench, clearly frazzled, and jumped up as soon as he walked out of the teleporter.

    "Merida is dead? Where? How?"

    Checking the location of Kirito and the others on his map, Drifter started walking at a brisk pace, Argo almost sprinting to keep up with her shorter legs.

    "It was in Maclanta. She just died. I think... I might have heard a groan, and then Yuuki called out. I turned, and she was gone. I just came back from the Monument. She was disconnected."

    Argo froze, her eyes wide. Drifter sighed, and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

    "Come on, little rat. They are waiting."

    "Yuuki-chan and Ran-chan..."

    "Kirito said they are taking it hard. But also that they have something to tell us."

    Argo allowed herself to be dragged, and Drifter was glad for her presence. It was easier for him to control his emotions if he had to care for someone.

    "They are here?"

    "Yeah... I guess they needed to relax."

    Drifter and Argo stopped in front of the hot spring building the Reavers had gone to, what seemed like a lifetime ago. He was puzzled at first, but then realized this was better than moping around in their rooms and crying themselves to sleep - which was what most of them would do if they went to the inn.

    They found Reaver''s Requiem already submerged in the hot water. Unlike the last time they came here, the cheerful mood was nowhere to be found. Sorrow hung over their heads like a shroud.

    Keita, Sachi, Sasamaru, Ducker, and Tetsuo were in one corner, unusually silent. From their faces it was clear that they were still feeling lost. Maybe this was the first time they saw someone die personally, and it was even someone they knew, even if they weren''t close.

    Agil, Wolv, and Shigio were together too, submerged up to their necks. The Merchant Warrior gave Drifter and Argo a tight nod when they entered. Vallerk and Liz were close by, with Kizmel sitting between them, Silica on her lap, the young girl''s back resting on the dark elf''s chest. Silica had her eyes closed, but Drifter could see she had been crying. She probably fell asleep from emotional exhaustion. Feredir was outside of the hot springs, but still within arm''s reach of its master.

    Kirito and Asuna were sitting together, the fencer leaning heavily on the swordsman''s side. Both appeared to be deep in thought, and Drifter saw the worry in their eyes when they glanced at him. Argo went to join them after wrapping her body in a towel, and gave Asuna a gentle hug. She whispered something to the couple, and they nodded.

    It were the last four Reavers that weighed the most in Drifter''s mind as he slipped next to Yuna, pulling the Songstress close to him and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

    Yuuki and Ran were right in front of him, but their eyes were unfocused. They didn''t notice Drifter or Argo entering the water. It was only when Sinon and Nautilus, who were almost wrapping the two girls in a four-way hug, shook them that the sisters looked up and met Drifter''s eyes.

    He had nothing to say to them that they hadn''t heard already. Merida''s loss would hurt for a while. There was nothing any of them could do about it other than being here for each other.

    "Kirito said... Merida''s cause of death is a forced logout on the << Monument of Life >>, right?"

    Ran''s words came out in a coarse, pained murmur. Drifter nodded.

    "Yes. Forced disconnection."

    The purple-haired girl shook her head and straightened her back, still holding Nautilus'' hand in a death grip.

    "That''s wrong. Merida died because she was sick. She should have told you sooner. We should have told you sooner."

    Drifter''s eyes widened. He didn''t know if that was better or worse than thinking that someone pulled the NerveGear off their friend''s head.

    "Wh-What... What did she have?"

    "A brain tumor."

    Yuuki answered. Asuna, Yuna, and several others gasped in horror. Drifter closed his eyes. So that was why Merida was feeling down these past few days. She must have felt it coming. But even Ran and Yuuki hadn''t noticed anything wrong until it was too late. The blue-haired girl must have made an effort to behave normally. She probably didn''t want to spend her last days surrounded by pity.

    That last thought connected to something else in Drifter''s brain. Ran and Yuuki were sad Merida had passed away. Heartbroken, even. But they hadn''t been surprised. Which was normal. They had been friends for many years, from what they said. They knew Merida was sick and that it was fatal. But what if...

    "Ran. Yuuki. Was Merida the only one? Or are you two sick as well?"

    More gasps. Drifter stared hard at the sisters, and saw that flash of unwillingness he knew too well.

    "Brain tumors aren''t contagious, Drifter."

    Yuuki stuttered and Ran tried to play it off - badly. The fake smirk with trembling lips fooled no one, and Yuna''s grip on his arm was almost painful now. Silica, Asuna, and Nautilus blinked away tears. The rest were just stunned.

    "Yuuki-chan... Ran-chan..."

    Argo wadded through the water to grab the twins into a bone-crushing hug. Ran held her at arm''s length. She was smiling now, but there was no mirth in her eyes.

    "Like I said, we should have told you. We were just afraid of what you would say. And there was really nothing anyone could do."

    She shook her head. Yuuki reached over to hold her sister''s hand.

    "Yes, Drifter. We are sick, both of us. We have AIDS."

    Silence. It didn''t sound quite as lethal as Merida''s brain tumor, but from the way Ran spoke, it was clear it was just as terminal.

    Drifter covered his eyes with his hand, and sighed. Today was just not a good day.

 Chapter 119 - The Sleeping Knights (2)

    Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS. It was a disease that was rarely lethal by itself. Just a slight fever during the initial infection, and then nothing for a long time, in most cases. Years at a time, with the patient none the wiser. And all this while, the virus was destroying your immune system.

    What killed an AIDS-afflicted patient were other diseases. Opportunistic infections, cancer. The kind of diseases that you either wouldn''t get normally, or could fight off easily. But because your immune system was in shambles, even a simple cold could be fatal.

    And Ran and Yuuki had AIDS. It probably wasn''t a coincidence that both twins suffered from it. They had probably contracted it from their mother. When they were still in the womb, during childbirth, or breastfeeding. Whatever it was, it was early on, which meant Ran and Yuuki had been living with the disease for 14 years.

    Drifter was no expert, but he knew that was an abnormally long time for someone born with AIDS to survive. He remembered seeing in one of the many AIDS prevention campaigns that the mortality rate for children afflicted with AIDS below 2 years old was more than 50%. And that was only if they received the best antiviral treatments from early on. Those who didn''t get treatment didn''t make it that far.

    Raising his head, Drifter looked around. Most of the Reavers were looking lost and hurt. Some probably knew better what the disease was, others just the basics. The majority of them, Drifter included, were too young to remember a time when AIDS and HIV weren''t at least somewhat controlled in Japan. Agil''s face showed he knew just how scary the disease was.

    "Shit, Ran, Yuuki. I''m sorry. When were you...?"

    "Infected?"

    "...Yeah."

    Maybe it was insensitive of Agil to ask such a straightforward question. Rude, even. But the twins looked open to answer. Almost eager. Just like Merida, they didn''t want pity. Probably had received enough of that in the real world already.

    Ran smiled ruefully. The shock of losing Merida was washing away. Even if it was by replacing it with a topic just as grim.

    "The day we were born. There was a complication, and they had to do a cesarean to get me and Yuuki out. More things went wrong, and they had to do a blood transfusion. It was contaminated with HIV."

    "Fuck, I thought this kind of thing was dealt with after that scandal in the eighties. We heard about it even back in the US."

    Agil rubbed his face. Drifter vaguely remembered studying this in school, but it was one of those topics that the teachers didn''t spend a lot of time on, since it was a black mark in the country''s history.

    It was before knowledge about HIV, it''s transmission methods and prevention became mainstream. Lots of hemophiliac patients had contracted AIDS due to contaminated blood, and, in the late 80s, filed a massive lawsuit against the government. Apparently it had been a topic even in international media, if Agil heard of it before he came to Japan.

    Ran and Yuuki were too young for that, obviously, but the same thing had happened to them. Poor girls.

    "How bad is it?"

    Again, the same smile. The curl of the lips of someone who was resigned to their fate.

    "We can''t move. Pretty much the only part of us that''s still functional is our brains. That''s why we turned to virtual reality. It''s the only place we can do anything. Live."

    No one said anything. They just stared at Ran, but the older twin simply smiled, and Yuuki took over. At some moment Sinon had pulled the younger girl to her lap, and now had her head buried in Yuuki''s back. If she was crying, nobody mentioned it.

    "FullDive technology was a blessing for us. The first game we played was called Serene Garden. More than a game, it was a meeting place for people in the same situation as us. Not necessarily HIV-positive, but terminally ill patients."

    "SereGa was meant to be a virtual hospice, and there were always caretakers and we had to be careful of strenuous activities - even if it was VR - but for us who hadn''t been able to go outside since we were born, and who hadn''t been able to leave the bed since we were 8, it was paradise. We could talk to other people, our bodies didn''t hurt all the time, and we could meet our families without it having to be through a window so they didn''t hurt us by mistake. We couldn''t experience the real world on our own, so virtual reality became our real world."

    "It was also where we met Merida! And also a lot of other people. We were even thinking of forming a guild. The Sleeping Knights. Because we never left the bed, haha!"

    The sisters took turns speaking, and it hurt to hear them. Because no matter how cheerful they tried to sound, the undercurrent of sadness was too strong.

    "Merida wasn''t the first friend you lost, was she?"

    Surprising everyone, even herself, Sachi was the one who spoke. The girl was mortified when she realized it, and opened her mouth to speak again... Then stopped. Somehow, apologizing seemed wrong. Ran nodded gratefully.

    "Sometimes people would log out of Serene Garden, and just never come back. Some of them moved elsewhere to get treatment, some just didn''t like virtual reality. And some died."

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    She was so casual about it. She sounded exactly like a frontliner. Only, she had been fighting a battle bigger than SAO, and for much longer. Nautilus gave up all pretenses and hugged Ran.

    "How did you come to Sword Art Online from this Serene Garden?"

    "We call it SereGa for short. And we played a bunch of games. Really, anything we could convince the doctors to let us try. There was an ancient kingdoms one where we were generals. Oh, and that weird one where we were bugs, remember, sis?"

    "Urgh... I didn''t want to, Yuuki. Playing that was the worst decision we ever made. Even more than SAO."

    "Aww! But you were the cutest caterpillar, Ran!"

    Drifter couldn''t help himself. He snorted, and then coughed, trying to hide his laughter. But the others were also struggling to hold it in when they imagined the stoic swordswoman that was Ran as a chubby purple caterpillar. Yuna looked green at the idea of a game all about bugs.

    Argo was the first to break. The info-broker broke out in mad giggles, and the dam burst. Maybe it was because all the tension bled out in a single moment, but it took much longer than it should have for the Reavers to get themselves under control.

    No one mentioned Merida''s death or the sisters'' illness again. In an unspoken agreement, they moved on to safer, happier topics.

    Of course, the notion that at any moment Ran or Yuuki could drop dead still hang over their heads. It wouldn''t ever go away. And it was bound to happen someday, they all knew it.

    There was no cure for AIDS. Clearly Ran and Yuuki were already receiving the best care they could in the real world. They certainly couldn''t do anything from inside the game. So they did as the SAO players had already learned: if you couldn''t control it, move on.

    Until a certain member of the Reavers whom they had all forgotten about raised her hand. Kizmel tilted her head.

    "What''s this ''real world'' you were talking about?"

    --------------------------

    Kayaba turned away from what was certain to be a very interesting discussion. Cardinal was recording everything, and he would go through it later. For sure, he did not envy the Reavers who had to explain to the dark elf Kizmel, the former NPC and now an unclassified mix of a player and virtual entity, what the real world was, or that Aincrad was simply a virtual creation, and that she wasn''t ''real''. Except of course she was real.

    Good luck to them. They should have been more careful when talking in front of her if they didn''t want to go down that path.

    For now, Kayaba had bigger worries. The internet was in a frenzy following Merida''s death. Drifter''s trip to the << Monument of Life >> and the subsequent discovery of how the girl perished had many around the world clamoring to know who had pulled the NerveGear off her head.

    The true cause of Merida''s death and the sisters Ran and Yuuki''s disease was still a secret. For obvious reasons, the hot spring was considered a private location, so the transmissions had cut off when they entered the building.

    The netizens were left hanging, and they didn''t like that. Kayaba couldn''t care less. What he did care about was that one of his players had died due to external influences. That had been acceptable on the first day of SAO, when the world didn''t know the rules yet. Now it wasn''t.

    "Cardinal, I want a thorough research of the background of every player. All of them. If there are any others in similar situations to players Ran and Yuuki, where they could die for reasons outside of Sword Art Online, I want to know immediately."

    "Understood, sir."

    The system answered, but Kayaba was already getting up. He walked around the neatly organized room, opened the door, and climbed the stairs.

    This was the first time in weeks that he paused his 24/7 overarching of Sword Art Online. The first time in weeks he left the room. The light hurt his eyes.

    "Aki? Is this... No, it''s still early, isn''t it? They just got to floor 16."

    The scientist looked up. A petite woman was sitting on a couch, nursing a cup of coffee. She had short, straight black hair, and was in her mid-twenties.

    Koujiro Rinko. The only one who stood by him despite everything. His lover, who held his hand even through all his selfish pursuits.

    Kayaba kept the same blank expression he always had. He didn''t know how to smile.

    "Rinko. How are the Medicuboid prototypes coming along?"

    Short and straight to the point, that was Akihiko Kayaba. Her lover had never put any pretenses, and Rinko was used to it, and she loved him anyway. Despite everything he did. She knew he was wrong, a monster, and that she was the same for aiding him. But he needed her, more desperately than he would ever know.

    "Well... We are nearing the end of the first testing phase. We''ll need to get in touch with hospitals soon to enter the practical testing phase."

    "Do it soon."

    "Got it. But why the hurry now? Shouldn''t you be getting ready to enter SAO soon? There are only 4 more floors."

    "Cardinal will take care of everything. And a player just died due to health issues. A brain tumor. There are at least two more. Cardinal will fill you in on the details. No external factors are allowed to influence SAO."

    Only Kayaba would have the gall to talk about terminal diseases as if they were something he could look down upon and squash under his feet.

    Rinko just nodded. She knew Kayaba hated lengthy talks when he could avoid it by delegating to his AI. Furthermore, Sword Art Online was Kayaba''s project, the Medicuboid was hers. Rinko was the more interested party in this development, so of course it was up to her to chase after it.

    "I''ll contact them using the foundation, your name won''t be mentioned. That probably wouldn''t go very well at the moment. But Aki, you know the Medicuboid is still being developed, there are a lot of things I have to fix before it''s done. And even then, it can''t stop death, only delay it while making it less agonizing."

    Rinko spoke, already procuring a tablet to search for news about the dead player. Cardinal had a whole document ready and already delivered to her, but Merida''s death was first-page news around the world, even if the details were obscured.

    There were plenty of theories being flung around, some close to the truth, while others couldn''t be further. Kayaba featured in quite a few, which said he had disconnected Merida himself for a myriad of reasons.

    When Rinko looked up again, Kayaba was already going back to his room. In response to her last statement, he lifted his hand and waved without looking back.

    "I''m already working on something."

    Simple like that. As if Kayaba just had to sit down, type a code, and stop the sick players from dying.

    The weirdest thing was, Rinko believed him. Because her lover was many things, but not a liar nor a quitter. If he said he was working on something, then he was. And he would continue trying until he made it work. He never gave up. That was one of the reasons she loved him.

 Chapter 120 - One-man Show

    A dark cloud hung over Reaver''s Requiem for the rest of the 16th floor. Jokes could only dodge the issue for so long, and even the awkwardness of explaining to Kizmel about the real and virtual world wasn''t enough to make them forget Merida''s death - nor it should.

    Even so, while they grieved the loss of one of their own, Reaver''s Requiem was out in the wilderness - or the ocean in this floor''s case - the next morning. Merida was dead, but SAO continued.

    One definite effect Merida''s death had on the players, other than the somber mood that reigned over them for a while, was how closely Sinon and Nautilus were sticking to the twins. They weren''t cuddling them all the time - only on occasion - but neither of them was ever too far from Yuuki and Ran.

    It wasn''t pity. The sisters didn''t want any of that, and the Reavers respected them too much to do so. But the reveal that there was a metaphorical blade hanging over their heads, which could drop at any moment, was possibly even harder to take in than Merida''s death.

    But like with anything, they got used to it. Humans had incredible adaptability. People lived in war zones and had their afternoon tea to the sounds of firearms and bombs. Frontliners saw people die, froze for a second, mourned for a day, then shook themselves and carried on.

    The disappearance of one of Reaver''s Requiem''s oldest and foremost players didn''t go unnoticed, and it didn''t take long for the other frontliner guilds to find out the reason. Fuurinkazan, the Legend Braves, Shivata, Liten, and many others offered their consolations, which the Reavers gracefully accepted, but declined to talk further.

    It was still in a bad mood that Reaver''s Requiem found themselves in front of the 16th floor''s boss room.

    Drifter was going to take out all his frustrations on the creature on the other side of the door. It chose the wrong floor to be the boss of.

    The spearmaster looked around. Reaver''s Requiem was the only guild with a reduced number of members. Not only had the frontliners not lost anyone else on this floor, but the Assault Team as a whole had swelled up to almost 130 players.

    The increase in numbers didn''t mean the standards had been lowered, however. If anything, the bar had been set higher than before. Merida had been an elite even amongst the Assault Team, and her loss reminded the recruiters just what exactly they needed to look for in prospective frontliners.

    Of course, getting another player on Merida''s level wasn''t just hard, but close to impossible. No one would say it out loud since it was bad for inter-guild relationships, but the broadsword-user had been worth 4 players on her own.

    Still, the new recruits could give the likes of Chuchulainn, Beowulf, Issin, Kunimittz, and the others from the Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan, except Kelin and Orlando, a run for their money. They were all accomplished clearers, most having moved up from sub-guilds to the main ALS and DKB groups.

    130 frontliners. Drifter doubted the Assault Team would ever get larger than that. At some point, too many people was just as bad as too few. Besides, players had mostly forgotten about the 10th floor disaster since it had been quite a few months, but the 20th floor was around the corner.

    That was another heavy weight on the leading frontliners'' minds. Drifter could see it behind Kirito and Asuna''s tired expressions when they talked about the future, on Yuna and Argo''s closed faces when they overheard some low-level player complaining the Assault Team was too slow.

    No later than the 19th floor, a meeting about floor 20 would have to be called. If Lind and Kibaou didn''t do it first, then Drifter would talk to Kirito about it. Strategy aside, the main thing they had to discuss about the 20th floor was what to do when - not if - someone died. What to do when frontliners were killed in the boss fight.

    "There''s smoke coming outta your ears, Drifter. What got you thinkin'' so hard?"

    A hand clapped him on the shoulder, and Drifter spun to face Shivata. The DKB fighter appeared relaxed, but the spearmaster easily spotted the tension underneath his calm exterior.

    "The 20th floor. My mind was just wandering. There ain''t much we can do about independent players other than warn them to be careful, but we need to come up with a way to prevent anyone from dying in the boss fight. And countermeasures if we fail to do that. But I hate having to imagine scenarios where people die."

    Shivata nodded, then shook his head. The idea of death wasn''t what made any frontliner lose their sleep. It was the image of a guildmate, friend, family, dying that did. And worse, coming up with scenarios where someone you cared about perished, and you had to ignore it and keep fighting.

    "Think about the boss in front of you now, Drifter. We can pull our hair about the 20th floor later. Don''t make a mistake because you are distracted."

    Despite everything, Drifter scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wouldn''t still be alive if he couldn''t compartmentalize and focus. Smacking Shivata on the tight with the shaft of his spear, he jerked his head at the doors.

    "Let''s sushi this fish."

    "That''s what I''m talking about."

    A smile found its way to Shivata''s hardened face, and Drifter''s own lips curled up in a grin. Someone had to climb Aincrad, and that someone was them. The worst that could happen was dying along the way. But they would go down swinging.

    "To your positions, everyone! We are going!"

    It was Lind''s turn to lead the raid, and Shivata returned to his guild leader''s side. Reaver''s Requiem fell in formation, Shigio and Wolv covering the gap left by Merida.

    The Assault Team pushed past the doors, and Drifter allowed his gaze to wander for a second.

    The scouting party had already shown the room once, but it was still an impressive sight. Green torches flickered to life, revealing the broken and forgotten remains of a sunken palace. Starfish, corals, and algae hung from the walls and statues of long-dead warriors. The ceiling above their heads was a dome of water, and fish and other sea creatures could be seen swimming, none the wiser to the battle that was about to start underneath them.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The giant figure of << Neptune the Sea Watcher >> sitting upon his crumbling throne completed the picture. The 15-meter-tall fishman watched the players enter the room with disinterest. A webbed hand supported his chin. The other fiddled around with a rusty trident, each prong the size of a person.

    Now, Drifter wasn''t someone who usually cared for the lore of a floor, but the treasure hunt mechanic of the 16th floor forced him to learn it, and he would admit that it was quite engaging.

    Neptune was the guardian of a lost civilization, sunk to the seabed for angering the gods. The murals they found while digging for clues to the labyrinth entrance depicted the rise and fall of Neptune''s kingdom, and Drifter felt like he was in an Indiana Jones movie. If it weren''t for his other worries, Drifter probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.

    Engaging or not, it didn''t change the fact that Drifter was going to vent out all his negative feelings on the floor boss. Neptune was still dramatically getting up from his throne when Drifter''s spear flew towards his face, hitting him right in the forehead.

    "Crap, I was aiming for the eye."

    "That''s why you should stop trying to steal my job, Drifter. Go play with your pointy stick."

    Her bow and arrows glowing pink, Sinon drew two arrows and fired them together with one of her new skills. The arrows spun around each other during flight, before splitting away at the last moment to nail both of << Neptune the Sea Watcher''s >> eyes.

    "Argh! How dare lowly landbound worms invade my sacred palace and wound me! I will bring down the wrath of the Storm God upon you!"

    Unlike many of the other bosses, Neptune actually talked. Unfortunately for him, no one cared. Players were already cutting at his ankles by the time he finished his scripted dialog.

    Drifter had recovered his spear and was darting around the room, stabbing Neptune whenever he stomped close. Considering his aggro was locked on him and Sinon since they were the first to attack the boss, that was quite often.

    With Yuna''s songs as background music and empowering his blows, Drifter switched up Vallerk so the tank could absorb a trident swing for him, before rushing back in to rip into << Neptune the Sea Watcher >> with << Vertical >> and << Tidal Sequence >>.

    "Above!"

    A shout from Kizmel warned him, and Drifter dove to the left without even looking up, just barely avoiding a giant webbed hand that wanted to squash him.

    An << Edge Vaulting >> nailed said hand to the ground, and Drifter smirked coldly as the Assault Team took advantage of the short moments during which the boss was pinned down to empty one of his health bars.

    Boss or not, Neptune was just one, and the frontliners were many. He roared and cursed the players again after he managed to free his hand, but all he got for his troubles were more arrows sticking off his face and more blades slashing his body.

    "Second phase! Tanks to the front! Titled players, time to earn your keep!"

    Drifter scowled at Lind''s words. He didn''t like being put on a pedestal. But he did his part without mouthing off.

    When << Neptune the Sea Watcher >> stabbed with his trident again, a column of water fell from the ceiling, ignoring all laws of physics to coil around the weapon. It looked remarkably like a sea serpent or an eel.

    Then the boss swung the trident like a baseball bat, and jets of water exploded off of it in all directions. Shivata, Liten, Vallerk, and the other tanks blocked most of them.

    Three of the remaining water jets came towards Reaver''s Requiem. Indomitable Knight Nautilus took care of one. He stumbled back from the force, but stayed on his feet, water splashing all around him and drenching Nautilus, Kizmel, Silica, Ran, Yuuki, and a few others.

    The second jet went in Agil and Kirito''s direction. The Merchant Warrior and Black Swordsman dashed at it instead of away, and there was a collective gasp from the viewers when they swung their weapons and smashed the pillar of water apart.

    Drifter one-upped them. The third and last water jet flew at him, and he held his ground. His spear low to the ground, he took a deep breath before swinging.

    The pillar of water stopped for a fraction of a second, before it continued rushing forward, unstoppable. It advanced maybe 10 more meters before it lost form and crashed, leaving two wet trails and Drifter perfectly dry in the middle.

    << Sky Render >>. Drifter''s newest skill. It was comparable to << Comet Break >> in power, but instead of dashing to gain momentum, he needed to stay still to accumulate power, before delivering a single slash.

    "D-Did you just cut that in half?"

    "Are you insane, Drifter?! What if that went wrong?!"

    There were two very different sets of reactions after the Reavers picked their jaws off the floor. Kirito and Agil, drenched like dogs caught in the rain - they had not been as successful as Nautilus in staying up after blocking their water column - were beyond impressed. Yuna was mad. But Drifter gave her a childish smirk which disarmed her completely. Later she described it as ''unfairly cute''.

    "I wanted to try that since I saw the boss using that skill against the scouting party."

    The rest of the raid was both a blur and a slow-motion movie to Drifter, right up to the end. He fought with a certain detached coldness. Neptune was just another monster to be cut down. Nothing more, nothing less. If you asked him later, the spearmaster would be able to give a play-by-play of everything he did, but at the time he was moving mostly on instinct and being reactive.

    What everyone could agree on, however, was that Broken Spear Drifter was, without a doubt, the star of the raid. Cutting the boss'' attack in half wasn''t even the most impressive thing he did in that battle. That prize would have to go to when he narrowly dodged another hand slam, and countered with a << Horizontal >> that severed Neptune''s hand.

    To close off what had basically became a one-man show, Drifter finished off << Neptune the Sea Watcher >> by carving a series of lines on his chest with << Tornado >> and << Horizontal Arc >>.

    Spinning his spear, Drifter safely tucked it away on its sheath on his back. Then he turned around to find all of the Assault Team staring at him.

    "What?"

    "The hell was that, Drifter?!"

    "Did you take steroids, man? If so, gimme some! That was out of this world!"

    Drifter just stared back at Orlando and Klein, unsure of what they were talking about. He knew he was in tip-top form today, but surely it wasn''t that amazing? At least, that was what he thought, right until Dragon Knight Lind of all people complimented him.

    "I know I told the titled players to earn their keep, but you didn''t need to take it so seriously, Drifter. You made the rest of us look bad. Haha..."

    There was stunned silence for a good 30 seconds, before someone laughed awkwardly. Kibaou the Challenger. Then everyone had a new target to stare at.

    Drifter turned to Yuna and mouthed ''what is happening''. She responded ''no idea''.

 Chapter 121 - 19th Floor

    The 17th and 18th floors of Aincrad were quite dull compared to the emotional roller-coaster that was the 16th floor. They were hill and forest-themed floors respectively, the main twist on both being the tunnels players could explore, and which dwarves used to get around the two floors without having to go through the tower.

    Incidentally, the 18th floor also marked the end of the dwarf questline campaign. The boss had been a humongous rock slime, which was much more terrifying than it sounded.

    Still, the frontliners had managed to get through both floors without losses. In fact, the player deaths were at an all-time low. Which only left the Assault Team even more nervous about the coming 20th floor. It felt like the prelude to a huge battle. The calm before the storm, as they said.

    But before they could confirm whether their premonitions were right or wrong, the players had to beat the 19th floor. And Drifter had to say, what he saw when they first stepped into the floor didn''t bode well.

    "That''s a bad omen if I ever saw one."

    "Shut up, whoever said that."

    It was a sign of how on edge the frontliners were that Kibaou barked at a DKB player and Lind didn''t immediately fight him. The Dragon Knight was too preoccupied scanning the dead trees and black soil.

    "Kirito, I don''t like the look of that mist."

    "Me neither. Kibaou, Lind, Klein, Orlando, I vote for moving as one group to the settlement."

    Aincrad Liberation Squad, Dragon Knight Brigade, Fuurinkazan, Legend Braves, and Reaver''s Requiem were the five most important guilds in the Assault Team - even if not all by size, considering Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves only had a party''s worth of members each, but by the strength of their members. Whatever they decided, usually the other frontliners followed.

    This was where Kibaou and Lind would usually argue and say they didn''t need anyone''s help, and set off on their own, leaving the other three of the big five to go together. But this floor was very unsettling.

    "Aight. We''ll take point. Lind?"

    "The rear is ours. Kirito?"

    Kirito nodded to Lind and Kibaou, glad they were on the same page for once. Truth was, after the 10th floor both of the guild leaders had mellowed out a lot. If they still fought, well, that was just their personality.

    "Orlando, Klein, you got some fast guys, take one side each, eyes open. Reaver''s Requiem will be spread out, help wherever it''s needed. Drifter, if you would do the honors."

    The spearmaster flipped a jaunty salute to his guild leader, diminishing some of the tension. Then he turned to the rest of the Assault Team, who were watching the higher-ups discuss, and shouted as the chosen spokesperson of the leadership group.

    "Everyone, this floor looks nasty, so we are all gonna move together! Keep your eyes peeled, stay on your toes, and all that! There''s not much that can threaten us in a group this big, but we are low on supplies, and if this isn''t prime assassin-type mobs'' territory, then I don''t know what is. We don''t want anyone getting picked off ''cause they got complacent! Remember the 10th floor. This is SAO. Don''t take it lightly."

    There were tight nods and curt grunts of agreement to the announcement. Doubtlessly, each frontliner was very willful and at least a little - sometimes a lot - arrogant. This was inevitable. They were Aincrad''s elites, and they risked their lives every day. They were allowed a little entitlement. But by the same logic, they knew better than anyone just how dangerous SAO was. Being able and willing to put aside their personal feelings and work together was a requirement for survival.

    The dry black soil crunched under the boots of 130 players, a low and unending rumbling sound that only added to the eerie atmosphere. Mist swirled around the trunks and through the branches of dead trees.

    Other than the sounds the players made, there was no other noise. No insects chirping, no birds singing, no animals running. Not the sound of wind rustling through leaves or the gurgling of running streams.

    "Stop."

    One of the ALS players at the front held up their hand, and the Assault Team stopped dead in their tracks. The silence was deafening.

    Drifter instinctively used << Searching >> in the direction he was looking. At first he didn''t see anything. Then his gaze caught just the barest hints of red denoting a monster.

    "It''s fast. Floating."

    "A wraith?"

    "As likely as anything else. Aero Huntress, can you hit it?"

    "Don''t call me that, Kibaou the Challenger. I have a name. And yes, I can, so get outta the way."

    Kibaou scowled, but he deserved it. He knew Sinon didn''t like anyone other than the Reavers calling her by the title, and somehow it always sounded like he was mocking her when he said it.

    Sinon knocked an arrow on her bow, and paused for a second and a half with it at full-draw. Then she loosened her fingers, and the glowing yellow arrow flew through the trees, avoiding every single branch along the way.

    The frontliners followed the glow through the mist with their gaze, and their eyes widened when they saw it curve around a tree to hit the mob.

    Whatever it was, it didn''t make a sound even after getting struck. Sinon definitely hit it though, because Reaver''s Requiem''s status suddenly changed to ''in combat''. That, and the monster lunged at Sinon.

    It made maybe about 30 meters from her before getting cut down by no less than eight ALS players, two others of Sinon''s arrows, and a << Serpentcoil Impale >> by Drifter.

    The spearmaster recalled his weapon and glanced at Sinon.

    "Someone leveled up their mastery."

    "<< Homing Arrow >>. I got it on the 17th floor but didn''t really have a reason to use it. I was hoping to awe you all. Did it work?"

    The archer gave one of her rare smiles, and Yuuki took the chance to steal a kiss.

    "It did, love. But conceit doesn''t look good on you."

    The dumbfounded look on Sinon''s face was worth any punishment Yuuki would get later, Drifter thought. It left the Reavers in stitches and any other player who heard the exchange holding their stomach in laughter.

    "If y''all are done, we got the name of the mob."

    "We did too, Kibaou. That''s a creepy one."

    "Wanna share it with the rest of the class? You killed it so quickly we couldn''t even get a good look at it."

    Klein shouted, and Kibaou waved his hand before sharing the information of the mob with the rest of the Assault Team.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "<< Hero''s Ghost >>. It has an apostrophe in the name. That''s usually reserved for bosses. But it didn''t seem that strong."

    "I don''t think any mob is meant to have a dozen players attacking it at the same time."

    "You don''t this one is like the << Myconid Queen of Embers >>, do you? Did it drop stuff?"

    "Let the next one go through so we can get a better look, ALS!"

    Deifter winced at the jumbled voices. One of the disadvantages of clearing maps in such a large group was communication. It was very hard to understand anything when a hundred-plus people all talked at once.

    "Alright, quiet everyone! Shut it! No, it''s not like the Myconid Queen, it gave EXP and dropped some mats and junk. Whoever said to let one in, you got it. Kibaou, we''ll surround the next one and analyze patterns."

    "Don''t see why we have to waste more time here. We should just get to the city."

    The spiky-haired ALS guild leader grumbled, and Drifter rolled his eyes.

    "Not you too, Kibaou. We are all gonna have to gather intel later, or buy it from Argo. Might as well get it out of the way while we are all together. That was clearly an ambush-type mob. This is safer."

    Not even Kibaou could argue with that. While dispatching the << Hero''s Ghost >> might have seemed easy, that was only because of how many people were attacking it at the same time, and the fact that both Sinon and Drifter were well matched against it since they had ranged attacks. If one managed to sneak up on an unsuspecting party, the result would be very different.

    This portion of the floor seemed to be sparsely populated by mobs, as it took more than 5 minutes before they ran into another one. And the << Hero''s Ghost >> gave the frontliners quite a scare, as that one was only discovered when they got much closer. It thoroughly drove home the point that Drifter had been trying to make.

    It still was killed before being able to attack even once - no way around it with over a hundred players gathered - but it would have caused trouble to a single party.

    At least this time around they were able to properly see the mob. And it was no wonder the << Hero''s Ghosts >> were so hard to spot. They were almost transparent, and very similar in appearance to << Vengeful Wraiths >> and similar mobs from floors below. If Drifter had to point out a difference, it would be that the << Hero''s Ghosts >> carried a variety of weapons - all ghostly-like - and were quite adept with all of them.

    Now over nine months into SAO, Drifter had experience fighting enemies with all kinds of weapons. Swords, shields, spears, maces, axes, hammers, daggers, gauntlets, and many more, so the collection of armaments the << Hero''s Ghost >> used didn''t daunt him. The main problem was still their ambushing habit.

    It was a weary group that reached the 19th floor''s main city, Ralberg. They had already fought one floor boss today, and then had to deal with constant assassination attempts on their way to the settlement. All the Assault Team members wanted was to sit down inside the safe zone and rest. Even take a nap, or maybe a trip down to the hotsprings. That would be nice.

    Instead, they split up, and Reaver''s Requiem made their way towards the main plaza every city had. They were to activate the teleporter, and Drifter and Yuna had volunteered to stay there while the others replenished their supplies and explored Ralberg, to warn clearers and other players of the dangers of the floor.

    "I''m already tired just from thinking how much work this floor is gonna be."

    "We''ll just have to plow through like we always do, Yun''. I just hope the field-boss isn''t like the << Hero''s Ghosts >>."

    The songstress shuddered and clenched Drifter''s hand as they made their way towards the teleporter.

    "Uck... Now that''s a terrifying thought. Here we are. Teleporter... Activate."

    Putting her hand on the structure - this one looked like two semi-circles overlapped at odd angles - Yuna activated Ralberg''s teleporter.

    Almost immediately, people started to come through. The couple recognized many of them as clearers. Argo was also one of the first to step out of the device.

    "Heya, Dri-bou, Yu-chan! How are ya?"

    "We''re doing fine, Argo. Hold on a sec please. Everyone, a minute of your attention!"

    Yuna hugged the info-broker, and Drifter shouted before players started to drift away. Heads turned in his direction, and he heard whispers of ''Broken Spear Drifter''. Rolling his eyes, he started speaking.

    "Before you set out to explore the floor, the Assault Team wanted to give everyone a warning. The floor is full of assassin-type mobs, and the terrain is tailor-made for them. The entire Assault Team came here together, and they still managed to sneak up on us, even with Aero Huntress Sinon on the lookout. Be careful."

    That was all he had to say, and several players nodded their thanks before walking away. Drifter was exaggerating a little, but it was better to have the clearers be too careful than not cautious enough.

    The spearmaster repeated the warning a few more times, with almost the same exact words, until the flow of players coming from the teleporter slowed down to a trickle.

    Stepping back, he saw Yuna and Argo sitting on a bench. The Songstress was diddling on her harp while the Rat was furiously typing away. Drifter could only assume she was already gathering information from her contacts in the Assault Team, and working on her guide.

    "Thanks for the help, songbird. I really don''t know what I would have done if you weren''t there by my side."

    Yuna merely stuck out her tongue in response to Drifter''s sarcastic remark.

    "You had it well in hands, Drif, and Argo is cuter. You know Sinon''s gonna get you for using her title, right?"

    "Only if one of you tells her. And she does have the highest mastery of << Searching >> in SAO, so it''s a little bit her fault I have to use her as an example."

    "I''ll believe it when you tell her that to her face."

    Yuna raised an eyebrow and snorted, but Drifter didn''t bite the bait. He wedged himself between the songstress and the info-broker, kissing Yuna''s cheek to show he was joking, and throwing an arm over Argo''s shoulder because he knew that annoyed her.

    "What are you working on, little rat?"

    "Nunya yer business, Dri-bou! You stink, go away!"

    "Oi!"

    Argo shoved him into Yuna, and Drifter grabbed her in a headlock while the songstress yelped. She raised her fist and started smacking him when someone giggled, giving them pause.

    "Griselda, hi! And the rest of your guild too. Golden Apple, right?"

    "Hello, you three. And yes, Yuna. We thought we would come explore the new floor. Hahaha... I never thought I would see this side of Songstress Yuna, Broken Spear Drifter, and Argo the Rat."

    Drifter looked up and saw Griselda with a smile on her face. The rest of her guild was behind here, appearing much more uncomfortable. Her husband Grimlock especially. His eyes were hidden under his hat, but Drifter could feel his piercing gaze. Cainz and Schmitt and - Drifter honestly didn''t remember the others'' names. But they were all jittery.

    All of the guild members seemed incredibly tense. The gazes they kept exchanging, and how they looked away immediately when certain pairs of eyes met. Drifter was familiar with the sight. Golden Apple was breaking.

    He shrugged. It was none of his business.

    "Hey, Griselda, Grimlock, everyone. And we are just human, Griselda. By the way, I''ll give you the same warning I gave the others. Careful on this floor. The mobs are all ambushers. Always have someone with << Searching >> on, or you might walk into them before realizing they are there."

    Griselda sobered up fast, and thanked Drifter. He waved it off. A large portion of why Drifter fought was still because he wanted to escape. But he also wanted to free everyone else. Any information that helped to avoid deaths, he would share freely, much less a simple warning.

    "We''ll get going then. It''s always good to see you two. Goodbye to you as well, info-broker Argo."

    "Bah, drop the formalities Gris-chan. Yu-chan and this idiot over here seem to like ya, so yer alright on my book."

    Golden Apple wandered away, just another coincidental meeting. So why was it Drifter couldn''t stop his frown? His two female companions seemed to be having the same reaction.

    "So that''s Golden Apple, hum? Don''t like it."

    "Me neither. They were never a cheerful bunch - other than Griselda - but today I could practically see unhappiness radiating from them."

    "Grimlock was glaring at us."

    Drifter just said that, his gaze still locked on the direction Golden Apple had left. Yuna shifted to lean a little more into him.

    "I don''t know what Griselda sees in him. He creeps me out. Naut, Liz, and the others too, I know."

    Drifter pulled his girlfriend closer.

    "They are married in real life, songbird. Plus, SAO changed everyone. Griselda is pushing forward. Grimlock and the others aren''t."

    "Yup. They''re gonna disband, no doubt ''bout that. Give it a few more weeks at most. Wanna make a bet, Dri-bou?"

    "Nope, I already owe you enough cor as it is. There are Keita and the others. Let''s grab them and get going."

 Chapter 122 - We Are Frontliners

    Argo the Rat watched Drifter and Yuna walk away with the new additions to Reaver''s Requiem in tow. Keita and his group weren''t the best, but they were good people, and they were being trained by the best. That amounted to something.

    Lowering her gaze to her menu again, Argo resumed her work. She was combing through dozens of reports at the same time. Most were just from frontliners trying to make a quick buck by giving vague descriptions of the 19th floor and the << Hero''s Ghosts >>.

    Argo classified those as third-rate informants. Not someone she would ever give priority when buying or selling intel, but still necessary because they were the bulk of her network.

    Argo took her job very seriously. Lives depended on it. Used to be 10.000, now they were down to just 7.262. That was a number she knew by memory. It diminished each day.

    Which was why she paid her third-rate informants even if their intel was half-assed and virtually identical. The latter was actually what she liked to see. Conflicting reports were a mess. Dozens of messages saying the same? That meant the intel was solid.

    Then Argo moved to her second-rate informants. The Legend Braves and Fuurinkazan were in that group, as well as another portion of the frontliners and clearers.

    She was currently going through one of Kirito''s messages which described the appearance and fighting patterns of the << Hero''s Ghost >>. The boy was updating her in real time if the bursts of messages followed by periods of silence were any indicator.

    Second-rate informants were much more thorough, and their intel much more reliable. They weren''t so much after the cor she could pay them, as sharing what they considered necessary information for survival. Drifter and Kirito - Reaver''s Requiem as a whole, really - Shivata, Liten, and even Kibaou and Lind to an extent were all second-rate informants.

    The reason they weren''t considered first-rate in her internal classification wasn''t because she distrusted them. Quite the opposite, especially when it came to Reaver''s Requiem. There was no one she trusted more than Drifter and Kirito.

    But they were still second-rate, because they weren''t Fuumaningum. The role-players, as distasteful as they could be sometimes, were the only ones in Argo''s first-rate informants list.

    The Rat had reached an agreement with Akari. Fuumaningum were her eyes and ears in Aincrad. And while they might not bring in as much information about mobs and quests as frontliners and clearers did, there was one major reason they were first-rate.

    Fuumaningum was the dark side of Argo''s trade. The side she didn''t mention to her friends because they wouldn''t approve.

    Maybe Drifter would, after Morte. He was accompanied by Akari then, after all.

    Argo employed Fuumaningum to do all kinds of dirty stuff. Invasion of privacy by << Eavesdropping >> on conversations and stalking were the most harmless ones. She had Fuumaningum players constantly acquire orange status so they could enter outlaw zones. She had them tail red players in hopes of discovering their identities and hideouts. She had them intimidate people who bullied low-level players.

    Yeah, she wasn''t looking forward to the day Kirito and the others found out. Asuna would fly off the handle. Drifter probably already suspected something. He knew Akari, and he was a lot more perceptive than he let on.

    Akari didn''t have any reports for her right now. But maybe Argo had a job for her. So she paused, hesitated, and in the end typed a message.

    She didn''t like the look of Golden Apple. Not at all. Most of the members looked like they had already given up. One looked ready to snap.

    And when a player snapped, it only ever went two ways. Either they jumped... Or they dragged someone down.

    --------------------------

    Drifter was distracted. Which was very hypocritical of him after all the speeches he delivered today about staying attentive being key to surviving the 19th floor. But he couldn''t help it.

    Grimlock had glared at him throughout their entire short meeting with Golden Apple. Not just stared hard, but tried to pierce a hole through him with his gaze.

    Now, Drifter wasn''t a stranger to being glared at. He was headstrong and had made plenty of people unhappy during strategy meetings, Lind and Kibaou being just two of the most blaring examples. He faced boss monsters who wanted nothing more than to smash him to a past, and who stared like it.

    But Grimlock''s glare reminded him of one other, much more malicious. Only Morte had glared at him with so much animosity. Like they wanted him to drop dead just from their gaze.

    Which didn''t make sense, first because Griselda''s husband had no reason to hate him so much, and secondly because Grimlock was a coward.

    It was plain as day to Drifter. Grimlock was someone who should have been sequestered away in their room back in the Town of Beginnings, never having left the 1st floor. One of those players who didn''t have the courage to take a single step outside of a safe zone, but also weren''t brave enough to jump over Aincrad''s edge.

    Every step Grimlock took was hesitant, every move he made full of fear. Grimlock hadn''t left his room out of his own free will. He had been dragged away. And the only one who could do that was his wife, Griselda.

    But none of it explained why Grimlock hated Drifter. The spearmaster thought back to his interactions with the older man. Truly, there weren''t many. They had crossed paths a few times. It was inevitable, as there weren''t that many clearers. But if they exchanged 10 words, it was too much. Drifter was fairly certain they hadn''t gone past an introduction in their first meeting.

    So it wasn''t something he did to Grimlock. And the only other connection between them was Griselda.

    ''He can''t be jealous, can he?''

    Jealousy made a bit more sense - but only because humans could be irrational. In reality, there was no reason why Grimlock should be suspicious of Drifter''s and Griselda''s relationship, because there wasn''t one to begin with. The woman might seen close to him, but she was bubbly towards anyone. Surely Grimlock knew that, being married to her.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ''What a headache.''

    "Hey, Drifter! Take your head out of the clouds, man! It''s going towards you!"

    Agil''s yell was unnecessary. No matter how out of it Drifter was, he was never going to be caught off-guard by a mere normal mob.

    "<< Sting >>!"

    Watching the << Hero''s Ghost''s >> broadsword coming closer and closer to his face, Drifter allowed himself to fall backwards. The attack missed him by a mile, and he stabbed up, his spear piercing the mob under the jaw and coming out the back of its head.

    His back hit the ground, and Drifter lashed out with a << Martial Arts: Tendon Snap >> without getting up.

    It struck the mob in its mid-section, and the broadsword started to drop towards his chest. Drifter didn''t blink. He smashed the butt of his spear with his palm, pushing it deeper into the mob''s head.

    The fake << Dirty Play >> staggered the << Hero''s Ghost >> for a fraction of a second. It was all Drifter needed. He rolled away, and the broadsword cut the ground where he had been laying. It was never lifted again.

    Tearing his spear free, Drifter spun it one-handed and beheaded the << Hero''s Ghost  >> with a snap << Horizontal >>.

    Dusting off his clothes, Drifter stabbed his spear into the ground and raised an eyebrow. There were a lot of side-eye glances and outright stares being thrown in his direction.

    "What?"

    "Something changed."

    Liz spoke. The blacksmith was giving him an appraising look, as if he were a new material and she hadn''t quite yet figured out what to forge with it.

    "Whatever are you talking about?"

    "You were always good, but the way you are fighting now is... Different. Unstoppable. Fluid. That''s the only way I can describe it."

    Drifter considered her words for a moment, his gaze wandering towards Ran and Yuuki. He saw the twins tense. He looked to his guild. Yuna and Nautilus. Kirito and Asuna. Sinon, Kizmel, and Feredir. Agil, Wolv, and Shigio. Liz, Silica, and Vallerk. Keita, Sachi, Sasamaru, Tetsuo, and Ducker.

    They were already missing some.

    "More people are going to fall. But none of ours. We''ll beat SAO."

    There was the customary silence that always followed declarations like that, until Ran shook her head.

    "Merida wasn''t anyone''s fault, Drifter. We already went over this."

    "I know. The same way it won''t be our fault if your disease gets you or Yuuki before we clear SAO. But we are getting to the top. All of us. No one dies."

    Ran looked at him with the same sardonic smile she always had when she didn''t want to show emotion. The spearmaster''s gaze softened. He knew he was making an impossible promise, but he meant every word.

    "What brought this on, Drifter?"

    Nautilus questioned him, and Grimlock''s glare entered his mind again.

    "Yuna and I met Golden Apple when we went to activate the teleporter. They are going to crumble. Or they are going to die."

    "And it reminded you of... Us?"

    There was some incredulity in Sinon''s voice, and Drifter allowed himself a bark of laughter.

    "Not even close. Reaver''s Requiem is as different from Golden Apple as it can be. They only have Griselda driving them forward. We..."

    Drifter looked around, and his smile was answered with smirks and grins, from Silica to Agil, from Kizmel to Yuuki. They knew exactly what he was going to say.

    "We are frontliners."

    ----------------------

    "This... Did your son always have that tendency to make chill-inducing statements at the drop of a hat, Kana? That''s not the first time either. Look, the hairs on my arm are all standing up."

    "N-No. He did not."

    Ogawa Kana herself was still feeling goosebumps. Her Itsuki was always an outspoken and active kid, but he had never been this... Intense.

    "Sword Art Online changed him, Miss Hosaka. It changed all of them. The only thing I will ever be grateful to Akihiko Kayaba for is allowing us to witness those changes in real time. If my daughter woke up now and I hadn''t been able to watch her and know what she had gone through... I don''t know if I would recognize her."

    Argo''s mother, Hosaka Miuchi, turned to the person who spoke, a tall and lanky man wearing thick glasses. He was also their host for this evening.

    "Nonsense, Tetsuhiro-kun. Yuna will always be your daughter, Songstress or not. And I already told ya to call me Miuchi."

    Shigemura Tetsuhiro, the father of Songstress Yuna, or Shigemura Yuuna, as was her real name. The families of Reaver''s Requiem had come to his house to watch today''s floor boss raid.

    It was a very large house. It might even be accurate to call it a mansion. Kana and Genji''s eyes had popped out when they first saw it, and realized that, while their financial situation wasn''t bad at all, their son was the one marrying into money.

    Yuna''s mother was nowhere to be seen. Kana and Genji knew they would have to breach the subject at some moment, but they didn''t have the courage to do it yet. There were no pictures of the woman in the house, and Tetsuhiro never mentioned her, nor did he wear a wedding band.

    "Miuchi''s right, Tetsuhiro. They were forced to grow up, but they will always be our little boys and girls. And change isn''t bad. I never imagined Shino would turn out to be... That way. But she moved on from the past. There''s nothing that could make me happier."

    Asada Izumi, Sinon''s mother, spoke softly. She was still very taciturn, but there was pride visible on the curl of her lips. She may have been shocked to find out her daughter was a lesbian, but she was being honest when she said nothing could make her happier. The girl now had several friends when before she had just one, and she was more confident and joyful than she had ever been since the incident in her childhood.

    "Hah... I know you are right. I just can''t help but think of the what ifs. What if we only had their bodies in the hospital beds to watch over? And what if they had never put on the NerveGear... Or never met each other."

    Tetsuhiro rubbed his forehead, his mind somewhere else. Then he realized everyone was looking at him, and stuttered.

    "A-Ah, I-I don''t mean any offense, Kana, Genji! Both of you are wonderful! And while this isn''t how I thought Yuuna would find me a son-in-law, I would have blind to not see how good Drifter - that is, Itsuki - is to her. He''s..."

    "We understand, Tetsuhiro."

    Genji put a hand on Tetsuhiro''s shoulder to stop him. He had gotten to know the other man fairly well in the last few months, and knew that Tetsuhiro tended to babble when he got nervous. He did convey what he was thinking, though.

    Tetsuhiro smiled in gratitude and glanced at the television again. He could see Drifter cutting down another monster from Yuna''s PoV.

    Learning his daughter was dating an older man had been a shock. The way it happened had been awkward. And he would be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn''t a little uncomfortable about it at the start. But there was no way he could disapprove when it was clear how much they loved each other.

    It also helped that it was hard to dislike Drifter in general. Celebrities usually only showed a public facade, so there was no way of knowing how they truly were as people. That made it much easier to love and hate them.

    But the SAO players couldn''t hide anything, whether they were frontliners or murderers. The world witnessed it all, save from the most intimate moments inside their rooms.

    Again, how could he dislike Drifter when all he saw was a young man who willingly risked his life everyday? Who put it all on the line to save all the trapped players?

    Most importantly, he couldn''t dislike the man his daughter loved. She had suffered too much already. He had caused her too much pain. And even then she had grown up to be a cheerful and loving person. She deserved true happiness. And if Drifter brought her that, then Tetsuhiro approved of him.

 Chapter 123 - The True Monsters

    Aincrad''s 5th Floor, wilderness.

    Night had fallen in Aincrad. A few brave souls were still about, but most of the players had turned back to the safe zones to rest.

    Nights were dangerous in Aincrad. Mobs multiplied and went berserk more easily. And it was when Aincrad was shrouded in darkness that the true monsters of Sword Art Online came out.

    A lone figure was making their way through Aincrad''s 5th floor. It was a man, afraid of his own shadow. He jumped at every little noise, and kept looking over his shoulder.

    He should have been looking in front of him. That way, maybe he would have seen the blade that came out of the darkness and left a vibrant red line across his neck.

    "Argh!"

    The man screamed and staggered back. The back of his knee hit a rock, and he fell over. When he scrambled to get up, he found out he couldn''t move. The yellow lightning bolt symbol for paralysis appeared next to his depleted health on his HUD.

    "Kikikiki! What do we have here? Did you lose your way? Gyah! Hahaha! Don''t you know that night is when the wolves are about, little lamb?"

    The attacker cackled madly, an insane laughter that left no doubts about the twisted mental state of the player.

    "W-Wait! Don''t kill me! Please!"

    His hat lost somewhere in the darkness after he fell, Grimlock looked up at the mocking player, his eyes wide. He was beyond fear, especially as he watched the creepy red eyes hidden behind a mask, and the even redder cursor above the player''s head. He was terrified.

    "Aww! But I really wanna cut you to pieces though? How about I kill you just a little bit? Huh? What do ya think, lost little lamb?"

    The player raised his weapon, a blade so thin it was almost invisible in the surrounding darkness, if not for the cold glint when the moonlight shone on it. Those red eyes were like two bloody lanterns boring into Grimlock''s mind.

    "P-Please! I-I came here to find you!"

    "Oh?"

    The blade that had been slowly descending to pierce Grimlock''s body halted. The red player tilted their head curiously, and Grimlock quickly continued, knowing that convincing the murderer over him was the only path for survival.

    "I-I heard you take j-jobs sometimes. C-Comissions. I have o-one for you. I can pay!"

    The red player stared at him for a long time, and Grimlock closed his eyes, waiting for the moment that blade pierced his heart. But after a long time, what hit his chest was a small vial.

    "P-Paralysis heal?"

    "Drink it, little lamb. Then I''ll take you to the boss."

    Grimlock almost couldn''t believe his ears. He was saved! He was going to live!

    All his relief vanished when he saw the grin on the red player''s face. Those teeth seemed ready to sink into his throat.

    "Yeah. You better have a good story to tell, little lamb. I was just gonna skin ya alive. Boss is gonna have his fun. Kikikiki!"

    Grimlock had started regretting his actions the moment he stepped out of the safe zone. Now, he was almost wishing someone would pull the NerveGear off his head so everything could be done with. But there was no medicine for regret in this world.

    "By the way, little lamb, you do know who we are, right?"

    The red player fixed Grimlock with another dead stare. He swallowed and forced himself to answer.

    "Y-Yes. L-Laughing Coffin, right?"

    His only response was crazy laughter.

    --------------------------

    Fuumaningum didn''t have many members. Only 23, in fact. Too few to form a thorough spying network for Argo the Rat. And the higher the players climbed, the more Aincrad expanded, and the harder it became.

    Because of that, Akari wasn''t surprised when the subordinate she tasked with following Golden Apple reported that he had lost sight of some of the guild''s members.

    Fuumaningum was already stretched thin, and the Rat had said this wasn''t a priority, so Akari only assigned one person to the mission. They still needed to rest and sleep, and there was little they could do when the guild members split. The role-player logically chose to stick with the guild leader, the woman called Griselda, who was somewhere on the 12th floor.

    "Royal Customs. That''s an NPC appraisal shop, isn''t it?"

    "Yes, my lord. An expensive one.

    "Humm... Tell the shadow to continue following her. Report anything unusual."

    "Understood, my lord."

    A shadow blurred and vanished from her side, and Akari laid back her head against the roof tiles. Her gaze flickered once to the people in the square below her. The unassuming man with a spear strapped to his back, the girl playing the lute while sitting between his legs, the black-haired boy arguing with a loud-mouth red-haired man, and many more.

    Akari wasn''t here for any particular reason. She just found herself tailing Reaver''s Requiem more and more. Somehow, even while hiding on rooftops, she always felt included whenever she was watching them.

    Maybe it was how brightly their spirit burned, even in the shitiest of situations. They never gave up hope. They gave her hope that SAO could be beaten.

    It was a pity Drifter already had a girlfriend. And Agil was married. Klein... Too loud. The girls were too young for her taste. Ah well, that was too bad.

    Romantic daydreams set aside, Akari looked at the sky - the bottom of the 20th floor in this case - and closed her eyes while listening to the sounds of conversation under her.

    Almost a fifth of the way. Fuumaningum might not be able to help in the frontlines, but they were doing their part too.

    -----------------------------

    Griselda and Grimlock were a married couple, both in Sword Art Online and the outside world. Their story was nothing special.

    Griselda and Grimlock had met each other in their last year of university. They didn''t start dating immediately, and only became a couple a month before graduation.

    After two and a half years of dating, Grimlock asked her the question, and she gladly said yes, knowing that he was very much the love of her life.

    They had been married for three years when Griselda brought home two NerveGears, suggesting it would be a good way for them to de-stress and bond as a couple. Grimlock readily agreed.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    At first, Sword Art Online was everything they imagined and much more. So realistic. So engaging. And better yet, they could relive their marriage inside the game! Griselda and Grimlock were married for a second time before their first sunset in Aincrad.

    Then they had been teleported to the Town of Beginnings, and Akihiko Kayaba had appeared and explained what Sword Art Online truly was. That was when the first crack appeared in the couple''s relationship.

    After the first week of denial, Griselda made her way outside of the Town of Beginnings again, this time with the full knowledge that death was real. Grimlock refused to leave their room.

    That was the first time Griselda felt so disappointed. Not at her husband, but with herself. The image of the man she loved crying and babbling, holding her leg and begging her not to go, struck her heart. The way he immediately slammed the door closed after she left drove the wedge deeper.

    Every night, Griselda came back exhausted, but alive. Grimlock barely spoke a word to her. She didn''t think he even realized time was passing.

    Griselda knew that while she was hesitantly exploring the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings, players were already adventuring into other maps. She truly respected them, for not giving up, and for getting back on their feet so quickly. She longed to join them. But she couldn''t leave her lover behind, even if his actions had hurt her deeply.

    It was only after witnessing the frontliners defeat << Illfang the Kobold Lord >> that Grimlock gathered his wits, for the first time thinking that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to survive SAO. There were players forging forth! Someone would save him!

    By then, Griselda had already explored much of the 1st floor, and met new people with whom she formed a semi-regular party. They were the starting foundation of the Golden Apple guild. With Cainz, Schmitt, and the others, Griselda was surviving and growing stronger. The heroes she watched on the raid broadcast were still far away, but not forever out of reach.

    Still, every night Griselda returned to the Town of Beginnings, to the room she paid for, and brought Grimlock dinner he couldn''t afford, having long since spent everything he started SAO with.

    Not once, in the entire first month of SAO, had Grimlock left the room. But he did the morning after Illfang''s defeat, after much coercion from Griselda.

    She had never felt happier than the moment she saw him pick up a sword. She understood that he too needed to grow stronger, as she couldn''t protect him forever. She too would one day join the frontlines, and escape SAO with her own strength.

    For a time, it seemed like they could mend the crack in their relationship. But every night Griselda heard her husband crying himself to sleep, and that Grimlock refused to spend the night in the same room as her, looking at her as if she were a stranger, Griselda understood that it would never be the same again.

    If Sword Art Online hadn''t happened, they would still be a happy couple. Grimlock would never have shown her his cowardly, selfish side. She would never have broken her shell and became a woman that thought and acted for herself.

    If only SAO hadn''t happened. Then everything would be perfect. Except that now that she saw Grimlock''s faults, all of them, Griselda couldn''t be sure he was the man she fell in love with.

    She still loved him. Very much so. All his failures, all his selfishness, everything aside, Griselda loved him. The man she spent almost 7 years with wasn''t an illusion. He was just buried underneath fear and insecurity. But he was still there, she was sure.

    Which was why his betrayal hurt even more. More than anything she ever felt before.

    "Grimlock, where are we going?"

    "Call me by my name, Mai. My real name. We are alone here. All alone."

    "O-Okay. Then, where are we going Keiji?"

    Griselda looked around. She wasn''t afraid of much, but the 19th floor was eerie. Especially at night. The dark soil, dead trees, swirling mist, and dead silence made her shiver. She could hear her own heartbeat, and the sound of her husband breathing. Both were fast.

    She was also unsettled that Grimlock had suddenly called her here. Grimlock, who usually wouldn''t let her out of his sight for even a minute - not because he was afraid for her, but because he would be too terrified to move otherwise if she wasn''t there with him. Grimlock who trembled every time they met a mob. Who would urge all of them to pack up and return to the safe zone 3 hours before sundown.

    He asked her to follow him out of nowhere, and even made a point of not letting their guildmates know about it. As far as Cainz and the others were aware, the couple was still in their room.

    If it was for some romantic escape, Griselda would understand, and even welcome it. But there was nothing romantic about their surroundings. All she saw was a hill, a big dead tree, and what looked like a grave in front of it.

    "Keiji... Please tell me why we are here. You are scaring me."

    "Mai... Mai, you are my wife. I love you. I love love love you."

    Grimlock stopped walking, and took off his hat. Then he plucked his shades off his face. Griselda recoiled when she saw his eyes. They weren''t downcast and numb like she had grown used to seeing. But they weren''t better. They were huge. Crazed.

    "Keiji, what happened?"

    "I love you so much, Mai. Why couldn''t you have stayed the same? I love you. But you are not who I love anymore. You became another person."

    "Keiji-"

    "You are my wife. You aren''t supposed to change! It''s all this damn game''s fault. But I won''t let you change. You are my wife. You will always be mine."

    "Keiji!"

    "I can''t let you change, Mai. B-But your memory will always be mine. I''m sorry. I love you. I''m sorry. I love..."

    "Keiji, there are people here. Who are they, Keiji? Keiji."

    "...sorry. I love you. I''m sorry. I love you. I''m..."

    Her heart hurt so much. Grimlock - no, Keiji - had fallen to his knees now, and was still mumbling crazily. But Griselda forced herself to look away from him.

    They were surrounded. Shadows had appeared amongst the trees when she wasn''t paying attention. She pulled out her sword, thinking they were monsters like the << Hero''s Ghosts >>. But then she realized the figures were other players. Her grip on her sword handle tightened when she saw they were all holding weapons.

    "Kekeke! Looks like you broke him, sweetheart. Though, he probably was always a little broken, no? Hahahaha!"

    "Who are you?"

    Griselda spun on the spot, slowly. There were seven players surrounding her. A lump formed on her throat when she realized they all had red cursors above their heads.

    The one who spoke appeared to be their leader, so Griselda turned to face him, forcing down her fear. Truthfully, she did not see a way out of this situation.

    "Kikiki... I suppose I can let you know, can''t I? Not like you''re gonna be able to tattle to anyone. Kekekeke!"

    Griselda felt the leering gaze of the red players on her. The leader''s was the worst. That skull mask and red eyes. She could feel his lust, but not for her body. He just wanted to kill her. That was what got him off.

    "We are Laughing Coffin!"

    The man raised his arms like he was lauding some god. His laughter was maniacal. Then he suddenly stopped, and his gaze pierced her.

    "The lost little lamb hired us to skin ya, sweetheart. Should''ve been a better wife. Kikikiki!"

    Griselda''s eyes widened, and her head snapped towards Grimlock. He was still on the ground, but he had stopped mumbling. Now he was staring up at Griselda with a fanaticism that disgusted her. She didn''t even contest what the red player said. She could see it was the truth.

    "Keiji... How could you?"

    "Mai... It''s all your fault! You changed! If you hadn''t bought this game! If you had stayed with me instead of going out to fight! B-But you will soon be my old Mai again. Yes... I won''t remember who you are now. Only my wife, my dear, sweet, obedient Mai."

    Right as the last two words left Grimlock''s mouth, Griselda knew the man she once loved was well and truly gone.

    Tearing her eyes away, she turned back to the red players. She could see their mocking smiles. Some were outright laughing. They were enjoying this. For them, it was some kind of sick play.

    "All done, sweetheart? Kekeke... I''ll stab a hundred holes in you. A masterpiece like... Hum?"

    The psychopath pointed his sword at Griselda - an estoc, a small part of her mind whispered, probably trying not to go insane - but stopped mid threat, and tilted his head. Griselda wondered what was happening. Was this another way to torture her? Then she felt the ground rumbling. And it was getting louder.

    Unconsciously, Griselda turned her head towards where she had come from. The city of Ralberg laid there, far away and lost beyond the mist. But she heard something. It sounded like... Horses?

    She had just started to identify the outlines in the mist when she saw a silver blur. It rapidly grew larger, and her eyes widened in sudden recognition.

    A spear slammed into the leader of the red players, who barely managed to move his estoc in front of his body to block. The thin blade did little to protect him, though, and the silver-glowing spear pierced a hole through the right side of his chest.

    Then Reaver''s Requiem burst through the mist, Kirito and Asuna jumping off a horse, weapons drawn and attacking, forcing the three red players behind Griselda to beat a hasty retreat.

    The NPC Kizmel rode her mount straight into the middle of the battle, smashing Grimlock away.

    Griselda barely noticed. Her eyes were locked onto the last Reaver. Drifter jumped down from his horse, putting himself between Griselda and the red players.

    She had never seen such a fearsome expression on the spearmaster''s face before. Not even against Illfang or Kagachi or the worst of floor bosses. Such hate. So much disgust. His glare at the red players and her scum of a husband was pure loathing.

    She never felt more relieved it wasn''t directed at her.

 Chapter 124 - Hill of the Cross

    Drifter had experienced much since entering SAO. He had fought monsters. He had seen people die. Friends.

    He had killed.

    Never before had Drifter felt so disgusted like when he looked at the crumpled Grimlock and the red players in front of him.

    ...

    One hour earlier.

    The day had started like any other. Reaver''s Requiem woke up at the crack of dawn - with the obligatory complaints from Yuna, Yuuki, and many others who were definitely not morning people - ate breakfast, and set off into the wilderness to level up and explore the 19th floor.

    The day stayed normal all the way throughout morning and afternoon, and when the sun started to set, Reaver''s Requiem started making their way back to Ralberg.

    They were intercepted at the entrance by a panicking Argo and an uncharacteristically nervous Akari. Drifter had never seen the latter show herself so openly. That, more than anything, didn''t bode well for the news they carried.

    "Drifter! Kirito! There you are! You need- I- We have to hurry! Please!"

    "What''s the problem Argo?"

    Drifter had seen Argo break down before. She was still just a fourteen-year-old girl. But this was different. He quickly stepped forward to hold her up by the shoulders.

    Her eyes were wide and crazy. Drifter saw himself reflected in them, and the sheer panic his little sister was feeling. He changed the position of his hands to cradle her head.

    "Take a deep breath, little rat. What''s going on? Speak to me."

    Still very agitated, but having visibly calmed down from Drifter''s presence and his gentle touch, Argo closed her eyes and let out one deep breath before opening them again.

    "Griselda is in trouble. We don''t know the details, but there are red players surrounding her."

    "What?!"

    "Argo, are you sure?!"

    It was true bedlam as everyone yelled at the same time. Argo was close to being overwhelmed when Drifter turned his head and fixed his guildmates with a glare like they had never seen before.

    "We''ll save her, little rat. You did well. Akari, I''m assuming you know where?"

    Drifter''s tone was hard. It left no room for debate. Kirito, Yuna, Nautilus, and everyone else also hated Morte. But they hadn''t killed him. They hadn''t witnessed how twisted a red player was.

    "Yes. We have to be quick. I''ll explain on the way."

    Akari shuddered under his gaze, and nodded. Most of her attention was on her HUD, where the Fuumaningum ninja she had following Griselda was constantly updating her on the situation.

    "Kirito, Asuna... Kizmel. We four are going first. Keita, you and the Cats stay here. You are not ready for this yet. Everyone else, follow. Akari, lead the way."

    Drifter stared at Akari for a long second, then turned to the others. He had completely taken control over the situation. Kirito might be the guild leader, but they were going against other players here. That was his burden to carry, not Kirito''s.

    "We''ll take the horses, Drifter. There''s no time to waste."

    The spearmaster was already moving when Akari called him, and he stopped. Her idea had merit. Most players, Drifter included, forgot about horses. They had only appeared after the 15th floor. Not only that, horses were incredibly expensive to rent, and, despite their faster movement speed, couldn''t be used in combat. The players were forced to dismount when they entered a battle, so most considered them useless.

    "Good idea. Let''s go."

    "Wait, Drifter! We should all go together!"

    Someone shouted at him to stop again, and Drifter slowed down. It was Yuna this time. Maybe he was being too frantic.

    Drifter halted, and took a deep breath. The situation demanded speed, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t explain it properly. Reaching for Yuna, he pulled her to him and kissed her lightly.

    "Sorry, songbird, but we need to make haste. The horses'' speed scales off a player''s stats. Myself, Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel are four of our fastest members. Sinon, Ran, Yuuki, and Silica too, but I don''t want to split the groups too much. It''s night, and the mobs are more dangerous."

    He spoke as much to her as to the others, and they nodded, even if begrudgingly. Drifter knew he wasn''t fooling anyone. The reason he wanted the others to simply follow instead of go with them was because he didn''t want them to face the red players.

    If Drifter had to be completely honest, his first two picks would be Kizmel and Agil. He knew the former wouldn''t stay her blade if necessary, and he trusted the latter to make the hard decisions in the heat of the moment. Plus, they were both adults.

    But Agil was too slow, and if there were multiple red players, just Drifter and Kizmel were insufficient. Kirito was realistic enough to realize they might have to kill the red players, and Asuna was backup. Drifter would do his best to ensure she didn''t have to stain her hands.

    "Urgh... I hate this. Alright. Be safe, all of you. Don''t you dare get hurt, Drif. We''ll be right behind you."

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    The songstress grimaced. Drifter could almost see the cogs turning in her head, trying to find another solution. There wasn''t any. Yuna grabbed him and, ignoring everyone around, kissed him passionately once, before letting go.

    "Hum, we''ll be fine. Little rat, take care. Akari."

    Argo sniffled and nodded, and Drifter patted her head one last time. The Fuumaningum leader didn''t say anything, and simply rented a horse for herself, and jumped on its back. Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel did the same.

    Not 30 seconds later, the quintet had already disappeared into the mist. The remaining players looked at each other, before Yuna and Nautilus took the lead in renting horses too. This would burn a hole in Reaver''s Requiem''s finances, but nobody considered that at the moment.

    ...

    "Akari, how long before we get to where they are?! And how''s the situation right now?!"

    "20 minutes! My shadow says the red players are closing in on Griselda and Grimlock! They still haven''t shown themselves, but should soon!"

    Akari was riding in the lead, with the other four right behind her. Trees and branches flashed past them in a blur. Not having ever ridden a horse before, with the possible exception of Kizmel, the players would have most certainly have fallen off and gotten hurt if it weren''t for the system''s assistance.

    "Grimlock is there too?! What the hell are they doing out in the wilderness in the middle of the night?! No, start from the beginning! Why is one of your ninjas even spying on Golden Apple?!"

    "We were hired by Argo, I don''t know the reason! Intuition, I would say, and a damn good one!"

    It was a sign of how serious this mess was that Akari had abandoned her role-playing and was even cursing. From where she was sticking closely to Kirito, afraid of falling, Asuna turned her head.

    "So what?! One of your guild members saw Griselda and Grimlock leaving the safe zone and followed them?!"

    "Exactly!"

    "And can''t they do anything to help?! It might be all over in 20 minutes!"

    They were all having to yell to be heard over the wind whistling by their ears. Akari shouted a denial.

    "I''m not telling him to commit suicide! He can see at least five red players, probably more! He would die! And there''s something strange with Grimlock! It''s like he is having- A mental breakdown!"

    A << Hero''s Ghost >> charged the riding players, and Akari veered to the left, dodging it. Drifter''s spear unconsciously lashed out, and he belatedly realized that was a bad idea, as he would be forced to dismount if his attack landed.

    Luckily it missed, and by the time his spear-wielding arm was brought back up, the mob was already far behind them. Drifter had already forgotten it, thinking over what Akari said. Realization hit him like a thunderbolt, and he cursed.

    "Fuck! It''s Grimlock! That two-faced bastard!"

    "D-Drifter?! What did Grimlock do?!"

    "Lured Griselda into a trap, that''s what! I''ll bet everything I own that he''s the one who tipped off the red players too! Maybe he''s even the one who hired them!"

    "What?! But they are married!"

    "Why would Grimlock do any of that?!"

    Kizmel, from slightly behind him. Drifter didn''t turn his head. The buffeting wind was starting to hurt his eyes.

    "I don''t know! But it''s him! I''m sure of that!"

    "If I get my hands on him-"

    "We''ll have to get there quickly for that, Kirito! I don''t think Grimlock realizes how insane red players are! They''ll kill him too!"

    Drifter spurned his mount to go even faster. 20 minutes would be just enough time before the horses ran out of stamina.

    "Akari, how much longer?!"

    "6 minutes! They are at the << Hill of the Cross >>!"

    "And the red players?!"

    "They are still in ambush- No, they are showing themselves! Griselda''s pulled out her sword!"

    "Shit! Faster, go faster!"

    "How many, Akari?!"

    "Seven! They are talking! My shadow can''t get closer but he thinks they are taunting her! Griselda''s going to fight!"

    "Of course she is! I always knew she was a frontliner. Kirito, Asuna!"

    "Yes!"

    Drifter glanced at his two friends. They were young. Far too young for what he was about to ask of them.

    "Don''t hold back. They will be trying to kill us."

    He thought his voice might have been lost to the wind, but then saw Kirito''s jaw set in determination, and the grim look on Asuna''s face. They heard him. They understood.

    "We are almost there! It''s the hill just ahead! Drifter, frontal combat is not my strength! I''ll sneak around! I''m leaving Griselda to you!"

    Akari pointed at the slight elevation of the terrain right in front of them. Drifter thought he saw shadows in the mist. A raised fist was his answer to Akari, and the ninja broke from the formation.

    Now Drifter could see more distinct shapes. One was on the ground, and another standing next to it, but not too close. Other figures surrounded the first two. He counted seven.

    "Kizmel, get Grimlock away from Griselda! Immobilize him in any way you can, short of killing him! He''s the one we need the most to understand everything! Kirito, Asuna, we have to herd the red players into a big group! We can''t let ourselves be surrounded by them! We just need to buy enough time for the others to get here, and they are gonna run!"

    He didn''t hear a verbal acknowledgement of his orders, but he trusted his teammates. Lifting his spear, Drifter focused on the shape right in front of the one he assumed was Griselda. Hopefully he was right.

    This was going to be a difficult shot. << Serpentcoil Impale >> was already a hard skill to hit if he was staying still, much less on horseback at full gallop. But he had to do it, and he had to get the timing just right. The moment his spear hit the target, he would be considered by the system to have entered combat, and be forced to dismount.

    Luckily the red player - the odds were in his favor that it was one - made themselves an even easier target by raising both arms. Drifter waited for the moment the horse''s four hoofs were off the ground, and launched the skill.

    He knew he had hit the moment his mount suddenly braked - hard - and he felt the system taking him off the saddle. Thankfully it had him land on his feet instead of his face, as it would have been if proper physics were followed.

    Maybe it was desperation and adrenaline, but Drifter had gotten everything perfect. << Serpentcoil Impale >> struck the red player - and it was one - just as the small Reavers'' group burst into the << Hill of the Cross >>.

    The spearmaster landed on the ground and quickly took in his surroundings. Griselda was standing with sword in hand, mouth wide open in shock. Grimlock was rolling on the ground a few meters away - Kizmel had taken his order to separate him from his wife very seriously, and ran full-speed into him with her horse. Well done, that was all Drifter had to say to the dark elf.

    The red players were now in one big group opposite of them. Three of them were sporting cuts - one from Kirito''s long sword, the other two from Asuna''s rapier. The one Drifter had attacked had a huge red hole on the right side of his chest.

    Drifter spared Grimlock a single glance full of loathing as he recovered his spear, before turning his gaze back to the red players. He felt a small jolt of pleasure when a few of them flinched from his glare.

    "Fuck off."

 Chapter 125 - Laughing Coffin

    "Fuck off."

    Drifter stared coldly at the seven red players across from him. The horses had disappeared to somewhere, leaving only the spearmaster, Kirito, Asuna, Kizmel, a shell-shocked Griselda, and their enemies.

    Grimlock was completely ignored. The man was sobbing and mumbling on the ground, not even bothering to get up after Kizmel knocked him. He was a non-existence.

    Ah, he supposed there were also Akari and the Fuumaningum player that was already there. But he couldn''t see either of the role-players. Good. They could ambush the murderers.

    Drifter observed the criminal players. They were all in very similar attire. Dark clothes and black or dark-green robes, all in tatters and full of holes, though that was more of an aesthetic choice than anything. Still, their stats didn''t look that great.

    Another thing all the players had in common was that they were all using masks and hoods to obscure and cover their faces. That, and they all had blood-red cursors above their heads.

    "Kikikiki... What do we have here? Are you friends with the little lamb? No. You are here for the wife, aren''t ya? How wholesome! Kekeke!

    After their initial surprise, the red players recovered their composure. The one in the middle, who Drifter had pierced with << Serpentcoil Impale >>, cackled. The other murderers too laughed, as if the whole situation was very funny to them.

    Drifter could glimpse nothing but madness from their eyes. They were insane like Morte. All of them.

    "I''ll only say it one more time. Fuck off, whoever you are. You are not killing Griselda today. Or ever. Crawl back to whatever hole you came from."

    Drifter wished for nothing more than to arrest all those scums and throw them into the << Black Iron Palace >>, leaving them to rot until the day they cleared SAO. And then hand them over to the authorities on the outside, to pay the full price for the atrocities they committed for those red cursors.

    Unfortunately, he knew it was impossible to accomplish that tonight. They were outnumbered, and even if that wasn''t the case, Drifter didn''t want to put any of his friends in risk. It would be much better for everyone involved if the red players left.

    Of course, that wasn''t going to happen, otherwise it would be too easy. The murderers just laughed harder when they heard him.

    "Hahaha! How scawy! I think I''m shitting my pants I''m so terrified."

    The player with a skull mask and red eyes mocked Drifter. The spearmaster simply tightened the grip on his weapon. They just had to endure. The more they stalled, the closer Yuna and the others got.

    "Oh? Now that I take a good look at our party crashers, don''t they look familiar, boys? Broken Spear Drifter, Dark Elf Kizmel, Lightning Flash Asuna, and Black Swordsman Kirito. What an honor! Not!"

    More laughter. Drifter wasn''t sure the criminals even knew what they were chuckling at. They just wanted to. His eyes narrowed.

    "You know our names, but we don''t know who you are. Why don''t you introduce yourself, red-eyes? And tell us why you are after Griselda while at that."

    The leader of the red players playfully tapped his lips with the tip of his sword. An estoc, Drifter noticed. The thinnest blade in Aincrad. Just as deadly as a greatsword in the hands of a skilled user.

    "Red-eyes, huh? I like that. From now on you can call me... Red-Eyed XaXa!"

    If the red player was expecting to get any reaction out of the Reavers with his self-given epithet, he was sorely disappointed. Drifter caught the flash of annoyance in his red eyes, and pressed on with a mocking smirk.

    "Very impressive. Do the others have names too, or are they just lackeys 1 through 6?"

    Now XaXa''s anger was clear, as he didn''t immediately guffaw like he had been doing. The other red players also shifted, and for a moment Drifter was afraid he had pushed his luck too much. But then XaXa raised his estoc. Drifter''s gaze followed the tip of the blade. If there was a sudden attack, that was where it would start.

    "Very funny, frontliner. But if you must know, I''ll tell you. We are Laughing Coffin!"

    The name didn''t ring any bells, but it wasn''t hard to gather what this Laughing Coffin was. An organization of killers. Of murderers and red players.

    That was when a splash of red on XaXa''s wrist caught Drifter''s attention, and the spearmaster realized that the red player hadn''t been showing off the estoc, but the tattoo.

    They were a few meters apart and the brand wasn''t that big, but Drifter could still identify the stylized coffin with disproportionate eyes and a toothy grin. It had to be one of the creepiest designs Drifter had ever seen, more so because he understood what it meant.

    "They all have it."

    It was maybe a redundant affirmation, but Drifter followed Asuna''s gaze and saw the Laughing Coffin tattoos on the wrist of all the red players. Now they were showing off, and the twisted smiles were back.

    "That''s right, girlie. What do ya think? I''m sure I can talk boss into accepting ya in our numbers if you kill Blackie over there. Boss was in need of a plaything, kekekeke! The NPC will also do nicely."

    Red-Eyed XaXa licked his lips lecherously. His lustful gaze roamed over Asuna and Kizmel''s bodies, and Kirito stepped in front of his girlfriend to block their vision. Asuna was trembling, Drifter didn''t know if it was of fear, disgust, or rage.

    Kizmel hadn''t batted an eyelid at the insults. Either she didn''t understand what XaXa meant - unlikely, no matter how big the cultural barrier was - or she simply didn''t care.

    Drifter caught Kizmel''s gaze, and she looked up and to the left. Where a player''s HUD was. The spearmaster had to suppress a smirk. Most people still considered Kizmel just an NPC Reaver''s Requiem luckily recruited. It never crossed the red players'' minds that she might be receiving messages while they talked. Their guild was close.

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    "Lost your tongue, stickman? You were so brave just a sec ago. Or could it be that ya want a piece of the NPC too? We can share, just kill that woman over there for us."

    Okay, so XaXa wasn''t stupid. He knew the chances of them getting to Griselda had fallen precipitously after their arrival. Of course, the red player didn''t seriously believe any of the Reavers would even consider his proposal. But Drifter latched onto the change of topic.

    "Why do you want to kill Griselda, XaXa? Why are you even here, actually?"

    The criminal spat.

    "Bah, and here I thought ya would be a fun guy to play with. Turns out you also only want to know the boring stuff. We wanna kill her ''cause it''s fun! That the lost little lamb at your feet was willing to pay for it was only the icing on the cake."

    "Is that what Laughing Coffin is then? Killers for hire?"

    That must have been the wrong thing to ask. Or the right thing, depending on how you saw it. Either way, Red-Eyed XaXa stopped talking, and the glare he gave to Drifter was much the same as Morte''s right before the spearmaster killed him.

    "This is boring. Cut them to pieces, boys!"

    It was so sudden that the Reavers took a second to react. But when the first two red players charged at him, Drifter let his instincts take over.

    A << Snake Bite >> lashed out at the first criminal, but the player tilted his body and dodged both stabs from the skill. He closed in on Drifter, and his dagger was almost assuredly poisoned.

    The spearmaster forcefully changed the direction of his attack and smacked the red player on the side of the head with the shaft of his spear. While it did little damage, it was enough to disorient the opponent, giving Drifter enough of an opening to deal with the saber chopping down on his head.

    "Hah!"

    Shouting, Drifter stepped forward, shoulder charging the second red player. The saber cut into his shoulder, but Drifter ignored it, and knocked back the murderer. Retracting his spear, he stabbed without hesitation, and a << Sting >> put a hole through the man''s lower abdomen.

    Drifter didn''t stop there. Fighting humans, especially other players, was very different than facing monsters. But one fundamental principle still stood: once you have the advantage, press on. Never give your opponent a chance to breathe.

    Spinning his spear, Drifter swept it violently from left to right, slashing the dagger-user, who thought he could catch Drifter unaware. Reversing his swing, he cut the saber-user right down to yellow.

    Then Drifter suddenly bent his back, abandoning the perfect chance to continue his offensive. Red-Eyed XaXa''s estoc still blinded him of one eye.

    Drifter''s spear almost took his head off his shoulder in return.

    The decisiveness with which Drifter went for lethal blows apparently shocked even the red players. In an unspoken agreement, the spearmaster took a step back, as did XaXa and the two Laughing Coffin members. Their cold gaze on Drifter now held a hint of apprehension.

    Drifter took the chance to see how his friends were faring. He had every bit of confidence that they could hold their own against the murderers, but it was still the first time Asuna, Kizmel, and Griselda were fighting other players in a real battle, no holds barred. Even for Kirito, that was only the second time.

    To his relief, XaXa''s decision to come after him with three players - probably wanting to take him out of the game right from the start - had majestically backfired.

    With three killers tied up with Drifter, that left the other four to face Kirito, Asuna, Kizmel, and Griselda one-on-one. XaXa had made the wrong bet.

    Laughing Coffin hunted other players to satisfy their twisted desires. Reaver''s Requiem were the cream of the crop of frontliners.

    In an ambush or overwhelmed by numbers, they would be in trouble. But face-to-face with a single opponent? They would teach the criminals what it meant to be a frontliner.

    It had been maybe 30 seconds since the battle started? Less. Yet the red players facing Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel were already in a sorry state. Their HP was down to yellow while the Reavers were still all in the green.

    That was how fights between players went. Against monsters, you had to whittle them down slowly. Not players. The battles were short, vicious, and brutal.

    Griselda was faring a little worse. She hadn''t been prepared for this, after all. Not like the Reavers had since Morte. And Grimlock''s betrayal must still be affecting her. He was her husband after all.

    "What about it, Red-Eyed XaXa? Want to keep going?"

    Drifter checked in on the others with just a glance, most of his attention still focused on XaXa and the other two. One of his eyes was closed, and Drifter knew that had this been outside of SAO, he would have permanently lost an eye. But here, all it did was lower his accuracy. It didn''t even impair his vision.

    XaXa was visibly disturbed. He had stopped laughing. The red player certainly hadn''t expected such ferocity from the ''goodie-two-shoes frontliners''. His gaze slithered over to Griselda, who was undoubtedly the weakest link on the other side. But then he was forced to jump back as Drifter lunged at him with a << Rage Spike >>, and slashed the air in front of him.

    "Don''t even think about it."

    "Grrr... I''ll admit it, Broken Spear Drifter. I didn''t think you had it in you. It almost feels like you were actually trying to kill me with that first exchange. Insane bastard. Your eye for my head, hum?"

    "A worthwhile trade. My eye will heal in half an hour. You aren''t coming back if I take off your head."

    "Kikikikhahaha! You don''t have what it takes to claim a life, frontliner bastard!"

    Drifter didn''t miss a beat.

    "I don''t? Why don''t you ask Morte about it? He thought the same, right until I stabbed his throat."

    XaXa froze. The other red players stopped. One of them even looked at the cursor above Drifter''s head.

    "You are lying!"

    XaXa hissed. Drifter shrugged with faked nonchalance. He had never put what he did so bluntly. And he certainly hadn''t felt that indifferent to Morte''s death. But if it scared the red players, he was willing to bluff.

    "How about I send you down to meet him and you trade stories. He was one of yours, wasn''t him? Laughing Coffin."

    Drifter spat on the ground after speaking the name of the red players guild. Red guild. XaXa narrowed his eyes. This wasn''t turning out to be as fun as he had expected.

    "Surrender, XaXa. You are more worthless than mobs. At least we get something from slaying them. From you, I''ll just feel the need to change my spear, since dirt like you is hard to clean. Give up and you can spend the rest of SAO in << Black Iron Palace >>. It won''t be comfortable, but you''ll be alive."

    XaXa snarled like a wild animal, but Drifter just smirked. He was provoking them, which might not be the wisest thing to do. But he could see many dots approaching fast on his map. And he could also see Akari and another shadow sneaking behind the red player dueling Griselda.

    Everything happened in a blur next. XaXa must have given some sort of invisible command to the red players, because they suddenly dashed back in unison. At the same time, the rest of Reaver''s Requiem burst out of the mist and into the << Hill of the Cross >>.

    And lastly, Akari and her subordinate jumped on their target. It was a short and brutal scuffle, which ended up with the red player paralyzed on the ground and Akari sporting a nasty cut on her belly. Poison, from the looks of it. She would live.

    If glares could kill, Drifter would be dead and buried by now. He knew he had made another enemy for life today. But he stared down Red-Eyed XaXa until the red player vanished, and stopped those who wanted to pursue Laughing Coffin.

    If Drifter had it his way, when XaXa and his guild of murderers crossed paths with him again, he would send them down to meet Morte.

 Chapter 126 - Black Iron Palace

    Drifter stared in the direction the red players had vanished. He refused to collapse, no matter how mentally exhausted he was.

    All that time he spent talking and provoking Red-Eyed XaXa, he was quite literally flirting with death. All it would have taken was one more coincidence, and for the red player to not have underestimated them. If three of them had gone after Griselda instead of him, she would be dead, and they would have been able to pick off the Reavers one by one.

    "Drifter!"

    A human-shaped missile slammed into him, and Drifter leaned onto his spear to support both of them. Then he swept Yuna in a desperate embrace, and kissed her deeply.

    "I told you I would be fine, songbird. See? Mostly intact."

    Touching his forehead to hers, Drifter whispered softly while staring into her brown eyes. Worry was still evident on her expression, as was her relief at finding him alive.

    "You... You stupid dummy! Don''t you ever dare leave me behind again, got it?!"

    "Never, Yun''. Never."

    He leaned in and kissed her again, slowly this time. Public indecency be damned.

    When their lips finally separated, Yuna still kept her arms wrapped around him in a show of protection, or maybe possessiveness.

    The spearmaster looked around. The << Hill of the Cross >> had probably never seen this many visitors at once. Even Keita, Sachi, and the other three were there, despite Drifter''s express orders that they should stay in Ralberg. He couldn''t find it in himself to be angry with them for disobeying. That had to have been a much harder decision than following his command and staying safely in the zone, but they still did it, for him. If the Black Cats'' loyalty to Reaver''s Requiem hadn''t been proved yet, now it was indisputable.

    "Ya look beaten up as shit, Dri-bou."

    The spearmaster smiled at the insult, and grabbed Argo before she could escape his reach. Hugging her to his side like Yuna was doing to him, he stroked the info-broker''s hair. For once, she didn''t complain or struggle. Her eyes were still red.

    "Good to see you are back to normal, little rat. That whole panicking thing really doesn''t go well with the merciless information merchant persona you have going on."

    "Ugh... Yu-chan, scold him for me, will ya?"

    Yuna flickered Argo''s forehead.

    "Ack! Yer all bullying me!"

    Drifter grinned, amused by the two girls'' antics. Yuna might have called him a dummy, but she wouldn''t truly scold him. This wasn''t like it had been with Morte. This time it was much more urgent, and the songstress had been aware of it from the beginning.

    After finishing with the two girls, Drifter walked towards Griselda. While everyone seemed relieved and happy, and Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel were being enthusiastically interrogated by their friends, the older woman was lost.

    She was sitting at the base of the giant dead tree crowning the << Hill of the Cross >>, eyes glazed over. Liz, Agil, Wolv, and Shigio were watching over her, seemingly lost on what to do. Drifter approached her.

    "Griselda. I suppose asking if you are okay is a stupid question, isn''t it? But we need some answers."

    The woman blinked, and her eyes focused again. She looked at Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel, got up, and bowed deeply.

    "The four of you... Thank you. You saved my life. Thank you."

    Drifter put a hand on her shoulder and lifted her up. Then he grabbed the woman in a hug. She looked like she really needed one.

    "T-Thank you! Aaahhh!"

    Griselda buried her head on his shoulder and started sobbing. Her voice broke, and Drifter felt the tears wetting his clothes. Yuna came over his other side and threw her arms around both of them.

    The couple stayed like that, holding the older woman until she had no more tears left to cry. For now, at least.

    "Uff... Thank you. I-I am better now."

    When she let go of Drifter, Griselda took a step back and thanked him and the Reavers again. She rubbed her face to get rid of the last traces of tears, which quickly became dust and disappeared in beautiful flickering light crystals. Yuna still had an arm around her, and Griselda was leaning heavily on the songstress.

    "There''s no corner of Aincrad where we would let those bastards harm you or anyone else and get away with it, Griselda. It''s over now."

    "Yuna''s right. We did nothing more than you would have done if our positions were inverted. But we need to hear the whole story before we can put this behind us."

    Drifter threw a significant glance at a spot about 20 meters away. Vallerk and Silica were standing guard over the crumpled form of Grimlock. The man hadn''t even tried to run away. He was curled up in a fetal position, mumbling incomprehensibly and shaking.

    Griselda looked at her husband with complex emotions. There was confusion and hurt and sadness and fear. No love. Not after what he did. Not anymore. She took a deep breath.

    "I... I''m not sure I can say much to clarify. I have yet to understand all of it myself. Keiji- Grimlock called me here. I should have suspected something, but... He is my husband. Was."

    Drifter didn''t see what she did, but after a few swipes on her menu, the ring on Griselda''s hand disappeared. He was fairly certain she had just dissolved her in-game marriage to Grimlock.

    That action seemed to take a huge burden off Griselda''s shoulders, and she even managed a shaky smile.

    "He started saying many things. That we were alone. Nothing of it made much sense. He said he loved me. And that I had changed, so he didn''t love me, but did. A-And about how he only wanted the me of his memories. H-his sweet, caring, and o-obedient wife. And then those red players... Laughing Coffin... Appeared."

    She looked away from Grimlock.

    "I-I have to thank you again. Especially you, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Kizmel. I think... Grimlock hired Laughing Coffin to kill me. You stopped them. Stopped him."

    Drifter patted Griselda on the shoulder again. She had just gone through something horrible. But she was a tough woman. Then his gaze moved left of Grimlock.

    "And that brings us to the biggest surprise and problem of tonight. Laughing Coffin."

    The member of the red guild that Akari and the other Fuumaningum player managed to capture was still paralyzed. Akari was sitting on him, a dagger held loosely in hand - not close enough that he could try suicide, she had been there when Morte made Drifter a murderer. Her subordinate was standing silently by her side. Drifter would have to remember to thank him later. Without him, Griselda would be dead, and they would be none the wiser to the existence of the killer organization.

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    "Laughing Coffin?"

    Argo questioned. Of course. Only a few of them had been there when Red-Eyed XaXa revealed Laughing Coffin.

    "Later, little rat. That''s going to be a long discussion, and here''s not the ideal place. Kirito? I think it''s time to finally use that << Corridor Crystal >>. << Black Iron Palace >>, I believe."

    The swordsman nodded. Pulling the large blue crystal out of the guild storage, he inputted the coordinates and activated it. The large plaza of the Town of Beginnings, and the massive dark structure of the prison, appeared in front of their eyes.

    Vallerk and Agil lifted Grimlock and pushed the sobbing mess of a man through the portal. Akari nicked the red player with another dose of her paralysis potion-coated dagger just for good measure before allowing Drifter and her subordinate to hail him up.

    Normally this kind of rough manhandling wouldn''t be possible. The system itself would block it. Even Grimlock had to ''voluntarily'' step through the << Corridor Crystal >>.

    But red players didn''t have rights. Drifter and the role-player carried their ''package'' through the portal, still paralyzed and still in combat state, both of which should not be possible inside a safe zone. They were relieved of it by the NPC prison guards, who dragged the red player away. The murderer was cursing and laughing all the way.

    The Cardinal System was extremely intelligent. It recognized Grimlock''s crimes, but at most it could give him an orange player status. He would be imprisoned for 60 days only. He hadn''t actually killed anyone.

    There was no such light sentence for a red player. Whether they only murdered one person or a hundred, it was a life sentence. The criminal would stay in << Black Iron Palace >> for the rest of SAO, however long that was.

    "Griselda. Griselda! You can''t do this! I-I love you! Th-This is your fault! Griselda!"

    The players watched Grimlock be escorted away with uncomfortable expressions. The man had completely broken down. He was shattered. Shards of what he once was.

    "Keiji..."

    "C''mon, Griselda. You can visit him another day, after you have calmed down. You might actually collapse if you go now."

    "I... You are right. Thank you, Asuna. I- I should probably go back. My guild needs to... Oh, Golden Apple. What am I going to do about them? How do I tell them?"

    "You can think about it tomorrow. And you are not going back. You can''t be alone tonight. I vote for the hot springs. It always calms me down, and I think we are all too hyper to sleep anyway. Plus Argo has a lot of investigating to do."

    "Ya can be damn sure I do! C''mon Gris-chan! I''ll show ya firsthand how a proper info-broker works!"

    ...

    It was close to 4 in the morning when Drifter, Kirito, Argo, and Akari met outside, in one of Ralberg''s plazas.

    True to their word, they had spent two hours in the hot springs to relax, and avoided any topic that might trigger Griselda. So no mention of her husband, guild, red players, Laughing Coffin, and what happened tonight. It would have been a very awkward conversation if Griselda hadn''t been so physically and emotionally exhausted that she fell asleep within 15 minutes.

    They only woke her up when they were leaving, and Asuna and Yuna brought her back to an inn. The two girls would sleep with Griselda tonight, just to be safe.

    After dismissing the other Reavers, Drifter, Kirito, and Argo walked out of the hot springs. Akari was already waiting for them there. Silently, the four took the teleporter to the 19th floor.

    "We''ll put aside Grimlock and Griselda''s matter for now. But we need to talk about Laughing Coffin."

    After a long time of staring into the night sky, Drifter broke the silence. When none of his companions said anything, he turned to Akari. His gaze was sharp, and the ninja frowned under her mask.

    "Fuumaningum deals in outlaw zones, Akari. I know about it, and no one here sees anything wrong with it, so we aren''t gonna have any problems related to that. But did you already know of Laughing Coffin before today?"

    Relaxing slightly, the role-player shook her head.

    "No. We have identified several red players, but there was never any indication they were joining in an organization."

    "A red guild. This is bad. Since I''m assuming you are Argo''s arm in the gray side of SAO, you don''t have anything on them either, do you, little rat?"

    "No. Sorry, Dri-bou, Kii-bou, Akari-chan. I should have known about them."

    "Don''t beat yourself over it, Argo. We thought Morte was an outlier. There was never any reason to suspect there were so many red players, much less that they would work together."

    Kirito extended a hand to pat Argo''s head. Drifter and Akari nodded in agreement.

    "They are all insane. I don''t think anyone here questions that. We need to investigate them, Argo. We need to nip Laughing Coffin in the bud. We can''t have murderers running around while we are already struggling to climb Aincrad."

    "Aye. Don''t worry, Dri-bou. I didn''t find ''em before ''cause I wasn''t lookin''. Now Imma turn over every stone to uncover the bastards."

    The spearmaster smiled. If Argo said it, he could trust her to make good on her word. Of course, there was always the question of what they would even do after finding Laughing Coffin, but they could think further on that later.

    "Let''s assess what we know for now. Thankfully that demon had very loose lips. He blabblered on incessantly. Good job on keeping him distracted, Broken Spear Drifter."

    Great, they were back to role-playing now. Drifter just sighed in exasperation.

    "He did let us know a lot. Let''s see... Laughing Coffin. A guild of red players. At the very least 7 of them, probably many more, since I doubt they sent their entire force to deal with Griselda. Their attire is very distinctive, but I would say the red cursor is even more of a dead giveaway, so I don''t know if that helps much. Humm... They all had this on their wrists."

    Drifter changed his menu to public and drew a sketch of Laughing Coffin''s logo. It wasn''t the best, but still recognizable.

    "What do you know about tattoos in SAO, little rat? How do you get one, and where? Are they permanent, or can you change it whenever you like?"

    "Never had a reason to look into that, Dri-bou."

    "Now you do. All seven had the symbol tattooed on their wrists, so that can be an identifying mark, Akari. It would be good to know if all red players are part of Laughing Coffin, and if not, how many."

    "Hm."

    "Next, Red-Eyed XaXa. He''s the only one who gave his name, although I think the Red-Eyed epithet was made up in the moment. Skull mask, flashing red eyes. His signature would be the estoc. That''s not a common weapon. He is probably... A mid-tier leader in Laughing Coffin. He was clearly in command of that group."

    "Not the leader?"

    "No, he mentioned someone he called boss. Honestly, XaXa was really good. Frontliner good. And properly mad. If even he addresses someone so respectfully, Laughing Coffin''s guild leader must be as good as us, Kirito. And one cruel fucker."

    Drifter rarely swore openly like that, but he was in a bad mood. They had saved the day, rescued Griselda, and arrested Grimlock and one of the red players. But having learned what they did today, no one could see it as a victory.

    "Unfortunately, that''s about it, Argo. You have a lot of work ahead of you."

    "For this, I''m willin'' to go into overtime, Dri-bou. I want those monsters outta circulation as much as ya."

    "Start with the red player Akari caught. I don''t think it will be of any use, but we have to exhaust all our leads."

    "You don''t think he is going to speak, Drifter?"

    The spearmaster shook his head.

    "He has no reason to. We wouldn''t torture him even if there was an option to do that, amd we can''t promise him freedom. Now that he is in << Black Iron Palace >>, everything is under the system''s control."

    "Not to mention we can''t release a monster like him again, even if it was up to us."

    "Exactly. So, if anything is going to make him crack, it''ll be solitude. A long time of staring at the same four walls without anyone to talk to will probably drive him more insane than he already is, though."

    "Good riddance, I say."

    Argo spat on the ground, and Drifter couldn''t help but nod along. The red player deserved everything he got, and worse.

    "I still think it''s worth a try. I''ll go with you to interrogate him tomorrow, okay, Argo? I don''t want you going there alone."

    "I''m not a child, Dri-bou."

    "I never said you were, little rat. But promise me."

    Argo glared at him for a few minutes, but eventually relented.

    "''Kay."

    "I know you don''t like it, but I''m just worried, little rat. Those guys are vicious. You know that.

    The info-broker didn''t contest him, and let Drifter pull her into a hug, burrowing into his side much like her namesake. The spermaster looked at Akari.

    "We''ll need Fuumaningum''s full support, Akari. I''m afraid the most dangerous part will fall to your guild. It''s understandable if you want out."

    "Don''t mock my honor, Broken Spear Drifter. Fuumaningum I''ll gladly fight against the demons."

    "Hmm."

    The spearmaster hummed in acknowledgement, already having expected that. Lastly, he turned to Kirito.

    "That leaves informing the Assault Team to us, Kirito. I''ll respectfully leave it in my guild leader''s capable hands."

    The boy groaned, and, for the first time tonight, Drifter, Argo, and even Akari laughed.

 Chapter 127 - No Interference

    Drifter scratched his face and yawned. He had barely gotten 2 hours of sleep last night. It felt like he had just closed his eyes when the alarm he set went off.

    The sun had already risen, albeit just barely. At least the view on the 1st floor was better than what Kirito and the others would be seeing all the way up in the 19th. The sun was actually visible from here.

    Though, the Reavers were all exhausted, both physically and mentally, so it was unlikely they were already up. Only Drifter was unlucky enough to have to get up this early. Another debt to add to Laughing Coffin''s bill.

    "Ready, little rat?"

    "This is gonna be useless, but yeah. Thanks for comin'' with me, Dri-bou."

    The spearmaster affectionately rubbed Argo''s head. The duo was standing in front of the << Black Iron Palace >>, and they were starting to catch attention from the early-risers. They were two famous faces, after all, and the prison wasn''t exactly a tourist location.

    "We''ll visit Sasha and the kids after we are done. That should cheer both of us up."

    "Ya thinkin'' this gonna be that unpleasant?"

    Drifter talked with the NPC guard, saying they were there to visit a prisoner. When the large iron doors opened, he motioned the info-broker in, following her while nodding.

    "Definitely. He isn''t going to give us anything but insults, Argo. All I''m hoping is that he lets something slip."

    The brown-haired girl stopped, and Drifter almost walked into her. Looking at her inquisitively, the spearmaster wondered what happened.

    "You okay, little rat?"

    "If... If he does say somethin'', or I manage to find out from other sources, what are ya plannin'' to do, Drifter?"

    Ah. So that was it. He almost smiled. She was scared for him. Drifter pulled his little sister to him.

    "If, and that''s a big if, little rat, we learn something, then we''ll decide what to do. Together. But I know what you really mean. If we discover how many red players there are, and where Laughing Coffin''s HQ is, I''ll go after them. Let me finish, Argo."

    He raised his hands to ward off her objections, and stared Argo down until she stopped talking.

    "They are a cancer we need to get rid of early, Argo. Or they will spread and consume SAO. We can''t escape if we have people actively working against us. But I don''t mean I plan on hunting them down alone."

    Argo''s glare softened. She knew Drifter had a tendency of taking on huge burdens alone, but it appeared even he wasn''t crazy enough to go against Laughing Coffin alone.

    "I''ll get Agil, Wolv, and Shigio. Klein, Orlando, even Kibaou and Lind. The entire damn Assault Team. Akari and her ninjas. Anyone who understands we''ll have to put an end to Laughing Coffin by any means necessary. Even if we can never sleep soundly again."

    "Ya didn''t mention Kii-bou and the others."

    Drifter shook his head and sighed.

    "I really don''t want to involve them in this if I can avoid it, Argo. Nor you. I know I don''t have the right to control any of you, and I''m not that much of a hypocrite to say you are too young after everything we went through. Doesn''t mean I can''t still try and prevent you from becoming murderers like me."

    Usually saying something like that would have earned Drifter a slap. Yuna got really pissed with him when he was all self-deprecating like that.

    But there was no blame or guilt in his voice when Drifter acknowledged himself as a murderer. It was just a fact. He had come to terms with it, and firmly believed he killed for the right reasons. He would have to be careful not to lose sight of them if he was forced to take lives again.

    Argo felt that, so she didn''t scold him. Only Yuna knew Drifter better than her. She could tell when he was suffering, and that wasn''t it right now.

    "Anyway, all that is just hot air if the red player doesn''t tell us anything. So let''s see him and get out. This place is cold."

    Drifter pushed Argo forward, and they walked down the monochrome corridors, passing row after row of empty cells. There had probably been other prisoners since SAO started, but just for petty crimes like stealing. At the moment, the << Black Iron Palace >> was housing only two inmates.

    Drifter and Argo stopped in front of the cell of the first of them. Not Grimlock. They could hear Griselda''s ex-husband sobbing further down the corridor. But they were here to see the first permanent tenant of the prison.

    Drifter crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down on the red player. Now, with light shining through the tiny window on one wall, the criminal wasn''t nearly as intimidating as yesterday.

    He was a short, scrawny man, maybe four or five years older than Drifter. The guards of << Black Iron Palace >> had stripped him of all his equipment save for his starting clothes, so his face was clearly visible, as was the Laughing Coffin tattoo on his wrist.

    "Louze. You look like a real piece of shit."

    His name was floating above his head, underneath the red cursor. Drifter wished he had known it last night. It was a lot harder to be scared of someone with a name like Louze.

    Only then noticing their presence, the red player turned his head. That insane smile was plastered on his face, and Argo frowned. Drifter didn''t change his expression.

    "Oh, it''s just you guys. Can''t you ask those ninjas to come visit me? I really want to rip them to pieces. Bite their faces off and-"

    "Shut up. We are the only two faces you will see, murderer. Make sure to take a good look, because when we are gone, you will spend the next few years counting cracks on the wall."

    "Hahahaha! Why so grumpy, Broken Spear Drifter? Is it because of yesterday? We were just havin'' a little fun. Do you know how many stabs a person can take before they give up? It''s really great here in SAO! One stab, two stabs, three stabs, heal! Four stabs, five stabs..."

    The two green players didn''t even bother interrupting this time. They just let Louze sing-song until he got bored and trailed off. The red player pouted like a child.

    "You guys are no fun! I won''t talk to you anymore!"

    Having said that, Louze turned his back to them. Minutes of silence went by, and the red player sneaked a peek over his shoulder, then put on a surprised expression.

    "You are still here! I had no idea you were so interested in little old me!"

    The show Louze was putting on didn''t fool Drifter and Argo. He was insane alright, as mad as they could get, but the red player wasn''t stupid. He knew there was no going back for him. The NPCs couldn''t be bargained with or bribed. No one could storm << Black Iron Palace >> and free him. He was condemned to spend the rest of Sword Art Online in this very cell. The rest of his life, if the Assault Team failed to beat the game. Crazy or not, the red player also dreaded this future.

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    "We have questions for you, Louze. Answer them, no games, and I''ll drop by every now and again. Bring you news from the outside, maybe even some special food if you behave."

    "Bah! I don''t need your pity, frontliner!"

    "You won''t have it anyway. How many players are there in Laughing Coffin? What are their names? Who is your boss? Where are your hideouts? Talk or don''t, choice is yours. Either way, we are leaving in 10 minutes."

    "Boring!"

    Louze spat on Drifter''s feet, his answer clear. The spearmaster and Argo still waited the promised 10 minutes. Not a second over the deadline, they turned around and left, without a word.

    "Kek! You won''t even ask why I became a red player, frontliner bastard?!"

    Drifter barely slowed down his steps, throwing one last glance over his shoulder.

    "I don''t need to know why monsters kill. I just put them down."

    Louze was stunned by the response for a moment. Then he started laughing, cackling away, apparently having heard the funniest joke in the world.

    "Hahaha! Goodbye, Argo the Rat! Goodbye, Broken Spear Drifter! Boss will drink your blood! He will chew and spit out your bones. Hahahahaha..."

    ...

    "Well. That was productive."

    Sarcasm dripped off Argo''s words. Drifter flickered her forehead.

    "Don''t be petty, little rat. We never expected anything to come of this anyway. If we still have no leads after a few months, we can come back."

    "Hmm. Is yer offer to visit the kids still valid, Dri-bou? I think I need the little balls of sunshine. They''re gonna take my mind off things with the incessant questions."

    Drifter grinned. That was the Argo he liked to see.

    --------------------

    18 floors above, a different conversation was taking place. Kirito and the rest weren''t present, but they could imagine the contents. And the results too, if the unhappy faces of Cainz and Schmitt when they came out of the inn were anything to go by. The rest of Golden Apple seemed more shell-shocked than anything.

    Griselda was the last one to step out of the inn. She seemed sad and tired, but not surprised. Yuna stepped forward to greet her.

    "Hey, Griselda. It didn''t go well, did it?"

    "Ah... As well as it can be expected, actually. I''m still having trouble coming to terms with last night. Golden Apple disbanded."

    That wasn''t a huge shock, but the Reavers still comforted the older woman. She had put her all in the guild, and it was a huge blow to lose everything like that.

    But Griselda was a tough woman. She rubbed her eyes, and when she looked up again, there was a smile on her face. Maybe not a bright one, but it was definitely real.

    "I want to talk to Grimlock. After that... Black Swordsman Kirito, if you would allow me to be shameless just this once, I have a request."

    The oddly formal way of speaking hinted at what her wish was. Kirito nodded for her to go on. Griselda put a hand on her chest, the other on the pommel of her sword, and bowed.

    "Please let me join Reaver''s Requiem."

    -----------------------

    Kikouka put down his phone and groaned. That was another politician demanding he immediately freed the SAO victims. As if he had been trying to do anything else the entire time he was put at the head of the task force.

    Yesterday''s conflict and the subsequent reveal of an entire guild of murderers had been the largest bomb Sword Art Online had ever dropped in his lap.

    His entire office was working overtime to both deal with public outrage and, more importantly, identify the criminal players. If for no other reason than to move them to a more secure location. There had been several calls to ''pull the plug'' already.

    That was, surprisingly, the one silver lining Kikouka found in this whole mess. He was a mere soldier, and the decision to pull the plug or not didn''t fall to him, but to their country''s legal system. And while lawyers and judges scrambled to come up with legal precedents, some of the heat was taken off him.

    Pull the plug. Kill the red players. Death penalty.

    As a soldier, Kikouka was in favor of it. Whatever mental illness, whatever reason lawyers could come up with to justify the murderersˇŻ actions, it was all bullshit. He had heard the conversation between Drifter and XaXa, and then the one with the arrested red player. They enjoyed killing. The plug should already have been pulled from monsters like them.

    Kikouka pulled his head from his hands when he heard a knock on his door.

    "Come in!"

    "Sir, I have the reports you asked for."

    "Leave them on the table and give me the run down."

    "Yes, sir. We are trying our hardest to identify the red players, but... It''s been tough. At the moment, we only have 6 confirmed suspects, including Red-Eyed XaXa, but we can''t connect any to their real life identities."

    "What?!"

    Kikouka narrowed his eyes. His subordinate gulped, but soldiered on.

    "W-We are sorry, sir, but there are still several hundred SAO players we can''t properly identify, because they almost never leave private areas, and hide their faces when they do. Err... Also, we had never paid attention to it before, but there are many players who use masks or other concealing items. The members of Fuumaningum are one such example. In all, there''s over six hundred players whose real identities are still unknown."

    Kikouka groaned, and put his head between his hands again. After a few minutes of kneading his temples in a vain attempt to mitigate his headache, he waved a finger to his subordinate.

    "Forget the green players, tell me about the red ones and Laughing Coffin."

    "Yes, sir. We have - tentatively - identified 28 red players. I say tentatively because, once again, there was an oversight on our part. The SAO broadcasts don''t show the color of a player''s cursor. We never found anything wrong with this since, as far as we were aware, Morte was the only red player, and, from the time he revealed himself to when he died, we could still only watch the boss raids. As you know, going over the footage of 7.000 players is close to impossible, so we have been dedicating most of our efforts to the frontliners."

    "Hm. I''m assuming you identified the 28 suspects by their interactions with other players and confirmed outlaws?"

    "Exactly, sir. By following Red-Eyed XaXa, we got the names of the five who were with him - minus the one Reaver''s Requiem arrested. And another they met later."

    "Got it. And still nothing on the imprisoned red player?"

    "No, sir."

    Kikouka groaned softly. This was not a problem they had foreseen. While they could watch the broadcasts of Drifter and Argo when they went into << Black Iron Palace >> with no problems, the transmission of the red player was nowhere to be found, even after carefully combing through all the players.

    They could only speculate that the Laughing Coffin member''s broadcast was set to [ Transmission Currently Unavailable ]. That assumption was proven correct when they tuned in - or tried to - Grimlock''s broadcast, and found it also turned off. From that, they could conclude that players inside the cells had their identities protected, while the visitors didn''t. It had to be something to do with them being criminals.

    "Why the hell is Kayaba protecting those murderers?! We can''t see the cursors, we watch their transmissions, and even when we looked at it from Broken Spear''s PoV, the red player''s face was blurred and his name blipped out anytime someone spoke it!"

    Kikouka smashed his fists into his desk. It was almost like Kayaba wanted the red players to go free!

    "Ehem... Sir?"

    "What?!"

    His subordinate flinched when Kikouka shouted at him, still immersed in his anger towards Kayaba. The task force leader forced himself to calm down and asked again in a more civil tone.

    "Sorry, what?"

    "We - that is, the team - don''t believe Kayaba is especially protecting the red players. Our current guess is that this is just part of his ''no outside interference'' policy. At the risk of angering you more... Kayaba is Sword Art Online''s god. We are just observers. He grants players free will to do whatever they want, and us the ability to watch almost everything, be it boss raids, their daily life, or barbaric atrocities."

    "Your point is?"

    "None of the other red players had their faces blurred, we simply can''t identify them because they use masks. Nor is any other name censored but that of the criminal in the jail. We think that is the case because he is already a piece off the board."

    The leader of the SAO taskforce had been softly thumping his fingers, but he suddenly stopped. Kikouka was a very smart man, or he wouldn''t have been given this post. He immediately understood what his subordinate meant.

    "He is afraid we would pull the plug on captured red players, because they are the only ones whose identities we can confirm, since << Black Iron Palace >> strips them of all their equipment. He foresaw everything that''s happening now in the real world, including the public outrage. But he doesn''t want anyone messing with his creation."

    "That was our conclusion too, sir. Broken Spear Drifter mentioned before that once imprisoned, red players can''t be freed in any way, including by those who captured them. That means the murderer currently in jail will stay there until SAO is beaten, or his real body gives out. He has become a non-entity. Still, Kayaba likely doesn''t want him to become a scapegoat for public feelings."

    Kikouka stayed silent for several minutes, then leaned his head on the backrest, staring at the ceiling.

    "Again... There''s nothing we can really do, is there?"

    "We''ll continue trying to narrow down the pool of suspects, sir, but... No. We don''t believe there is."

    Kikouka closed his eyes and sighed.

    "Motherfucker."

 Chapter 128 - Both Are Real

    Passing on the news about Laughing Coffin to the rest of the Assault Team hadn''t gone well.

    Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, and Argo had chosen to make it an ''open session''. Meaning, they called an emergency meeting with all the frontliners, not just the guild leaders and vice-leaders, and on the very next day of the fight with the red guild.

    There had been much grumbling as the frontliners arrived for the meeting, having been pulled out of their farming and leveling up. The annoyance was replaced with horror as the three Reavers and Argo took turns describing their conflict with Laughing Coffin. Any instinctive denial was squashed by Griselda herself coming forth and telling her part in the story.

    Maybe it would have been better if they had kept it to a select few. They had argued about that, Argo being in favor of only telling the guild leaders so as to not spook Laughing Coffin into hiding. But she was out voted by Drifter and the other two, who believed spreading the news and letting players beware was worth the panic.

    There was hardly a way to know if they made the right decision or not. Nevertheless, the next few weeks saw a sharp increase of the tension amongst normal players, and in the size of groups adventuring out of safe zones. The amount of players in the wilderness, however, decreased, as many were too scared to go out.

    For the clearers and frontliners, there was little change in the routine. Unlike lower level players, they didn''t have the option of stepping back. And while the thought of murderers hiding in the dark was unsettling, the top players were confident in their abilities.

    But regardless of the actions taken by the players, there was no sign of Laughing Coffin. If it weren''t for Reaver''s Requiem prestige giving credence to the tale, and Louze in the << Black Iron Palace >>, many would think the Reavers had made it all up.

    Oh yes, many people went to ''visit'' Louze in the prison. Lind, Kibaou, Shivata, Klein, Orlando, all wanted to see the red player with their own eyes and, in the case of the first two, make sure the Reavers were telling the truth and not hiding anything.

    They may not have gotten proper confirmation, but Louze''s madness and hysterical behavior put paid to that. The player was properly insane, and the cursor above his head was very red. Laughing Coffin existed, no doubt about that.

    Eventually the players forgot about it. Well, they would never truly forget, that would be not only irresponsible, but also foolish. But without any traces of Laughing Coffin even after they cleared the 19th floor, they put the matter to the back of their minds.

    The frontliners had a much more urgent worry in their hands. The 20th floor. While every boss raid was dangerous and potentially deadly, the round floors were on another level entirely. Players liked to come up with nicknames for everything, but any they thought up for the 10th, 20th floors, and so on, were so ominous they gave up.

    One thing every frontliner understood was that, when the time for the boss raid came, some of them might die. And sure, that possibly was never far away even on normal floors, but that was usually due to mistakes or carelessness. Not on the round floors. On those, even if you did everything perfectly and without a single misstep, you might still die. That was not due to the players lacking anything, but simply how overwhelmingly stronger the floor bosses were.

    Needless to say, it was a very wary Assault Team that stepped on the 20th floor for the first time. They had just come from a floor where behind every tree was an assassin, but they were somehow more high-strung here than on the 19th floor.

    The contrast was probably on purpose. It had to be. Because when the Assault Team stepped on the verdant grass, feeling the comfortable breeze blowing on their faces, the 20th floor could not be more different than its gloomy predecessor.

    In fact, the 20th floor seemed to be almost a carbon copy of the 1st, so much that the frontliners were feeling a sense of deja vu.

    Grassy hills extending from one side of the floor to the other, with sparse groups of mobs here and there, none close enough to be a threat. A river ran lazily in the distance, and they could hear a waterfall hidden somewhere out of their sight. The town was about a kilometer away, pretty little houses with smoke drifting from the chimney. Even the tower to ascend to the next floor was clearly visible, although the entrance wouldn''t be so easy to find.

    "Sooo... Was the 10th floor just Kayaba being overly sadistic, or is all of this just a huge smokescreen?"

    "The latter, definitely."

    "Yup."

    "No doubt about it. This is just the calm before the storm."

    "The boss is gonna be hell."

    The frontliners were too traumatized by now to be anything but skeptical about the new floor. None of them entertained even for a moment the honestly idiotic notion that Kayaba might be ''taking it easy''. The game master didn''t know what that expression meant.

    The players had grown wiser.

    "Aight, everyone can see the town and mobs, so we ain''t gonna stick together this time ''round. See y''all, the teleporter is ours this time. Aincrad Liberation Squad, we are leaving!"

    The Reavers didn''t contest Kibaou, and watched the Assault Team split apart. Klein and Orlando waved goodbye to them before heading towards the settlement. Kirito looked around.

    "What do you think, guys? To the town or let''s explore some?"

    The Reavers stopped and considered his question. On one hand, they were tired. On the other...

    "The sun here is really nice."

    "Indeed. There''s that hill over there, the one with the lone tree. It looks perfect for a picnic."

    "I did make some sandwiches."

    Asuna searched her inventory and came out with one of the snacks which smelled absolutely delicious, and that settled it.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Over 20 floors, the Reavers had learned the importance of rest. And, though it took some convincing for some of them, eventually they all understood that taking some time off every few days wouldn''t be what condemned them to Aincrad for eternity.

    "This really does look like the 1st floor! Even the mobs are similar! Okay, those pigs are a lot bigger than the << Frenzy Boars >>. And their color is different. But still, it''s close! You think Kayaba ran out of ideas already? Maybe he is rehashing?"

    Yuuki excitedly pointed at a group of three furry animals, each the size of a small car and with tusks that wouldn''t look out of place in the prehistoric section of a museum.

    "<< Granite Boars >>. I can take one. Liz, Agil, Wolv, Shigio, with me."

    Drifter took his pick, and Kirito nodded, then aimed his sword at another mob.

    "That one is mine then. Vallerk, Silica, Kizmel. Asuna, the last one is yours."

    "Got. Nautilus, Yuuki, Ran, we''ll try to lead it to that depression over there to restrict its movement."

    "Sinon, overwatch. Yuna, << Firemare >> or << Song of Stone >>, depending on the situation. I''ll leave it at your discretion."

    "Sure thing, Kirito. << Dark Melody >> might also be a good one here. I''ll see how it goes."

    The Songstress put away her harp in favor of a long flute she had gotten from a quest on the 16th floor. Yuna''s << Musical Instruments >> skill was the highest in SAO, to no one''s surprise. << Song of Stone >> and << Dark Melody >> were two of her newest songs. The first was a defense buff for allies, and the latter a defense debuff for enemies.

    The three << Granite Boars >> were happily grazing, but their demeanor changed entirely when the players got within 50 meters of them. They raised their heads, beady eyes fixated on the humans, tusks glinting dangerously in the sunlight, and pawned the ground. Agil hefted his axe and grunted.

    "That''s a large aggro range."

    "We are downwind."

    Sinon pointed out. As an archer, she was sensitive towards that kind of thing.

    "Ugh, why did Kayaba have to be so realistic with all those little things?"

    "He''s a perfectionist. Now, watch out. It looks like they are... Yup, they are charging."

    Trusting his comrades to deal with the other two mobs, Drifter hit the leftmost << Granite Boar >> with << Serpentcoil Impale >>, luring it in their direction.

    Growling with rage at the attack, the mob lowered its head and charged straight at Drifter. It was as big as a car, and just about as fast as one.

    Liz smacked it down. Her glowing hammer caught it right on the top of its head with a << Hammer Down >>, the powerful downwards blow causing the << Granite Boar >> to smash head first into the ground and almost flip over.

    Agil and Wolv came from the side, one with a huge axe, the other with a mace the size of a watermelon, both striking the downed mob without a hint of mercy. Shigio stood back on this round, shield raised and a << Taunt >> ready to catch the aggro when the monster pig got back up.

    Say what you will about beast-type mobs'' intelligence, but the << Granite Boar >> was resilient. After receiving attacks from four of Aincrad''s highest-level players, and strong skills on top of that, the mob merely grunted and shook itself. Its HP had barely decreased by a fifth.

    "Heh. << Dark Melody >> it is, Yuna! Those things are tough!"

    Drifter grinned despite himself. This was more like it! Compared to fighting Laughing Coffin and trying to unravel their plot, if there was even one, this was much nicer. Much more normal.

    The thought struck Drifter as odd. When did it happen? When did he start considering this daily life of hunting monsters the people in the outside world had never imagined as normal?

    For what mattered, when had he started calling it ''outside world''? Drifter distinctively remembered thinking of it as the ''real world'' at the start. Back when SAO was just a virtual prison, and all he wanted was to escape this fake world and go back to the real one.

    The thought kept swirling in Drifter''s head even as he cut down the << Granite Boar >>. It was a fact. For him, this world where he was right now, the monster he just killed, the grass he was standing on, everything was real.

    When had that become his reality?

    Maybe it was when Kizmel joined their guild? She was clearly more than an NPC. She had feelings and behaved just like a normal person. She had broken the NPC mold, and, with it, shattered the thin barrier in Drifter''s mind.

    Or maybe it was even earlier. When they founded the guild- No, earlier still. Earlier than his meeting with Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon.

    It was when he started adventuring with Yuna and Nautilus. The first time he saw something else in SAO other than pain and death. A prospect of something new, something enjoyable.

    Yes, that was it. While he would never be able to pinpoint the exact moment, the change had happened when he started looking forward to the next day, instead of just wishing for it to end.

    It had been the people. Yuna and Nautilus. Argo. Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon. Agil, Wolv, and Shigio. Kizmel and Feredir. Silica and Vallerk. Yuuki and Ran. Lisbeth. Keita, Sachi, Ducker, Tetsuo, and Sasamaru. Griselda.

    Shivata and Liten. Orlando, Nezha, Chuchulainn, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Enkidu. Klein, Harry One, Issin, Dynamm, Dale, Kunimittz.

    Akari.

    Sasha, Shun, Lala, and Yuka.

    Cainz, Schmitt, Yolko.

    Kibaou and Lind.

    Grimlock.

    XaXa and Louze.

    Meowlen. Shishio. Diavel. Valedin. Locke. Namate and Merida. Rockal. Morte.

    Faces flashed through Drifter''s mind. Some close, some far away. Some friends and family, others enemies and mortal foes. Some NPCs, some players.

    Some still here, others long gone.

    Drifter had never realized just how many people he had met in Sword Art Online. From those he barely knew to those he considered family in all but blood.

    "Nice! Everyone, sit down and grab a sandwich! You too, Griselda, stop being so hesitant. You are one of us now!"

    Drifter looked at his guild. Asuna distributing sandwiches to everybody. Agil, Shigio, and Wolv setting up a cloth underneath the shade of the tree. Silica and Kizmel patting Feredir while Vallerk and Liz watched. Ran and Sinon trying to reign in an overly excited Yuuki. Nautilus laughing at something Kirito said. Griselda, standing unsure of where she fit, but willingly getting dragged along. Yuna, smiling and waving at him.

    Heroes and monsters. Drifter knew them all. They were what made this world real. As real as the one he came from.

 Chapter 129 - Odd Quest

    The sun was shining brightly, and the refreshing breeze blowing through the hills carried with it the sounds of birds singing and insects chirping.

    The wind also carried the noises of battle.

    A << Granite Boar >> lunged at Drifter in a reckless charge, and the spearmaster swung his weapon, meeting it head-on.

    The mob snarled, a large cut now adorning its snout, and Drifter was forced back, only his quick thinking stopping him from falling over as he stabbed the ground to steady himself.

    "That''s not very nice!"

    Drifter glanced down at the tear in his chestplate where one of the ivory tusks of the mob had grazed him. The red polygons that passed by blood in SAO flickered from the wound.

    Grunting, Drifter closed the distance between himself and the mob with a << Rage Spike >>. Rotating his spear, he stabbed at the << Granite Boar''s >> eye. The mob turned its head away, but Drifter simply shook his spear, giving it a weird torsion, and accurately hit his target.

    The roar the injured << Granite Boar >> gave was deafening, but Drifter was undaunted. He pressed on with << Horizontal >>, << Sting >>, and << Needle Spear >>, eventually claiming the mob''s other eye, as well as its life.

    "Huff! Taking one of these solo was harder than I thought it was gonna be."

    "That''s why I told you not to do it, dummy!"

    Yuna stomped her way over and examined the wound on his chest. It was already closing, his << Battle Regeneration >> skill having recovered most of his lost HP. Still, the songstress thrusted a low-level health regen food on his hands, and started playing << Rest >>.

    Drifter smiled despite his girlfriend''s pout. Even after a few weeks, he still found it extremely endearing, not to mention adorable, when she called him dummy. It might not be a very common, nor the most flattering pet name, but it was the one his songbird had chosen for him. He could feel her affection every time she said it.

    "Four and a half minutes, Drifter. That''s a long time for you to take on a mob."

    Nautilus and the others walked over from where they had been watching, a few tens of meters away. Drifter shrugged, swallowing the snack Yuna handed him.

    "The pigs are tough. I hadn''t realized how big of a difference Yun''s << Dark Melody >> made until I tried to fight one without her help."

    The spearmaster pecked the songstress on the cheek to show his gratitude, and she rolled her eyes despite her obvious enjoyment.

    Feredir came over to Drifter and rubbed against his legs, tongue lolling off his mouth. Drifter grinned and, opening his menu, took out one of the drops from the << Granite Boar >>. He threw the slab of meat high in the air, and the wolf ran and jumped, catching it between his powerful jaws before happily hunkering down to feast.

    "I swear this dog is getting smarter each day. He even recognizes which mobs drop meat, and knows how to ask for it!"

    "Hey, Drifter! Feredir is not a dog! He is a ferocious, mainly, cutest-in-the-world wolf!"

    Silica mock glared at Drifter, and he quickly raised his hands in surrender. Far from him to argue with Reaver''s Requiem''s youngest member and loyal defender of all things furry.

    "It feels like one of those adjectives doesn''t agree with the others..."

    "Hmph! You are just jealous Feredir is the most famous wolf in our guild!"

    "Why you little- Come here, Silica!"

    Silica stuck out her little tongue at Wolv, who had made the comment under his breath, and then immediately shrieked when he reached for her.

    The Reavers watched with smiles when Silica started to run, only to be caught by Wolv, who put her over his shoulder, and then started spinning. Her screams became delighted laughter as her pigtails swung wildly.

    The merchant also had a huge grin on his face when he finally let a very dizzy Silica go. He ruffled her hair and scratched Feredir behind the ears when the wolf trotted over to join in on the fun.

    The remaining two members of Merchant Warrior Agil''s party were ones who many people easily forgot. They weren''t as well-known or distinctive, nor did they have anything to set them apart like the rest of the Reavers.

    But none of the players in the guild thought that. Neither did Wolv and Shigio themselves, truth be told. They were all precious companions. Family.

    Drifter watched Wolv playing with Silica with a smile. He knew the older man had a child. Just a baby, a few months old. Wolv had already told them during one of the drinking sessions they had with Fuurinkazan, Shivata, and the Legend Braves, that his biggest regret in entering SAO was leaving his daughter for his girlfriend to raise all alone, for who knew how long. Maybe forever, if he didn''t survive to the end.

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    With no way of knowing his family was watching his every move from the outside, Wolv was constantly afraid of what was going on with the two people he loved the most in the world. He even said, one time when he got too tipsy, that he wouldn''t resent his girlfriend if she found someone else. After all, he was the irresponsible father who abandoned them for a game.

    That night had been the first time Drifter saw Agil and Shigio so angry. Wolv had gotten two earfuls from them. He would get another one from his girlfriend when they got out of SAO, as she was not amused when she heard it.

    Curiously enough, that was also the same night that Wolv said he would marry her when they left SAO. That had earned him a few free drinks, and what was likely to be a very passionate night when they returned to the outside world. Agil''s wife, Trisha, had offered to babysit Wolv''s daughter when that day came.

    Still, leaning on his spear next to Yuna and watching Wolv play with Silica, Drifter could only think that Wolv was a great father. His fears were all understandable. But instead of dragging him down, they made him stronger.

    "Oh?"

    "What is it, Drif?"

    "Argo. Hold on for a moment."

    A new message popped up on his HUD, and distracted Drifter. Looking at who the sender was, he couldn''t help but exclaim, drawing Yuna''s attention. He chatted a lot with Argo, but usually he was the one to start the exchange, not her.

    [ Argo: I got an interesting quest here, Dri-bou. Pull me into a party so I can share it with ya. ]

    His interest piqued, Drifter looked at his HUD. His party was full already. Yuna... No, that was a bad idea. He glanced around and saw Nautilus chatting with Ran a few steps away.

    "Hey, Naut, I''m kicking you for a second. Sorry and thank you!"

    Better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission. Before the ash-haired player deciphered what he meant, Drifter had already kicked him from the party and invited Argo. Almost immediately, the info-broker shared the quest details with him. His eyebrows rose until they were almost hidden by his hairline.

    "Hey, what''s this about, Drifter?"

    Nautilus stomped over, not really angry. Ran followed him, and the others started paying attention to the commotion. Drifter just raised his hand in a gesture of asking for silence.

    He re-read the quest while the others gathered around him. Sinon tilted her head curiously.

    "What''s happening?"

    "No idea. Drifter just kicked Nautilus from our party and invited Argo."

    "Hoh?"

    Liz waved her hand, looking at the spearmaster curiously. She knew Argo must have sent him something interesting in private from the face he was making, but the blacksmith didn''t think it was bad. Probably just confusing, from his furrowed brows.

    "Ah, hey, everyone. I was reading through a quest Argo shared. It''s very... Convoluted."

    About five minutes later, Drifter stopped staring at the empty air in front of him, and raised his head to discover Reaver''s Requiem surrounding him. He scratched his cheek, embarrassed, when he looked at Nautilus.

    "Sorry again, Naut, but you might have to join one of the other parties. Argo will have to stay in mine for a while."

    "No worries, Drifter. But what''s on the quest that had you so focused?"

    "Err... It''s a quest that can only be completed by two people, hence why I can''t share it with you since Argo and I are already in it. But it''s all very confusing."

    "The word you used was convoluted."

    Drifter nodded slowly.

    "Well, yeah. Argo has to stay in the town, and I have to go to, quote ''the broken embrace of fallen stars''. Don''t ask me what that means. It''s somewhere west of where we are now."

    Kirito frowned and opened his map. The 20th floor was still being explored, but they already had a simple overview of it.

    "There''s a small forest over there."

    "That''s probably it. And here is where it gets even more confusing. Apparently Argo has to do something in the town, and I have to do something in that place, whatever it is. And we have to time it so it happens together, or it won''t work."

    Now they understood why Drifter had that expression. Quests were usually a lot more clear on the objectives than this, or, at the very least, more detailed.

    "That sounds like a whole lot of trouble and time. Are the rewards worth it at least?"

    "No idea. It only has question marks."

    Ran and some others groaned. Unspecified rewards could mean some incredible treasure - or absolute trash, as it was much more likely.

    "And Argo wants to do that?"

    "You know how she is, she can''t stand not knowing something. And who knows? It might be the next << Flag of Valor >>!"

    The skeptical expressions from his friends showed just how likely they thought that was. Drifter himself wasn''t that keen on going on some wild treasure hunt. But Argo had asked for a favor, so he was going to do it. He turned to Kirito.

    "I don''t think we are all needed, Kirito. How about we split up?"

    "You think it''s going to be okay?"

    Drifter nodded. If there was a chance the quest was going to be dangerous, Argo would have warned him. It was far more likely that it was just going to be a colossal waste of time.

    "Alright then. Take who you want, we''ll continue grinding."

    Nodding again, Drifter pulled his spear out of the ground and sheathed it.

    "Who wants to go on a wild goose chase with me? Silica? That''s one. Yuuki, two. We''ll need a shield. Liz, okay. And how about you to round it off, Griselda? Great!"

    Party members decided, Drifter kissed Yuna and then walked off. The Reavers who stayed behind waved to the party as it got further away before going back to hunting << Granite Boars >>.

    ...

    "Honest thoughts, Drifter. You think this is gonna end up on anything?"

    The small forest had just come into their view when Liz asked this question. Drifter shrugged.

    "My gut is saying no. It''s too random, like one of those scammer quests."

    "I heard some people are still repeating those, hoping it gives some hidden skill like << Martial Arts >>."

    Drifter and the others laughed. SAO truly had everything, including rotten NPCs who gave impossible or nonsensical quests only to rip off players. Many people, including Drifter, had been tricked by them in the earlier days.

    "Honestly, Argo always had a good nose for sussing out scammers. If her instincts are saying this quest is worth it..."

    Yuuki pointed out, and Drifter agreed. It wasn''t easy to trick Argo the Rat, not even for NPCs.

    "We will see. I say, if we can''t find anything by nightfall, then we should just treat it as an excursion."

    "Sounds good."

    The party of five arrived at the small forest a couple of minutes later. Drifter updated Argo on their progress and observed the grove. It didn''t seem any different than any other forest they had come across before.

    A rustling bush up ahead caught his attention, and Drifter saw a mob emerge. He raised his spear, and then lowered it.

    "Huh. What''s that?"

 Chapter 130 - Dragon? Dragon!

    In a small forest on the west side of the 20th floor, Drifter, Silica, Liz, Yuuki, and Griselda were carrying out the quest for Argo when they suddenly came across a monster. Drifter raised his spear to attack it, then lowered the weapon.

    "Huh? What''s that?"

    It was a mob, definitely. The cursor above its head left no doubt about it. But... It didn''t look like a mob at all.

    "How cute!"

    Silica squealed, and Drifter couldn''t disagree. The creature was very cute, and not threatening in the slightest. Usually that would have raised Drifter''s awareness, but he couldn''t feel any sort of danger from it.

    Now, Drifter wasn''t a character in some Chinese wuxia novel, who had some sort of supernatural sixth sense that allowed them to gauge how dangerous an enemy was just by looking at it. But he had spent the last 10 months fighting for his life daily, so he had developed certain instincts. Usually, Drifter could tell when an NPC, mob, or player had hostile intentions towards him. It was like a prickling in his scalp. But he wasn''t feeling anything from the creature in front of them.

    The mob looked like a bird, but also a mammal at the same time. It was covered in pale blue feathers, but it had four legs and walked like a quadrupede. Two wings sprouted from its back, covered in feathers with white patterns. Instead of a tail, it had two really long feathers.

    The mob was also really tiny. Drifter reckoned that, if he ignored the tail feathers, it would fit on his palm.

    It was after he had finished analyzing the mob that his gaze drifted upwards to see its name. His pupils immediately constricted, and the spear he had lowered jerked back up.

    "Careful! Don''t get close to it!"

    "Heh? What is the problem- Hiss!"

    Silica and the other girls had been charmed by the creature''s cuteness, but their expressions changed when they too saw the name. Yuuki sucked in air, her sword already glowing with a skill. Her heart was pumping as fast as when they fought a boss.

    << Small Feathered Dragon >>. The last word was why the five Reavers suddenly got so tense despite their earlier curiosity and the mob''s non-threatening appearance.

    In 20 floors, the players had met every kind of mob there was, from aggressive ones which attacked on sight, to those which were nearly harmless as long as you left them alone. But players had also learned that some mobs were more dangerous than others regardless.

    Humanoid mobs were one such example, because they could use skills and were usually more intelligent. And mobs with some kind of status to their name, such as words like ''noble'' or ''ruler'' or ''general'', tenfold. Those were usually floor bosses and field-bosses.

    But there was a third kind of mob, usually of the beast-type, that players had learned were incredibly stronger than the norm. They were the ones which carried the lineage of some mythical creature, like hydras and phoenixes. Or dragons.

    That was why the party got so scared all of a sudden. Nevermind how it looked, the << Small Feathered Dragon >> had to be strong. Even << Aghyellr the Igneous Wyrm >> hadn''t had ''dragon'' on its name, and it had been a floor boss.

    But the tiny mob in front of them didn''t suddenly become a powerful monster, nor did it try to attack and rip them to pieces. It just looked at them with curious eyes that were far too expressive for a mere monster, and chirped.

    "I... Don''t think it''s hostile?"

    The small dragon just stood there, watching them curiously, its cute snout twitching. Even the bird-like chirping sounds it made were very adorable.

    "Could it be a quest... Mob? Maybe an NPC''s pet, like Feredir was to Locke?"

    "Maybe..."

    Eventually, Liz threw out a guess. It seemed plausible enough, and the << Small Feathered Dragon >> still didn''t show any intentions of attacking, so Drifter lowered his spear.

    "Priiiet?"

    The mob took a few cautious steps forward. Then, not sensing their animosity anymore, it took flight with a few silent beats of its wings, and landed on Silica''s head. The girl froze, then started giggling as the << Small Feathered Dragon >> licked her nose.

    Drifter and the others stared in disbelief. They had never seen a mob behave like that. Or be so friendly. Even Feredir had been wary of them before becoming Kizmel''s familiar.

    "Err... Are you okay, Silica?"

    "Hahaha... Yeah! Hahaha! Isn''t she the cutest thing in the world? Hahahahaha..."

    "She?"

    Drifter asked no one in particular, but the girls had already surrounded Silica and were petting the little dragon, who seemed to bask in all the attention.

    Tempted, Drifter too went forward and scratched the feathers on its head. The mob closed its - her - eyes in pleasure, and rubbed against his hand.

    With that, the party was conquered. Silica, who always had a weak spot for cute creatures, had hearts in her eyes.

    "Can we keep her, Drifter? Please?!"

    Staring at the << Small Feathered Dragon >>, who had climbed on his arm, eventually settling on his shoulder, Drifter didn''t know what to do. He shrugged, dislodging the mob a little, and it chirped once before hopping off his shoulder and flying to Griselda, who beheld it with admiration.

    "I''m not sure how we would go about doing that, Silica. But if it wants to follow us, then I don''t see why not. It''s friendly enough."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Yay! Thank you so much!"

    Silica rushed over and hugged him, the little dragon flying over to land on her head again and chirping out a song.

    Drifter really hoped there was a way to ensure it stayed with them, or Silica would be heartbroken.

    "Pina! I''m going to call you Pina!"

    ----------------------

    It was a very bewildered Argo who read Drifter''s message. She had heard of pacific mobs before - the kind that only retaliated if players attacked, but didn''t make the first move - but never of one that actively tried - and apparently succeeded - in endearing itself to players.

    What the info-broker wasn''t sure of was whether the creature, Pina, had anything to do with the quest she and Drifter were doing, or if it was just a coincidence.

    "Damn annoyin'' quest."

    Argo muttered under her breath. She had been following the leads of the quest all around the town for the last 4 hours, and finally found the end.

    She was sitting on the steps of a rundown temple in the outskirts of the city, munching on a type of sour stringy candy she found in an inconspicuous stall on the 13th floor, and which had quickly become her favorite.

    Until Drifter completed his side of the quest, all she could do was wait, friendly dragon or not.

    ----------------------

    It took Pina about 5 minutes to charm the entire party. She was like a puppy, running - flying - ahead, then looking back and returning to her spot on Silica''s head.

    There was no doubt that the little dragon had chosen the girl just as much as Silica had chosen her. Drifter really hoped there was a way to allow Pina to enter the safe zones.

    Suddenly, Pina stopped and let out a sharp cry, her feathers standing up. Correctly reading the signs, the Reavers halted their steps and stared at the path in front of them. Activating << Searching >> let Drifter see the red shape of a mob coming towards them.

    "Just one, right upfront. Smack it good, Liz. Griselda, you aren''t used to fighting with us yet, so be careful with the switches."

    The woman nodded. When the mob, a mixture of an ape and a bird called << Archeo Lunger >>, burst out of the shrubbery, Liz immediately hit it with a << Bone Breaker >>. Yuuki and Drifter advanced from both sides, stabbing and cutting the mob before it could react.

    In a display of impressive coordination and understanding of each other, Drifter''s spear ripped left, leaving just enough space for Silica to dash forward and stab the mob with a << Canine >>, before slashing down again to block the << Archeo Lunger''s >> path.

    Griselda had already witnessed how good Reaver''s Requiem was when leveling with them the past two weeks. Before, she had been somewhat unhappy when they allowed her to participate in the 19th floor boss raid, but forced her to stay in the back. She barely scored a few hits against the boss.

    Now, she understood that it wasn''t a matter of her not being good enough, but experience. If she had been the vanguard of the raid team, it was likely she would have dragged them down. She just wasn''t at that level of teamwork where they could complete each other''s moves without even needing to communicate.

    "Switch!"

    Yuuki yelled, and Griselda ran forward. Even with her back turned to her, the purple-haired twin was able to tell where Griselda was coming from, and stepped to the other side, allowing the tall swordswoman to flash past her with an << Avalanche >>. The overhead slash laid the mob flat on its back, just in time for Drifter to put his spear through its throat and end the fight.

    "Two more, Drifter!"

    The spearmaster raised his head when he heard Silica shout. In the time it took them to finish off the << Archeo Lunger >>, two more of the same mob had spawned. His expression turned stony, but he still wasn''t too worried.

    Sliding his right leg forward, Drifter twisted his spine and stretched his right arm to the limit. His spear seemed to jump forward, piercing the chest of the closest mob before it even had a chance to scream.

    Pressing forward instead of pulling back, he stabbed his spear deeper into the << Archeo Lunger >>. The mob stumbled and roared, a long feathered arm lashing out and scratching his own. Drifter ignored it and kicked the mob with a << Martial Arts: Low Blow >>, giving Silica an opening to go around its back and stab it four times in quick succession with << Triple Fang >> and << Stop Cut >>.

    The << Archeo Lunger >> swung around and tried to grab Silica, but the nimble little girl ducked under its claws, not forgetting to give it a few more slashes. Drifter didn''t let the chance go, and jabbed his spear on the back of its head, wiping away the little HP it had left.

    Griselda, Liz, and Yuuki had already dealt with their mob, and two clouds of polygons flickered for a few moments before disappearing.

    The only injury was Drifter''s, and he had barely lost 10% of his HP. Instead of wasting a potion, he thought to let it recover naturally, as it would only take a few minutes in a non-combat state. Yet, who knew that Pina would cry and fly towards him at this moment?

    Flapping its wings to hover in front of Drifter, the little dragon opened its mouth and spat several translucent bubbles.

    His eyes widened in surprise when the bubbles popped against his skin, and he saw his HP bar glow green and rapidly refill to 100%. Silica and the others were also stunned.

    Any kind of healing ability was rare in SAO. The best most players had was << Battle Regeneration >>. The Reavers had Yuna''s Rest, and that already caused envy from all the frontliners. But now they had run into a monster with this kind of skill, and it was even a friendly one! What were the chances?

    "Silica, forget everything I said before. We are going to find a way to keep Pina with us."

    ----------------------

    Kayaba watched Drifter''s party on a monitor. His eyes were following the << Small Feathered Dragon >>, who sometimes flew ahead of the players, then turned around and rested on Silica''s head. It had clearly taken a liking for the girl.

    His expression was inscrutable. The << Small Feathered Dragon >> and a new Unique Skill had been Kayaba''s last addition to SAO. Somehow, he was not surprised the little creature had found its way to Reaver''s Requiem. Cardinal surely knew who was best suited for the skill.

    "Everything is ready, Aki. Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

    His lover, Rinko, hugged him from behind, burying her head on his back. For the first time in months, a glimpse of something other than apathy crossed Kayaba''s expression.

    "I must, Rinko. It''s the only way to make sure Sword Art Online is perfect."

    The woman looked up at him as Kayaba turned around and held her in his arms. She didn''t cry or try to convince him to not do it. She knew the plan, she had helped come up with it. And deep down, buried beneath all her love for him, a small part of her thought that he deserved it. Whatever the consequences.

    The couple kissed once, perhaps more passionately than ever before. And Rinko blinked away her tears when Kayaba laid on the bed in the center of the room and put on a NerveGear.

    If he succeeded, and she had no doubt he would, that was the last time she would see him.

    Kayaba didn''t hesitate. Adjusting the helmet, he made sure everything was turned on. Including the kill-switch. It was only fair.

    "Link start!"

 Chapter 131 - Pina And The Ruins

    Silica was the happiest girl in the world at the moment. Or in Aincrad, at the very least. Like any child, she had always loved small and fluffy things. Even as a young teen, she was completely enamored with animals and other cute mascots.

    She absolutely loved Feredir. He may not be very small, but he was extremely fluffy, and the sweetest wolf anyone had ever seen. She loved to run her hand through his fur, to lay down using his soft belly as a pillow, and to play with him.

    But deep down, Silica always knew that Feredir, as much as he liked to stick with her, was Kizmel''s companion. Which was why she was falling in love with Pina even faster.

    The << Small Feathered Dragon >> was perched on her shoulder, rubbing her head against Silica''s cheeks and cooing. It was the cutest thing in the world.

    Silica was rubbing Pina''s tiny head when she noticed a notification flashing on her HUD. Who knew how long it had been there. Her mouth fell open when she clicked it.

    "Kyaaa!"

    Her scream of surprise had the party turning around in shock, weapons flashing out for whatever attacked her. When they saw nothing, their expressions grew confused.

    "What''s wrong, Silica?"

    "I just got a new skill! << Monster Taming >>! And it''s giving me an option to take Pina as my << Tamed Monster >>!"

    "Really?!"

    "Well, what are you waiting for, Silica?! Accept it!"

    The rest of the party watched starry-eyed as Silica clicked a button invisible to them, and both her and Pina shone green for a moment.

    When the glow was gone, Silica still looked the same, but Pina was at least 50% bigger. And her eyes, when she chirped and rubbed against Silica''s face, seemed brighter than before.

    The not-as-tiny-anymore dragon licked her master''s cheek, then made a thrilling sound before flying around and spitting beautiful bubbles in a display of joy.

    When Pina settled back down on Silica''s head, the party clustered around here, asking details about the << Small Feathered Dragon''s >> status, now visible to Silica, and her skills.

    "Griselda, Liz, Yuuki, have any of you ever heard of this << Monster Taming > skill?"

    The girls shook their heads. Griselda scratched Pina''s chin and made a writing motion.

    "Maybe Argo knows something?"

    "Right!"

    Drifter had forgotten that he had an info-broker very conveniently waiting for news from him at the moment. He immediately coined a message and sent it, and Argo responded almost immediately.

    Drifter read through it twice, to make sure he didn''t misunderstand anything. Then he whistled.

    "Apparently you lucked out, Silica. Argo says she only knows three other people with the << Monster Taming >> skill. Getting it is heavily dependent on luck, but also other requirements. You can''t have killed too many of the mob type you are trying to tame. Well, I say ''trying'' lightly. The mob has to be the one to initiate everything, like Pina did. Plus, you can only have one << Tamed Monster >> at a time. It should say that somewhere in the description of the skill. So if you want another, you''ll have to release Pina first. But, like I said, really luck dependent. There''s no guarantee you''ll get another pet even if you let Pina go."

    "Good thing I''m not planning on doing that, then! Isn''t that right, Pina? You are with me forever! Hahahaha!"

    First surprised, then a bit confused, then unconcerned by the information dump, Silica held Pina and played with her. The dragon chirped happily.

    Good thing too that Silica wasn''t planning on releasing Pina, since she was almost certainly the rarest pet you could get in SAO. The dragon part aside, Pina was the first and only creature with healing skills that any of them had ever seen.

    Still, Drifter felt compelled to add one last bit of information that Argo had highlighted.

    "Right, Argo says Pina only has one life, Silica. And that there''s no known way to revive a dead pet. So just take note of that."

    Silica''s joyful expression faltered for a moment, and Drifter rubbed her head affectionately. He didn''t need to repeat himself. She was a smart girl.

    "Alright, we already welcomed Pina as Reaver''s Requiem''s newest member, so let''s keep going! Argo''s got a quest for us, and she''s starting to grow impatient."

    ...

    In the town, a very confused info-broker was wondering how Drifter had stumbled on a dragon and had one of his party members gain the very rare taming skill when she had sent him to run errands for her. Further, she was thinking: what about her damn quest?!

    ...

    Having Pina with them made the party''s journey a lot smoother. Not because she could heal them - they didn''t actually get hurt that much against normal mobs - but because she could detect monsters from even farther away than Drifter''s << Searching >>. That allowed them to avoid battles, or get the jump on the mobs if they so wished.

    Still, Pina''s detection ability or not, it was only 3 hours later that the party found something that might be related to the quest. By then, they were almost giving up, and even Argo had messaged that it was getting late.

    Every minute was precious for frontliners. Their levels always needed to be the highest in SAO, this floor more than ever.

    Unlike what some people in the outside world thought, it was impossible for players to just grind mobs until they were way overleveled for the floor. Kayaba would never leave such an obvious loophole.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The reason training grounds and good maps were so coveted amongst frontliners was that the amount of mobs in SAO was limited. Yes, monsters respawned, but never fast enough to allow all the players to maintain an acceptable leveling speed. Furthermore, there was a point when the experience lower-level mobs gave was so insignificant that even farming for years wouldn''t be enough to level up once. Aincrad had a cycle. To climb higher, you had to get stronger. To get stronger, you had to climb higher.

    Wasting several hours on such a convoluted and confusing quest would be unacceptable if it had been anyone else but Argo who asked for it. Pina made the entire trip worth it, however, even if they found nothing.

    But something they did find. It was already past noon when Drifter spotted it. A moss-covered rock that looked different from others. A little too rectangular, too straight.

    Curious, he walked over. Before getting there, he already knew it wasn''t a rock, but a broken pillar. Moss and dirt hid most of it from his view, but he could see some engravings depicting what looked like the sun and giants.

    "Got something, everyone! Try to find more of these, see if we can get a direction."

    The girls spread out, never too far that they couldn''t help one another if trouble appeared. After about 5 minutes, Yuuki shouted excitedly.

    "I found two more here, Drifter! It looks sorta like a collapsed archway!"

    Before the spearmaster could go over, Silica called for him too. Well, Pina flew over and grabbed his shoulder with her claws, trying to drag him.

    "Over here too, Drif! More columns!"

    Griselda and Liz soon reported similar findings. Drifter himself found more ruins. After a quick mental triangulation, he discovered that the bulk of the ruins were concentrated in one direction.

    "That way. My gut is telling me this is finally Argo''s quest."

    The party started walking in the direction Drifter pointed. More and more ruins came into view, broken pillars giving way to entire structures, collapsed and overtaken by nature. Clearly, this forest had once been a bustling civilization.

    Even the mobs changed, the deeper they went. When soil gave way to cracked cobblestone paths, the << Archeo Lungers >> disappeared, replaced by golem-like mobs covered in moss and roots, literally pulling themselves out of the ground as the party came closer.

    The first time the party saw one of the mobs, called << Forgotten Guardian >>, they stood back and allowed it to laboriously get up, showering the surroundings in dirt and plant matter. The being was a little over two meters tall, with stubby arms that ended not on hands and fingers, but a solid-looking, white marble, mortar-like fist on the left arm, and a glinting obsidian blade on the right, still wickedly sharp despite the passage of time.

    The << Forgotten Guardian >> was heavy and slow. Drifter didn''t let down his guard, however. There were two types of mobs: those which were all-rounded, jack-of-all-trades, and mobs with glaring deficiencies in certain aspects, which were compensated by overwhelmingly higher stats in other regards.

    The << Forgotten Guardian >> very clearly belonged to the second type. Its speed was as low as it could be, but its defense was bound to be mind-bogglingly high. What remained to see was in which end of the spectrum its attack power was.

    "Liz, we''ll be relying on you this time around. Griselda, Yuuki, you are support. Silica, we are aiming for the joints, try to restrict its movement."

    Golem-like mobs, or those with some kind of heavy armor, had a much higher resistance to edged weapons. You had to use hammers or maces and other blunt weapons to kill them within an acceptable time-frame, which automatically made Liz the vanguard for this battle.

    "Hmm."

    Liz calmly took the lead, shield and hammer ready. She had started SAO as a simple blacksmith, and joined Reaver''s Requiem still with the same position. But with time, she had moved up to become a clearer and then a frontliner. It had been several months since then. Being the vanguard and staring down a monster didn''t make her heart beat nearly as fast anymore.

    The same could be said for Yuuki. Once they entered a battle, her playfulness vanished, her expression set in firm determination. Even Griselda, despite not having as much experience, could face the mob without huge complications.

    Drifter didn''t need to be mentioned.

    Silica just reversed her grip on her dagger and crouched as Pina took flight. The twelve-year-old girl didn''t hesitate for even a moment when Liz provoked the << Forgotten Guardian >>, and dashed past the blacksmith and under Drifter''s spear to sink her dagger on the mob''s knee with a << Tiger Bone >>.

    The high-level << Dagger >> skill shouldn''t be underestimated, despite the strange name. It was one ferocious stab, followed by a twist of the blade, dealing massive damage.

    While Liz, Griselda, and Yuuki took the front, and Silica sneaked around the mob''s back, Drifter chose to go at it from the side.

    The blade-hand of the golem chopped down on Liz, who hurriedly raised her shield to block. Drifter stabbed the arm with a << Double Tap >>, twice in the same spot, forcing it to change trajectories and missing the pink-haired player.

    The obsidian blade cut deeply into the ground, and Liz took the chance to strike it, hoping to smash it off. She failed, unfortunately, but the force behind the blow was enough to send the << Forgotten Guardian >> stumbling back, right into Griselda and Yuuki''s waiting blades.

    Drifter himself swept his spear up, leaving a series of cuts on the mob''s stone torso. He deflected the hammer-hand with the shaft of his weapon and spun, a << Tornado >> knocking the mob even further back.

    Silica jumped on top of it, her dagger a blur, and Liz ended the fight but smashing its head with all her strength. The visual effect of both girls standing amidst the swirling shards made the rounds around the world, not that they knew that.

    "Good work, everyone. We''ll keep the same tactics for the next << Forgotten Guardians >>."

    Balancing his spear in the creek of his arms, Drifter typed a quick message to Argo. Then he looked at the loot from the battle, and raised an eyebrow.

    "Huh. Now I''m sure we are on the right path."

    The girls looked over, and Drifter took out a purple-ish crystal. The item had a very imposing name: << False Star Fragment >>.

    "It''s pretty, but why do you think it''s related to your quest, Drifter? Did it update?"

    "Nope. But remember the clue? ''Broken embrace of fallen stars''. Can''t be a coincidence."

    Drifter stared at the item in his hand for a while more before throwing it to Liz. It was a forging material. Even if the quest resulted in nothing, just finding a new type of mineral was worth it, especially if the blacksmith could make something with it.

    For the next half an hour, the party advanced deeper into the ruins. Other than the << Forgotten Guardians >>, there was also another type of mob called << Rubble Python >>, giant snakes that disguised themselves amongst the destroyed buildings. They also dropped the << False Star Fragments >>. Drifter didn''t question the logic. Liz was already coming up with new blueprints.

    Slowly, a giant building came into view. It looked like a temple of some sort, with doorways big enough to let an eighteen-wheeler truck through them with room to spare.

    The roof was spherical, or at least it used to be. There was a huge hole in it now, like a giant had punched through it. That very same hole was letting sunlight into the building, and even from outside, through the doors, Drifter could see the culprit behind the destruction. A big rock, which could be nothing else but a meteorite.

    "I think we found your quest, Drif."

    Yuuki whistled, and the spearmaster nodded. There was no doubt this was the right place. ''Broken embrace of fallen stars'' indeed. He prepared his spear.

    "This feels like boss time. On your toes, girls."

 Chapter 132 - False Star

    "This feels like boss time. On your toes, girls."

    The party stopped before stepping inside the building. A giant, spacious temple, even if in ruins, with a meteor in the middle, a cone of light shining on it from the hole in the ceiling. If this wasn''t a boss room, Drifter would eat his spear.

    Not all quests had final bosses. In fact, the majority of them didn''t have bosses at all, at most some elite mobs. But every now and again, you would stumble upon a quest of much higher difficulty, and those did have bosses.

    Of course this type of boss was much, much weaker than a floor boss or a field-boss. It couldn''t be compared even to the final boss of a campaign, like << Aater, Lord of the Fallen >>.

    This was especially the case this time. This was a two-person quest, and the participants even needed to be separated, one in the town, the other here. The boss'' difficulty would be calculated taking that into account, which was why Drifter was even considering fighting it with just the four girls in his party.

    "What do you think, Drif? Something hidden in the room? The meteorite itself?"

    The Reavers had fought far too many battles to be shaken by something like uncertainty. Their only consideration was what the boss was. Usually a boss reflected the area they were in and the mobs in it. But << Forgotten Guardians >> and << Rubble Pythons >> were two vastly different types of creature.

    "The pythons are more like mobs that moved in after whatever this place collapsed. My bet is on a golem or that big rock coming to life."

    Silica gestured to the meteorite, and Drifter agreed with her. He looked at the dragon on her shoulder.

    "Pina''s sensing anything?"

    "Don''t think so."

    Drifter pondered for a few minutes, running scenarios in his head. Eventually, he grunted.

    "Hm, we''ll try it. Liz, Griselda, you are our frontline. Check left and right as soon as you enter, to make sure it isn''t waiting for us just behind the door. Myself, Silica, and Yuuki will be right behind. If anything is wrong or the boss is too strong, we bail immediately, got it? Silica, we''ll be relying on Pina to get us through this. If possible, have her time it so it doesn''t overlap with potion cooldowns."

    "Yes!"

    The party got into formation, and walked towards the temple. The closer they got, the more intense it felt. Boss music could start playing and it wouldn''t be out of place.

    "It''s the meteor."

    They hadn''t even entered, and everything inside the temple was perfectly still. Yet, Drifter knew. He felt a thrumming in his bones when he looked at the giant rock. The boss was the meteorite in the center of the temple.

    "Change of plans, I''ll be the main attacker. Liz, Griselda, on my sides. Bait and switch."

    The party changed formations without saying anything. After countless battles together, Liz, Yuuki, and Silica had full confidence in Drifter''s orders. Griselda was the only one who hesitated, but only for a moment.

    The moment the party stepped through the threshold of the temple, they felt the change immediately. There was a humming in the air, and, with a loud rumbling sound, the meteorite started to shake.

    Instead of falling, dust rose from the ground, creating a knee-high cloud. The meteorite rolled over, and the players saw a massive purple crystal, similar to the << False Star Fragments >> the << Forgotten Guardians >> and << Rubble Pythons >> dropped. It looked eerily like an eye.

    Then, starting from the ''eye'', more crystals burst out of the meteors surface, forming eight lines. It looked like a bowling ball with spikes strapped to it.

    Three health bars appeared above the meteorite, erasing any doubt about its status as a boss. Drifter glanced at the name over it.

    << End False Star >>.

    It was as imposing as the boss itself. Which was to say, a lot and a little at the same time, depending on how serious you took it.

    To the party, it was about halfway. They didn''t fear the boss, but they respected it enough to take the battle seriously. Never underestimate the enemy, that was a lesson harshly learned by all frontliners. But sometimes overestimating could be just as bad.

    Still with the same humming sound, the boss charged the party. Well, Drifter said ''charged'', but it was more along the lines of rolling. The crystal lines around its body were spinning rapidly, like the tires on a racing car.

    Drifter wasn''t stupid enough to meet it head-on. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding getting impaled, and slashed with a << Vertical >>.

    He almost lost his spear. The tip got snagged by two of the purple crystals and the weapon was almost torn off his hand. Drifter''s eyes widened and he shook the spear, barely managing to keep his grasp on it.

    Pulling back his spear, Drifter lifted his foot and kicked the boss. It did no damage, nor was it intended to. The frontliner simply used the much heavier boss as leverage to push himself away.

    Landing a few meters back and steadying himself, Drifter threw a quick glance at the HP bars above << End False Star >>. There was a very small portion of the first missing.

    "Aim for spots without crystals! Also, watch out for erratic movement! Forget surrounding it, we''ll fight as one unit. The eye has to be the weak point, I''ll aim for it. Yuuki, parry and deflect. Griselda, Silica, to my left! Liz, the right!"

    Drifter didn''t lose his cool. << End False Star >> was intimidating, especially when its solid rock body loomed over him, but from their clash, the spearmaster understood the boss wasn''t actually that strong. The main mechanic of the boss, and the crux of the battle, would be to avoid getting their weapons taken from them.

    "It''s coming again!"

    Narrowing his eyes, Drifter leaned forward, spear held in his right hand, the tip pointing at the ground. He watched the boss coming closer, that crystal eye appearing and vanishing as it rolled. He waited until the very last second, then roared.

    "<< Sky Render >>!"

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Just as the eye was coming up after another rotation, Drifter''s spear reached it, carving an enormous red line across << End False Star''s >> body. The first HP gauge above it dropped by a full 15% from that one attack.

    ''I was right!''

    The eye was indeed the boss'' weak spot, otherwise there was no way Drifter could have dealt this much damage in one go.

    << End False Star >> didn''t scream or show much reaction despite the huge injury. Drifter wasn''t even sure if it was alive. But he pressed on the attack, using a << Martial Arts: Hiza >> to dispel the cooldown from << Sky Render >>, and launching a << Snake Bite >> to once again strike the boss'' eye.

    This was the reason why he had suddenly changed the party configuration so he was the main attacker. << End False Star''s >> eye wasn''t small, about the size of a manhole cover, but there was no weapon better than a spear for striking accurately such a target. While Liz, Silica, Yuuki, and Griselda possessed incredible control over their weapons, nobody could compare to Drifter in that regard.

    He vaguely saw the rest of his party attacking the boss from the corner of his eyes, but paid no attention to it. He jumped back and rolled to the side to avoid getting crushed by the rampaging monster, and slashed again with his spear, tearing another gash into << End False Star >>, although this time he wasn''t in a great position to hit its eye.

    The meteorite monster spun to the left, chasing Drifter. While bosses usually had more advanced AI, capable of somewhat ignoring aggro, this was clearly not the case with << End False Star >>. It was completely focused on Drifter, and ignoring the other Reavers.

    The spearmaster sneered. This kind of mindless enemy was much easier to deal with than one that could think. While anyone other than a frontliner might have trouble alone, Drifter was confident he could take it out on his own, it would simply cost him time. With a party of elites like he had, it wouldn''t be more than 15 minutes before << End False Star >> was felled.

    When the boss suddenly rolled to the right, Drifter jumped in pursuit, his spear lashing out in what was an almost perfect recreation of << Rage Spike >>. He didn''t stop there, << Double Tap >> and three normal attacks shaving away another 10% of << End False Star''s >> first HP bar.

    Under Drifter''s piercing offensive and the combined efforts of Silica, Liz, Yuuki, and Griselda, the boss had already lost 80% of its 300% HP.

    "Left switch!"

    A small tremor of the boss'' huge frame caught Drifter''s attention, and he yelled. Silica and Griselda immediately traded places with him, just in time to avoid a sudden charge from << End False Star >>. Drifter stabbed again, poking another hole into the boss.

    Drifter''s eyes were cold as he watched the meteorite monster. His spear never stopped, cutting, slashing, and stabbing, leaving innumerable wounds on the boss.

    It had been barely 5 minutes since the battle began, and Drifter''s body was aching. Cardinal did a very goo job of reproducing the sensation of muscles burning and exhaustion.

    It was irrelevant. Drifter had only once stopped during a battle, and that was from the shock of having his arm ripped off. Now not even that could make him frown, much less something like tiredness.

    Skills were thrown around without a care, his spear glowing blue, green, orange, and half a dozen other colors. In between, Drifter sprinkled normal attacks, more than half of his blows landing on << End False Star''s >> eye. It took less than 7 minutes to bring the boss down to its last health bar.

    "Phase change, everyone! Liz, Griselda, defense until we find the new pattern. Silica, behind me. Work together with Yuuki to find weaknesses."

    "Roger!"

    Once the last of its second HP gauge had been wiped out, << End False Star >> had stopped moving, and even the humming noise from its trembling had disappeared. The large change in behavior was a clear sign that the last section of the battle was approaching.

    As they watched, the purple crystals all around the boss'' body started to recede. Drifter watched with furrowed brows before his eyes suddenly widened.

    "Oh fuck- Block!"

    Countless purple crystals, now thin as needles, exploded from << End False Star''s >> body. They flew in all directions at extreme speed, at least several dozen coming towards the party.

    And yet, despite how fast the needles were and how sudden the attack, Liz and Griselda stopped most of it with << Shield Wall >>. Yuuki waved her sword in an arc, her incredible reflexes allowing her to precisely cut many of the needles that got past Liz and Griselda.

    Drifter went for a rougher approach, but just as fast. Three slashes from << Tidal Sequence >> knocked down most of the remaining needles.

    Still, Liz, Griselda, Yuuki, and Drifter all had several red dots in their bodies, from the crystal needles that slipped through. The blacksmith and swordswoman, who had tanked the brunt of the attack, were down to yellow, and looking like they suffered from chicken pox. Silica was unharmed, Drifter having put himself in front of the girl before the attack.

    "Go!"

    "Pina!"

    Drifter gave the order to retaliate at the same time Silica yelled for her pet to heal them. Whatever sort of skill it was that << End False Star >> had just unleashed, it obviously couldn''t be used again right away, as Cardinal would never allow something that unbalanced. Now was the best chance to stage a counterattack and finish off the boss.

    "All-out! Kill it!"

    While Pina flew over and spat bubbles at Liz and Griselda, Drifter rushed forward, his spear glowing.

    ''Hmph! How about a taste of your own medicine?''

    << Needle Spear >> flashed out, each strike jabbing precisely in the boss'' eye. In an instant, << End False Star >> was covered in holes.

    Another wave of his spear carved two lines across the boss'' body with << Horizontal Arc >>. Then three more stabs, followed by << Dirty Play >>.

    "Ha!"

    With a shout, Drifter used << Sting >>, burying half of his spear into << End False Star''s >> eye. The boss trembled one last time before shattering.

    "13 minutes, not bad. Great job as always, Liz, Silica, Yuuki. Griselda, all your actions were perfect, you are just lacking a little more confidence. You hesitated, which led you to be wounded by one of the boss'' charges."

    Drifter looked at the time on his HUD and spoke, congratulating his party members. When he got to Griselda, her eyes widened. She never expected that even in the middle of the fight, Drifter would still be paying enough attention to the other players that he could even notice something the person in question had failed to. Truly deserving of being Reaver''s Requiem''s second-in-command and one of SAO''s elites.

    "Yes! I''ll make sure to be more careful next time."

    Drifter patted her on the shoulder.

    "Don''t think too much about it, I''m not scolding you. This is not something you can really train, you learn as you go through more battles."

    "The more dangerous the fight, the better you get at making split-second decisions."

    Yuuki pipped up, and the others nodded, even Silica. That was just how it was. Training was important, essential even, but there were some things that couldn''t be taught, only learnt on the edge of the knife.

    "On unrelated news, my quest finally updated. Now I know what we have to do."

    Saying so, Drifter took out a huge purple crystal from his inventory. It was the size of a basketball, and glowing faintly.

    << False Star >>.

 Chapter 133 - Crystal Tablet

    In the broken down temple of a lost civilization, Drifter was holding up the big purple crystal he had received after defeating the boss, << End False Star >>. The item, aptly named << False Star >>, was even bigger than his head. Liz''s eyes were glowing as she stared at it. Unfortunately, the blacksmith was destined to be disappointed.

    "It''s a quest item. And since the quest updated, I know what we have to do now. C''mon."

    Ignoring Liz''s angry pout, Drifter walked towards a structure in the back of the temple. It had been hidden by the meteorite when they entered, and nobody had paid much attention to it during the boss battle, but now the quest was indicating for him to go there.

    The structure was a chest-height, crescent-shaped altar. It had a grove in the middle which, lo-and-behold, fit the << False Star >> perfectly.

    Drifter didn''t put the crystal in its place yet. Instead, he sent a message to Argo. They both had to complete the quest at the same time for it to work.

    -------------------------

    [ Drifter: Boss taken care of, little rat. Ready when you are. ]

    "Finally!"

    A curly-haired girl with a hood shot up from her sitting position, scaring a few players who were nearby. They actually hadn''t noticed her until she shouted, despite Argo being in plain sight.

    The info-broker cared none for their reactions. She had been bored out of her mind, sitting here for the last 4 to 5 hours, waiting for news from Drifter.

    Bolting with the eagerness of someone who wanted to do anything else but what she was doing before, Argo ran towards the doors of the old temple on which steps she had been sitting.

    Previously, those doors had been closed and wouldn''t budge no matter what she did. But now, they opened with the slightest touch of her fingers.

    The doors creaked when they opened, and the inside of the little temple was almost completely dark except for a few rays of sunlight entering through the windows.

    Anyone else would have been scared by the eerie ambience, or at least a little taken aback. Argo strutted in with all the confidence in the world.

    This was a safe zone, and there was no way she could be killed or hurt here. And even if there was something along the lines of a horror house attraction, she wasn''t worried. She had been through and seen too much to be scared by a mere deserted temple.

    With light steps, Argo walked over to the other end of the temple, where an altar was resting. If Drifter was there, he could have told her that it was identical to the one in the bigger temple.

    Stopping in front of the altar, Argo opened her inventory and took out an item she had received from the NPC who gave her the quest. It was a round, dark purple crystal, about the size of an adult''s fist. The item was called << False Star Core >>.

    [ Argo: Eye on the clock. The moment it ticks, we put the crystals in the altars. ]

    [ Drifter: Got it. ]

    Counting the seconds, Argo watched the clock in her HUD intensely. When it changed, she immediately deposited the << False Star Core >> into the altar''s grove. Drifter must have done his part correctly, because the quest item glowed, and then, to her surprise, melted and vanished. In its place appeared a crystal tablet with many engravings and letters in a language she didn''t recognize.

    Argo picked up the tablet and examined it. Another quest item. By then her HUD had already pinged, telling her that the current quest had been completed, and that another stage would activate once she took the crystal tablet to the 21st floor.

    ''Multi-floor quest!''

    This was huge. It had to be known that, while there were quests in SAO meant to waste a player''s time, quests that spanned multiple floors were always extremely important. It wasn''t wrong to treat them as the main quests of SAO. Rewards aside, multi-floor quests always involved information on floor bosses.

    [ Drifter: The quest is complete. I got half of a purple crystal tablet-sorta thing here. I''m assuming you have the other half? ]

    Reading Drifter''s message, Argo''s eyes widened and she turned over the crystal tablet to see that it was, indeed, incomplete. She had failed to notice that due to her being lost in thoughts, but it made sense once she thought about it. This was a two-players quest after all.

    [ Argo: Get back as soon as ya can, Dri-bou. We need to get this thing whole again. I''ll bet my whiskers that it got intel ''bout the floor boss. ]

    [ Drifter: Really? We are on our way. ]

    Having gotten an affirmative response from Drifter, Argo closed her menu and looked at the crystal tablet. If it truly contained information about the 20th floor boss, then it was invaluable. She wondered how high this quest would go.

    "Haa..."

    Sighing, the info-broker put away the item. She had too many worries at the moment. The 20th floor, the free guides for low-level players, maintaining her information network... Maybe it was time to get an assistant.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    She had Akari, of course. The ninja, while slightly off in the head, was Argo''s right-hand. But right now, all of Akari and Fuumaningum''s efforts were concentrated on finding the red players and Laughing Coffin, and that was more important than anything, even the 20th floor.

    There was also Nezha, who she sometimes loaned - read: stole - from the Legend Braves. But he could only help her with smaller tasks. Unfortunately, despite his special weapon, Nezha was at most a mediocre clearer.

    "Haas..."

    Shaking her head, Argo sighed again and walked out of the little temple. Behind her, the doors closed, looking as if they had never been opened.

    --------------------------

    It was just about 5 PM when Drifter and his party returned to the town. Kirito and the others were still out leveling, and would come back when the sun set.

    Now, most of the players in the party were very famous. Broken Spear Drifter was one of the faces of Reaver''s Requiem and the Assault Team. Lisbeth was SAO''s best blacksmith. Yuuki was one of the twin sisters that were recognized as an invincible duo in the frontlines. Silica was well-known simply because she was the youngest frontliner. Only Griselda wasn''t a famous face, but even then quite a lot of people had gotten interested in her after knowing she joined Reaver''s Requiem.

    But today, the amount of eyes on the party as they walked through the gates and into the settlement was ten times the normal. And the reason for all the staring was, of course, the little dragon perched on Silica''s head.

    As it had been proven clear earlier, the knowledge of the << Monster Taming >> skill was nearly null. So to see a small mob with a green cursor in a safe zone, obediently following a player, came as a huge shock.

    But when those players who stopped to watch saw who the party members were, somehow they felt like it wasn''t that absurd anymore.

    Even amongst the Assault Team, Reaver''s Requiem had to be one of the most famous guilds. Although they couldn''t be considered a small or even medium guild anymore, they were famous for only having frontliner elites. Of the 12 titled players, 7 were part of Reaver''s Requiem. And as rumors quickly spread, another was soon to be added.

    Even Argo was stunned when she first saw Pina. It was one thing to read a message about it, another entirely to see the << Small Feathered Dragon >> firsthand.

    "I- I can''t even... Only ya could- Ya know what, not gonna think ''bout it. Nice to meet ya, Pina. Ya are a cutie."

    Argo stammered and stuttered for a few seconds before giving up. She put out a hand as if she wanted to shake paws with the little dragon. Pina sniffed her hand and, apparently approving, flew over to Argo''s shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. There and then, another was conquered by the little dragon''s charm.

    Argo was surprised, then laughed. A warm smile appeared on Drifter''s face when he heard her childish giggles. Sometimes it was easy to forget Argo the Rat was just a young girl, the same age as Kirito, Asuna, Liz, Yuuki, and Ran. Only 2 years older than Silica, and 2 years younger than Yuna, Nautilus, and Vallerk.

    "Right, what ''bout the crystal tablet half ya got, Dri-bou? Can I see it?"

    "All yours, little rat. I''m sure you will let us know if it has info about the floor boss."

    Drifter transferred the item to Argo without thinking twice. The info-broker joined both halves of the crystal tablet, and they magically glued together, becoming whole again. She nodded thoughtfully.

    "Yer right on that. Hmm. I''ll need a few days to get through this. I''ll get right back to ya as soon as I got somethin''."

    Drifter nodded. This was Argo''s domain, and the info-broker was already murmuring to herself, lost in her notes. Shaking his head with a fond smile, he said goodbye to her, receiving a mumbled response, and left with the party. Kirito and the rest of Reaver''s Requiem would be returning soon-ish, and they had a surprise for them.

    They hadn''t told the others about Pina yet.

    ...

    It was a tired group that made their way into the city an hour after sundown. Kirito and the others had gone quite deep into the 20th floor, hoping to find the entrance to the labyrinth. They failed to achieve that objective, but they had a much more complete map of the floor now.

    [ Drifter: We are at the inn at the end of the main street. ]

    Perfectly timed, Drifter''s message arrived just as they crossed the gates. Kirito didn''t even bother replying, since they would see the spearmaster and his party in about 5 minutes.

    When he mentioned the message, Yuna, Sinon, and, curiously enough, Vallerk, quickened their steps. The Black Swordsman smirked. Their unique situation - aka risking their lives everyday - made them all clingy to a certain extent.

    None of them were prepared for Pina. The little dragon had been laying in ambush above the inn''s door, and dive-bombed the Reavers the moment they entered.

    There was a lot of shrieking and swords drawn. Pina got scared and flew off, making a sad chirping sound, before landing on a table.

    Drifter, Silica, Liz, Yuuki, and Griselda were on the floor, struggling to breathe. Pina tilted her head curiously and looked at them.

    "Priii?"

    "What the hell is that?!"

    Agil finally lowered his ax after realizing there was no danger, and stared unabashedly at Pina. The others seemed too tongue-tied by surprise to say anything.

    "Haa... Man, I need that laugh. Hahahaha! Agil, Yun'', everyone, this is Pina. She is a << Small Feathered Dragon >> and Silica''s pet, an absolute sweetheart. Everyone, say hi to Pina."

    Finally getting his laughter under control, Drifter struggled to get up. His belly hurt and he was gasping for breath. Plucking up Pina, he scratched her head, and the little dragon purred and snuggled into his arms. Drifter smiled, then placed her on top of Yuna''s head.

    The songstress froze, afraid to move for a whole minute. Then she raised a cautious hand and touched Pina''s head. The little dragon closed her eyes and rubbed against the hand. Yuna carefully picked her up and held her in her arms, and Pina licked her cheek affectionately.

    That took the fear out of Yuna and the other Reavers, and they crowded around her to see the cute creature. Pina basked in the attention, chirping and licking people''s hands.

    "This... Who- Why- How?"

    Yuna stammered, and Drifter chuckled. Silica, Yuuki, Liz, and Griselda walked over to join the big group.

    Pina was flying around Tetsuo and Ducker''s heads now, dodging their grabbing hands and spitting bubbles in a game of tag. Drifter and the party launched into an explanation of what happened while they were separated.

    "Wow. Not just Pina, but a boss too? Was it hard?"

    "Not really. More technical than anything. Each of us could have taken it alone, just would have wasted a lot more time."

    Drifter shrugged. It wasn''t arrogance in his voice, just confidence.

    "Anyway, this is amazing. Pina is amazing! Aren''t you, girl?"

    The little dragon chirped from her perch - Nautilus'' shoulder at the moment. Drifter had no idea if she understood what Yuna was saying, and Pina seemed too preoccupied having a staring contest with Feredir, who was sitting before Kizmel''s feet.

    "We told you about our day. Now, how was yours?"

 Chapter 134 - 20th Floor Boss

    The days seemed to flash by, and, before anyone knew it, it was the night before the 20th floor boss raid. All one hundred and thirty-some members of the Assault Team were gathered together for one last strategic meeting.

    "The scouting party already spoke their considerations. Now Argo the Rat has some information she believes will be of use to the Assault Team."

    The info-broker rolled her eyes at Lind''s pompous way of saying it was her time to step forward. The famous Dragon Knight was a controller, he liked to make others feel like he was always in command.

    "Aight, what he said. Y''all saw the 1st phase of the boss, and that''s all fine and dandy. The scoutin'' party did a great job. But I and Broken Spear over there stumbled upon a quest ''bout ten days back, and it took me till now to confirm everythin''."

    No one spoke. Argo was possibly the player the Assault Team respected the most in all of Aincrad. Despite her normal avaricious behavior, she was extremely generous when it came to intel about bosses, never holding anything back. Further, she was always extremely thorough with the information she collected, double and triple checking everything to make sure it was correct before passing it over to them. Without a doubt, Argo had saved the most lives in SAO, even if indirectly.

    "2nd phase''s still a mystery, but I know the boss goes berserk when it''s down to the last health bar. It''s gonna double in size and strength, which means a much larger attack range, so watch out for that. Not just that, it discards the double axes for a halberd."

    "Slower and more predictable, but much more powerful and a much longer reach."

    Drifter spoke up, as someone who had personal experience handling halberds. Argo nodded.

    "What he said. Last but not least, the boss got a final attack. Dunno what it is, y''all know how info is always foggy on that. Seems to me like somethin'' more physical, so not an elemental attack or somethin'' like that. I''m not a hundred sure on that though, so take it with a pinch of salt."

    She was being succinct. Argo was an info-broker, not a fighter, even if she was better than most clearers with her claws. But planning how to fight the boss fell to the frontliners.

    "We already know how to beat the first phase, and we''ll just have to power through the second. We''ll rotate. Fuurinkazan, Legend Braves, Dragon Knight Brigade''s teams 1 through 6. 4 of Aincrad Liberation Squad''s parties, plus..."

    Lind pointed to three or four smaller guilds and independent parties, neatly splitting them into groups. Everything else aside, he was a capable commander.

    "Black Swordsman, the final phase will be up to Reaver''s Requiem. Kibaou the Challenger and Liten the Fortress, as well as the ALS players not involved in the second phase will be your support."

    Alright, scratch that. Lind was a pompous fool who insisted on using everyone''s titles despite repeated warnings not to do so. And one of them wasn''t too happy with the task they were assigned. Or with being called ''support''.

    "What the heck are ya thinkin'', Lind?! Just ''cause yer DKB is taking point this raid doesn''t mean ya get to boss us around!"

    ''Oh for fu-''.

    Deciding to interrupt before Lind could retort and the meeting degenerated into a shouting match, Drifter smacked the ground with the butt of his spear. The solid ''thud'' stopped the two guild leaders dead on their tracks, insults caught on their throats.

    "Do you two want a repeat of the 10th floor? Huh? Thought so. Then stop this pissing contest and focus! This is not a normal boss raid. One mishap and you are dead. Do you want it to be on your hands?!"

    The sharp questions left Dragon Knight Lind and Kibaou the Challenger red-faced. Drifter didn''t give a damn. The two guild leaders could have their little spats whenever, except now.

    The spearmaster shot a glance at Kirito. The boy caught it, and nodded. Drifter got the privilege of yelling at the two idiots, and the swordsman had to steer the meeting back on track. It always worked wonders.

    "Reaver''s Requiem will be ready for the last phase. But we will need more shields besides Vallerk and Shigio. Liten?"

    "Hm. I''ll direct our shield squads."

    The heavily armored player grunted in agreement. Although she had revealed she was a woman a long time ago, and started dating Shivata, old habits died hard, and she was more often than not covered from head to toe, as was this case.

    "Hmph!"

    Kibaou and Lind weren''t happy at being sidelined, but a glare from Drifter reminded them that they were in front of 130 frontliners just like them, who were about to risk their lives in what would in all likelihood be the harshest battle in Sword Art Online yet. Even their subordinates were throwing them dirty glances, although not as overt as Reaver''s Requiem and Fuurinkazan''s.

    "We planned all we could. No sense in overthinking it when we aren''t sure of what will happen after the first phase. We''ll see y''all tomorrow. One step closer."

    Kirito ended the meeting with those words. Drifter nodded to Klein, Orlando, Shivata, Liten, and the rest of the Assault Team, and Reaver''s Requiem walked away.

    Tonight, exceptionally, they would be getting a full 8 hours of sleep. Everything ready for the raid. For whatever came.

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    ----------------------

    Kana sometimes thought those pre-battle meetings were harder to watch than the actual thing. The way they planned, made contingencies. How they casually mentioned death.

    The way her son could look someone in the eye and tell them that if they died, someone else was expected to immediately take their position. Or that if he died, Kizmel and Griselda were supposed to fill the vacuum he left.

    Victory before grief.

    No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Maybe the Assault Team wasn''t familiar with the exact wording of the saying, but they were more than aware of how real it was. Which was why, when everything went to hell, you needed to win. Even if your friends were dying around you, if your family was screaming in terror.

    Victory before grief. Because if they didn''t win, there wouldn''t be anyone left to mourn.

    ---------------------------

    Another morning dawned in Aincrad. Just a month and a half short of a full year since Sword Art Online started.

    The morning sun found most of Reaver''s Requiem already up. Ran and Yuuki were polishing their swords in the room they shared - not because there was any need to clean the weapons, but just to keep their hands and minds occupied.

    Sinon was sitting on her windowsill, watching the sunrise. Kizmel was already halfway through her breakfast, like the soldier she once was. Kirito and Asuna had gone on a walk while it was still dark out.

    Keita, Sachi, Sasamaru, Tetsuo, and Ducker were, possibly, more nervous than the frontliners in the guild, despite the fact they wouldn''t participate in the raid. Agil and Shigio were sharing a table with them, in absolute silence. Wolv was still in his room, but already awake.

    Vallerk and Liz had stepped outside for fresh air. Silica was playing with Feredir and Pina in the plaza just outside of their inn. Argo was keeping her company, for once not typing away in her menu. Griselda was on the floor''s edge, watching the sky.

    None of them had slept the 8 hours they wanted. Well, 6 was already more than they had hoped for.

    ...

    Toc toc.

    "It''s open!"

    Nautilus knocked on a door, and Yuna yelled from the other side. The blade-user turned the handle and walked inside. Drifter and Yuna were sitting on the bed, staring out of the window and watching the sunrise.

    The couple smiled when their friend walked in. Nautilus returned it with an upturn of his lips, and flopped down on Yuna''s other side. Drifter''s hand, which had been around her shoulders, stretched to lightly hold the back of Nautilus'' head in a comforting gesture.

    "Sleep well, Naut?"

    "Did you?"

    The ash-haired player threw a suggestive glance at the snuggling couple. Yuna rolled her eyes.

    "I''m seventeen, dad. And you have your own girlfriend, go cuddle her."

    "Sinon and I got dumped in favor of some sister bonding time. So now I can only come here to be the third wheel. Rough life, mine is."

    They joked, because it was better than thinking of what was coming. The part of the raid they only alluded to, but never mentioned overtly. That they made plans for, but never thought too deeply, because it scared them.

    It was never nightmares that kept them awake. It was anticipation. How was the boss? How would the battle go? What mistakes would happen? How long would it take? Who would die?

    Because someone was going to. Maybe more than one person. They all felt it, hence why they were so restless and still at the same time. That contradiction. The silent, unconscious, selfish prayers to not be someone you cared about.

    "Breakfast?"

    "A few more minutes."

    Yuna hummed, and snuggled closer to Drifter, closing her eyes. Nautilus smiled at the sight, not an ounce of jealousy in his gaze.

    "You watch my back, Naut, and I''ll watch yours."

    "And our singing angel will watch over both of us."

    ...

    Like always, the intimidating boss room doors stood several meters tall over the players. This time they didn''t have any engravings, but were lavishly covered in silver and gold.

    The mood amongst the Assault Team was somber. It had to be. They had walked into the 10th floor boss room without knowing any better. Thinking it was just another raid.

    Now they knew. And six deaths were too many. One was too many. But the possibility was there, for that and worse. They felt it looming over their heads.

    Frontliners died. That was a fact. Nobody expected the Assault Team to reach the top with the same members it had now. People were going to die. But never before had it felt so close. So certain.

    None of them stepped back. There was pride and more on the line. And if they turned around, ran away, what good would that do? The only way out was up. The only path to survival was up.

    "Ready?"

    Lind rested the pommel of his sword against the doors and asked one last time. No one said anything, but the grim looks were answer enough.

    He pushed the doors open.

    The room was a long hall, furnished with statues and ancient tapestries. At the very end, sitting on her golden throne, awaited the boss.

    She was big. Maybe 8 meters tall, with muscled forearms the size of Drifter, and about thrice as thick. Which they needed to be, to lift the two huge axes she used in battle, one gold and the other silver. Both had deadly edges.

    << Xhitana Queen >> was her name, and she was mostly human. Mostly, because she had sporadic rainbow scales growing on her exposed skin - which was almost all of it, as she barely wore enough to keep her modesty, not that any of the players were interested in peeking now.

    Going up, a spiral horn grew from her forehead, and her eyes had slitted pupils.

    But the most distinguishing feature of the << Xhitana Queen >> weren''t the scales or the horn. It was her heart. Her exposed, bare for all to see, heart.

    There was a hole in her chest, all the way through. And her heart was in the middle, still beating, and held by thorny chains that seemed to come from inside her body.

    It was gruesome. And disturbing. So Kirito nodded, and Sinon shot an arrow at it, of course.

    Waiting for the boss to get up? Why the hell would they do that? Strike first, strike faster. Hit it where it hurts, and use every dirty trick in the book. That was how the Assault Team fought.

    Unfortunately, it seemed the << Xhitana Queen >> was still in the middle of her cutscene, and Sinon''s arrows bounced off harmlessly.

    "It was worth a try. Everyone, to your positions!"

    The boss got up, pulling out her axes from where they had been stuck on the ground in front of her throne. Feeling her malicious gaze, the frontliners tightened their hold on their weapons.

 Chapter 135 - Another One Bites the Dust

    As a humanoid boss, the << Xhitana Queen >> had very developed attack patterns. In fact, it was probably wrong to call them patterns at all. She fought just as any other player would, without any discernable flaws - and with the skill level of a frontliner.

    That meant her axes came at you a lot quicker than you thought, and from very unexpected angles.

    When the first gold ax cut at his knees, almost parallel to the ground, Drifter swore, not having expected the boss to attack so low despite her stature.

    He hastily swung his spear down to block, the sharp ''clang'' of metal echoing in the room and making his body tremble, for more than one reason. If an ax of that size hit him, it would go straight through his legs, and he would be as good as dead.

    It still hurt like hell. Not actual pain, of course, but the power behind the blow sent him careening back and into Vallerk and Wolv. As his two friends helped him up, Drifter looked up and shivered.

    "I blocked it and still a fourth of my health is gone. This is going to be tough."

    As they say, seeing is believing. Even after watching the scouting party, one had to experience it for themselves to understand just how terrifyingly strong a round floor boss was.

    "The gold ax is harder. The silver one hits faster. Kizmel, switch in with Ran!"

    Kirito was overseeing Reaver''s Requiem''s maneuvers. His eyes were darting around as he gave orders, and a slight tightening of his fingers around the handle of his black sword was all the indication he gave before jumping back into the fray himself.

    Drifter bumped fists with Wolv and Vallerk, and shot a smile at Yuna to show he was okay, before raising his spear again.

    << Xhitana Queen >> had 5 HP bars. Two of them were completely gray, and a third was only halfway full.

    Wounds covered the boss, more red lines appearing before the old ones could fade. Every frontliner was giving it their all. There had been no casualties amongst the Assault Team. Yet.

    They were now in what they called the second phase of the boss raid. In practical terms, that meant the boss had just turned a lot more deadly.

    The sparse scales on the << Xhitana Queen''s >> body had now multiplied to cover her limbs, belly, back, and cheeks almost entirely. Her spiral horn was now two, both much larger than the original one. And her axes were much swifter, which was what caught Drifter by surprise just moments ago.

    Having recovered enough, Drifter charged back in once again. His spear snapped out, accurately finding the spots without scales on her body. He didn''t know if it made a difference, but he tried to find weak points anyway.

    The big one was obviously her exposed heart. It was hanging there for all to see, and Sinon would put half a dozen arrows in it every 5 seconds, but most of them got impeded by the chains wrapped around the organ.

    Drifter didn''t have as much of a problem. If the chains were in the way, he was just going to pierce through them. Brute force oftentimes worked just as well.

    "Back left, Agil!"

    Regardless of their ability to withstand and shake off normal status conditions such as stun or paralysis, bosses were still very much afflicted by physical interaction. So, when Drifter yelled, Agil slammed his ax on the back of the << Xhitana Queen''s >> left knee with a << Tree Felling >>, and the boss stumbled, then fell down to one knee.

    That put her heart at the perfect height for Drifter to stab it. He did so with an << Upturn >>, his spear seemingly burning with the skills orange glow.

    The two-hit combo of a stab and upwards swipe struck hard if the boss'' roar of pain was any indication.

    Drifter avoided the retaliatory silver ax with << Edge Vaulting >>. The boss was still kneeling.

    << Martial Arts: Senda >>. Downwards << Vertical >>. Stab, stab, swipe. << Snake Bite >>. << Dirty Play >>. << Brick Break >> to create distance. << Rage Spike >> to close it again. Slash, cut. << Sting >>. << Horizontal >>. Swipe. Swipe again. Another << Snake Bite >>. Stab, << Dirty Play >> again. << Martial Arts: High-Kick >>. Stab, cut, stab. << Needle Spear >>. << Tendon Snap >>.

    24 attacks in total. 32 hits, since each << Snake Bite >> were two hits and << Needle Spear >> six. The longest combo Drifter had ever attempted.

    He was battered by the end of it. And not just physically, but mentally too. The focus required to connect each attack was out of this world. The skills couldn''t be chosen at random. The normal attacks had to be perfectly placed to serve as a buffer, to connect the end of one skill with the start of another. He couldn''t afford the fractions of a second that it would take to reposition his spear.

    And he had to avoid the boss'' counterattacks while at it. He was replaying the sequence in his mind, even as he used the rebound from << Martial Arts: Tendon Snap >> to back away, avoiding the gold ax by a hair''s width.

    << Senda >> had been to send his body up, so that << Vertical >> could bring him back down with gravity on his side, carving a line on the << Xhitana Queen''s >> face and torso. The swipe had left him in position for the first << Snake Bite >> aimed at her heart. The << Dirty Play >> was to make sure it hurt. And so it went.

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    Instinct and experience were a frontliner''s greatest assets. Drifter never planned any of that combo. He had never attempted it before. But he did it, even if he had a number of wounds carved into his body and a health bar in the low end of yellow to show for it.

    "You are making the rest of us look bad, Drifter. Here, drink."

    Hero Orlando chucked a health potion to him, and Drifter grinned despite himself. It didn''t matter that they weren''t in the same party or even the same guild.

    "You say that, but I saw Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Enkidu working together to bring her down for the rest of ya, and it wasn''t too shabby either."

    "Hahahaha!"

    They both laughed, perhaps more passionately than they should have. But it was one way to relieve the tension, and it was true.

    "She ain''t gonna make this easy."

    "No. Watch out, Orlando. The last HP bar is gonna be it. Have Chuchulainn on standby, I feel like we are going to need more shields for the halberd. Full health or stay back. Pass it on to Dale and Harry One."

    "Hm."

    Drifter''s eyes flashed and his seriousness returned. No deaths yet. But there had been some close calls. Players in the red, a flick away from their demise. Half a dozen missing limbs from those not quick enough to block or dodge the gold ax.

    He watched Nautilus grunt and tank the silver ax, holding it still long enough for his blade to chop down on the fingers holding it. Kirito and Asuna coming from the other side with << Slant >>, << Sonic Leap >>, << Sharp Hail >>, << Oblique >>, << Glass Shard >>. Silica had used Vallerk''s shield as a platform to launch herself up and stab the << Xhitana Queen >> in the eye. Repeatedly.

    "Last phase. << Song of Stone >> and << Firemare >>, Yuna. Change as you see fit."

    A short nod was all he got from the Songstress, who was busy playing her flute. Drifter didn''t have the time to share affections with her now. When Kirito was in the thick of it, it was his job to coordinate the Reavers.

    "Kizmel, Liz, get back in there. Ran, Yuuki, Griselda, relieve Kirito and Asuna when they need to bow out. Sinon, work impediment. Anything to slow down her swings when she trades for the halberd."

    The archer gave a curt nod. Drifter didn''t need to explain in detail what he wanted. Her status effect skills worked for less than half a second on the boss. Her arrows could be the difference between life and death for the players in the front, but they needed to arrive at the perfect time. Not a second earlier or later. It was a lot of pressure.

    She could handle it. Drifter searched for the last three members of Reaver''s Requiem. Agil and Wolv were in good positions. Shigio had already fallen back to prepare for the last phase. The << Xhitana Queen >> had less than 10% on her second-to-last HP gauge.

    "Liten, Shivata, 30 seconds! Vallerk, switch!"

    After signaling the ALS and DKB players, Drifter rushed in. Vallerk had to get back in preparation for the last phase.

    9%. Drifter hit the boss with a series of normal attacks, dancing between the gold and silver axes.

    7%. Klein, Dynamm, Issin, and Kunimittz struck the << Xhitana Queen >> from the side, giving Nautilus an opening to step back and heal.

    5%. Kibaou, Liten, and several ALS elites stepped forward, still out of reach, but close enough that they could join the battle at any moment.

    4%. Vallerk, Shigio, Nautilus, Chuchulainn, Dale, and Harry One formed a line behind Drifter. The entire Assault Team tensed in preparation for the final phase.

    3%. 2%. 1%.

    Drifter swept his weapon up and twisted his wrists, spinning his spear. The tip went through the chain links and pierced the << Xhitana Queen''s >> heart.

    0%. The fourth HP bar went gray, and the boss bellowed. That and the gold and silver axes crashing on the floor as she let them go were the only sounds in the room.

    The players who were fighting the << Xhitana Queen >> retreated, and all the tanks stepped forward. Drifter could feel his heart beating in his chest. He heard it in his ears. It was like someone was beating a war drum right next to him.

    The << Xhitana Queen >> punched the ground, and shards flew everywhere. Her fingers wrapped around something. She was now covered in scales from head to toe, her yellow eyes and slitted pupils the only uncovered part of her body.

    She roared again, and pulled a halberd out of the ground. It was enormous. Bigger than her, and pitch-black. Dark as night. The blade didn''t glint or reflect the light from the torches. It absorbed it.

    "<< Brace >>! << Shield Wall >>! << Mountain Power >>!"

    The halberd was raised. Skills flashed to life one after another. The halberd came down. Players went flying.

    "Argh!"

    "Fuck!"

    "Aaahh-"

    No one died. Not yet. But that simple attack had hurt over two dozen players. Half were instantly brought down to the yellow mark. Two were in the red.

    "Forward!"

    There was no time for hesitation. Liten shouted, and the tanks who were still on their feet literally stepped over their fallen comrades to pressure the boss.

    << Shield Bashes >> from most of them. Liten, Vallerk, and Nautilus used << Unrepentant Charge >..

    The boss'' halberd froze for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to take a lot of power out of it. Vallerk and Liten stumbled. Nautilus held his ground on sheer willpower. A FNC hadn''t made him kneel, neither would a boss.

    By the third strike, the rest of the frontliners had already come up the sides and behind the boss, exactly as planned. Drifter himself stabbed and slashed with reckless abandon. This wasn''t a battle they could just tough it out and endure. They had to finish it quickly.

    Drifter watched the first player die. He saw that halberd coming up and down again, barely a pause in its unstoppable descent, repeating the cycle.

    A DKB player with less than 20% HP remaining looked up in horror at that looming blade. Harry One pushed him away, and the halberd cut straight through him.

    The Fuurinkazan player had his mouth open in an ''O'' shape right before he shattered. As if he couldn''t believe what he had done, as if his body had moved on its own to save the other frontliner. Which it probably had, to be honest. There had been no time for a conscious decision.

    Drifter was sure Klein screamed, and many others. He probably did it too. But if he did, he couldn''t hear it. Drifter''s spear swung furiously, all the hate and pain of a frontliner behind each blow.

    He didn''t see or hear the next player die. Only learned of it minutes later, after the << Xhitana Queen >> exploded into shards and the anxiously awaited message appeared in the air.

    [ Congratulations! ]

    The second player to perish had been the last. It was the DKB frontliner that Harry One pushed and died to save. The boss hadn''t stopped going after him.

    What a useless sacrifice. What a necessary sacrifice.

    That was how the 20th floor boss raid ended. In silence. Because two was better than six. But it was still two too many.

 Chapter 136 - A Big Step

    Afterwards, it was the same as any battle like this. Congratulations were passed around. Commendations were made. Quietly. Because it was a big victory. They were now officially over a fifth of the way up to the top of Aincrad. 2 out of 130 frontliners wasn''t even that big of a loss. In fact, it was almost negligible. Acceptable casualties.

    It was hard to call it that when you personally knew the people who died. When you had shared drinks and jokes. Who you had fought with shoulder to shoulder for 20 floors.

    They weren''t acceptable casualties. And it hurt. Badly.

    Klein, Dale, Issin, Dynamm, and Kunimittz took Harry One''s death the hardest, of course. Their eyes were red, and they were visibly holding back tears.

    "Let''s go."

    Drifter sighed. There was really nothing you could say in this situation that would make them feel better. ''Harry died to save someone''. ''He gave his life so we could escape SAO''. It all felt empty. Worthless.

    Getting up, the spearmaster gave Yuna and Nautilus a one-armed hug. The other Reavers also set into motion, albeit reluctantly. There would be time for crying later, but not in the boss room, with all of Aincrad watching.

    Kirito went over and spoke softly with Klein. The red-haired player was one of his oldest friends in SAO.

    Without saying anything, Klein and Fuurinkazan got up and shuffled towards the stairs to the next floor. Drifter sighed again.

    ...

    3 days later, somewhere on the 21st floor.

    Drifter thought it was unfair how beautiful the 21st floor was, especially after the price in blood it demanded.

    In some ways, it was almost a leisure floor. It still had mobs, but they were restricted to certain areas. The several lakes that made up most of the floor were connected by stretches of land and man-made wood paths. It was a paradise for fishermen.

    Most of the mobs were encountered in the small forests sprinkled throughout the floor, or sometimes fished from the lakes. But while they were appropriate for the average clearer level, they were no threat for the frontliners.

    Maybe Cardinal had decided to finally offer some respite for the players after their desperate struggle on the last 10 floors, and especially the 20th.

    "I''m worried about Klein."

    Drifter turned his head to look at Kirito. He, the swordsman, Kizmel, Liz, Vallerk, and Yuna were exploring one of the floor''s small forests.

    "Fuurinkazan has less than a full party now. And they have been throwing themselves into fights recklessly since the raid. Argo said they haven''t gotten back to the safe zone earlier than 10 PM in those last three days."

    When nobody said anything, Kirito continued. His gaze was clouded with worry. Yuna fiddled with her instrument.

    "Are you thinking of offering them to merge with Reaver''s Requiem?"

    "They wouldn''t go for it. Klein and the others put their blood, sweat, and tears into Fuurinkazan, from before SAO had even started."

    Drifter frowned, then shrugged. Kirito was right. And he found himself speaking somewhat callously.

    "Give them time. It''s the first time they lost someone so close to them. I''m sure Argo is keeping an eye on them, she won''t let them do something stupid. We can revisit the topic later, after they calmed down and came to terms with Harry''s death."

    It was incredible - and horrifying - how quickly you became used to death. Or, at least, with the need to keep moving, and to not stop and wallow on it.

    "Hey, is that a house?"

    Vallerk interjected and changed topics to something less depressing - for which they were all grateful for. Kizmel stood on her tiptoes to get a better view, and nodded.

    "Huh. So it is."

    Drifter cranked his neck to get a better view. There, by the lakeside, was a log cabin. It was a small building, but not tiny. It looked accommodating. Probably two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. A chimney was the only stone part of the cabin.

    "Maybe its an NPC''s house?"

    "It looks comfy."

    It truly did. There was a porch out the front, and Drifter could easily see someone setting down a rocking chair and reading a book or taking a nap, or simply just enjoying the view of the lake. Maybe himself.

    "Let''s take a look."

    The party walked over to the cabin. When they got closer, Drifter finally realized what the building was. Mostly due to the semi-transparent blue wall that rose to block it off.

    "It''s for sale."

    It was. When Kirito touched it, a price appeared on the ''shield'' around the property. The amount of zeroes had all the Reavers spluttering.

    "A million cor?!!"

    Drifter''s eyes widened in disbelief. Okay, buildings players could buy were rare. Actually, most of the time players could only temporarily rent stores in the lower floors, normally just a front and a back room, and even then it was expensive.

    But never that much. It was true the log cabin looked like a luxury property some rich guy would buy to spend 2 weeks a year there during summer. But the price was at least five times that of the most expensive house Drifter had seen for sale.

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    "This... If we pooled together what everyone in the guild has... And didn''t buy Liz any materials or intel from Argo for a year... Maybe we would be able to afford half of it?"

    "More like only the porch. That''s crazy expensive."

    "It''s broad daylight robbery, that''s what it is. Nobody can afford that."

    Drifter nodded. Frontliners were actually tighter on funds than most people would expect. The amount of cor they spent each day on new equipment, repairs, information, and consumables was enough for a low-level player to live comfortably for a month.

    Reaver''s Requiem was slightly better than most guilds due to the fact that they had Liz to create and repair equipment for them for free - as long as they supplied the raw materials. Of course, other big guilds also had their own blacksmiths, but they still came to her when they needed to forge something with a high-level material or wanted a top-tier weapon or armor.

    The party chatted in front of the cabin for a few minutes more, mostly about the absurd price or why someone would even buy a house when the cor could be much better spent on actual useful stuff.

    And yet, when they left, all of them couldn''t help but keep throwing glances over their shoulder at the log cabin. Ideas started taking root and sprouting.

    They were used to staying in inns on the topmost floor, and moving as that changed. It saved time each morning, not having to go through the teleporters. And they didn''t actually spend that much time in the inn, or even the safe zones, anyway.

    But it would be nice to have a place to call theirs. A headquarters for Reaver''s Requiem.

    Some saw even more than that. Drifter looked back at the cabin, and threw a sideways glance at his girlfriend. Yuna felt his gaze on her, and turned to meet his eyes, giving him that smile he loved so much.

    The cabin wasn''t very big. Probably two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. A bathroom too, of course, maybe with a bathtub. And the porch.

    Not enough for an entire guild. Not even close. But for two people... It had even a spare bedroom in this case.

    Reaching over, Drifter grabbed Yuna''s hand, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They didn''t need to talk to know they were both thinking the same thing.

    Not the log cabin. It was too expensive, and too out of the way. It would be a treck each day just to get to the city to use the teleporter, and from there to wherever they had to go. And being separated from the other Reavers would be too big of an inconvenience right now.

    But it was a nice dream for the future. Not necessarily inside SAO.

    -----------------------

    In their house, Kana was watching Drifter - Itsuki - on the television they always left on in the living room. The Ogawa household''s electricity bills had risen sharply since the 24/7 broadcast feature was released, but they were happy to pay it if it meant they could see their son anytime they wanted - which was all the time.

    "Genji, I think it''s time we started talking with Tetsuhiro."

    Genji lifted his head from washing the dishes in the kitchen sink.

    "We talk to him almost daily, honey. We meet up once a week and in every boss fight."

    Kana waved her hand dismissively.

    "I know, I know. But I mean we should talk to him about Itsuki and Yuuna."

    "What about them?"

    "Turn that tap off and come here and look!"

    Kana ushered her husband. Genji looked puzzled, but shrugged and did as he was told, sitting down on the sofa next to her.

    "What am I to see?"

    "Their eyes, you old man! I know the look in their eyes. They are head over heels for each other!"

    Genji looked. Songstress Yuna currently had her head on Drifter''s shoulder, and they were trailing behind their party, which was steadfastly ignoring the PDA. He shrugged again.

    "I think that''s old news, honey. Quite literally the entire world knows it."

    His tone was a little sour when he spoke. That was the one thing Genji didn''t like about the broadcasts. While Kayaba and the government kept the players'' real identities hidden, their faces were still in full display. He had lost count of how many estranged family members had suddenly tried to reconnect, and how many old friends and neighbors he never spoke a word to came to ring their doorbell. There had yet to be any reporters or paparazzi, which was really the only silver lining, but he knew that wouldn''t last forever.

    "Don''t be dour! You were young once, or at least I think you were. I don''t think I would have gone for an old man."

    Kana slapped her husband''s shoulder and chided him. Genji, knowing better than to argue with his wife, let her get it out of her system before cajoling his way back to her good side.

    "Sorry, love, I was wrong. But still, what exactly do you mean?"

    "If they were in the real world right now, I would say our Itsuki is about to pop the question!"

    Kana said excitedly, and Genji raised both of his eyebrows.

    "You mean he is going to ask Yuna to marry him?"

    "Yes! Well, if they weren''t in the game, at least. Our sweet boy is completely and utterly in love with her. And I couldn''t approve more of his choice! She is such a great kid."

    Genji looked at the TV pensively. Kana hadn''t said anything he didn''t agree with. He never had many objections to Yuna, and what few he did have, the Songstress quickly wiped away by virtue of risking her life alongside their son.

    Much like Shigemura Tetsuhiro once thought in relation to Drifter, it was hard to dislike someone who dared death every day for the sake of seven thousand people she didn''t know.

    Following that line of thought, Genji and Kana came to a sudden realization at almost the same time.

    "You don''t think he is going to ask her to marry him now, do you?"

    "Can''t be! They are still inside Sword Art Online! Surely Itsuki wouldn''t- He would, wouldn''t he? Our boy has always been decisive. If he thinks he found his lifelong love, and I think he did..."

    "But can he even... No, there''s marriage in SAO."

    "Yeah, that poor girl Griselda, who joined their guild. It had a horrible end, which luckily they stopped before it went past the point of no return, but she was married in the game. Itsuki and Yuuna could do the same."

    "Minus the horrible end part."

    "Don''t you even dare say that, Ogawa Genji! Are you trying to curse our son?!"

    There Genji went, cajoling again. Or it was the sofa for him tonight.

    -----------------------

    The old saying that nobody knows a son better than his mother turned out to be very accurate in this case. Later that night, in the security of their room, with Yuna resting on his chest, Drifter was thinking of marriage.

    Could he? No, should he?

    Griselda set a bad precedent. Not that he thought his relationship with Yuna was anything like Griselda''s with Grimlock, but some preconceptions were hard to get rid off.

    And marriage was a big step anyway. Maybe not complicated in SAO, but Drifter already came to the conclusion that Aincrad was as real as the outside world, which meant if he asked Yuna, it would be for real too. Not just a couple of rings and shared inventory. It would be true and real, and he would make sure it was valid on both worlds as soon as they got out.

    It was a really big step. But he thought was ready to take it. And not because he might die tomorrow and didn''t want any regrets. That would be a poor foundation upon which to build a loving - and hopefully eternal - relationship.

    Doubtlessly, SAO and all that it entailed influenced Drifter''s decision. The daily danger they were in likely made him fall for Yuna faster than he would have in normal circumstances. But in the ''normal'' world, he wouldn''t have even met her.

    "Uhmm..."

    At this moment, Yuna, soundly asleep, mumbled something and snuggled closer to him. Drifter smiled softly and kissed the top of her head.

    It was a big step. But he loved her. More than he could put into words. He was ready for it. He thought she was too. Now to gather up the nerve to actually ask it. And hope Yuna says yes.

    Suddenly Drifter was really nervous. He didn''t think he would sleep well tonight. Or at all.

 Chapter 137 - Proposal

    It took two days for Drifter to work up his nerve. He did it eventually, however, and shared his plan with only one other person.

    Nautilus had listened quietly, first with curiosity, then surprise and shock, and finally joy. Before Drifter had even finished speaking, nervously, as if afraid Nautilus would say something negative or outright reject it, the ash-haired player grabbed him in a bear-hug, lifting Drifter up.

    When Nautilus set him down and let the spearmaster go, Drifter saw that he had a huge grin on his face, ear to ear, the biggest smile he had ever seen his friend show.

    "You are one lucky bastard, Drifter. And Yuna is one lucky girl. Go for it. You deserve to be happy. I would say ''good luck'' if I wasn''t sure she''s going to accept before you can get the first sentence out."

    "Really?"

    "Without a doubt. She loves you so much you couldn''t screw this up even if you wanted."

    Drifter felt some of his nervousness slip away with Nautilus glowing show of confidence. It was always good to have the support of those you cared about, and Nautilus was Yuna''s best friend.

    "Thank you, Nautilus. I mean it."

    This time it was Drifter who initiated the hug, grabbing Nautilus. The blade-user''s grin hadn''t faded.

    "You know I will always be your and Yuna''s biggest support. I expect a place of honor when we are out and you do the ceremony, got it?"

    Drifter smiled widely.

    "Best man, Naut. Best man, and don''t you dare reject it."

    "I would never."

    The two friends smiled at each other again. At that moment, a voice from downstairs reached them.

    "Naut, Drif, 5 minutes! We are just waiting for you!"

    Seemingly unwilling to wait, the owner of the voice stomped up the stairs to the inn''s second floor. When she saw Drifter and Nautilus standing in the corridor, she huffed and put her hands on her waist.

    "Honestly, what are the two of you doing? Normally you are the first down. You didn''t even woke me up, dummy, I thought you had gone out already. Turns out you went to Naut''s room. Should I be jealous?"

    By the end of her tirade, Yuna couldn''t hold her grin anymore. Nautilus laughed, and Drifter walked to his girlfriend and pulled her into a rather passionate kiss.

    While Yuna was never shy about her affections, even she blushed when Drifter kissed her so deeply in front of someone else.

    "What was that about?

    It was a good minute later that Drifter pulled back, both of them gasping for air. Yuna saw Nautilus smirk over Drifter''s shoulder, and blushed even more, hiding her head on her boyfriend''s chest.

    "I love you, songbird."

    "Love you too, dummy. But don''t do that in front of Naut, it''s embarrassing."

    The songstress mumbled into his chest, and Drifter hugged her. Gods, he loved her.

    "Oh, don''t mind me, Yun''. I was already going down. I''ll tell everyone you two need another 5 minutes. Hm, better make it 10."

    The ash-haired chuckled, and walked past them. Just before disappearing down the stairs, he shot a wink at Drifter. The spearmaster shook his head with a smile. Then he put a finger under Yuna''s chin and lifted her head.

    "You heard him, songbird. We have ten minutes. Should we occupy th- Hmph!"

    Drifter''s teasing was cut off by Yuna covering his lips with hers. It was only 15 minutes later that the couple appeared on the inn''s ground floor.

    ...

    The hours passed, and morning turned into afternoon. Reaver''s Requiem went about their day normally, exploring the 21st floor and grinding. With their levels at the very top of SAO, it could now take up to 3 or 4 days for them to gain a single level.

    It was about an hour before sunset that the guild returned to the safe zone. Usually they would have stayed out until closer to nightfall, but Nautilus, bless his heart, had pulled Kirito aside to talk. Nobody could hear what they were saying, but Drifter had a pretty good inkling, even without Kirito turning to look at him with wide eyes. He subtly nodded, and a huge smile plastered itself on the swordsman''s face.

    Nobody else caught on to it, and they didn''t question Kirito''s decision either. Fighting the same mobs all day got very tedious very quickly, so any change of pace was nice.

    Once they were back into the Town, the Reavers split up, each going to do their own thing. Some went to the inn to catch up on their sleep, others decided to stroll around the town or, in Agil and his friends'' case, to hawk their wares.

    "It''s still early. How about a walk, Yun''?"

    Drifter held Yuna''s hand, interlacing their fingers, and asked her. The songstress looked at him and hummed her agreement, a happy smile on her face and a flash of something in her eyes. Later, Drifter would wonder if this was when she caught on to what he planned.

    As it was, the couple strolled aimlessly for half an hour before Drifter directed them to the teleporter. Yuna raised an eyebrow, but followed him.

    "Tolbana!"

    Seconds later, they appeared in the 1st floor city. Gladly, Drifter noticed they were the only players around. While he would go through with his proposal regardless of witnesses or not, he would rather not have a crowd watching.

    "Our special place?"

    "Always good to remember where it started."

    The couple grinned at each other, and Drifter pulled Yuna to sit down, not on the benches, but on the grass. She took it a step further by pushing him onto his back and laying down next to him, her head resting on his arm.

    "Alright, spill it."

    "What?"

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    Yuna turned sideways to stare at him. She was so close Drifter couldn''t help but lean in to kiss her, just a soft brush of lips. She chased the kiss, but wasn''t distracted.

    "C''mon, tell me. I know you too well for your innocent act to work."

    Drifter smiled and rolled over, pressing Yuna under him.

    "I love you, songbird."

    The spearmaster lowered his head and kissed Yuna. The songstress put her arms around his neck and pulled his head closer.

    Cardinal was considering cutting off their transmission. This seemed almost as intimate as the inside of their room.

    After what could have been 5 minutes or 5 hours, they separated. Drifter stared straight into Yuna''s eyes, which were just a few centimeters away from his. He chuckled.

    "I had a whole speech planned, but it just went out of the window when I kissed you. I can''t remember a single word. Except the most important ones."

    Yuna''s eyes widened. She had suspected it, yes. Drifter was acting weirdly passionate, even for him. But now there was no room for doubt.

    "Yuna, my songbird, will you marry me?"

    The songstress felt tears welling up in her eyes, and Drifter''s face, close as it was, became misty.

    "Yes! Yes, dummy, yes!"

    Her words were broken up by happy sobs, and she pulled Drifter down once again.

    Their kisses were broken up by affectionate interjections every now and again, before their lips joined together once more.

    Finally, with the sunset dyeing them, the plaza, the town, and the entire floor orange and red, the couple split apart. But only their mouths.

    Drifter rested his forehead against Yuna''s, and gazed at her lovingly. Both of them shone with happiness, and they had dopey smiles plastered on their faces.

    "I love you."

    ...

    Compared to the outside world, getting married in SAO was anticlimactic. Just a request sent, and then two golden bands appeared on Drifter and Yuna''s fingers. Their inventories were now shared, and nothing changed.

    Everything changed.

    While they walked back to the teleporter, Yuna would stop to admire her ring, and put her hand over Drifter''s, then smile happily and hum a melody.

    The spearmaster himself felt absolutely overjoyed. At peace. He kept an arm around his wife''s - and wasn''t that the most amazing thing ever - waist, holding her close. Whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

    "When we get out, we''ll have a proper ceremony. With our parents, and our family."

    "Hm. I want Asuna and Sinon as my bridesmaids. And Argo. And... Actually, can it be all of them? And Silica as the ring bearer!"

    Drifter chuckled, and kissed the top of her head.

    "We''ll figure it out. I already promised Naut best man, but I also want the rest of our family there."

    "I love you."

    How many times had they said those three words to each other today? Probably no less than the amount of times they got distracted and stopped to kiss each other while on their way to the inn. But it was okay. Today and forever.

    It was several hours after they split from the rest of the Reavers that the married couple found themselves in front of their inn again. And even from outside, they could hear the commotion inside. Yuna lifted an eyebrow to her husband, and Drifter shrugged.

    "I told Nautilus. He probably told Kirito so we could get away earlier. This led into that and I bet we have everyone waiting for us inside. And I do mean everyone."

    Drifter didn''t see a world where the Reavers would have kept quiet about his plan to proposal, at least to their closest friends. Good thing Yuna had accepted, or it would have been a very awkward wedding party.

    "We are really lucky to have them."

    "No doubt about that."

    Drifter grinned and pushed the door open with one hand. The other, his left, was holding Yuna''s right hand.

    Inside was a cacophony of noise and motion. Drifter had been right, everyone was waiting for them. Not just the Reavers, but Fuurinkazan, the Legend Braves, Argo, Sasha and the kids, Akari, Liten, Shivata, even some other DKB and ALS players, and other frontliners and clearers they were in close terms with.

    There was a brief moment of silence when Drifter and Yuna entered, where everyone stopped talking, looked at them, lowered their gaze to their hands and the rings, and then back up to their faces. Then they all shouted together, pandemonium restoring.

    "Congratulations!!!"

    It was like a wall of sound hit them, followed immediately by a wall of bodies as everyone rushed forward to welcome them and, of course, look at the rings. They were plain and simple, but that didn''t take anything away from what they represented.

    Drifter didn''t know how much time passed, and how many people he thanked. He never let go of Yuna''s hand.

    With the exception of the spearmaster himself and one or two others, the adults were all drunk - sure, the effect only lasted half an hour, but they had to stop drinking for it to vanish. Even a few of the underage participants had taken a few sips. SAO was really the only place you could drink without consequences.

    As the party winded down, Drifter found himself hugging his wife from behind, his arms around her navel, his chin on her shoulder. Yuna was comfortably resting her back on his chest as she chatted with Griselda, Liten, Kizmel, Akari, and Sachi. As groups went, this was one of the weirdest ones, but everyone was happy.

    Drifter was particularly grateful and relieved that Griselda was enjoying herself. There had been a slight concern that the wound left by her divorce was still too raw, but one look at her radiant smile was enough to see that the woman was genuinely happy for the couple.

    "There was no bouquet throwing in your wedding, Yuna, but I fear some to-be brides caught it anyway."

    Yuna and the others giggled, and Drifter smiled. Their union had certainly put some ideas in the heads of a few couples. And was Liten''s blush because of the drinks or something else? Shivata better watch out. He might get a pleasant surprise.

    "Enjoying yourself, songbird?"

    For an answer, Yuna turned her head and kissed him. The ladies in the circle gave them knowing smiles. The party was fun, but, as was tradition, soon it would be time for the groom and the bride to recuse themselves to their chambers.

    -------------------------

    Another place where a party was coming to an end was the Ogawa household. Earlier today, when their son mentioned his planned proposal to Nautilus, Kana had started making calls.

    Now, close to 3 in the morning, the house was still packed. It was a little bit of a mess, really, with the aftermath of 20 people talking, eating, and drinking. And unlike their loved ones in SAO, their families outside would feel the effects of all the alcohol imbibed tomorrow.

    All was good. Kana had cried a lot, but of joy. She had always been an emotional woman. Even Genji and Tetsuhiro had shed a few tears. The former tried to hide it, the latter didn''t even bother.

    Saying this was a once in a lifetime occasion wouldn''t be correct, because there would be another wedding, a proper one - not that there was anything wrong with how Drifter and Yuna did it, it only lacked a bit of ceremony. But you better believe there would be a ''second take'' in the outside world. Kana had already started planning it.

    All was good.

    -------------------------

    Eventually, Drifter and Yuna found themselves in the privacy of their room. The closed door from the inn''s premium suite prevented any noise from disturbing them, and their broadcasts had cut off. They were truly alone now.

    "We owe a lot of people for putting that party together."

    "Forget them, dummy. Focus on me now."

    Drifter did. He lifted Yuna, and she held onto his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist, never breaking their kiss until Drifter lowered her down on the bed, not letting go of him.

    "I love you, songbird."

    "Hmm! Yuuna..."

    "Hm?"

    Drifter trailed soft kisses down her neck, and Yuna moaned. He made a questioning noise with his throat, but didn''t halt his ministrations.

    "Yuuna. My name is Shigemura Yuuna."

    Then Drifter stopped. He lifted his head to look at her flushed face. Two pairs of eyes, lost in each other for who knew how long. Then they both broke out in laughter at the same time.

    "Haa... I can''t believe it. We got married without even knowing each other''s real names."

    She giggled like a woman in love, which she was. Drifter smiled affectionately.

    "You are my songbird. That''s all I ever need to know."

    "Dummy..."

    Tears welled up in her eyes at the declaration, and Drifter kissed them away. But he told her, just before capturing her lips again.

    "My name is Ogawa Itsuki. I love you, Shigemura Yuuna."

 Chapter 138 - War in the Shadows

    On the insistence of their friends, Drifter and Yuna took three days off as a honeymoon of sorts. They went back to the floors they already passed, this time not rushing to conquer them, but as tourists.

    It was great. Although with how in love they were at the moment, anything they did would be so, as long as they were together.

    Yet, all good things must come to an end. The 21st floor boss raid was rapidly approaching, and Drifter and Yuna themselves couldn''t help but want to go back to the frontlines. It didn''t feel right to not be there while their companions were fighting.

    So the married couple cut their honeymoon short, and rejoined their guild. In truth, not much changed in their dynamic. They were still Broken Spear Drifter and Songstress Yuna of Reaver''s Requiem.

    Nevertheless, the meeting before the boss room doors was an unusual one this time around. When Reaver''s Requiem arrived, plenty of people, including Kibaou and Lind, came forward to congratulate the newlywed couple.

    The news had spread quickly, and many single men and some women in Aincrad were disappointed. While it was well known that Drifter and Yuna were dating, their marriage made both of them properly ''off-limits''. Well, no skin of their backs. The couple only had eyes from each other.

    Such a festive mood felt wrong before a major battle took place. SAO should have been a dark and gloomy place. Close to 3 thousand people were already dead, including many friends. And yet, even here, good things could come about. That made a difference.

    The 21st floor boss was hardly unique. A giant stone construct, with some kind of backstory no one really cared about. Most of the intel about it came from the two-people multi-floor quest Argo had Drifter had.

    The raid was not easy. They never were. But it was much more uneventful compared to the 20th floor. No deaths, no pain from losing someone dear to you.

    By now, the pattern was clear for the frontliners. Every round floor was a checkpoint. Always the hardest battle. And, unless something changed on the 30th floor, the round floors would come to be known as sure-death floors. The ones which always required a toll in blood.

    Drifter was still thinking of that when he fell asleep that night, but his dreams were peaceful. They always were, when he had his wife in his arms.

    ------------------------

    While to most players the day was ending, for some it had just begun. One such player was, quite obviously, Akari.

    But not just her. Twenty of Fuumaningum''s players, all those who weren''t on some critical task, were with her.

    The air was heavy with tension, and for a simple reason. Yesterday, one of the role-players hadn''t reported in. When Akari went to check her friend list to send a message, she found the name gone. It had also vanished from the guild register.

    With a heavy heart, she went to the << Monument of Life >> to confirm what she already knew. There was the name she wanted, crossed. Killed by another player.

    Akari looked at the assembled players. Most were dressed like her, covered from head to toe in black clothes, only their eyes showing. But those eyes showed a myriad emotion. Anger. Fear. Loss. She clenched her fist.

    "Ermao was tasked to follow one of the red players that was on the << Hill of the Cross >> that night. That he is dead means Laughing Coffin knows about our existence now."

    The ninja stared at each of her subordinates. Unlike her words, her eyes were cold.

    "They probably didn''t even kill Ermao because he was one of us. They killed him just because they could, because they wanted to."

    Her eyes were cold, but not out of indifference. Akari touched the dagger on her waist.

    "Regardless of their reasons, they crossed a line they shouldn''t have. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. We are the shadows of the frontliners. They are the darkness of SAO. If Laughing Coffin refuses to come out into the light... We will fight them in their element. It''s home to us too."

    Not one of the Fuumaningum players moved. Akari didn''t offer them a chance to back out either. That discussion had happened and been forgotten.

    An eye for an eye.

    "Laughing Coffin desires war. We will give it to them. Move out."

    ------------------------

    Unknowing of the conflict that was brewing under the surface, another meeting was taking place that night, this one a much smaller gathering.

    In an inn on the 13th floor, six players were sitting around a table. They were all males, but three stood out the most. The first was a large and boisterous man, who couldn''t seem to stop laughing. His name was Godfree.

    To Godfree''s right, flinching every time the orange-haired player spoke, was a short and fat man, older than most players. He had an obviously fake smile on his face, and an avaricious glint in his eyes. His name was Daizen.

    The last of the three was different. He sat at the head of the table, watching quietly. He was tall and lean, and by far the oldest. He looked about forty-something years old, which put him at one of the extremes of SAO''s age range. His long hair was white, and his serious expression exuded calmness.

    He was the leader of a new guild called Knights of the Blood Oath, and the people around the table were the founding members.

    His in-game name was Heathcliff. His real name was Akihiko Kayaba.

    ------------------------

    The 22nd floor was similar to the one directly underneath it. Less lakes, more coniferous forests, more twisty walkways, more log cabins for sale. Overall, a very tame floor.

    The wolves destroyed that impression pretty quickly.

    "Awoooo!"

    A brown blur lunged towards Drifter, and he instinctively swung his spear to block. It cut into the << Maroon Wolf''s >> side, but three claw gashes also appeared on his torso as the mob flashed past him and disappeared into the forest again.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Argh! This is so annoying!"

    Drifter screamed, turned around, and threw his spear. The silver glow of << Serpentcoil Impale >> left a glowing trail through the air before impaling the << Maroon Wolf >>.

    "Finally!"

    The entire party shouted with him, and the mob was hit by two arrows and three swords before it could recover, dying immediately.

    The << Maroon Wolves >> weren''t dangerous. Not even close. But they were extremely annoying. They were absurdly fast, and jumped at you without warning, before disappearing and repeating. Unless someone managed to react in time and tie them down like Drifter did, it took several passes to kill one mob.

    "It''s like Kayaba''s trying to remind us that this floor is easy, but not to get complacent. I would scream if it didn''t have merit. Petty bastard."

    Sinon grumbled, kicking the ground where the wolf had been. Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, and Asuna nodded in agreement. When they thought of bringing the original party back together for a little grinding, this was not what they had in mind.

    "Can''t we go fishing like Agil and Kizmel? Or back to one of the lower floors. This is horrible."

    "You are not the one having to nail them with arrows, Yuna. And someone needs to explore the floor. It will get better once we find the tower entrance."

    "Plus, Drifter has that quest to complete."

    Yuna glared at her husband, as if it was somehow his fault, and Drifter shrugged.

    "Sorry love, but the rewards are important. Especially the boss'' intel."

    "I know, I know. I''m just annoyed."

    The Songstress sighed. Drifter smiled and touched the back of her head. Yuna leaned into the touch.

    "Don''t worry, I''m sure Kayaba is going to throw something horrible at us soon. He would never make it that easy."

    "This doesn''t make me feel better, dummy."

    The others rolled their eyes at Drifter''s overly cheerful attitude. Sinon groaned.

    "Please tell me you aren''t going to be like this forever, Drifter, and that it''s just a side effect of the marriage. Asuna, Yuna, Yuuki, Silica, Liz, and Agil are already too happy, I thought I could at least count on you to be somber and moody with me. Now I''m gonna have to stick with Kirito and Vallerk. Woe is me."

    It was amazing how the archer could say all that with a straight face. The players burst out laughing, and Sinon smirked. She may not make many jokes, but when she did, they landed.

    "Hey, this noise?"

    "Waterfall?"

    "Waterfall."

    Yuna''s trained ears brought the party to a stop, and they looked at each other. They were off the beaten path, so to say. No walkways, just the middle of a forest. So while a waterfall might be normal elsewhere, here it probably indicated something else. At least a change of scenery, which would be very much welcomed.

    The party pushed through the trees, having to deal with two more << Maroon Wolves >> before arriving at their target.

    Up close, the roaring of the waterfall was deafening. What was curious was that it wasn''t even that big.

    "Does it sound... Echo-y to anyone else?"

    Nautilus turned his head, a frown on his face. Asuna tapped her lips.

    "A cave?"

    "Wouldn''t be the first time. The 4th floor had one. Or was it the 5th?"

    "4th. Should we check it out?"

    "Of course."

    Every gamer knew you had to check behind waterfalls. 99% of the time there was nothing but a stone wall, but sometimes you found a cave with treasures or dangers. Usually both.

    The third option was, of course, quests. And the party landed on that portion of the wheel today.

    After finding a small ledge on the sides of the waterfall and precariously walking on it, they bypassed the thunderous wall of water and found the cave they were hoping for.

    It was a small one. They could see all of it with a single glance. Not that there was such to take in. Humid walls and moss, mostly. And a NPC sitting cross-legged in the middle of it.

    The NPC was human, although he didn''t look like it. He was covered in dust, and completely immobile, almost like a statue. A thin, fragile body enveloped in tattered garments finished up the perfect ''recluse hermit'' look.

    Drifter looked at the others, who shrugged, so he pushed Kirito towards the NPC. The swordsman stumbled and glared at the spearmaster, but took a few hesitant steps, stopping just short of the NPC.

    "Err... Hello?"

    The party rolled their eyes. Here he was, Black Swordsman Kirito, guild leader of Reaver''s Requiem, one of the most famous frontliners in SAO, looked up to by thousands of people in Aincrad and millions outside, talking to a hermit NPC, and that was how he opened up. Truly, that was a lot like him.

    The NPC didn''t answer. He didn''t move at all, even his chest was completely still, as if he had stopped breathing. Were it not for the green cursor above his head, the players would think he was dead.

    Kirito looked back, and they shrugged again. Each quest had different triggers. Most were just initiating a dialog with the NPCs, but sometimes you had to do something else, like bring them something, or perform certain actions. Figuring out what to do was the tricky part.

    After trying to communicate several more times, Kirito hesitantly reached a hand to touch the NPC''s shoulder.

    He got the scare of his life when, his fingers just a few centimeters away, the NPC suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed his wrist. Before even he realized it, his sword was already raised and almost touching the NPC''s chest, while a spear and a rapier poked his throat.

    "Back. He isn''t doing anything."

    "Kirito?"

    The swordsman lowered his sword, and Drifter and Asuna reluctantly retrieved their weapons. The NPC had a green cursor... But they didn''t survive this long by trusting.

    "Hello, sir. Can we help you?"

    The NPC turned his head to stare at Kirito with a distinctive mummy-like feeling to it. The black-haired boy shuddered, but held still.

    "Strength."

    With just that one word, the NPC closed his eyes again. No matter how the players tried to grab his attention, he didn''t move. But they had gotten a quest.

    After ambling over the ledge and out of the cave, the party put some distance between them and the waterfall so they didn''t have to yell. Then they stopped to discuss the quest.

    "Weird, but pretty simple. Go to these coordinates, kill a bunch of elite mobs, come back."

    "He said ''strength''. It''s a clue."

    "To what?"

    "No idea. But I''m sure we will find out if we follow the quest."

    Asuna made sense, so they all shrugged - they were doing that a lot today - and set off. They expected to spend a few hours between walking to the place they had to go, killing the mobs, and walking back. Nothing out of the ordinary.

    But something - or rather, someone - unexpected happened. The founding party of Reaver''s Requiem stopped on a walkway and looked at the group fighting << Iron-Shell Tortoises > - the mobs they needed to hunt - a few hundred meters away.

    "Who are these guys?"

    Yuna put a hand over her eyes and squinted, trying to get a better look.

    "Red and white. I don''t think any frontliner guild uses those colors."

    "Well, they are definitely clearers. That sword-and-shield is really good."

    Nautilus whistled, and the others stirred. They could see that the other players were good - clearer level at least, to be on this floor this early. But to get this kind of praise from Indomitable Knight Nautilus, they had to be a lot more than just good.

    "I don''t recognize them."

    "There are clearers we don''t know, y''know?"

    "Most of them, sure. But a swordsman that skilled? That''s frontliner material right there. We should know him."

    "You know, we could always go down and talk to them instead of stalking them from up here. We need to kill << Iron-Shell Tortoises >> anyway."

    Drifter leaned on his spear while making his point. He was curious, but he was also a practical man. No reason why they should keep guessing when they could just ask.

    Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Nautilus, and Yuna stared at him. Then they shrugged.

 Chapter 139 - Knights of the Blood Oath

    As they got closer, Drifter realized the other players had already noticed them. They were well trained. No one gave the Reavers an overt glance, but it was clear from the way they rushed up to finish off the mobs while subtly repositioning to meet a sudden attack from the party.

    "Not newbies, then. Not all of them, at least."

    "I think I recognize a handful. Aspiring clearers, but not quite there yet."

    "Well, they are now. Whoever that white-haired guy is, he whipped them into shape pretty good."

    Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon chatted casually as they unhurriedly made their approach. They didn''t have any nefarious purpose, and it would relax the other group. Although, they had twice as many people as the Reavers, so who was supposed to be nervous?

    No one was an answer. Everyone was also a pretty good one. You never knew what was going to happen, so it was always better to be prepared.

    "They stopped acting like they hadn''t noticed us already. I think they recognize us."

    "It stands to reason they did. I know the fame is worthless, but we do have six titled players here."

    It was wild when Kirito said it out-loud. SAO had 13 titled players, 8 of which were in Reaver''s Requiem, Dragon Tamer Silica being the newest addition. And that was if you didn''t take into account how many people said Dark Elf Kizmel with a capital D and E, in which case it would be 9 out of 14.

    Sometimes small things like that made you proud.

    "Mornin''! We need some of those << Iron-Shell Tortoises >> for a quest. Mind if we take a corner?"

    Kirito opened the conversation cheerfully. The introverted geek still resurfaced sometimes, but the Black Swordsman was much more prominent these days.

    Drifter scanned the other guild - and they had to be one, with the color-coded equipment - with his eyes. 12 people, a nice mix of damage dealers and tanks. All of them used swords, so they lacked a little diversity in Drifter''s opinion, but then again, this was Sword Art Online.

    Now that they were closer, Drifter agreed with Asuna. He definitely recognized a few faces in passing. Mostly upcoming mid-level players, who had now clearly started to spread their wings.

    "Of course. The map is everyone''s property."

    The other guild had relaxed visibly after recognizing them. Reaver''s Requiem had one of the best reputations amongst the frontliners guild. Not really because they were more friendly, but because the comparison was Kibaou the Challenger and Dragon Knight Lind.

    The man who answered Kirito was very clearly the leader. Guild leader, probably. A lean build, tall, with long grey hair that somehow screamed ''dignified''. Mostly red armor, although detailed with white, and a one-handed long sword along with a crux-shaped shield. He was at least two decades older than the average clearer age - mid-twenties. But he carried himself with confidence and exuded calmness. And those eyes unnerved Drifter.

    They were deathly still. The spearmaster couldn''t feel any emotion in them, like a pond you could not see the bottom of. His gaze passed over each Reaver without a change before settling on Kirito. Drifter shivered, his hair''s standing on end, and he wasn''t the only one.

    "Drifter!"

    Yuna shout-whispered in his ear, and her gentle but firm grip on his arm made him realize he had started to raise his spear and shift his body into an offensive stance. A quick glance revealed the rest of his party doing much the same, although they also caught themselves and stopped.

    Drifter didn''t think any of the other guild''s players but their leader noticed it. The grey-haired player definitely saw it, but his emotionless eyes showed no ripples.

    They were like a mob''s eyes.

    The sudden realization caught even Drifter by surprise. That was why his gaze was so uncomfortable.

    An instinctive dislike for the older man. Not out of any established emotion. Just a gut feeling. That was what Drifter felt.

    He didn''t act on it. What was he even supposed to do? Attack the other player just because he didn''t like his eyes?

    "I''m guessing you already know us, but I''m Broken Spear Drifter from Reaver''s Requiem."

    But someone who could give him, a veteran frontliner, such a strange feeling definitely wasn''t normal. So Drifter metaphorically pushed Kirito aside and put out his right hand for the older man in introduction.

    The other Reavers exchanged glances and raised eyebrows. This wasn''t like Drifter. And the way he used his title, which he normally hated, sounded presumptuous and demanding.

    But they said nothing, and, if the other guild noticed, they also didn''t show any reaction. And the older player didn''t miss a beat when turning to grab Drifter''s proffered hand in a strong grip.

    "I''m Heathcliff. It is a pleasure to meet you, Broken Spear Drifter. And also the rest of you, Black Swordsman, Lightning Flash, Aero Huntress, Indomitable Knight, and Songstress. Your fame precedes you. You have my thanks for all the effort you and your guild have put into clearing Sword Art Online."

    That last sentence nipped any aggression Drifter had right in the bud. He couldn''t, nor did he have any reason other than instinctive dislike, to slap the proverbial cheek Heathcliff offered. The man was nothing but polite. And even his gratefulness seemed real, the first sign of emotion his eyes showed.

    Drifter''s actions mellowed, and he swept his gaze over Heathcliff''s guild. Some of them were calm, some were nervous. There was one particularly boisterous and burly man that reminded Drifter of Orlando. They were all wearing the red and white armor.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    "Some faces are familiar, but the guild certainly is new. Am I correct to assume you are the guild leader, Heathcliff? You definitely carry yourself like one."

    It was a heartfelt compliment. Drifter never bought much into his fame, but he was aware he had a real effect on other players, especially lower leveled ones. It wasn''t anything as fantastical as an aura, just the fact that he had fought all those battles and bosses, and they hadn''t. And they knew it.

    Heathcliff didn''t appear to be nearly as affected as his guildmates. Or at all. The grey-haired player nodded.

    "Yes. I am the guild leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. We are a recently established guild, less than a month since the foundation."

    "And you are already near the frontlines?"

    This time it was Nautilus who raised the question, and the other Reavers also narrowed their eyes. They had seen from afar that the Knights of the Blood Oath (KoB?) had dealt with the << Iron-Shell Tortoises >> without any particular problems, but for a guild not even a month old to already be here was pure recklessness. And yet, Heathcliff seemed to be anything but.

    "I was lucky to find very talented players in the mid-floors. They just hadn''t had the opportunity to develop those talents yet."

    ''I am that opportunity'' was what Heathcliff left unsaid. Arrogant, but also true. If they survived long enough.

    "Aiming for the frontlines?"

    "Assault Team. It would be remiss of us not to. Everyone needs to give it their all if we are to beat Aincrad."

    There was no disagreeing with that. And the Assault Team always needed fresh blood. Their casualties might not have been that many since the 10th floor, but they were the hardest to replenish.

    "I hope to see you there someday. Don''t rush more than you have to."

    It was a genuine warning that Kirito gave, with no underhanded intentions. Every player life was precious. Except Laughing Coffin, but they were monsters anyway.

    "We will take every precaution possible, Black Swordsman. But correct me if I''m wrong, you didn''t get to where you are by always playing it safe."

    Heathcliff''s tone was flat. Kirito and the Reavers narrowed their eyes. That was a dangerous stance to take.

    "We take risks where there are no better options, Heathcliff. Or when the losses would outweigh the gains if we tried to play it safe, as you put. But frontliners are the most careful players in SAO. You don''t live long enough to get where we are otherwise."

    The statement was chilling on its own, but the look in Kirito''s eyes had the KoB players gulping and taking two steps back. Heathcliff had crossed a line he shouldn''t have.

    The man himself, despite being the target of at least three glares, didn''t seem affected. If anything, his face took on a slightly interested expression.

    "I misspoke, Black Swordsman. I''ll see you in the frontlines soon."

    Heathcliff nodded his head fractionally, then turned around and led his guild away without hesitation.

    The Reavers'' party watched the Knights of the Blood Oath leave with furrowed brows. They weren''t narcissistic enough to believe that other players should worship them, but the complete lack of interest - or anything really - from Heathcliff wasn''t amongst the normal reactions they usually received.

    "I can''t tell if he''s arrogant, despondent, or just plain boring."

    Yuna fiddled with her harp. Sinon spat and turned to fire at the closest << Iron-Shell Tortoise >>.

    "Don''t like him."

    Normally that comment would have elicited some sort of response along the lines of ''you don''t like anyone'' from one of the other Reavers, but this time no one disagreed with the archer.

    "Did you see his eyes?"

    "Hmm. I wish they had stuck around. I wanted to watch him fight from up close to see if he''s really all that he''s playing up to be."

    "He holds himself well. Cold demeanor aside, I mean."

    "What do you think, Drifter? Will we be seeing him again?"

    Asuna asked the spearmaster, who was casually stabbing an << Iron-Shell Tortoise >>. He had always been the better judge of character between them.

    Slashing down with a << Vertical >>, Drifter killed the mob and stopped to think. After a few seconds, he nodded, then shrugged.

    "We will at least hear from them. If nothing else, about how Heathcliff got his guild exterminated trying to take on something they weren''t ready for."

    Such harsh words would have effectively killed the conversation if the participants weren''t frontliners. As it was, Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Nautilus, and Yuna just frowned and nodded. If what Drifter predicted did come to pass, it wouldn''t be the first time, nor the last.

    -----------------------

    Akihiko Kayaba, who went by Heathcliff inside of Sword Art Online, didn''t look back at the Reavers'' party. His subordinates, the Knights of the Blood Oath guild members, already knew him well enough not to make a fuss about their sudden departure.

    There was a reason why Kayaba had entered SAO and assumed the identity of Heathcliff. Two, actually. The first was to groom worthy frontliners, and lead the Assault Team to the 99th floor, whereupon he would reveal himself as the final boss and betray them. Hence why he established the Knights of the Blood Oath guild.

    Every game needed a plot twist right at the end, otherwise it would be boring.

    The second reason was a selfish one. It turned him into a hypocrite. But Kayaba couldn''t resist. He wanted to see his heroes with his own eyes, not through screens like everyone else. He wanted to interact with them.

    To confirm he had made the right choice, criminal as it was.

    The short encounter with the main party of Reaver''s Requiem was the first time Heathcliff met frontliners face-to-face. Met his chosen heroes.

    He had made the right choice.

    Reaver''s Requiem was a strong guild. Heathcliff himself felt the lightest twinge of regret that they were so united. He would have liked to poach a few of their members, the tamest ones, but knew it would be a futile endeavor.

    It was a pity. Heathcliff would eventually end up betraying the Assault Team, leaving his guild, the KoB, without any leadership and lost. He needed someone who could take the reins and lead them to fight the final boss - him. Lightning Flash Asuna, Aero Huntress Sinon, Merchant Warrior Agil, Ran, and Griselda were all potential candidates he had initially selected, along with those from other guilds such as Shivata. However, they were all taken.

    Black Swordsman Kirito and Broken Spear Drifter had never figured in his list. The former was too independent and headstrong to blindly follow him while the latter was simply too mature. Broken Spear Drifter was not someone Heathcliff wanted observing his every move.

    Despite being the creator and god of Aincrad, Heathcliff wasn''t arrogant. He wasn''t worried about being bested by others - his own technical skills were higher than any single frontliner - or killed - he had the system protection that kept his HP from falling below half. But if his real identity, that of Akihiko Kayaba, was discovered too early, it would ruin his carefully laid plans. That couldn''t be allowed.

    Well, all of this was unimportant now. For the moment, Heathcliff was just the insignificant leader of a newborn guild. He had to train his subordinates well. Their moment to shine, his moment to shine, would come soon.

    After all, it wouldn''t do for Sword Art Online to only be interesting every 10 floors.

 Chapter 140 - A Sorry Boss

    Exactly 16 days before the 1 year mark of being stuck in SAO, the frontliners of the Assault Team gathered in front of the boss room of the 22nd floor.

    349 days wasn''t a very special milestone, true. Not as much as a full year. But today was the day of another floor boss raid, and that was memorable on its own.

    Plenty of spectators were anxiously waiting for the start of the battle. Not just the SAO players gathered in the Town of Beginnings, but also the tens and hundreds of millions of people outside who had taken to watching Sword Art Online like one would the Olympics or the World Cup. Only deadly.

    There was a reason gladiatorial combat had been famous for so long, and that wasn''t only because the ancient Romans were bloodthirsty. There was some deeply hidden, bestial part of the human being that delighted in the violence. Something in their roots, first as prey, then as hunters.

    Bets about the outcome and every aspect of the boss raids were common. From how long it would take, whether someone would die, and if so how many, and who. And also bets on less darker topics such as who would deliver the final blow, which guild would have the highest contribution, and so on.

    Japan had already cracked down on the underground organizations arranging the bets within the country. Those were their citizens fighting for their lives inside SAO, not participants of some blood sport. But they had no control over what happened outside their islands.

    Kikouka Seijirou shook his head. Whatever was happening outside of SAO wasn''t his concern. His job was to get the players out of the death game as soon as possible or, failing that - as he had until now- make sure their bodies were safe.

    This was not an issue he had ever expected, but now faced. Just two short months ago there had been an attempt on the life of a SAO victim.

    Two players had gotten into a heated argument, which Seijirou had only seen the recordings of much later. The content had been inane, but a few days later, one of the players had committed suicide by allowing mobs to kill him without trying to defend himself.

    The father of the victim, in his grief, had blamed the second player for it, and, during a visit to the hospital to formalize the proceedings for the retrieval of the body of his son, attempted to pull off the NerveGear of the other player.

    Luckily, a nurse had noticed the man''s odd behavior and notified security to keep an eye on him, allowing the guards to subdue him as soon as he entered the room of the second player. The man himself had freely admitted what he planned on doing when questioned.

    Yet, the incident had alerted Seijirou to the failings of his security measures, which he promptly reinforced by stationing more soldiers in the hospital, and a much stricter screening of staff and visitors.

    No similar problems had cropped up since then, and Seijirou hoped it would stay that way. The deities above knew he needed some respite.

    A loud creaking noise coming from his computer pulled Seijirou from his thoughts, and he sat up to watch the Assault Team opening the door to the 22nd floor boss room.

    That primal, bestial urge resurfaced, and the SAO task force leader found himself inwardly cheering for his champions.

    ------------------------

    "Go, Dragon Knight!"

    "Yeah, get him! Hit the bastard, Merchant Warrior!"

    "Kibaou the Challenger! Kibaou the Challenger!"

    "Look at them go! Lighting Flash! Black Swordsman!"

    "Broken Spear Drifter! Go!"

    For a people known to be quiet and introspective, the Japanese weren''t being shy about the amount of noise they made. Every bar across the country was full to the brim with people drinking and watching the raid, cheering the players on.

    Any such business that didn''t have a television mounted on the wall playing the SAO broadcast was pretty much guaranteed to go bankrupt. Different establishments showed different perspectives, but all of them were, without a doubt, tuned in to the boss raid.

    The Assault Team was making quick work of the boss, and more cheers resounded when Liten the Fortress and Indomitable Knight Nautilus both blocked a giant stone hammer each, not ceding an inch of ground to the boss as the frontliners swarmed it like ants from the sides.

    It was not an easy battle by any means. << One Soul >>, the boss, was a giant construct of pale white stone and glowing moss, and hit hard. Yet, in front of the veteran frontliners, the boss appeared to be little more than a plaything for the players.

    At least, that was how it seemed to the onlookers. To this day, countless had yet to understand how the frontliners could face monstrosities like the floor bosses without flinching.

    The truth was, very few could understand, and that was good. To look at death and spit in its face like frontliners did demanded a price nobody should ever pay.

    But all of that was far from the minds of the spectators, who cheered loudly as Broken Spear Drifter used his signature move and threw his spear directly at the boss'' head, knocking the monster back a dozen meters.

    "Yeah! Get it! Go!"

    ----------------------

    Yuuki Shouzou found himself in one of the strangest gatherings he had ever been part of. Not really because of the people involved, but because of how casual it was.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    He didn''t do casual. He was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar enterprise, who had recently acquired the company behind SAO, and was responsible for the game and the souls trapped in it. Every gathering he attended since he was a child had been a formal affair, where no one particularly liked each other, but was only there for the connections.

    Being in the Kirigaya household, humble as it was compared to his own home, was a novel experience. As was mingling with people who would, usually, be considered much below his standing.

    Shouzou enjoyed it. The families of Reaver''s Requiem were kind and genuine. He didn''t need to put on a facade and mull over every word spoken to him searching for double meanings and hidden implications. Here, he was just Asuna''s father. Not even Lightning Flash, but just Asuna.

    He wished his wife saw it the same way. The woman hadn''t come to any of the gatherings, which were organized mostly by Kirito and Drifter''s families. To her, they were all peasants, unworthy of her time.

    Truth be told, Shouzou was starting to lose his temper with her. Love his wife as he did, she insisted on acting like their daughter wasn''t trapped inside a deadly game, fighting for her life. She didn''t even watch the boss raids broadcasts, and Shouzou was almost 100% sure she hadn''t tuned in to Asuna''s transmission even once.

    The woman had always raised Asuna to be the perfect daughter, and behaved as if they were still in the Shogunate. And for the most part, Asuna had grown to be exactly what his wife had molded her to be. Her first act of defiance had been to borrow her brother''s NerveGear. Who could have imagined the consequences would be so harsh and far-reaching?

    But Kyouko still acted as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. And honestly, his wife or not, Shouzou was starting to get quite pissed off with her.

    Her latest fixation was finding a good match for Asuna. Ordinarily, Shouzou wouldn''t be concerned about this. In the circles he ran in, it was normal, even expected, for the parents to decide on the marriage of their offspring. It was what happened with him, and he had very rarely had reason to complain about his chosen partner, at least until now.

    If only his wife were to watch their daughter''s transmission for even 30 seconds, she would realize that Asuna had already found the love of her life. And if there was one thing the girl had inherited from her parents, it was their stubbornness. Trying to force her into ending her relationship with the Kirigaya boy and into a marriage with a stranger was a surefire way to push Asuna away.

    If he was being honest with himself, Shouzou was a little ashamed. Weren''t it for the broadcasts, he might have actually allowed Kyouko to go through with her plans.

    Not now. His daughter''s happiness was the most important thing to him, and when - not if - she escaped SAO, he would not break her heart by forcing her to marry someone she didn''t even know.

    Kirito was a good kid. His family might not have the financial power or political influence to match his own, but the boy was a damn hero. No one could deny that, not with what they were watching right now.

    Shouzou slid to the edge of his seat as the Black Swordsman ran forward, parrying a hammer by the skin of his teeth, not even blinking twice.

    How he could do that, Shouzou would never understand. But Kirito followed up with a blue-glowing skill Shouzou recognized as << Horizontal >>, carving a red gash on the boss'' ankle.

    The weapon that partly earned Kirito his title was a blur, skills and normal attacks being delivered faster than the eye could follow. By now, the frontliners had decidedly surpassed human limits. SAO was a game of numbers, after all.

    A golden shadow flew past Kirito, and the boy nodded gratefully to the Aero Huntress, Sinon. The arrow had almost grazed his cheek, but he didn''t show any surprise or shock. The implicit trust between the Reavers was impressive to see, at the very least.

    The thought brought another to the front of Shouzou''s mind, and he looked around the room. With the boss raid still ongoing, everyone was watching the TV with rapt attention. And there were a lot of people.

    The Kirigaya family was there, obviously, Kirito''s younger sister/cousin sitting on the mat in front of the sofa. There were also Ogawa Kana and Ogawa Genji, Broken Spear Drifter''s parents. And many more.

    Argo the Rat, Aero Huntress Sinon, Songstress Yuna, Indomitable Knight Nautilus, Merchant Warrior Agil, Dragon Tamer Silica, Lisbeth, Vallerk, Wolv, all of them had family and loved ones here. Even Griselda''s widowed mother had come.

    The bonds Reaver''s Requiem had been built upon transcended the game, even if the players themselves didn''t know it yet. Their families had found their much-needed support on each other to get through those difficult times.

    Oddly, Shouzou felt that when - again, not if - the Reavers came out of their virtual prison, they would be proud.

    "Yes!"

    Several throats shouted the same word, and Shouzou turned his attention back to the broadcast just in time to see the twins, Ran and Yuuki, working together to carve out pieces of << One Soul >>. Their synchronization was perfect, the wounds they left on the right and left of the boss'' torso almost mirroring each other.

    Whoever thought the Reavers were done with just that was sorely mistaken. The next second, Shouzou watched his own daughter and Dragon Tamer Silica take advantage of the boss'' distraction to run up its arms to reach its head.

    "Keiko!"

    "Asuna."

    Shouzou''s exclamation was much quieter than that of Silica''s father, but carried no less emotion.

    Of course, none of what they said reached the players, and the duo continued undeterred in their endeavor, stacking injury upon injury on the boss before jumping off when it tried to squash them with its large hands.

    There was something both awe-inspiring and horrifying about witnessing two children battle and climb on such a monster without hesitation. It made one think of what they had experienced that made them so bold and fearless.

    Everyone knew what they went through. While much was still unknown about the first 10 floors, everything after that had been watched by billions of people around the world. But what frontliners did and how they fought would never be normal.

    -----------------------

    Once the boss raid started, you forgot everything else. That was one of the core rules of the Assault Team.

    Who would get the last hit, what would the drops be, how the SAO players were watching them, everything stopped to matter. You stuck to the plan, fought, and survived. That was all that was important.

    Broken Spear Drifter did just so. He had never cared much for fame, and knowing he had spectators didn''t occupy more than a remote corner of his mind since about the 3rd floor.

    Everything other than keeping his teammates alive and killing the boss was unimportant, in that order.

    His spear moved as if it possessed a life of its own, and Drifter never gave the boss a break. He stabbed twice before slashing a large gash on << One Soul''s >> palm when it tried to grab him.

    Swift movements of his feet, almost as if he were dancing, kept Drifter away from the boss'' attacks. Not all of them, but any that would really hurt.

    As random thoughts were meant to be, one intruded onto Drifter''s mind. He didn''t know how to dance, but he thought that it should be easy for him to learn now, with all his self-taught footwork. Something to bring up with Yuna, she would probably like it.

    Later, of course. Now they had a boss to kill.

 Chapter 141 - Half a Floor

    "Time to move out, gents! C''mon! Challenger, the teleporter is yours."

    Kibaou scowled, but nodded. Hero Orlando rolled his eyes. His spiky-haired counterpart just couldn''t ever be happy with anything.

    Regardless, Orlando was in a good mood. Everyone had been in perfect condition today, and the frontliners had brought down the 22nd floor boss with zero casualties. Even the close calls had been few, and not that perilous.

    "Putting Kibaou through the paces, Orlando?"

    "Heh! Just cutting off his whining before it starts."

    The guild leader of the Legend Braves slapped Drifter on the back, and the spearmaster staggered two steps forward, then glared at the boisterous Hero, who put on an innocent expression.

    Drifter wasn''t fooled, but then again, he wasn''t really bothered by it either. Like the other Braves, Orlando was a close friend. As they started climbing the stairs to the next floor, Drifter put an arm around the other man''s shoulders.

    "Let''s see if we can''t conquer this floor in time for SAO''s first anniversary."

    Orlando''s smile faltered for a moment, and Drifter almost regretted his words. But then the Brave was grinning brightly again.

    "Hmm. Let''s."

    Orlando punched him lightly on the shoulder, amd shrugged Drifter''s arm off before quickening his pace to join his guildmates. The spearmaster looked at his back and sighed.

    "I think I said the wrong thing."

    A small hand grabbed his own, and Drifter turned to look at Yuna, who had been trailing behind them, listening to their conversation. His songbird bit her lower lips and shook her head.

    "Never. It''s just hard thinking about how long we''ve been here."

    "We all found new things to enjoy. New people to love. But we still left a lot behind."

    From his left, Kirito put a hand on Drifter''s shoulder. The Black Swordsman had an unreadable expression on his face.

    "We''ll get it all back. One year, four, five. As long as it takes."

    "We are making good time. If we climb much faster, more people will have to die."

    Nautilus and Agil. Apparently everyone had been listening in.

    "This is our life. But I wouldn''t have it any other way."

    "We are frontliners, after all."

    Yuuki and Ran. The twins grinned. Like dead women smiling and walking to their doom.

    It was the prettiest thing in the world.

    Drifter looked at each of them, even the ones who didn''t speak. If the Legend Braves were friends, then the Reavers were his family. He might not have chosen them, but he wouldn''t change anything that brought him here.

    "Should''ve known you guys wouldn''t let me feel depressed. Come on then. Aincrad won''t beat itself."

    The spearmaster smirked. Who amongst them didn''t have times where their darkest thoughts and fears took over? But they always forged on through, regardless of everything else. Because they were frontliners.

    "I see the light."

    "Dramatic as always. You sure you don''t wanna go to theater school after we are out, Liz?"

    "Nah. Maybe before, I would do something else, but now I can''t think of anything I would rather do than forge. All our weapons, our trusted companions... I want to make all of them in the outside world. My family''s forge."

    The Reavers smiled fondly at their pink-haired blacksmith, the girl herself unaware of the tears her words just caused her grandfather and big brother to shed.

    For the frontliners, this had been simply a raid like any other. Already forgotten by the time Drifter stepped foot on the 23rd floor, shielding his eyes with his hand against the harsh sun.

    "Woah... This is..."

    "Marvelous."

    Never before had Drifter used that adjective, but none could have fit better the sight before his eyes.

    The frontliners that climbed the stairs before them, and those who came after, stopped, dumbstruck. Stopped and stared, at a world divided.

    A world in halves.

    The Assault Team had come out of the tower in a square of raised bedrock. To their right was a seemingly infinite desert. Just sand and nothing else until the edge of the floor, wherever that was.

    To their left was a towering wall of water. It rose at least 30 meters above the desert, completely still, as if held back by an invisible wall.

    Unlike the desert, the water portion of the floor was teeming with life. Inside the contained ocean, the players could see marine wildlife. Fishes, crustaceans, and more.

    It was like they were standing at the border between two different planets. One dead and forsaken, another just in the first stages of its life.

    The boundary between the two was right in front of the Assault Team. There was no marking, but it was a clear divide nonetheless. The desert ended and the wall of water started. Or vice versa. Touching, but never interacting.

    Seconds and then minutes passed, with the frontliners staring awestruck at the border between the two halves of the floor. It was Klein who broke the stunned silence first.

    "Damn... Every time I think we already saw everything Aincrad has to offer, something like this appears. I''m glad. It makes everything almost worth it."

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The players nodded in muted agreement. Those sights, those manifestations that defied every law of physics there was, were the reason they had bought Sword Art Online in the first place. A chance to experience a new, magical world.

    "That''s all well and good, but where the fuck do we go from here?"

    Drifter rolled his eyes at Kibaou''s crude language. But they did wake him up from his stupor, and he frowned.

    "I don''t see the town. Unless..."

    First sweeping past the desert, his gaze then traveled up, climbing the water wall. Then back down again.

    "There."

    The frontliners followed his finger. He was pointing right in line with the border between wet and dry. The players squinted.

    "Those black things? Aren''t they just rocks?"

    "I don''t think so. Look up."

    The players did, and gasped. They had been so overwhelmed by the monumental wall of water that they hadn''t paid attention to what was above it.

    "That''s the town?"

    "Half of it, at least. How much do you wanna bet this floor''s lore is something along the lines of ''a god or ancient monster split the ocean in half and drained it''?"

    The adaptation threshold of the frontliners was truly exceptional. While most of the people in the outside were still speechless from witnessing the impossible scenario through their screens, the players, who were seeing it all personally, had already moved on.

    "The desert we are seeing is actually the bottom of an ocean."

    Vallerk rested his shield on the ground and stretched. The tank felt exhausted. Today was just one surprise after the other.

    "I want to relax in the hot springs."

    "Me too."

    "Me three."

    Kizmel, Sinon, and Griselda spoke, and the other frontliners stared at them like they were mad. Although they were likely the most sane of the bunch.

    "What do you think, Pina? It''s pretty, isn''t it?"

    The little dragon chirped against Silica''s palm. Liz hugged the young girl from behind, resting her chin on top of Silica''s head.

    "Y''know, I''ll probably have to agree with Pina on this one. This floor seems to be either too hot and dry or wet and cold. No middle ground."

    "Hahahaha! That''s where the fun is, blacksmith! Imagine all the interesting mobs this floor is gonna have!"

    Orlando and the Braves guffawed. Yup, they were still the same battle maniacs. No way they would feel down forever.

    "I would rather they be the same old, but I don''t think that''s gonna happen."

    "Don''t be boring, old man. You always grumble when we have to fight the same enemies too many times."

    Shivata sighed from within the DKB ranks. Liten giggled and ousted him unceremoniously, and her boyfriend blushed when everyone laughed.

    "We are never going to know if we stay here chatting."

    Agil pipped in, his eyes and his companions'', Wolv and Shigio, shining. Frontliners or not, their roots would always be that of merchants.

    "Lead the way, Scrooge McAgil!"

    Yuuki ribbed him, and the Merchant Warrior held up a fist in mock anger. Her sister watched the exchange with a grin, Nautilus'' arm around her waist. The ash-haired player was happy to simply watch in silence.

    Drifter shook his head fondly at the numerous conversations happening at the same time, each more outlandish than the other. This was how SAO was supposed to be. Had been meant to be, before all the death and despair.

    "Hey, this is trippy! Guys, come over here!"

    Asuna and Kirito had wandered away during that time - the former dragging the latter by the hand - and jumped down from their bedrock platform, walking the short distance to the water wall.

    Like a child with a new toy, Asuna was sticking her hand inside the contained ocean, one finger at a time, and giggling. Kirito, for all his pretended maturity, had quickly folded to his girlfriend''s whims, and was doing the same, with similar, if contained, reactions

    "Hey, what are you lot thinkin''?! This ain''t no playground for ya to fool around! Argh..."

    "My knights, we have more to do than admire the scenery. Maybe just for a short while."

    Kibaou and Lind ran after the crowd, yelling and cursing.

    "Oy, Asuna was right, this is trippy! What the heck? Look at me! Hahaha!"

    Klein and the Fuurinkazan were the first to reach Asuna and Kirito. The samurai plunged his head sideways into the water without a second thought.

    "Children, the lot of them."

    "Don''t act like you don''t treasure them all, dummy. Even the annoying ones."

    The married couple leisurely trailed behind the Assault Team, hand-in-hand. Broken Spear Drifter and Songstress Yuna. Two of the largest names in SAO.

    "They''ve grown on me, I''ll admit. As for our guild, our Reavers... I never thought I would have a family this big."

    "Do you dislike it?"

    Drifter squeezed Yuna''s hand and showed a true smile, innocent and bright. Full of love.

    "I wouldn''t trade it for anything in the world."

    The songstress grinned, a mirror of his own.

    "You really are a dummy. But you are our dummy. Mine."

    "Always, songbird."

    Those short exchanges of affectionate words and gestures had become more frequent after they married, and neither Drifter nor Yuna wasted a chance to let the other know how much they loved them.

    "Eyes front!"

    Unfortunately, their lovey-dovey time was interrupted by a shout. Near the front of the group, the desert sand was vibrating in circular patterns.

    "Left too!"

    Issin from Fuurinkazan yelled too, drawing his blade and turning to the water wall. The players stepped back as a shadow rapidly approached from the depths of the ocean.

    "Incoming! Prepare!"

    In an instant, the formerly disorganized and rowdy frontliners had established a battle formation. The discrepancy in their behavior was so big it left the spectators outside feeling tumultuous.

    Over a hundred players, who were not even moments before laughing and enjoying the novelty of the new floor, became once again the battle hardened frontliners.

    Gone were the smiles and laughter. In their place were grim determination and closed expressions.

    "I guess this is our introduction to the 23rd floor, huh?"

    Shivata chuckled, but there was no mirth in his voice. The DKB vice-leader had turned to face whatever enemy was coming out of the ocean wall, with about half of the Assault Team mimicking him. Kibaou and the ALS naturally chose the one from the desert half of the floor, Reaver''s Requiem behind them.

    The two mobs burst out of their respective environments at the exact same time. Shivata may have made his remark jokingly, but Cardinal was making an effort to deliver.

    The monster from the ocean looked like what you thought a siren would look like if you made it evil. Jet-black scales, bloodshot eyes, some sort of dark-purple goo covering its body, and a mouth full of sharp teeth that opened in a deafening screech.

    The mob from the desert side was different, but no less fearsome. It was also a humanoid monster, but it was covered in sandy white fur instead of scales. It had an elongated and twitching snout and beady black eyes. Unlike the siren, this one held a weapon, a crude bone dagger.

    With the entirety of the Assault Team here, most of the players wouldn''t even have a chance to engage the mobs. Drifter himself was in no hurry. Kirito signaled for him and the other Reavers to let the ALS take the lead, and the spearmaster was happy to comply.

    The name above the desert mob''s head was << Ashara Puppet >>. The last word implied the existence of a puppeteer or a puppet-master.

    His gaze then wandered over to the DKB, who was fighting the screaming siren. << Amihenta Decoy >>. Another strange name.

    "A puppet and a decoy, a floor divided in opposite halves... This might be the next campaign."

    Griselda calmly spoke while watching Kibaou cut off a chunk of fur of the << Ashara Puppet >>. The others agreed with her, but Drifter shook his head.

    "Nope. Well, maybe. But I don''t think so."

    "Why not?"

    Drifter smiled and shared his HUD with the Reavers.

    "My quest with Argo just updated again."

 Chapter 142 - Lights and Shadows

    [ Argo: Ahoy, Dri-bou! Y''all frontliners thinkin'' of openin'' the 23rd floor anytime soon? ]

    The spearmaster read Argo''s message and grinned. Clearly he wasn''t the only one who had noticed the changes in their quest menu.

    [ Drifter: This floor is interesting, little rat. And the safe zone is quite far from the exit of the tower. But we''ll get there soon. ]

    [ Drifter: In the meantime, why don''t you ask what you really wanna ask? ]

    There were a few moments of pause, likely during which Argo was composing her answer, and Drifter turned his attention back to the floor.

    The << Ashara Puppet >> and << Amihenta Decoy >> had been easily dispatched. After all, they were going against the entire Assault Team. Even if they were tired after the boss raid, there was no way 2 lone mobs could cause them any trouble.

    Once the monsters perished, the players had chatted a little about drops and attack patterns before setting out again towards the safe zone.

    The closer they got, the clearer the layout of the town became. The houses were made of some sort of rough white dirt, and very square. The streets were paved with the same kind of material, and were all windy and curved. There was a side alley in-between basically every house, making the town a very confusing maze.

    That was how it was for the desert half, at least. When the frontliners looked up, however, they could only see the water wall because of how close they were, so there was no way of knowing how the other half of the safe zone looked.

    "No, in the first place, how do we even get up there?"

    "Are we even supposed to?"

    "No question ''bout it. No way only half the floor is accessible."

    Having done this countless times now, the frontliners were in no hurry to activate the teleporter. Once they did so, there would be a flood of players rushing in, and everything would become a mess.

    "What if we are looking at this wrongly?"

    "Whatever do ya mean, girl?"

    Silica probably hadn''t meant to say it out-loud, and she flinched when Kibaou snapped at her in his usual brisk tone. Drifter and the other Reavers scowled at him, and even the famed Challenger had the decency to look ashamed.

    "Sorry, Tamer."

    The ALS leader mumbled his apology, and Silica waved it off. She was too kind for this world. It wasn''t for nothing that she turned on the brotherly and sisterly protective instincts of every Reaver older than her - all of them. Drifter patted her head.

    "Go on, Silica."

    "Hm. Because the two halfs of the town are so close and, well, halfs, we are taking it for granted that they are just one thing. But every floor has at least two safe zones, right? Like the Town of Beginnings and Tolbana on the 1st floor. What if this is the same?"

    Realization dawned on Drifter, and he smiled and ruffled Silica''s head. She was a smart girl.

    Looking around, he saw that many still didn''t understand. Nodding to Silica, he took over the explanation.

    "What Silica means is that while the two towns might be close physically, if we can''t get to the one on the top of the ocean portion, then they might as well be on opposite sides of the floor. Great deduction, Silica."

    The Dragon Tamer grinned happily at the compliment and hugged him briefly.

    "Right. This whole floor is trippy."

    "Even if you are right, Broken Spear, Dragon Tamer, we still don''t know how to get up there."

    A player from another guild spoke up and Drifter shrugged.

    "Explore, clear quests. The usual. I''m sure it will reveal itself at some moment."

    It wasn''t the answer they wanted, but it was the only one Drifter had for them, and Drifter ignored the grumbles in favor of opening his messages again. Argo had been steadily loosing her patience while the Assault Team discussed.

    [ Argo: Ya are no fun, Dri-bou. But alright, I saw the quest updated. ''Pluck the Starlight''. Any clues as to what that means? ]

    [ Argo: Somethin'' been goin'' on with Akari and her shadows recently that she won''t talk ''bout, so we are on our own to investigate this. ]

    [ Argo: But ya don''t need to worry, Dri-bou! The greatest info-broker in the world is by yer side! ]

    [ Argo: Are ya in a battle or somethin''? If ya are ignorin'' me just because, it''ll hurt my feelings. ]

    [ Argo: Dri-bou... Dri-bou! Dri-bou! ]

    [ Argo: Bad Dri-bou. Didn''t you say I''m like a little sister to ya? How can ya ignore me? ]

    [ Argo: C''mon, I can see in the friends list that all of ya are well and healthy. Is anythin'' interestin'' goin'' on over there? ]

    [ Argo: Hmph! Annoyin'' Drifter! I won''t talk to ya anymore! ]

    After reading all the messages, Drifter shook his head in amusement. Argo normally wasn''t this childish, which meant she wasn''t that annoyed really. She was just bored, and was spamming his message box to pass the time.

    Although, one of the many messages she sent caught his attention. The second one, specifically.

    The spearmaster frowned and paused in responding to Argo. Akari wasn''t someone who would feel the need to report her actions to Drifter, but from what he gleamed from the info-broker''s message, the role-player seemed to have landed on a spot of trouble. It bothered him a little that he was only now finding that out, and from a secondary source on top of that.

    [ Drifter: Sorry, little rat. This floor is quite mesmerizing, and we were discussing something. Kibaou already sent people to unlock the teleporters. ]

    [ Drifter: About Akari and Fuumaningum... ]

    It was a few seconds later that Argo replied, despite what she said earlier about not talking to him anymore. Drifter could feel her solemn mood even through the written words.

    [ Argo: I don''t know. When I asked, she just brushed me off. But she was angry. And sad. I think they lost someone. ]

    Anger and sadness wasn''t an unusual combination for SAO players. Every frontliner had experienced it multiple times. The rage and pain of losing someone, that is.

    How Fuumaningum lost one of its members was what worried Drifter the most.

    If the other guild did indeed lose a player, it could have been for a myriad of reasons. If it was to a monster, then that was just bad luck or human error, and they had to move on. But there was one other task Fuumaningum undertook that could lead to death.

    Shadowing the red players.

    His friendship with Argo and Akari meant Drifter was privy to some of the actions of the ninjas. They were one of the groups who were the most in danger every day, even more so than clearers, and just behind the frontliners.

    Akari had her ninjas infiltrate lawless zones and tail red players to identify them and monitor their actions. And, if needed, to take more proactive actions. The spearmaster knew of at least one occasion when they managed to covertly warn a solo player in time for them to avoid an ambush by a duo of red players.

    The day Laughing Coffin found out about their actions - and it was inevitable that it would happen - Fuumaningum would become the biggest torn on their side, which the red players probably couldn''t wait to remove. Drifter seriously hoped that day hadn''t come already.

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    [ Drifter: Can we put our quest aside for a moment, Argo? ]

    [ Argo: Don''t do anything stupid. Akari ain''t someone you can bully into telling her secrets. ]

    Despite the worrying thoughts running through his head, Drifter smiled. The concern the info-broker felt for both him and Akari was evident through her messages.

    [ Drifter: I''m the only person other than you she might talk to. I just need to clear up what this is about. If it is something internal to Fuumaningum, then I won''t pry. But if by chance it''s related to Laughing Coffin... ]

    He left the sentence unfinished. Argo could surely understand what he meant.

    [ Argo: Hm. Make sure she isn''t doing something stupid too. And keep me updated. ]

    [ Drifter: You got it. Stay safe, little rat. ]

    [ Argo: I should be sayin'' that to ya. ]

    Argo went back to typing like she was some sort of underground, black market informant, which meant she was relieved.

    After what happened with Morte, Argo had made Drifter promise to never do something similar and go after a murderer alone without telling anyone - Akari didn''t count since, according to the little rat, she was as reckless as Drifter. The spearmaster wouldn''t betray her trust.

    Taking a deep breath, Drifter started composing a message to Akari, only to forego it in favor of a much simpler and to-the-point inquiry. He sighed. This wasn''t likely to be a pleasant talk.

    -----------------------

    [ Drifter: Are you going after Laughing Coffin? ]

    Akari re-read the short message for the nth time, complicated emotions swirling in her eyes.

    She had expected it to come, only not so soon. Akari was the leader of her guild and needed not answer to anyone but herself and those who trusted her to lead them. But if there was anyone who deserved to know what she was doing, it was Broken Spear Drifter.

    Closing her menu, the ninja rested her back on the wall of the building behind her. She was on the newly opened 23rd floor, for convenience''s sake.

    The soft sounds of footfalls didn''t go unnoticed by her trained ears. Akari only turned her head when Drifter was right in front of her.

    "Akari."

    "Broken Spear."

    "Drifter. My friends don''t call me by that title."

    The ninja paused. Well, that was something at least. Then she pushed off from the wall and sighed.

    "I suppose we should talk."

    "We should."

    Akari stared hard at Drifter, but his expression was unreadable. She wasn''t sure how or where this conversation was going to go.

    She wanted to say she didn''t care about the results, but that would be a lie. Although Fuumaningum''s war on Laughing Coffin would persist regardless, Drifter was one of the very few she considered a friend, and his opinion mattered more to her than she would care to admit.

    They walked silently, Akari guiding Drifter to a remote corner of the town, where they wouldn''t be disturbed, and the spearmaster following without a word.

    They were both used to silence, but this one was especially awkward. Eventually, Akari broke it.

    "I thought Argo the Rat would be with you. I imagine it was she who brought this to your attention."

    She had her back turned to Drifter, but she could almost see his frown. He deliberated his words before responding.

    "It was, and she knows I''m here. So do Yuna, Naut, and Kirito. I promised not to keep secrets from them, especially if it''s related to those monsters. But I reserve the right to decide how much I''ll say. They accepted that."

    That was Drifter''s roundabout way of saying she could trust him to keep her secrets. But also that he would have to tell the 4 he mentioned something.

    "What do you want to know?"

    Stopping at some deserted alleyway very near the edge of the safe zone, Akari turned around to face the spearmaster. Drifter just stared at her for a long minute before shaking his head and exhaling.

    "Let''s not do this, Akari. This is not a game, so don''t treat it like one. I''m not."

    The ninja deflated, and eventually nodded. Drifter ran a hand through his hair.

    "You are going after Laughing Coffin. Not just keeping an eye on them anymore, but actively seeking conflict. Don''t deny it. You responding to my message only with a time and location to meet was an answer on its own. What I want to know first is: why?"

    This time, Akari didn''t waste time in answering. Most likely, she had already accepted that Drifter wouldn''t go back without learning what he wanted. And she wouldn''t have agreed to meet him if she wanted willing to talk anyway.

    "They killed one of ours. Ermao."

    Hearing this, Drifter sighed. It was as he had expected. There was no reason for Fuumaningum to change from simply observing to proactively hunting the red players otherwise.

    It was always a sad affair when a person died, but especially so if they were killed by another player.

    "Any others? And how many red players have you killed?"

    Drifter''s tone was even and impartial. No hint of judging or discrimination. Of emotion. But his eyes gave it away. In them, Akari saw a mixture of empathy and anger. But only the former was directed at her.

    Of course he wouldn''t be disappointed or disgusted. He had experienced those reactions already when he told the Assault Team he had killed Morte. He wouldn''t push the same to her.

    "One other of my subordinates fell. But we have already killed 3 red players. Two of them were from Laughing Coffin. I took care of them myself."

    There was still a small amount of emotion when she started speaking, but by the time she was finished, Akari''s tone was as flat as Drifter''s had been.

    "Good."

    "What?"

    The ninjas eyes widened in surprise at Drifter''s response to her confession. She didn''t know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn''t for him to praise her. But the spearmaster simply shook his head at her confusion.

    "I''m not a saint, Akari. I killed Morte because I was worried he would come after me and the others. It wasn''t justice, or even revenge. It was preemptive. Because I was afraid. I don''t have the right to judge you. Nor do I want to."

    "Then what do you want?"

    Her glare was challenging. Drifter''s gaze was full of steel.

    "For you to stay safe. For Fuumaningum to not lose another member. For those Laughing Coffin bastards to never be able to harm anyone else."

    The ninja started. This was not what she was expecting. Her features softened under her mask.

    "What are you proposing?"

    "Laughing Coffin is a threat to every player in SAO. Not just because they are murderers, but because with each life they take, they set back our efforts to clear the game."

    It was Broken Spear who stood before her then, not just Drifter, and Akari shivered against her will.

    "Find Laughing Coffin. How many there are, who they are, where they are hiding. Then tell us. This burden isn''t yours to carry alone, nor should it fall only on Fuumaningum''s shoulders."

    His gaze was steely, but there was a fire burning within.

    "Laughing Coffin are monsters barring us from escaping. It has always been the frontliners'' job to cut down such obstacles."

 Chapter 143 - Resolution

    When Drifter made his way back to the inn, it was to find more people than he was expecting waiting for him.

    Argo, Kirito, Yuna, and Nautilus were a given, since he had already let them know he was going to talk to Akari.

    Agil, Sinon, Asuna, Kizmel, and Griselda weren''t unexpected either. He had never meant to keep it a secret from his friends, only to understand the whole situation before informing them with all the facts in hand.

    But clearly others had caught on to his out-of-sorts behavior during the day, because Liz, Ran, and Vallerk were also there, as was Keita. Drifter had no doubt that Wolv, Shigio, Yuuki, Silica, and really everyone else, were also aware of the impromptu meeting, but had simply chosen or been advised to skip it for now, and would surely be filled in with the details later.

    "What did she say, Drifter?"

    Griselda asked while leaning forward on her chair. Her eyes stared unblinking at him, and the spearmaster was sure she had already partially guessed what his talk with Akari was about.

    "Fuumaningum is at war with Laughing Coffin."

    Never one to mince his words, Drifter summed up the entire conversation with the ninja in a single sentence.

    The reactions to his statement were varied. Some recoiled, some widened their eyes. Others stood completely still or frowned. Argo, Yuna, Nautilus, and Kirito, with whom Drifter had already shared his thoughts before setting out to meet Akari, had no reaction at all.

    "You can''t leave it at that, Drifter. Explain properly."

    Asuna had been one of the people to frown, and Drifter felt a pang of guilt. Although he knew it was not his fault nor something he could control, it still hurt to see someone so young, and who he cared so dearly for, showing only this little reaction to such dreadful news. It never occurred to Drifter that he too had grown numb to SAO''s brutality.

    But the fencer told him to expand, and so he did, retelling almost word-for-word how his meeting with Akari went. By the end of it, most of the players in the room were reclining back in their chairs, eyes closed. But it was never easy to push bad news away, and the ones Drifter brought weren''t the kind you could just cast aside.

    "Two Fuumaningum players, two from Laughing Coffin. Is this how it''s going to be? Are we to trade lives with those murdering bastards? An eye for an eye, a body for a body?"

    Several people shivered when Agil''s low growl filled the room. Kizmel answered in a carefully dispassionate tone.

    "This can not be allowed. Nor can the warriors of Aincrad afford it. Those red players have to be taken care off immediately. Prison or death. There''s no third path for them."

    Some heads nodded in agreement, Drifter''s included. But Yuna stood up and walked over to her husband, grabbing his hand tightly.

    "I think you are right, Kizmel. Laughing Coffin made their choice when they decided to go around killing people. But I''m also worried... We can''t just abandon the frontlines to hunt them. We still have a duty to the Assault Team, and... Won''t we be just like them if we do that?"

    The songstress avoided Drifter''s gaze in the silence that followed her question. She was trembling. Afraid of how he would react to her words. After all... Leaving everyone behind to go hunt down a red player, wasn''t that what he had done?

    Gingerly, the spearmaster reached for Yuna''s chin and lifted her head, forcing her to look into his eyes. For someone who enjoyed calling him ''dummy'', she was the one acting like one now. As if he could ever hold anything she said against her.

    "I made a mistake going after Morte without telling any of you, songbird. I did it because I was afraid. Of how you would react, of becoming just like him. But most of all, I was afraid of you getting hurt."

    He dipped his head and kissed her, ignoring everyone else. But his words were meant for all their ears.

    "But Laughing Coffin won''t stop. If we leave them be, more people will die, more people will get hurt. And one day, it will be you. Us. The people in this room, the rest of the Assault Team. It will never be enough for them."

    The spearmaster looked around. Kirito, Nautilus, Argo, many of them had been uncharacteristically silent. But that was because they had no more doubts, and their gazes never faltered when met with his.

    "At the same time, Yuna is right. We can never hesitate to put them down hard when we fight the red players. Kill them even, if necessary. But it''s a fine line to thread, the one between doing what is needed to protect and free the players of SAO, and just killing for the sake of it.

    "That''s why I told Akari to pull back for now. Laughing Coffin and that mysterious boss of their''s now know that we are aware of them, thanks to Red-Eyed XaXa and the encounter on the Hill of the Cross."

    Griselda shuddered minutely. What she went through at that location was likely a trauma she could never get past in her life.

    "And because of their clashes with Fuumaningum, they also know there are people who aren''t afraid to kill them if it comes to that."

    Kirito spoke up for the first time, his eyes hard. Drifter nodded.

    "Yes."

    "And did Akari agree? To stop, at least for now? She seemed pretty hell bent on revenge from what you said."

    Surprisingly, it was Keita who spoke at this time. He was there as the representative of the former Black Cats, and Drifter had honestly expected him to stay an observer throughout the entire night.

    Keita and his friends weren''t frontliners, they were clearers. Despite all being part of the same guild, that was a divide that would always exist between them and the other Reavers.

    But that was okay. They had suffered some pretty brutal reality checks after joining Reaver''s Requiem, and their dreams of becoming frontliners had been dashed, but with good results. It was a dangerous job, the most dangerous in SAO, and Keita, Sachi, Tetsuo, Ducker, and Sasamaru realized that it wasn''t what they wanted. They were happy to stay as clearers. It helped that the Reavers never treated them any differently, and were all like one big family.

    "She did, after some convincing. Fuumaningum is back on surveillance only. Although I have no doubt they will still strike if the opportunity presents itself. But Akari has cooled down enough that I''m confident she won''t fall into a trap anymore."

    That was the real conclusion from meeting with Akari, and Drifter was left with the feeling of averting a crisis. The red players, Laughing Coffin especially, had already proved to be ruthless to the extreme. Drifter had no doubts they would sooner or later try to spring a trap on Fuumaningum, even if they had to be the bait themselves. They were crazy like that.

    "We are missin'' a lot of information. How many criminals there are on Laughin'' Coffin, where they are hidin'', and much more. Two pieces of intel are critical before we can make any move against them: who their boss is, and..."

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    Argo trailed off at the end, her face scrunched up as if she found her next words particularly distasteful. But she still said them.

    "And if there are only red players in Laughin'' Coffin, or orange and even green ones too. I''ve been lookin'' into them for several floors already, and barely found out anythin'' more than what XaXa boasted about on the 19th floor."

    Drifter''s eyes widened, and Yuna gasped against his chest. He hadn''t thought of that before, and, from how pale they suddenly became, neither had anyone else but the info-broker. The implications were ginormous.

    "You think they have spies?"

    "I''m thinkin'' a lotta things, Liz-chan. And it''s dangerous to make conclusions without havin'' the whole puzzle solved in front of me. But those murderer assholes have been really good at dodgin'' all my swipes, almost like they knew they were comin''."

    The info-broker interlaced her fingers and stretched, the top half of her face hidden under her hood.

    "Sayin'' more is likely to cause a panic. But I''m almost certain I have some moles within my moles. And Morte was a frontliner before he went rogue, was he not?"

    There were ugly faces all around. The frontliners routinely put their lives in each other''s hands. That someone you trusted with your everything might turn out to be a would-be murderer and stab you in the back was a disturbing thought, made worse by the very real example they already had in Morte.

    Still, something had to be said about the bonds between the Reavers that the fact they were frontliners too, and, as such, Argo''s doubt was also applicable to them, flew right over their heads. There were no subtle glances at each other or shifty eyes. The idea that one of them might be a traitor never even crossed their minds.

    "I hate that you might be right, little rat. But we shouldn''t act any differently. After all, even if - and gods forgive both us and them if that''s the case - some in the Assault Team have a connection to Laughing Coffin, just remember that their cursors are still green. And one way or the other, they are comrades who fought with us through thick and thin, risking their lives everyday. It would be a great injustice if we started doubting them now."

    Even if he said that, Drifter knew that the seeds had already been planted. It would take some time for the Reavers to stop looking at other players and wonder what their true faces were. Maybe it would never happen.

    The spearmaster shook his head. Those were things to consider later. It was already one to midnight, and it was time to wrap up this meeting.

    "Not a word of what we discussed today with those outside the guild, friends. Don''t even talk about it unless you are in a private room."

    He nodded, concurring with Kirito''s orders. Secrecy was the most important takeaway tonight.

    "It''s useless to speculate without information. Let''s end it here tonight. We will decide what to do when Argo and Akari find out more. Okay, little rat?"

    "Ya can count on me, Dri-bou. I want those bastards gone as much as ya."

    "Good. Any more questions?"

    There were many, Drifter could see. But none that needed to be asked right now. A lot of heavy burdens had been dropped on their shoulders today, and everyone was as tired as if they had just fought a field-boss.

    "Then that''s it. Good night, everyone."

    One by one, the players left for their rooms. Drifter, with Yuna still glued to his side, was the last to make his way up the stairs.

    Until the moment he closed to door of their room behind them and guided her to the bed, Yuna still haven''t said a word.

    Propping his spear up against the wall next to his side of the bed, Drifter first unequipped his armor and shirt, before laying down on the soft mattress. He shook his head with a slight smile when he saw that Yuna was still standing, her back turned to him.

    "My silly little wife. Are you still hung up on what you said? You know I meant every word I said too, right? I''m not the same as Morte. As long as I have you and our family, I''ll never be. You are my anchor."

    The songstress finally turned around to face him, her expression a mix of fear, joy, and confusion. Hesitantly, whe changed into her sleepwear before slipping under the covers.

    There was still some distance between their bodies, but Drifter reached over and pulled her close to him.

    Immediately, Yuna melted against his body, resting her head on his chest. They might have only known each other for a year, but the connection they shared was such that only a few words were needed for them to understand each other.

    "I''m being dumb, aren''t I?"

    The spearmaster - no, the husband - chuckled, running his fingers through her hair.

    "A bit, love. But it''s understandable. We are not talking about hunting some mobs, but killing people. Monsters, yes, but still people."

    "You- We are still going to have to kill them, though."

    Drifter hummed softly, tracing Yuna''s back with the tip of his fingers. This wasn''t exactly pillow talk, but it was one they needed to have.

    "Yes, we will. We have. We will have to see what Argo and Akari turn up, obviously. And if possible, I want to arrest them like we did with Louze. I really don''t want to have Naut, Kirito, Asuna, and all the others turn into killers, even if Laughing Coffin deserves it. But..."

    "But it won''t happen that way."

    He sighed, and kissed the top of her head.

    "No, it won''t. Morte threw himself into my spear. Louze was trying to bait us into killing him. Red-Eyed XaXa, their boss, all of them... They take as much pleasure in making others into murderers as they delight in the act of killing themselves."

    His wife was quiet for a few minutes after he said that, and Drifter almost wondered if she had fallen asleep. But then Yuna shifted her body up and straddled him, one hand on each side of his head, her pretty brown eyes burning brightly.

    Before Drifter could say anything, Yuna leaned down and kissed him forcefully and fiercely. As if she was trying to convey all her conflicting feelings towards him, Laughing Coffin, and SAO as a whole, through that one gesture.

    However long they made out for, Drifter had no idea. When they separated, one of his hands was entangled in her hair, while the other was in the small of her back, pressing her closer to him. But Yuna''s eyes were still blazing. Although the emotions that fueled the flame had changed somewhat.

    "Whatever happens, we do it together, dummy. I just sing, and it won''t be my spear piercing their bodies or ending their lives, but we will do it together. All of us. Nautilus, Kirito, Kizmel. All of us. As a guild. As a family. Whether we end up arresting or killing them, it will be all of us. Not one of us will carry this burden alone, got it?"

    For an answer, Drifter rolled them over, and this time it was him who initiated the kiss.

 Chapter 144 - Busy Morning

    It was 5:55 AM the next day when Drifter woke up on his own, 5 minutes before the alarm he had set, like he always did.

    There was a weight on his chest, and he didn''t need to look to know that it was Yuna snuggled up to him. Somehow, regardless of their arrangement when they went to sleep, it always ended up with his wife using him as a pillow by the time he woke up.

    Not that he minded, of course. There was little he wouldn''t give to wake up with Yuna in his arms everyday.

    The spearmaster laid there contentedly for the next several minutes. While his own internal clock had woken him up at the usual time, Yuna was never a morning person, and he knew better than to try to wake up the sleeping tiger - err, songstress.

    Shifting his body a bit to better distribute Yuna''s weight and free a numb arm, Drifter caressed her silky hair. When he first met her, Yuna''s hair was only shoulder length, but she had opted for letting it grow after finding out how much he enjoyed running his fingers through it.

    "Humm... Hm."

    This was the way to rouse Yuna from her dreams without risking her being grumpy all day, Drifter had learned. He continued to pat her hair as his wife slowly stirred awake.

    "Good morning, my songbird."

    A smile graced his lips when he watched Yuna sleepily open her eyes. Truly, he was blessed to have earned her love.

    "Nng... Good morning, dummy. What time is it?"

    "Past 6 o''clock already."

    "Hmm... Can''t we just laze around in bed today? I don''t feel like fighting."

    Drifter chuckled and pecked her cheek. They had the same argument every morning, and it always ended up the same way. Frontliners had little time to rest.

    "SAO waits for no man or woman. But I''m sure a few minutes won''t be a problem."

    They did just that. For the next several minutes, the couple simply snuggled together, sometimes whispering softly to each other, but mostly silent, just content to be in each other''s presence and feel their warmth.

    By a tacit understanding, neither mentioned the meeting that took place yesterday. It would take time for Argo and Akari to turn up concrete results of their investigation, and, until then, discussing the Laughing Coffin situation would be useless.

    "Alright, as enjoyable as this is, we really do have to get up. Argo is here, and she won''t leave us alone with the innuendos if we are late."

    After more than 15 minutes, Drifter finally patted Yuna''s head and sat up. Since she was basically draped over him, her body was dragged over, causing her to yelp cutely.

    Due to the sudden movement, the sheets slipped down, revealing Yuna''s naked upper body. But the woman made no motion to cover up, and even crossed her arms and snorted.

    "Hmph! She can make all the innuendos she wants. We are married! She should find her own husband and stop being jealous of mine."

    Drifter''s fingers reflexively tightened at the idea of the little rat, his little sister for all intents and purposes, finding a boyfriend, much less a husband. But he shook his head, noticing the upturned corners of Yuna''s mouth, and knowing she was just joking.

    "She is 15, silly."

    "So are Asuna and Kirito, and don''t you act like he hasn''t come to you to talk about marrying her. Asuna sure did with me."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow. Kirito had, indeed, asked him how it was like to be married, and Drifter had answered to the best of his abilities. After all, the circumstances surrounding his marriage with Yuna couldn''t quite be considered ''standard''.

    Then the spearmaster saw the smirk on Yuna''s face, and knew she was thinking up ways to tease their lovebird friends, and probably Argo too.

    "Kirito should just ask her already. I''ve only ever seen one person more obviously in love than him."

    "Oh? Who?"

    Yuna seemed genuinely curious, and Drifter found her obliviousness all the more endearing. He pulled her by the waist and kissed her neck, feeling her body shudder in his arms.

    "Myself, of course. How could I not, when I have you? My songbird?"

    Yuna''s eyes glazed over, and she grabbed his head.

    "Drifter..."

    ...

    They were late for breakfast.

    Nautilus, Agil, and many others shook their heads with wry smiles when they saw Drifter and Yuna walking down the stairs so close to each other that they were almost one body.

    The pair was very rarely late, so they let it slide this time. Also because questioning them could only lead to awkwardness.

    Just as well that they weren''t the only ones who slept in today. After last night''s heavy talk, many had difficulty falling asleep, and only ended up drifting into the dream world after 2 or 3 AM.

    After Drifter and Yuna sat down at a table with Nautilus, Agil, Wolv, and Vallerk, it didn''t take long for Argo to skulk over, heavy bags under her eyes. But at least, her expression was that of her normal trickster persona.

    "Mornin'', Dri-bou, Yu-chan."

    "Good morning, little rat."

    "Good morning, Argo."

    Drifter ruffled Argo''s head, and the girl huffed and pushed his hand away. She really hated being treated like a little kid, which only made Drifter want to do it more.

    "What are yer plans for today, Dri-bou?"

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    The player considered it while spearing some sausages of unknown precedence with his fork.

    "Leveling and exploring this floor, I guess. We still have to find out how to get to the ocean half."

    "I heard two guys from the ALS tried to swim all the way up there, but ended up backing off after a bunch of Amihenta Decoys attacked them."

    Wolv interjected, and Vallerk rolled his eyes.

    "That was a stupid idea. Even if there were no mobs, did they really expect to make it to the top without breathing?"

    "I suppose they could stick their heads out the side when they needed? Have to be careful not to fall though."

    "There''s so obviously another, proper way to get to the other safe zone. Bunch of idiots. And they called Kirito a cheater when they are trying to find shortcuts like that."

    Yuuki and Ran appeared out of nowhere, completely derailing the conversation. Argo face-palmed and tugged on Drifter''s sleeve, pulling him aside so they could talk properly.

    "What''s up, little rat?"

    Following Argo to a somewhat quieter corner of the inn - with about 20 people in their guild, nowhere Reaver''s Requiem was was ever truly quiet - Drifter tilted his head and looked at the info-broker.

    "I was hopin'' to borrow ya for today, Dri-bou. I wanna complete that Pluck the Starlight quest quickly so I can focus on Laughin'' Coffin."

    Hearing that, Drifter sobered up very quickly, his good mood vanishing. He frowned.

    "We can definitely do that, little rat. If it''s like the previous quests in the series, it''ll also give us intel about the floor boss, so it''s in our best interest to get it done swiftly."

    "I thought ya would say that. Thanks a ton, Dri-bou."

    The spearmaster grinned weakly and messed up Argo''s hair again. This time, she let him do it without squirming much.

    "Don''t sweat it, little rat. I''m also curious to see how it goes."

    They stayed in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching the chaos that was Reaver''s Requiem''s breakfast time. But eventually, someone had to address the elephant in the room.

    "Argo... About Laughing Coffin and the red players. I know you are the best for the job, no matter how much I hate the idea of you putting yourself in danger."

    "Hm."

    "Just... Promise me you will be careful, okay? The two Fuumaningum ninjas who died, Ermao and the other player... It''s sad, but I didn''t know them. I don''t really know any of them apart from Akari."

    The info-broker turned her head to look up at him. She saw so many emotions swirling in his eyes. Most of all were love and care.

    "Don''t die. Don''t get hurt. Don''t even put yourself in danger, little rat. Please. Or I''ll really hunt them down and kill all of them."

    It sounded like a threat. Emotional blackmail. And it was, in a way. But it was also Drifter''s purest, raw emotions. To him, not even all of Fuumaningum''s players could compare to Argo''s life.

    It was bad to think like that, and he knew it. He also didn''t care. He would rather 20 players he didn''t know die than see Argo be harmed.

    The info-broker stared at him, and for a moment Drifter saw something that looked suspiciously like tears in the corners of her eyes. But then Argo hugged him tight, and he was patting her head.

    "Gotcha."

    ...

    "Are ya sure it''s a good idea for just the two of us to come, Dri-bou?"

    Drifter raised an eyebrow at the informant. Despite her words, she was skipping along without a care in the world.

    "What? Don''t you trust your own information, little rat? I might have to switch brokers if the quality is declining this much."

    "Hmph! Annoyin'' guy!"

    The spearmaster laughed, happy that he managed to distract Argo. He knew very well what she was afraid of was exactly that. That her information network couldn''t be trusted anymore.

    For the info-broker, that would be her greatest nightmare. If she sold information that turned out to be inaccurate or wholly untrue, all that she had built would collapse in the span of hours. Furthermore, wrong intel also put lives at risk, and, at least in Argo''s mind, all that blood would be in her hands.

    "The questline is mostly in the safe zone anyway. The worst we have to do is get some medals from those mole-like mobs."

    "For now, yeah. But there''s still gonna be a boss later on, Dri-bou. And even if we only have to fight the puppets, it ain''t like they are weak mobs."

    "True for both. But when we have to go farther than the surroundings of the town, I''ll call over the others. As for the Ashara Puppets, I''m still Broken Spear Drifter, aren''t I?"

    The spearmaster struck a pose when he said that, and Argo stared at him for a painfully long time. It took him a few seconds to realize that she was taking a picture of him.

    "That should sell for a good amount of cor."

    "Wait, little rat! Don''t you dare!"

    He lunged and grabbed her shoulders, but he couldn''t interact with her menu or stop her. The info-broker just snickered.

    "Ya better never piss me off again or I''m sendin'' this to Yu-chan, Dri-bou. Also never make that pose again, even if it''s perfect blackmail material. I almost gagged."

    Argo squirmed and escaped his grasp, jumping out of reach. Drifter just sighed dejectedly, knowing that before the sun was down, every player in Reaver''s Requiem would have seen the picture.

    "Alright, you win. Let''s just get the items we need."

    Defeated, Drifter led Argo through the town gates and out of the safe zone. Almost instantly, it was as if they had become two different people. Their eyes darted around, searching for threats, and they kept turning their heads from one side to the other, slowly, calmly, never missing anything around them. Argo had her claws equipped, and Drifter held his spear in hand.

    They were barely 70 meters out of the city when the sand in front of them started pulsating in the now familiar pattern, and an Ashara Puppet emerged.

    It was still the same white-furred mole-like humanoid, but this one was holding a pair of wickedly sharp metal rings, not dissimilar to Nezha''s chakrams.

    "Long-range weapons. Close in, little rat."

    "I know, ya don''t need to nag me."

    Even before she was done speaking, the info-broker had already dashed forward, closing the distance between her and the mob before it could even think of throwing the rings.

    "Tiger Claws!"

    Crisscrossing wounds appeared in the Ashara Puppet''s body, and it howled in pain before trying to clumsily slash at Argo with its rings, only for Drifter''s spear to pierce its shoulder and push it back.

    The spearmaster quickly retracted his weapon before stabbing again, a simple Sting breaking through the hasty defense the mob put up, and opening a hole in its throat.

    That wasn''t enough to finish off an enemy on the current highest floor of Aincrad, of course. But with Argo at extremely close range, clawing away at it with her unorthodox weapon and Martial Arts skills, and Drifter at mid-range restricting its movements, the Ashara Puppet couldn''t make use of the greatest feature of its throwing rings, which was their long effective range.

    Pah!

    A Vertical carved a red line over the right side of the mob''s torso, and it collapsed, dead. Amidst the flickering shards, Drifter looked to Argo and laughed.

    "We aren''t a bad team, little rat."

    The info-broker flipped her hair with a grin.

    "Heh! Don''t think that just ''cause all of yer a frontliner ya can look down on little ol'' me, Dri-bou. What do ya think? Should I join the Assault Team?"

    Argo jested, and Drifter played along by making a horrified face.

    "Please don''t. Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki... If I have to look after another reckless kid, my heart might actually give out."

    The next 15 minutes were spent trying to dodge Argo''s claws. After all, he had already seen first-hand what they did to the poor mob, and he didn''t fancy getting the same treatment.

 Chapter 145 - Two Make The Key

    Outside of the 23rd floor''s first safe zone, Drifter and Argo were making quick work of another Ashara Puppet. The mobs only ever appeared individually, so it was no trouble for the two of them.

    "Humm. It''s those guys again."

    Suddenly, Drifter stopped and looked towards the town gates. He slashed diagonally one-handed with his spear, and finished off the mob. The entire time, his gaze was focused on the large group of players who were stepping out of the safe zone.

    It was actually pretty late for a bunch of clearers to only now be going out to level. Even if Drifter and Argo had been particularly early today, it was almost 10 AM already.

    "Who? Oh, them. Knights of the Blood Oath, KoB. There''s been quite a lot of chatter about ''em lately."

    Argo looked up, squinting against the sun, and nodded. Drifter glanced at her.

    "Really? What sort of chatter?"

    The info-broker shrugged and smirked, and Drifter rolled his eyes before handing over a small bag of cor. Argo would always be Argo.

    "Hehe. Just the normal stuff. They gathered some attention a few weeks back ''cause of their leader, Heathcliff. He came outta nowhere and started recruitin'' with the intention of formin'' a frontliner guild."

    "I imagine he got laughed at."

    Drufter wasn''t purposefully mocking Heathcliff. But the Assault Team was pretty much well-established already, and for some unknown to say they wanted to join was the same as asking to be ridiculed.

    But Drifter had caught a glimpse of Heathcliff''s skills, and the guild was not only formed but here on the top floor, so obviously there had been some face slapping of those who didn''t believe and mocked him.

    "Yup. But he shut ''em up real quick."

    "How?"

    "Duels. That''s how he became kinda famous and I heard of him. He got a 12 win-streak. Just mid-level players, but it proved he was skilled. Then he went ''round recruitin'' and stuff, and it snowballed from there. He got a pretty solid guild now. Wouldn''t surprise me if they actually make it to the frontlines by floor 30 or somethin'' like that."

    "Me neither."

    "Oh? Ya met ''em already, didn''t ya, Dri-bou? Ya said ''those guys again'' when they appeared."

    The spearmaster nodded, and told Argo about their short encounter with the KoB a few weeks ago without hiding anything. The info-broker focused on one certain detail.

    "Ya didn''t like him much?"

    Drifter scratched his neck, uncomfortable. He pondered before answering, watching the red-and-white clad players in the distance. He could vaguely make out Heathcliff''s face as he gave orders to his subordinates. Like Drifter had already noticed, they were a pretty disciplined bunch.

    "Ehh, I wouldn''t say I don''t like him. I don''t know nearly enough about the guy to like or dislike. But he just unnerved me a little."

    Argo frowned.

    "Unnerved ya how? Like Kibaou unnerved, or Morte unnerved?"

    Even now, months after the fact, Drifter still tensed up whenever someone mentioned the red player. But he shook his head.

    "Neither. His gaze was just very flat. I couldn''t make out what he was thinking at all. It reminded me a little of a mob."

    Her frown deepened, and Argo opened her menu to inspect her notes. She didn''t have a lot of information about the Knights of the Blood Oath. What most people wanted to know was about mobs and quests, not other players, so those two were her main focus when collecting intel.

    "I''ll dig around some and see what turns up."

    "You don''t need to, little rat. I probably just got a bad first impression because I found Heathcliff a little arrogant. Some people just aren''t compatible. You should focus on Laughing Coffin. They are the most urgent problem right now."

    "Sure, if that''s what ya say."

    The info-broker made a face that showed she wasn''t convinced, and Drifter was certain she had added an investigation on the KoB to her many side projects. But he was speaking the truth when he said there was no need. Heathcliff and his guild were working hard to become frontliners, there was no reason to worry.

    -------------------------

    Heathcliff had noticed the pair of Drifter and Argo, of course. He had the Cardinal System always notify him when other players were nearby, especially those he considered of above-average relevance. It wouldn''t do for his identity to be revealed too early because of carelessness, after all.

    ''Broken Spear Drifter. Argo the Rat.''

    It was a strange duo. He was, of course, aware of their odd friendship and Argo''s honorary membership to Reaver''s Requiem.

    They were both promising seeds. Initially, Heathcliff - no, Kayaba - and Cardinal''s best predictions saw the players, after 1 year, just now reaching the 20th floor. The worst case scenario had them still stuck somewhere between floors 15 to 18.

    And yet, largely due to Argo the Rat''s admittedly impressive information network, the clearers were already exploring the 23rd floor. That had forced him to enter SAO earlier than he had initially planned.

    Another outstanding feat of the info-broker - although she wasn''t aware of it and likely never would be - was the much smaller number of casualties when compared to what Kayaba and the Cardinal System had expected. Just about 3.000 instead of the 4.200 they had predicted.

    Broken Spear Drifter''s achievements, while less far-reaching, weren''t any less impressive. Aincrad''s god had always known that there would be players who took the lead and were exceptionally skilled. Beta-testers like Black Swordsman Kirito, for example.

    But what Broken Spear Drifter brought to the fold wasn''t just individual prowess. It was unity. He was the moving force behind the creation of Reaver''s Requiem, a guild which contained many of the most promising talents Kayaba had seen.

    He was also a balancing force in the Assault Team, and well respected. Whether they liked him or not, whenever Broken Spear Drifter spoke, all the frontliners listened. Maybe they not always agreed, but they at least stopped and thought. The spearmaster was not afraid of knocking sense into some of the more hot-headed players, but he was rarely arrogant or overbearing.

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    Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, at least from Kayaba''s point of view, Drifter was ruthless. He would squash all obstacles that stood between the players and freedom, and was willing to - and had - killed other players.

    Oh yes, Kayaba knew everything there was to know about the red players and Laughing Coffin. He did nothing, because it wasn''t necessary for him to interfere. It was just the natural progression of the game.

    Since long before he implemented Sword Art Online, Kayaba already knew that some players wouldn''t be able to resist the combination of having the power to kill and a world without laws, and would give in to temptation.

    Admittedly, he hadn''t expected them to join together and form a red guild. That had been a surprise. But one red player had forced all the others to obey him by using a mix of promises and violence, swearing that he would let them kill whoever they wanted while murdering those who opposed him.

    Kayaba was impressed. After all, who would expect a madman to procure a NerveGear and dive into SAO after it already started? And all so he could kill impudently.

    Originally he had planned for red players to be sort of roaming field-bosses. Maybe sometimes banding together in small groups, but never too many. The madman had scrapped that really quickly.

    But Kayaba wasn''t concerned. Laughing Coffin would be simply another rallying point for the frontliners. If Broken Spear Drifter couldn''t use his ruthlessness and take the reins in dealing with the red guild, then Kayaba would simply have to go back to plan A and lead the Assault Team himself.

    Still, it was good that there was someone like the spearmaster in the game. And the role-player too, he believed the outside world was calling her Shadow Blossom Akari. She was also an important, if surprising, addition to his world.

    While Kayaba wanted to create heroes, he didn''t want the ones from children''s stories. He wanted true heroes, with all the pain and heartache and coldness that came with it.

    He needed true heroes. Otherwise, all his plans would be for naught. Kayaba cared not for his name or the infamy he received. The opinions of outsiders had no influence over him.

    But for the world he built to be worthwhile, heroes needed to be born. If not, forget his other goals, even Sword Art Online would be incomplete.

    That was unacceptable.

    Heathcliff directed another gaze over to Argo the Rat and Broken Spear Drifter. He could feel their eyes on him.

    For some reason, the spearmaster didn''t like him. That was okay. Heathcliff was a leader, but only to his guild, at least for now. If it became necessary for him to step up and take over the Assault Team, then he would deal with Broken Spear Drifter''s animosity when the time came.

    Tearing his eyes off of the unorthodox duo, Heathcliff led his men to kill an Ashara Puppet. Just 2 more floors until he could make a proper debut. By then, the Assault Team wouldn''t be able to reject the Knights of the Blood Oath even if they wanted to.

    --------------------------

    Shortly after Heathcliff and his KoB guild disappeared in another direction, Drifter and Argo started making their way back to the safe zone, having acquired all the drops they needed.

    "I really didn''t think I would be running around doing fetch quests again. Aren''t frontliners supposed to be all high and mighty guys that everyone looks up to?"

    The spearmaster groaned when he looked at his HUD and saw that the next quest in the Pluck the Starlight questline was to deliver a bunch of items to an NPC. Argo snorted from beside him.

    "Are ya belittlin'' all us lowly players that ain''t frontliners, Dri-bou? Fetch quests are what I do most of my day. They are the soul of any RPG, y''know?"

    "I could do without. As repetitive as fighting the same mobs can be, not fighting is worse."

    "Spoke like a true battle nut. Careful ya don''t end up like spiky-hair."

    Drifter shuddered and tapped the ground three times with the butt of his spear - his version of knocking on wood.

    "Let''s hope not. And I can''t say I don''t enjoy fighting, I just would like to not have to risk my life every time."

    "Still time for ya to retire."

    "Pfft! As if. Someone needs to help Kirito keep control of our unruly bunch."

    "I hear ya."

    "Do you?"

    Argo stuck out her tongue and Drifter rolled his eyes. He saw the info-broker wriggling her fingers in mid-air, typing a message, and ignored it. Argo did that every so often. As the heart of her information network, she was never idle.

    "Aaand... Here we are. Pretty place, huh?"

    He was being sarcastic. The building they stopped in front of was almost falling apart, the walls cracked and even missing huge chunks. An old wood plaque with flaking paint above the door read ''Oracle''.

    "This looks promising."

    The two players exchanged wry glances before Drifter pushed the creaking door open and entered.

    Inside, the building was just as decrepit. Walls of bare white bricks, a floor that was more dirt than stone, and scarcely any furniture apart from a scarred table and an empty bookshelf.

    Sitting behind the table, facing the door, was a mummy of a human being. Their skin, which Drifter assumed was once of a dark brown like the other NPCs on the floor, was now a pale grey, like that of a corpse. It was all wrinkly and dry, and the spearmaster felt that, if he touched it, the person would fall to dust.

    Ragged robes covered their body, and their head was devoid of hair, the open eyes white and dull.

    The NPC raised his - hers? - head when they entered, the blind eyes staring unblinking at them. It was very unnerving.

    Drifter and Argo looked at each other, and the info-broker pushed him forward. Drifter squared his shoulders and turned to the NPC.

    "Are you the Oracle? We have the Asharan Medals. We want to consult you about the ''starlight''."

    The Oracle stared at him, ignoring the 6 medals he dropped on the table. Drifter stared right back. Creepy or not, he was a damn frontliner. No NPC was going to scare him.

    "Two. Two make the key for that which you seek."

    Eventually the mummy opened their mouth and spoke in a low and raspy voice, and then Drifter felt chills. It was like someone was scratching a chalkboard with their fingernails. Behind him Argo shivered, but typed away at her menu, not missing a word.

    "Sea and land, opposites meet. The barrier to the sky, no single one can break. Two make the key."

    That was apparently it for the Oracle, and they closed their eyes before resting their chin against their chest, looking very much dead.

    Drifter didn''t even need the notification pinging in his HUD to know that the quest had updated.

    "Well, that was informative. Any bright insights, little rat?"

    After they left the shabby building and walked to a much nicer part of town, Drifter and Argo sat down on the edge of a water fountain, eating some sort of kebab the info-broker bought, and drinking the bamboo juice Drifter liked.

    "We gotta find two somethings to make a key."

    Drifter rolled his eyes and took a bite of his kebab. It tasted of chicken.

    "Yeah, I think I got that. Anything else you gleaned from the overly cryptic stuff the half-dead NPC said?"

    "Sea and land are obviously the two halves of this floor. Barrier to the sky... The floor boss?"

    Drifter considered it while chewing, before swallowing and begrudgingly nodding.

    "It makes sense. So we have to find two things to make a key, somehow related to the boss. The key... Either it''s a key to find the boss room, or, in a less literal sense, the key to defeating the boss."

    "Eh, more likely the latter. We never needed anythin'' especial to find or open boss rooms. I''m more inclined to think it''s some sorta mechanic to the battle itself."

    Drifter nodded in agreement. Then he frowned.

    "How do we connect that to the quest name? Pluck the Starlight. Up till now, every quest in this line has been related to stars one way or the other. Meteorites, crystals, mobs..."

    The info-broker shrugged. She had no idea either. But she opened her HUD and set it to public.

    "Dunno. But we have a lead. Two, actually. See?"

    Drifter did. There were 2 red dots on Argo''s map, each of them about halfway between the center of the floor and the edge of Aincrad. One of them was in the ocean portion of the 23rd floor and thus inaccessible at the moment. The other...

    "Well. I guess we know our next stop."

 Chapter 146 - Asharas Light

    3 days after the opening of the 23rd floor, desert half.

    A large group of players trudged through the scalding sand. Having once been the bottom of an ocean, the land was quite flat, although not entirely. There were more than enough depressions, fissures, and small hills to hide enemies.

    Not that it was really needed, since most of them just emerged from the ground and ambushed you.

    The players braving the burning sun were none other than Reaver''s Requiem. After Drifter and Argo found out that their next quest objective was deep within the floor, they had put it on hold for a few days. The info-broker went back to gathering intel on Laughing Coffin, while Drifter joined his guild in exploring the floor.

    Still, after they had grown some, it wasn''t often that all of Reaver''s Requiem set out together like today. From the original party to Agil and the Black Cats, all of them were here.

    The reason was simple. Yesterday, after following the dot in his map with Yuna, Nautilus, and a few others, Drifter had discovered that his quest objective was none other than a field-boss.

    Drifter wasn''t ashamed to say that he ordered his party to run then. Frontliners ran away all the time, except when it mattered.

    But after a night of preparations, Reaver''s Requiem had come out in force to face the field-boss.

    Nautilus, Shigio, Vallerk, and Kizmel took the front, advancing cautiously step by step. Like every other mob on this half of the 23rd floor, the field-boss appeared from the ground. Being caught by surprise could be disastrous.

    But it would be a cold day in hell when the Reavers allowed themselves to be ambushed by an enemy they were aware of.

    "Here she comes! Shields, block the boss! Keita, take the left, Griselda the right! Follow the plan!"

    Kirito spotted the shaking sand and yelled. By the time the field-boss emerged, the players were already in position and waiting.

    Ashara''s Light was the name of the field-boss. But there was nothing sacred about it.

    A house-sized scorpion burst out from the sand, pale blue exoskeleton glinting under the sun.

    The creature was oddly pretty, if terrifying. The many eyes were red like rubies and shone brightly, and the stinger at the end of the tail was of a much darker hue of blue than the rest of its carapace.

    A bucket-sized drop of jet-black venom fell from the stinger''s tip, melting a hole 50 centimeters deep into the ground, which quickly filled up with sand again. Suddenly the field-boss wasn''t so pretty anymore.

    "C''mon, big guy!"

    Undaunted, Vallerk and the other 3 who were tasked with stopping the field-boss stepped forward. At the same time, most of the remaining players neatly split into two groups, one to their left and one to their right.

    "Here come the puppets! Stick to the plan and finish them off quick!"

    Ashara''s Light screeched, and about a dozen Ashara Puppets burst out of the sand.

    That was the one battle mechanic Drifter and his party had discovered when they ran away - err... valiantly retreated - yesterday. The field-boss summoned minions as soon as the fight started - also explaining why the one mob type they had encountered in this floor was named a puppet.

    Drifter was one of the few who didn''t go to either side, instead electing to stay behind the shield-bearers. Kirito and Asuna were with him.

    They were confident that the others could handle the minions. Meanwhile, they would entertain the field-boss.

    "Let''s start then!"

    Two giant pincers tried to crush Vallerk and Shigio, but the tanks heaved and pushed back.

    Two shadows flitted past the players, a longsword and a spear striking the gaps in Ashara''s Light''s chitin armor. Asuna was even more straightforward, rushing underneath the field-boss and peppering its underside with attacks.

    Ashara''s Light shrieked and recoiled, but Vallerk and Shigio were tying it down, and Kizmel and Nautilus didn''t hesitate at all to use Shield Bash to extend the stun duration.

    With its pincers locked down, the field-boss resorted to its other main attack method: the stinger.

    Drifter''s eyes widened and he swept Nautilus aside with the shaft of his spear, just in time to push the ash-haired player out of the path of the car-sized appendage.

    A crater was formed where the stinger struck the ground, the sand fizzing and bubbling around it where the black venom splashed. When Ashara''s Light retracted its stinger, the center of the crater was a mess of cracked black glass, the venom somehow having melted the sand.

    "Uff! Note to self: don''t get hit."

    From where he had rolled on the ground after being pushed away by Drifter, Nautilus gulped and nodded his thanks. To say that getting pierced by the stinger would be unpleasant would be an understatement.

    A quick glance to the left and right told Drifter that the rest of the Reavers were doing okay in their respective roles. From the middle of the U-shaped formation they had assumed, Sinon was firing arrows non-stop, and the spearmaster felt Yuna''s music empowering him.

    A blur came to his side, Asuna''s chestnut hair swinging wildly as she expertly dodged lance-like legs to rejoin her companions. Kirito was right behind her, and the trio watched for a moment while Vallerk once more Taunted the monster.

    "Ideas?"

    "We have to get close. Its pincers and stinger have a long reach, but they aren''t very nimble. Well, the tail a little more, but they are still very cumbersome."

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    "That''s what I was going to say. Neither of them could reach me when I was underneath it, although you have to be fast to avoid all the legs."

    Drifter decided there and then that he wasn''t going to imitate her. If Lightning Flash Asuna, SAO''s authority on speed and agility, said you had to be fast, he wouldn''t even bother to try. While his spear was extremely nimble, the spearmaster wasn''t nearly as quick on his feet.

    Drifter twirled his spear out of habit. Despite the high-intensity first exchange, he was calm. Reaver''s Requiem was formed of absolute elite, the best of the best in what they did.

    "Alright. Since we have the beginnings of a plan... I''m going to assist in eliminating the puppets so we can all focus on the boss faster. That good, Kirito?"

    The spearmaster looked at the Black Swordsman, who nodded without hesitation.

    "Go to Keita''s side first. They are doing well, but it doesn''t hurt to be careful."

    "Roger that."

    With that, Drifter took off to the left. His spear arrived before him, a Serpentcoil Impale blowing a hole through the torso of the Ashara Puppet Sachi was engaging.

    "Senior!"

    With wide eyes, the young woman called out. Drifter chuckled as he retrieved his spear through his menu and exploded into a Comet Break.

    Sachi and Sasamaru, the two other spear-users in Reaver''s Requiem, had been constantly tutored by Drifter when they first joined the guild. Even now, he always found the time to teach them.

    Due to that, Sasamaru had at first wanted to call him master. Drifter steadfastly refused, feeling all his hairs standing on end whenever the man did so.

    It was better not to talk about the one time Sachi hesitantly called him that too. Yuna had not been very amused.

    Anyway, they ended up settling with ''senior''. Drifter, 2 years older than them, was willing to accept that middle ground, but it still made him laugh sometimes.

    An upwards slash of his spear knocked away the short-sword on the Ashara Puppet''s hands, and Drifter seamlessly transitioned into a Horizontal, cutting off the mob''s head and killing it.

    Normally Drifter wouldn''t so brazenly steal the opponent of one of his guildmates, but they had to deal with the minions fast so they could focus on the field-boss.

    Keita''s side of the battlefield was comprised of the staff-user, Sachi, Sasamaru, Tetsuo, Ducker, Liz, Silica, and Agil. A quick sidestep saw Drifter arriving next to the Merchant Warrior, his spear moving as if it had a life of its own and piercing through the neck of the mob Agil and Ducker were fighting.

    Another swift turn of his upper body and a Horizontal Arc, and the mob was dead.

    "Oi! I thought ya were tangoing with the boss?!"

    "Quick change of plans. The others are keeping it entertained. Let''s finish the minions off quickly so I can explain the new plan."

    "Got it!"

    Tidal Sequence, Tornado, Vertical Square, Earth Sunder, Tree Felling, Tremor... All those powerful AoE skills were liberally used by the players in order to quickly kill the Ashara Puppets.

    The last mob on the left side was slain by Silica, her dagger biting deep in the soft flesh under its ribs, and carving a jagged wound up its torso.

    "Well done, Silica."

    Drifter praised the little girl, and turned to the right side of the battlefield. The rest of the Reavers, led by Griselda and Ran, were almost finished with their enemies too.

    A quick glance towards the field-boss revealed that Nautilus, Vallerk, Shigio, Kizmel, Asuna, and Kirkto were still holding well. Ashara''s Light still had well over three-fourths of her first HP bar, but that was okay. They weren''t focused on killing the monster, just on holding it back.

    "Alright, gather ''round for a second, everyone! We need to discuss strategy!"

    The players obediently gathered in a semicircle around the vice-leader of Reaver''s Requiem. Drifter wasted no time in putting forth the new plan.

    "While you were fighting the minions, we already checked out the boss. You have to be exceedingly careful of the stinger, and the pincers are nothing to laugh at either. But it lacks versatility. Its attacks are mainly crush and sting. We haven''t tried out the venom yet, and hopefully won''t have to."

    Just as he said that, Drifter winced when Kizmel narrowly dodged said stinger, jumping back just in time to avoid the droplets of venom splashing from the blackening sand.

    "Like I said, you don''t want to get that stuff on you."

    "Any weaknesses?"

    Like always, Ran was curt and straight to the point. Drifter appreciated it.

    "One for now. Its claws and tail can''t reach you when you are under it. You do have to avoid all the legs- and Asuna says they are quick - but it''s an entry point."

    "Okay. Okay."

    "So how do we play it?"

    Griselda''s grip on her sword was firmer than usual, and her wider-than-normal eyes let Drifter know she wasn''t a big fan of the giant scorpion.

    Neither was Yuna, really, and she let her displeasure be known through her shifty glares at the field-boss for existing, and at Drifter for making her fight it.

    But at least she wasn''t screaming at them to set it on fire like she did with the spiders, so Drifter just smirked at his wife. Her returning glare promised pain, but it was worth it. Probably.

    "We can''t have too many people underneath it at once, or we''ll just trip over each other and get impaled. We''ll split roles. Agil, Wolv, Griselda, Sachi, Sasamaru, Keita."

    "Yes?"

    "You are with me. Our weapons are long enough that they might become cumbersome. We will attack it from outside."

    Saying that the length of their weapons would be an issue was a stretch, but a logical one. Each of the players was more than skilled enough to use long weapons such as spears, axes, staffs, and long swords in enclosed spaces with ease, much less under Ashara''s Light. But it was smarter to let those better suited, weapons wise, to go that close to the field-boss.

    "Liz and Tetsuo, support Vallerk, Naut, Kiz, and Shigio. Trade in when necessary, but be on guard. Shield-bearers have the most dangerous job today."

    "Heh. Don''t we always?"

    The spearmaster rolled his eyes, but allowed himself a grin.

    "Sinon, Yun'', you are doing a great job, keep it up."

    The archer just nodded, and Yuna''s eyes almost closed from her smile, but she didn''t stop playing her flute.

    "Silica, Ran, Yuuki, Ducker, coordinate with Kirito and Asuna, go under the boss, and wreak havoc. Switch often and don''t get greedy. I don''t want more than three people under it at once, or you''ll get in each other''s way and cause a disaster. Three people max, got it? Preferably two."

    The spearmaster - no, the vice-leader of Reaver''s Requiem in this instance - had a more serious expression when he spoke to the 4 than in the entire battle until now.

    His gaze stopped momentarily on Yuuki and Ducker, the two most prone to get carried away, until they nodded gravely and he was satisfied. No one wanted an angry Drifter after them. There was little more scary than that.

    "Good then. Let''s kick some ass!"

 Chapter 147 - The Other Half

    The raid against the field-boss Ashara''s Light wasn''t unlike many Reaver''s Requiem had conducted before.

    To this day, the 2 most dangerous field-bosses the Reavers fought remained to be the Myconid Queen of Embers and Biceps Archelon. Compared to them, Ashara''s Light wasn''t that difficult.

    Sure, the giant scorpion was a lot stronger than the mushroom and the turtle. But Reaver''s Requiem too had grown a lot.

    New members, new equipment, higher levels, and several more floors under their belt. The Reaver''s Requiem of today was incomparable to that of the past.

    And it showed.

    "Aim for the joints!"

    "Yuuki, switch!"

    "Left side, Agil, Wolv!"

    "Bring it on, you oversized insect!"

    It sounded like chaos, but there was order to it. Each member of Reaver''s Requiem functioning like a cog in a perfect machine.

    A thorny pincer grazed Drifter''s side, but he didn''t even flinch. His spear stabbed down in an Edge Vaulting, and he jumped over the appendage, slashing twice more as soon as he landed.

    Only then did the spearmaster glance at his depleted health bar. It still was 70% full, so he ignored it in favor of getting more attacks in.

    Around him, the Reavers were also going all out in the organized chaos that all battles were meant to be. Nautilus knocking aside the stinger with his shield and slicing it with a Serration Wave. Griselda burying her sword almost to the hilt in the field-boss'' body with an Avalanche. Sinon firing arrows without stop at Ashara''s Light''s eyes and mouth. Ran carving a long gash in its belly with a Vorpal Strike.

    Little by little, Ashara''s Light was falling. It was almost at the end of the second of 3 HP gauges.

    "Minions incoming! Those who have to deal with them, step back, heal, and prepare. Drifter!"

    "Leave it to me!"

    Already knowing what Kirito wanted to ask, the spearmaster stabbed Ashara''s Light one last time just because, and swiftly jumped back to avoid retaliation before disengaging altogether.

    Every time Ashara''s Light''s HP fell by 50%, it spawned more Ashara Puppets. Drifter had no idea what the relation between a giant scorpion and mole-like people was. He was sure someone did.

    SAO- no, Aincrad''s lore was complex and multifaceted. The backstory of the castle itself, of the many monsters and NPCs within, of the quests, the maps, the dungeons, the bosses, the items - they were all incredibly in depth.

    There were many players out there who dubbed themselves ''discoverers'' or ''explorers''. They weren''t frontliners or even clearers, and yet they penetrated deep into Aincrad''s highest floors to uncover the hidden lore. They followed and completed every quest, regardless of the rewards, and sought every hidden secret.

    Drifter couldn''t understand them. If they were so willing to risk their lives, why not do so for something more worthwhile? Why not become clearers and frontliners and escape this game?

    And yet, it was because of those explorers that the Assault Team could progress as they did. Not all of them, of course, and not always, but they played a part. Their part. The information they shared was vital to the success of floor boss raids.

    Drifter still didn''t understand them. But he was grateful nonetheless. At least they weren''t hiding. Even if many died for their adventures.

    Drifter was a frontliner, and they died for other reasons.

    But not today.

    As the last few pixels on Ashara''s Light''s second HP bar were wiped out, the scorpion shrieked and summoned its minions.

    Drifter greeted them with a Sky Render. The charged skill almost bisected the first Ashara Puppet, and Silica''s Rapid Bite and Stop Cut, along with Feredir''s powerful jaws, ended its short life.

    From above, Pina chirped and spat healing bubbles at Drifter. The spearmaster shot the little dragon a grateful look he was fairly certain she understood, then Rage Spiked over to the next mob.

    This Ashara Puppet was using a pair of awls. Uncommon weapons, but not ones Drifter had never faced before.

    With a frown, he stabbed at the mob''s stomach, rotating his left wrist at the very last moment to curve his spear in an unexpected angle.

    The Ashara Puppet had lifted its hands to protect its body, and the forceful change in direction caught it by surprise. The speartip passed straight through its guard, knocking the awls aside, and pierced through its lower abdomen.

    A snap Martial Arts: Low Blow caused the mob to stagger, and Drifter unabashedly followed up with a Dirty Play and Upturn.

    The puppet was thrown up in the air, and Drifter pulled back his spear completely, bending his torso for a powerful Vertical. It sliced through the mob, the two halves breaking, flickering shards drifting down around him.

    The spearmaster turned his head, quickly scanning the battlefield for where he was most needed. Seeing Keita bashing a mob with his staff, he rushed over.

    "Snake Bite!"

    One of Drifter''s favorite skills glowed, his spear bending beyond what seemed physically possible, the tip catching the Ashara Puppet in the neck and piercing all the way through.

    Instantly provoked, the mob snarled and turned around to stab Drifter with its sword. The spearmaster didn''t back down, and ripped to the side with his weapon, opening another large gash on the puppet''s chest. At the same time, Keita smacked it on the back of its knees with one of the exclusive staff skills, tripping the creature.

    Drifter was never going to let such a perfect chance pass. Willingly taking a shallow cut just above his ribs, he stabbed twice at the unbalanced mob''s chest, killing it.

    Keita stood there for a moment, just looking at him. When Drifter raised an eyebrow in questioning, he chuckled mirthfully.

    "Jesus, Drifter. I know you are strong, but when you go off like this... It reminds me why I''m not a frontliner."

    Despite his words, there was no bitterness or jealousy in Keita''s voice, only admiration and some amusement.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The spearmaster just smirked and rested the butt of his spear on the ground. Even for him, killing 3 high-level mobs in quick succession like this, even if 2 of them were assisted by other players, was tiring.

    "You can worship me later. The others are almost finished with their toys too, so get back in position. It''s about time we bring the big one down."

    Actually, there would be at least one more wave of summonings from the field-boss. Possibly two, once it was down to the red of its last health bar. But even if that was the case, they were getting close to wrapping up the battle.

    Truthfully, a single field-boss never stood a chance against an entire frontliner guild. They had, at the start of SAO, been a real threat. But the higher they climbed, the more evident it became that Kayaba didn''t want players dying meaningless deaths in secluded corners of Aincrad.

    No, what he wanted was the spectacle. The large-scale battles of over a hundred frontliners against a floor boss. Broadcasted for all to watch.

    After all, what kind of hero died a quiet death? Those were not the kind of stories Sword Art Online was built upon.

    Of course, just because Kayaba and the Cardinal System weren''t actively trying to kill every player at every turn - only most of the time - didn''t mean the field-boss wasn''t going to murder them if they slacked.

    That was how SAO was. Always deadly. Just... More deadly on certain occasions.

    This was not one of them. Anyone who wasn''t cautious or supremely skilled - or both, as was often the case - had died long before they made it to the frontlines.

    Reaver''s Requiem was full of all kinds of people, with all kinds of personalities. But even the most hot-headed and brash of them knew when to advance and when to retreat. And most importantly, they followed orders to a T.

    "Ducker, Silica, go in! Tetsuo, Shigio, Nautilus, get ready to pull the aggro back! Drifter and Griselda, give support!"

    With a nod, Drifter re-entered the main battle. Narrowing his eyes, he aimed his spear at the gaps between the carapace of the giant scorpion, where pale green flesh could be seen.

    He wasn''t sure if that caused more damage or not, but SAO was a realistic enough game that it might. Either way, with his control over his weapon, Drifter could hit wherever he damn pleased, so it wasn''t like it was a struggle.

    Slowly but surely, Ashara''s Light''s HP was disappearing. 90%... 75%... 60%... 50%. For the sixth time, the field-boss shrieked and minions spawned, and the Reavers neatly split up and took care of them.

    45%.

    Agil''s battle axe glowed red and chopped off a skittish leg.

    40%.

    Nautilus roared and bashed a pincer away with his shield.

    35%.

    Kirito parried the stinger and nearly sliced it off with a Slant.

    30%.

    Sachi and Sasamaru ducked under a clenching pincer and stabbed their spears upward, deep into the field-boss'' mouth.

    25%.

    A blurry arrow embedded itself on one of the eyes of Ashara''s Light. Two others soon followed, White Streak and Breaking Airflow claiming 2 more eyes.

    20%.

    Yuna''s music changed to the faster tunes of Firemare.

    15%.

    Ashara''s Light screeched, and a dozen Ashara Puppets clawed their way out of the sand, attacking the players.

    10%.

    Two identical swords, two identical Horizontals, cut down the last minion.

    5%.

    The field-boss crumbled to the ground under the violent impact of Hammer Down from the pink-haired blacksmith.

    0%.

    Ashara''s Light shrieked one last time in defiance, and Drifter, on top of its head, stabbed down while holding his spear with both hands, and twisted it. The noise stopped.

    Landing softly on the ground when the field-boss shattered, Drifter looked around. Quite a few Reavers were injured, especially during that last phase when Ashara''s Light went slightly berserk, but no-one seriously.

    "Amazing job, everyone. Impeccable coordination."

    Congratulations were passed around, and people slapped each other in the back and hugged. Drifter lightly bit Yuna''s lips and whispered his own praises in her ear, which earned him a radiant smile and another soft kiss, before opening his inventory.

    Just as he expected, a shining new quest item was sitting there. It was an old key made of sandstone. The item description wasn''t helpful at all, so he just put it back into storage and forgot about it. He would learn more when he got his second quest objective, which he would bet anything was in the spoils of another field-boss.

    "Ha! I knew it!"

    A shout drew his attention, and Drifter looked up to see a sheepish Kirito scratching the back of his head and blushing from the attention he received due to his outburst.

    "What did you know?"

    The Black Swordsman, who many sometimes had trouble remembering was just a teenager - but not his friends and family - grinned and held up an item.

    It looked like a sandstone rock, about the size of a fist. A few glowing lines were carved in it. Some sort of rune, probably.

    "Remember how yesterday Kibaou was boasting about his ALS being close to finding out how to access the other half of the floor?"

    "Yup. Not exactly uncommon for him. Why the elation?"

    "Hehe. I was pretty sure it was just hot air, and when you told us about the field-boss, I had a hunch. I was right."

    The others smirked when they realized what Kirito was implying.

    "The rock opens up the teleport gate to the ocean safe zone?"

    "Yup."

    "And Ashara''s Light dropped it?"

    "Yup."

    "Are you going to rub it on Kibaou''s face? If you don''t wanna, I can do it for you."

    "Oh, me too, me too!"

    Everyone laughed at Sinon''s proposal and Yuuki''s enthusiastic support. There were few who didn''t want to take Kibaou down a peg.

    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s open up the other half of the floor and be the first to explore it."

    "Yay!"

    ...

    Reaver''s Requiem always drew attention, wherever they went. And when the guild was out in force, like now, even more so.

    Most of them had learned to ignore it. Some, like Silica and the Black Cats, were still uncomfortable with all the stares that followed them as they made their way to the teleporter.

    "Don''t they have anything better to do than ogle at us?"

    Drifter snorted at Sachi''s furrowed brows and muttered comment. On his left, Yuna shook her head.

    "Nope, they don''t. They aren''t clearers, just players touring the upper floors. And what better attraction than a frontliner guild?"

    Well, it wasn''t like seeing the Reavers around was that uncommon. Aincrad was big, but with just about 7.000 people still alive, everyone crossed paths with everyone every now and again. It was just that, after a year, more people were willing to travel to higher floors, even if only to the safe zones.

    "They will stare even more when they realize we unlocked the other half of the town. Floor? Eh, whatever. Just ignore it."

    Liz waved her hand dismissively. By now they had already reached the center of the town, and Kirito pulled out the runestone that Ashara''s Light dropped.

    "Hey!"

    The swordsman shouted in surprise when the item flew out of his grasp and fused with the portal, which glowed brighter than before before settling back down to normal.

    Exchanging glances with his guildmates, Kirito stepped into the teleporter, then hesitated.

    "Er... Up? Huh!"

    Kirito vanished. The other Reavers looked at each other before shrugging and mimicking him, minus the startled yelp.

    Half a second later, Drifter found himself in a completely different place, as it happened when you teleported somewhere.

    He sidestepped Kirito, who was standing still, and made way for the others who were coming up behind him.

    This city was a lot livelier than the one on the desert half of the floor. The buildings seemed to be made of some type of coral and were, as such, of all kinds of colors. The NPCs were humans, but with bright clothes and expressions, and there were a lot more of them too.

    "Ooh, this is trippy."

    Following Yuuki, Drifter walked over to a chest-height wall. That was when he noticed that this teleporter was at the very edge of the town, right where the ocean ended.

    He whistled. It was a long fall down to the desert half of the 23rd floor. This was different from looking over the edge of Aincrad. Here they could see the landing point.

    "I wonder... We are in a safe zone. And right below us is also a safe zone. Do you think we would take damage if we jumped?"

    Drifter, Sinon, and Ran exchanged horrified glances, and all three grabbed Yuuki and pulled her far away from the wall. The purple-haired girl just laughed.

 Chapter 148 - Battles Over the Ocean

    The ocean half of the 23rd floor was a sight to behold. And much more dangerous than its desert counterpart too.

    The way to advance on this portion of the floor wasn''t through boats or ships, but a spider web of raised reefs.

    Dozens, maybe hundreds of natural platforms were scattered over the water, some the size of a trampoline, others as big as a small island. Each of them was connected to several others by paths of reef and coral, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

    Reaver''s Requiem stood at the edge of the safe zone, besides a couple of NPC guards with tridents, who ignored them. The players were making long faces.

    "I don''t like it. It''s too easy to get surrounded or separated. And even if it doesn''t happen, we will only ever have 4 people able to help each other, likely less. There is no room to maneuver or switch."

    Drifter spoke with a deep frown. Out of the three with leadership roles in Reaver''s Requiem, he was by far the most cautious. And he wasn''t getting good vibes from the rest of the 23rd floor.

    While walking on the bridges between platforms, it was obvious that mobs would jump out of the water at them.

    If it was just one at a time, like with the Ashara Puppets, then that was still okay. But if they came in packs, it would spell trouble.

    Imagine the following situation: the Reavers were walking through the paths two at a time when suddenly 3 Amihenta Decoys burst out of the water right behind the last pair. The two players would be forced to fight while outnumbered, and without the others being able to help. They would be completely isolated and on their own.

    Worse still, in the narrow reefs there was little space to maneuver. They could only go backward or forward. With their lateral movement blocked, the players wouldn''t be able to fight to their full potential.

    "What a nasty floor design. Is Kayaba trying to cut our numbers down?"

    "This looks more Cardinal than Kayaba."

    "It doesn''t matter which of them came up with it, it''s still pretty fucked up."

    "Language!"

    Yuna and Asuna glared at Drifter for his language, the former slapping the spearmaster''s arm. He apologized, but his heart wasn''t into it. He stood by what he said.

    "Your quest''s still pointing in this direction, Drif?"

    He nodded to Kirito''s question, and the Black Swordsman scanned the ocean with his gaze.

    "It will be another field-boss. That means a large arena..."

    "There. The biggest platform slash island."

    Sinon pointed directly west of them. At this distance and angle, it was little more than a large shadow in the water, but it was definitely the biggest one in sight. The spearmaster sighed.

    "That''s it."

    "You want to go now?"

    "No, we already fought one field-boss today and are tired. And Liz needs to repair our equipment. We''ll go tomorrow."

    "Roger that. But it''s still early. We should explore a little. See what we are dealing with."

    Shigio raised a valid point, and Drifter nodded in agreement. But he had his own two cents to add.

    "Okay. But we need some insurance to explore this mess, I think. Kirito, I think it might be time to invest some of our funds."

    The guild leader looked to him.

    "On what?"

    "Teleport Crystals. One for each of us. It will be pricey, but I believe it''s worth it. That way if we get separated or can''t make our way back before it''s dark, it will be safer. And if we don''t use them on this floor - as I hope we don''t - there''s sure to be use for them in the future."

    There was no answer, from Kirito or anyone else, for a while. Crystals of any kind were expensive, but Teleport Crystals especially so, even after being available for 10-odd floors.

    There was a good reason why they held on to the reward from Aater, Lord of the Fallen for so long. To outfit all 21 members of Reaver''s Requiem with Teleport Crystals would put a sizable dent on the guild''s finances.

    They all turned to Kirito, and waited for his response. While Reaver''s Requiem was largely democratic in nature, he was still their leader, and in charge of the guild funds.

    Kirito frowned, deep in thought, but didn''t immediately reject the suggestion. To be honest, it was something they had already considered doing, but until 2 or 3 floors ago, that, together with their everyday expenses, would have put Reaver''s Requiem in the red.

    In hindsight, they should have probably bought the crystals even if that was the case. No amount of cor could compare to a life. They were lucky they hadn''t fallen in a situation where they needed to make a quick escape yet.

    Eventually, the young swordsman nodded. While it would be a painful blow to their wallets, it would be important. Even if the thought chilled him, he knew there would be a time when the Teleport Crystals would become necessary.

    "Asuna, can you go buy it? Meanwhile, I''ll discuss with Drifter what our formation should be."

    "It won''t be the usual one, that''s for sure. I''ll be right back, dear."

    The fencer smiled, pleased, and pecked her boyfriend''s lips. Then she ran back into the town to buy the crystals.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Only the guild leader - Kirito - or his vice-leaders - Asuna and Drifter - could access the guild funds, hence why she had to go personally.

    It was similar to the joint storage of a married couple. Drifter and Yuna, for example, could access their shared inventory and take out any item they wished, as long as the other didn''t have it equipped on their person.

    "How do you think we should position, Drifter?"

    "We will need to change everything. There will be more information once we actually go and find out how many mobs attack at once, but for now, I think we should act as if we are going to be separated into groups of 2 and 4."

    "Prepare for the worst, hum?"

    Kirito muttered with a frown, and Drifter shrugged. Better to prepare unnecessarily than to be caught off-guard.

    "Alright. Vallerk and... Griselda, first pair. Liz and myself, second. Keita and Ducker, third. Kizmel and Sachi, fourth. Silica, you stick to them. Tetsuo and Sasamaru, fifth. Then..."

    "Sinon should be in the middle of the pack, that way she can support both the front and the rear, and wherever the mobs appear."

    "Good point. Sinon, you are the sixth pair. Yuuki, you are with her. Yuna and Drifter, you are right behind them as the seventh pair. Between you and Yuuki, Drifter, you should be able to handle anything unexpected that happens."

    The spearmaster and swordswoman nodded. Yuna and Sinon were by far the most fragile players in Reaver''s Requiem in terms of defensive power and health points. Usually that didn''t matter much because they were always surrounded by the others, who would protect them, but in this case that wasn''t possible.

    "Wolv and... Asuna, eighth pair. Remind her of the order when she gets back, please. Nautilus and Ran, ninth. And finally, Agil and Shigio as the tenth pair, bringing up the rear."

    Kirito looked around to see if anyone had any complaints or suggestions. When they didn''t come, he clapped his hands once.

    "Alright, I think that''s as good as we are gonna get without actually trying it. We will change up as we see fit when we get on one of the larger platforms."

    Not much later Asuna returned, and the guild set off. Other players had yet to find out that they had opened the other half of the floor, but with how many people saw them do it, it was just a matter of time before they figured it out.

    Kirito randomly chose one of the many reef bridges that spread out from the safe zone. Very cautiously, the players crossed it, always staring at the water on both sides, waiting for the first enemy to appear. Even just a few seconds of warning could make a big difference.

    "On me!"

    They were barely half-way through to the first platform when Drifter saw a dark shadow swiftly swimming towards them. He only had time to yell a warning and turn around before an Amihenta Decoy jumped out of the water and onto the bridge, right behind him.

    The dark siren was alone, which was a blessing. The spot it chose to appear was between Asuna and Wolv, and Drifter and Yuna.

    The Amihenta Decoy screeched, purple goo splashing everywhere, and Drifter took one step forward to put Yuna behind him.

    Meanwhile, the rest of the Reavers that weren''t the 4 near the mob, or Sinon, made disgruntled faces. Not being able to help in battle was one of the worst things there was for a frontliner.

    Drifter snapped a Sting, hoping to catch the mob off-guard, but his eyes widened when the Amihenta Decoy lunged at him, ten claw-like fingers reaching for his face, and his spear glanced off the slimy skin, leaving barely a paper cut behind.

    Relying on his vast experience, Drifter immediately chose to abandon the offensive and leaned back.

    "Ugh!"

    The Amihenta Decoy''s left hand was avoided, but the five fingers on its right hand raked across Drifter''s face and neck, leaving five ugly red lines.

    In this first exchange, the spearmaster had clearly come out on the losing end. While the Amihenta Decoy barely lost a few percents of its HP, Drifter''s health fell by almost 30%.

    If Drifter had been on his own, this would have instantly become a desperate situation.

    Luckily, he wasn''t alone. And if there was one thing players were good at, it was in throwing honor away and ganging up on mobs.

    "Die!"

    Since the Amihenta Decoy had so generously turned its back to them, Asuna and Wolv took full advantage of it to attack the mob.

    Line Cut, Parallel Sting, Bone Breaker... Rapier and mace skills fell like rain on the mob''s exposed back, quickly cutting it down to half health.

    From behind Drifter, Aero Huntress Sinon once again proved to be deserving of her title by using a skill to curve an arrow around Yuna and the spearmaster. It disappeared almost to the stabilizing feathers in the Amihenta Decoy''s open mouth.

    Of course, the couple wasn''t going to be outdone by their friends. Recovering from the surprise, Drifter blocked another set of claw-fingers with the shaft of his weapon, then spun it, making the mob lose its footing - tail-ing? - and stumble.

    The shrill notes of Dark Melody rang out as Songstress Yuna used her music to lower the mob''s defense.

    Broken Spear Drifter snarled a savage smile, and his weapon glowed a vivid blue when he swung it again. A cut and two holes appeared on the torso of the Amihenta Decoy, the 3-hit combo of Cobalt Slice putting an end to its life.

    The battle ended in a flash, lasting less than 20 seconds. And yet, it left the players, especially Drifter, feeling cold sweat trickle down their backs.

    The power of the Amihenta Decoy was formidable. And the sudden ambush, plus its relentless attack, was enough to kill an unprepared player in a matter of seconds.

    "That was-"

    Yuna opened her mouth to comment, but before she could finish the first sentence, another Amihenta Decoy appeared, this time near the front of the group, between the pairs of Liz and Kirito, and Keita and Ducker.

    Another few tens of seconds of fierce battle unleashed, and another Amihenta Decoy dropped dead, leaving behind a lightly injured Ducker and Lisbeth.

    While the injured players, including Drifter, chugged down potions, the spearmaster exchanged glances with his guild leader. A silent conversation took place, and Kirito nodded.

    "Double-time it to the platform! We''ll talk there!"

    They suffered three more attacks before they could cross the remaining 100 meters or so to the small platform. Each time, it was a single Amihenta Decoy, at different positions on their line.

    When they finally stepped foot on the cramped platform, all the Reavers put their hands on their knees and took some deep breaths.

    Unfortunately, SAO wasn''t willing to offer them even a brief moment of respite. No sooner than the players squeezed into the platform, several shadows jumped out of the water, and they suddenly found themselves facing 4 Amihenta Decoys.

    It was at this moment that Drifter realized they had made a mistake. So obsessed with the idea of strength in numbers, they had neglected to think that it might actually become a hindrance.

    In their defense, it was the first time in SAO that they were confined to such small battlefields. Unfortunately, SAO wasn''t such a forgiving game that it would give them a second chance.

    Broken Spear Drifter grimaced at the Amihenta Decoy directly in front of him, his back pressed against Yuna, Nautilus and Kizmel squeezing on his sides.

    "Well, that''s just not nice."

 Chapter 149 - Another Field-boss

    It was a battered and tired group of players who walked back into the town just minutes before nightfall.

    They had explored the ocean half of the 23rd floor, but hadn''t gotten very far. The constant ambushes by Amihenta Decoys forced them to progress slowly.

    Anyway, by the time they went back to the safe zone, the town was flourishing with activity. It seemed quite a few people had discovered that they had opened the other portion of the floor.

    Most of the players they crossed paths with were familiar faces. Drifter saw Lind, Shivata, Heathcliff, Orlando and his Braves, Klein and his guild, and a great many frontliners and clearers he knew.

    ''What''s his deal?''

    The spearmaster frowned when they passed by Kibaou and the ALS, and the player threw the Reavers a dirty glare. There seemed to be a lot more resentment in it than usual, but Drifter couldn''t figure out why.

    Sure, Reaver''s Requiem had unlocked the rest of the floor and kept quiet about it, but that was just finder''s rights.

    It was the same with field-bosses and new dungeons and quests. The first to get it had the right to explore it before sharing with the others. If that was what was bothering Kibaou, then he was being more petty than normal.

    The spearmaster spent exactly 7 seconds thinking about the spiky-haired guild leader before forgetting about him. He was too tired to care about Kibaou''s feelings.

    ----------------------

    On the other hand, while Kibaou may not have felt Drifter''s unconscious dismissal, his dark expression remained unchanged even after Reaver''s Requiem disappeared.

    His displeasure wasn''t about the other guild monopolizing the first few hours of the ocean half of the 23rd floor. Well, not entirely at least.

    His bad mood wasn''t even due to only Reaver''s Requiem, although they definitely played a larger-than-most part in it.

    No, there were definitely more reasons why Kibaou was pissed. Lind and his damned guild, the Beater and his damned guild, that annoying samurai wannabe and his damned guild, Orlando and his damned guild, that upstart Heathcliff and his damned guild...

    Actually, it might be more accurate to say that there were a lot of people why Kibaou was pissed.

    In the end, everything could be reduced to one particular feeling: frustration. Kibaou felt that his ALS was being left behind.

    At the start, his Aincrad Liberation Squad had been THE frontliner guild. Everyone knew them and looked up to them and wanted to join them.

    Now, they were just another guild. One of the leading ones, true - and it would be a cold day in hell before he let them drop further - but not the foremost guild in the Assault Team anymore.

    Lind and his cursed Diavel-worshipers locked horns with him whenever they could - not that Kibaou was any less confrontational when it happened, but he wasn''t coming out on top nearly as often as he used to. Even his greatest tank, Liten, was cavorting with them.

    Then there was one of his greatest headaches, Reaver''s Requiem. The damn Beater guild.

    Kibaou might not complain about the beta-testers so much anymore - mainly because even his subordinates were getting tired of it - but that didn''t mean he trusted or - shivers - liked them.

    He was still convinced the beta-testers, especially the Black Swordsman, had kept some secrets and hoarded items in the early floors so they could selfishly get stronger, while basically pushing thousands of players to their deaths - nevermind that a good portion of those were beta-testers and that the guides Argo the Rat made were all written with information provided by them.

    After all, that was the only possible explanation as to why a bunch of kids like the Reaver''s Requiem could get this far in SAO. And really, things like a musician, an archer, and even an NPC? They had to be cheating.

    "Excuse me. You are blocking the street."

    While Kibaou was glaring at no one in particular, someone coughed behind him, to catch his attention. He swirled around with a glower.

    Cold and indifferent eyes met his angry glare, and Kibaou found himself face-to-face with another of the sources of his irritations.

    The grey-haired Heathcliff spoke without any of the awe and worship lower-level players usually had towards frontliners. Although, from the equipment he was wearing, the KoB guild leader might not be that much behind in levels.

    "Hmph!"

    Kibaou scowled, but stepped aside so the Knights of the Blood Oath could pass. Contrary to what many expected, Kibaou wasn''t that much of a hot-head that he would make a scene for such a small reason. That would only mark him as petty in front of the surrounding players.

    That didn''t mean he was happy about it, though, and he glared at Heathcliff''s back. The older player didn''t turn around or give any indication that he noticed, other than a slight inclination of his head when he passed by Kibaou, and that angered the ALS guild leader even more.

    Heathcliff was a no-name who came out of nowhere, but now his guild had already grown in size and power to almost rival Kibaou''s own. They even had delusions of joining the Assault Team, which was, to the sour guild leader, an insult.

    Each and every frontliner guild had fought and climbed their way from the first floors of Aincrad. They bled and died to get where they were, and now some upstart wanted to budge in as if it were nothing? Unacceptable.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Again, much to Kibaou''s frustration, he couldn''t say any of what was in his mind, so as to not destroy his already frail public image. Turns out that, after getting over the outrage of Diavel''s death and seeing the efforts Black Swordsman Kirito and his bunch put into clearing SAO, not that many people still agreed with Kibaou''s take on beaters.

    The handful of ALS players accompanying hom wisely chose to keep their mouths shut. They followed Kibaou out of trust, loyalty, and respect for his skills - he was, after all, Kibaou the Challenger, one of Aincrad''s titled players - but they also knew his temper better than anyone.

    ----------------------

    If a poll was held to choose the MVP of the 23rd floor, all the Reavers would vote for Aero Huntress Sinon without hesitation. Her archery made the ocean half of the floor so much easier to traverse that it was hard to quantify.

    Without her precise arrows, progressing through the floor would have been much harder. Whether it was through system skills or just pure skill, Sinon''s arrows never failed to strike the target, even if they had to curve around her guildmates in impossible trajectories.

    Incidentally, archery ranges around Japan saw a rise in enrollment over the next weeks.

    But that was a story for another time. Right now, Reaver''s Requiem was focused on what was in front of them. Namely, the 10-meters tall, blue-scaled, worryingly seductive field-boss.

    While the Amihenta Decoys looked like abyss-born monstrosities with their melting body and exposed innards, the field-boss, Queen of Amihenta, was the perfect picture of a siren, magnified.

    How harmless and human-looking - other than the fish tail - the field-boss looked only served to put the players more on edge. It would be a cold day in hell before they actually came across a peaceful boss.

    The spearmaster especially disliked the weapon in the Queen of Amihenta''s hands. An exquisite trident, prongs tipped in silver. It was as beautiful as it looked deadly.

    "That will look much better once it''s in my hands."

    Several of the Reavers snorted in amusement, and Nautilus raised an eyebrow.

    "Jealous much?"

    "Hey, I''ve never used a trident! I''m just curious."

    "I offered to forge one for you. You were the one who said you preferred the twisted bident."

    Liz rolled her eyes, and Drifter shrugged. It was true. He had used almost every weapon that fell into the ''spear'' category, from lances to staffs to halberds to polearms. From them all, he was still the most partial to honest-to-god spears. And the spiral head consisting of two twisting prongs was his favorite.

    The one in his hands right now was another of Liz''s creations. While its stats might not be as high as some of the top-notch mob drops, it had the advantage of being crafted specifically for him.

    Everything about the weapon was made to fit his specifications. It was longer than a normal two-handed spear, but still shorter than a lance. The shaft was on the lighter side, and flexible - but not soft.

    The spearhead was heavier than the norm, which pushed the balance point of the weapon closer to the tip than it was usual, but Drifter liked it that way. The two prongs twisted around each other, sharp edges jutting out in a way that the spear could be used not only to pierce and stab, but also slice and cut.

    All in all, it was the perfect weapon for him, and he had driven Liz almost insane during its creation with all his requirements.

    "How about we worry about the field-boss in front of us instead of Drifter''s craze for pointy sticks?"

    Ran snarked out without any bite, and Drifter did the mature thing and stuck his tongue out at her. Before the swordswoman could respond in kind, Kirito rolled his eyes and waved his hand.

    "Let''s kill the boss, I''m getting tired of this floor. Drifter, if the trident drops you can have it."

    "Thanks, boss! Ow!"

    Yuna smacked him upside the head, and Drifter would admit he kind of deserved it. But there was no better way to relax their tense nerves before a battle than to put on a little comedic show. Nautilus, Liz, Ran, and Kirito surely understood this, which was why they willingly played along.

    "Oh oh. I think the boss got tired of waiting."

    Asuna''s warning was unnecessary, as none of the Reavers had turned their eyes away from the field-boss during the entire conversation.

    The Queen of Amihenta had raised her trident in one hand, curling the other in front of her chest, and closing her eyes with a pleased smile on her angelic face. Then she started to sing.

    It was a beautiful melody, and, for a moment, the players were entranced by it. Yuna''s gaze was particularly unfocused, her fingers twitching over her instruments as if she was playing an accompanying tune.

    "Aackk!"

    The peace was broken by the sudden emergence of 6 Amihenta Decoys. Drifter scowled.

    "What''s with bosses on this floor and summoning minions?!"

    "Don''t know, don''t matter! Keita, Gris, Agil, get your people and deal with the mobs quickly! Drifter, you wanted first crack at the boss, it''s all yours!"

    One moment the Reavers were standing around joking, and the other they were moving. Kirito''s orders were barely out when the players burst into motion, Drifter at the forefront.

    The spearmaster let loose his signature Serpentcoil Impale, nailing the field-boss in the gut. The giant siren shrieked, her voice still oddly melodic for a cry of pain, and returned the blow with a straightforward jab of her trident.

    The weapon was almost twice Drifter''s height, and the three prongs now took on a decidedly more dangerous glint.

    The spearmaster didn''t flinch. Still bare handed, he ducked under the trident, then punched it aside with a Martial Arts: Senda.

    Opting not to retrieve his spear through his menu, Drifter took the chance while the Queen of Amihenta was still stuck on the ending pose of her failed attack, and rushed in close.

    His hands found the shaft of his weapon, the tip still embedded deep in the field-boss'' guts, and he ruthlessly pulled and tore it sideways in a vicious Horizontal.

    The cry of anger that the attack earned him only wasn''t sweeter than watching a good 5% of the Queen of Amihenta''s first HP bar disappear.

    The spearmaster grinned savagely, and ducked under a slap sent his way. He winked at Kirito when the swordsman switched with him.

    "I feel like I should say something along the lines of ''let''s grill this fish''. Or is that too clich¨¦?"

    Several Reavers groaned, while Agil, Wolv, and Shigio barked out a laugh, and not because it was funny. Yuna slapped him upside the head again.

    "Shut up and kill it."

    "Yes, ma''am."

 Chapter 150 -Time

    "Y''know, I''m quite bummed we don''t get to use the key in the last floor after all the work to get it."

    "Don''t be, just means we gotta break our backs some more on this level. And by ''we'' I mean ya."

    Drifter rolled his eyes at Argo. Unfortunately the gesture was lost to the info-broker as she had her back turned to him while Yuna combed her hair - Drifter already knew it was a lost battle to ask why they insisted on doing that when there was no such thing as hair knots in SAO.

    "Look on the bright side, Dri-bou. Ya get to use yer new weapon. Pointy Stick 3.0. Pointer than ever."

    "Stay still, little rat!"

    Argo gestured with her head to the trident she knew was in Drifter''s hands, and Yuna scowled and hissed at her, causing Argo to freeze. Unlike Drifter, when the songstress called her ''little rat'', it wasn''t a term of endearment.

    "Quests are annoying."

    "Yer playin'' an RPG, Dri-bou. Quests are kinda their thing."

    "Alright, alright. I just immensely dislike long, seemingly unending questlines. How''s that?"

    "I''m hearin'' lots of big words, but they all just mean the same thing. Ya lazy."

    "I''m going to mess up your hair."

    "No, you are not! I didn''t spend this long trying to tame Argo''s curls for you to waste all my efforts!"

    "Oh oh. Someone''s in trouble."

    Argo turned around with a smirk, but a particularly rough comb made her lose all her sass.

    "Yes! Both of you if you don''t stop bickering!"

    Drifter and Argo decided that it would be best for their health if they shut up. Someone laughed from the side.

    "I knew Broken Spear Drifter was whipped, but I had no idea Songstress Yuna also had you on a leash, Argo the Rat."

    A woman wrapped in black clothes and wearing a veil was sitting cross-legged under a shadow. Yuna glanced over and smirked discreetly.

    "Argo just has a good self-preservation instinct, unlike you. How many times do I have to tell you to drop the titles when you are with us? Hum? Shadow Blossom Akari?"

    It was the ninja''s turn to scowl and fall silent, and Yuna grinned. Drifter also hid a smile, while Argo didn''t bother to smother her giggles.

    "Yep. Don''t let Yu-chan''s good girl image trick ya, Akari-chan. She''s as devious as they come when she wanna be. Like when she asks ya to come over to brush yer hair but it''s actually ''cause she wants to get some intel without puttin'' out the cor for it."

    The info-broker raised an eyebrow, but Yuna didn''t falter, and shrugged unabashedly.

    "Hey, can''t blame a girl for trying to save some money. Besides, I do find combing someone''s hair soothing."

    "Why not do Dri-bou''s then?"

    The spearmaster opened one eye from where he was resting with his back against a tree, and shrugged.

    "She did that already, multiple times. But according to Yun'' I am a bad subject. So she needs other victims, and you were dumb enough to say you were free."

    The songstress glared at him for the comment, but Drifter just went back to pretending to be taking a nap. The less involved in this conversation he was, the better.

    "You move around too much, dummy. Or you fall asleep. One of the two. Either way, not a great conversation partner, and brushing someone else''s hair is all about bonding. And... Done! You look pretty, Argo!"

    "I do, thank ya very much, Yu-chan!"

    "Cough- Shameless- Cough!"

    The info-broker immediately jumped on Drifter, who rolled away, trying to escape the feral little rat. They ended up on a heap on the ground as both tried to tickle the other, undoing all of Yuna''s hard work. The songstress face-palmed.

    "Children."

    "One of them is your boyfriend."

    Akari pointed out from her spot. Yuna just waved her hand.

    "And the other is the top information broker in Aincrad. Do you disagree with me?"

    "Nope. Children is a spot-on assessment."

    The ninja laughed, stretching her upper body. It was unusual for her to be fraternizing with the Reavers, but this was their first night on the 24th floor, and she happened to be with Argo when Drifter called the younger girl over. She hadn''t run away quick enough, so she got dragged over too.

    Not that she was really complaining. As much of a loner and introvert that she may be, Akari couldn''t deny that she enjoyed Argo, Drifter, and Yuna''s company.

    "Well, it''s your turn! Come here!"

    Smiling innocently, Yuna patted the grass in front of her, telling Akari to scoot over. The ninja raised an eyebrow.

    "Yeah, no. Good try."

    Yuna''s smile fell and she pouted. Pointing at Akari with her comb in a ''threatening'' manner, she delivered a promise.

    "One day I''m going to see what your face looks like, Akari. Mark my words."

    The ninja laughed in response, and went back to watching the sun set down. Yuna''s pout increased until she felt a pair of strong arms come up behind her and embrace her navel.

    Smiling sweetly, the songstress laid her back on her husband''s chest, then snuggled closer. Drifter tightened his hold on his wife, resting his chin on her shoulder and kissing her cheek. She almost purred.

    "I''m guessing you won your tickling war with Argo?"

    "Still undefeated."

    Yuna giggled, especially when Argo stalked over, looking worse for wear, and glared at the couple. Neither fell to the bait, and the info-broker huffed before plopping down next to them.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The foursome spent the next several minutes in silence, watching the sunset. Akari was a little ways away from the other three, but she was doubtless part of the group in this moment.

    "Aincrad''s sunsets are something else."

    Argo sighed, scooting closer to lay her head on Yuna''s free shoulder. The songstress put an arm around the younger girl.

    "It''s beautiful."

    ---------------------

    November 19th 2023, morning.

    "Back, back, back, back, back! Watch out!"

    Drifter slashed upward with his trident, barely deflecting the incoming attack from the floor boss. The shockwave from the giant wood club smashing on the ground still sent him flying.

    Head ringing, the spearmaster got up. The boss of this floor, the aptly named Drowned Ogre Chieftain, was all about brute strength. Even indirect hits like this one hurt.

    Still, Drifter would take a straightforward boss like this over the likes of the 10th floor boss any day.

    The 24th floor had been nothing to scoff about, but it also hadn''t been anything special. As it seemed to be the trend with the floors in the 20s, it had a lot of water in it, and the mobs reflected that feature.

    Case in point, the floor boss. The main labyrinth mobs were Drowned Ogres, along with two variants of selkies. No one had died fighting them or exploring the tower, which landed this floor in the ''easier'' category.

    Well, no matter how easy it may be, it was only in comparison with other floors. The boss was still very much deadly should one be careless.

    A mighty swing of the club sent a group of ALS players sprawling down. While Yuna''s music could boost their defense, it unfortunately only applied to the Reavers, and the ALS members were sent to the yellow zone in an instant.

    Thankfully, the Drowned Ogre Chieftain wasn''t nearly as fast as it was strong. Survival instincts honed after countless life-and-death battles saw to it that the players jumped back to their feet almost instantly, scattering before the boss could land another hit on them.

    "Sinon, did you find it yet?!"

    "I''m looking! It''s not the head, heart, or joints! I need it to turn around!"

    Grimacing, Drifter exchanged a look with the archer. They were already over halfway into the fight, and Sinon had yet to find the boss'' weak point.

    Maybe it didn''t have one. Some mobs didn''t. But they would continue looking until the battle was over.

    The spearmaster glanced around the room. The frontliner forces were still mostly organized. Drifter made a decision.

    "We are rotating left! Orlando, Klein, collaborate with us! Agil, Liz, Yuuki, Ran, Kizmel, Wolv, I want you to go in and hinder it. Hack at its legs, make it follow the spin. Kibaou, Lind, pull back for a moment, let us try something! Kirito, Asuna, hang back with me. We have to get a clear view for Sinon."

    If it were anyone else, there would have been some hesitation to follow their orders. But it was Broken Spear Drifter shouting. He had the unconditional trust of Reaver''s Requiem. Hero Orlando and Klein would also lay their lives at his hands without a moment''s hesitation.

    The trust and respect the rest of the frontliners held for him was also unparalleled. If it had been Kirito trying to assume command of the raid, even if just for a short while, there would have been complaints. Hesitation. The stigma of a beater still hung over him, even if unconsciously.

    There was no such thing with Drifter. When other players looked at him, they saw the titled player, SAO''s best spearmaster, someone who had surpassed every obstacle in his path and fought harder than anyone else. In the heat of the battle, even Kibaou and Lind obeyed him.

    With the last two, fear was also a factor. Drifter had admitted to killing Morte. Not that they thought the player would murder them if they didn''t obey, far from it. They knew someone as righteous as Drifter would never turn his spear on innocent people, even if they were somewhat obnoxious.

    Their fear was less logical. It drove them to follow Drifter''s orders in moments like these. Because he had been willing to do something they couldn''t.

    The Assault Team moved like a well-oiled machine, every player a spinning cog following Drifter''s command. They were compelled to, because despite what others thought, they knew the Broken Spear rarely surfaced. More often than not, it was just Drifter.

    But at this moment, it was undeniably the titled player, Broken Spear, giving the orders. That portion of Drifter that was more than man.

    "Three... Two... One... Go!"

    As Agil and the others cleaved at the Drowned Ogre Chieftain''s legs, Drifter started a countdown. Kirito and Asuna leaned forward, starting the activation of their charging skills. The spearmaster did the same.

    To the untrained eyes of the audience in the outside world, the three of them were just blurs.

    Sonic Leap, Flashing Penetrator, Comet Break. Savage Fulcrum, Triangular, Sky Render.

    Six skills splashed against the boss'' back, ringing against its crude armor and staggering the monster. In the rear, Sinon''s eyes flashed, and two arrows flew. The Drowned Ogre Chieftain screamed in pain and anger.

    "There! That chink in its armor, Drifter! Lower left quadrant!"

    There was no better direction than the arrows embedded on the Drowned Ogre Chieftain''s flesh. Drifter immediately swiped his trident up in a Cobalt Slice.

    "Grrr!"

    The boss growled, and Drifter frowned. A skill was a skill, and did damage regardless of the shape of the weapon, but a trident wasn''t an ideal weapon for slashing.

    Of course, he wasn''t stupid enough to only notice this now, after half a month of using the drop from the Queen of Amihenta.

    Whirling around to dodge a stomp, Drifter extended his right arm and stabbed the boss twice on the inside of its right knee. Double Tap wasn''t one of his most favored skills, but when followed by Dirty Play, it made for a nice little combo, pinning down the giant ogre.

    The stun only lasted for a second, but that was enough for Kirito and Asuna to dish out a not-insignificant amount of damage.

    With the ALS, DKB, Legend Braves, Fuurinkazan, and the rest of Reaver''s Requiem and the Assault Team joining in now that they knew the Drowned Ogre Chieftain''s weakness, the raid proceeded at a much quicker pace.

    15 minutes later, for a total of 40 minutes of battle, the Drowned Ogre Chieftain let put one last sorrowful snarl, Orlando''s sword piercing its heart, before it shattered.

    The first thing the frontliners did after the floor boss died was take a headcount. A collective sigh of relief escaped all of them when they saw no one had died.

    The 24th floor boss raid might be on the easier end of the spectrum, but it was a boss battle nonetheless. Sometimes people died not because of inability or mistakes, but simply bad luck. Thankfully that wasn''t the case this time around.

    There was a lightness to their steps as the frontliners climbed the stairs to the 25th floor. So, obviously, Aincrad and Cardinal had to throw a curveball at them.

    Instead of the sunlight shining through the exit that they were expecting, what greeted the Assault Team were flickering torches and long shadows.

    Drifter frowned and stopped at the top of the stairs. So did the other players. All he could see of the 25th floor were earthen walls and a dark corridor.

    "Well, isn''t this nice?"

    "Ominous is the word I would use, but sure. Let''s go with what you said."

    Agil and Klein''s attempt at a playful banter fell short, the words echoing quietly through the corridor. Shivata grimaced.

    "What are the chances itˇŻs just a nice, straight shot to the safe zone?"

    "I would say less than zero. How are we doing this?"

    The frontliners looked at each other. This was quite clearly a maze. Whether it stretched out through the whole floor or just part of it was the question.

    Eventually, Kirito shrugged, trying to hide his apprehension. Unsheathing his sword, the Black Swordsman took the first steps forward into the 25th floor.

    "We go right in. What else?"

 Chapter 151 - Maze Floor

    It took Drifter all of 30 seconds to decide he didn''t like the 25th floor.

    The frontliners advanced cautiously, too spooked by the sudden change of scenario compared to the previous 4 or 5 floors to march recklessly.

    Still, Drifter felt as if he was almost alone. Other than Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, Liz, and Vallerk, who were around him, the others were lost in the darkness of the tunnel. His line of sight was restricted to a small bubble around him, and the occasional flickering torch in the distance.

    It got worse when Liten and the ALS players, who were leading the way, halted. Drifter stretched his neck to try to look over the heads of those in front of him - again, a futile effort in the near pitch-black darkness.

    "Liten? Kibaou? Speak to us. What''s going on?"

    The answer came in a soft grunt, much more subdued than Kibaou''s normally were.

    "Fork on the path. Left or right."

    The confirmation that they were in a maze resulted in several groans from the frontliners. Mazes were never a good thing. Just trying to navigate the labyrinth each floor was already time-consuming and infuriating, but a whole floor like this?

    "Fuckin'' hell, how many months is it gonna take us to clear this floor?"

    Someone cursed. Drifter couldn''t say he disagreed with the sentiment.

    "Argo''s going to make a killing selling maps of this floor."

    Nautilus murmured, and Drifter snorted. It was an uncannily accurate prediction.

    "Do we split up?"

    "No way. We are going to get so lost if we do that."

    "Unless you want to wander around for Cardinal knows how long, we don''t really have much of an option."

    "Well..."

    There was a lot of grumbling from the gathered players. Drifter frowned. Safe zones were usually close to the entrance/exit of the tower, but that didn''t really apply in a maze. One wrong turn and...

    "Alright, that''s it. Guild leaderships, huddle up! Conference time!"

    After some grunting and a lot of elbowing people out of the way, the leaders and vice-leaders of all the frontliner guilds eventually met up around Reaver''s Requiem.

    Drifter looked around and then at Kirito, to see if the younger boy wanted to speak, but the swordsman just shrugged and dipped his head. Drifter nodded.

    "Here''s how things stand: we are in a maze, tired, our equipment with low durability, and 7.000 anxious players are waiting for us to open this floor. Splitting up to explore is the only reasonable option, but until we find the safe zone, we need to be smart ''bout it."

    He looked around to see if anyone had any comments. They didn''t, so he continued.

    "Finding the safe zone is our priority, and until we do that, we have to collaborate. We split into teams, no less than 2 parties per. And we share everything. The map, traps, mobs we find."

    That caused some grumbling, although no one refused the idea outright. The gamer mentality of hogging everything they could was still very much strong amongst the players, especially Kibaou and Lind, but they also weren''t stupid.

    And Drifter was glaring at them, forestalling any objections the two guild leaders might have. An angry Broken Spear Drifter was something they wouldn''t wish upon their worst enemies, much less themselves.

    "I mean it. We don''t need people getting hopelessly lost and wandering for hours in this maze because we were selfish."

    He saw Kibaou scoffing out of the corner of his eyes, but the spiky-haired player kept his silence other than that. Shivata whispered something to Lind, which also calmed down the Dragon Knight. Drifter shot the friendly shield-bearer a thankful look.

    "It''s just until we find the safe zone and activate the teleporter. After that, it''s fair game."

    Inwardly, Drifter thought that all that intel would end in Argo the Rat''s hands anyway, and she always gave Reaver''s Requiem a discount if he showed her his puppy face. A little underhanded of him, but hey, nobody ever said Drifter was a saint.

    "Are we all in agreement?"

    All the guild leaders and vice-leaders nodded. Even Kibaou and Lind, although the former scowled and the latter had to be prodded by an elbow. Good enough for Drifter.

    "Good job, Drif."

    While the others went back to their guild''s, Drifter turned to Kirito, who nodded and gave him a thoughtful look Drifter didn''t quite understand.

    Ignoring the oddity, the spearmaster grinned.

    "Thanks. Shall we decide who goes with who?"

    "Lets."

    Their voices carried out in the long corridor, so everyone had already pretty much heard everything that was said.

    Splitting up the Reavers was simple, even taking in consideration party compositions for when they needed to separate again as they got further into the maze.

    Drifter had barely waved goodbye to his guildmates going to the left path when his group, who had chosen the right one, stumbled upon another fork on the road. Only this one offered three alternatives.

    The spearmaster exchanged glances with the group leaders from the other guilds. One of them was Orlando, who had joined hands with Klein and Fuurinkazan to explore. He nodded to the silent question.

    "We will take the left."

    "We''ll go with you. At least until the next division."

    The groups from the ALS and DKB also chose their paths. Just like that, their numbers had gone from 130 to 60, and now 20. Drifter was certain that they would halve it very soon.

    He was right, although something new finally appeared before that. A creepy hissing sound echoed from the darkness ahead, and the players ground to a halt.

    "What''s that? I don''t like that!"

    Enkidu whimpered. It sounded very much like a snake hissing, and he hated snakes. The others also looked uneasy. Drifter fingered his trident, eyes narrowed, trying to see what awaited them.

    "I guess we''ll find out very soon. Orlando, Klein? Any of you want to take the lead?"

    "Nope."

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Don''t look at me. Honor''s all yours, Drifter."

    The spearmaster rolled his eyes.

    "Gee, thanks."

    The others laughed at how much sarcasm he imbued in the words, and a smile flashed across his face. Laughter was better than the tension from before.

    "Vallerk, Nautilus, you are taking point. Silica, Ran, we will stick close to them as one unit. Everyone else, maintain some distance just in case it is a trap."

    "And if it''s mobs?"

    The spearmaster rolled his shoulders non concomitantly.

    "If something stabs you, you stab back."

    Drifter meant it partially as a joke, but his friends just looked at each other and shrugged.

    "Sounds good."

    Outside SAO, a group of very worried family members wrangled their hands and screamed that ''no, it didn''t sound good!''"

    Step by step, the five walked forward. The rest stayed a good 5 meters behind them, so they wouldn''t be caught by a trap, if that was what it was.

    "Hiss..."

    The hissing noise was getting louder. Drifter squinted. Vague shapes had started to appear in the dark. Three of them. He called back to the others.

    "Mobs. Everyone ready?"

    "As ever."

    "Yes!"

    "Here they come!"

    The atmosphere made Drifter tighten the grip on his trident until his knuckles were white. It didn''t get better after the monsters finally revealed themselves.

    "Y¨­kai."

    Someone - Kunimittz - whispered behind Drifter. And he was right. The mobs looked remarkably like the creatures of legends - Nure-onna. It wouldn''t be the first time Kayaba based enemies on Japanese folklore.

    Three giant snakes with the heads of women slithered forward. Unlike their legendary counterparts, they had a pair of arms - also vaguely human, but covered in scales and ending in claws.

    The reptilian tongue flicking out of the human mouth was particularly disturbing. So Drifter stabbed there first.

    The mob blocked. Clawed hands came up to intercept his trident, and Drifter huffed. With a grunt, he slapped the butt of his weapon with his palm in an imitation of Dirty Play, breaking through the monster''s guard. Nailing its hands to its chest, and Drifter grinned.

    Next to him, Vallerk stood still as a great wall, the enemy''s claws drawing sparks from his shield, but failing to move him. Silica ducked under his arm, her dagger biting deep, leaving three wounds before the mob could react.

    The third monster was met by Nautilus and Ran, and a shield smashed in its face while a blade knocked its claws aside, and another pierced its heart.

    Weapons glowed in all colors in the dark. Skills that left any master in the outside world envious, for they knew anything they tried to replicate would be only a shadow of what was possible in SAO.

    And then they would watch the players fight and realize... System assisted skills didn''t matter. Even without them - especially without them, because then there would be no excuses - very few masters could stand at the same height as the players.

    Drifter''s eyes flashed with steel, and he slashed with the trident at the mob in front of him, then used the momentum to whip around and clobber the snake-woman facing Vallerk and Silica on the side of the head.

    The spearmaster stomped forward, until he was almost touching the first monster, and when he pulled his trident back, it raked across its face. The mob hissed, and he stabbed it.

    Skills no one else could replicate. But not because of inhuman stats or because they were assisted by Cardinal.

    Because their lives depended on it. Watching Drifter absolutely demolish a mob while at the same time hindering two others and assisting his guildmates, the ones who identified with the spearmaster the most were not the weapon masters who spent decades in their dojos training, but people in much lesser standings across the world.

    Soldiers, mercenaries, and lowlives. Those who knew how it felt to bet your life in the next second. That was how Drifter fought. Like every blow would be the last.

    It wasn''t a thought many enjoyed. Especially not his parents. But even they watched in fascination as Drifter leaned his body out of the way of an attack and stabbed a mob through the jaw before kicking it away.

    No matter how many times they witnessed it, it was always mesmerizing to see a master of their craft. And Broken Spear Drifter - or just Drifter or even Ogawa Itsuki, whatever you called him - was doubtless a master.

    The first enemy fell when Drifter stabbed it through the stomach. Unsurprisingly, it was the mob he had been facing from the start.

    A quick glance to the side, and he swung his trident in a Tidal Sequence, catching both of the remaining mobs, and cutting down one of them permanently.

    The last barely had time to recover from the skill before a curved blade severed one arm, a long sword piercing its body, and a dagger went into an eye.

    Nautilus, Ran, and Silica never found out which of them actually landed the killing blow. As the shards of 3 monsters lit up the corridor, they stood there panting.

    Drifter was also a little winded, but he clapped Vallerk on the shoulder and turned to the people who had wisely stayed behind. The corridor couldn''t be considered cramped - he was able to use his trident freely - but it definitely wasn''t suitable for large-scale fighting.

    "What did you think of that, Klein, Orlando?"

    The Hero of the Legend Braves rolled his shoulders.

    "They weren''t anything impressive."

    Drifter nodded.

    "Yeah. Which means the main challenge of the 25th floor isn''t going to be the enemies, but the floor itself."

    "The maze and traps."

    Klein furrowed his brows. He was a very straightforward man. The samurai would much rather fight his way through an army of mobs than have to deal with traps and the like.

    "Ran, sort through the loot please. Meanwhile, let''s keep going."

    Not 30 paces and a curve later, Drifter was proved right. He had his Searching skill intermittently activated, and caught sight of a glowing red outline of one of the rocks in the path. He grabbed Nautilus by the shoulder just before the shield-bearer stepped on it.

    "Wha-"

    "Trap."

    The ash-haired player froze, and, very carefully, took a step back. Then another, until Drifter nodded. By now, some of the others who had the Searching skill had also spotted the trigger. Issin whistled.

    "That''s some well-disguised trap. I don''t think anyone with less than 400 in Searching can see it."

    "What do you suppose it does?"

    The players looked at each other, then both Drifter and Orlando shrugged at the same time.

    "Only one way to find out."

    The Braves, Reavers, and Fuurinkazan exchanged wry smiles. Triggering a trap on purpose sounded like a bad idea. On the other hand, the information could be valuable.

    "Everyone, go around it. Carefully. Vallerk, Beowulf? Sorry to say, but you''ll have to be our lab rats."

    "Meat shields more likely."

    The two shield-bearers grumbled good-naturedly. As the two players with the highest defense stat in the group, it was no surprise that the task fell to them.

    Everyone else went around the trap, and put a predetermined distance between them and the two test subjects. Far enough that they probably wouldn''t be caught in the trap when it sprang, but close enough that they could assist in a matter of seconds.

    Vallerk threw one last glance to Drifter, seeking confirmation. The spearmaster nodded, and the mixed-blood player kicked over the rock and waited with baited breath.

    Nothing happened at first. Then, just when everyone started to relax, two dozen bolts shot from the walls.

    Any unsuspecting player would have been turned into a sieve. As it was, Vallerk and Beowulf spun, one to the right and one to the left, raising their shields to cover each other''s backs.

    "Ugh!"

    "Uff!"

    They both grunted from the continuous impacts. A single bolt slipped past Beowulf''s guard and grazed his cheek, leaving a red line.

    The two players stood still for another half a minute, their shields raised. They only lowered it when Drifter said it was okay.

    "That delay was nasty."

    "Yeah. It''s meant to let most of the party walk through it so it can catch the largest amount of people in the crossfire."

    "I''m hating this floor more and more as time goes on."

    "Same."

    "You tell me. Couldn''t every floor be like the 22nd? I already miss the sun."

    As the players chatted, Drifter had a frown on his face. Frontliners weren''t unfamiliar with traps. But Drifter wasn''t liking this one bit.

 Chapter 152 - The Corridor of Traps

    Traps were a staple in Sword Art Online. While less common in the normal maps, it was almost guaranteed you would stumble upon some when exploring the labyrinth.

    Still, the main focus of SAO was and had always been combat. So even when you triggered a trap, the majority of the time what it did was spawn more monsters, usually surrounding the unfortunate souls that tripped the trap.

    That was still very dangerous. If you were already tired and spent from fighting, and suddenly had more enemies attacking you... More than one party had been exterminated by this kind of trap.

    What were not common were, ironically, stereotypical traps such as pitfalls, rolling boulders, spears shooting from the ground, and, of course, crossbow bolts from the wall. That the first trap they came across was one of the latter was disturbing. It set an unnerving precedent.

    A dangerous one.

    "Let''s keep going. I want everyone to keep their eyes peeled even more than before. Braves, Fuurin, how many of you have Searching above 500?"

    In normal circumstances, that was an incredibly rude question to ask. One of the worst cases of invasion of privacy that there was in SAO, second only to talking about the outside world. You didn''t ask someone about their real lives, and you didn''t ask them about their stats. Those were the two most important unspoken rules of SAO.

    But it was Drifter who was asking. So Issin, Chuchulainn, and Enkidu didn''t hesitate to raise their hands. And the spearmaster already knew that of the Reavers present, Ran, Silica, and himself fit the bill. He was their vice guild leader after all.

    "You are shuffling to the front. We will rotate. Myself, Ran, Silica, Enkidu, Chuchulainn, Issin, and then start again. Use Searching for 30 seconds and then let it cooldown. I recommend you do the same when we split."

    "Which should be any moment now. I see torches in two directions."

    They all groaned. While another fork was expected - it was a maze after all - they had all been low-key hoping it wouldn''t come so soon.

    "I guess this is where we part ways."

    "Yeah. We will take the left. Orlando, Klein, until we have a better measure of this floor, I wouldn''t recommend splitting up."

    "Trust me, we weren''t planning on doing that. That trap scared the ever-loving crap outta me."

    Drifter chuckled, and fist-bumped Orlando and Klein. The two guilds disappeared down the right corridor, and he turned to the people who were left, only his guildmates now.

    Nautilus, Vallerk, Silica, Ran, Wolv, and Kizmel looked at him eagerly. The party configuration was slightly skewed towards very close combat - with only Drifter himself having a weapon longer than a meter and a half - but it worked.

    They put it to good use soon, for the next obstacle in their path was another trap - but of the good old kind.

    Even Drifter had failed to spot that one. And as the characteristic sound of mobs spawning echoed behind him, the spearmaster''s body spun and his trident lashed out before his mind even caught up to what was happening.

    His slash had been aimed at about chest-height - his chest, that is. Always a good height for blind attacks, almost guaranteed to hit something.

    Two red-skinned dwarf-like mobs cried out in pain when he sliced a gash across their faces. One of the snake-women tried to lunge at him, and Drifter stabbed her through the throat.

    Around the Reavers, a dozen mobs, between the y¨­kai and the new dwarves, had appeared. Too many to be a normal spawn, and in a perfect formation to encircle the players, which was how Drifter knew they had tripped a trap.

    That was okay. This was much more familiar to the frontliners. Kizmel blocked a hammer from one of the dwarves with her shield, and retaliated with a slash from her curved blade. Feredir dug his teeth on the mob''s calf and pulled, making it lose balance and creating the perfect opportunity for Drifter to end its life.

    A quick exchange of glances and a silent conversation later, Kizmel nodded to Drifter, and the spearmaster turned away, leaving the remaining two mobs in the backside to Kizmel while he went to reinforce Silica, who was struggling against a dwarf and one of the snake-women, having been separated from her usual partner Vallerk.

    Kizmel bashed another mob with her shield, this time one of the snake-women. Her curved sword left silver blurs in the air as she swung it, leaving cut after cut on the mob.

    The dark elf had been fighting her whole life - which turned out to not be that long since she discovered she was a character in a game (and hadn''t that been a fun conversation). Nevertheless, going against two enemies at once was nothing new to her.

    Sidestepping a claw strike, Kizmel smacked the second mob with the flat of her blade, stunning it for a crucial half a second. It was enough for her to turn around and use a Serration Wave to nearly decapitate the first snake-woman. With that, her part was as good as done.

    Parrying an attack, the dark elf saw Drifter and Silica working together to kill one of the dwarves. Good. They were nearly done too.

    "Argh!"

    That was when she heard a cry of pain from someone behind her. Whirling around in a panic to see who it was, Kizmel almost lost her head.

    "Ugh!"

    It was only her fast reactions that allowed her to deflect the last snake-woman''s claws - although not perfectly, and her depleted health was a stark reminder to pay attention to herself before others. You couldn''t help anyone if you died because you got distracted.

    Ignoring the wound, she ran through the mob, not even waiting for it to shatter to turn around fully. Her eyes immediately found the source of the scream.

    Wolv was quite literally pinned to the wall of the corridor by a giant wood stake. They had been moving around a lot as they battled, and the merchant must have triggered another trap.

    A wooden stake with the circumference of a closed fist had gone through the player''s midsection. Wolv''s HP was under 50%, Kizmel didn''t know if it was all because of the trap, or if he had been hurt beforehand.

    What she knew was that the Reaver couldn''t move, and a mob was slithering its way to him, claws ready to tear him to shreds.

    Kizmel started running towards Wolv, but it was a chaotic melee. She only made it a few steps before her path was blocked. She planted her blade on the mob''s back without reservations, not even sparing a glance to Ran, who was fighting it.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    She was going to be too late. Wolv clumsily blocked the first attack, but his awkward position didn''t give him much room to maneuver.

    "Kizmel, get down!"

    Drifter''s roar shook the dark elf to the core, and she dropped without even thinking. The silver glow of Serpentcoil Impale passed through her hair, narrowly missing her head, and hit the mob with such strength that it carried it a good 5 meters before it exploded in shards. The trident trembled where it struck the wall, and stayed there.

    Wide-eyed, the dark elf, still on the ground, raised her head. She wanted to scream at Drifter for his recklessness, but also knew that, had he hesitated, Wolv would be dead.

    She didn''t yell at him in the end. Mostly because the spearmaster had abandoned his own fight to rescue Wolv, and turned his back on the mobs he and Silica were battling.

    Silica was on the back of a dwarf, stabbing it again and again with all her skills while Pina clawed at its face. Unfortunately, that left a second mob free to do as it wished.

    "Uff!"

    A hammer struck his waist, and Drifter went down. The mob grunted and raised the heavy weapon for a crushing - and potentially fatal - blow.

    Drifter kicked its legs from under it, and rolled to the side. The hammer still hit his shoulder, but the blow mostly glanced off his armor.

    Scrambling to get up, the spearmaster used a Martial Arts skill to deliver a mighty uppercut to the dwarf. It didn''t kill it, but it did give Drifter an opening to put some distance between them.

    "Switch!"

    This time, Kizmel was close enough to make a difference. She rushed past Drifter, and the spearmaster relaxed.

    Trusting the dark elf to finish the enemy, he forsake the usual health potion in favor of a Healing Crystal. He was still shivering. For a moment there, the situation had gotten truly dire.

    Not that it was over yet. But after seeing that both Wolv and Drifter were safe, the Reavers redoubled their efforts to absolutely murder the remaining mobs.

    They did such a good job that Drifter didn''t even bother immediately recovering his trident. Instead, he went over to Wolv - who had by now freed himself from the trap - and broke another Healing Crystal on his chest.

    "That was almost horrible, hum?"

    The older player snorted, then let out a full-bellied laughter. His eyes still held some fear from the close scare with death, but he mirrored Drifter''s shit-eating grin.

    "Understatement of the fuckin'' year, Drifter. I owe you one."

    "Pff- By now you already owe me like, twenty."

    "Hahahaha! Just put it on the tab then."

    "Will do, Wolv. Will do."

    As the other Reavers approached the duo, worry still clear in their eyes, Drifter clapped Wolv on the shoulder one last time.

    "Good to still have you with us, man."

    Wolv laughed loudly, much to the disconcert of the others, who hadn''t heard what Drifter said. They quickly mobbed the duo.

    "Wolv, Drifter, are you alright?!"

    The spearmaster chuckled. Logically, everyone knew they were okay. This was SAO, not the outside world. Simply drinking a potion or using a crystal was enough to make it so as if nothing ever happened.

    But emotionally, such a close brush with death was impactful not only to the two players, but all their friends. Hell, even the people watching the Reavers'' broadcasts were covered in cold sweat.

    "We are good, don''t worry. I would say we have to be more cautious from now onwards, but I don''t think that''s actually possible. Wolv only triggered the trap because he was otherwise occupied."

    "Yeah, occupied trying not to get my face ripped off by one of the y¨­kai."

    The merchant mumbled under his breath, still loud enough for the others to hear him and laugh.

    "Let''s just keep going. The quicker we find the safe zone, the quicker we can get away from this maze."

    The somber mood settled in again, and everyone nodded. Drifter''s last thought before they continued down the corridor and took a right on the next fork was depressing.

    This floor is going to cost us.

    ------------------------

    After 1 hour of the defeat of the 24th floor boss, the players in the Town of Beginnings started to grow restless. Usually, by now, the next floor would have already been opened.

    After 2 hours, the restlessness turned to doubt. Maybe there was some sort of resource or limited quest on the 25th floor that the frontliners were trying to monopolize?

    When 4 hours went past, not even the most distrustful player could still believe that. Sure, some frontliners could be greedy, but not to this extent, and not all of them.

    After 6 hours, the SAO players were just about panicking. Many had even rushed to the Monument of Life to see if some sort of disaster had struck the Assault Team.

    It was only a mass-message released by Argo the Rat that calmed down the players. According to the info-broker, the 25th floor was troublesome, and the Assault Team was still tirelessly working to reach the safe zone and open the floor.

    Even with her reassurances, the extra hour that passed left them all unsettled. The shining light from the teleporter signaling another destination had been unlocked was followed by a collective sigh of relief from the gathered players. And then a mad dash to be the first to see what the floor that caused the frontliners so much trouble so early on in their exploration of it was like.

    Argo was one of the first to burst out of the teleporter, and she almost tripped over Klein. The samurai had apparently been the one to unlock it, and just about passed out of exhaustion.

    The info-broker''s eyes darted around, taking in everything around her. They appeared to be in a giant cave. A type of glowing green moss covering most of the walls and ceiling seemed to be the only source of light.

    The houses around her were little more than huts of packed black dirt, with more of the moss growing on them. The NPCs were humans, but with dark skin - not black, but grey.

    Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves were the only players from the Assault Team in sight. They all appeared worse for wear, sitting down with their backs to a wall or just collapsed haphazardly on the ground.

    At least they were all there.

    "What the hell happened, Orlan-nii? Where is the rest of the raid team?"

    Argo knew that the floor was a maze, of course. She had been in contact with Drifter, Kirito, the Reavers, and several frontliner players this entire time. That was the only reason she hadn''t panicked like the rest of the SAO victims.

    But only so much could be relayed through rushed messages while staying in the lookout for ambushes and traps. She needed a first-hand account of the floor, and she needed it immediately.

    "Hey, Rat."

    Orlando raised his head and gave a weak chuckle. Then he noticed her impatience, and sat up straighter.

    "The floor is a giant maze, trapped to hell and back. It took us this long just to find the safe zone because we kept getting lost and having to double back. The constant ambushes didn''t help either. We already shared the map with the rest of the Assault Team, they should make it here soon-ish."

    After saying that, Orlando lowered his head again. It took a moment for Argo to realize he had fallen asleep. She turned to Chuchulainn, who was sitting next to his guild leader.

    "Is it really that bad?"

    "Ha! Exhausting. More mentally than physically actually. We were already tired from the raid, but it was still okay at the start. The more we split up, though, the worse it got. We never knew where we were going, and we couldn''t take a single step before making an entire sweep with Searching. I mean it. Dale went down to 10% on one of the nastier traps. We also heard some of the Reavers got pretty close too, although they pulled through. The ALS apparently had some close calls also, although they weren''t keen to share through messages."

    Argo''s eyes widened. If that was just what Chuchulainn had heard, she couldn''t even imagine how bad it truly was.

    She almost asked if the Brave knew of any casualties, but he would have already told her if that were the case.

    The thought didn''t comfort her as much as she thought it would. It could be that he simply didn''t know. Nobody who lost someone would be eager to share.

    Instead of exploring the new town for quests and information, Argo turned her gaze to the only entrance to the safe zone. Now all she could do was worry and wait.

 Chapter 153 - Cracks of Trust

    Within three days, 17 lives had already been claimed by the 25th floor. 8 clearers and 9 other players.

    Of the latter, 4 had died out of sheer stupidity. Drifter would never understand how, after over a year of this death game, there were still idiots who would ignore all the warnings from the frontliners to not adventure on the 25th floor with anything less than a full party and extreme caution.

    Callous as it may be, the spearmaster thought all the idiots like that had died already, but apparently not.

    Well, he wasn''t crying for them. The loss of life was saddening, yes, but unfortunately so common that it only burdened him for a moment. He didn''t have the time to grieve for strangers.

    The thought gave him pause. When had he become that cold? Maybe SAO was taking more from him than he realized.

    "You are frowning, dummy. What are you thinking about?"

    A hand cupped his cheek, and Drifter put his palm over it, turning to his wife. Yuna was sitting on his feet, brushing her hair.

    They had been getting ready for bed, and his expression must have worried her. He scolded himself in his mind, but smiled softly.

    "Nothing much, songbird. And nothing specific."

    The songstress frowned.

    "Liar. You are worrying again. About what? Who?"

    Drifter sighed. She knew him too well. A fond smile took his lips, and he pulled her over to his lap, nuzzling his face against her neck. Yuna giggled and wrapped her arms around his head.

    "Well?"

    "I was thinking about the party that got wiped this morning."

    He couldn''t see her face, but he felt her sigh run through their bodies. Drifter hugged Yuna a little tighter.

    "We can''t control what other people do, dummy. The entire Assault Team warned everyone about how dangerous this floor is, and they ignored it. It''s not our fault."

    "Hm. I know. I never thought it was. But I still can''t help but think about it. Just about how much of a waste it is. Surviving an entire year only to fall because they got impatient."

    That was the crux of the matter. People died, and that was that. Drifter understood it well. What he couldn''t comprehend was dying in such a meaningless way.

    Of course, he knew it wasn''t like the players chose to die. Any number of reasons probably played a part in their decision to go into the 25th floor blind and without preparations. Drifter could only guess, even though he really shouldn''t.

    "Hhm. Argo said they didn''t even buy the maps or take the guides. That was a huge mistake."

    Yuna seemed to be going down a similar line of thinking, because she mumbled next to his ear, more talking to herself than to him.

    "Maybe they didn''t have cor..."

    It was a weak excuse, and they both knew it. The truth was, the party had been reckless, and they paid for it. They weren''t the first, and unfortunately wouldn''t be the last.

    "No way your little rat would have let them walk away without it and some sort of deal. She is too kind for what she does."

    Drifter had to grin at that, shifting so he now had his forehead pressed on Yuna''s cheek. She was right, like always. Under Argo''s tough exterior was one of the kindest souls in Aincrad. She would have made sure the party left with everything they needed, probably under the guise of paying her back with information.

    If only they had gone to her...

    "Hey. Dummy. Don''t dwell on it, okay? I love you."

    Yuna cupped his cheeks and lifted his head so they were now looking at each other. With a smile, Drifter pressed his lips to hers.

    "I love you too."

    The spearmaster fell on his back, dragging the songstress down with him. He prepared to turn off the lights and go to sleep when something outside their window caught his eye.

    Delicately putting Yuna down on the bed next to him, Drifter got up again and walked to the window while his wife watched curiously. Almost immediately, he groaned.

    ''What now?''

    The movement that caught his attention had been the wild gestures of one Kibaou the Challenger, who seemed to be having a heated argument with - here Drifter''s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline - Heathcliff of the KoB.

    Their room was on the second floor of the inn, with a view to the street. Once the window was closed, the room was completely soundproof, which explained why they hadn''t heard the one-sided argument earlier.

    One-sided because, while Kibaou was red-faced and very clearly upset, Heathcliff''s expression was the same as always, and completely unreadable. The ALS guild leader was the one doing most of the talking, with Heathcliff only interjecting every now and then - each time making Kibaou turn a shade darker.

    For a moment Drifter considered just closing the blinds and going back to bed. But then he groaned again and bumped his forehead on the glass. He would better interfere before Kibaou did something that caused lasting consequences.

    "You are going down?"

    At some moment, Yuna had gotten up and walked over to the window. Now she hugged her husband from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. Drifter nodded.

    "I think I have to. Kibaou has been... More and more erratic lately. He might do something drastic. Especially since it''s Heathcliff he''s got a problem with. Their personalities don''t mesh well together."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Hm. I see it. Like fire and ice. I thought you didn''t like Heathcliff."

    "Eh. He just unnerves me somewhat. But that doesn''t mean he deserves to be on the business end of Kibaou''s vitriol. Or worse, his sword. Can you imagine the PR problem for the Assault Team if that happens?"

    Loath as he was to admit, Drifter recognized Kibaou was one of the most skilled players in the Assault Team. While Heathcliff might be a very promising rookie, it was very unlikely he would be on the level of a titled player if they fought.

    "Go then. And don''t take too long. I''ll be waiting."

    The songstress giggled, a musical sound next to his ear. Drifter extricated himself from her arms, kissed her cheek, and made his way to the door.

    "Be right back."

    The spearmaster quickly trodded his way down the stairs, equipping his armor along the way for appearances sake. He had grabbed his trident when leaving their room, and now he also strapped it to his back. He was going there to defuse the situation, not escalate it. No sense in showing with weapons in hand and causing an even bigger commotion.

    Crossing the inn''s common room, Drifter nodded to Griselda and Kizmel, who were having a late dinner. An odd friendship, but who was he to judge?

    They made to rise, and Drifter shook his head. Let them have their food in peace.

    "-ling my guild members!"

    The moment he stepped outside, Drifter''s ears were assaulted by Kibaou''s roar. The spearmaster winced.

    Kibaou was shouting right on Heathcliff''s face, spittle flying everywhere. The grey-haired man, on the other hand, said nothing, but held his ground. His back was turned to Drifter, but he could imagine he wore the same unchanging blank mask he always did.

    "Good night, gentlemen. What seems to be the problem here?"

    Coughing, Drifter made his presence known, interrupting Kibaou mid tirade. Both men turned to face him, the spiky-haired guild leader with an absolutely furious expression, and Heathcliff with a glint of interest in his eyes.

    "Sod off, Broken Spear! You have nothing to do here."

    Feeling the incoming headache, Drifter willed the fake smile he had plastered on his face to stay there. He stepped up to Kibaou at the same time that Heathcliff silently retreated, intent on watching from the sidelines.

    "Wrong, Challenger. I was having a very heartfelt conversation with my wife, getting prepared to sleep, when I had to get up and come here to stop you - both of you - before you did something you regretted."

    A pointed look from the spearmaster let Heathcliff know he wasn''t off the hook yet.

    Kibaou, meanwhile, bristled at Drifter''s words. He seemed ready to yell again, just with a changed target, when the smile fell off Drifter''s face completely, and his gaze sharpened.

    Recognizing the look, Kibaou visibly stopped himself and swallowed his words - figuratively and almost literally. He snorted.

    "Why do you care, Broken Spear? Go back to your bed if you miss it so much."

    Drifter''s eyes narrowed, and he put a hand on Kibaou''s shoulder, dragging him closer so only the two of them, and Heathcliff who was still nearby, could hear him.

    "Look around. People are watching. Not many, true, but you know how gossip goes around Aincrad fast."

    The ALS guild leader did as Drifter told, for the first time noticing his audience. Not long ago, he wouldn''t have cared at all and continued to berate Heathcliff and Drifter for getting involved. But a year of being a guild leader had taught him the importance of public image. Drifter''s hand was still on his shoulder.

    "It''s not that I care, Kibaou. It''s politics. You are one of the faces of the Assault Team. Kibaou the Challenger. Guild leader of the Aincrad Liberation Squad. How do you think it looks for you to be yelling at someone in the middle of the street, whatever the reason is? A frontliner bullying an aspiring clearer. Maybe because you are afraid of being surpassed? Replaced?"

    Kibaou turned red again, and opened his mouth to argue - probably because Drifter hit a little too close to home. But the spearmaster cut him off before he could.

    "It doesn''t matter if it''s true or not, Kibaou. That''s what people will think. You know as well as I do that the ALS doesn''t have the most stellar reputation with high and mid-level players. Largely because of your proclivity to talk first - usually loudly - and think later. Just like now."

    Later, to Yuna, Drifter would admit that it felt good to say what he had been thinking for so long to Kibaou''s face. But in the moment, he kept a completely serious expression. He didn''t want Kibaou to think he was mocking him - because he wasn''t.

    "What does it matter what people think."

    The spiky-haired guild leader made one last feeble attempt to justify his actions, but he had clearly already given up on the argument. He squeezed Kibaou''s shoulder again, this time reassuringly.

    "It doesn''t, Kibaou. Not to most people in your guild and mine. But for you and for me, and for Kirito and Lind, we have to care. Because we are the ones people look up to. Titled players. The leaders of the frontliners. Whether we like it or not, we are their role models. And do you want the players of Aincrad to work towards beating the game, or to be arrogant bullies preventing our freedom?"

    The last word alone drove the point home. Freedom was what every player in Sword Art Online desired. Anything and anyone that stopped them from getting it was the enemy.

    For a tense few seconds, Kibaou glared at Drifter, and the spearmaster held his gaze unflinching. Then, with a curt nod and a final scowl towards Heathcliff, the ALS guild leader turned around and left.

    Drifter watched Kibaou leave with a sigh. Once he was out of sight, he turned around to find Heathcliff studying him. He frowned.

    "Heathcliff. I don''t know what Kibaou''s problem with you was, and I don''t wanna know. I already massively overstepped by interfering when I did."

    "I understand, Broken Spear Drifter. I was partially at fault. Thank you for your help."

    His unchanged expression and zero lack of showing he heard a single word of what Drifter said pissed the spearmaster off. He hounded up the grey-haired guild leader with a glare.

    "What I said to Kibaou holds true for you too, Heathcliff. You made no mystery of your intentions to join the Assault Team sooner rather than later. But do you think that just because you are good with a sword and have enough people your KoB has a guaranteed ticket in?"

    Something else flashed inside those steely eyes. Anger. Heathcliff felt as if Drifter was looking down on him. Good.

    "Is that not the case? Broken Spear Drifter."

    The spearmaster shook his head.

    "Do you know what the most important thing is for frontliners, Heathcliff?"

    "What?"

    "Trust. I may not like Kibaou. I think he is arrogant and runs his guild like a dictatorship. And he may also hate me. He thinks I''m a traitor for following Kirito, a beater. And he is probably cursing me right now. But the second we step into the boss room, I know I can put my life in his hands. That I can leave my back to him, and he will have it."

    Drifter met Heathcliff''s stare head-on and refused to back down. It was nothing compared to staring down a boss.

    "I trust every frontliner to do the same. I know they will. The moment I can''t trust someone on the Assault Team, I won''t be able to fight properly anymore."

    The implied ''I can''t trust you'' was obvious. And it was unfair for Drifter to dump all that on Heathcliff. He didn''t even know what their argument was about. For all he knew, Heathcliff could be in the right. But he stared at the grey-haired player until he looked away.

    "Each frontliner carries 7.000 lives on their shoulders, Heathcliff. We can''t afford to watch our backs. Neither can you, if you really intend to take up that burden. So think on how you want to proceed. And remember SAO isn''t a game you can beat alone."

    His piece said, Drifter turned around and went back to the inn. He had already spoken a lot more than he planned, and he had a bed and a wife to get back to.

    Just before the inn doors closed behind him, Drifter chanced a glance over his shoulder. Heathcliff was still standing on the same spot, a pensive expression on his face.

 Chapter 154 - 25th Floor Massacre

    Kizmel and Griselda had already gone to bed, and the inn''s common room was empty. Drifter took the stairs one step at a time, unequipping his armor as he did so.

    When he opened the door to his room, the only piece of equipment he had left on his person was his trident, which he propped up against the bedside table, next to Yuna''s harp.

    The owner of said musical instrument was already in bed, with her back turned to him, but Drifter knew she was still awake.

    Taking off his shirt, he slipped under the covers. Drifter threw an arm over his wife, the other sneaking under her pillow and her head. Yuna sighed contentedly, rubbing her back against his bare chest until she found a comfortable position.

    "How did it go?"

    "You telling me you weren''t watching from the window?"

    He pressed a kiss on Yuna''s exposed neck, and she shuddered.

    "Of course I did. But I couldn''t hear what you were saying after you started whispering."

    Drifter hummed his acknowledgement, continuing to pepper her neck and nape with kisses.

    "I only caught the tail-end of it, but it sounded like Kibaou was accusing Heathcliff of stealing his people? The KoB has been growing fast. Maybe Heathcliff was poaching some ALS players? I don''t know. Anyway, I told him off for doing it in public. And Heathcliff too, for good measure."

    He brushed her ear with his lips, and that was enough for Yuna. She turned around so they were facing each other, and kissed him hard.

    "I bet neither of them liked it."

    "Of course not. But who do you think your husband is? If I tell them to shut up so my lovely wife can get her beauty sleep, they will."

    Yuna laughed at his mock arrogance, an enthralling sound Drifter would never get tired of hearing. Her eyes danced with mirth as she kissed him again.

    "Flatterer."

    "I prefer honest."

    Drifter pressed into the kiss. For however long they made out, basking in the love they felt for each other, until Yuna pulled back.

    "Well then, I better get some of that beauty sleep. Wouldn''t want to disappoint you."

    Drifter smiled and held his wife close, tucking her head under his chin. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head.

    "You could never disappoint me, my songbird."

    ------------------------

    Trust.

    Even after he returned to the privacy of his own room, away from the prying eyes of spectators outside, Heathcliff was still thinking of what Drifter said. Of that word.

    Trust.

    Heath- No, Kayaba - had trusted many people over his life. But never truly. And he thought he was justified in it. All but one had betrayed him.

    But now, he found himself being forced to confront that concept again. Because Broken Spear Drifter said trust was necessary to become a frontliner.

    Of course, Kayaba knew that Drifter was speaking figuratively. There was no way the Assault Team would reject a group of skilled fighters like him and his Knights of the Blood Oath just because they weren''t sure they could trust him.

    But it left him thinking. Thinking that there was more to being a player than he initially assumed. More to being a hero.

    For once, Kayaba didn''t immediately delve into Cardinal''s reports once he was safely secured away in his room. He just closed his eyes and thought.

    Trust.

    -----------------------

    The 25th floor of Aincrad would go down in Sword Art Online''s history, for more reasons than one, and none of them good.

    For one, it was the floor which took the longest for the players to explore, with the special exception of the 1st floor. 21 days to find the entrance to the tower, and then another week to reach the boss room.

    And it was costly. Another record the 25th floor set, again ignoring the 1st floor, was the number of casualties incurred during its exploration. 27 mid and high-level players, 61 clearers, and 9 frontliners.

    By the time an advanced party from DKB found the boss room, Aincrad had lost much of its cheerfulness from the remarkably easy conquest of the 24th floor.

    And there was another reason why the 25th floor would go down in history as one of Aincrad''s most infamous floors. Something that left the players and the world shaken to their very core.

    A day when the foundations of the Assault Team almost crumbled, and all SAO players almost gave up hope.

    The 25th Massacre.

    ----------------------------

    17th of December, 2023.

    25th floor safe zone.

    Reaver''s Requiem was spread out on several different tables, having commandeered the common room of their inn. Not something the guild would usually do, but today was a special occasion. They needed the silence.

    Because today was the day the scouting party was challenging the floor boss. And after almost an entire month on the 25th floor, everyone just wanted to come up with a raid plan and get it over with.

    Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Griselda, Agil, and Kizmel were all huddled up on one of the tables. The first 3 because they were the leaders of Reaver''s Requiem, and the last 3 because they had good heads on their shoulders for tactics and strategy.

    "Urgh... The anticipation is killing me. I don''t remember it being this bad the last few times."

    Asuna groaned, laying her head on the table. Despite the somber atmosphere, Drifter grinned.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "That''s because we were the scouting party last floor. Waiting is always worse."

    "They are already in the tower. Just a few more minutes, love."

    Kirito combed Asuna''s hair with his fingers, and just about everyone within earshot smiled softly. The two together were just so damn cute.

    Thinking that, Drifter sneaked a peek over Griselda''s shoulder to Yuna. His wife was two tables away, quietly chatting with Silica and Sachi.

    When she caught him looking at her, the songstress gave Drifter a bright smile, which he returned. Then reclined back on his chair, waiting for the broadcast icon on his menu to light up.

    "Liten is leading the party today, right? She is very straightforward."

    "At least we won''t have to listen to one of Kibaou''s speeches."

    The spearmaster snorted. It was a sign of how annoying Kibaou was that even Kizmel was making off-handed comments like that.

    The responsibility for scouting out the 25th floor boss had fallen on ALS'' shoulders. Like usual, 3 parties'' worth of frontliners would be sent to scope out the boss'' attack patterns, skills, and overall deadliness.

    3 parties was a calculated number. Enough players that they could have tanks and damage dealers, but not so many that if, gods forbid, something went terribly wrong, the loss would crippled the Assault Team.

    Which was why, of course, when the broadcast turned on and the Reavers each opened it on their own menus, they were all stunned to find not Liten and her 3 parties, but Kibaou and just about all of ALS.

    And he did mean all of the guild. There were about 150 players streaming into the boss room, including the 40-odd frontliner elites of the guild. Of the rest, Drifter recognized some as the ALS'' clearer parties. The majority, however, were unknown faces to him, but they all carried the Aincrad Liberation Squad''s flag.

    "Wh- What the hell is that idiot doing?!"

    They all stood up, pushing back their chairs. The room broke into chaos, as did most of Aincrad.

    Drifter''s eyes were wide open with shock, anger, and fear. This was not what the Assault Team had agreed on. Not at all.

    The spearmaster snapped his gaze from his menu to look at the others.

    "Did anyone know about this?"

    Kirito shook his head. He couldn''t fantom what had possessed Kibaou to challenge a floor boss with only his own guild. And only less than a third of them were frontliners.

    "It''s going to be a massacre. We have to get there."

    Asuna spoke with a trembling voice. And Drifter agreed. But none of the Reavers could help but to look back at the broadcast in transfixed horror.

    Kibaou had led the ALS into the boss room silently. He knew that the other frontline guilds would be moving soon when they realized what he had done.

    They spread out, the nervousness apparent in the faces of the green players. The frontliners, like Liten, had expressions that ranged from grim determination to forced calm. Drifter couldn''t imagine the shield-bearer was happy with her guild leader.

    In the middle of the room stood the floor boss. It was... Well, it was a Two-Headed Giant. Which was also its name.

    The boss had its arms - four of them - crossed in front of its massive chest, towering over the players by a good 15 meters. The fours fists were bare, but no less intimidating than if they had been holding a weapon.

    "Charge!"

    Kibaou shouted, the first word Drifter heard him say since the broadcast started. He was the first to rush at the boss, the ALS players closely behind him.

    Swords, spears, daggers, and axes cut into the boss'' flesh, instantly erasing a few percents of the first health bar. The Two-Headed Giant stood completely still, not showing any reaction to the wounds.

    For a brief, blissfully utopian moment, Drifter tricked himself into thinking everything would be alright. And then the boss opened its eyes, and he knew he was wrong.

    A cruel glint shone in the boss'' bloodshot eyes, and Drifter felt his grip on his trident tightening unconsciously. He hadn''t even noticed when he drew it from his back.

    The Two-Headed Giant uncrossed its arms, pounding its fists together. Then it stomped on the ground, throwing several players into the air. Both heads roared, and a fist the size of a car swung, battering one of the defenseless players.

    It was like watching someone burst a water balloon, or punch a snowball. The fist paused momentarily, then passed straight through the player, leaving only shards behind.

    Drifter froze. Around him, the Reavers stopped, mouths hanging open in horror.

    "O-One hit?"

    Drifter thought it was Agil who stammered. Right now, he felt as if he were afflicted with Nautilus'' FNC. All he could do was stare at the broadcast.

    The first death was only the start. While Kibaou, Liten, and the ALS players were just as frozen in shock as the spectators, the Two-Headed Giant didn''t stop moving.

    Another mighty swing of its fists sent players sprawling, and the boss quickly stomped on one of the unfortunate souls that followed Kibaou, his scream abruptly cutting off. When the boss lifted its feet again, there was nothing underneath it.

    Another fell to a backhanded swing. That seemed to finally spur Kibaou and the ALS into action.

    The spiky-haired guild leader yelled orders, and Liten and the other frontliners moved to intercept the boss. But they had hesitated for too long.

    The Two-Headed Giant pounded the shield-bearer with its fists, and Liten held strong. But even from the broadcast, Drifter could see she was being pushed back.

    "Liten is struggling. What is up with this boss?! This isn''t even a round floor!"

    Liten was thrown back and another player died. Four already, and it hadn''t been even 60 seconds since the battle started.

    "It doesn''t matter. We need to get there. Asuna, Griselda, Agil, Nautilus, Yuna, message everyone. We meet in the plaza in three. Drif- Fuck, we don''t have the Corridor Crystal anymore, do we?"

    Reaver''s Requiem started moving, checking their equipment and supplies. They had nothing ready. They weren''t prepared to raid a boss today.

    It was a sign of how dire the situation was that even Kirito cursed, and his girlfriend said nothing. She was preoccupied firing messages to all the frontline guilds.

    Meanwhile, Drifter had swapped his trident for his old twisted bident. He wanted the more familiar weapon on hand if they were diving headfirst in such a chaotic situation. He shook his head to Kirito''s question.

    "Kibaou had the crystal primed with the boss room coordinates. Argo. If anyone has another, it''s her."

    "Let''s pray she does. If we have to cross the maze and the tower to get to them..."

    Kirito trailed off, his gaze once again turning to the broadcast. Drifter followed it, and winced. In the short few moments they had turned their attention away, the battle had got even worse for the ALS.

    It was a fucking mess. No easy way to put it. The lower leveled players had completely panicked, and were running everywhere. Easy pickings for the boss as it chased them with a malicious grin, punching them to death one at a time. Kibaou''s orders to regroup fell in deaf ears.

    The clearers were faring little better. For all they may be considered frontliner seeds, getting thrown in such a brutal slaughter - and that was what it was, make no mistake - for their first boss raid guaranteed they couldn''t fight back.

    The frontliners were the only ones still holding some semblance of a formation, but even they were struggling.

    The Two-Headed Giant was abnormally strong. Stronger than any floor boss that wasn''t from a round floor. Stronger than the 10th and 20th floor bosses too, even.

    Drifter suddenly had a horrifying thought. The 10th and 20th floors were dangerous because they marked something. They were checkpoints. A tenth of the way up. Two tenths of the way up.

    And if that was the case, wasn''t the 25th floor also an important marker? A fourth of the way up.

    It explained everything. Why the floor boss was so strong. Why the floor was a deadly hell maze so different than the floors before it. Why so many people had already died.

    Why the ALS was being massacred right now.

    Drifter shuddered. The 25th floor was a giant meat grinder. Another trap for Kayaba to filter the weak from the strong. It was a sure-death floor, even for frontliners.

    And Kibaou had just brought a hundred inexperienced players into it.

 Chapter 155 - Pride Cometh Before the Fall

    This was wrong. It was all wrong. This was supposed to be the triumph of the Aincrad Liberation Squad. Their time of glory, to show all the people looking down on them that they were the best the Assault Team had. The best Aincrad had.

    It wasn''t supposed to be... This. Kibaou watched as another player was pounded to death by those giant fists, right in front of him. He didn''t even know his name. It was just another one of those kids who had joined the ALS because they dreamed of being frontliners.

    And now he was dead. Along with... 10 others? 12? Kibaou didn''t even know anymore.

    Dead... Because of him.

    ----------------------

    40 minutes earlier.

    Kibaou looked down on the assembled players. Nearly all of ALS was there. Not just his frontliners and his clearers, but all the mid-level players and above in the guild. 156 of them.

    It was a force the Assault Team could only hope to compare. Because once you took out the 40-some ALS frontliners, less than a hundred players were left in it.

    Well, okay. Even with their reduced strength, 90 frontliners would still be able to wipe the floor with the ALS. For clearers it was already a stretch to face frontliners. For normal players then...

    That line of thought soured Kibaou''s mood, and reminded him again why he was here, about to give an order that was sure to come back to bite him later.

    If only he had known how soon ''later'' would be.

    Kibaou was tired. Tired of being looked down on by the other frontliners. Tired of the whispers that followed him wherever he went. Tired of the fingers pointing at his back from players who didn''t even dare to leave the safe zones.

    So what if he wasn''t a bubbling idiot like that fool Hero Orlando? So what if he was rude and direct and treated SAO like what it was? A death trap, not a fucking game.

    So what if he ran his guild like an army? They were soldiers, for god''s sake! All of them were! What, was he supposed to act like they were all a big family, like that damned Reaver''s Requiem?

    Don''t even get him started on the Beater. Sure, the Black Swordsman was fighting just as hard as everyone else to finish the game, but that didn''t excuse what he had done. No, it didn''t pardon what he had done. It should have been him who died, not Diavel.

    But no, people didn''t just let the Beater do as he pleased, they cheered for him. As if he was some sort of great hero. Even Lind was turning a blind eye to it more often than not, and disrespecting the man on whose''s memory his entire guild had been built.

    And as if that wasn''t enough, even the others from that guild of children had forgotten their place. The Songstress, the Aero Huntress, and the NPC. They were blatantly cheating, but it was like he was the only one who could see it.

    And not just a few weeks ago, that damned Broken Spear Drifter had walked all over him. Spouted some bullshit about politics and being role models for the lower leveled players.

    Broken Spear Drifter was an enigma to Kibaou. The bastard was a proper menace in battle, and as ruthless as they came, as evidenced by him killing the red player Morte - Kibaou was still not sure how he felt about that.

    And yet, at the same time, he was one of the kindest people you could meet. He acted like a big brother to his whole guild, and was a big brother in all but blood to Argo the Rat. He always took some time out each week to play with the church kids back in the 1st floor, and was willing to give tips and help train anyone who asked him politely.

    For Kibaou, it was hard to see the vicious Broken Spear, who could hold back a floor boss on his own, and the Drifter who had married Songstress Yuna - and Kibaou would admit he was a little jealous of that - as the same person.

    But they were, and Kibaou was reminded of that every time he talked with Broken Spear Drifter.

    The titled player didn''t have any qualms speaking his mind when he felt like it, as shown by the latest tongue-lashing he gave Kibaou in the whole Heathcliff situation.

    Just thinking of it filled Kibaou with anger again. Some of the things he said had been too accurate, and shocked Kibaou into leaving with his tail between his legs, which he hated.

    Yes, he, Kibaou the Challenger, was going to admit it. He felt threatened by Heathcliff. By how fast the cold-blooded little snake was rising in floors and ranks. Afraid that the stone-faced bastard and his newborn guild were going to outclass him and surpass his ALS, despite not having put in nearly a fraction of the time and effort that he did.

    And that was why they were here now. To rectify all the mistakes and misconceptions. To show that the ALS was still the best Aincrad had. That they, that he, could never be sidelined. And that if anyone, be it Dragon Knight Lind, Black Swordsman Kirito, Broken Spear Drifter, or Heathcliff thought that they could just discard him... Well. They were the ones the Assault Team didn''t need.

    -----------------------

    Everything had gone to shit. Kibaou... He had no idea how many of his people had died already. At least 20. And the survivors were so disorganized that they hadn''t even emptied half of the Two-Headed Giant''s first health bar. And that was just one of five.

    Suddenly, everything he had been thinking before about making the Aincrad Liberation Squad great again, the speech he made just before setting off, the words he used to rile up his nervous subordinates... It all seemed so meaningless.

    He had ignored Liten''s warnings and the words of caution of his lieutenants. He had seen the scared expressions of the normal players and chalked it up to cowardice and ignorance.

    Turns out, he was the ignorant one. He was the coward. Because all this time, it hadn''t been righteous fury that drove him to make such a huge mistake.

    It had been his wounded pride.

    And now others were paying for his ego. Kibaou watched the Two-Headed Giant punch someone else, a frontliner this time, twice. The player, already low on HP, only had the time to groan once before shattering

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    That was someone who had been with Kibaou since he founded the ALS. A true veteran, who had joined the Assault Team before they were even called that, back on the 2nd floor.

    And he was dead now. After surviving over a year in the most dangerous position there was in Aincrad.

    He could have survived. Climbed to the top and escaped. He should have. But Kibaou killed him.

    Maybe not directly, but it were his orders that sent the player and so many others to their deaths. He had as good as pulled the plug himself.

    "Leader! We need to retreat!"

    Someone shouted in his ear. Kibaou had no idea when Liten had reached him. He looked at her with a vacant expression.

    He had blamed her too. Scolded her for dating Shivata, who he only saw as part of their rival guild, the Dragon Knights Brigade. Accused her of fraternizing with the enemy, for being friends with Lighting Flash Asuna and other Reavers.

    "Kibaou?! Snap out of it!"

    The sharp sound of Kibaou being slapped in the face was lost in the middle of the chaos, as was his dumbfounded face when he looked at Liten. Of all people, he never thought she would strike him.

    But it served its purpose, snapping Kibaou awake from the guilt-induced stupor he had fallen into. He stared back at the tank wide-eyed.

    "R-Right. We have to..."

    The word got stuck on his throat. He never thought he would have to say it. After all, retreating was for cowards. Running away was for cowards.

    For the first time, Kibaou considered that Kayaba''s inclusion of a boss raid broadcast feature wasn''t a kindness.

    Surely... Surely they didn''t need to retreat, right? He was Kibaou the Challenger! One of SAO''s titled players, one of the elites of the Assault Team. Surely he didn''t need to order a retreat... In full view of all of Aincrad... After he let his arrogance take over and made the biggest mistake of his life...

    The guild leader tore his gaze away from Liten. There was just too much judgment in her eyes.

    But just because he looked away, it didn''t mean the view was better. His people were dying around him. Every minute, another fell victim to the rampaging boss.

    How long had it been? 5 minutes? 5 hours?

    How many?

    Too many.

    "R-Retreat! Fall back!"

    His pride shattered, Kibaou ordered the retreat. No, he ordered them to run away. And some, those closest to the doors, did. In fact, some had already left when the battle first started going downhill.

    Kibaou himself started heading towards the exit. He never got there. A giant fist blindsided him, and sent the guild leader tumbling through the ground.

    "Urgh!"

    Kibaou groaned, more due to surprise than anything. When he looked up, the Two-Headed Giant was standing right over him. The exit was behind the monster.

    Whether by design or coincidence, the boss had positioned itself between the bulk of the ALS forces and the doors. And it wasn''t moving.

    "Motherfucker- Ugh!"

    Kibaou started to curse, but had to stop and focus on defending against the onslaught of fists that rained down on him.

    Say what you will about him, but Kibaou the Challenger was a Sword Art Online elite. Even in the state he was, he still managed to parry, deflect, or block most of the boss'' attacks. And even those which hit him, he turned his body in such a way that he minimized the damage. Where normal players had fallen to one or two attacks from the Two-Headed Giant, Kibaou had already withstood 20 in a short moment.

    But even he had his limits. Higher level, stats, and better equipment had its limits too. His HP, in the end, was just a number. And it was rapidly depleting.

    Another punch broke his shield, and Kibaku hastily raised his blade to block, but the weapon wasn''t made for defense. He flipped over and was thrown a good 10 meters back. If someone hadn''t used a Healing Crystal on him during the battle, he would be dead.

    And maybe that would be better. It might not wash away the shame, and it certainly wouldn''t bring back those who died for his mistakes. But maybe it would be some sort of redemption...?

    No. There was no redemption in dying like this. It was just another form of running away. If he had to die... Kibaou surveyed the battle. Litne had managed to assemble about 3 dozen players in some sort of formation, and was keeping the boss at bay. But they had already suffered too much damage to have any hope of winning the battle. As long as the Two-Headed Giant was blocking the exit, even surviving would be difficult.

    Kibaou crawled up, and raised his scimitar again. If he had to die, then he was going to make it worth something.

    If Drifter could hear what Kibaku was thinking right now, he would scream and beat the player within an inch of his life. Even now, when everything had gone to shit, the fucking idiot couldn''t let go of his pride.

    Make his death worth something? Only someone with an ego the size of Aincrad could be thinking something like that in this situation. Instead of trying to survive, or at least save his guildmates, Kibaou was looking to become a martyr!

    "Liten, escape when I give you an opening! Take everyone away!"

    "Wh- Ack!"

    Kibaou''s sudden shouting distracted the tank, and she took a fist to the side. Using a skill to stabilize her body and push back the boss, she turned her head and saw Kibaou charging the Two-Headed Giant from the side.

    "Hey! Look over here, you stupid fuck!"

    "Kibaou, wait! Don''t-"

    Too late. Kibaou lashed at the boss'' side with a skill, successfully catching its attention. The Two-Headed Giant turned around and made to grab him, but the guild leader just barely dodged the large hands.

    "Go, ALS! I''ll distract- Urgh!''

    He did not dodge the open palm that swatted him. Kibaou''s eyes widened in shock, and he watched his health slowly drain. For a very long second, he thought he was dead. There were so few pixels left in his HP bar that he could probably count them in one hand.

    Like this, even being slightly grazed by the Two-Headed Giant would spell doom for him. And looking at the car-sized fist descending almost vertically on him... Kibaou lowered his sword and closed his eyes.

    The expected feeling of being squashed to oblivion didn''t come. Instead, Kibaku felt someone grabbing him by the back of the neck and dragging him back.

    "What the fuck do you think you are doing, you fucking idiot?! Either stand up and fight or get the fuck out of the way!"

    "Huh?"

    A very familiar voice yelled at his face, and Kibaou opened his eyes to see Dragon Knight Lind, angrier than he had ever seen the other player before. No, enraged was probably a better description.

    But... When had Lind arrived? For that matter- Kibaou turned around and looked at the boss, and his jaw dropped.

    Indomitable Knight Nautilus was kneeling, his shield raised above his head and holding the Two-Headed Giant''s fist. Shivata and Liten were blocking another hand.

    Black Swordsman Kirito had his sword buried hilt-deep into the giant''s face. Hero Orlando was hacking away at its side. Merchant Warrior Agil seemed to be doing his utmost to cut off a third limb. And the samurai Klein and Broken Spear Drifter had the last hand nailed to the ground by their katana and spear.

    "Wh-What? H-How-"

    No one answered him. Lind was already facing the Two-Headed Giant. The Assault Team descended onto the boss with unbridled fury.

    Kibaou could only watch as more frontliners streamed out of a portal just outside the boss room, Argo the Rat next to it. Without a world, they joined the battle.

    Fighting.

    Dying.

 Chapter 156 - Desperate Struggle

    Drifter had never thought there could be something worse than pitting your life against a floor boss - actually, that was a lie. He could think of several worse things, chief amongst which was having one of his friends killed by said floor boss.

    But that was besides the point. That being, he had just found something worse: watching other people fight a floor boss. And die. By the dozens.

    The spearmaster had never resented Kayaba so much. Not even when he found out he was trapped in SAO. But this? Making a floor boss so absurdly harder without warning, with the sole aim of killing as many people as possible? This was sickening.

    And Kibaou. Drifter swore that, if the idiot survived, he would invite (demand) Kibaou for a few very public sparring (humiliation) sessions and kick the ever-loving shit out of him.

    If he survived.

    It was still a toss-up. Argo - thank all that was scared for her - had a Corridor Crystal they could use. Her backup''s backup, she called it. And the Assault Team mobilized in record time.

    Their meeting point changed to the plaza of the Town of Beginnings. It was a larger place for them to gather, and most of the frontliners were already there anyway.

    In their justified hurry, they had forgotten that it wasn''t only the frontliners who liked to gather on the 1st floor to watch the broadcasts, even if it was just for the scouting party.

    Being stared at was nothing new to any of them, but it was not what they needed right now. Not while people were dying.

    They ignored it. Guild by guild, the frontliners lined up, looking more like an army than they ever had. Standing next to Argo, Drifter finally saw Fuurinkazan arriving. They were the last ones, and he nodded to the info-broker.

    "Aight, everyone! 20 seconds! Go through the portal, kill that motherfuckin'' boss, and bring back the ALS!"

    Shouts of agreement were returned, and Drifter squeezed the little rat''s shoulder in silent thanks. She smiled up at him, but it didn''t reach her eyes.

    It had taken the Assault Team 7 minutes to assemble. 9 in total, since the battle started. Drifter had stopped looking at the broadcast, but he knew at least 20 ALS players were dead. Probably - no, certainly - more.

    "What''s the plan, Broken Spear?"

    Dragon Knight Lind stepped forward, for once without the signature sneer he always had when talking to a Reaver. Drifter shook his head.

    "No time for one, Lind..."

    "Ten seconds!"

    "...Just try to save as many of them as we can."

    "5 seconds!"

    "Hmm. Good luck, Broken Spear."

    "To you too, Dragon Knight."

    "...2, 1! Opening the corridor!"

    Argo activated the Corridor Crystal, and a swirling blue portal opened in front of them. The DKB were the first through the gate. Drifter exchanged a glance with Kirito, who nodded. Reaver''s Requiem stepped through without hesitation.

    Just before he was teleported away, Drifter heard Argo. She was going to be the last one to go, after making sure everyone was through.

    "Good luck, Dri-bou. Bring those assholes back."

    ...

    Whatever they had been watching in the broadcast, it was worse in person. As soon as he stepped out of the portal, Drifter could see the Two-Headed Giant, with its back turned to them, grab a player and squeeze, crushing him.

    For a half-second, Drifter stared at the cloud of shards. It chilled his blood that it wasn''t the only one he saw hovering in the air. It was terrifying to think that the Two-Headed Giant was killing people fast enough that the polygons of their deaths had yet to dissipate before another fell.

    But the spearmaster only stayed still for that fraction of a moment. Then he immediately dashed into the boss room, using Rage Spike and Comet Break as if they were simple movement skills.

    Lind and his Dragon Knights Brigade were only a few steps ahead of him. They muscled their way through the mass of panicked ALS players, opening a path for Reaver''s Requiem and the others.

    Drifter caught glimpses of Liten and the other frontliners'' shocked and relieved faces. His gaze was focused completely on the boss. It was about to crush someone.

    Kibaou.

    He had his eyes closed, and looked like he had given up.

    Drifter was going to kill him.

    Several things happened at once. Drifter bent his arm backwards and launched his spear in the strongest Serpentcoil Impale he had ever used. Nautilus activated Unrepentant Charge to block the boss. Lind grabbed Kibaou by the scruff of the neck and pulled the idiot back.

    Kirito vanished from beside him in a burst of speed, climbing up the boss and sinking his sword in its face. Yuuki and Ran charged with Fuurinkazan and cut away at its legs.

    Shivata had grabbed Liten and they were working together to fend off another hand while Orlando and his Braves fought a third appendage.

    The fourth and last hand of the Two-Headed Giant was still free, and formed a fist aiming at Asuna.

    Drifter saw that and snarled. Just thinking of how many players the boss had already killed set his blood boiling.

    "Die!"

    Recalling his weapon, the spearmaster whirled and slashed, stabbing in a flurry that left half a dozen wounds along the Two-Headed Giant''s arm.

    It wasn''t enough. The fist was still going for Asuna. The fencer narrowed her eyes and used a Martial Arts skill to dodge.

    The fist thundered and opened a crater in the ground. The Two-Headed Giant roared and started to lift its hand again, and Drifter heard Klein growling.

    "Oh no you don''t, fucker."

    The red-haired guild leader made a drawing motion, and his katana flashed in a Savage Fulcrum. Red shards flew in the air, and another set of wounds appeared on the boss'' limb. Then Klein spun his blade and stabbed straight down, pinning its hand to the ground.

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    Drifter smiled savagely, and jumped. Without any words, he too stabbed down and pierced the boss'' hand.

    It held the Two-Headed Giant for a moment. Then it roared again and ripped its hands free, sending everything flying. Weapons, players, everything.

    Drifter spun his body mid-air and landed on his feet, as did most of the others. They were used to fighting bosses 20 times their size, and knew that immobilizing its limbs was only a delaying tactic. Cardinal would never make it that easy to incapacitate a boss.

    But those few seconds were what the Assault Team needed to properly enter a formation. About 60 players surrounded the boss, while the remaining 30 provided first-aid to the ALS survivors. They guided the clearers and normal players out of the room while organizing the ALS frontliners - the raid team still needed them.

    Vallerk, Liz, Kizmel, Silica, Asuna, Griselda, Agil, Shigio, Wolv, all rushed forward to engage the Two-Headed Giant. Drifter took a quick headcount of the ALS frontliners.

    His heart sank. Where there should have been over 40 players, maybe half now stood. And the vast majority was looking down and battered. Not just in terms of equipment and HP, but mentality. Their wills were broken. Drifter couldn''t see any fight in their eyes.

    The spearmaster had no time to rekindle their spirit. He very much doubted anything but time to grieve would achieve that. And maybe seeing the boss that caused them so much pain put down hard.

    Drifter could help with that. Eagerly. And, since they were still standing here, arms ready, maybe they weren''t so defeated as he thought. They hadn''t run away, after all. They were still frontliners.

    It remained to be seen how many of them would still want that title after today''s battle. At least one of them - Drifter glared at Kibaou''s near catatonic form - had lost the right to it.

    "You can kill him later, dummy. Head in the fight."

    Yuna whispered to him, and she was only half kidding. Kibaou was on the receiving end of plenty of I-will-kill-you-if-you-fuck-this-up-even-more stares. Totally deserved, in Drifter''s opinion.

    Nodding to the songstress, Drifter forgot about Kibaou the next moment, and charged the boss. Darting under its legs, he swung his spear with Verticals, Horizontals, and Cobalt Slices.

    Through the desperate efforts of the ALS to survive, and the blitzkrieg-like offensive of the Assault Team later on, the Two-Headed Giant was down to its last two health bars.

    A victory, but a pyrrhic one. Especially because they were far from over. There was still a lot of death to come.

    Were it any other floor bosses, even those of the 10th and 20th floors, even with Kibaou coming out half-cocked in such a monumental fuck-up, there was no way the ALS would have been dismantled as fast and brutality as they were. Personal feelings aside, they were SAO''s biggest guild, and one of the best. Even their normal players were a cut above the rest.

    No, this boss was special. It was a killing machine uniquely designed to crush whatever arrogance the Assault Team had to bits. To remind them that they were not the dominant group in Aincrad.

    That they were still just pawns.

    Growling at the thought, Drifter slid under a fist and stabbed the Two-Headed Giant in the elbow.

    He failed to see the other hand sweeping close to the ground, and was smacked away. In hindsight, it couldn''t really be considered his fault. The floor boss was huge and, close as Drifter was, the first arm completely blocked his view.

    "Ugh!"

    That knowledge didn''t make the blow any softer. The spearmaster grunted and looked at his HP bar disbelieving. He had taken that attack full-on, but he was Broken Spear Drifter of Reaver''s Requiem. His level was the best, his stats were the best, his equipment was the best. There was not a world where a single slap should have taken away 60% of his health.

    But it did, and the boss wasn''t letting go. Rolling to the side, the spearmaster narrowly avoided getting squished. Getting hit just one more time would spell his doom.

    Without getting up, Drifter stabbed sideways with his spear, puncturing the boss'' thumb. The sight would be almost comical, if he weren''t struggling to survive.

    Another hand tried to crush him, and Drifter cut it. He absolutely hated being thrown to the ground and losing his mobility, and it happened far too often in his opinion.

    "Got you!"

    Someone grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him away just in time to avoid getting stepped on by the boss. Another pair of hands pulled him up, and Drifter nodded gratefully to Enkidu and Kunimittz.

    They nodded back, not a trace of the usual sassy smirks they normally had. Only grim determination.

    Then Kunimittz''s eyes widened, and Drifter swung his spear back over his head in a moment of instinctive self-preservation. Something big and heavy - the boss - hit him in the back, and he stumbled forward, bowling over the Fuurinkazan player.

    Had he not put up the hasty defense, Drifter would be dead. As it was, he was again on the ground, staring at a health bar that was 95% empty.

    Stupid. He had been unbelievably stupid. He already knew the Two-Headed Giant was dangerous and relentless, and he still looked away from it. He should have turned around immediately, instead of wasting those few seconds.

    He rolled away from Kunimittz and smashed a Healing Crystal on his chest. A sigh of relief escaped his lips even as he looked up to see Enkidu groaning to hold back the Two-Headed Giant.

    The Brave was fully focused on stopping one fist, and never saw the other hand - this was starting to piss Drifter off, the boss only had four hands but it felt like it had a thousand with how relentless they were.

    "No you don''t, you overweight bastard!"

    Ignoring his still low health, the spearmaster surged to his feet and dashed at the boss, putting himself between Enkidu and the fist.

    He slashed up with Sky Render, smacking the fist away. The high-level skill seemed to catch the attention of the boss, because it abandoned Enkidu and everyone else to focus all four hands on him.

    "Oh shit."

    Later, when asked to describe what he did, Drifter would be unable to say anything other than ''no fucking idea''.

    Every fiber of his being, every 0 and 1 of his virtual body, was screaming ''danger!'' to him. The four fists coming at him seemed to slow down, covering his entire line of sight.

    There was no time to use any skills. Whirling his spear, he slashed the side of a fist, cutting a deep gash and alternating its path slightly. It punched a crater in the ground not 20 centimeters to his left.

    He was already moving to the next threat before the impact even happened. Drifter ducked, and felt the air explode over him in a blast as the second fist passed right above his head. He stabbed it thrice in a fraction of a second, not even noting the dim silver glow of his spear.

    The last two hands came at him together, attempting to crush him like someone killed a mosquito by catching it between their palms.

    Drifter spun his spear in a whirlwind, leaving half a dozen cuts on the palms. They still came at him unstoppable, and he held his spear horizontally between them.

    The tip of his beloved twisted bident dug into the left palm, the other end of the spear stopping the right one. The weapon endured for a full second before bending and shattering, its durability completely expanded from trying to stop a fatal attack from the absurdly strong floor boss.

    It was enough for Drifter to stomp the ground with his right foot and propel himself back, just before his weapon broke and the palms clapped together. He could tell that no one, not even Vallerk at full health, would be able to survive that attack.

    Growling at the sight of the weapon Liz so carefully crafted for him shattering, Drifter took his trident out of his inventory and glared at the floor boss.

    This time he saw his weapon glowing silver long before he armed the Serpentcoil Impale, as did everyone else. He wondered what that was about. Then he threw the trident.

    It flew beautifully, a spinning light of death. Hopefully the boss''.

    The trident punched a hole through the Two-Headed Giant''s chest, and continued to fly until it hit the wall, where it stayed embedded, 20 meters above the ground.

    The Two-Headed Giant, meanwhile, collapsed. It crumbled to its knees dramatically like no boss before it, then fell forward, face first into the ground. Only then did it shatter, the familiar message of [ Congratulations ] appearing in the air.

    Drifter couldn''t help it. He fell down, all his strength leaving him. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears, his breath coming out in ragged expirations.

    The first thought that crossed his adrenaline-addled mind was that nobody would ever let him live down the fact that he, Broken Spear Drifter, had just broken another spear during a floor boss raid.

    His second thought, immediately wiping away the first, was that they needed a death count.

    He fell back and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 157 - Broken Assault Team

    Falling back, Drifter closed his eyes. He didn''t want to look around. He didn''t want to be the first to speak. He didn''t want to see anyone - or worse, not see someone. He didn''t want to think. To feel. He just wanted it all to go away.

    For a long time, the only sound in the boss room was the labored breathing of a hundred players. Then someone finally spoke up.

    The only person who should have kept his fucking mouth shut.

    "Why... Why did you come?"

    Drifter''s eyes snapped open. He felt anger burning in his chest. Jumping up, he made to storm towards the speaker, but someone got there first.

    "You selfish, egotistical, entitled asshole!"

    Yuna landing a punch square on Kibaou''s jaw and sending him sprawling was one of the most beautiful things Drifter had ever seen. He wanted to take a picture and frame it. It was even worth the cursor above her head turning orange.

    Yuna would probably have continued to beat Kibaou - which might have killed the other player, considering his low health - if Drifter didn''t wrap his arms around her waist from behind and pull her to him.

    "I... I didn''t-"

    "You can shut the fuck up, Kibaou. We will get to you soon. But first..."

    Drifter threw the spiky-haired guild leader a death glare, and he wasn''t the only one. Kibaou flinched, and seemed to shrink, hugging his knees to his chest.

    Meanwhile, the spearmaster turned to the rest of the players with a sigh. Releasing Yuna after whispering something in her ear, he searched for Argo with his eyes.

    He found her standing next to Liten, rubbing the tank''s back. It would be a comical sight, the tiny girl who didn''t even reach Liten''s shoulders comforting the much bigger and older woman, if it wasn''t actually just depressing.

    Recalling his trident, Drifter spun it and stabbed the ground, trying to project an image of strength even if all he wanted to do was find a corner to cry.

    "Hit us, Argo. What are the losses?"

    Seeing Kibaou flinch away from him and the question gave Drifter a small amount of cruel satisfaction. But his gaze was focused on Argo, as was everyone else''s, from the frontliners in the boss room, to the SAO players elsewhere in Aincrad, and the spectators in the outside world.

    The info-broker fidgeted, her expression downcast. Drifter''s heart sank. He knew it was bad. Really bad. But it seemed like reality was even worse than what he expected.

    "Little rat?"

    Argo looked up and met his gaze. She seemed so sad that Drifter extended his arms, and she was in front of him before he knew it, burrowing in his chest.

    She stepped out of the hug before he could wrap his arms around her, but he didn''t mind. Just like Drifter was trying to put up a strong front, so was she.

    "Seventy-eight. We lost 78 people."

    Drifter almost crumbled. He had to hold onto his trident with all his strength not to collapse. Beside him, Yuna clutched his hand so hard he might have actually taken a few points of damage if they weren''t in the same party.

    The reactions around the boss room were similar. Most people were already on the ground, too tired to even move, but at Argo''s words they had gone deathly still.

    Seventy-eight players. Seventy-eight lives, gone in a single battle. There had never been a massacre of this proportion in SAO.

    The consequences would be far-reaching. Moral was broken and gone. So was trust. And most importantly, a large parcel of the dead had been, if not frontliner elites, then potential frontliners. This wasn''t just dealing the players a heavy blow. It was crippling their future.

    "Spe- Haa... Specifics?"

    Drifter felt bad for forcing Argo to talk about it. But he was afraid of what would happen if he let the silence stretch.

    The info-broker swallowed, and pulled her hood all the way down, obscuring her entire face.

    "64 ALS. 12 DKB. 2... 2 Reavers."

    Drifter froze. Yuna''s grip on his hand tightened. While everyone was still reeling from the first number Argo had said, Drifter was searching for his guildmates.

    They had scattered over the course of the battle, and they were still astrew across the boss room. But now they all sat up, ramrod straight, and did the same as he.

    The spearmaster looked around. Yuna was with him, obviously. Nautilus, Sinon, Liz, Kirito, Asuna, he saw them immediately. Ran and Yuuki were a little ways away. Kizmel was one of the few standing, hugging a tearful Silica while Pina and Feredir licked her hands, trying to comfort her.

    Vallerk was by himself, his face a mask. Griselda was near the doors, leaning against a wall with Wolv. Agil and Shigio were slowly making their way towards them. Keita was crying-

    Wait. Keita?

    Drifter''s gaze zeroed on the other man. Why was he here? The Black Cats weren''t part of the frontliner group of Reaver''s Requiem. They weren''t supposed to be...

    They had followed the rest of the guild here. Of course. How could they not, when they witnessed first-hand how desperate the situation was. And everything had happened so fast that Drifter nor Kirito, Asuna, or everyone else had even noticed. Even if they had, the spearmaster knew they wouldn''t have had time to discuss it.

    Closing his eyes and then opening them again, Drifter forced himself to look for the other Black Cats. For the two that weren''t there anymore.

    He had already seen Keita. Sachi was on her knees, hiding her head in his back and sobbing. Tetsuo was staring at nothing. And Ducker and Sasamaru...

    Were dead.

    Fuck. Why had they- No, now wasn''t the time to think about that. The spearmaster tore his gaze away from Keita, Sachi, and Tetsuo, and looked at Argo again. She was still hiding her face.

    "How- How many frontliners, Argo?"

    "All 12 from DKB. 29 from ALS."

    Drifter cursed again, and this time it carried throughout the silent boss room. 41 frontliners. That was nearly a fourth of the Assault Team''s strength.

    Somehow... Somehow it could have been worse. He felt that thought nagging at the back of his head, but didn''t speak it.

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    But it was the truth. 41 frontliners... It was crippling. It truly was. But at the same time, it was something they could recover from. With time. Which they didn''t have.

    Fuck.

    The ALS had gotten the worst of it, obviously. Three-fourths of their frontliner group was gone. And 35 others. That was well over a third of the guild, dead. Drifter wasn''t sure there would be an Aincrad Liberation Squad left after today. And in all honesty, he couldn''t see this as an entirely bad thing.

    It had been mostly, if not all, Kibaou''s fault, yes. He must have made the changes last-minute, otherwise Liten or one of Argo''s informants would have let them know.

    But there was a not insignificant part of Drifter that thought Liten and the other frontliners should have put their foot down and said ''no'' to Kibaou''s insane plan. They were frontliners. They should have known better than to bring a bunch of inexperienced rookies into a floor boss raid.

    He didn''t know why they hadn''t. Loyalty? Fear? Maybe just obedience, for Kibaou ran his guild like a military? Whatever the reason was, they had made the largest blunder of their lives, and people had died for it.

    Still, most of the blame laid squarely on Kibaou''s shoulders. And he was going to answer for it.

    His glare found its way back to Kibaou. The ALS guild leader was nearly catatonic, mouth hanging open and eyes staring at Argo but not seeing her. Probably not even he had realized just how much he fucked up. How much death he caused.

    Playing the broken-hearted card wasn''t going to work. Kissing Yuna on the side of the head, Drifter gently pried her fingers open, and marched right up to Kibaou. Everyone was watching him, but he didn''t care.

    "Kibaou!"

    When roughly pulling him up didn''t work to snap the ALS player out of his daze, Drifter shouted his name right in his face. The normally belligerent guild leader refused to meet his gaze.

    Drifter''s face scrunched up with disgust, and he let go of Kibaou, who immediately fell down again.

    He had a lot he wanted to say to Kibaou. He wanted to yell and shout, curse and beat the idiot. But there was something he wanted to know even more.

    "Why?"

    For a long time, Kibaou didn''t show any signs that he even heard the question. Then he got up with shaky legs, still refusing to look at anyone.

    "Why?"

    Drifter repeated. Kibaou finally looked at him, before looking away again. In that brief moment, Drifter saw shame, anger, loss, pain. A myriad of emotions.

    "I-I thought we c-could take the bo-"

    "That''s not my question, Kibaou. What I want to know is why. Why are 78 players dead?"

    Kibaou flinched. Even some of the others winced when they felt the venom Drifter put in his words. They all heard the question as the accusation it was.

    It was petty. It was cruel.

    It was deserved.

    The spiky-haired guild leader clenched his fists. Drifter was still staring at him, awaiting an answer. Kibaou''s world-famous temper finally got the better of him and he exploded.

    "I made a mistake, okay?! The other floor bosses were easy, and I thought this one would be the same! But it fucking wasn''t! I- I just wanted people to stop laughing at us..."

    Kibaou surged forward, glaring at Drifter with hate. But he lost momentum as he spoke. He made the mistake of looking around and saw nothing but disbelief and fury, even from his own guildmates.

    It wasn''t Drifter who answered Kibaou''s rant. Liten extricated herself from Shivata''s embrace and stalked towards the duo, pointing a finger at Kibaou.

    "Laugh at us? Laugh at us? Who the hell was laughing at us, Kibaou?! Nobody, that''s who. Nobody!"

    Hearing Liten raise her voice probably shocked the spectators more than watching Drifter scold Kibaou. Because Broken Spear Drifter was famous for his temper and tongue-lashing, but Liten the Fortress had barely ever been heard to say anything louder than a whisper.

    "Nobody laughed at us, Kibaou. We are the Aincrad Liberation Squad. We''ve been fighting to escape SAO since the 1st floor. People said things about us. They complained we were too militaristic. That we were too authoritarian. But nobody. Ever. Laughed. At. Us."

    She punctuated each word by stabbing his chest with her finger. Tears were running down her cheeks and breaking down into tiny light crystals.

    "We are the ALS, Kibaou. Or at least we were."

    Hearing that probably hurt Kibaou more than anything. Liten had as good as pronounced that the ALS, the guild Kibaou had poured his everything into, was dissolving.

    "N-No... P-Please. T-T-The Assault Team still n-needs us."

    Liten cried.

    "Needs who, Kibaou? Thirty of our frontliners are dead. Just as many of our other players are gone. And the ones who survived won''t ever have the courage to step foot into a boss room again. Part of the blame is on me, for not stopping you. But you are the real reason they are dead. You and your selfish pride."

    Liten took a deep breath, and Shivata came forward and hugged her from behind, holding her close to his chest. Liten almost broke down, but she still had a parting shot for Kibaou.

    "You are the reason the ALS is no more, Kibaou."

    Stabbing Kibaou and twisting the knife would have been kinder. But Drifter couldn''t find it in him to pity the other player. Every word Liten said had been the truth.

    The spearmaster stepped closer again. They weren''t done yet. Berating Kibaou wouldn''t bring the dead back. But it was that or murdering him.

    "Not a month ago, I defended you to Heathcliff, Kibaou. I told him that no matter how much of an asshole you are, when it came down to it I trusted you to have my back. I wish I knew back then how fucking wrong I was."

    Drifter spat. And he meant every word. Kibaou looked like he had been slapped.

    "I''m... I''m sorry."

    "You better fucking be. But it doesn''t change anything. Nearly 80 people are dead, and I don''t know if we will have the strength to climb the next floor. It only gets harder from here, and you single-handedly weakened the Assault Team back to how we were on the 1st floor. Congratulations."

    Kibaou had nothing to say to that. He looked around, searching for... Something. Not support. Just something. Anything that didn''t feel like a blade stabbing his heart out. He didn''t find it.

    "I-"

    "Just shut up, Kibaou. Shut up and go away. I don''t know what will happen to the ALS and the Assault Team. But I know you won''t be a part of it."

    For a brief second, Kibaou''s eyes lit up with fury at being told that he wasn''t going to have a say on his guild and his Assault Team anymore. But it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

    "You are right. I fucked up massively, and I don''t deserve to be here. I... I will leave the Assault Team... And the Aincrad Liberation Squad. You can elect a new guild leader."

    Kibaou mumbled the words out, raising his voice at the last part and fiddling with his menu. Drifter guessed he was retiring as guild leader and leaving the guild, and the position must have gone to Liten if her sharp intake of breath was anything to go by.

    The former ALS guild leader, former frontliner, Kibaou the Challenger, looked at the players in the boss room. At Drifter, glowering at him. At Black Swordsman Kirito and Lightning Flash Asuna, hugging each other and glaring. At the rest of Reaver''s Requiem, mourning their losses. At Argo the Rat, whose''s face was still hidden by her hood. At Hero Orlando and Klein, who were stone-faced. At Lind and the DKB, his oldest rivals, who stared back as if he was the most disgusting thing in the world.

    Lastly, he looked at Liten, who was hiding her face on her boyfriend''s chest. Looked at his former guildmates, however few were left, and saw nothing but betrayal. Stared at the players he knew were watching the broadcast from all around Aincrad. And bowed.

    "I''m sorry."

    He turned to leave, walking towards the stairs that had appeared after the boss died. He was going to get to the 26th floor and wait until somebody activated the teleporter, then disappear. Where to, he had no idea. But a voice caught him before he could leave.

    "Oh, no you don''t."

    "What?"

    Kibaou turned around and stared at Broken Spear Drifter uncomprehendingly. He had already said he was sorry. He had already admitted his mistake. What more did he want? For him to die as atonement?

    "You don''t get to walk away as if you are a fucking martyr, Kibaou. You don''t get to play the victim and act like we are kicking you out for a small mistake. Because this was no fucking small mistake, you bastard."

    "I-I know that! And I didn''t want to-"

    Drifter cut him off again with a snarl that had the other player stumbling back. Then he felt Yuna''s small hand on his back, and caught himself.

    The spearmaster stood straighter, and even if they were of the same height, right now he was towering over Kibaou.

    "You are not leaving the Assault Team, Kibaou. We are kicking you out. Fuck off and don''t show your face around us ever again."

 Chapter 158 - Sure-death

    Only after Kibaou''s hunched back disappeared did Drifter allow himself to fall down again.

    He crouched, balancing his elbows on his knees and his head on his palms. He felt like crying.

    Berating Kibaou hadn''t made him feel any better. All he could think about was of how many people they had lost. 78. It was an insane number.

    And two of them were their own. Ducker and Sasamaru. Just yesterday, Drifter had joined them for a training session down on the lower floors. He had taught Sasamaru nearly everything the other player knew about the way of the spear.

    It wasn''t the first time he lost someone. Not even close. All their faces flashed through his mind now. Meowlen, Namate, Merida, Harry One... It still hurt so goddamn much every time.

    "Dummy? How are you feeling?"

    Drifter almost laughed. But it would have hurt Yuna, and that was the one thing he promised to never do. So instead he sat back, with his head between his forearms, and let her embrace him from behind.

    "So many people, Yun''. So many. Sasamaru and Ducker-"

    His voice caught, and he stifled a sob. He wasn''t going to cry. Not here.

    "I''m tired of it. I want to go home."

    He felt Yuna stiffen against him, and he knew why. Drifter had never said that. He was always the one putting up a strong front and encouraging everyone. Even when he opened up to her during their late-night talks, he never said it so bluntly.

    He felt so fragile right now, all his heightened emotions and anger running out now that Kibaou was gone. He hated it.

    "I feel at home whenever I''m with you, dummy. But we will get out. I know it."

    "H-How?"

    His voice cracked. Yuna pressed her face against the crook of his neck.

    "Because we have each other."

    Gods, he loved her so much. Drifter didn''t move, but Yuna felt him relaxing in her arms.

    He stayed silent for a long time. The Assault Team, those who were left at least, also stayed still.

    From the moment the broadcast came on to now, maybe 45 minutes had passed. The battle itself must have taken less than 25 minutes. But from even before they stepped into the Corridor Crystal, it had been intensely emotionally draining.

    Putting the ALS aside, even the other frontliner guilds that came to assist had suffered. Lind and his DKB had been the first to charge, and as such suffered considerable losses. Everyone just wanted to rest.

    But they had to move eventually. To open the 26th floor and... Decide what to do in regards to the ALS and the Assault Team. They would continue climbing, that was never in question, but there was still much to discuss.

    "Liten."

    "Huu... Yes?"

    Drifter glanced at the ALS tank. She was still encased in Shivata''s arms, but turned around to look at him. She had stopped crying.

    "I''m sorry to dump this on you after everything that happened, but I''m assuming Kibaou made you the new guild leader?"

    "Y-Yes."

    "Hm. Take some time, it''s more than fair. But in a week or so, we are gonna need to know what will happen with the ALS. If you guys are going to disband, take some time out, and numbers. So we know what we''ll have to work with in the 26th floor raid."

    Liten shuddered, and Shivata shot Drifter a glare, to which the spearmaster could only respond by shrugging apologetically. Like he said, he was sorry for throwing this on Liten when she had more reasons to grive than anyone, but they truly did need to know it to plan for the next floor.

    "Lin- Dragon Knight Lind."

    The DKB guild leader raised an eyebrow at Drifter''s use of his title, but nodded in acknowledgement.

    If Kibaou had lost any respect the spearmaster had for him today, Lind had earned it. When the situation called for it, the DKB leader had put aside all grudges without hesitation, and risked everything to help the ALS. He was a true frontliner.

    "Can you follow us after we unlock the teleporter? I want to talk about some stuff. Argo, Orlando, Klein, you too."

    The ones he named nodded. It was pretty obvious what the ''stuff'' Drifter wanted to discuss was.

    The spearmaster glanced at the stairs to the next floor. He really didn''t feel like getting up. But he also wasn''t a big fan of moping here where everyone in Aincrad could watch him.

    "Well then. I suppose we should go."

    Taking a deep breath, he got up, pulling Yuna with him. The rest of the frontliners also stirred into motion. They started climbing the stairs.

    Drifter just hoped Kibaou had the good sense of disappearing already. He wasn''t sure he could - and would want to - stop someone from beating the former ALS guild leader.

    --------------------------

    Seijirou was in the hospital, watching over the distressed faces of nearly 70 families.

    He felt useless, only being able to stand there and watch parents and siblings cry over the cooling bodies of their loved ones.

    Today... Today had been a nightmare. It started when one of his aides rushed into his office without even knocking, saying that something was going on with the frontliner scouting party responsible for investigating the 25th floor boss.

    Even so, Seijirou hadn''t been too worried. Kibaou the Challenger was doing something, but he was a titled player. And the ALS had dozens of frontliners and clearers. Nothing could go wrong. Right?

    Wrong. How very fucking wrong.

    The fact that Seijirou even considered it would be okay went to show that, no matter how closely the people outside watched and analyzed SAO, they would never truly understand the game, because they weren''t part of it, just spectators.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The first sign of the disaster had been a player getting one-hit-KO''ed. Even then Seijirou hadn''t truly comprehended how bad things were going to get.

    The massacre that followed next crushed him. Especially so because, while Seijirou felt useless, the players were still fighting. Even when Kibaou froze and the normal players panicked, Liten still led the frontliners to battle, trying her best to protect the weaker members of her guild.

    Watching them fight and fail had been the worst thing Seijirou ever experienced. Each player who died was another blade stabbing him.

    The arrival of the rest of the Assault Team had reignited a small flame of hope in his chest. But that too had been snuffed out when he realized that, even with the reinforcements, players were still dropping like flies.

    While the frontliners themselves might not have noticed it, focused as they were on staying alive and killing the boss, the spectators with their bird''s-eye view had.

    Seijirou had seen the Dragon Knights Brigade bravely charging forward to relieve the ALS, and dying for it. He had seen the moment Ducker and Sasamaru from Reaver''s Requiem were killed, pummeled to death by the boss'' fists.

    He received the statistics at the same time that Argo the Rat disclosed them. Walking out of his office into the main room of his task force, he had been greeted with the depressing sight of his subordinates staring at a wall covered in screens, many of which were now black.

    Going to the hospital had been the next logical step. He was not in the mood for a press conference, and he owed it to the deceased''s families to at least speak to them.

    "Sir? There has been a development we believe might be of interest."

    One of his secretaries, Chi, handed him a tablet. It showed the survivors from the 25th boss raid trekking through what he assumed was the 26th floor. The broadcast was from Broken Spear Drifter''s PoV.

    Seijirou stared at it for a few seconds. Understandably, Broken Spear and everyone else appeared to be depressed. He sighed and got up.

    "The hospital left an office open for us, right? Let''s go there. Meanwhile... Increase the guards around Kibaou''s room - discreetly. Make sure no one murders him."

    "Yes, sir."

    -----------------------

    Unbeknownst to Seijirou, someone else had much the same concern as him. Although concern might be the wrong emotion.

    [ Drifter: Little rat, get Fuumaningum to run surveillance on Kibaou, at least for a while. ]

    [ Argo: ? ]

    Drifter was typing his messages to Argo after verifying - twice - that his menu was set to private, and despite the info-broker being only a few meters away from him.

    [ Drifter: I don''t want to see his face ever again, but you know just as well as I do how big of an idiot he is. I wouldn''t put it past him to say that he is leaving for good then do something stupid like trying to raise another guild. And if he does, it won''t end well for him. ]

    [ Argo: I say we let the idiot hang himself. ]

    Drifter''s lips twitched with the barest hints of a smile. But as tempting as the thought was, they had to consider the bigger picture.

    [ Drifter: We can''t have a public lynching right now. Our priority has to be stabilizing the frontlines, not dealing with violent mobs. ]

    [ Argo: If you say so. I still think it would be good for morale. ]

    [ Drifter: Little rat... ]

    [ Argo: Alright, I got it. Honestly, I just want him to disappear and stop causing problems. ]

    Reading that, Drifter sighed and looked at the info-broker. She blamed herself for not finding out about Kibaou''s plan before the broadcast started. Of course she did. But she shouldn''t fault herself for other people''s actions.

    "So do I..."

    "Hum? Did you say something, Drif?"

    "No, no. I was just thinking out-loud."

    Nautilus grunted, but he must have misunderstood Drifter, because the ash-haired player slowed down his steps to look around the new floor.

    "It''s unfairly beautiful."

    "Yeah."

    It really was. After the dark maze that was the 25th floor, not to mention the disaster of a raid, the openness of the 26th floor was at the same time refreshing and unnerving.

    They had emerged in the middle of a shrine, one of dozens scattered around the floor. All of them miniature safe zones. Linking each shrine were paths of white sand, the rest of the floor covered in emerald grass under a sheen of water. Just enough to splash around a little when someone stepped on it. Waterlilies and other flowers grew everywhere.

    As it seemed to be tradition, the floor right after an extra difficult one was disturbingly easy. Beautiful enough to be a touristy hot-spot, safe zones everywhere, no mobs attacked you if you stayed on the path...

    Drifter didn''t know how he felt about it. He knew it was meant to be so the players could rest and recover after a hard battle, but it felt more like Cardinal was rubbing in their faces what Ducker, Sasamaru, and all the others who fell couldn''t have.

    Thankfully it didn''t take them too long to reach the major town of this floor. Drifter barely paid any attention to the architecture, instead entering the first inn he saw and booking a meeting room.

    Someone went to unlock the teleporter, and the rest of the Assault Team dispersed to kick their wounds.

    Drifter looked at Keita, Sachi - who had stopped crying and now just looked soulless, which was even worse - and Tetsuo. He shook his head to clear his mind. He would talk to them later, if they wanted to.

    "Songbird..."

    "Leave it to me. I''ll make sure they are okay. Or as okay as they can be. Go do what you need."

    "Thanks, love. I will fill you in on the details later."

    The songstress pecked his cheek, and Drifter signaled the people he had called earlier to follow him. Kirito, Asuna, Orlando, Klein, Lind, the other guild leaders. Shivata and Liten in a corner.

    Leaning on the table, Drifter took a few measured breaths. He knew everyone already knew what he was going to say, but it still needed to be said.

    "Today was hell. Kibaou''s to blame for a lot of it..."

    Liten flinched and Shivata wrapped her in his arms.

    "...But the 25th wasn''t normal. The whole floor was nasty, but the boss... That was just downright cruel. Even if everything had proceeded as planned..."

    He trailed off for a second, glancing at Liten covertly.

    "If everything had gone as we originally wanted, the scouting party might have been annihilated. At the very least a handful would be dead. No way around it."

    Furrowed brows and cautious nods were the norm around the room. Nobody had been expecting the Two-Headed Giant to be so abnormally strong. Just like ot caught the ALS by surprise, it would have taken the scouting party too.

    "I''m not saying what happened is better or worse. There''s no comparison here that I want to make. But I don''t see a way we could have gotten past the 25th floor without losses."

    "Why, though? That''s the big concern, isn''t it? It wasn''t a round floor, so why the spike in difficulty?"

    Lind propped his elbows on the table and interlaced his fingers. Almost like normal... Except he was trembling.

    "I believe it was the same as the 10th and 20th, Lind. Those two floors were checkpoints, and so was the 25th. They marked tenths of the way up. The 25th is a fourth. Arguably even more significant."

    It was silent for a while after Drifter finished speaking, everyone considering what he said. Then Orlando knocked on the table.

    "So you don''t think this floor is gonna be as hard, Drifter?"

    The spearmaster shrugged.

    "I don''t. But I could be wrong. And I think we have to prepare as if I am. From here on, we have to act as if every floor is the 25th or a round floor. It will be tiring, and it will be annoying and seemingly useless. But better annoyed and tired than dead."

    The leadership of the Assault Team nodded. Drifter turned his head to Kirito and Asuna, both of which had been unusually quiet ever since the raid ended. They didn''t say anything, so he continued.

    "One last thing. For the future. The 25th was a sure-death floor. I don''t think there''s any way around that, no matter how hard we prepared for it. All we can do is try to minimize our losses."

    Some people stilled. They realized what verb tense he was using, and it wasn''t the past.

    "Well, that''s a depressing thought."

    Klein grumbled, and Drifter chuckled mirthlessly. He sat down, and looked at the ceiling.

    "Here''s an even more depressing one: 25 is only a quarter of 100. Which means we still have three more sure-death floors to go."

 Chapter 159 - Surprise After Surprise

    After everyone else left, each consumed by their own thoughts, Drifter, Kirito, and Asuna were the only ones left in the room. The spearmaster looked at two of his oldest friends in SAO.

    "How are you doing?"

    Kirito chuckled, and Asuna looked back at him with a fake smile. Drifter''s heart hurt at seeing the usually cheerful and confident girl so pale and defeated.

    "You did not just ask that, Drifter."

    The spearmaster tried to smile.

    "Well, I thought we needed an icebreaker."

    Kirito snorted.

    "You will need a lot more, Drif. I don''t think I''ve ever seen someone kill a conversation so efficiently."

    What was it that they said? Humor was a good coping mechanism? Even if it was horrible dark humor.

    "We were all thinking it, Ki. But someone needed to say it, put it into words and make it real. Otherwise we were all just gonna ignore it and hope it was a one-time thing, even though we all know it wasn''t."

    Kirito sighed, and Drifter put an arm around him. Asuna hugged him from the other side, and the three stayed together for a moment, taking comfort in each other.

    "Argo didn''t speak at all. Do you think she is blaming herself?"

    Asuna laid her head on Kirito''s shoulder. On the other side of the swordsman, Drifter sighed.

    "She is. But leave her to me, I''ll annoy some sense into her head."

    The way he worded it got the first genuine giggle of the day from Asuna, and that made everything all better all of a sudden.

    That''s how they were. They could feel pain and cry and grieve. But frontliners were nothing if not resilient. They always found the strength to take another step forward.

    "Ah, Drif."

    "Hm?"

    "Please don''t hate me too much."

    "Huh?"

    It took the spearmaster a few seconds to process what Kirito had said. Once he did, he sat up straighter and turned his body to look at his guild leader.

    "What are you talking-"

    His mouth closed with an audible snap. Because two notifications had just popped up in his HUD. One was just for him, the other guild-wide. They both said the same thing.

    Kirito had just handed the position of guild leader over to him.

    "Whaaat? What?"

    Asuna and Kirito laughed at his dumbstruck face. Drifter just stared at them uncomprehendingly.

    "I''ve been thinking about it for a while, Drifter. You were always better suited for guild leader than I was."

    "What? No, Kirito-"

    "Don''t argue with him, Drif, you know you won''t get anywhere. And, for what it''s worth, I agree with Kirito."

    Drifter''s gaze kept jumping from Kirkto to Asuna and back. He didn''t understand. Sure, he was a good enough leader, but so was Kirito, and even more so in his opinion. Why was the swordsman just handing over the position to him out of nowhere?

    His doubts must have shown on his face, because Kirito laughed again and punched his shoulder.

    "Drif, let''s face it. It should have been you from the beginning. I was really ill prepared to be a guild leader at the start, but I accepted it for the same reason I thought I couldn''t be one."

    "What''s that?"

    "You guys pushed it onto me, and I was so shy and introverted I didn''t know how to reject it."

    Kirito said it lightly, but Drifter felt a pang of guilt. He had honestly thought - still did, actually - that the swordsman was the best person for the job, and ignored his many refusals until Kirito caved in.

    "Kirito, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to pressure you."

    "Hey, don''t sweat it. Founding Reaver''s Requiem was one of the best decisions I ever made. And I genuinely enjoyed being the leader of our family. It helped me work through a lot of my issues, and I think I came out much better for it."

    "Then why..."

    "Because as much as I think I became a good leader, you are better. A lot better. Asuna agrees with me."

    Next to him, the fencer nodded. Her smile was innocent, but with an edge of mischief to it.

    "And I''m not the only one. Yun'', Naut, Sinon, Kiz, Agil, Liz, all of them think so too."

    Drifter almost bit his tongue.

    "Wait, Yuna and- How many people are in on this?"

    "Everyone!"

    Asuna''s smile grew wider. Drifter was completely dumbfounded. He turned to Kirito, who smirked before his smile dimmed a little.

    "We weren''t planning on bringing it up yet, because we all knew you would react exactly like you are now - and you can''t reject it by the way. But today''s events only proved to me that it is the right decision."

    "What do you mean?"

    Kirito scratched the back of his head, as if afraid of how the spearmaster would take his next words.

    "Drifter, you have always been a very active leader. Whenever we are in battle and things go south, you always take the lead. You try to apologize and tone it down when you notice, but it''s just who you are. And that''s not a bad thing."

    The swordsman waved his hands, and Drifter was now frowning.

    "And then when it comes to dealing with other players, you are also really good at it. Sasha and the kids. The Braves, Fuurinkazan, the Black Cats. Hell, even Lind listens to you. Not to mention you are the only one who can control Argo, and don''t even get me started on how you befriended Shadow Blossom Akari of all people."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Drifter made to interrupt, then stopped. Kirito was right, wasn''t he?

    "You are very charismatic, Drifter. And terrifying when you want to. The thing with Red-Eyed XaXa, and constantly dealing with Heathcliff and Kibaou. There''s just something about you that makes people stop and listen, whether it''s because they agree with you, or because they are afraid to get stabbed."

    That wasn''t exactly the kind of ringing endorsement Drifter wanted to hear, and he made a noise in the back of his throat that could have been a stifled whine. Asuna giggled and patted his shoulder, and Kirito smirked.

    "Don''t give me that look, you know I''m right."

    Drifter rolled his eyes. Then he leaned forward a little when Kirito''s smile disappeared.

    "Finally, there was today. That was the breaking point for me, Drifter. When the broadcast came on, I froze. Asuna froze. It was you who immediately took stock of the situation and shook me awake, which I can only say was very kind of you."

    It had been mere hours ago, but Drifter had already forgotten it. Everything up to the moment the Two-Headed Giant fell was a blur.

    "The way you took over, Drif... It was inspiring. We had already seen you order around the Assault Team before, but nothing like today. Everyone was hanging to your every word. The only reason anyone from the ALS survived at all was because of how quickly you got the Assault Team to move."

    "And even after."

    "Yeah. The way you dealt with Kibaou... Well, the less said about him the better. But you were the one who kept the Assault Team together. We were always gonna recover. But it was you who stopped us from falling apart at all."

    Drifter was speechless. There were so many heartfelt compliments that he knew he didn''t deserve. All he had done was fight and berate Kibaou. Nothing more.

    "I- Kirito, I don''t know what to say. Even if everything you said is true..."

    "It is."

    "...Still, to give up Reaver''s Requiem to me like that-"

    He cut off, because Kirito''s expression had turned ugly, as had Asuna''s. The fencer glared at him.

    "He''s not giving up anything, Drifter. We are a family. That''s all that matters."

    Recognizing he misspoke, Drifter dutifully shut up. He was immersed in his thoughts for the next several minutes, and the couple just looked at him and patiently waited.

    If he was being honest with himself, Drifter knew he would be a good guild leader. He had never coveted the position, because Kirito always did an incredible job at it. And, like Asuna said, they were family.

    Finally, Drifter firmed his resolve. It wasn''t that difficult. Not many things would change anyway. Reaver''s Requiem was never exactly run like a proper guild.

    The way Drifter apparently unconsciously took over at times, or that their command structure shifted, would never have been accepted in the ALS or DKB, for example.

    Lifting his head, he looked at Kirito and Asuna. From his gaze, they already knew what his decision was.

    "Alright. And thank you. I won''t disappoint either of you, or any of our family. I promise."

    "We know that already."

    "You''ll do perfect, Drif."

    "And Asuna will continue to help me as vice-leader, right? As will you, Black Swordsman Kirito."

    The last sentence was said in a mock-threatening tone, and Kirito raised his hands in surrender.

    "Yeah, I didn''t think I would be able to escape that easily. Count me in."

    Drifter sighed in exasperation, but smiled.

    "Can I ask just one last question then?"

    "Anything."

    Drifter looked at his former guild leader.

    "When did you first get the idea to transfer the position to me?"

    Kirito made a face that wasn''t any emotion Drifter recognized.

    "Right after our run in with Laughing Coffin."

    Drifter stared at him and let out a breath he didn''t know he was holding.

    "Huh."

    ...

    The change of leadership of a guild as famous as Reaver''s Requiem made a lot of waves. For the outside world, it meant a lot of newspaper editions, even if it was only second page to the 25th Massacre.

    For Drifter, it meant a lot of teasing.

    Everyone was mentally exhausted and understandably depressed after the disastrous raid. So when a perfect target to take their minds off of it came along, they all jumped on it. And that did mean everyone.

    "Hey, leader! How''s it going?"

    "Boss, great to see you here! Do you need anything?"

    "Leader, can I get you a cup of water? Ah, please sit down, sit down."

    "Yo, if it ain''t guild leader Broken Spear Drifter of Reaver''s Requiem. What an honor!"

    "Guild leader Drifter, how nice to see you. Please, you go first."

    "Ah, I am so sorry, boss! Please, don''t punish me! I will do anything, guild leader!"

    "Here, leader, this is the last special dessert I have, take it. What, no, of course not. I don''t dare take such a treat when you are here. Only the best for our esteemed guild leader."

    Within 10 minutes, Drifter was already fed up. Kirito was dying of laughter while Reaver''s Requiem, Fuurinkazan, the Legend Braves, and even Argo and Akari treated him like he was a king.

    "Now I know why you were so eager to get rid of it, Kirito. You are gonna pay for this."

    That was too much for Kirito, and he fell to the ground, howling in laughter and holding his sides.

    Incidentally, that was when Drifter discovered that his glares seemed to have lost their effect after he became a guild leader, which was counterproductive in his opinion.

    ...

    On a piece of unrelated news, some people online lambasted the frontliners for ''laughing and joking so soon after a tragedy''.

    On a second piece of unrelated news, these same people received so much negative feedback for their comments that they were forced to apologize.

    ...

    Drifter and his friends didn''t know anything about what people online were saying, and honestly, even if they knew, it was unlikely they would have any opinion about it. They had been through too much to care about what a bunch of unrelated passersby thought.

    Laughing, joking, it was all a way to cope with the pain. They all knew that the nightmares would come soon. Which was also why they were staying awake until late, even if they were dead tired.

    Even Keita, Sachi, and Tetsuo were there, although they didn''t join in on the teasing. The three were taking it the hardest out of anyone. Unlike the rest of the Reavers, they had never lost anyone close to them.

    Time would heal. Never completely, but the pain would numb, and that was really all they could hope for.

    Drifter pulled Yuna closer to him, and smiled softly when her lips pressed against his cheek.

    Today was a bad day. And tomorrow might be worse, when reality settled in. But it would get better. It always did.

    -----------------------------

    Bidding good-night to his guild members, Heathcliff entered his room. He took off his armor, and suddenly Akihiko Kayaba was in his place. The room wasn''t a normal inn''s anymore, but a modern laboratory, screens floating all around him.

    Kayaba sat on his chair and pulled holographic screens out of the air, a handful at a time, looked at them, typed something, then let them float away again.

    The process repeated for a couple of hours as he worked away. Even with Cardinal''s help, being the sole Game Master of SAO was an arduous task. Especially with the stunt that Kibaou had pulled today. The amount of damage control he had to do was insane.

    Kayaba would admit, he had not expected the ALS guild leader - now former - to do what he did. Neither had the system, for all that Cardinal was advanced.

    Despite knowing how brash Kibaou was, when weighted against his sense of responsibility to his guild, Cardinal had given better than even odds that Kibaou would have a falling out with the Assault Team. But not that it would happen like this.

    For a good 2 hours after his daily work was done, Kayaba simply watched the reactions from the outside world. News channels from over a hundred different countries were reporting it. The Japanese government was scrambling to give another excuse as to why they hadn''t rescued the SAO players yet. Families of victims of what was being dubbed the 25th Massacre were clamoring for Kibaou''s head.

    Kayaba swept all the screens but one way. A screen with very little on it. Just two columns, one with names and the other with names.

    "It is time, Cardinal. Activate the Unique Skill system."

 Chapter 160 - All the Time it Takes

    Every frontliner hated routine. For people used to thinking on the fly and to everything changing a thousand times every second, the monotony was hell. Which was why most frontliners absolutely detested grinding and fighting the same mobs over and over again.

    But there was something to be said about routine, especially after the day they had yesterday, and the nightmares all of them experienced. Something calming. Secure.

    Certainly, doing nothing and drowning in their own thoughts was a lot worse. Hence why nearly every frontliner other than the ALS was awake before 5 o''clock, and already out hunting before five-thirty.

    It was a good thing the 26th floor was comparably easier, for more reasons than one. Most frontliners had gotten no more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep, and were just mindlessly slaying mobs.

    Drifter was no different. And for his first day as guild leader of Reaver''s Requiem, he had chosen his own party: Sinon, Griselda, and... Keita, Sachi, and Tetsuo.

    The reason Drifter had chosen these 5 was because they needed to talk. Maybe not right away, but he was sure it would come up eventually.

    Griselda, for all her maturity, had never experienced what it was like to lose someone in the same guild as her. Although, arguably, she had lost someone much closer in the form of Grimlock''s betrayal.

    The Black Cats, those who were left, were suffering a lot more. They had been close friends even in real life, so the loss of Sasamaru and Ducker had hit them hard.

    Sinon was there to support him. She was one of the oldest Reavers, and a member of the original party. Everything that Drifter had gone through, so had she.

    "What do you think, Sinon?"

    Drifter and the archer were walking ahead of the party, talking quietly. The girl shook her head.

    "They are like Ran and Yuuki were when Merida died. I don''t think there''s much we can do other than give it time and be there for them, Drif."

    Shortening his name always indicated that Sinon was either mocking him or feeling fragile. It was pretty obvious which it was right now, so Drifter put an arm around her shoulders.

    "Hey, don''t you go closing yourself off, okay?"

    "I''ll be fine."

    "I know you will. But you will be fine even faster if you lean on us a little. Talk to us, okay? We are here for you just as much as we are for them."

    The archer tilted her head to look at him, and scanned Drifter''s face. Her gaze brightened up a little and she smiled softly.

    "The same goes to you, guild leader. You would do well to take your own advice."

    She bumped him with her shoulder, and Drifter rolled his eyes. Inwardly, he was still somewhat distressed. No one should have to deal with so much death that they could just say what he and Sinon did so casually. But that was their life.

    "Heads-up. Another Animae Shrine incoming."

    Griselda called out, and Drifter turned just in time to see the fading lights of the mob spawning in the shallow water to their left.

    Turns out this floor wasn''t as innocent as it first appeared. While far less perilous than the 25th floor, it still had some deceptions.

    The Animae Shrines were exactly that: shrines with soul, or living shrines. They were huge, the same size as the normal, non-living shrines. They were identical, in fact, and easily mistaken to be the safe zones, when what they actually were was mimics.

    Still, other than the surprise when they first stepped into a shrine and it started moving, the mobs didn''t cause much trouble to the Reavers party. They were slow, and their attack methods were simplistic.

    The flailing ''arms'' of the slug-like creature under the shrine - the real mob - however, gave them some uncalled for flashbacks. If you looked at it sideways, squinted, and were traumatized by watching 80 people die, they could look a little like the Two-Headed Giant''s fists.

    Drifter and Sinon poked it full of holes very quickly. They wanted it dead.

    "You ever thought about how messed up our life is?"

    Sinon asked while calmly firing two arrows into what passed for the Animae Shrine''s face.

    "What are you on about?"

    Drifter casually ducked under a tentacle and stabbed it. Sinon shrugged and used a skill, White Streak, to finish off the mob.

    "I mean, even putting aside the whole ''trapped in a death game'' thing, we are not exactly normal, are we?"

    Drifter looked at her, then at the dissipating shards of the living shrine monster they had just killed.

    "Uh-huh."

    "There has to be something wrong with our heads for us to not just accept we are in SAO, but proactively and voluntarily choose to be in the most dangerous position there is."

    The spearmaster raised an eyebrow. He could kinda see the point that the archer was trying to make. However-

    "No doubt we are all a little broken, Sinon. But you already knew that. And I know you are not saying all this because you want to quit. You are a frontliner through and through. What brought this on about?"

    The cyan-haired girl considered it for a minute, then lowered her voice to a whisper. Drifter had to lean in to hear her.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Yuuki didn''t sleep well last night. Neither did Ran. Nautilus and I spent pretty much all of the night awake with them. Yesterday brought back bad memories. The day Merida died."

    Drifter stopped. He looked at Sinon, and spotted something he very rarely saw in the archer''s eyes: fragility. She was hurting, because Yuuki was hurting.

    "Shit, I didn''t even think of that. I''m so sorry, Sinon. If I knew I would''ve let you party with them. Do you want to make a change? It''s still early, they shouldn''t be too far."

    Drifter felt like slapping himself. So much had happened in the past 48 hours that asking about how the twins were feeling had completely slipped his mind.

    Sinon, however, shook her head and placed a hand on his cheek to calm him down. She locked eyes with Drifter for a moment, then uncharacteristically hugged him.

    "No need, but thank you, Drif. You are the best self-appointed big brother a gal could ask for."

    He had to smile at the remark and her teasing smirk.

    "Besides, Yuuki is a big girl, she can take care of herself. And I''ve been getting her to drop the mask more and more since we started dating, so she has been opening up to more people. I trust her sister and Asuna to get through to her. And if they can''t, there''s always Kizmel."

    "There''s always Kizmel."

    If Drifter was the big brother of Reaver''s Requiem, then Kizmel was the big sister. The soft-spoken dark elf was quiet, but when she spoke, she always knew what the right thing to say was.

    Well, that was just another point in favor of Sinon''s ''we are really messed up'' argument, really. Never in a thousand years would Drifter have thought he would one day consider an artificial intelligence as his family, but he considered Kizmel part of it. And he wouldn''t change it for anything.

    After ruffling Sinon''s hair, Drifter cranked his neck to look at his other party members. They had stopped and were looking curiously at the senior Reaver duo.

    The three Black Cats were still somewhat listless, which was perfectly understandable. Still, the mental fortitude of SAO players who survived until now, and clearers on top of that, couldn''t be underestimated. None of them had hesitated when Drifter told them they would be going hunting today. If anything, they were almost eager.

    "Sachi, come here. You too, Keita, I suppose. Although this is more up Sachi''s alley."

    The two he called jogged over to him. Any distraction was welcome, and Drifter''s were almost always useful ones.

    The spearmaster nodded inwardly when he saw the silent question in their eyes. That expression was much better.

    "Here, there''s an idea I''ve been toying with, but still haven''t been able to complete. Maybe you''ll have some input. Even if you don''t, it will still be useful in the long run. Probably. Maybe."

    That certainly picked their curiosity. Even Tetsuo, Griselda, and Sinon approached them to listen.

    "What''s the idea, Drifter?"

    "A new move I''m trying out, but it''s been a right- Err, it''s been very hard to develop. Here, let me show y''all."

    Drifter took a fighting stance, body slightly turned, left foot in front, right foot behind and a little to the side, knees bent, spear held horizontally about a palm higher than his hips. The basic position for a thrust.

    "Haa..."

    Taking a deep breath, Drifter stabbed the empty air in front of him. At first it seemed like a normal thrust. His right hand, the one closer to the butt of his spear, pushing to give the maximum amount of power and speed, his upper body unwinding left, and his right foot jumping forward as he took a big step, while his left foot stood in the same spot but rotated, all to maximize his reach.

    All in all, a perfectly standard stab. The first pose, set of movements, and attack any spear-user, in SAO or the outside world, invariably learned.

    It was then that Drifter''s idea came into play, and Sachi and Keita furrowed their brows. Drifter had done a basic thrust, and the attack should have ended there. Either he had missed or been blocked, in which case he retracted his spear and stabbed again, or he had hit, in which case he moved to the next enemy if it was a kill, or retracted and tried again.

    But the spearmaster didn''t do that. Instead, he let his left hand go, allowing the momentum to continue turning his body, his step widening, and his right arm stretching nearly to its limits.

    That was called overextending, and it was completely inadvisable. No matter what type of weapon you were using, overextending left you defenseless and full of openings. The possibilities for counterattack were endless, and if you missed or were parried, odds were better than none that you would fall flat on your face.

    In the case of a spear-user like Drifter, it was even worse. He had only his right hand holding his spear, and it was positioned about three-fourths of the way down the shaft. Even a child would be able to knock it out of his hand if they just struck it near the tip. It would quite literally be ripped out of his grasp.

    That notion was so ingrained in the players'' brains that they noticed it in that fraction of a second. What came after was a lot harder to understand.

    Drifter let go of his spear. Now, if it were someone else in his place, they might think they had lost control of their weapon - another danger of overextending.

    But this was Broken Spear Drifter, SAO''s number one spearmaster. Hell, he would probably be one of the foremost experts even in the outside world, just for the sheer amount of real life experience he had with the weapon.

    No, forget dropping his weapon, Drifter hadn''t made a mistake as basic as overextending since... Probably never, actually. It had to be on purpose.

    And they were proved right in the next 0.1 seconds. Just before it flew out of his reach, Drifter''s fingers wrapped around the spear again.

    Then he stumbled, unbalanced by the forward momentum of his own weapon, and his spear escaped his grip, clattering on the ground. He almost fell right next to it, and had to take three large steps forward before he could stand straight again.

    "Well? What do you think?"

    With an almost shy expression, the spearmaster rubbed the back of his head. Sinon, Griselda, and Tetsuo - bow, sword, and mace-users respectively - looked lost. Keita and Sachi, on the other hand, had pensive expressions. They could almost grasp what Drifter was trying, but not quite.

    Sachi, as the other spear-user in the group, was the first to get it. Her eyes lit up with realization and a little bit of awe, and she exclaimed.

    "You are trying to throw and grab your spear, aren''t you? Like a super short throw?"

    "Yup! What do you think?"

    Drifter beamed. Sachi frowned, likely going through all the whys and hows in her mind.

    "It would add a lot more power behind it. And range and surprise too. Suddenly amplifying your reach by... What, 30, 40 centimeters? Half a meter?"

    "Initially, yeah. I''m hoping to get 70-80 centimeters once I get the hang of it, however. Maybe even a full meter."

    Drifter smirked, and Keita whistled. He could see how useful that attack would be in battle of he managed to master it. No, devastating would be a better word. For a skilled wielder of spear-type weapons, an extra meter would more than triple their offensive power.

    Of course, there were also some drawbacks, otherwise everyone would be running around with ten-meters-long lances. The larger a weapon, the more unwieldy they were, and the easier to get disarmed. But Drifter''s new move didn''t have those weaknesses.

    Well, as long as he got it right, that is. Otherwise, he would drop his weapon and almost fall like he just did, in which case he might as well spread his arms and let the mobs attack him.

    Drifter seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he grinned sheepishly and picked up his spear.

    "I don''t dare to use it in battle yet, for pretty obvious reasons. But I think it has a future, don''t you?"

    Sachi and Keita nodded. Drifter patted them both on the shoulder.

    "Good! Now you try it."

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 161 - Infinite Spear

    Time dulled the pain. It never fully went away, but each day made it more bearable. That was the hard lesson all players eventually learned.

    6 days after the disastrous raid that had come to be known as the 25th Massacre, the players had already explored a good three-fourths of the 26th floor.

    They still hurt. The nightmares still made an appearance every night. Which was why they were all the faster in mapping this floor. You could hardly find a single clearer who was still sleeping by 5 AM, and who got back to the safe zone before 9 PM. Definitely no frontliners.

    Even Liten and the ALS were about. They, more than anyone, needed to keep themselves occupied. Not just because of the slaughter, but also for the decision they had made, and which would be put into action soon.

    You see, after Kibaou transferred leadership of the Aincrad Liberation Squad to Liten, the tank wept during the first day. She talked and comforted the normal players and clearers in the second.

    On the third day, Liten called a meeting with all the players with leadership roles inside the ALS - the ones who were still alive, at least. They spent the best part of days 3 and 4 arguing.

    What about, you might ask. And the answer was simple: the future of the guild.

    Some thought that they should maintain the guild, but retire from the frontlines. Others argued that there was no reason for the ALS to exist if it wasn''t to be a part of the Assault Team, and that they should start recruiting and training again. A portion of them still supported disbanding the guild completely.

    It was that last group that, despite being the smallest in number, spoke the loudest. They said that without Kibaou, the ALS would never be the same. But they weren''t defending their former guild leader, far from it. They called him a stain in the guild''s reputation that they could never wipe away. Much better get rid of it altogether and start over.

    Liten wasn''t sure she agreed with that. Kibaou definitely deserved everything he got, and seeing Broken Spear Drifter tell him to fuck off and never come back had been satisfying on many levels.

    But still, it was one mistake. A huge, unforgivable mistake, but just one nonetheless. The way the people were talking about Kibaou... Liten shuddered to think of it. That much hatred couldn''t come from just a singular occasion. Just how long had the ALS been falling apart to infighting that she was not aware off?

    Even forgetting all that, there was the matter of the resignations. Within 4 days, half of the surviving normal players who took part in the raid had left the guild, and with them a good chunk of the ones who didn''t participate.

    Not only that, but while the frontliners, however few were left, were still going strong, a not insignificant portion of the ALS clearers had decided to take some time off. Understandable, really, but it was doubtful how many would actually return instead of retiring completely.

    Liten couldn''t blame any of them. They had been through a traumatizing experience. 1 in every 3 of the participants of the raid had died. That was a ratio that not even the worse of wars in the outside world saw. Anyone who didn''t have some sort of PTSD after that needed to get checked out.

    Frontliners were the crazy ones. They were definitely all sorts of traumatized, but neither Liten nor any of the handful of ALS frontliners ever thought of leaving. Whether the Aincrad Liberation Squad endured or not, they were in this life until the end.

    On the fifth day, the ALS arrived at a consensus.

    The Aincrad Liberation Squad, one of Sword Art Online''s first guilds and founders of the Assault Team... Was officially disbanding.

    Liten was... Conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to fiercely fight that decision. The ALS was her home, it had been everything she had for a long time.

    On the other hand, her home was in shambles. And sometimes the only way to rebuild was to tear everything down and start over.

    Nevertheless, the decision was made. And on the night of the sixth day, after one last hunt as the Aincrad Liberation Squad, she officially dissolved the guild.

    ------------------------

    The disbandment of the ALS made waves, even if it was already expected. Putting Sword Art Online aside for a moment, the second the decision was announced, it made the news in the outside world.

    One thing that had to be understood was that SAO wasn''t just a Japanese problem anymore. No, it was global. Because if one madman could trap 10.000 souls in a virtual realm, then what more could be done? For both good and bad.

    Because of that, anything that happened in Aincrad was always under the scrutiny of the public. There was not a person in the world who didn''t know of SAO, and anytime a floor boss raid happened, the spectators would be in the billions. SAO was by far more relevant than the Olympics or World Cup.

    "...Just a few minutes ago, Liten the Fortress has officially announced the disbandment of the Aincrad Liberation Squad. In regards to that, our team would like to bring you on a short trip down memory lane on the history of one of SAO''s founding guilds..."

    "...Actions of Kibaou the Challenger, dissolving the guild was the only possible course..."

    "...We are now left to wonder about the future of the former ALS guild members, especially the frontliners and..."

    "...Dragon Knights Brigade, Reaver''s Requiem, Fuurinkazan, and Legend Braves have yet to comment..."

    "...Brings the rash actions of the player Kibaou, who many are calling a sinner, to the forefront again..."

    "...25th Massacre..."

    Bzzt.

    Yuuki Shouzou turned off the television and sat back down on the sofa, rubbing his temples. No matter which channel he chose, they were all talking about it.

    The 25th Massacre. Never had a name been so accurate. Because what the SAO players went through, even if they did kill the boss in the end, was nothing short of a slaughter.

    Even Shouzou, the ever cool CEO, had been on the edge of his seat that day, his heart thumping painfully in his chest. And with reason, as his daughter was one of the first to throw herself into danger to rescue the ALS.

    Shouzou counted. Asuna came close to death 13 times during that battle. Not that her health got to the red that many times, but it fell low enough that just another hit would have spelled death for her. And she avoided 13 potentially fatal blows.

    She almost gave Shouzou 13 heart attacks, that''s what. Even before, when Asuna had some close calls, he hadn''t been too worried. But watching players shatter left and right, had made it much more real. It terrified him like nothing he had felt before.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Shouzou, stop watching useless things. We have a meeting with Senator Otaka. He is one of my father''s contacts, so make sure to treat him well. Don''t talk about unnecessary things."

    Translation: don''t mention Sword Art Online and Asuna. His wife viewed both as an embarrassment to the family.

    "Hm."

    Shouzou simply grunted in agreement. He didn''t clench his fists, he didn''t frown. He was a calm man. A collected man.

    He could also be a petty man when he wanted to.

    "When was the last time you visited our daughter? Kyouko."

    His wife didn''t answer, but she didn''t need to. Shouzou knew. Other than the first day, she hadn''t gone to the hospital to see Asuna once. She had stopped watching the boss raids after the 3rd floor. She never tuned in to Asuna''s channel after the 24/7 broadcast became available.

    He turned on the television again and opened Asuna''s PoV. She was talking with the former ALS tank, Liten the Fortress. She was saying something that made the other woman grin wearily. Every so often, her gaze would wander to Black Swordsman Kirito, and she would smile.

    Sometimes... Sometimes Shouzou thought that it might be better if the players never beat SAO. That his daughter stayed in Aincrad forever. At least she seemed happy there.

    -------------------------

    Far from the Yuuki''s household family drama, Ogawa Kenji and Ogawa Kana were ecstatic. Their son had survived the 25th Massacre. And he had been elevated to guild master of Reaver''s Requiem!

    Well, they were feeling happy now that their son was safe and sound - as much as he could be when he was a frontliner, that is. When the 25th Massacre happened, the couple was feeling very differently.

    The only other time Drifter''s parents felt so much fear was when Kayaba announced the start of Sword Art Online.

    Back then, they had tried calling their son, although they had no idea he had bought a NerveGear. They were simply doing what parents do when they hear about something bad happening within 300 kilometers of their children.

    When Drifter didn''t answer, that was when they started to get worried. That worry turned to fear, and then horror, when a man from the SAO task force contacted them saying that Kayaba had released a list of all SAO players and their locations to the government, and that their son was one of them.

    That''s when they first learned what despair felt like. That entire first month of complete radio silence from the players and Kayaba, sitting next to Drifter''s hospital bed everyday.

    The first broadcast had been both a blessing and a curse. Because just when they were finally getting used to the idea that their son was all but gone, they saw him again. Fighting a monster they couldn''t even begin to imagine existed.

    And then again and again and again and again. To the 10th floor, and then the 20th. Always going up. Never faltering. For a time, even Kana and Genji had allowed themselves to believe that their Itsuki was invincible. That he was coming back home.

    The 25th Massacre shattered those hopes. Watching dozens of players die, their son practically set a foot on the other side... Kana fainted the moment the battle ended, her blood pressure through the roof. It was only yesterday that she came back home.

    But the emotional roller-coaster never stopped. Because when Genji took her home and told her about Drifter succeeding Kirito as Reaver''s Requiem guild leader, nearly all her bad emotions were washed away. She was so proud of him.

    He was so strong. He never looked back. Even now, Drifter was training with his new technique. He never stopped.

    Kana felt like she was finally starting to understand what it meant to be a frontliner.

    "Huh?"

    "Huh?"

    Kana in the outside world and her son in SAO spoke at almost the same time. Kana because Drifter, who had been reclining on a chair and checking his HUD after a hard day of grinding, suddenly fell. And Drifter because of another reason entirely.

    "What the-?

    ----------------------------

    The SAO players had different reactions to the announcement of the ALS breaking up.

    Drifter and Reaver''s Requiem simply nodded, acknowledging what they already knew. Lind and the DKB got right into recruiting the former ALS frontliners and clearers, with varying success.

    Liten obviously joined the DKB, so she could be with her boyfriend. About half of the frontliners and clearers followed her. The other half, however, was surprisingly recruited by the upcoming Knights of the Blood Oath. Never let it be said that Heathcliff didn''t recognize an opportunity when he saw it.

    Reaver''s Requiem didn''t recruit anyone. They never relied on numbers, and they had a few too many conflicts with the ALS frontliners over the years to feel comfortable inviting them.

    Liten was the only one who they might want to add to their guild, but they always knew she was going to the DKB to be with Shivata.

    "How long do ya give it, Drifter?"

    The spearmaster looked up from his meal. Reaver''s Requiem had returned to the safe zone, and were having dinner before turning in for the day.

    Agil was sitting across from him, messing with his menu. From his finger motions, the Merchant Warrior was organizing his inventory. Drifter put another piece of steak in his mouth.

    "Heathcliff?"

    Agil nodded without taking his eyes off his HUD.

    "Another floor at most. Just long enough so the new recruits can settle in."

    The merchant nodded again, and a few of the Reavers around who were listening in did the same. Heathcliff was a very ambitious man. Honestly, it was a surprise he hadn''t already contacted the frontliner guild leaders and requested to join the Assault Team.

    "Let''s hope he isn''t another Kibaou."

    Finishing his meal, Drifter reclined on his chair and opened his menu out of habit. He ignored the way Asuna, Kirito, Silica, and some of the others stiffened at his words.

    Agil, Yuna, Nautilus, Sinon, and Ran, on the other hand, just grunted. They shared the same cynical view as Drifter when it came to Kibaou: absolute loathing. Maybe it was too much. But so were the deaths.

    "Huh?"

    It was during his thoughtless skimming of his menu that Drifter spotted something and narrowed his eyes. Then his mouth fell open in shock.

    "Huh?!"

    He sat up so quickly that his chair rocked in place and tumbled. Drifter barely noticed he was now on the ground. He was staring at his menu.

    "Drifter! What happened?!"

    "What''s wrong, Drifter?"

    His friends scrambled out of their seats, and Vallerk lifted him up. Liten, Shivata, Orlando, Klein, and everyone from the other guilds also looked over to him.

    The curious gazes shook Drifter out of his stupor. He looked around and bit the inside of his cheeks. There were only friends around. But this was big. Should he say it?

    He had to. Keeping secrets, especially one of this magnitude, right after the 25th Massacre would be an even bigger mistake. Because secrets always got out, and the longer they were kept, the worse the distrust that followed would be.

    So Drifter took one last deep breath to steady himself, grateful for Yuna''s hand clutching his, and set his menu to the public mode.

    There, sitting in the middle of his skill list as if it was nothing special, was one new skill Drifter had never seen.

    If it was only that, Drifter wouldn''t have had such an exaggerated reaction. Players got new skills all the time. Drifter himself had earned Pinpoint Star after his One-handed Lance and Two-handed Spear base skills hit 700 and 620 mastery respectively during the battle against the Two-Headed Giant.

    But this one was different. Because it wasn''t just a new skill. There was something else in front of its name. A modifier.

    Everyone stared in silence at Drifter''s new acquisition. The Unique Skill: Infinite Spear.

 Chapter 162 - Unique Skills

    Unique Skill: Infinite Spear.

    Drifter stared at the holographic screen in front of him, and at those four words. The other players stared at Drifter.

    The spearmaster closed his menu. Then he opened it again. Yup, the skill was still there. He looked around.

    "Argo is gonna be pissed she is not here."

    That was the first thing he said?! The disbelieving stares he received could have killed a lesser man. But he was in shock, and that was the first thing that came to his mind, nevermind how dumb.

    Someone started laughing.

    Everyone turned to look at Liz, who was completely unabashed, and only laughed harder. Yuna and Asuna''s lips quirked, and Silica tried to hide her giggles. That set off everyone else.

    Nautilus, Kirito, Agil, Shigio, Wolv, they were all chuckling. Sinon was shaking her head with a fond smile, and even Vallerk was openly grinning. Ran and Yuuki were leaning on each other and laughing, while Kizmel and Griselda just sighed exasperated.

    Even Keita, Sachi, and Tetsuo were laughing for real, for the first time in a long while. Klein and his samurais, and Orlando and his Braves had lost it, and were howling with laughter and clutching their sides. Shivata just face-palmed while Liten giggled against his shoulder.

    Drifter blushed and rolled his eyes, his brain finally catching up with his mouth. Yuna kissed his cheek.

    "You are the cutest when you say things like that without thinking, dummy."

    Well, when she said it like that, he couldn''t object. Drifter just turned his attention back to his menu, and everyone else stopped laughing and focused on it too. There wasn''t anyone who wouldn''t be curious about a Unique Skill, whatever that was.

    Drifter tapped on the skill, and started reading through its description, only to be interrupted by disappointed groans from all around.

    "What?"

    He looked up, and saw everyone giving him side glares. Needless to say, he was confused.

    "Why did you set your menu to private again, dummy?"

    "Huh? But I didn''t."

    Drifter frowned. He was just trying to read the skill''s description. Swiping his finger, he saw that, indeed, the public mode of his menu had been turned off again.

    "What the? That wasn''t me. A glitch? Anyway, can you see it now?"

    He fiddled with the settings and waited until everyone nodded. Then he clicked on Infinite Spear again. More groans.

    "What the hell? It''s doing it on its own. Because it''s a Unique Skill? I can''t share it with you."

    In some ways, this was even more interesting than the skill itself. Cardinal had never restricted information in this way.

    "Can you try just reading it out-loud, Drifter?"

    "Sure. Unique Skill- Oh?"

    "What?"

    Another notification had just popped up in his HUD, and it was again one that only he could see.

    "The system is asking if I really want to proceed. And then it''s asking if I''m sure again. This feels like it was added just now."

    He was right, although he couldn''t know it. Cardinal was updating in real time. The players were a lot more selfless than it thought they would be after 25 floors.

    "Why don''t you want me to share, Kayaba? Cardinal."

    Drifter spoke to the empty air, obviously receiving no response. The others looked at him like he was insane, so Drifter just shook his head.

    "I don''t know what Kayaba and his AI are playing at here, but I trust all of you. Yes, share with everyone."

    A veritable wall of text was revealed to the other players, and they recoiled. Drifter himself was blinking still.

    Unique Skill: Infinite Spear. It didn''t show any of the criteria and prerequisites to unlock it. Drifter had no idea how or when he acquired the skill. Couldn''t have been too long ago, however. He checked his skill list and mastery pretty much daily.

    Which was why, even when distracted by his new skill, he noticed another oddity. He bit back an exclamation and scrolled through his skill list again.

    Yup, he wasn''t going blind or hallucinating. Serpentcoil Impale was missing. But why? And how? Skills didn''t just vanish like that. For that matter, they didn''t just appear either.

    That train of thought led Drifter back to Infinite Spear. One skill had disappeared, and another popped into existence. There had to be a connection.

    He found it quite easily, actually. A few glances were enough for him to notice that the tab for the Unique Skill: Infinite Spear could be expanded further.

    He clicked on it again, and voila! There was Serpentcoil Impale! I had been absorbed on the other skill somehow! But just flexing his arm was enough to confirm to Drifter that he could still use it without any problems.

    And Serpentcoil Impale wasn''t the only skill inside Infinite Spear. There was another that Drifter had never seen. Split Stream.

    Suddenly excited, Drifter closed his menu and got up, to the disappointment of everyone else, who had been watching him fiddle with his HUD. He looked around with a smile before his gaze settled on Vallerk.

    "Hey, man. How do you feel about being my test dummy?"

    The tank raised an unimpressed eyebrow, but accepted the duel invitation the spearmaster sent him nonetheless.

    "I object to being called a test dummy. Bring it on."

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Despite his nonchalance and easy reply, Vallerk still held up his shield and used a skill to increase his defense. Drifter was already damn strong, and adding an untested skill on top of that? Better safe than sorry.

    The spearmaster grinned happily. He felt like a kid who just got not 1, but 2 new toys. All the questions could be saved for later. He had to try them out now.

    He wasn''t sure what to expect, but somehow when he started moving, Drifter knew exactly what to do. He attacked Vallerk with a straightforward lunge, which the tank easily blocked, and then parried the following cut.

    Just when Vallerk was wondering what Drifter was up to, he saw the spear in his guild leader''s hands flash silver, and suddenly the weapon wasn''t there anymore. In its place was one of the old halberds Liz had crafted for the spearmaster, and it cut unimpeded through Vallerk''s shoulder, such was his surprise.

    But the spearmaster wasn''t done yet. There was another silver flash, and the halberd was switched for a staff, which Drifter used to swipe Vallerk''s legs from under him and knock the other player to the ground. Then he stabbed downwards, and his weapon was now a lance, which pierced the floor right next to Vallerk''s face.

    Drifter thought he could hear the sounds of multiple jaws hitting the floor in the silence that followed. The spearmaster had a dumb smile stretching from ear to ear on his face.

    "Wh-What?!"

    Even if they had read the description of Infinite Spear, it was just a convoluted mess no one could comprehend at a first glance. Seeing it in action, on the other hand, was beyond shocking.

    Drifter just grinned like a manic and held a hand to pull Vallerk up. The skill''s name was scarily accurate. Infinite Spear indeed. He was already running through countless combinations in his head.

    "I can change to any spear-type weapon mid-fight. It will take some getting used to, but..."

    He trailed off, enjoying the dumbfounded expressions in everyone''s faces. Putting modesty aside for a moment, Drifter felt unstoppable with his new skill. He was already SAO''s best spear-user. Now... Well, he might be a contender for the very best SAO player.

    Honestly, Infinite Spear was completely unbalanced. It was a broken skill. Drifter had no idea why Kayaba, who always advocated for fairness above all else, suddenly decided to throw his principles out the window, but neither he nor his friends were going to complain. The stronger Drifter was, the better their odds of clearing SAO.

    "That''s terrifying."

    "That''s so cool!"

    Drifter chuckled at the mixed reactions, at the same time forfeiting the duel. He simply wanted to test his new skill. Which reminded him...

    "Actually, I got something else too. Split Stream."

    Kirito cooked his head. The name interested him.

    "What''s that?"

    "Another skill. Inside Infinite Spear. Serpentcoil Impale is inside of it too. Honestly, it feels more like an entire new skill tree rather than just a skill. I''m pretty sure I''m going to unlock more and more as I raise my proficiency."

    Which he could already tell wouldn''t be easy. He had just used Infinite Spear to change weapons 3 times during the short duel, and yet his mastery in the skill was still at 0 out of 1.000. When he first got the basic skills like One-handed Lance and Two-handed Spear, just swinging his weapon around was enough to gain a few points.

    "Dude, that''s crazy. What are the requirements?"

    Klein leaned forward, examining Drifter''s weapon, which he had switched back to his favored twisted bident, as if expecting it to suffer some kind of metamorphosis in front of his eyes. The spearmaster shrugged.

    "No idea. Y''all saw my reaction earlier. I don''t have the slightest clue of where, how, and why I got this skill."

    "Well, it is called an Unique Skill, is it not? Maybe... Only Drifter has it?"

    Ran was always quick on the uptake. While what she said might seem obvious, it had been a lot of information to process, so many of the players had already forgotten that detail.

    Her sister smacked her palm with her fist, her eyes shining with excitement. Yuuki was always enthusiastic about all things related to fighting.

    "Right! Nobody ever managed to reproduce Drifter''s Serpentcoil Impale! That''s probably why. It''s part of Infinite Spear. It''s like your own personal skill, Drifter!"

    Yuuki was too innocent, but some of the others felt a small bite of jealousy when they heard her. Of course they would never let it affect their friendship, but they were still players at the end of the day. Everyone wanted to be the strongest, and Drifter had just gotten an edge over them.

    The spearmaster probably felt their grievances, because he smiled apologetically. It wasn''t like he could control it, the skill had just appeared. But it was indeed a little unfair.

    "Uhmm..."

    "What''s it, songbird?"

    "Nothing, I was just thinking."

    "Well, do share with the class, Yuna."

    The songstress stuck her tongue out at Orlando, who grinned unabashedly.

    "Like I said, I was just thinking. If you were Kayaba and you created what''s basically the pinnacle of all spear skills, who would you give it to?"

    Orlando and everyone else suddenly looked pensive. The answer was pretty obvious, but it was still an interesting point.

    Meanwhile, Drifter pulled Yuna to his side and kissed the top of her head in silent thanks. He could guess what she was getting at, but he also knew that she had done it mainly to take the attention away from him before someone said something that made things awkward.

    "Drifter for sure. Everyone knows he is the best spearman in Aincrad. And he already got the skill, so that''s just confirmation."

    Nautilus spoke, and Yuna nodded.

    "That''s right. But think about it. Kayaba made a unique spear skill. That''s unusual and breaks the mold, but he''s not one to leave a job unfinished."

    "You mean..."

    "If there''s a spear Unique Skill, then don''t you think there''s also gonna be a sword Unique Skill, dagger Unique Skill, shield Unique Skill, and so on?"

    It wasn''t easy to shock frontliners into silence, but Yuna did it. It took the players a few seconds to recover from her words, at which point they all scrambled to open their menus and check their skill lists.

    This wasn''t just about getting a new powerful and unique skill. It was a proof of status. A validation of all their efforts.

    They all agreed that Drifter received Infinite Spear because he was SAO''s uncontested number 1 spearmaster. So, if they were the ones to get an Unique Skill, didn''t that mean that they too were the best in a certain category?

    Drifter watched all this while hugging Yuna to his side. He was still giddy from the pleasure of being granted Infinite Spear. But he whispered into his wife''s ear.

    "Aren''t you going to check if you got one?"

    "I just play music, dummy. There''s no way I would receive an Unique Skill."

    Drifter shook his head in exasperation. Being overly modest was a problem many Reavers had. Sometimes it was better to be a braggart like Orlando or Klein.

    "If there''s anyone deserving of a Unique Skill, it''s my songbird."

    Yuna giggled and kissed his cheek, almost brushing her lips with his.

    "Dummy... I''ll check later. For now- Aren''t you worried this might end up badly?"

    Well, Yuna had a point. There were just about 30 frontliners in the room, most of which would never admit to being anything less than the best.

    And only a handful, if even that many, might receive a Unique Skill. Egos would be bruised, and pride would be challenged. It was a recipe for disaster. But Drifter just smiled.

    "Nah."

    Yuna grinned and laughed, then kissed him, for real this time. When the couple looked up again, the others had stopped searching through their skill lists. Most with disappointment. 6 of them with undisguised excitement.

    Nautilus. Kirito. Yuuki. Asuna. Liz. Klein.

 Chapter 163 - Unique Skills?

    "Alright, I''m guessing y''all found something. Raise your hand if you''ve got an Unique Skill."

    Drifter asked even though the answer was pretty obvious. 6 hands went up. Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, Liz, and Klein.

    Six Unique Skill users and 5 of them were in Reaver''s Requiem. 6 if you counted Drifter, which you definitely should. Kibaou would have an aneurysm if he was still around.

    The others were a little disappointed, but the light quickly returned to their eyes as they clapped the lucky few on the back and congratulated them. They might not properly understand what Unique Skills were yet, but they knew it was a good thing. It was worth being happy for their friends getting stronger.

    "Settle down, everybody. Let''s go around, one at a time. Starting with Klein, since he looks like he might burst if we don''t let him brag soon."

    Everyone laughed, and even the samurai was too hyped to feign being hurt but Drifter''s barbs.

    Klein jumped up, pacing like a child overloaded with sugar, and proudly swiped his fingers to set his menu to public. Then he spent a few more awkward moments going through the same notions Drifter did when he tried to reveal his Unique Skill.

    "A-ha! Here it is! Battoujutsu! None of you can ever mock me for being a samurai again."

    To prove his point, Klein drew his katana from its scabbard in one fluid motion. The weapon glowed a vivid red that none of the players had ever seen in any other skill.

    "Ooh! Pretty!"

    "That''s cool. I''m guessing it''s something unique like Drifter''s, and not just some special effects?"

    Klein raised his chin with a big smile.

    "Of course! All my attacks, even the normal ones, now inflict a ''bleed'' status! And I also unlocked a new skill inside Battoujutsu, also like Drifter."

    Klein sent a duel invite to Dale, who accepted it after making a show of begging his guild leader to show mercy. Trust Fuurinkazan to always turn everything into some sort of comedy.

    The new skill Klein used was pretty impressive, though. It was some sort of quick draw, and he only slashed Dale once, but 3 cuts appeared on the player''s chest. And, just like the red-haired guild leader boasted, Dale got a ''bleed'' debuff.

    "That''s really good. You were already strong, but now you are going to become one of the Assault Team''s powerhouses, Klein."

    "Hehe... That''s me! I should probably start coming up with a title too, hum?"

    Drifter rolled his eyes, but smiled. In his humble opinion, all the players in the room deserved titles. But Klein was right, he was definitely going to get one now.

    "Alright, moving on. Who wants to go next? Asuna?"

    "Hm. My Unique Skill is called Mirage Burst. The effects are increased speed and accuracy, and doubling my chances of landing critical hits. And more skills, obviously."

    "That seems to be the trend."

    "Uhmm... It might not sound as impressive as Drifter''s weapon switching and Klein''s ''bleed'' on paper, but I think it might actually be the most fitting one for you, Asuna."

    The fencer was nodding along as Shivata spoke. Speed, accuracy, and critical hits. Those were the three things Asuna always relied on the most. Enhancing them was life giving wings to a tiger.

    "Naut?"

    The ash-haired player stood up from where he had been sitting with his head on Ran''s shoulder. He had a large smile on his face that usually only Yuna, Drifter, and his girlfriend were privy to.

    "Indomitable Might. Not to be confused with Indomitable Knight."

    Drifter snorted, and some of the others laughed. Talk about word play.

    "Looks like Cardinal pulled all the stops on this one, huh?"

    "What does it do, Nautilus?"

    "It''s probably better if I show you. The description is quite confusing. Any volunteers?"

    The Reavers looked at each other before Griselda shrugged and got up. One countdown later, and a third duel was taking place in the room. It probably wouldn''t be the last.

    Nautilus and Griselda stood facing each other, the latter waiting for the ash-haired player to do something. Instead, Nautilus gestured for her to attack him.

    Trusting Nautilus to know what he was doing, Griselda raised her two-handed sword above her head, and brought it down in a powerful slash.

    Nautilus raised his shield, which flashed blue, and received the attack. He hadn''t used proper form or even firmed his stance, so everyone expected him to fall down under the impact, or at the very least stumble back, for Griselda had one of the highest strength stats in Reaver''s Requiem.

    Nautilus didn''t move an inch. It was like Griselda had just struck a wall. Her blade bit into his shield and stopped. No matter how much force she put behind it, Nautilus didn''t budge.

    And when she relieved the pressure just a notch, and ceded just a little ground, he pushed his shield forward, smacking into her chest, and Griselda went flying.

    A few of the spectators jumped out of the way as Griselda crashed into a table and toppled a few chairs.

    "Ugh!"

    Even Nautilus didn''t seem to be expecting that, because his mouth was hanging wide open. After a few seconds, he hurriedly forfeited the duel and went to help Griselda up.

    "Griselda! I''m so sorry, I didn''t think- I mean, I read the skill description, but-"

    "Hey, don''t sweat it. I just wasn''t expecting it. But that was really awesome, Nautilus."

    "Ah, thanks. Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, yeah. So, what was that exactly?"

    After making sure Griselda was alright, Nautilus finally explained. Turns out Indomitable Might was based on the old adage of ''immovable object, unstoppable force''.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    In gamer terms, Nautilus would receive zero knockback and inflict the maximum amount possible to his opponents when the skill was activated. It was both a passive and active buff, unlike Asuna''s Mirage Burst.

    "Alright, I''ll admit it. I''m more jealous now than I was before knowing what your skill was about, Nautilus."

    Agil whistled, and threw an arm over the shield-bearer''s shoulders. Shigio joined the Merchant Warrior in the teasing, and Wolv shook his head at his two friends.

    "We are supposed to be the adults here. What about yours, Liz?"

    Heads turned towards the blacksmith, and Drifter had to admit he was curious. There had been a pattern to the distribution of Unique Skills until now, and while Liz was an absolute menace with her warhammer, she didn''t quite fit the description.

    They should have known that Kayaba would never create something so basic, however. Liz''s evil smile was enough to clue them in that she knew what they were thinking, and that she also knew something they did not.

    "My Unique Skill is... Volcano Forge!"

    "What?"

    "Forge? As in-"

    "Yep! It''s not really that special, actually. It just makes it so I can pull put my anvil and forge wherever and whenever I want."

    Drifter narrowed his eyes. It truly didn''t sound all that unique when compared to Infinite Spear, Indomitable Might, Battoujutsu, and Mirage Burst. It wasn''t even a combat skill. And Liz already could take out her anvil and portable forge any time she wanted to.

    But the blacksmith was smiling too widely for a seemingly useless skill. And the way she had worded it...

    "Wait. Liz, when you say wherever and whenever... Do you mean it?"

    Sinon was the first to catch on, with Drifter not far behind, and the spearmaster''s eyes widened. He sat up straighter, jostling Yuna, who was resting her head on his shoulder. Liz just burst out laughing.

    "Ding ding ding! You got it, Sinon! I can now use my forge anywhere I want. Including, say, a boss room. And I can also use it anytime I want. Such as in the middle of a boss fight. Hahaha!!"

    "Wow. That is..."

    Amazing. Unbelievable. Broken. Any number of adjectives fit here. In a way, Liz''s Unique Skill was more impactful than all the others combined. Because while Infinite Spear, Indomitable Might, and so on only strengthened their user, Volcano Forge would be a boost to the entire group the blacksmith was with.

    Being able to repair equipment mid-battle was one thing - very useful still - but there were several buffs that a blacksmith could give to weapons. Unfortunately, they didn''t last for long, and wore off pretty quickly when you were in a boss raid. But if Liz could use her skill to apply those buffs anytime, the killing power of the Assault Team would more than double.

    Well, say what you will about Kayaba, but he knew how to spice things up. Infinite Spear to the best spearmaster, Battoujutsu to the leading katana-user, Mirage Burst to the fastest player in SAO, Indomitable Might to the one who managed to break through his FNC, Volcano Forge to Aincrad''s master blacksmith. Now Drifter was really curious about what Yuuki and Kirito got.

    "Yuuki, you look like you are about to burst. Want to be next?"

    "Yes!"

    The purple-haired girl jumped up, and the others stepped back to give her space. Yuuki fiddled with her menu while speaking.

    "Mine is actually a little bit like Drifter''s Infinite Spear. Not quite the same, but... Well, just watch."

    Saying that, Yuuki tapped the air in front of her. A light flashed on the right side of her waist, and a sword and scabbard materialized, mirroring the one hanging on her left flank.

    With a flourish, Yuuki drew her usual sword with her right hand. Then, she crossed her left arm in front of her body, and unsheathed the second sword, which Drifter vaguely recognized as a drop from the 21st floor''s field-boss.

    "Tah-dah!"

    She spun both swords around, one hand clearly much more coordinated than the other. They all trained with their off-hand, just in case they had a limb cut off during a battle, but like most of them, Yuuki still was more skilled with her main hand, the right one.

    Well, now she was going to have to get good with both of them, if she planned on using two swords. Drifter wished her good luck. He couldn''t imagine how nightmarish it would be to learn how to wield two spears at the same time.

    Still, Drifter could see the advantages. The only types of weapons that could be ''doubled'', or used in both hands, were claws like Argo''s, or special items like Nezha''s chakrams. Even dagger-users like Silica were restricted to one.

    Being able to utilize two swords at the same time surely brought many challenges, but if Yuuki could learn well - and nobody doubted she would, the girl was as talented as they came - she would become a menace in the battlefield.

    "Hehe, what do you think? Do you like it? I bet you are never gonna guess the name-"

    "Dual Blades."

    Kirito interrupted Yuuki''s bragging, and her face fell. She turned and pouted at her former guild leader.

    "Wh- You are no fun, Kirito! How did you even guess that?"

    Drifter wanted to say that it wasn''t very hard, Dual Blades wasn''t exactly an original name for the skill. But the utter confusion in Kirito''s face made him hold his tongue.

    The swordsman stared at Yuuki''s disgruntled expression, then looked around. Since he had cut short Yuuki''s exhibition, they were all curious as to what he had to say.

    "It wasn''t a guess."

    Kirito said that, then swiped a finger and clicked something on his menu. Much like with Yuuki, there was another brief flash of light before another sword materialized, forming an ''X'' with the one Kirito carried on his back.

    Gingerly, Kirito reached both hands over his shoulders and grabbed the hilts of the swords. Yuuki''s jaw was on the floor.

    "So... Is this some ''lost in translation'' thing? Because where I''m from, unique doesn''t mean two of the same thing."

    Agil raised an eyebrow and joked. Drifter just looked at the two users of Dual Blades. He didn''t even want to know.

    Yuuki''s downcast expression at finding out she wasn''t the only holder of that particular Unique Skill had already vanished, replaced by excitement when she realized she had the perfect dueling partner.

    The spearmaster looked at his skill list, then at Klein, who was spinning a wild tale of how he was the greatest samurai to ever live to his guildmates and the Legend Braves. Asuna and Nautilus were discussing their own Unique Skills, while Liz was arguing with Griselda and Vallerk, and a confused Kizmel, about why she couldn''t open bets on who would win between Kirito and Yuuki. It was pure chaos.

    Drifter wondered if it would be impolite to get drunk. They had a lot to celebrate after all. And thinking too much hurt his head.

    ------------------------

    Deep in his quarters, Akihiko Kayaba was nodding at the screen in front of him. There had been a few upsets and surprises, and even some accidents that Cardinal itself couldn''t have foreseen, but everything was on track now. His world was progressing at a perfect pace.

    [ Detail - 01/Battoujutsu - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 02/Darkness Blade - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 03/Dual Blade - Manual Correction - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 04/Holy Sword - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 05/Infinite Spear - Override - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 06/Mirage Burst - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 07/Shurikenjutsu - Under Inspection - Undecided ]

    [ Detail - 08/Indomitable Might - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 09/Spirit Friend - Under Inspection - Undecided ]

    [ Detail - 10/In Development - Under Inspection - Undecided ]

    [ Detail - 11/Volcano Forge - Assigned ]

    [ Detail - 12/In Development - Under Inspection - Undecided ]

    [ Detail - 13/In Development - Manual Correction - Undecided ]

    8 out of 13 Unique Skills properly distributed. Kayaba had honestly thought there would be a lot less qualified players. In his plans, if he could assign 2 of them, excluding his own, right at the start, it would be considered remarkable.

    He supposed this wasn''t the first time his expectations were subverted. Hopefully it would happen again and again. After all, what fun was a game without some uncertainty?

 Chapter 164 - Title Idea Please?

    It had been three days, and Drifter had learned both a lot about Unique Skills, and also nothing at all.

    Late at night, he spent hours trying to understand what were Kayaba''s intentions behind releasing the Unique Skills. If it was even Kayaba that did it, and not something Cardinal came up with on its own.

    As much as players liked to blame the developer for every little thing, they all knew that it was the AI that really controlled things.

    His mind kept fluctuating between thinking it was something Kayaba did because he was bored, thinking that he did it because he wanted to cause discord between the players, and thinking it was because he was sorry and trying to compensate them for the 25th Massacre.

    The last one was simply outlandish. Kayaba didn''t have enough human emotions to feel sorry for anything. Cardinal was kinder than that man, and the AI was a bitch - in Drifter''s humble opinion.

    Anyway, it didn''t really matter why Unique Skills were a thing, only that they were. Holding 6 of the 7 Unique Skills they knew about, Reaver''s Requiem had grown tremendously stronger in those short 3 days. Any hidden motives could be dealt with later.

    Of course, Drifter and the others wouldn''t be so blas¨¦ about it normally. If Kibaou was still here, he and Lind would have kicked up a fuss about cheating and beaters.

    But Kibaou was gone, and Lind had grown enough that he could now look at the bigger picture - that the Assault Team was stronger because Reaver''s Requiem and Fuurinkazan had Unique Skill users.

    Sure, the DKB guild leader had frowned and grumbled a bit when Drifter contacted him to tell him about the Unique Skills. But after a few tense moments, he had simply asked to be put into the loop instead of throwing a tantrum, and Drifter breathed a sigh of relief.

    Liten and Shivata had been there the night Drifter discovered his Infinite Spear, and while they would probably have kept it a secret for a short while if he asked, the spearmaster and guild leader considered trust to be the most important factor to maintain the cohesion of the Assault Team.

    Once he left that aspect behind, Drifter''s questioning of the Unique Skills entered a more practical realm. Namely, what exactly were they, what conditions did they meet to unlock them, why did Kirito and Yuuki both have Dual Blades, and what exactly was his Infinite Spear capable of.

    Three days was enough for them to do a lot of talking and testing, and a few conclusions had been drawn.

    First, they had tentative answers to a few questions. Emphasis on ''tentative'', because they were certain of nothing.

    For example, what had triggered the release of Unique Skills?

    The most logical answer was that it was due to the players conquering the 25th floor. It was a significant milestone, and not just because of the carnage.

    Which, of course, generated more questions. Such as, if beating the 25th floor and climbing one-fourth of Aincrad resulted in Unique Skills, what would happen on other important divides, like the 50th and 75th floor? Would there be more surprises, or was it a one time thing? If it wasn''t, would those updates favor the players or just make SAO harder?

    More questions with no answers. At least Drifter had a theory on why the people who got the Unique Skills had been chosen.

    First of, the spearmaster himself. His was simple. He was SAO''s best spear-user by far. In fact, Infinite Spear was practically destined to go to him from the start, or at least from the moment he got Serpentcoil Impale.

    He had no idea why others hadn''t gotten a little sneak peak of their Unique Skills like he did, however. Maybe it was a bug, although Cardinal never erred, that they knew of. Or maybe he was the only one qualified for a Unique Skill before the 25th floor - that felt too egotistical to think of.

    Well, whatever the reason, it was a good thing that it happened. Serpentcoil Impale had saved Liten, Griselda, the spearmaster himself, and many others over the last 15 or so floors.

    Klein''s Battoujutsu was also easy to explain. Like Drifter, he was the best with his chosen weapon - the katana being a surprisingly unpopular choice amongst frontliners because of the high difficulty of some techniques.

    Same went to Liz'' Volcano Forge. It was basically an evolution of Blacksmithing anyway, and nobody would argue that the pink-haired girl wasn''t the best at the lifestyle skill by miles.

    Similar with Asuna, although when it came to her Mirage Burst, it wasn''t about a specific weapon or skill, but an attribute. Basically, she was fast. Very, very fast. Her title wasn''t for nothing.

    It was when they got to Nautilus that opinions varied some. Drifter''s ash-haired friend was doubtlessly one of Aincrad''s best, but he was more of an all-rounded player.

    He could tank attacks just as well as any frontliner shield-bearer - better than most, really - but he wasn''t a pure tank and defensive monster like Liten or Vallerk.

    And he was also exceptionally skilled with his blade, but not that far ahead of Kizmel, Griselda, and everyone else like Drifter, Asuna, Liz, and Klein, who seemed to be in their own categories.

    Drifter''s best guess was still that Indomitable Might was related to Nautilus'' FNC. The disability hadn''t resurfaced since Nautilus broke through it with nothing but determination and sheer will in the battle against Aater, and, as far as the spearmaster knew, Nautilus was still the only one to ever be able to do so.

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    The shield-bearer was happy to go along with Drifter''s theory. Mostly, he was just overjoyed with his newest acquisition, and had spent the better part of the last 3 days training with Kirito and Yuuki.

    The duo were the last ones, and the most disconcerting of them all. The obvious assumption that Unique Skills were, well, unique, had been shattered almost immediately by them.

    Not that Kirito and Yuuki had planned that, of course. If anything, they were even more confused than everyone else.

    But somehow, this new conundrum actually helped zero in on the prerequisite for their skill. Now they had two users of Dual Blades, so they just had to compare and find out what they had in common.

    Quite a lot, as it turns out. While their personalities were polar opposites some times, when it came to skill and fighting style, Kirito and Yuuki were almost carbon copies of each other.

    They were both chaotic, a flurry of motions on the battlefield, never stopping for even a second. They both used heavy one-handed swords without shields, despite having that possibility, to maximize their mobility.

    Both favored solo combat, although their battlefield awareness always let them know where they were most needed.

    And, of course, both were supremely skilled, easily in SAO''s top 10 - which might not sound as impressive as it should have. But when you got to their level, that is, of the leading frontliners, a lot of the times ranking came more down to luck than anything.

    Their skill levels were too similar to get a consistent answer on who was better. Kirito, Yuuki, Drifter, Asuna, Shivata, Ran, Kizmel... In their constant practice duels, no one could claim to be ahead of the others.

    Although, Unique Skills might change that now. It was a new variable that a lot of so-called experts in the outside world were already cracking their heads over.

    But back to Kirito and Yuuki. There was one last thing in which they were very similar, and that Drifter and most of the rest agreed was what qualified them for a Unique Skill: their reaction speed.

    While Asuna was undoubtedly SAO''s fastest player, with Akari and Silica coming as a close second, that was restricted to movement and attack speed. Which wasn''t a small deal by any means, don''t get it wrong. But it was different from pure reaction speed.

    In that regard, even the Lightning Flash herself couldn''t compete with the two sword-users.

    If Asuna could attack fast, then Kirito and Yuuki could react to it even faster. They had actually tested that. Even when they were holding their swords loosely by their side and Asuna was all poised to strike, Kirito and Yuuki were able to defend against it.

    It was actually very impressive, and something no one had really paid much attention to before. If they started moving at the same time, Kirito and Yuuki''s swords could cover twice the distance as Asuna''s rapier.

    That annoyed the fencer to no end. Despite how humble she was, Asuna always prided herself in being SAO''s fastest player, she only didn''t brag about it.

    It helped diminish her dissatisfaction that Yuuki was one of her best friends.

    On the other hand, Kirito was her boyfriend, so who really cared if he suffered a little behind doors? Nobody wanted to get on Asuna''s bad side - and really, he deserved it somehow. Probably.

    Well, forget that. Teasing Kirito aside, everyone pretty much agreed that the unlocking requirement for Dual Blades was having the fastest reaction speed in SAO. And since Kirito and Yuuki were always one up one down when they competed in that, both got it.

    Truth was, only Argo was still breaking her head over trying to understand the whys and hows of Unique Skills. The players themselves were much more preoccupied with training.

    Drifter absolutely loved his Infinite Spear. The ability to switch weapons mid-fight, mid-motion, really, opened up a whole new realm of tactics and possibilities.

    That wasn''t to say it was easy to learn all its intricacies, and adapt them to his already well-developed fighting style. Or to adapt it to the skill. But Drifter was nothing if not persistent.

    Still, he had a lot on his plate at the moment. Leading Reaver''s Requiem, incorporating Infinite Spear into his skill set, perfecting his short throw technique, keeping an eye out for Laughing Coffin, rebuilding and reinforcing the Assault Team after the 25th Massacre...

    That last one was occupying less of his focus than he initially thought. While Drifter always knew that the frontliners would keep going regardless of what happened and how much they suffered, he had expected a large decrease in the number of clearers and hopefuls.

    And that held true, at least for a while. There weren''t many new players applying to become clearers or join the Assault Team. Even Heathcliff and his KoB hadn''t made a move yet.

    But the frontliners and the clearers who didn''t leave, who woke up the morning after the 25th Massacre and kept going, were putting in 10 times the effort, and the results were showing.

    The 26th floor had been completely mapped already. The tower was almost done too, and the boss room had already been discovered.

    All of it in 9 days. Because it was the best thing they had to focus on and vent. Because it made the nightmares feel just a little less jarring.

    Because the players had never been as united as they were now.

    Before, the players had a myriad of reasons to fight. To escape SAO, to spite Kayaba, for the thrill of it, to get revenge, because it was the right thing...

    And they were solid reasons, all of them. Good reasons, even revenge. But now, there was something bigger, one reason that had become the driving force behind the efforts of the active clearers and frontliners.

    To never have a repeat of the 25th floor.

    "Dummy, you are daydreaming again."

    Drifter started, and turned his head towards his wife''s voice. Yuna was gazing at him with a worried expression.

    "You know you don''t need to do it all alone, don''t you? You have me, and Naut, Kirito, Asuna, and everyone else. Even Lind, if you are that desperate."

    She scrunched up her nose cutely in mock disgust, and Drifter chuckled. Lind had been a lot more likable lately, but gods forbid he acted like he actually liked the Reavers, or them him. That would be a clear sign of the end of the world.

    "I know, songbird. I was just thinking... I''m not even sure about what."

    "Important stuff, I''m sure."

    "Heh. Maybe."

    Drifter kissed the top of her head, then laid his head back down on his pillow. Yuna nuzzled closer.

    "Thr strategy meeting is tomorrow. How do you think it''s gonna go?"

    ''What will you decide?'' was the real question. Drifter shrugged with one shoulder, careful not to dislodge his snuggling wife.

    "Dunno. But we have to keep going. Keep climbing."

    Yuna sighed, and nodded against his chest. Drifter ran his fingers through her silky hair.

    "I do know that I''m going to ask them to leave the scouting raid to Reaver''s Requiem, Yun''. It''s arrogant and... And irrational. But I don''t really trust anyone else to do it right now. I''m a huge hypocrite, aren''t I?"

    Drifter was mostly speaking to himself, but he still looked down on Yuna didn''t answer or smack him, and found the songstress fast asleep on his chest. He smiled softly, and pulled the covers over them.

    "Sweet dreams, songbird."

 Chapter 165 - Looking Up

    The strategy meeting for the 26th floor boss raid was the darkest Drifter had ever seen. And with reason.

    Sure, the frontliners had picked themselves back up and were putting on a brave front, clearing the 26th floor in just 9 days. They had shown that the Assault Team wouldn''t bend nor break. But this was still right after the 25th Massacre, and there were a lot of empty spaces around the room.

    "87 frontliners. That is not a lot."

    "It''s what we have. We''ve beaten floor bosses with less."

    "None as important as this one, though, Dragon Knight."

    Drifter looked at the man speaking. Ambros, leader of a small 9-men guild. A bit mercurial and quick to anger, but a good frontliner.

    He had been part of the Assault Team since the 6th floor. He knew what he was talking about. Drifter still disagreed.

    "The only important floor is always the highest one, Ambros. Don''t disrespect what we lost by ranking them."

    The swordsman looked like he wanted to argue, but stopped himself. He was about the same age as Drifter, but they were all so much older.

    "Anyway..."

    Shivata coughed loudly, breaking Drifter and Ambros'' silent stare down before it could turn into something else.

    "...We should worry about finding out more about the boss before anything else."

    "My second-in-command is right. The Rat found a lot of information about this floor boss, but a scouting party still needs to be sent."

    For once, Lind didn''t immediately volunteer his guild to do it. Neither did Orlando or Klein jump at the chance.

    All the higher-ups of the Assault Team looked at each other and then away awkwardly. They weren''t afraid, per se. But there was a definite feeling of dread over taking on this responsibility.

    The Aincrad Liberation Squad had been the scouting party for the 25th floor, and look at what happened. They were all thinking something along those lines. Not that anyone expected someone to follow in Kibaou''s footsteps, especially so soon after the disaster, but fear wasn''t logical.

    "Reaver''s Requiem will do it."

    Drifter raised his hand before the silence could stretch for too long. By his side, Kirito and Asuna didn''t give any indication of surprise other than a slight twitching of their eyes. Drifter had run it through them beforehand.

    Lind, Orlando, Klein, Ambros, all the guild leaders and vice guild leaders turned to Drifter. Nobody asked if he was sure, because that was a stupid question. Eventually, Lind nodded.

    "Good. You will do it right. How many are you taking?"

    Drifter''s expression eased. He hadn''t really expected anyone to fight him on this, but the possibility was always there. Scouting the boss was no small responsibility.

    "Standard. Three parties."

    Orlando frowned.

    "Just three? Isn''t that too little? Especially after-"

    Drifter shook his head.

    "The issue wasn''t the number of people back then, Orlando. 3 parties has always been more than enough for scouting. Bringing too many... I don''t want to be tempted."

    Drifter had no fear of admitting that. He didn''t think he would give in to the lust for glory. But then again, he didn''t think Kibaou would either, for all his faults, and look where that had gotten them. 78 new names crossed off the Monument of Life.

    "Still..."

    "Look, we will have the rest of the guild on standby. But scouting is important. We can''t just throw it out the window because we are apprehensive. It will cost us more in the long run if we do that."

    The players exchanged glances, and silent words were spoken. Eventually Lind nodded.

    "Okay. We trust you, Drifter. And Reaver''s Requiem. But you won''t blame us if we have a Corridor Crystal primed and ready."

    "I would be disappointed if you didn''t."

    Drifter smiled, and Lind answered with a tentative upturn of his lips. Then the Dragon Knight splayed his plans on the table.

    "I guess we''ll finally get to see what those new Unique Skills are all about."

    Drifter''s smile grew.

    "I guess you will."

    ---------------------------

    The scouting raid of the 26th floor was probably the most watched boss fight ever, both by SAO players and everyone else. Coming on the heels of the 25th Massacre and Unique Skills, plus Reaver''s Requiem''s change of leadership, no one wanted to miss it.

    That was how pretty much the entire world watched Drifter lead 15 of Reaver''s Requiem''s finest into the boss room.

    Considering the size of their guild, 3 parties'' worth of players was pretty much all of them. They only left Keita, Sachi, and Tetsuo behind, seeing as they weren''t frontliners.

    Drifter, Yuna, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, Silica, Vallerk, Ran, Yuuki, Liz, Kizmel, Agil, Shigio, Wolv, and Griselda marched powerfully into the boss'' chambers. The floor boss was quite clearly curled up in the middle of the sandy room, so they didn''t fear an ambush.

    It was a fox. Reddish-brown fur, pointy ears, and a fluffy tail wrapped around its body as it slept. Just like a normal fox, except for the minor detail of it being the size of a garbage truck.

    Ah, and of course, for the fact that every now and then its body would flash with ghastly blue light, and its skeleton would become visible for a split second.

    "Everybody remembers the plan, right? Then let''s do this!"

    Vallerk, Nautilus, Liz, Kizmel, and Shigio charged first, just as the boss, named Flame Wisp Ruler, woke and got up.

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    With a snarl, the boss swiped at the shield-bearers with its claws. The attack was probably meant to smack all of them away, but Nautilus stomped the ground and dashed ahead.

    His little shield seemed impossibly small in front of the Flame Wisp Ruler''s giant paw and scythe-like claws, but the Indomitable Knight glowed with the power of Indomitable Might, and didn''t move an inch when the paw smashed into him with a deafening bang.

    Unique Skill or not, the attack still took out a good portion of Nautilus'' HP. But the ash-haired player held strong, and pushed back against the paw with a grunt, once again achieving a seemingly impossible feat in throwing the boss back a couple meters.

    Vallerk and the others chose this moment to charge in, locking the Flame Wisp Ruler down with a series of stunning skills.

    It wouldn''t last for long, but this was a scouting mission, not a full raid. What they had to do was uncover as many skills and patterns from the boss as they could.

    Thanks to the clearers'' exploration, and Argo''s effort of compiling the information, the Reavers already knew a little of what to expect from the first phase of the boss, but it didn''t hurt to be through.

    This was the perfect chance to test their Unique Skills, however, and after seeing what Nautilus'' Indomitable Might could do to the boss, the other Reavers were more than a little eager.

    Drifter himself was one of the first there, switching with Liz so she could get her breath back, and maybe try out her Volcano Forge in a boss battle setting.

    His weapon changing into a lance at a thought, Drifter charged the Flame Wisp Ruler, running it through the side. When he tore the weapon out, it was a halberd, which he promptly used to slice into the boss'' flank.

    Probably the best thing about Infinite Spear was that the weapon changes didn''t share a cooldown with normal skills. In fact, Drifter had yet to find they had any cooldown at all.

    A Vertical cut a large gash on the boss'' body, and it turned to Drifter, trying to bite his head off. The spearmaster used Infinite Spear to turn the halberd to a staff, and Edge Vaulting to jump over the closing jaws and away from the Flame Wisp Ruler.

    "Switch!"

    The call was unnecessary, as Drifter was already ducking and stepping back to let Asuna take his place.

    Even after 3 days of experimenting, testing, and a lot of practice duels, Drifter was still amazed by the sheer speed of the fencer''s attacks after acquiring Mirage Burst. Seeing her rapier stab two dozen times in a matter of seconds was like watching a meteor shower, such was the glow of the weapon.

    Asuna must have scored several critical hits under the influence of her Unique Skill, because the Flame Wisp Ruler cried out in pain and rage, and turned to her.

    It never saw Kirito and Yuuki coming up behind its back. It definitely felt it though. Four swords hacking away at its hind legs must have hurt.

    Hearing the pained growl from the monster as Kirito and Yuuki utilized their newly discovered ability to use two swords to very effectively cut down the boss'' health, Drifter not for the first time wondered if the digital creations felt actual pain. Probably yes. Kayaba was through like that.

    It wasn''t a nice thought. Because it inevitably led Drifter to think that, if Kayaba really wanted SAO to be realistic, then he could make the players feel real pain too.

    He never voiced that horrifying thought, not even to Yuna.

    Anyway, this was not the time to go down that dark path. Drifter did take a moment to admire Kirito and Yuuki''s usage of Dual Blades, however.

    It was a sight to behold. Unlike Asuna, their swords didn''t move lightning quick, but they seemed to have a mind of its own.

    Sometimes they flowed smoothly like water, others they cut sharply like scissors. It was a beautiful chaos.

    Still, now that they were in an actual battle - and not a duel or the slaughter that it was against normal mobs - Drifter could spot some differences between the two.

    Kirito''s black swords - Liz''s handicrafts - fell quick and heavy on the boss. Drifter could almost feel the impact himself.

    Yuuki, on the other hand, was using two purple swords - also courtesy of their blacksmith - which flashed about, leaving 3 wounds for every 2 of Kirito''s. Her cuts were shallower, but no less deadly for it.

    Both were incredible to see in action. But the other Reavers weren''t too far behind, even without Unique Skills. After all, they had climbed this far relying on nothing but their own abilities and each other. Any skill, no matter how powerful, was only a bonus to what they already were.

    This was a life Drifter could never have imagined before. 3 years ago, he would have scoffed if someone told him this was where he would be in a few years.

    But now, if he somehow went back in time to just before SAO began? Drifter thought he would still buy a NerveGear and dive in. He could never abandon his family.

    From Yuna and Nautilus to Argo and Akari, to Keita and Sasha, Orlando and Klein, Shivata and Liten, even Lind. For them, he would jump back into Sword Art Online without a second thought.

    Many would call him crazy. And they would be right. But he wasn''t just Ogawa Itsuki, the poor university student with an aversion to instant noodles. Not anymore.

    He was Broken Spear Drifter, guild leader of Reaver''s Requiem, retainer of the Unique Skill Infinite Spear, Aincrad''s grandmaster of the spear. A frontliner. And like all frontliners, he was a little crazy. A little lost.

    A little shattered and broken and beaten down.

    How else could he charge a spectral fox big enough to swallow him in one bite? And switching places with a thirteen-year-old with the skills of a veteran knife-fighter while he did so, to top it off.

    But he was also a little stronger than he was before. A little taller, but not in height. A little sharper. A little more.

    Broken Spear Drifter was just as much a part of him as Ogawa Itsuki. You couldn''t separate the two anymore.

    And that was okay. That was good. Great even. Because no one in Aincrad was still the same as they were before. They were all different. A little less and a little more. And Drifter fit right in.

    "Alright, that is enough! Vallerk, Nautilus, Kizmel, cover for us! Everyone else, fall back per party!"

    Once they emptied the first HP gauge of the boss, Drifter judged that the battle was becoming too risky, and ordered the retreat.

    The Flame Wisp Ruler had turned more aggressive and grown a second tail, as well as getting a different attack pattern, all of which were valuable pieces of information that would need to be taken in consideration when strategizing for the real raid.

    It was tempting to push their luck a little bit more and try to get the boss down to another phase, just to gather more intel. But that was a trap scouting parties had fallen into before, and it never ended well. Knowing when to stop was key.

    "Good work today, everybody!"

    As soon as the last players - Vallerk, Kizmel, and Nautilus - stepped out of the boss room, the Flame Wisp Ruler growled softly and went back to its resting spot in the middle. Almost instantly, it''s one-and-a-half depleted HP bars refilled.

    Drifter watched with attentive eyes everyone take out a Teleport Crystal and go back to the safe zone. Then he did the same with a satisfied smile.

    Today''s scouting raid had served more purposes than just finding out information about the boss. It also helped Drifter see the Unique Skills in an actually pitched battle, and to find out their weaknesses and downsides.

    Quite obviously, none of them had managed to fully incorporate their new skills into their fighting style yet. And that caused not only a decrease in their combat power, but on their unit cohesion and teamwork as a whole.

    Still, the overall was a net positive, at least in Drifter''s opinion. The Reavers, and, consequently, the Assault Team, had gotten much stronger with the addition of the Unique Skills. Not enough to cover the gap left behind by ALS'' fall, but they were slowly getting there.

    For the first time in a while, things were looking up for the players.

 Chapter 166 - Knights of the Blood Oath Arrive

    The 26th floor boss raid was almost laughably easy. Worryingly so, in fact. And it wasn''t just because the frontliners were comparing it to the floor below.

    No, it was a pattern that after a checkpoint floor - the 1st, 10th, 20th, and 25th until now - the following floor would be comparatively easier. That was because Cardinal knew that the players were likely to suffer heavy losses on those floors, so they needed a break.

    But they were never that easy. Even with less than 90 frontliners and the moral still on the low end of the spectrum, the Assault Team had completed the raid flawlessly, without even one close call.

    Rather than be glad about it, Drifter and the other frontliners were feeling anxious. An unforgiving SAO they could deal with, it was something they were used to. But an easy SAO? That was new, and new things were scary.

    It took them a while to identify why they felt like that. But they eventually did. And it was simple: it felt like a trap. Like Cardinal was luring them into lowering their guards again so it could pull off another 25th Massacre.

    But as much as they hated that thought, there was nothing they could do. Cardinal would do what it wanted, and all the players could do was prepare for the worst, even if it was never enough.

    "Hey, Drifter! Someone''s looking for you!"

    The spearmaster looked up from where he was sitting with his back against one of the many glowing crystals that dotted the 27th floor - they were surprisingly soft and warm.

    The first day of explorations of the new floor had gone okay. Nothing major happened, which in itself could be a good thing. But apparently it wouldn''t be an entirely calm day - boss raid aside - if Keita''s shout was anything to go by.

    Gently dislodging Sklica, who had dozed off on his lap, Drifter got up, not forgetting to take Pina, who was napping on his shoulder, and putting her next to the tamer.

    "Who''s it?"

    "Heathcliff."

    The spearmaster paused in his steps, then squared his shoulders.

    "He lasted longer than I thought he would. Where is he?"

    Keita leaned against his staff. As a normal clearer, albeit a Reaver, he wasn''t entirely aware of all the ongoings of the Assault Team, but he knew the Knights of the Blood Oath were a prospective frontliner guild, set to join any day. And apparently today was the day.

    "Someone from his guild, a shifty-looking guy called Daizen, messaged me. No idea why me exactly outta everyone. He says Heathcliff is waiting in that cafe by the plaza."

    "The one left of the teleporter?"

    "Yup."

    "Alright. Thanks Keita. Can you do me a favor?"

    "Shoot."

    "Ask Kirito and Asuna to get Lind, Shivata, Klein, Orlando, and the rest of the company."

    "Sure thing."

    Drifter nodded to Keita, who set off to do what he asked. The spearmaster looked around for Yuna, and found his wife deep in a discussion with Ran, Yuuki, Sinon, Shigio, and Wolv. They had made a circle near a fountain and seemed to be trading opinions on the best dessert spots on Aincrad. A very important conversation he was sorry to disrupt.

    He approached them and placed a kiss on top of her head, making Yuna smile. Wolv, Shigio, and Ran grinned, while Sinon fake gagged, which didn''t really translate when she had Yuuki sitting on her lap. Especially when the younger twin rolled her eyes and kissed the archer right on the lips.

    Drifter had to smile at that too. Sinon and Yuuki were good for each other. An unusual couple for sure, but they completed each other - and Yuuki enabled Sinon''s mischievous side, much to the horror of everyone else.

    "Hm, songbird, I''ll be gone for a while. Heathcliff wants to talk."

    That caught the others'' attention, and they sat up. They all knew Heathcliff, even if they hadn''t talked to him much, or at all. The man was a fox. Cunning like one, at least.

    Yuna blinked, turning around to face Drifter fully, then her eyes sharpened the way they did when she got protective over her husband.

    "Want me to go with you?"

    Drifter kissed her forehead and shook his head.

    "It''s pretty obvious what he wants. I already asked Keita to ask Kirito and Asuna to get the Assault Team leadership."

    "Look at you! Delegating. Never thought I would see the day."

    Shigio smirked, and the others chuckled, especially when Drifter rolled his eyes without trying to deny it.

    "I had to learn how to do it someday, didn''t I? But seriously, it will be okay. I might not really like Heathcliff, but he is a player. We''ll hear him out, go through the proceedings, and I''ll let you know the results either way when we are done."

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Ran and the others nodded, with Sinon sending Drifter a look. Out of all the Reavers, she was probably the one who disliked Heathcliff the most. He reminded her of something in her past - no one pried further after she said that.

    The original party of six, plus Yuuki and Ran, were the only ones who knew the whole story about Sinon''s past. But everyone else could tell it was something that hurt her deeply.

    There were a few others amongst them who had painful pasts too, so they recognized the look she got whenever their lives outside came up. They knew better than to pressure her.

    "We will be waiting, dummy. Don''t come back too late."

    "Got it. Love you. Bye."

    "Love you too."

    "Yeah, we love you too, Drif."

    The spearmaster smiled at his wife and rolled his eyes at Yuuki. It would be worse if she didn''t actually really mean it. That innocent look on her face would melt anyone''s heart.

    "I don''t know how you do it, Sin. I really don''t."

    The archer laughed fondly, and hugged Yuuki closer. Drifter just waved his hand and turned away, missing the sly grin the couple shared.

    ...

    Finding Heathcliff was easy enough. The older man stood out in a crowd, and there weren''t nearly enough people in the plaza to call it that.

    Nowadays, a lot of clearers and normal players had permanent residences on the lower floors. Not huge mansions by any margin, mind you. Usually small apartments with just one room, at most two. But it beat sleeping in different inns every night.

    Funnily enough, the frontliners were the ones who didn''t have their own homes. But that was because they were always on the highest floor, and always moving.

    That would probably change when they finally saved up enough to buy a guild base, but, at least for Reaver''s Requiem, that was a long distance away. A place large enough to comfortably fit 20 players cost more than all the entire Assault Team had put together.

    Honestly, it would be nice to have a place to call home. That lakeside cabin on the 22nd floor came to mind, although it was far too small for Reaver''s Requiem.

    But getting a base would have to wait, because Heathcliff had already seen him, and gestured for Drifter to sit down across the table.

    "Good evening, Broken Spear."

    "Heathcliff."

    The spearmaster kept his expression neutral, and a flash of annoyance passed over Heathcliff''s eyes. He looked like he was going to say something, probably politely ask Drifter if he wanted to drink something, but changed his question at the last second.

    "You don''t like me, do you, Broken Spear?"

    Drifter wanted to say ''yes'' right off the bat. Especially because when he asked that, Heathcliff''s eyes were still unchanged. Like he was just asking about the weather or Drifter''s opinion on coffee. The complete indifference really didn''t help improve Drifter''s impression of him.

    "I don''t like or dislike you, Heathcliff. Like I once told someone, I don''t know nearly enough about you to have an opinion."

    The grey-haired player raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee.

    "I believe most opinions are formed long before you know anything about a person. Case in point."

    Drifter snorted. Usually he disliked roundabout conversations like this, but this way might get his point across to Heathcliff faster, considering what they were here to discuss.

    "Indeed, your first impression wasn''t great, Heathcliff."

    "Uhmm. May I ask why?"

    Drifter stared at the player opposite from him. Heathcliff''s expression still gave no clue as to his inner thoughts.

    "You want to be a frontliner, Heathcliff. But you don''t talk like one, you don''t behave like one, and you don''t look like one. You think you know what it is like, what is going to be asked of you. Do you know what I think?"

    "What?"

    "That you don''t know anything at all about being one of us."

    Heathcliff opened his mouth to answer, but Drifter cut him off. He wasn''t done yet.

    "And that''s okay, Heathcliff. None of us became frontliners knowing what to expect. We certainly didn''t know what it was like, because we were the ones who created the Assault Team. And if not knowing was your only problem... Well then, it wouldn''t be a problem at all. We would teach. You would learn. It would be that or die, like everything in SAO."

    Heathcliff''s eyes narrowed. No doubt he was thinking back to his last conversation with the spearmaster and Kibaou.

    "What other... Problems... Do I have?"

    "You think you know. You''ve seen the broadcasts. You are a clearer. So you think it''s just a step up. Just fighting floor bosses on top of everything else."

    "And isn''t it?"

    "No. Not even close."

    Drifter''s gaze was deadly serious, his tone even. This was a warning every player should hear and take to heart, not just Heathcliff.

    "I just needed to look at you to know you still think that, even after the 25th Massacre. And you are going to go on thinking like that. Until people die because of it. Maybe you. Maybe others. Likely both."

    Unknowingly to him, Drifter hit a nerve. Because what the spearmaster was saying sounded a lot like the internal discussions Kayaba - not Heathcliff - had with himself. About his system-assured immortality and its fairness.

    "Does that mean you are... Rejecting KoB''s application to join the Assault Team?"

    Suddenly tired of the mind games, Heathcliff changed the topic back to the real reason they were here. Drifter noticed, but chose to let it go. He already knew how this was going to end. And it was going to be exactly like he said.

    It was a pity. Because just in terms of fighting skills, Heathcliff had the potential to be a titled frontliner. But his mentality was lacking. While he probably wouldn''t blink when fighting a floor boss, he also wouldn''t react to having one of his guild members die. And that was a big problem.

    But Drifter sighed. Because while in a perfect world he would reject Heathcliff and the Knights of the Blood Oath without a second thought-- Sword Art Online was far from perfect.

    "I alone don''t have the power to accept or reject anyone from joining the Assault Team, Heathcliff. Definitely not from challenging the floor bosses, although that would be group suicide for a single guild."

    "Then that means-"

    Drifter got up.

    "It means you are going to come with me, and you are going to have a chat with the heads of the Assault Team."

    The spearmaster walked out of the cafe without waiting for Heathcliff. The Assault Team may need the KoB, but he didn''t have to like it.

    When compared to Heathcliff... Well, let''s just say that Drifter almost missed Kibaou.

 Chapter 167 - Starting KoBs Test

    Silently, Drifter guided Heathcliff through the main settlement of the 27th floor. It was objectively one of the prettiest floors yet, where everything was built out of a pitch-black stone with deep blue trimmings and inlaid shining crystals, but neither player paid much attention to it.

    They found Kirito, Asuna, Orlando, Klein, Lind, Shivata, Ambros, and all the other higher-ups of the Assault Team waiting for them in a nearby inn, as arranged by the Reavers'' second-in-command. A more private setting than a cafe was required for the next part of this discussion.

    The expressions around the room when Drifter and Heathcliff entered were mixed. Some, like Klein and Orlando, were excited at the prospect of new frontliners. Others were guarded after Kibaou, like Ambros.

    Most were indifferent. Just because Heathcliff was asking to join, didn''t mean the Assault Team would take him or his guild. They had the most important role in Sword Art Online. Getting in wasn''t that easy.

    Kirito and Asuna, on the others hand, had expressions'' much like Drifter''s. Indifferent on the surface, but with a touch of a frown and wariness underneath. They didn''t have any reason in particular to dislike Heathcliff other than that one conversation they had where the older player lightly belittled the Assault Team''s efforts, and the recount of Drifter''s second encounter with him. But like Heathcliff himself so aptly said just a few minutes earlier, a bad first impression could easily shape a person''s feelings.

    "Is an interview to join the Assault Team always like this? Or am I getting the special inquisition treatment for some reason in particular?"

    A few eyebrows rose at Heathcliff''s unfazed speech and actions before the heavy atmosphere, and some people grinned. He had passed the first test.

    Lind pulled out a chair and sat down. Shivata stood behind him, and the other players found comfortable spots for themselves too, whether it was sitting or standing.

    "Take a seat, Heathcliff. And no, you aren''t getting special treatment one way or the other. But we''ve upped our requirements since the 25th. The Assault Team - Aincrad as a whole really - can''t afford to have another brash idiot who is going to charge ahead and get a bunch of people killed."

    Harsh, but true. Another 25th Massacre would permanently cripple the Assault Team and doom all the players. It couldn''t be allowed.

    And, if Lind was being a bit too much for dissing Kibaou when the other player hadn''t been seen for weeks - well, nobody was going to step up and defend someone who wasn''t even there. Especially not Kibaou.

    Lind had arguably been the one to be hurt the most by Kibaou''s actions after the former ALS players. Not only had the DKB lost a dozen frontliners themselves, but Lind also had his odd rivalry with Kibaou. They may have hated each other''s guts, but the Dragon Knight certainly didn''t wish for it to end this way.

    "Then what would be the... Necessary criteria that need be achieved so my Knights of the Blood Oath can join the Assault Team?"

    Heathcliff was still placid. Lind, who hadn''t met the other guild leader before, glanced at Drifter, who shrugged, deferring to the DKB player.

    "Skill is a factor, Heathcliff. Individually, yours and that of your guildmates. More important still is teamwork. If you can''t work with others, then you are out. You saw what happens when someone thinks they can do it alone."

    Heathcliff gazed past Lind, at the other frontliners, pausing on Drifter, and then on Kirito for even longer. Lind''s eyes twitched in annoyance, but he held back well until Heathcliff nodded.

    "I can assure you, my subordinates and I are more than qualified."

    Lind raised an eyebrow, and several people snorted. This time it was Heathcliff''s turn to hide a scowl. Clearly he didn''t take so well to having his words dismissed.

    "We will be the judges of that, Heathcliff. There was a time when anyone with the guts to do it could join the Assault Team. It wasn''t like we were a formal organization anyway. Still aren''t really. But nowadays we aren''t so irresponsible as we once were. Or as selfish."

    "Irresponsible?"

    Lind''s thousand-yards stare didn''t have a place in a face as young as his. But then again, they were all too young.

    Drifter chose this moment to step forward, resting a hand on the Dragon Knight''s shoulder. Lind, lost in thought, barely noticed the other guild leader taking his place.

    "We were very arrogant, Heathcliff. When we started, that is. We thought every life in Sword Art Online was on our shoulders - and they are. As frontliners, we carry the hopes of all the survivors. But we also thought every death was on us too. And that crushed us. Ground us to dust. Until we finally understood we couldn''t save everyone."

    The frontliners showed bitter smiles at Drifter''s words. Too many faces came to mind.

    Heathcliff, on the other hand, was staring at the spearmaster uncomprehendingly. He had no idea what he was talking about. Drifter sighed.

    "We can''t save everyone. But some deaths are on us. Too many of them. Which is why we can''t - we won''t - bring people into the Assault Team just to pump the numbers. Why we can''t let the KoB in without testing you throughly. Because if we do, and you die- That will be on us. And we can only stand so many nightmares."

    It was selfishness, not concern. Others, the spectators, might have trouble understanding that, but the frontliners knew it all too well.

    If people died, they died. 3.500 players were already dead, and who knew how many more would perish before it was over? The frotnliners had learned to let go of those deaths they couldn''t prevent. Dissociation was the only way not to go crazy.

    But those deaths directly related to them? Or that they were the direct cause of? Those they couldn''t let go. And it would haunt them to the end of their days. Which was why...

    Stolen story; please report.

    "Get your wannabe frontliners ready, Heathcliff. Duels until we say you are done. And then we will decide if you are in or out."

    ...

    Watching Heathcliff walk out of the inn, the leadership of the Assault Team exchanged looks.

    "There goes a very cold, maybe unhappy man - I really can''t tell. Is he always wearing that mask, Drifter?"

    The spearmaster frowned, but not at Orlando.

    "As far as I''ve seen, yeah. But he was decidedly not pleased. I think he thought he was going to walk out of here with a ''yes'' and maybe even a ''please''. We weren''t what he was expecting."

    Ambros snorted.

    "If that''s really what he thought, he might as well not show up tomorrow. Bosses already cause enough damage without needing us to sacrifice idiots for them."

    Crude, but accurate. After rolling his eyes at Ambros, Drifter turned to Asuna, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. She was usually more vocal during meetings.

    "What do you think, sis-in-law?"

    Several people, even Lind, stifled chuckles, and Drifter preemptively dodged a quick to the shins. Alright, maybe the teasing was out of place. But it was funny.

    "Hmph! I''ll get you for that, stick-man. But about Heathcliff... My guess is he saw Kibaou leaving and ALS'' disbandment as a power vacuum. He was hoping - still is probably - to fill it."

    "So he wants to play politics. Well, that''s a nope from me already."

    Klein shook his head in disgust. Even Lind, who had played that game for a long time, seemed slightly ill at the idea of another clash for power within the Assault Team.

    "We will see how it turns out tomorrow. We do need more people, so if they are good for it... Heathcliff will understand with time what is important and what isn''t."

    "And if they aren''t as good as they think?"

    Drifter fingered his spear, unpleasant scenes of players donning red and white dying running through his mind.

    "Then we reject them. I meant what I said. All of us here - all the frontliners, we''ve made our peace already. We know what the price is and we are going to pay it. One way or the other. But I won''t have any more deaths in my consciousness than I need to."

    Any more. It was too late to say none at all. That ship had sailed many floors ago. To all of them.

    "Hmm. Yeah."

    Kirito grunted, and that summed up all of their feelings pretty well. Lind clapped his hands.

    "See y''all tomorrow then. Good night."

    ----------------------

    The next morning, the 27th floor was bustling with activity. Someone - Heathcliff - must have let spill the news that the Assault Team would be testing the Knights of the Bllld Oath, and hundreds of players had come to watch.

    Watching the overcrowded plaza, Drifter raised a tired eyebrow. If Heathcliff had leaked the news in hopes of attracting attention and making his guild famous, he succeeded. The spearmaster honestly hoped the grey-haired guild leader wasn''t just setting himself up for a bigger failure, though. They needed more frontliners, his dislike for Heathcliff aside.

    "Well, I was not expecting that."

    "Yeah, me neither."

    Yuna leaned into his side, and Drifter wrapped an arm around her. He was already getting a headache. So was she.

    "Should we start charging admission? I mean, if we are gonna put on a show and all. We could probably put a down-payment on a guild base just by selling tickets."

    Drifter snorted with laughter, and lowered his hand to tickle the songstress'' ribs for the joke.

    "Should we move to somewhere else?"

    While the couple flirted, Kirito and Shivata came up to them. That Heathcliff decided to turn this into a spectacle wasn''t going to sit well with many of the frontliners.

    "If Heathcliff wants to give himself a black-eye, I say we let him. And it''s just going to make the test harsher for the KoB. Our guys are going to be fighting harder, and are used to being in the spotlight. His people are greenhorns in both. We aren''t the ones who are gonna be impaired here."

    The spearmaster shrugged. In his opinion, Heathcliff had miscalculated. But Drifter was also someone who didn''t give a damn about public opinion or what strangers thought of him, so maybe that was it.

    Either way, it was about time they got started. They still had to explore the floor in the afternoon - which was undeniably, at least from the frontliners'' point of view, a lot more important than entertaining some wannabe guild leader.

    With a nod to Lind, who was chatting with some of his guildmates nearby, Drifter walked towards the KoB contingent, changing his spear into a polearm and dragging it across the ground in a slow swipe. The screeching noise was very effective in silencing the crowd.

    "Alright, let''s get this show on the road! We''ve already hashed out the whys with you yesterday, Heathcliff, and I don''t want to lose time here. How many are going to be on your frontliner group? Send them forward."

    "I have been waiting anxiously."

    With a wave of Heathcliff''s hand, a large group of players detached from the main KoB body. At the same time, the crowd retreated to open a large circle in which the frontliners and KoB players stood, facing each other.

    Doing a quick headcount, Drifter was surprised. 28 hopeful frontliners. It was about a dozen more than the spearmaster had been expecting. Not enough to fully replenish their ranks, but it was a start - if all of them passed the test, that is.

    They looked at him, displaying various degrees of excitement and wariness. Some were clearly more enthused than others, and two Drifter already knew they would have to cut, just from the look in their eyes. But that could be discussed later, in private, with Heathcliff, not here in front of everyone.

    "I''m not a fan of the show and pomp, and I don''t think a lot of you are either, so let''s make this simple. We will have individual duels first, then some team battles."

    Heathcliff glanced past Drifter, but must have received a confirmation that the spearmaster would, in fact, be the one in charge here, because he kept quiet and just nodded.

    Drifter nodded back, and surveyed the KoB contingent. Like most players, a lot of them seemed to favor swords, although there was a certain variety to it. The second most common choices of weaponry were shields - every guild needed tanks - followed by spears.

    "You."

    Drifter pointed to a tall and burly man who had an uncanny resemblance to a bear. He was grinning madly and seemed to be the most excited one out of the lot, likely for the chance to duel frontliners more than anything, so Drifter thought he might as well start with him.

    "Hell yeah! Let''s do this! Who am I fighting? Is it you, Broken Spear? Or maybe Merchant Warrior Agil? Or the other merchant brothers, Shigio and Wolv?"

    The red-haired man had a huge greatsword as his main weapon, and seemed eager to pit himself against someone who matched him both in stature and destructive power.

    Drifter shook his head. This was a test, not some normal sparring session. Drifter wanted to see them give it their all, so he wasn''t going to make it easy. Quite the opposite.

    "Asuna, you are up."

 Chapter 168 - Real Meaning Behind the Test

    "Asuna, you are up."

    The disappointment in the burly KoB player''s face was apparent. He didn''t look down on Asuna, not even close. The Lightning Flash had a fearsome reputation in Sword Art Online that no one would dispute. But he had been hoping to fight someone who matched him in size and style, not the petite fencer.

    Still, the big man didn''t feel down for too long before excitement started to fill him again. He was about to duel Lightning Flash Asuna, one of SAO''s foremost frontliners. That was a hard-to-come-by opportunity.

    The crowd retreated a few steps further, leaving only Drifter, Asuna, and the KoB player in the middle. Drifter raised his hand.

    "Before you start, one last thing. This..."

    He gestured to the circle. His gaze flitted from one person to another, KoB and frontliners alike, before settling on Heathcliff.

    "...isn''t about who wins and who loses. We aren''t going to decide if you can join the Assault Team based on how many victories you have. It''s not a competition either, unless you try to make it into one. This is about seeing if you have what it takes to be frontliners - and there''s a lot more to that term than just fighting skills. It''s about seeing if you have what it takes to always be in the most dangerous place at the most dangerous time. About seeing if you can survive that."

    He paused, to see if his words were making any impact. To see if they understood, really understood, what he meant.

    Some did, some didn''t. But Asuna''s opponent suddenly looked a lot more serious, and Heathcliff''s expression held a hint of steel that wasn''t there before, so Drifter counted it as a victory.

    "Remember being a frontliner isn''t about pride or bragging rights. It''s about beating SAO and escaping Aincrad. With everyone. Not just yourself, not just your guildmates, not just the Assault Team. Everyone."

    It was a heavy burden. Unbearably heavy, especially to newbies who just moments ago were all hyped up about dueling frontliners. But it was a burden they would have to carry if they joined the Assault Team.

    If they couldn''t withstand it, then it was better they turned back here. Because someone who didn''t fight for more than themselves died quickly in the frontlines.

    "This is valid for everyone, no matter if you are frontliners or Knights of the Blood Oath. You don''t need to show every trick you have if you don''t want to. Everyone has secrets. But give it your all, got it? Remember the person opposite you might be an opponent now, but they also might your comrades-in-arms by the end of the day. And even if they aren''t, we are all players. Giving your everything in this fight is the least amount of respect you need to show."

    That was something that even some frontliners didn''t understand until 2 floors ago. It was normal to grow arrogant and prideful when you were at their level.

    The 25th floor had shattered their arrogance, and maybe that was for the best. Even if it was tragic that that was what it took.

    But another thing the 25th Massacre had beaten down was their pride. Their pride on who they were, on what they did. Their beliefs. And that was also tragic on its own way. Because frontliners had every reason to take pride on who they were.

    Heroes, Kayaba would call them. Even greater because after everything, after losing countless friends and witnessing more death than anyone had a right to, they got back up. They were still walking.

    Drifter gave the people gathered around one last look, then nodded to Asuna and the KoB player whose''s name he still didn''t know.

    "You can start."

    Drifter turned around and walked back to the area Reaver''s Requiem was occupying, while Asuna and the KoB player introduced themselves to each other and the audience. He planned to stand next to Yuna and Nautilus, but someone intercepted him before he got there. He smiled.

    "I was wondering where you were, little rat. It doesn''t seem like you to miss such a big thing."

    ------------------------

    "Haa... Some of my excitement has been dampened. But I think I understand what I''m trying to achieve a little better, somehow. I''m Godfree, a team leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Like Broken Spear requested, I will give it my all, Lightning Flash."

    The burly KoB player, Godfree, took out his broadsword and held it in front of him. Asuna also unsheathed her rapier, her pensive expression morphing into one of focus.

    "Reaver''s Requiem, Lightning Flash Asuna. Let''s have a good fight."

    Argo sneaked a peek at the two people standing in the middle of the circle of spectators, weapons drawn.

    Whether the frontliners liked it or not - and she knew Drifter would be fuming internally - this had turned into a spectacle. And the info-broker was fairly certain she knew the man behind it.

    Her gaze trailed from the first clash of Asuna and Godfree - she knew what the result of that battle would be long before it started - and flitted past Heathcliff, finally setting on the pudgy man standing half hidden in the middle of the KoB contingent - not the frontliners, but the clearers and normal players of the guild.

    Daizen, head of finances of the Knights of the Blood Oath. A man with close to none combat ability, but an extremely shrewd mind, and the main reason why all the KoB frontliner candidates were decked out with top-class equipment that would bankrupt any other guild.

    He was a dangerous man. Worse, he was a dangerous man who faithfully served Heathcliff.

    Argo didn''t like Heathcliff. Or rather, she was wary towards him. Not because of Drifter''s dislike for the man - although that had been a trigger - but because when she investigated Heathcliff, she found nothing.

    Argo could find out almost anything about almost everyone. And that was because of her wide information network, and her talent in connecting seemingly random and unimportant pieces of information.

    As long as you were a player, you left a mark. Someone would know something about you. Whether it was from being in the same guild, being friends, or even just having been in the same party a long time ago. If not that, than someone would have seen you at some moment, even if you were one of those players still in denial, who only left their rooms when they ran out of cor.

    But not Heathcliff. No one had heard of him before the 20th floor. No whispers, no ''I might have seen him'', nothing. It was like he just appeared out of thin air one day. Even employing Fuumaningum for a full investigation hadn''t turned up anything.

    Which, to Argo, led to 2 conclusions, and she didn''t know what was worse.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The first was that Heathcliff had deliberately hidden his tracks from the first day of SAO, and that he was an expert at it. And that train of thought connected directly with Laughing Coffin, the other group Argo was having major trouble investigating.

    The second theory she had about Heathcliff''s origin was, if you could believe it, even more worrying: he had only entered SAO after the 20th floor.

    Which, if that was truly the case, begged the questions: why? What sane person would willingly jump into this hellish trap? What purposes did they have, and how nefarious?

    Argo shook her head clear of those thoughts. Maybe she was just wrong. She hated not knowing something, and might be creating connections that weren''t there because of it. But she would definitely keep an eye on Heathcliff.

    Spotting Drifter making his way towards Yuna - obviously, those two were basically joined at the hip even before they got married - while Asuna and Godfree went at it, Argo darted through the gaps in the crowd, making her way towards him.

    Used to it, the info-broker moved through the crowd with grace, almost unimpeded by the press of bodies.

    The spearmaster saw her first, and changed his course. Argo didn''t even complain much when he ruffled her hair, hood and all.

    "I was wondering where you were, little rat. It doesn''t seem like you to miss such a big thing."

    "Hey-o, Dri-bou! Fancy seein'' ya here!"

    The spearmaster snorted. Sure, what a surprise it was, what, with he organizing everything.

    "How you doing, little rat? It''s been a while since we talked face to face."

    "Not that long."

    "Long enough. I miss my annoying little sis."

    Argo blew a raspberry at him, while feeling glad that her hood hid the faint blush coloring her cheeks. This warm feeling of having someone care for her so much... It was nice.

    "Oh! Asuna-chan is getting ready to end it."

    Drifter didn''t need to be told twice. His eyes had only momentarily left the duel when he greeted Argo before flicking right back to it. He was taking his duty as an examiner very seriously. After all, it would mean life and death to some people.

    "She dragged it out."

    "Ya know how Asuna-chan is. She probs wanted to give the man more time to show off."

    Drifter grunted nonconcomitantly. Asuna was a kind soul, but she wasn''t that gentle. If she thought Godfree didn''t show potential, she would have ended the duel within 10 moves, to dissuade him from joining the frontlines.

    Argo knew that, but she wasn''t thinking as far as Drifter. She had obviously investigated the KoB, and she had a good idea of who would make it into the Assault Team, and who would be cut out, or, more likely, drop out.

    Still, watching Asuna fight was a joy as always. The Lightining Flash, even when she toned it down to match Godfree''s limits, looked like she was dancing around the burly man. While Godfree had cuts all over his body, Asuna''s skin was still just as unblemished as when she started.

    It took one more skill for Godfree''s health to reach the yellow, and the duel was concluded. It had lasted 4 minutes, which was 3 and a half more than it would have if Asuna had gone all-out from the start, but the KoB players didn''t need to know that. Yet.

    As Drifter made his way back towards the pair, Argo noticed the downcast look on Godfree''s face, and the dark expressions of the KoB players. Even Heathcliff was displeased, if his slight frown was any indication.

    That was actually fair, Argo thought. Drifter had purposefully paired Godfree with Asuna, who was not just one of the best frontliners, but also a direct counter to his fighting style. There was no way he could have won.

    Which was exactly the point, Argo knew. Despite what he said, Drifter would be very disappointed if any frontliner lost today. In no small part because it would hurt his pride after all the tough talk with Heathcliff, but mainly because any KoB member who won against a frontliner was likely to grow arrogant, and consequently die. Arrogance had no place in the frontlines.

    Some people didn''t seem to understand that, however. While Godfree kept his silence and retreated quietly, there was a lot of grumbling amongst the KoB ranks.

    Their discontent only increased when the next four KoB players Drifter called forward were also paired with frontliners whose fighting style went in direct opposition to theirs. And none of the frontliners, be it Gilgamesh from the Legend Braves, or a swordsman from Ambros'' guild, were as kind as Asuna, resulting in straightforward losses for their opponents.

    "This is unfair!"

    They lasted longer than Drifter thought they would. He honestly expected them to start complaining after Asuna defeated Godfree.

    It was a no-brainer, really. The Knights of the Blood Oath had arrived full of themselves and with the belief that the Aincrad Liberation Squad''s spot on the Assault Team was already theirs.

    But regardless of how wronged the KoB players were feeling, Drifter''s gaze was cold when it landed on the long-haired player who complained, an emaciated-looking man called Kuradeel.

    "Deal with it."

    "What--?"

    That clearly wasn''t the response Kuradeel, or any of the people around, were expecting. The KoB player sputtered for an answer as Heathcliff started to walk towards them, but Drifter cut both off before they could start.

    "I said deal with it. You are right, it is unfair. We are putting you up against frontliners with 26 floors under their belt. Of course we are better. So what? We still die. You will only die faster if we went easy on you. So deal. With. It."

    He swept his gaze from Kuradeel to Heathcliff to Godree and all the other players, and Argo felt a shiver crawl down her spine.

    She knew why Drifter was being like this, but it was still so unusual that he was so abrasive that she couldn''t help but wonder what was going through his mind. And then Argo saw the shadows behind his steely gaze, and realized Drifter was looking at the KoB, but it wasn''t them he was seeing.

    "Mobs don''t fight fair, floor bosses even less so. They are in SAO for one reason, and one reason only: to kill us. They won''t only attack you with a weapon you easily counter, and they won''t come alone. So suck it up if you think it''s unfair. I don''t want to see more names scratched off that wall than I have to. And I''m sure you don''t want to die because we took pity on your ego."

    Shocked silence met Drifter''s words, and Argo saw the most sour look he ever had in Heathcliff''s face. Drifter just pointed to another KoB player and said:

    "Your turn."

 Chapter 169 - Shooting Stars

    After Drifter''s speech, the rest of the duels passed in similar fashion. The frontliners trounced the KoB players, some more kindly than others, with several of the Reavers taking turns.

    The crowd had been a lot quieter. It seemed like that, for the first time, the normal players were starting to realize just in how much danger the frontliners were willingly placing themselves for their sake. Hearing it straight from the mouth of Broken Spear Drifter was a reality check bigger than even the 25th Massacre.

    Heathcliff didn''t care about any of that. His real identity was that of Akihiko Kayaba, Sword Art Online''s creator and sole game-master, so he knew better than anyone how dangerous the life of a frontliner was.

    What Heathcliff was not, at the moment, was a happy man. Sure, he knew the players he recruited to form his Knights of the Blood Oath, while seemingly very skilled, were only so when in comparison to normal players. All the true elites, the cream of the crop, had long joined the Assault Team and were standing across the plaza from his guild.

    But Heathcliff, for all he monitored the frontliners, hadn''t expected them to so throughly stomp the players he spent so much time and effort in raising.

    He thought that, since he, who knew everything there was to know about SAO, had personally trained them, the KoB players would at least be able to hold their own against the frontliners, if not win.

    How very wrong he had been. While some duels had been closer than others, even the less well-known members of the Assault Team had won quite handily. Too easily for him to argue that it was because Broken Spear Drifter was purposefully matching weak against strong in their weapon selection and fighting style.

    And now it was his turn, since he was the only KoB player who hadn''t been called forward and fought yet. Heathcliff would admit, he was curious as to who Drifter planned on matching him.

    Maybe the spearmaster himself wanted a go? It wasn''t a secret that he didn''t like the KoB guild leader. Although, a spear wasn''t very well matched against Heathcliff''s heavy-sword and crucible-shield.

    Of course, the guild leader didn''t consider even for a moment that he could possibly lose. Forget the system protections he had in place, which made sure Heathcliff was unbeatable, he had years of experience on the other players. After all, there were many aspects of Sword Art Online he couldn''t trust others with, and had personally tested.

    Still, he was curious. And angry. So Heathcliff stepped forward by himself, catching everyone''s attention. He would not be called to the front like a little kid in a classroom.

    "You."

    The crowd followed Heathcliff''s pointing finger, and exclaimed in surprise.

    "Huh? You want to fight me?"

    Nautilus pointed at himself in surprise, but Heathcliff nodded. Not Drifter, or Kirito, or Asuna. His choice was the player formerly hindered by an FNC, Indomitable Knight Nautilus.

    He had several reasons for that choice. First and foremost was his curiosity. Nautilus was the one and only player to overcome his FNC, which intrigued him.

    The other motives were actually more of reasons not to chose some other player. Drifter was too perceptive, he might notice something wrong if he fought Heathcliff one-on-one. Asuna had already fought today, and Heathcliff didn''t want to make it look like he was taking advantage of that fact when he won.

    Kirito''s was harder. The black-haired swordsman was one of Heathcliff''s two candidates for the role of protagonist of SAO, or the hero of the story. The other being Yuuki, obviously.

    It wasn''t Heathcliff who chose who to give the Dual Blades Unique Skill to, but Cardinal. Which was why it was such a surprise when two of them popped up.

    But none of that changed the original plot Heathcliff came up with. The user of Dual Blades had the best reflexes in SAO. They, whoever they might be, were going to be the ones to fight the Demon King - Heathcliff himself after he betrayed the Assault Team - in the end.

    Or, at least, that was the plan. Several variables had popped up that he hadn''t expected. But that was normal, and it only made the game more fun.

    Still, Heathcliff wasn''t willing to battle Kirito or Yuuki here. Not yet. Their fated fight would come, but only at the right time.

    "May we start? It appears Broken Spear Drifter has more tests planned afterwards."

    Taking a position in the middle of the circle, Heathcliff stood with his back straight. His aloof complexion inspired respect on others.

    But Indomitable Knight Nautilus wasn''t looking at him. The ash-haired player glanced at Drifter, and only after the spearmaster''s nod did he step forward to face Heathcliff.

    This... This was probably how other people felt when talking to him, Heathcliff realized. Not exactly disregard. But disinterest. As if they weren''t that important. As if he wasn''t that important when compared to Broken Spear Drifter''s orders.

    Being ignored was not a novel feeling for Akihiko Kayaba. But it was something he never experienced since he became Heathcliff. And he didn''t like it.

    Unsheathing his sword, Heathcliff took on a more tense fighting pose. Before, he simply wanted to win. Now, he started to realize that becoming the leader of the Assault Team might take more effort than he initially thought.

    --------------------------

    Drifter watched the two players get in position for the duel. Nautilus was still as calm water, the weight of several thousand battles behind him making sure he wasn''t the least distracted by the crowd.

    The ash-haired player knew that Heathcliff would be far better than the other KoB players, but Drifter had full confidence that he could win.

    Until he saw the look on Heathcliff''s face, that is. The spearmaster wasn''t sure why or what, but something had changed. There was a restlessness behind the grey-haired guild leader''s eyes that wasn''t there before.

    "Start!"

    Despite Drifter''s shout, neither player moved. To the untrained eye, it looked like they were just staring at each other. Some of the spectators went so far as to venture a guess that they were looking for gaps in the other''s defense.

    Drifter knew better. He could see the slight twitches from Nautilus and Heathcliff, as if they were about to pounce but rethought it. Which was exactly what was happening.

    Each time one of them thought they saw an opening, the other already covered it, or it was simply a trap. In this situation, the one to make the first move lost.

    Honestly, Drifter felt conflicted. It was normal that Nautilus was like that. He was one of Aincrad''s elites. A founding member of Reaver''s Requiem, the titled player Indomitable Knight, and holder of the Unique Skill Indomitable Might.

    But to think that Heathcliff, an upstart who appeared out of nowhere not even 10 floors ago, was also at that level was, in one word, mind-boggling.

    On one hand, that upset Drifter because he didn''t like Heathcliff. On the other hand, the sheer potential of the grey-haired player ensured he would be a key character for the Assault Team in the future, and a valuable powerhouse for their escape.

    As the seconds dragged by, the crowd started to whisper and get restless. The frontliners uncrossed their arms and leaned forward.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Ha!"

    The standoff could only last so long, and Heathcliff caved first. For all his calm demeanor, he didn''t have Nautilus'' sheer experience when it came to fighting.

    Heathcliff attacked with a straightforward stab, which Nautilus parried, returning a cut of his own. Like the blade-user, Heathcliff chose to believe in his defense instead of agility, and blocked with his shield.

    Nautilus didn''t let go of the offensive, throwing a wide overhead slash that forced Heathcliff to raise his shield to block, only for the Reaver''s own shield to smack against his chest, sending him tumbling back.

    By the way Heathcliff''s pupils constricted, Drifter gathered he had not expected that. Which wasn''t that surprising, really. Nautilus'' way of fighting wasn''t exactly orthodox.

    Most shield-bearers only saw the item as a tool to block attacks - which, to be fair, was its primary purpose - and, on occasions, to channel stunning skills.

    Nautilus took it beyond just that. To him, the shield was as much a tool of defense as it was a means of attack. And Heathcliff clearly hadn''t been expecting that.

    The KoB guild leader was pushed to the defensive, Nautilus'' blade continously striking at him, not exceedingly fast nor heavy, but relentless, seeking the smallest crack in his guard.

    Heathcliff could analyze Nautilus'' fighting style and patterns through the broadcasts all he wanted - and somehow Drifter doubted his red and white counterpart had done even that, he was too arrogant to think he needed it - but experiencing it in person was a whole different story.

    Before he gained his Unique Skill, a lot of people overlooked Nautilus. That''s because, even though he was a titled player, Nautilus preferred staying in the background. He rarely made big moves, his contribution to the Assault Team coming mainly in the form of supporting other players. Many even questioned if he deserved his title and Indomitable Might.

    Now that he had the undivided spotlight, the ash-haired player was showing everyone why he was a frontliner and the holder of so many things they could never get their hands on, squashing any doubt others had about his capabilities.

    It was only 50 moves into the battle, most of them by Nautilus, that first blood was drawn. The Reaver managed to slip his blade past a gap in Heathcliff''s shield and pierce his abdomen.

    It wasn''t a heavy blow, and only about 10% of Heathcliff''s HP disappeared. However, the attack also served as a sign.

    Until now, both players had been holding back, testing each other''s limits. They had refrained from using system skills, relying only on normal attacks.

    Now they were done with being cautious. Heathcliff was the first to use a skill, his sword glowing golden with a skill Drifter didn''t recognize.

    He could tell it was powerful, though, by the way Nautilus shuddered when it impacted his shield. We''re it not for Indomitable Might negating knockback, the Reaver probably would have been sent sprawling.

    As it was, Nautilus stood his ground, but a good portion of his health vanished, even though he blocked the attack.

    Drifter''s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. What the hell just happened?

    For Nautilus to lose a such HP as he did, even - no, especially - after blocking and Indomitable Might''s both passive and active effects, Heathcliff must have hit him like a floor boss.

    Not even a full-on, no holds barred attack from Agil would do that much damage, but somehow Heathcliff, a sword-and-shield player, did. That just didn''t make sense.

    Even Nautilus hesitated in surprise, albeit for just a second. Then he was back on the offensive, chaining skills and normal attacks with the ease that only an experienced frontliner had.

    It didn''t do much good. Heathcliff''s shield shone gold, and it was like Nautilus was trying to hack apart a thousand-year-old boulder. The other player''s HP barely decreased. Meanwhile, each time he hit Nautilus, the Reaver lost a significant portion of his health.

    Unique Skill.

    Those two words crossed Drifter''s mind, and suddenly it all made sense. The weird golden glow, the impossible attack and defense stats. The only explanation was a Unique Skill. After all, if even Reaver''s Requiem had several, what was to say others hadn''t it also?

    Of course, Nautilus was also a holder of a Unique Skill, and he wasn''t going down easy. But Heathcliff''s health seemed to have stopped falling just above the yellow barrier which would end the duel, while Nautilus'' was fast approaching that marker without any signs of halting.

    In hindsight, it was inevitable. Heathcliff was as skilled as any frontliner, and he had let go of his arrogance fast enough that it didn''t land him into an insurmountable disadvantage.

    Meanwhile, with Heathcliff - wisely, Drifter would begrudgingly admit - keeping his Unique Skill a secret, Nautilus had already started this fight on the back foot, even if he didn''t know it.

    Nautilus'' Indomitable Might was common knowledge, and even if the details weren''t widespread amongst anyone but the Reavers, observing the boss raids would give enough clues that Heathcliff could come up with an strategy against it - that strategy being picked Nautilus instead of one of the other titled Reavers, since his Unique Skill appeared to counter the shield-bearer''s.

    It was a slightly underhanded method to win the duel, but no one - at least no frontliner - would complain - not in public. They, Drifter included, advocated for using any means necessary to defeat the enemy and escape, so they couldn''t very well be hypocrites and call Heathcliff out on that.

    The KoB players cheered wildly for their leader, and for their first - and only - victory of the day. The frontliners frowned.

    It wasn''t like they were angry with the loss. Heathcliff had clearly shown his capabilities, and the Unique Skill only made him a more valuable asset. But there was still a certain sense of dissatisfaction that they couldn''t help but feel.

    Nautilus'' face was especially sour. It was bad enough that he was the only one who lost. But he couldn''t even make sense of why he lost.

    It wasn''t Heathcliff''s Unique Skill. That had been a surprise, but he could have dealt with it. There was something else, something he couldn''t quite put his finger on. He felt like attacks that should have connected didn''t, and blows that should have been dodged weren''t. It was like just for a few fractions of a second, Heathcliff was playing the game at twice the speed while Nautilus was still stuck in the normal velocity.

    Drifter''s hand fell on Nautilus'' shoulder, startling him from his thoughts. The spearmaster sent his friend a proud look that somehow conveyed everything the shield-bearer needed to hear. Suddenly Nautilus wasn''t feeling was heavy anymore.

    "Well done. To all of you. Especially to you, Heathcliff. I always knew you were good. A Unique Skill though..."

    Drifter didn''t complete his sentence, but he shot Heathcliff a look of begrudging acknowledgment that the other guild leader graciously accepted with a nod of his head.

    "Team battles are next. 4 a party. Group up."

    When the KoB players started joining in their usual teams, Drifter cleared his throat and smirked.

    "2 KoB, 2 frontliners. Let''s see how you adapt on the fly."

 Chapter 170 - Welcome to the Frontlines

    Turns out, the KoB didn''t adapt very well on the fly. While a few tried to work together with the frontliners in their parties, most just got in the way of each other.

    The frontliners, on the other hand, managed to fit right in into whatever group they were put, creating multiple openings for the KoB players, who failed to utilize them.

    It was somewhat of a letdown, Drifter would admit, but then again, maybe it was he who had set too high of a threshold for newbies. Gods knew him and the other Reavers worked just about as well as this mess when they first started out.

    The sun, or what passed by it in Aimcrad, was already high in the sky when the testing ended. After the excitement of individual duels passed, a lot of the spectators had left, something Drifter was grateful for.

    The final decision, however, was made away from prying eyes, much to the disappointment of the players watching. Drifter, Lind, Klein, Orlando, and the other guild leaders pulled Heathcliff into a private room for that.

    It was a lengthy discussion. The Knights of the Blood Oath had made a good showing, and would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to the Assault Team. But not all of them were frontliner material, and getting that through Heathcliff''s head had taken time.

    On one hand, Drifter could understand the older man. He had raised his guild from nothing, and nearly on his own, and was rightfully proud of it. Drifter certainly knew he wouldn''t be happy if one day Orlando and the others came up to him and said they were cutting people from Reaver''s Requiem out of the Assault Team.

    But in the other hand, being a frontliner required both a certain level of skill, and a specific mentality and force of will. Both. Just one or the other didn''t suffice.

    Skill without the right mentality got others killed. The correct mindset but not enough skill to back it up got you killed. A frontliner needed both. On that, Drifter and the others wouldn''t budge, no matter what Heathcliff said.

    It took some time, and at one point Heathcliff even got close to yelling at Lind, which was more emotion than anyone had ever seen him show. But eventually, the KoB commander relented. He could see the frontliners wouldn''t give in, and his guild couldn''t take on floor bosses by their lonesome.

    In the end, 24 KoB players followed their leader to join the Assault Team, bringing their numbers back to just barely above 100. Still not ideal, but better than before.

    In the following days, nearly all the frontliners did was training, leaving the exploration of the floor and the labyrinth in the capable hands of the clearers.

    For the Knights of the Blood Oath, who had only ever fought alongside each other, fitting into the Assault Team was a challenge. And so it was for the frontliners, who had to adapt to an entirely new group of players who was vastly different from the ALS they were used to.

    It took time, and a lot of work and curses, and more than a few fights that had to be broken up. On that, Drifter was glad Reaver''s Requiem was made up of mostly calm members.

    But eventually, they managed to make it work. The Assault Team was used to making do with what they had and adapting fast, while the KoB struggled a bit more, but they were enthusiastic. A lot of it would only really click once they went through a boss raid, as was the way of things in SAO, but any preparation was better than just jumping straight into the deep end.

    They had to do that eventually, though. Jump into the deep end, that is. And that''s how the Assault Team found themselves in front of the 27th floor boss room doors.

    The new frontliners, with the notable - but not surprising - exception of Heathcliff, were fidgeting, clearly nervous. Drifter didn''t blame them. This was his 27th boss raid, and he was still scared every time.

    It''s just the 27th floor. It''s not even a round floor. Everything will be okay. You got this, frontliners, it''s gonna be easy!

    The normal players said those phrases so carelessly. As if they really believed them. Drifter could only envy their naivety.

    There was no such thing as an easy boss raid. Much less a safe one. And thinking like that was what caused the 25th Massacre to happen.

    At least the KoB players didn''t seem to believe those words, if their pale faces and jumpy behavior was anything to go by. Drifter wasn''t sure whether that was better or worse than overconfidence.

    Better, he decided, faces flashing through his mind. Not great, never, but probably safer overall.

    "How many do you think we''ll lose?"

    Drifter wanted to slap Orlando for asking such a question. But the blank expression on the other guild leader''s face, as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the newbies, was so far removed from his usual smile that Drifter couldn''t help but consider his words.

    He didn''t know. Zero was what he wanted to say. But he didn''t know. He couldn''t know. So he scowled at the closed doors.

    "No one if I can help it."

    "Ha! I wish we had that much say on what happens."

    "Shut up."

    Orlando grinned wrily, and held his arm out for Drifter. The spearmaster didn''t hesitate to take the offered limb, staring at the Brave straight into the eyes.

    The guild leader of the Legend Braves was boisterous and loud. He made crass jokes, pulled pranks, had no concept of personal space. He was a jokester through and through.

    Too many people forgot he was also a frontliner. And a titled player no less. Hero Orlando. His title came as much from his guild name and his personality as it came from his actions. His past.

    Orlando had made mistakes. But he didn''t let himself be held back by them, for better or worse. He was a frontliner. Always had been, always would be. And if he was feeling like this? Drifter trusted him.

    "We will watch out for your Braves. You keep an eye on our backs."

    Orlando''s grin widened some.

    "It''s too beautiful of a day to die. Let''s fuck up this boss."

    There was the old Orlando. Drifter rolled his eyes, even if he knew part of it was bravado for the sake of their guildmates listening in.

    Cracking his neck, Drifter walked until he was right in front of the doors, then turned around. His weapon transformed into the heavy halberd Liz crafted for him what seemed like a lifetime ago, and he slammed butt of the weapon on the ground, the sound echoing through the tower and silencing everyone as they turned to look at him.

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    "I won''t say much. You all saw the scouting raid, and know the plan. Stick to it for as long as it''s feasible. When shit hits the fan - as it always does - go to the contingency plans. KoB, you know this already, but I''ll say it again: you are to focus on support this time around. Don''t get arrogant or greedy for glory."

    Drifter tapped the ground with his weapon again to stave the objections he could already see coming.

    "We''ve all been where you are, and we know what''s like wanting to prove ourselves. Especially you, since you are under the pressure of replacing the ALS - just as much from normal players as from yourselves. But take it from people who have been doing this a lot longer than you: it''s the moment when everything is seemingly going perfect that you get tempted to break the plan, and that''s always when it goes wrong, and people die. Don''t let it be you. If afterwards you feel like I''m wrong and overbearing, then I will apologize. I have no qualms with that, as long as it keeps everyone alive. So follow the plan. Consider it a favor, if you want."

    It was Heathcliff who stepped forward, after a long second of staring at Drifter, and placed his sword over his shield, bowing slightly.

    "We will take your warnings to heart, Broken Spear."

    The spearmaster nodded gratefully, and stepped closer so only Heathcliff could hear him.

    "Thank you, Heathcliff. I mean it. I know we haven''t always seemed eye to eye, but none of that matters now. All that''s important is surviving, and escaping this hell. We can''t do it without you and your guild."

    The faintest glimmer of surprise appeared behind Heathcliff''s gaze, and he searched Drifter''s expression for any signs of mocking and sarcasm. He found nothing but genuine concern and gratefulness.

    "We will honor the Assault Team and the Aincrad Liberation Squad, Broken Spear."

    "I know you will. And I''m glad you stepped forward when you did. Now, as Orlando says, let''s fuck up this boss."

    Heathcliff nodded, his expression going back to its neutral blankness. Drifter gave one last glance to the gathered frontliners, and pushed open the boss room doors.

    -------------------------

    Drifter knew SAO had changed him. It had changed everyone. But the spearmaster thought... Yes, he had changed more than most.

    Which was why, when he saw the sullen faces of the KoB frontliners as they climbed the stairs to the 28th floor, that he wasn''t surprised by his callousness. Or by his lack of... anything, really, when thinking back to the sole casualty of the boss raid.

    He had warned them repeatedly. He had told them what it was like to be a frontliner before and after the test to join the Assault Team. He had delivered another speech about following the plan and not getting greedy for glory, just before starting the raid.

    He had always known there would be someone who didn''t listen. And honestly? Drifter was glad it was just a single player who thought that just because the boss was on its death throes, it was any less dangerous. That was a lesson that had taken the original Assault Team several lives to learn.

    Of course, the spearmaster would never verbalize any of those thoughts. Regardless of the reason, a person was still dead. But from a clinically cold perspective, this was an overall victory for the Assault Team. Because now the remaining 24 KoB frontliners would never underestimate a floor boss again, and that would save lives in the long run.

    "I guess you were right."

    Drifter walked over to Orlando and the Legend Braves. The other guild leader looked at him and shook his head.

    "I didn''t want to be. But I''m not surprised I was."

    "Yeah, me neither. Just... I don''t even know. They have to be ready, I guess. There''s another round floor coming soon. Might not be a sure-death like the 25th but-"

    "Trust me, I know. We will see how it goes."

    Orlando clapped Drifter on the shoulder, and the other frontliner nodded. Just as they reached the top of the stairs and walked into the 28th floor, Drifter passed by Heathcliff, whose''s expression was indestructible.

    "Welcome to the frontlines."

    ------------------------

    The 28th, 29th floor- They were a blur. Another month of their lives spent in their digital prison, but one the frontliners barely noticed. All their efforts were pooled towards preparing for what might very well come to be another deadly raid.

    The 30th floor. Another round floor, which the frontliners already knew, by unfortunate personal experience, could be extremely deadly.

    At the very least, they had yet to make it through a round floor without suffering casualties. 6 on the 10th, 2 on the 20th. Not quite on the same league as the 25th floor, but horrifying in its own way.

    Drifter didn''t know what to expect of the floor boss. The mobs on the floor had been a confusing mix. Dracanae (snake-women again, but this time with armor and weapons), Punishment Hounds (pitch-black Rottweilers the size of a car), and Wandering Satyrs (half-man, half-goat monsters that were neutral until attacked, but screamed like a bag of cats).

    Someone had said those were all monsters present in Greek mythology, kind of, or at least variations of them. Drifter couldn''t comment, he didn''t know the first thing about Greek myths.

    It was a clue to the floor boss, however. The field-boss, Seaborn Cyclops, also seemed to follow the theme, so there was a good chance the floor boss would be some even worse Greek monster.

    The thing was, they didn''t have any experts in Greek mythology, and even if they did, there were so many things that the boss could be. And, other than the mobs itself, there didn''t seem to be a lot of lore laying around.

    Argo and Fuumaningum were working overtime on finding what everything they possibly could about the 30th floor, even to the point of putting the Laughing Coffin investigation on the backburner.

    It didn''t help a whole lot. The largest break the Assault Team had came from a small clearer guild on the 11th day of exploring the floor, and all they got was a mural depicting a giant in chains with flaming - literally - hair, and a name: Prometheus.

 Chapter 171 - Prometheus

    For the next 4 days until they found the entrance to the boss room, clearers and frontliners ran themselves haggard trying to find everything they could about the floor boss, Prometheus.

    This was the 30th floor. A round floor. Until now, every time they went up against one of those, people died. So the frontliners were willing to push back the raid, even if they hated staying stagnant, for the sake of security.

    But with each passing day, it became clearer that there was nothing else to be found. No hidden quest, no overlooked piece of lore. Just what they already had. A giant in chains and flames for hair.

    "That''s it, I''m spent. I swear when we get out I''m studyin'' every damn myth in the world so I ain''t ever gettin'' caught blind again."

    Drifter snorted at Argo''s antics. For the unyielding info-broker to give up, it must really mean there was nothing else to be found.

    "If you say so. I know I would rather spend our new-found freedom relaxing, but you do you, little rat."

    "Bleh!"

    The whiskered girl blew a raspberry at him, and Drifter chuckled.

    "Since you are tired, what do you say to a little break? Today is the day I go down with Yuna to the 1st floor to see Sasha and the kids. Wanna come? You will finally have some playmates your age."

    She glared at him and punched his shoulder hard enough that he would have taken a few points of damage if they weren''t in a safe zone.

    "I deserved that. But honestly, you should come. It will take your mind off of things. You and Akari have been working too hard lately."

    "I always work hard. That''s why I am the brains of this operation and ya are just the guy with a pointy stick."

    Drifter stared at Argo unimpressed. Then he grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

    "Overruled."

    "Wh- Hey, let me down! Dri-bou! I''m gonna fu-"

    "Shush, we are going to see kids. None of that language."

    "Drifter!"

    ...

    It was a really good thing SAO didn''t reproduce pain, Drifter reflected. Otherwise his shoulders and back would be very sore from all the punches Argo threw at them while he carried her.

    It was worth it.

    While he teased Argo all the time, it wasn''t very often that Drifter got to see his little rat blush like she did when everyone in the Town of Beginnings watched him carry her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

    He knew he was going to pay for that later, but it was so worth it. Argo needed to know how to let go and act her age sometimes. All the kids in Reaver''s Requiem did. They were still just 15, some even younger.

    "Uh-oh. Someone is going to be in a lot of trouble later! Hahaha!"

    Yuna''s soft giggling reached their ears, amd Argo started trying to escape from Drifter''s clutches even harder. The spearmaster, on the other hand, just grinned unrepentant before finally pitting their younger friend down.

    Argo immediately scurried away and hid behind Yuna, glaring at Drifter. The spearmaster laughed and winked at her.

    "I know. Totally worth it though. Good morning, songbird."

    "Good morning, dummy."

    Drifter gave Yuna a short kiss in greeting, ignoring Argo mock-gagging. If they were alone, he would spend a lot more time ''greeting'' his songstress, but he could see several curious little heads peeking out of the gap on the front door of the church.

    Drifter and Yuna separated, and he waved. Immediately, a bunch of kids burst out of the church, running towards them while laughing and talking all at once. Sasha was behind them, trying to corral all the excitable young ones.

    "Drifter, Yuna! Ah, and Argo the Rat! I thought with all the furore about the 30th floor, you wouldn''t come today! And you even brought company!"

    Sasha stopped in front of them with her hands on her knees. Meanwhile, several kids were already climbing over Drifter or pleading for Yuna to sing for them.

    Carefully steering the children back to the church and to the back courtyard, the spearmaster laughed.

    "We wouldn''t miss it for anything in the world, Sasha. Coming down here to unwind is even better for us than it is for the kids. Plus, you need a break every once in a while."

    He said it jokingly, but Drifter had boundless respect for Sasha. Nobody had asked her to gather Aincrad''s children and take care of them. She did it all on her own, and out of the goodness of her heart. She was simply a kind person. As far as he was concerned, she deserved more applause than all the frontliners.

    But Sasha liked her hectic yet quiet lifestyle, so other than a handful of the Reavers, and Shivata and Liten on occasion, Drifter and Yuna rarely brought anyone else with them.

    Argo didn''t really count. First, she was still a kid in Sasha''s eyes. Regardless of the forced maturity SAO brought, the info-broker was still just 15.

    Second, she was Argo the Rat. Others may fail to grasp what that meant, but as a close friend of Yuna and Drifter, Sasha was fully aware of just how pivotal to the clearing effort the hooded girl was.

    And lastly, it was Drifter who brought her here. And anyone the spearmaster considered a good person was a friend of Sasha''s.

    Serenely listening to Yuna''s music, and watching amused as Argo was pulled into a game by some of the kids, much to her despair, Drifter and Sasha reclined on a bench in the church''s backyard.

    The spearmaster always enjoyed his time here. It was a release from the stressful frontlines and all the burdens he carried. But it was only when he sat back like this, silently observing, that he felt like his battle was worth fighting.

    "So the Rat can make that face too, hum?"

    Sasha breathed softly, and Drifter''s smiled just as kindly. Argo wasn''t smiling. She was panicking, overwhelmed by all the little ones'' vying for her attention. But he had never seen her so free.

    "So she can."

    Sasha turned her head to look at him, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses.

    "You love her."

    It wasn''t a question. Nor was it an accusation. There were many different kinds of love, after all.

    "She''s the little sister I never had. I care for everyone in Reaver''s Requiem. I love ''em all. But Argo the most of all."

    "Hehe! Doesn''t Yuna get jealous?"

    Drifter rolled his eyes. Sasha took a while to open up beyond her public facade, but once she did, you would find out she had a terrible habit of teasing you. And Drifter and Yuna happened to be her favorite targets.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "She tries. But she knows it''s different. We are all one big family, Sasha. A messy, noisy, don''t-ask-too-much family. And we wouldn''t have it any other way."

    "Family, huh? I wonder..."

    The woman trailed off, and Drifter glanced at her. Sasha''s gaze was staring past the walls surrounding them. At what, Drifter didn''t know, but he had a suspicion.

    "How was your life before?"

    It was the kind of question you just didn''t ask. SAO''s biggest taboo. Drifter hadn''t made that question to most of the Reavers, and he would die for them.

    But Sasha didn''t mind, not at this moment. She just continued staring, the only sign she heard him being the way she bit her lower lip.

    "...Unfulfilled."

    Eventually she spoke, barely a whisper. Drifter nodded, and put an arm around her shoulders. Yuna''s hand came to rest on her forearm, and Sasha looked up, not having noticed the Songstress join them.

    "And now?"

    The hesitant smile that took Sasha''s face, seemingly to her own surprise, turned brighter than any Drifter had ever seen.

    "I''m happy."

    Drifter''s hold on her tightened, and Yuna shuffled to add her own arm to their three-way hug. The couple exchanged glances over Sasha''s head, and smiled.

    Thry stayed silent for a while, until eventually the kids got bored of Argo and went to play by themselves. A throughly exhausted info-broker joined them at the bench, glaring at Drifter''s amused smirk.

    "You okay, little rat? Too much for you?"

    "Fuck off, Dri-bou."

    "Argo! Language!"

    Yuna hissed, and Argo shrunk back a little before mumbling an apology. Everyone knew you didn''t anger Yuna. She had a mean streak a kilometer long behind that kind face of hers.

    "We brought you here to relax, little rat. Did it work?"

    The info-broker huffed as she plopped down next to Drifter, who readily pulled her over in a one-armed hug.

    "Eh, kinda. Still got freakin'' Prometheus on my mind, but nothin'' I can do ''bout it really so..."

    She shrugged, and Drifter and Yuna nodded in acquiescence.

    "Prometheus? Like the Titan?"

    "Huh?"

    Three heads snapped to Sasha, who was looking at them with a mildly curious expression.

    "What did ya say? Titan?"

    Argo perked up and scooted over until she was almost pushing Drifter off the bench. Sasha nodded slowly.

    "Well, yeah? It''s an old Greek myth. Prometheus, Titan of Prophecy or something like that. He stole fire from the gods - Zeus, Poseidon, those ones - and gave it to humans. Because that was forbidden, the gods chained him up to a rock and cursed him to have a vulture eat... Something. His liver, I think. It''s been a while since I brushed up on Greek mythology."

    By now the trio of Drifter, Yuna, and Argo were staring at Sasha dumbfounded. They had spent days, over a week, trying to find anything they could on the floor boss and the lore behind it, and in just a few sentences, Sasha revealed more than they uncovered in all that time.

    "Fire, check. Chains, check. I''m sure Kayaba took some creative liberty, but that''s our guy alright."

    Yuna shook her head, bemused. Drifter turned the other way, covering his mouth to muffle a snort of laughter. Evidently he wasn''t as quiet as he thought, because Argo fixed him with a glare.

    "Not funny, Dri-bou! I''ve been tryin'' to crack this bullshit for days!"

    The spearmaster lost it and started cackling. Argo pushed him, and he fell off the bench and was immediately assaulted by several kids jumping on top of him.

    "Oof!"

    "Tell me everything!"

    ---------------------

    It was a Sunday two days later. Outside, most people were relaxing in their day off, enjoying the weekend, spending some time with their families.

    In Aincrad, the Assault Team was preparing themselves for another life-or-death struggle.

    "I don''t like this."

    "You never like anything. It''s a wonder you even have fan-girls, Lind."

    The scathing gaze the DKB leader threw his second-in-command had Drifter and the others nearby snorting in poorly concealed laughter. No doubt as the player intended, to break the tension.

    "Moving on- I don''t like this. It''s a death floor with close to zero verifiable intel."

    "I hear you, Lind. We can''t be sure what Sasha told us ''bout Prometheus'' legend translates to here. But we gotta make do with what we have."

    "Agreed. Let''s kill the boss and move on. The floor after a round is always easier, so we''ll get some respite."

    "Yeah, wouldn''t count on that. Kayaba is a bastard, and SAO''s his brainchild."

    "Nobody asked you, damn pessimistic old man!"

    As the guild leader grumbled and joked, Lind rolled his eyes. He knew they would be completely focused the moment they stepped inside the boss room, but he wished they would take preparation a bit more seriously.

    Ah, nothing to be done about that. Striking his shield with his sword to catch everyone''s attention, he stepped towards the doors.

    "Alright, let''s get this done and over with. Move!"

    "And don''t die! You''ll lose dessert privileges if you do!"

    Glaring at his vice-leader, Lind pushed open the doors. Drifter smirked and clapped Shivata on the back for the joke, before shaking his body and putting his game face on. With nary a signal from him, Reaver''s Requiem took their positions.

    As SAO bosses were prone to, Prometheus had to have a dramatic entrance. Torches lit up across the circular room, revealing the figure of a man, just about 5 meters tall, chained a big boulder in the middle of the room.

    Just like the lore pieces the clearers had found, Prometheus'' hair was made of flame. His torso was bare, revealing a mess of scars that could only come from the myth of the cursed bird.

    No sooner than the last frontliner stepped into the room, Prometheus'' previously closed eyes snapped open, revealing burning flames in empty sockets. With a grunt, he flexed his upper body, and the thick chains snapped like strings.

    "Pitiful mortals... All shall die!"

    Fingers curved and sharp like claws raked through his flaming hair, and Prometheus'' hands came back covered in fire. With a roar, the boss launched himself at the players.

 Chapter 172 - The First Time

    As far as bosses went, Prometheus wasn''t all that intimidating. Sure, the flaming hair... and eyes... and hands... were a little scary. But considering all the nightmarish creatures and mobs and bosses Cardinal had thrown at the players in the last 30 floors, just fire wasn''t enough to rank even in the top 20.

    But there was something about Prometheus. Maybe it was the thought of it being a round floor. The promise of a hard battle. The looming certainty that someone would die, like they always did.

    Whatever it was, every frontliner could feel the pressure when the floor boss charged at them. It was like an invisible mountain was crushing them, making it hard to even move. The newer KoB players especially were struggling in the face of their first round floor boss.

    But the Assault Team wouldn''t be what they were if simple fear was enough to paralyze them.

    Drifter met Prometheus in the middle of the room, Infinite Spear changing his weapon to a halberd that clashed with a fiery fist in a deafening impact.

    The first skill was a basic Vertical, meant to halt Prometheus'' charge, and that it did. But the blue glow that followed as Drifter''s beloved bident reappeared was anything but simple.

    "Nautilus, Liz! Go!"

    Shield and warhammer smacked the boss back, and Drifter rushed right through the open arms, throwing his entire weight behind an upwards slash that looked like Vertical, but most definitely wasn''t it.

    A straight line was carved from Prometheus'' crotch to his collarbone, an angry red gash that wiped away a visible chunk of his first health bar.

    For a long second, Prometheus stood completely still in the aftermath of Infinite Spear''s second sub-skill, Split Stream. A single vertical slash, meant to bissect everything.

    "Filthy mortal!"

    Flaming fists fell down on Drifter when Prometheus recoiled, and the spearmaster deftly ducked under them, changing his weapon into a staff for Edge Vaulting.

    5 floors ago, when he first acquired Infinite Spear, learning how to properly use the endless swapping of weapons had been tough. It added not just one card, but an entire new deck of variables to Drifter''s hands.

    More options wasn''t always a good thing. In a fight for your life (aka every day in SAO), thinking too much got you killed even more consistently than thinking too little. And like a kid with a bunch of new toys, deciding which one to use was a struggle.

    At the beginning, Drifter would be constantly swapping his weapons, even when the situation didn''t call for it. It was like an itch that wouldn''t go away no matter how hard he scratched it. An always hovering ''what if that weapon is better'' question over his head.

    That was 5 floors ago, however. Since then, Drifter had trained hard to master his Unique Skill, even going so far as to journey back down to lower floors and fight all kinds of mobs to get used to the changes.

    Now, Drifter was able to integrate Infinite Spear seamlessly into his skill set. It wasn''t perfect yet, but it was close. And it showed.

    The surroundings seemed to vanish as Drifter focused fully onto the enemy in front of him. Other players attacked the boss, and the spearmaster switched with his guildmates when the need arose, but his gaze never left Prometheus.

    There was something soothing about falling into the rhythm of battle. That probably meant he was crazy, but they all needed to be a little insane if they wanted to survive SAO.

    Anyhow, Drifter easily took up his role as one of the Assault Team''s main damage dealers, like he always had. Infinite Spear only made it easier.

    Vaguely, the spearmaster noticed the other players using their own Unique Skills to whittle down Prometheus'' HP. His was one of the flashiest ones, but Asuna''s Mirage Burst, Heathcliff''s Holy Sword, and Klein''s Battoujutsu were also fairly eye-catching.

    For this battle, Drifter had relinquished control over Reaver''s Requiem to Kizmel, so that he, Kirito, and Asuna, the guild''s three leaders, could focus on bringing the boss down as fast as possible.

    He hoped that was the right decision. The spearmaster was by no means a controlling person, but the 30th floor boss raid was an incredibly harsh responsibility to throw at Kizmel''s hands. Still, if anyone would be up to the task, it was the dark elf.

    Now wasn''t the time to dwell on those thoughts. What was done was done, and Drifter trusted Kizmel with his everything. She was family.

    "Up!"

    A flaming fist tore the air as it flew directly towards him, and Drifter barely managed to slash down with his spear to parry it. Still, a small crater appeared on the ground where the punch struck, and a not insignificant portion of Drifter''s health vanished just from the slight contact.

    Nothing to it. This wasn''t a battle they expect to get through without casualties, much less without being hit.

    His hands became a blur as he switched his grip on his spear''s shaft, unleashing a swift Horizontal Arc that left two nasty cuts on Prometheus'' thighs.

    By now, using skills and fighting was second nature to Drifter. More than that, honestly. Oftentimes, his body reacted before his mind could catch up to it.

    Case in point, he dropped down on pure instinct as another wild haymaker was thrown his way. Being surrounded by dozens of highly skilled players had done a number on the boss, and Prometheus seemed to have changed attack patterns from focusing on single targets to just trying to hit as many people with his fire as he could.

    His weapon flashed out, still in the form of his favored twisted bident. First a fake Snake Bite, bending around the hoss'' arm, then a very real one, the duo of skill and copy puncturing four holes under Prometheus'' armpits.

    Liquid fire leaked from the wounds, and Drifter paused - a grave mistake, which saw him smacked away by a backhand and sent tumbling through the ground.

    He got up and chugged down a potion, feeling Yuna''s Rest wash over him to contribute to the healing. His gaze never left the lava trailing down Prometheus'' torso.

    Monsters didn''t bleed in SAO. Nobody did, actually. The closest thing to that were the red shards that frayed from the edges of a wound before it closed. So clearly, Prometheus wasn''t bleeding fire. That was something else. But what?

    "Second phase incoming! Fall back, watch out for AoE attacks!"

    Lind must have seen the same as he did, because the DKB guild leader yelled a command. Drifter followed it without questioning. The other player was in charge of this raid. It also helped that the spearmaster shared his concerns.

    Alas, not everyone had the implicit trust on Lind''s orders that the older frontliners had, at least during battle. The somewhat new Knights of the Blood Oath hesitated for a few seconds, first looking to their leader.

    Drifter could understand that. Certainly every Reaver would follow his commands over Lind''s, no matter what. But now, with a round floor boss about to enter its second phase, wasn''t the time to hesitate.

    Prometheus smashed his hands into the ground, setting forth a wave of fire that seared through a dozen players, sending several of them to a dangerously low health.

    Cursing in his mind about stupid people who refused to follow the plan, Drifter surged forward with Yuuki, Ran, Vallerk, Agil, Wolv, and Shigio to rescue the KoB players before Prometheus barbecued them even more.

    Even as he cut through the literal wall of fire with his polearm, Drifter never forgot what had originally prompted him to fall back: the liquid fire that spilled from the boss'' wounds.

    And good thing he didn''t. No sooner had the spearmaster slashed his way past the fire curtain, he saw Prometheus clawing at his old scars, flesh tearing in a manner that was doubly unnerving for how digital it was, his fiery blood pooling and dripping around his fingers.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    It was one of the most horrifying scenes Drifter had ever witnessed, and he had seen a lot in his time in Aincrad.

    It only got worse when Prometheus gathered a handful of his own blood and blew into it. Droplets flew out, and suddenly a dozen fire minions spawned where they dropped.

    They looked vaguely human, expect for being made entirely of fire. Two of them immediately set upon the spearmaster, who promptly cut them down.

    It was easy. One Sting piercing through both with a timely twisting of his wrist. But they didn''t die. Instead, they scattered in more liquid flames, before 4 fire elementals - admittedly a tad smaller - were standing before him.

    "Oh, come on!"

    This time he didn''t bother smothering his curses. He was sure Yuna wouldn''t mind it in this situation.

    "Don''t cut them!"

    The warning came too late. In this case, the frontliners'' sharp battle instincts betrayed them. By the time Drifter''s shout reached everyone''s ears, the fire minions had gone from one dozen to two.

    "We have to split up! Lind, attack or defense?!"

    The glare the other guild leader threw him contained a thousand words, likely none of them nice. But he knew what to do.

    "Knights Brigade, spread out and grab the minions aggro! Kite them around! And for the love of everything that''s sacred, stop killing them! KoB, you are with us!"

    A sensible decision. The Knights of the Blood Oath were good. The rest of the frontliners were better.

    "Reavers, we are playing offense! Fuurinkazan, Braves, with us! Ambros, you and your guild take the back. Everyone else, form a perimeter! Don''t let any of the minions get close to us! Unique Skill holders, to the front! Bring him down!"

    Anyone with a mind for tactics watching the broadcast was impressed. The frontliners had spotted the changes in the boss'' patterns, realized killing the minions was a horrible idea, and came up with countermeasures, all of that in less than 10 seconds. They acted swiftly and decisively, without a moment''s hesitation. It probably saved more lives than they could comprehend at that time.

    While Liz fell back to repair armor and weapons and grant a few buffs with her Volcano Forge, the rest of their guild followed Drifter into battle.

    Ran ducked under a swinging fist and slashed in an inverted ''V'', her first cut a normal one, the second a point-blank Slant.

    While the (very slightly) older twin didn''t receive a Unique Skill like her sister, she was every bit as deadly. And, unlike Yuuki, who matched Kirito''s reckless fighting style - case in point, the two charging at Prometheus and using Dual Blades to parry instead of dodging and blocking like a normal, sane person - Ran was much more collected. She approached each battle with an almost clinical perspective.

    Drifter had heard a few whispers about the purple-haired girl. And her sister too, come of it. But it was Ran whose''s name was starting to be accompanied by a title. Precise Blade Ran, for her analytical and level-headed fighting style.

    On this topic, Sinon had brought up during dinner not long ago that someone was calling Yuuki the Untamed Storm, and he was kind of hoping it stuck. It fit the girl to a tee.

    Not all frontliners got a title, of course. But enough did that when they joined hands to deal with the boss, it was a mighty impressive sight.

    The only titled players who weren''t there were Argo the Rat, the info-broker, and Shadow Blossom Akari, the elusive ninja whose''s face nobody knew. And, of course, Kibaou the Challenger, who nobody had seen in a long time.

    Merchant Warrior Agil, Aero Huntress Sinon, Songstress Yuna, Indomitable Knight Nautilus, Dragon Tamer Silica, Dark Elf Kizmel, Hero Orlando, Redblade Klein, Lightning Flash Asuna, Black Swordsman Kirito, Broken Spear Drifter, and the newly dubbed Precise Blade Ran and her sister, Untamed Storm Yuuki. Even Dragon Knight Lind, Liten the Fortress, and Holy Sword Heathcliff, dealing with the fire minions in the background.

    With a line-up like that, not to mention all the other dozens of frontliners who were just as skilled, even if untitled, it was only a matter of time before Prometheus fell. The question was: how many would the boss drag down with him?

    The boss seemed determined to set a high number, because he roared again, uttering more of his ''filthy mortals'' spiel, and slammed another wave of fire that sent them all stumbling back in panic.

    Prometheus reached for the broken chains still hanging around his waist, tangling them in his hands. Almost instantly, the metal became red hot and started smoking.

    TWACK!

    The sound of Prometheus snapping the chains like some sort of hell whips rang loudly throughout the room. Faster than the players could react, the boss swung his new weapons.

    The chains darted past Drifter and through Griselda and Wolv, and wrapped around Vallerk. The tank grunted as he was forced to let go of his shield, one chain coiling around his right arm, the other constricting his waist.

    "Vallerk!"

    Shigio and Agil struck the chains, trying to break them apart, to no avail. Drifter, Asuna, and Nautilus went after the boss himself, but it was also useless.

    Prometheus yanked the chains back, pulling Vallerk towards him. The one coiled around his waist eventually let go, leaving behind an ugly red streak that wrapped around his entire torso.

    The chain restricting his arm didn''t let go. It pressed tighter and tighter, until it sheared through the limb with another loud snap.

    "No!"

    In a way, it was good that the boss chose Valllerk of all people as his target. The Reavers watched their friend''s HP drop from full green all the way to red, and stop there, far too slowly. Anyone else but maybe Liten the Fortress would have died.

    "Kill it! Before he does it again!"

    Drifter was one of the first to advance, his spear lashing out skill after skill. Snake Bite, Pinpoint Star, Horizontal, Double Tap, Cobalt Slice... Nearly everything he had in his arsenal.

    Of course, such a frantic attack couldn''t go unpunished. Prometheus whirled his chair around his body, and Drifter was smacked way together with Silica, Yuuki, Dale, Chuchulainn, Beowulf, and half a dozen other players.

    It hurt. Just the slightest of touches from the chains was enough to erase a sizable portion of their health bars. But the players held strong.

    Drifter performed a backwards roll and shot back to his feet. When Prometheus'' chains came for him again, sweeping low at his legs this time, he willed his weapon to change into a trident, and stabbed down with Edge Vaulting, nailing the chain to the ground through two links.

    Another loud snap rang out, and the force behind the chain ripped Drifter''s trident off the ground, and the spearmaster with it.

    But the unexpected resistance, however shortly it lasted, was enough to halt Prometheus'' momentum. The boss staggered, and never saw Kirito coming.

    One of the Black Swordsman''s swords pierced the boss'' chest from the back, while the other fell on his neck, separating Prometheus'' head from his body.

    [ CONGRATULATIONS! ]

    Drifter ignored the message. Along with Prometheus dying, the fire minions had also vanished. The spearmaster looked around.

    "Call out!"

    "Reaver''s Requiem all accounted for! Minus a few limbs..."

    "They''ll grow back. Fuurinkazan is all here."

    "Legend Braves. Same. We are all still kicking."

    "Knights of the Blood Oath suffered no casualties."

    "Dragon Knights Brigade. We are alive."

    Drifter followed the headcount, his heart soaring with each guild that reported no casualties. He started laughing.

    "We did it. We fucking did it. Everyone is alive. Everyone is alive!"

 Chapter 173 - Of Victory Parties

    Laughter was not an usual reaction to finishing a boss raid, especially that of a round floor. Relief, tiredness, exhaustion, sadness, pain, despair - all of the above. And some happiness too, sometimes. But not laughter. Never laughter.

    And yet, that was exactly the sound that echoed throughout the boss room. Broken, hesitant at first. But gaining strength as the frontliners counted again, and then a third time, and the numbers matched.

    They had done it. They had conquered the 30th floor, a round floor, one of SAO''s most deadly challenges... Without losing anyone.

    It wasn''t a miracle. The Assault Team had worked themselves to the bone preparing for this fight. And they had their strongest line-up in probably all of SAO history, with just about a dozen titled players and nearly half as many Unique Skill holders.

    And still, many of them had very nearly died. Vallerk was still staring at the stump of his right arm, torn at the shoulder by Prometheus.

    But they had done it. Despite everything, miracle or not. They won. They survived.

    Yuna kissed Drifter without a care in the world for all the eyes watching them. Asuna dragged Kirito into a shorter, but no less passionate, kiss. Ran was more discreet when she grabbed Nautilus, but Yuuki jumped on Sinon with a squeal, peppering her cheeks and lips with kisses alternatively.

    There was a trend ongoing there which Drifter didn''t mind at all.

    Wolv had hoisted Silica onto his shoulders, and Pina nested on Agil''s head as the big man clapped Shigio and Griselda on the back.

    Klein had an arm around Kizmel''s shoulder and was probably flirting with her - he was a lost cause. But everyone deserves a little cheer right now, and the dark elf seemed happy enough to entertain the red-haired player and his guild, even if Feredir kept growling and trying to get in-between them.

    Shivata was clapping hands with Ambros and his guildmates. Lind and Liten were making the rounds with the DKB.

    The Braves surrounded Heathcliff and his Knights of the Blood Oath and congratulated them on a battle well fought. This was the raid that cemented the KoB''s position as a frontliner guild, and they were too happy to complain about being sidelined during the battle.

    It was a party. Or it would be, once they got to the 31st floor and found an inn. Hopefully by then Vallerk''s arm would have regrown - and that was still a strange sentence to think even if it was an unusual, but not uncommon, occurrence for frontliners.

    Holding Yuna, Drifter thought of going over to the tank to impart some wisdom about missing limbs (read: tease him with dark humor), but someone beat him to the punch.

    Liz had put her anvil and portable stove away - Volcano Forge would never not be a lifesaver - and approached Vallerk.

    The spearmaster raised an eyebrow and hummed. That was not an expression he was used to seeing on Liz''s face. Nor Vallerk''s, although he hid it better.

    Filling that tidbit of information for later, the Reaver just pulled his wife closer to him. Today was a good day. And it was only going to get better.

    ...

    The 31st floor was pretty in an ephemeral kind of way. The ground was bare rock, spires rising and twisting into the shape of trees. Glowing red lines ran through all of it, like veins of magma coursing through the rock.

    Here and there, natural vents spouted mist, like miniature volcanos. The mist never rose above their waist, and it pulsated faintly with the light of the ground beneath it.

    Pretty, and potentially dangerous due to the low visibility. But nothing attacked them until they reached the main settlement, a sprawling city named Rheitergast, so the Assault Team was only too happy to put it out of their minds for a while.

    Right now, they were only focused on one thing. Celebrating.

    And it was a proper party. For once, the frontliners allowed themselves to let go. The inn they chose was full to bursting as the entire Assault Team crammed into it.

    The revelry spilled out of the door as the clearer divisions and normal players of the larger guild''s, like DKB and KoB, joined. And then it grew to encompass all of Rheitergast as other players teleported to the newest floor to explore, and unknowingly or willingly got drawn in.

    Drifter could swear he even saw some of Akari''s shadows around. Not wearing their - sometimes ridiculous - cosplay clothes, and skulking in the darkness, but with their faces out in the open, talking and laughing like any other player.

    Keita and Tetsu and Sachi were there, obviously. As was Nezha, chatting with the Legend Braves and Argo.

    Sasha and the kids had come up to see what all the fuss was about, and congratulate the frontliners. Kizmel and Silica were keeping them distracted with Pina and Feredir to make sure they didn''t get lost or somehow left the safe zone.

    It was a party. A huge one. Throughout all of Aincrad, people got into the mood and celebrated, even the ones who had stopped caring. Because, just maybe, they saw a little bit of it in the Assault Team''s victory.

    It was a party. Completely blown out of proportion. A waste of time and feelings. A surefire way to lower their guards and get killed later.

    It should never have happened. Not like this. A few drinks and swapping stories? Sure. Taking the rest of the day off to visit the hot springs and go out on a dare with their partners? No problem. But not this. Drifter and Kirito and Lind and Shivata and Argo and all the other frontliners should have put a stop to it.

    But they didn''t. Instead, they enjoyed a party like Aincrad had never seen before, unknowing and uncaring of the disbelief of the outside world at how overly exaggerated it was.

    Because they felt it. That same thing that made Sasha and the kids laugh. That got Shadow Blossom Akari and Fuumaningum to let go some. That had Argo the Rat for once stopping and enjoying, instead of running around.

    That thing that had Broken Spear Drifter and Dragon Knight Lind beckoning Holy Sword Heathcliff for a drink. That pulled, against their will, the recluses who refused to leave their rooms since SAO''s first day.

    That little, kindling flame that the frontliners hadn''t felt in months, now starting to burn again. Real, this time. Not the show they put on to soothe the rest of the players.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Hope.

    What a dangerous emotion to have. Necessary, no doubt, because if you had no hope, were you truly living? But oh so dangerous.

    Nothing killed more than hope. Hope in a better future. Hope in escaping. Hope in surviving just another floor. You always died with hope on your lips.

    Drifter knew that. How many times had he seen that line crossed, almost stepped over it himself? Of course he knew.

    But he let it happen, let the party go on, let the players cheer and boast and brag and hope.

    Now, as the sun disappeared under the lower floors of Aincrad, the spearmaster sat on the edge of the 31st floor, feet dangling over the abyss. Like always, the sunset was beautiful, no matter where in Aincrad you were.

    The party was winding down. Or, rather, it had broken up, each guild and group going their separate ways. To inns to rest and prepare for another day, for frontliners never stopped, or to lower floors, to their own homes or restaurants, bars, parks or plazas to continue the night.

    Drifter stayed on the 31st floor. Reaver''s Requiem still didn''t have a headquarters, although they would have to find one soon. And he wasn''t drunk nor trying, like many of his friends.

    He was just watching the sunset. Until he felt her presence behind him, and allowed himself to melt into his lover''s arms.

    "You let everyone have fun, so why won''t you give yourself a break too?"

    "I am?"

    He really thought he was. He had laughed and joked with Reaver''s Requiem and Fuurinkazan, had drunk with Heathcliff of all people. He felt pretty relaxed. But Yuna breathed on the back of his neck in a sigh that was both exasperation and pity.

    "You can lie to yourself, dummy, but not to me."

    He still wasn''t fully sure what she meant, but Drifter knew himself well enough to take a guess.

    "I''m brooding?"

    He worded it like a question, but it wasn''t really. The spearmaster knew he was likely to brood, or fall into deep thought, whatever you wanted to call it. It happened whenever he thought about the future and the floors to come, which was pretty much all the time.

    "I wouldn''t say brooding... But you definitely have your ''I''m thinking, don''t bother me'' face on. And I can''t even see your face."

    Drifter rolled his eyes, even if, reiterating, Yuna couldn''t see it. Then he turned around in her embrace, his back to the edge now, and put his forehead to hers.

    "Better now?"

    "Much."

    She smiled, and he kissed her. Because he loved her, because she knew what he worried about, and she feared the same. Because she was a frontliner too, his songbird.

    "I guess I''ll only really relax when we are out. But for tonight-"

    Drifter heaved, hauling Yuna up by her hips and turning his body at the same time. It would have sent both of them tumbling over the edge if his stats weren''t so much higher than a normal human''s.

    As it was, Drifter was steady as a rock despite their position. And it wasn''t really a free fall, he wasn''t that stupid. There was a small ledge beneath them that you only saw if you got really close.

    But ledge or not, the view was astounding. From there, nearly a third of the way up Aincrad, it was like the sun was sinking into an ocean of clouds right underneath their feet.

    Yuna sighed, and leaned into his side. One of Drifter''s arms automatically came around her back to secure her.

    "70 more floors to go."

    "30 down already. Think positive."

    "I am. Only 70 more floors to go. It isn''t close, not yet. But we are getting there. And nobody died this time."

    "Don''t get cocky. That''s how we die."

    "Never. Not anymore. But for the first time, it feels like I can see it. The top. The end."

    Drifter gently tilted her head with his fingers and looked up himself. The ceiling - or the bottom of the next floor, whatever - was in the way. But he knew what Yuna meant. He could almost see it too.

    "We''ll get there. Not now, not soon. But we will."

    He said it with the kind of confidence that shook Seijirou and Ogawa and Kenji to their cores, for different reasons. Because Drifter wasn''t promising anything. He wasn''t saying everyone would live starting now. He just believed.

    And that was enough.

    ...

    Truly, Sword Art Online brought forth the worst and the best of people. Because there obviously was something wrong with Drifter for him to be waking everyone up at 7 AM the morning after the largest party Aincrad had ever seen.

    "Ugh... What the hell. Who hurt you, Drifter?"

    "I''ll hurt him if he doesn''t stop smiling in the next five seconds. Asshole."

    His Reavers were not happy with getting roused that early. Not because of the time itself, although that certainly played a part, but mainly because they had gone to bed just shy of 3 AM.

    The spearmaster had no sympathy towards them. A new day, a new floor trying to kill them. That''s how it went.

    "Dunno whatcha talking about, Sinon. We wake up at this time everyday. And you should be happy! Argo got a few people out last night, and they found a whole heap of flying mobs for you to shoot down! We are gonna have a field day! Now get up before I get Feredir over here to lick your face."

    As far as threats go, that was a pretty bad one. The archer gave Drifter the finger and buried her head on the crook of Yuuki''s neck when her girlfriend plopped down in bed again after opening the door for their guild leader.

    Drifter grinned widely as he skipped his way to the room Shigio and Vallerk shared. This was still payback for that hellish week of teasing his dear guildmates put him through after Kirito transferred Reaver''s Requiem''s leadership to him.

    "You know Sin''s gonna get revenge for that, right?"

    Not everyone hated mornings, and a few were psychopaths like Drifter. Griselda walked together with the spearmaster, having happened on the scene of him knocking on people''s doors when she came out of her room - she had very helpfully closed the door behind her before Drifter could think of waking poor Sachi.

    "Course. I can''t wait for it!"

    "You are going to get stabbed. I realize that''s not that harsh of a threat in SAO, but you are going to get stabbed."

    "Heh. Shigio and Vallerk don''t have knives."

    "I''m sure they''ll find something."

    Griselda drawled, and Drifter laughed. But the woman also agreed it was time to get back in the swing of things. The party had been fun, but until they got out of SAO, it was bound to be a one-time thing.

    ...

    Half an hour later, everyone was more-or-less awake and had finished breakfast. With a few last glares towards Drifter, the Reavers split up into parties to explore the floor. There were a lot of flying mobs in this floor, and the spearmaster was having fun shooting them all down with Serpentcoil Impale.

    And down below, several floors underneath the Reavers, another group was still celebrating the Assault Team clearing the 30th floor with no casualties.

    Cloaked figures laughed as they crouched around a sorry player crawling away from them, his legs cut off below the knees. The only sign of his party were the flickering shards quickly vanishing into nothing.

    "N-No... P-Please don''t! Please! No- Argh!"

    The player sobbed and begged, but all the figures did was laugh. Then an oversized meat cleaver fell down, and severed his head.

    Laughing Coffin celebrated the successful raid of the 30th floor too. Why wouldn''t they? When also would they get all those hopeful idiots thinking they actually amounted to something and leaving the safety of the cities?

    Such delicious prey.

 Chapter 174 - Scorched Earth

    You would think the novelty would wear off after a while, but each time the frontliners conquered a new floor and opened up the next, they were always astounded by what they encountered.

    The 31st floor was no different. The black rocky ground, glowing red lines, and mist didn''t look like much at first, but they had a kind of beauty that got more accentuated the more time you spent there.

    There was something to be said about Sword Art Online''s set design. Drifter didn''t know if it was Kayaba or Cardinal, or both of them, who had come up with the floor plans, but they always did an amazing job, which left Drifter conflicted. On one hand, he abhorred praising Kayaba on anything. On the other, it would be horribly depressing if they had to fight for their lives and the scenario was ugly.

    The kind of things you got used to with time. In his first weeks in Aincrad, Drifter never imagined he would one day worry that the scenario wasn''t pretty enough as a towering, fallen angel-like creature, tried to skewer him with its hellish nails.

    The Scorched Seraphim cut quite the impressive figure for a field-boss. At least 5 meters tall, with charred and cracked skin that looked like mud left to bake on the sun for too long, and then thrown into a fire pit.

    It had three wings on its back in a weirdly asymmetrical arrangement. The wings, once made of golden feathers, now seemed to be permanently on fire, clouding the field-boss in a reddish halo from hell.

    More annoying than the field-boss itself, who kept trying to kill the Reavers with its unbelievably long and sharp nails, were the mobs it called out to help it in the fight.

    The 31st floor mobs were nothing to scoff at. Burned Wraiths, Vein-Hounds, and Wailing Owls covered ground and sky as they surrounded the players, being held back by the combined efforts of Reaver''s Requiem, Fuurinkazan, and the Legend Braves while the main Reavers'' party tried to finish off the field-boss.

    Like always, floor bosses were to be tackled by the Assault Team as a whole, but field-bosses were fair game. It had been the party led by Kizmel that discovered the Scorched Seraphim, and the Reavers had chosen to ask for the other two guild''s backup as insurance.

    Nails raked across his chestplate, and Drifter cut the tip of a wing with his halberd. But still, the Scorched Seraphim continued to swing its hands widely, finally managing to pierce through his left leg.

    The spearmaster groaned as he felt his leg give away. Instead of fighting to stay up, he let himself fall, rolling back just in time to avoid getting skewered by the field-boss'' other hand.

    Then Nautilus was there, using Indomitable Might''s no knockback effect to bar the path of the Scorched Seraphim. But even the titled player grunted from the continued onslaught.

    "Ugh. I hate bosses like this!"

    Heaving, Nautilus used his Unique Skill to push the field-boss away and gain the Reavers a moment to catch their breath. Mobs and bosses that just attacked without thinking were easier to outsmart, and to kill generally, but they were still a pain to deal with, because they simply didn''t back down.

    "Focus! Switch!"

    Asuna jumped over the shield-bearer, and she looked like she had three rapiers and six hands when she used Mirage Burst.

    Drifter dove back in, a lance in his hands that he drove through the Scorched Seraphim''s midsection with all his might, giving Kirito an opening to slash at the back of the boss'' knees and force it to kneel.

    The Scorched Seraphim opened its mouth to shriek, and two arrows sunk into its throat. The frantic tunes of Amihenta''s Notes empowered Drifter''s spear as he plunged it deep into the field-boss'' chest, finally wiping away that resilient last bit of HP.

    The battle wasn''t over yet. Hyper aware of his surroundings, Drifter immediately turned around and threw a Serpentcoil Impale at a Wailing Owl that was about to swoop down and grab Kunimittz with its claws.

    "Thanks!"

    The Fuurinkazan player gave Drifter a thumbs-up as the spearmaster rushed in without bothering to recall his spear, hitting the mob with a sprinting Martial Arts: Hiza to the beak, before grabbing the haft of his weapon and tearing it out, spinning it, and stabbing down with a Sting and a Dirty Play.

    The Wailing Owl burst into pieces underneath him, and Drifter dropped into a crouch, slashing the ankles of a Vein-Hound with a Horizontal at the same time as Kunimittz and Dynamm stabbed it from above with their katanas.

    "Kill-stealer."

    Dynamm snarled without any bite, and Drifter gave him the finger, a smile tugging at his lips.

    "Should''ve been faster."

    The others were quickly finishing the cleanup, and Drifter stopped, his spear casually resting on his shoulder, ready to launch a Serpentcoil Impale the moment he saw someone in need of help.

    The spearmaster didn''t rush to join any other battles. No sense in surrounding a Burned Wraith with a dozen people when only two would be able to engage it at a time. Plus, nobody was in immediate danger, so that would really be kill-stealing.

    It didn''t take too long for the last mobs to be turned into sweet experience, and Drifter started sharing the spoils.

    Dividing the loot was always a delicate stage, even amongst longtime friends like them. Not because of the risk of fights breaking out over unfairness - that wouldn''t happen to people who had been fighting together for so long - but exactly the opposite. They were all friends, so it was far more likely for someone to keep quiet even if they felt they didn''t get their deserved share, which would only lead to strangement in the long term.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    To make it short, sufficed to know that Drifter was exceedingly careful to make sure each guild got their fair share when they split up the loot, and they each went their own way with a smile on their faces. Taking down field-bosses was always profitable.

    "Alrighty! What''s next on the list, Asuna?"

    After waving goodbye to Orlando and his Braves as the guild used their Return Crystals to go back to Rheitergast to replenish their supplies, Drifter clapped his hands and turned to one of his vice-leaders.

    The fencer fiddled with the hilt of her rapier, biting her bottom lip as she analyzed a map only she could see. Finally, she pointed in a direction.

    "There. North. It has the largest chunk of unmapped areas."

    "Deeper into the floor it is. Let''s split up into parties again, and I''ll see y''all back in the safe zone by nightfall. Don''t make me come and get you or I''ll wake everyone up at 6 AM tomorrow."

    With that very horrifying threat delivered, Drifter waved his guildmates away and set out with Vallerk, Silica, Keita, Tetsuo, and Sachi.

    So far, the 31st floor was following the norm of being considerably easier since it came right after a round floor. The flying mobs like the Burned Wraiths and Wailing Owls could be a bit annoying, but nothing the Reavers couldn''t deal with.

    But it always paid to be careful. Having defeated the Scorched Seraphim, there was a good chance there wouldn''t be anything more dangerous until they found the labyrinth. Still, all it was needed was one mistake for someone to get hurt, or worse.

    Even so, there should have been nothing too dangerous on this floor. So why did Drifter have that prickly feeling in the back of his neck?

    The spearmaster''s head snapped around, scanning the horizon, but he didn''t find anything out of the ordinary. And yet...

    "Eyes open, everyone. We are not alone."

    The former Black Cats jumped, looking around widely. Silica, despite her young age, was more contained. She drew closer to Vallerk, using his larger frame as cover. And the tank-

    "Mobs?"

    Drifter shook his head.

    "Only if it''s the stalker kind. But we''ve been on this floor for a week already. We would know about them. No. This is something else. Players."

    Vallerk''s gaze hardened. Reaver''s Requiem was famous. There were many reasons why someone might follow them. To shake their hands and get an autograph - but they wouldn''t be hiding. Or it could be Fuumaningum, following them for some reason - but Akari would have contacted him directly if that was the case.

    So it was someone with a more nefarious purpose. Maybe an ambitious guild spying on them and hoping to follow the Reavers to better hunting grounds or a secret quest.

    Maybe it was that. But Drifter and Vallerk''s minds jumped to the same conclusion. The spearmaster squeezed his weapon, before relaxing his fingers. The same way he did right before a big battle started.

    "Laughing Coffin."

    Keita, Tetsuo, and Sachi started, their searching becoming more frantic. They were scared, and with reason. Laughing Coffin was something of an urban legend amongst SAO players. Most didn''t believe they existed. But the three Black Cats knew better.

    While they hadn''t been there for it, Keita and the other two were aware that Reaver''s Requiem and Laughing Coffin had clashed before, and more than once. They knew that was how Griselda joined the guild. And they knew Drifter had killed the red player Morte.

    "Don''t jump to conclusions."

    Of all people, it was Silica who cautioned them. And Drifter''s heart broke, because a 13 years old had no business looking this detached at the thought of being stalked by a group of cruel murderers. But the spearmaster nodded.

    "Right. But we are going back. Right now. Use your crystals together."

    Drifter was talking on the private party chat now, so they weren''t overheard. And he had already sent warnings to the rest of the guild, as well as Klein, Orlando, Shivata, Argo, and Akari.

    "On my signal. Three... Two... One... Now."

    The spearmaster was calm. Scarily so. And he waited an extra second as the party vanished. Just enough to see a red-eyed figure stop crouching and throw him a mock salute. Or maybe it was just his imagination.

    ...

    "Are ya sure, Dri-bou?"

    "Enough."

    The info-broker ran her hands through her curly hair.

    "Fuck. What are those creepy bastards doin'' all the way up here?"

    Griselda looked up from where she had been staring at the table with a haunted expression.

    "Hunting."

    Several people shivered. The thought that someone, real humans, was treating other players like prey...

    "Monsters. What do you think they were doing? Sounding you out? Or was it real?"

    Sinon stabbed the table with an arrow. The piece of furniture was already covered in scars from her need to keep her hands occupied.

    "I don''t know, Sinon. I don''t think they wanted to fight right there and then. But I don''t believe it''s a coincidence that they found us out of everyone on this floor."

    "They were tracking you. Us, most likely."

    Kizmel grumbled, one hand resting on Feredir''s head, patting the growling wolf, and the other holding Silica, who looked downcast despite Pina''s best efforts to cheer her up.

    "Hm. And they know I saw them. I''m almost sure that was XaXa. The question is, is that going to make them back off, or get even more ballsy?"

    No one had an answer to that. Drifter turned his gaze to the other people in the room. Kirito, Asuna, all the other Reavers, Akari.

    "You''ve been quiet."

    "What do you want me to say, Drifter? We already knew Laughing Coffin was out there."

    Kirito''s voice was oddly even. Drifter furrowed his eyebrows and stared at his younger friend for a long time before realizing why that was. Kirito was worried. No, more than that, he was afraid.

    The spearmaster wanted to say something, or clap Kirito on the shoulder, or just hug him. And Asuna and Yuuki and everyone else. But he didn''t. Instead, he breathed out, forcing his tense shoulders to relax.

    "We''ll be more careful from now on. No less than two parties together when you are out exploring. And don''t be stingy with crystals. TP back if you think you''ve got trouble."

    The others nodded, but it was a much more subdued group that dragged their feet back to their rooms.

    Drifter sighed as Yuna closed the door behind them and sat on their bed beside him. He felt like throwing a tantrum. Why couldn''t they have nice things? Or even just two weeks of not getting bad news?

    Yuna held his hands over her lap, resting her head on his shoulder. Drifter caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. They found themselves in this position, of silently consoling each other after a bad day, far too often.

    "Yun''... Songbird."

    "What is it, dummy?"

    "Laughing Coffin... They are going to make us kill them all, aren''t they?"

    Not ''they are going to kill us'', but ''make us kill them''. That was what it would come down to. Because Drifter didn''t think for a second that the red players could stand up to the frontliners in terms of levels, stats, equipment, skills, or experience. But if they were anything like Morte and XaXa, crazy beyond saving, they also wouldn''t surrender.

    Yuna must have known all that. And she must have feared it as much as Drifter, because she didn''t answer. She simply dragged him down and hugged his head to her chest.

    "We''ll think about that if it comes to it. Now, good night, Drifter."

 Chapter 175 - Molten Revenant

    Whatever Laughing Coffin was planning, Drifter and the others never found out. The murderers never showed themselves again after that day, nor did anyone but the spearmaster see them, to the point that Drifter himself almost questioned if he was imagining things.

    Regardless, the spearmaster and guild leader went through with his precautions, paranoid as they may seem. No Reaver stepped outside of a safe zone without at least 2 parties'' worth of companions.

    And the word of Broken Spear Drifter carried weight even amongst other guilds. The Legend Braves, Fuurinkazan, Fuumaningum, and Dragon Knights Brigade all increased their vigilance for the next several days.

    Heathcliff had seemed severely unconcerned when Drifter warned him. It pissed the spearmaster off, just when he thought he was making progress with the KoB guild leader. The grey-haired man had no idea what kind of monsters Laughing Coffin were, worse than any mobs.

    Drifter had to take a deep breath and hold it in, averting his gaze before his glare burned a hole in the back of Heathcliff''s head. They were about to fight another floor boss. Now wasn''t the time for petty grudges.

    "Ready?"

    "Ready."

    Someone pushed open the boss room doors, and the raid for the 31st floor started.

    Like always, the first thing to take notice was the room itself. This time it was a cavern, the ground, walls, and ceiling made of the same black rocks with glowing red veins. Columns and spires of the same material rose to the ceiling, and Drifter could already see how they might become a hazard or an advantage, depending on how the fight went. The same with the waist-high fog, really.

    The boss itself was also fairly easy to spot. The Molten Revenant didn''t even try to hide, standing proudly in the middle of the room like only a 4 meters tall giant amalgamation of physics-defying magma and cracked obsidian could.

    Occasionally, under the ever-shifting pieces of its jagged exterior, portions of its charred skeleton would peek through. It didn''t exactly have a head per se, but more of a lump on top of its body, where two particularly molten pieces of rock glowed brighter than the rest, like eyes.

    Drifter had to say, the boss looked badass, in a I''m-going-to-melt-all-of-you-to-nothing kind of way.

    That last bit made the boss a lot less likeable. Not that it ever was that, but even so.

    "Spread out!"

    Drifter''s eyes widened as the first thing the boss did when the Assault Team entered the room was grab a handful of molten rock out of its own body and hurl it at them.

    The speeding projectile of lava was the size of a basketball, and Drifter dove out of the way with a dozen other frontliners.

    "Ugh!"

    It had been so sudden that Drifter didn''t even manage to cushion his fall properly, and he grunted when his spear slipped from his hand. Thankfully the Molten Revenant chose to focus in another direction, and he recovered his weapon while a group of KoB players scrambled for cover.

    ''Well, two can play this game.''

    Getting up on one knee, Drifter raised his arm over his head and threw a Serpentcoil Impale. By now, he could boast a 95% accuracy within a 20 meters range, and that was without the system''s assistance when launching the skill. So it was no surprise when his spear flew the distance and pierced right through where it''s mouth would have been, if the Molten Revenant had one.

    The boss didn''t like that.

    Maybe it was because Drifter claimed first blood, even faster than Sinon''s arrows, that the Molten Revenant seemed to hate him in particular.

    Those burning, coal-like eyes locked onto him, even when Nautilus crashed into its side with his shield, or Agil dug into its back with his ax.

    Drifter ducked another projectile and swore. The Molten Revenant wasn''t a particularly dangerous boss, but it was annoying. It pelted you with lava from a distance, and, if you managed to get close-

    Well, let''s just say that even staying near the boss was a challenge. Those lumpy fists were a lot more daunting from up close, but the real problem was the heat emanating from the boss. It was actually a speed debuff, which made everything 10 times harder.

    Not too hard, though. It was just the 31st floor boss, after all. Not a round floor. Not a death floor either. And with Drifter somehow - and unwillingly - hogging all the aggro, everyone else could let loose.

    Which was how the 31st floor boss raid somehow ended up becoming a game of cat and mouse between the Molten Revenant boss and Broken Spear Drifter.

    And what a game it was. While Drifter dodged and rolled and sometimes hid behind pillars, the Molten Revenant didn''t have any issues with just barreling through and demolishing everything. By the time the boss was down to its last two HP bars, there were barely any columns left standing in the room.

    Drifter eyed the ceiling suspiciously. He didn''t think Kayaba would collapse it on top of the raid team - but he also wouldn''t put it past the game master either.

    "Here we go! On your toes, everyone!"

    Yuuki hit the boss with one last skill, officially causing it to enter its last phase. All the frontliners tensed up. As always, that was the start of the most dangerous portion of the raid.

    The Molten Revenant didn''t disappoint. Finally forgetting Drifter, the boss slammed its fists on the ground, which cracked easily.

    Fissures extended from the impact point to cover the ground of the entire room in seconds. The frontliners sidestepped the cracks, none larger than three fingers, with distrustful looks.

    SAO was know for its dramatics, so that might just be some kind of scenario change. But instincts honed by countless battles warned them otherwise.

    They were right in listening to it. No sooner had the boss raised its hands again, mist started spewing out of the fissures at a high speed. No, it was better to call it vapor, exceedingly hot at that.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The players recoiled, unsure of what was happening. The vapor didn''t harm them - yet - but it was in their nature to be suspicious. As frontliners said, ''if you don''t know what it is, stab it. If stabbing it doesn''t work, then get away.'' Maybe not the prettiest of sayings, but it was practical.

    "Wraiths! Split and round ''em up! Broken Spear, the boss seemed to like you, so go entertain it!"

    Normally Drifter would have given the finger and returned an insult to Lind, but he was too occupied stabbing - see how it worked? - a Burned Wraith, newly formed out of the vapor from the cracks.

    Using an Upturn to launch the mob towards Klein and his party, Drifter dashed towards the Molten Revenant, ducking under a set of claws and cutting another wraith before he got there.

    Once he did, Drifter immediately realized the boss was... Different. The changes had been lost amidst the chaos of minions spawning and the fog, but the Molten Revenant''s physical appearance had drastically shifted.

    It was like the boss had gone through an extended diet in a matter of seconds. Its body was still slow flowing magma and jagged black rocks, but it was now much slimmer and smaller, barely taller than Drifter. Its eyes burned even brighter.

    Speed. That was very obviously the core change the Molten Revenant went through. From the hard-hitting, slow-moving form it had before, its current build had very clearly changed focus to maximize speed.

    "It''s a whole new game, everyone! Reavers, spread out and keep the mobs away like we did with the Seraphim. Ran, Yuuki, Kirito, Silica, you are DPS with me. Nautilus, Kizmel, shields. Heathcliff, we could use your Holy Sword too."

    The other guild leader nodded, while the Reavers silently assumed their positions. This time, they waited for the boss to make the first move.

    When it came, it was a blur. One moment the Molten Revenant was standing still, and the other it had a fist drilling into Yuuki''s stomach. If it wasn''t for her abnormally high reaction speed letting her place her swords in an X in front of her to block, the attack may have been life-threatening.

    As it was, Yuuki shot back like a cannonball, flying at least 10 meters before colliding with a Burned Wraith. The mob promptly tried to scratch her with its claws, only to have two arrows sprout from its face, courtesy of a very pissed off girlfriend.

    Drifter''s eyes widened. Note to self: the boss still hit hard, and it was really, really fast.

    The spearmaster didn''t have time to check if Yuuki was okay, because the Molten Revenant had already moved on to Ran, who parried a fist in a shower of sparks.

    "Nautilus, Kizmel, Heathcliff, we need control! Now!"

    "We are trying!"

    Kirito stabbed it in the back while Silica slashed at its knees, and both received a backhand for their troubles. Drifter jumped in at the last moment, using a Tidal Sequence to slow down the boss for a half-second.

    Thankfully, that was enough. The shield-bearers of their little group surrounded the Molten Revenant, forming a sort of triangle with the boss in the middle. That was the final nail in the coffin for the boss.

    Try as it might, the Molten Revenant couldn''t break their encirclement. Heathcliff had his Holy Sword Unique Skill, which let him freely change his stats between attacking and defensive power. No matter how hard it tried, the boss couldn''t break through the guild leader''s perfect guard.

    Nautilus, on the other hand, had his Indomitable Might. While his methods might not be as esthetically pleasing as Heathcliff''s fluid defense, Nautilus was like a rock the boss couldn''t break no matter how hard it pounded.

    The weak point of their formation was Kizmel, amd the dark elf knew it. She didn''t have a Unique Skill, so she couldn''t tank nearly as many hits as the other two. But Vallerk, Shigio, Liten, Enkidu, and other pure shield-users would be too heavy and slow to keep up with the boss.

    So Kizmel did what she did best: adapt. Instead of taking the hits like Nautilus and Heathcliff were doing, she dodged and parried. It was like the curved blade in her right hand became another small shield.

    The Molten Revenant''s punches slid off Kizmel''s shield and blade, the dark elf ducking under them or using the angle of the impact to disperse the force, somehow always managing to end up back in the same position, cutting off the boss'' path.

    It was an unbelievably dangerous fighting style, and one the dark elf, for all her daring, wouldn''t normally attempt. She was losing HP with each attack she parried, small amounts, but they added up. And just one direct hit could spell disaster.

    Truth be told, Kizmel only dared to fight so recklessly because Drifter had asked her. Her trust in the spearmaster was unparalleled, and she knew he would have her back no matter what.

    And he did. The moment Kizmel faltered, due to a blow she didn''t quite manage to recover in time to deflect perfectly, the spearmaster was there, sweeping the Molten Revenant''s fists aside with his halberd.

    A swift kick with Martial Arts saw to it that Kizmel was put out of danger, and Drifter took her place momentarily. Changing his weapon into a lance, he pierced right through the center of the boss'' torso with a Sting, before using Infinite Spear to transform it back into his bident and slash with a Split Stream.

    The attack brought the boss to a momentary halt. It was Drifter''s strongest skill, the newest unlock of Infinite Spear. Even against top-tier mobs, it hurt them a lot. The one time Drifter lucked out with a critical hit, he almost one-shotted a Wailing Owl.

    Against a floor boss, that was just enough to stop it for a half-second, but by then Kizmel had already smashed a Healing Crystal on herself and switched back with Drifter.

    They followed that pattern thrice more before the Molten Revenant fell to Silica''s dagger. Once the boss was dead, the fissures on the ground closed, and the Burned Wraiths vanished.

    "Well. That was anticlimactic."

    "Anticlimactic is good. No one dies anticlimactic."

    "You are not making any sense."

    Drifter rolled his eyes.

    ...

    For the second time in not too long of a while, Drifter was thinking that climbing a new floor of Aincrad was always a unique experience.

    They had just left the 31st floor, which was dark and hot, and the moment they stepped onto the 32nd floor, they were hit in the face by a wave of cold air and snow.

    "Huh. Isn''t this somethin''?"

    Aincrad didn''t have a lot of cold climate, winter-themed floors. Forests, plains, caves in droves, but not a pure frozen visage like the Assault Team was beholding now.

    They stood on top of what looked to be a giant glacier, the rest of the floor at least 30 meters below them. Steps carved out of pure ice led to a sprawling settlement right under where they stood. The safe zone.

    From their vantage point, the players could see that the floor was split into 3 main sections. To the east was a giant frozen lake, to the north were snow-covered cliffs, and to the west was what at first looked like a frozen forest, until Drifter realized the ''trees'' were actually the columns and walls of a gathering of glacial ruins.

    The spearmaster exchanged glances with his guildmates. This floor was bound to be interesting.

 Chapter 176 - Frozen Abyss

    Despite the need to wear fluffy clothes with special effects and the constant chugging of cold resistance potions, Drifter decided he liked this floor. It wasn''t ideal for a long-term stay, but it was blissfully cold after the 31st floor, the quests were interesting, the food novel, and the mobs were only dangerous, not deadly.

    The Glacial Linxs hunted in packs, but as long as you kept them at a distance, there was little they could do to harm you. The Frigid Wraiths, the Burned Wraiths'' counterparts, acted much the same as their ''siblings''.

    The Shiverclaws were the most threatening mobs in this floor. Looking like a cross between a polar bear and a praying mantis, those monsters were both fast and strong, and their attacks had a chance to apply a frozen debuff to boot.

    But thankfully they appeared mostly alone or in pairs, and a well-equipped clearer party could take them down fairly safely.

    Drifter''s only complaint about this floor were the blizzards. They came about every now and again, lasting anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours, and the players had yet to find a pattern.

    Drifter''s concern with the blizzards wasn''t the debuffs it applied or the cold, however. It was the low visibility. Not only did it make spotting and fighting mobs much harder, it also gave perfect cover for someone with bad intentions.

    Laughing Coffin. Drifter was thinking about Laughing Coffin, always. Just because they hadn''t appeared again in a while, didn''t mean they weren''t about still.

    But the Reavers couldn''t live jumping at their own shadows. And Drifter, for all he was wary of the murderous guild... Didn''t fear them.

    He had a healthy dose of respect for the danger Laughing Coffin posed - and an unhealthy amount of hatred for it. But they didn''t scare the spearmaster like the idea of red players walking around once did.

    He almost wished they would attack him - almost, because that would put the other people with him, his family in all but blood, in danger. But he almost wanted it to happen. Because he knew he could kill them.

    And they would have to be killed. Drifter was under no illusions that Laughing Coffin would go down quietly. And the only two alternatives the spearmaster saw for the murderers were imprisonment in Black Iron Palace, or death. Letting them walk free was not an option.

    Of course, all that was dependent on finding Laughing Coffin or they coming out on their own. And, much to Drifter''s chagrin, while the red guild had started to act more brazenly as according to Argo''s reports, they must have an intelligence network almost as good as the info-broker''s, because they never turned up anywhere near frontliners or clearers.

    "-ter. Drifter!"

    "What?!"

    Startled, his exclamation came out harsher than he wished, and Liz shot him a hurt and confused look. The spearmaster immediately scrambled to apologize.

    "I''m so sorry, Liz. I was lost in thought. Sorry again. What is it?"

    The blacksmith stared at him with furrowed brows. Drifter always warned them of the risks of not paying attention to your surroundings, so it was very unlike him to not notice her calling him until she yelled.

    "You okay? You don''t usually space out like this."

    "Hm, yeah, I''m fine. Just... Went down a rabbit hole. Nothing big. So, what''s up?"

    He lied and changed topics, and Liz eyed him suspiciously. But the only people who could make Drifter talk when he didn''t want to were Yuna and Argo, and neither were in their party right now.

    "Oookay? Anyhow, we arrived. At the frozen lake, y''know? The big slab of ice in front of us."

    "Yes, Liz, I can see. I was distracted, not blind. You''ve been spending too much time with Yuuki and Sinon."

    He stared down at the pink-haired blacksmith, and she raised her hands.

    "Hey, they are fun on double dates. Unlike you and Yuna. You are so lovey-dovey it''s disgusting."

    "Har har. Let''s go."

    Drifter rolled his eyes and tentatively stepped onto the frozen lake. The ice held, and he didn''t even slip, thanks to some special boots Liz had crafted just for this.

    The blacksmith, Agil, Shigio, Wolv, Kizmel, Nautilus, Asuna, and Ran followed him. They were all part of the group the Reavers sent to explore the eastern portion of the the 32nd floor.

    Kirito had taken the others to map the snow-covered cliffs to the north, and they all agreed that they would explore the ruins together in some other moment.

    Steadily, the Reavers advanced further onto the frozen lake, eyes peeled. They weren''t sure what to expect, but there was no way Cardinal had an entire third of the floor be like that without reason.

    "Anyone see anything? Your quest, Asuna?"

    "Nope."

    "It just says to ''explore the depths of the frozen lake''. You don''t think it means we have to swim, do you?"

    Drifter shrugged.

    "I sure hope not. The water must be freezing."

    Pun not intended, Drifter tapped the ice with the butt of his spear. Nothing. Not even a crack.

    "I''m going to be really pissed if we fall in at some point."

    The others laughed, but Drifter was being serious. There weren''t too many meanings you could attribute to ''depths of the frozen lake''.

    "Eyes ahead. Shiverclaws, two of them."

    The mobs were charging towards them across the ice, with bloodlust in their eyes, and Drifter was once again impressed by their speed. They were deceptively quick considering their bulky frame.

    Those scythe-like front limbs were the real deal, however. Azure and sharp, they looked like blades made of blue ice, melded together with the body of a polar bear.

    Drifter slid under one limb, the ice coming in handy. His spear shot up, slashing a large gash on the underside of one of the Shiverclaws.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Two mobs against 9 Reavers really wasn''t a fair fight. The Shiverclaw he was fighting was dead before the spearmaster even got up, and the other followed it soon after.

    "Strong Ice! This is great! I have enough to make your new rapier, Asuna!"

    Liz happily tapped her inventory and stored the drops. According to her, the loot from the Shiverclaws was perfect for agility-type equipment. Drifter didn''t have the first clue as to why that was, but he trusted Liz.

    More Shiverclaws and a pack of Glacial Linxs blocked their path as they advanced further unto the lake, but were dispatched easily.

    The Reavers kept marching while waiting for Asuna''s quest to update, and mapping the region while at it. It was, for the lack of other words, really boring. Thanks to how flat the frozen lake was, they could see everything in a 100 meters radius, but still had to walk all around to complete the mapping.

    It was the quintessential clearer experience. And every frontliner was a clearer, so of course the Reavers also had to do it. Didn''t mean they enjoyed it.

    "Alright, that''s it! We are going to the hot springs on the 9th as soon as the day is over."

    To Drifter, that sounded like a fantastic idea. It certainly put a pep on their steps, as the Reavers continued on their thankless task.

    The spearmaster wondered if Kirito''s group was having better luck.

    ---------------------

    They weren''t. At the moment, Kirito''s group was cursing anyone and everyone they knew as they waded through the thigh-deep snow in the perilous cliffs of the north side of the floor.

    They thought they had won the coin toss when Drifter''s group got sent to the frozen lake, where just about everyone was sure they would have to swim at some moment.

    Turns out, they had lost that bet and just didn''t know it. The only upside of exploring the cliff area was that there weren''t any Shiverclaws. The downside?

    Frigid Wraiths.

    Those mobs were like the annoying cousins of the Burned Wraiths. They froze you and applied debuffs, were almost invisible whenever a blizzard hit, and, worse of all, they could fly. Which meant that you had to be expecting an attack at all moments and from all directions, including above.

    The only solace they had came in the form of the caves that dotted the cliffside. Sure, each of them had some sort of mob or trap, but they provided protection from the wraiths and the snowstorm that was currently blowing outside. Some were straight up safe zones!

    Wading back through the snow with a sigh, all Kirito could think was that he would kill for a trip to the hot springs right about now.

    ----------------------

    Back to Drifter, the spearmaster and his party were surrounding a hole in the ice. It was quite big - enough for two people to jump in together, not that any of them wanted to.

    Most interestingly, it was also dry, despite being smack down in the middle of the frozen lake. They could see the bottom 6 or 7 meters below them, and a path leading further away, under the ice.

    "Sooo... I feel stupid even asking, but does your quest tell us to go down there by any chance, Asuna?"

    The fencer stared at Drifter, then at the hole, then back at Drifter, then at her menu. Eventually, with a resigned expression, Asuna shrugged, and jumped down the damn hole.

    Drifter sighed, and followed her, grunting as he hit the ground and took a few points of damage. Just because their stats were impressive, didn''t mean they could jump down from great heights and be fine.

    "Step aside, Drifter!"

    The spearmaster did just that, and Ran was the next to come down, followed by Silica, Agil, and everyone else.

    He looked at around. They were surrounded by ice on all sides except the ground, which was gravel. The lake was completely frozen above and around them.

    The only path they could take was the one in front of them, winding and twisting and disappearing behind a curve. The spearmaster nudged Asuna.

    "It''s your quest, you go ahead. If something tries to kill you, scream. And kill it back."

    The fencer glared at him, before sighing and trudging on forward. For all he teased her, Drifter was right behind her, as were the other Reavers.

    "Nothing for it, I guess."

    There''s only a single path in front of them, no forks or divisions whatsoever, all illuminated by the eerie blue glow of the light shining through the ice from above.

    It''s too quiet. Drifter almost wished for a monster to appear. The silence bothered him. It was never a good sign when SAO got quiet.

    And yet, nothing happened while they traversed deeper down the tunnel. The ice didn''t collapse, no traps were sprung, mobs didn''t come out of the walls to attack them - yes, that was a real possibility they considered - no red players ambushed them. Nothing at all.

    When the first mob appeared, it was after more than 10 minutes of following the tunnel and all its twists and turns.

    They saw the creature first. It looked like one of the little goblins they would get on the lower floors, but in all tones of blue. Dark-blue skin, light-blue hair, icy-blue eyes. The entire gradient.

    Except, it couldn''t be a normal goblin. Those were basic mobs from the first few floors of Aincrad, and always appeared in big groups, attacking with their dirty nails or crude clubs.

    The mob in front of them was larger than a usual goblin, standing almost as tall as Drifter. It wore proper armor, and carried a glinting ax on its hip.

    [ Drifter: Frozen Abyss Guard. High-level. Just the one, but be careful, everyone. ]

    Drifter immediately used his Searching skill to identify the mob and confirm it was alone. He passed the information along via private party messages, so as to not attract the creature''s attention.

    Just its name hinted at it being strong. An elite mob, at the very least. The spearmaster readied his weapon and waited until the Frozen Abyss Guard had turned its back before launching a Serpentcoil Impale.

    The rest of his party was already moving the moment his spear left his hand, and within range seconds after it struck the unsuspecting mob in the back.

    Asuna flashed with one of her new fancy rapier skills of Mirage Burst, and Ran cut it right in the neck with a Sonic Leap, while Silica stabbed its unprotected legs with Canine and Triple Fang. It was only then that the Frozen Abyss Guard reacted.

    "Kiiikkiik!"

    With a shrill scream, the mob drew the ax from its hip, and spun it around, forcing Silica to roll back and Ran to block.

    Or try to, at least. Just before the ax and sword collided, the Frozen Abyss Guard''s wrist twisted, and its weapon slid next to Ran''s sword, before the entire head of the ax was buried in her chest.

    "Ran!"

    Several people yelled at once, loudest of all Nautilus, who smashed into the mob''s side with an Unrepentant Charge, sending it flying at the wall.

    Before the stunned creature could get back up, Agil and Wolv were there with a dual use of Tree Felling, cutting up the Frozen Abyss Guard in three pieces.

    Waiting just long enough for it to shatter and confirm the mob was dead, everyone turned to Ran. The swordswoman was tracing the large gash in her chest with her fingers, even as it closed.

    Nobody asked her if she was okay, that was a stupid question when they could see her health bar above her head, still 70% full.

    Nautilus was standing next to Ran, a hand on the small of her back, not panicking. They all got wounded worse than this on a daily basis. Still, the sight of one of their own, especially his girlfriend, getting hit by an ax would never not be scary.

    "Drink a potion and let''s carry on. Now that we know how nimble those things are, watch out for redirections. It looked a little like my Snake Bite, so keep an eye on their wrists."

 Chapter 177 - Lurking Darkness

    One Frozen Abyss Guard was easy enough to deal with after they learned to watch out for its sudden attack path changes. Two of them? Still fine. Three? Doable.

    Sixteen? That was when they called the rest of Reaver''s Requiem to help them.

    The Frozen Abyss Guards were elite mobs, the kind you would find in the tower, not outside the labyrinth. And yet, there was a whole tribe of them under the frozen lake.

    A dungeon. That was the only explanation. Or a hidden map, as some players liked to call it. Something that appeared every few floors, with only about half a dozen having been found until now.

    Hidden maps were open for anyone to enter them, at their own peril. They were several times more difficult than the floor to which they belonged to. Just a few months back, a hidden map on the 22nd floor had ended up with 9 entire parties annihilated, despite their levels and equipment being more than enough for the floor.

    While they had never been the ones to discover and first explore hidden maps - until now - Reaver''s Requiem had their fair share of experience with them. After all, hidden maps were treasure troves, and just the elite mobs made it worth to go back to them even after several floors.

    "Alright everyone, we have to be careful, but fast. Asuna''s quest wasn''t unique, so we''ll have competition soon enough."

    That settled that, then. All players were greedy by default, and there was no way in hell the Reavers would give up on a hidden map.

    So that was how the guild ended up all squeezed together in the icy tunnel beneath the lake, looking down on an open subterranean expanse that went even deeper than they already were.

    "My Searching is picking up 16 mobs. That right?"

    Drifter turned to Sinon, who had the highest mastery of the skill, followed by Kirito and himself. The archer nodded silently, and the spearmaster turned around.

    "Okay. So here''s how we are doing this. See that stretch between the wall and that pillar? That''s our battleground. Sinon and I will use our long-range skills to kite that group of four over to there. Meanwhile, I want Asuna and Silica to distract the rest of the Frozen Abyss Guards. Aggro them and give ''em the slip on the other side. Everyone else, we''ll wait for the first four mobs to make their way to us. When they do, Nautilus, Kizmel, you will box them in. Vallerk, Shigio, you will be the second layer of shields. Use the pillar as a chokepoint, and make sure no stragglers get through, and nothing catches us with our backs turned. We will make quick work of those four, and repeat until they are down to a manageable number."

    A solid, not-too-complicated plan. Something the spearmaster had learned early on was that the more basic a plan was, the more adaptability it had for when something inevitably went wrong. ''No plan survives first contact with the enemy'' or something like that. He didn''t know, Sasha was the one who liked quotes.

    Asuna and Silica were taking on what was by far the most dangerous role. One slip up, and they might find themselves besieged by a dozen elite mobs, and cut from the rest of the guild.

    But he knew they were up to the task. It was nothing they hadn''t done a thousand times before.

    "Ready? Then... Drop!"

    The spearmaster was the first to jump down, crouching to absorb the impact, and turning to catch Yuna and then Sinon as the less strength-oriented players joined him.

    As quietly as a group of 20 players could, the Reavers approached Drifter''s chosen battlefield. Asuna and Silica split up with them, sneaking around and hugging the wall until they were on the other side of the cave.

    No problems for now. The Frozen Abyss Guards were roaming around in groups of 3 or 4, mostly away from them. One mob band, their targets, was close enough that they started to sniff the air, the players entering the fringes of their aggro range.

    With a quick message to Asuna to confirm the girls were in position, Drifter coiled his arm above his head, while Sinon knocked an arrow onto her bow.

    Almost opposite to them, a huge commotion broke out as Asuna and Silica attacked another group of Frozen Abyss Guards in a flurry of skills that ended just as quickly as it began.

    The two girls started running, leading the mobs in a wild goose chase. Very quickly, more Frozen Abyss Guards joined, forcing the fencer and the dagger-user to run and dodge in increasingly difficult patterns to avoid getting ganged upon.

    Unwilling to let his guildmates face any more danger than it was necessary, Drifter waited until the other mobs were just far enough away to not be attracted by the commotion before letting a Serpentcoil Impale fly.

    His bident punched a hole through the back of a Frozen Abyss Guard at the same time as Sinon''s Double Shot caught two others on the neck, leaving only one of their four initial targets unharmed.

    Even in the situation they were in, with the 4 Frozen Abyss Guards snarling and turning around to charge at them, Drifter couldn''t help but whistle in admiration. Double Shot wasn''t supposed to let you hit two targets at once, but to hit the same target twice. That Sinon could modify the skill to that extent was a testament to her abilities, and her title. Aero Huntress indeed.

    And the archer wasn''t done. Before the mobs had even taken 3 steps in their direction, two more arrows were already in the air, the sparking effects of Overcharge blowing the uninjured Frozen Abyss Guard back, while the green streak of Breaking Airflow blinded another.

    Not to be outdone, Drifter recalled his spear and changed it into a polearm, meeting the ax of the first Frozen Abyss Guard in a resounding clash.

    Around him, the rest of his guild engaged the other three mobs. You would think that, with nearly 5 players per mob, they would make quick work of them, but that wasn''t what happened. The Frozen Abyss Guards worked together, so the difficulty escalated by a lot when fighting 4 of them as opposed to just 2. Which was just another reason why Drifter had been so keen to split up the mobs. If they went against all 16 Frozen Abyss Guards together, it was very likely some of the Reavers would die.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The biggest problem was that, unlike most mobs, those elite goblins would help each other. Because of that, the Reavers couldn''t use a player''s favorite tactic - to gang up on one mob and kill it before it could even retaliate, then move on to the next. They were forced to kill all 4 Frozen Abyss Guards more or less at the same time.

    Well, if that was what it took, that was what the Reavers would do. Liz charged at the mob Drifter was fighting with a hammer skill, throwing it directly in the path of the Sachi''s Sting.

    The former Black Cat had improved immensely since they first met. She would never be a frontliner - Ducker and Sasamaru''s deaths saw to it that Sachi was afraid to even consider the idea - but she could give any clearer a run for their money.

    Not to be outdone, Drifter slashed diagonally with his weapon, changing the polearm to a halberd mid-swing with Infinite Spear. He would have pressed on the attack, but a yell from Kirito forced him to halt.

    "On your left, Drifter!"

    The spearmaster didn''t even think before placing his halberd vertically in front of him and turning to the left, just in time for the ax of a second Frozen Abyss Guard to dig deep into his side. It would have been deeper without Kirito''s warning.

    "Slant! Horizontal!"

    Kirito''s two swords flashed in a blur of movement as he cut the mob. Dual Blades didn''t let him use two skills at the same time, but it did erase the time he would need to physically reset his stance after a skill.

    With the Black Swordsman recapturing the second Frozen Abyss Guard''s attention, Drifter quickly drank a potion to restore his health, and stabbed the first mob with Needle Spear, killing it.

    Sieged on all sides, the other 3 Frozen Abyss Guards didn''t last much longer. Still, for a group of just 4 mobs against almost the entire guild, they did some damage. Drifter wasn''t the only one to get hit, and Tetsuo, Yuuki, and Agil were also nursing some wounds.

    "I''m sorry, Drifter. It slipped through us when it noticed the one you were fighting getting low."

    Kirito scratched his head awkwardly, flanked by Wolv, Griselda, and Keita, who were responsible for taking out the second Frozen Abyss Guard with him. Drifter just waved off their apologies.

    "We knew they worked together, it''s nothing. Now, let''s kill the others. Asuna and Silica look like they could use some respite."

    -----------------------

    A hidden map, elite mobs, possibly treasure of critical intel on future floors and bosses. Exciting, all of it.

    Kikouka Seijirou wasn''t paying attention to any of that. Normally he would, Reaver''s Requiem were a public favorite, and his too, but he had more pressing matters to attend at the moment.

    Well, that was putting it kindly. He couldn''t do anything, just watch. Like always. But he still balled his fists as he and the rest of his staff watched one of the confirmed red players and murderer, Red-Eyed XaXa, stalk an unwitting player.

    His nails drew blood from his palm as he heard the shocked gasp from the player when XaXa stabbed him from behind with his estoc. Surely, the man had never expected to be attacked, of all places, on the 11th floor.

    Seijirou was disgusted with XaXa''s behavior. With all the murderous integrants of Laughing Coffin. And worst of all, there was nothing he could do.

    His task force had been combing through hundreds of terabytes of footage since the reveal of Laughing Coffin''s existence months ago. But whoever their leader was, the mysterious Boss he had only ever heard briefly mentioned in passing, he had trained them well.

    All Laughing Coffin members hid their identity with special items and masks, no matter if they were alone or in groups. Whenever they communicated, it was through messages or in private zones, in which their broadcast was turned off.

    Even their informants took the same precautions. Seijirou and his subordinates had only been able to identify a few green players who were working together with Laughing Coffin by passing them information, and most of them didn''t even know they were with red players. The murderers simply messaged them asking for information, and paid without ever meeting them.

    It was all too organized. As if Laughing Coffin knew that the outside world was watching them 24/7. Which was impossible, because there was no contact between those trapped inside of SAO and the rest of the world.

    Impossible, unless some madman, a psychopath without any bounds or sanity, had entered Sword Art Online after the game began. That was Seijirou''s current working theory.

    It had taken a long time to even get there, simply because he couldn''t accept there was someone so insane as to not only throw themselves into the death game, but actively work against the people trying to clear it by targeting other players.

    Red-Eyed XaXa finished his sadistic task and broke a Teleport Crystal. The broadcast cut off, signaling the red player had gone directly to a private zone.

    Seijirou winced as he unclenched his fists, ignoring the drops of blood dripping down from the tips of his fingers to the carpet.

    "Find out the identity of the deceased victim and call the family. And keep looking into the Laughing Coffin players."

    "And if we find something? Then what?"

    One of his staff asked as she handed him a paper towel for his hands. Seijirou gritted his teeth, thinking of all the useless talk of possible punishments for red players if they ever got out.

    "If you find out who they are, I will unplug them myself."

    And he would, consequences be damned. He hadn''t become a soldier to watch his countrymen die and do nothing about it.

    "Yes, sir."

    -------------------------

    If Red-Eyed XaXa knew about Seijirou and what he said, he would be beyond delighted. Killing people felt good. Making someone hate him so much that they were willing to commit murder?

    It felt fucking amazing.

    XaXa whistled and kicked open the door to Laughing Coffin''s headquarters - a dingy shack on the 19th floor. It was nothing much, but then again, they rarely used it. Only when the boss called a meeting, like now.

    "You are late."

    Crouching on the floor or leaning on the walls, several hooded figures were already inside the base. All of them had red cursors above their heads.

    Most of the players only gave XaXa a cursory glance, but one who was on his heels on the other side of the room spoke up. XaXa sneered.

    "Fuck right off. Boss isn''t here yet."

    The other player''s eyes narrowed, and he stopped swirling the vial of purple liquid he was holding.

    "Do you want to die?"

    "Ho? Wanna have a go, Johnny?"

    The other red players shifted with excitement at the prospect of some entertainment. It wasn''t like it was uncommon for them to try to kill each other - what would you expect from a bunch of psychopaths? - but Red-Eyed XaXa and Johnny ''Alchemist'' Black were two of Laughing Coffin''s top players. A fight between them was always fun to watch.

    "That''s enough."

    XaXa and Johnny Black froze when the cold voice washed over them, and all the red players stilled. Laughing Coffin had one hard rule, and that was: you never disobeyed the boss.

    A big figure, covered with a frayed cloak and hood like all of them, stepped put from a shadowy corner of the building. None of them had noticed him there. A few strands of dark brown hair could be seen from under the hood, as well as the edge of a tattoo snaking up the side of his neck.

    "Boss."

    "You can play later. For now, we have something more important to do."

    The red players shivered in excitement, and Laughing Coffin''s guild leader, the mass murderer known as PoH, pulled out a huge cleaver, dripping with literal darkness. They could hear his smile as he delicately stroked the edge of the weapon.

    "It''s time the good people of Aincrad heard our name, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 178 - Abyss Leviathan

    Defeating 16 Frozen Abyss Guards took the better part of an hour. Mostly because, after they brought down the first 2 groups, one of 4 and the other of 3 mobs, Griselda accidentally aggroed the rest of them, and Drifter decided to err on the side of caution by retreating. Which, unfortunately, meant the 7 mobs they had already killed respawned.

    No matter. More experience for them.

    Defeating the roaming packs of 20 or so Frozen Abyss Guards they met later took an even larger span of time. It was worth it, though. Some of the equipment they dropped was better than even what Liz crafted, much to her chagrin, and all the Reavers made good progress towards their next level up - something that could take days at the point they were now.

    What they faced next might push them past that hurdle. The giant ice doors and the complete lack of any mobs nearby promised a boss fight, and a hard one on top of that.

    "Well... No time like the present, I guess. Everyone ready? Yun'', Liz?"

    The Reavers nodded. Hidden map bosses were somewhere between field-bosses and floor bosses in terms of strength and danger. Taking it on with just Reaver''s Requiem was risky - but they would never get stronger if they didn''t take risks.

    Drifter pushed the doors open, like he had done many times before, and Reaver''s Requiem rushed into the room together. No one wanted to risk getting cut off.

    The boss was hard to miss. A titanic, ice-blue serpent coiled in the center of a cave that had to encompass at least one-fourth of the frozen lake.

    Large fins sprouted from seemingly random places in its body, and two pairs of huge yellow eyes blinked lazily at the players as they entered the room.

    "Preeeyy... You come to meee on your own..."

    The eerie hissing echoed around the room, and the boss monster slowly raised its head, the sound of scales grinding against ice almost overpowering the rapidly beating hearts of the players.

    Drifter gripped his spear tightly as he took in the sight of the monster. Five HP bars appeared over its head, along with a bright red cursor and a name: Abyss Leviathan.

    Names were a good indicator, although not always a hundred percent truthful, of an boss'' strength. The more impressive of a denominator the enemy had, the harder to kill and the more dangerous they were. And ''leviathan'' had to be up there with ''lord'' or ''king''.

    Snake-type monsters, or whatever the Abyss Leviathan was supposed to resemble, were also a problem. The lack of limbs actually made it harder to determine where an attack was coming from, and the lack of weapons meant it could use its whole body as one.

    Still, you would need more than a giant talking earthworm to get Reaver''s Requiem to back off.

    In actuality, it was doubtful anything could ever make the Reavers turn tail and run. Maybe momentarily, until they were stronger or had a better plan. But not forever. They all understood that only by killing everything in their path could they escape.

    The Abyss Leviathan seemed to find the lack of responses by the players amusing, because it let out a hissing sound that might be a laugh. Then, it started slowly slithering its way towards them.

    "Small preeeyy... Deliveeered to meee. Just like master... Promised!"

    Drifter put a pin on that, fully intent on investigating it later, as it sounded like the trigger for a chain quest. Now, however, they had to deal with the Abyss Leviathan, who lunged at the Reavers as soon as it finished speaking.

    A snake that weighed several tons hurling at you at breakneck speed would never not be terrifying, no matter how used to the unusual the players were.

    Still, just because it was scary wasn''t a reason to freeze - hah! - in fear. In fact, it didn''t even warrant a momentary jolt of surprise from the Reavers.

    "Split Stream!"

    "Shield Wall!"

    Drifter, Shigio, and Vallerk launched their skills at the same time, the spearmaster fully trusting his guildmates to have his back - or his front, in this case.

    The two main tanks of Reaver''s Requiem jumped in front of their guild master, blocking the open-mouthed lunge of the Abyss Leviathan while Drifter''s skill left a large gash on its head.

    Still, all three of them would have been run over by the boss, such was its size, if not for another player joining the front at the last second.

    Nautilus'' Indomitable Might halted the Abyss Leviathan dead on its tracks. No matter how heavy or big the monster was, it couldn''t compete with a Unique Skill.

    Maybe it was because it was the boss of a hidden map, maybe it was just because Cardinal designed it to be smarter than most, but the Abyss Leviathan was stunned by the impossibly strong young man, who would barely amount to a bite if it ate him.

    Those few seconds of hesitation cost the boss dearly. Griselda, Agil, Yuuki, and Ran all appeared on its side, cleaving at the scales between its head and neck, their best guess at a weak point.

    Avalanche, Double Cleave, Vorpal Strike, Savage Fulcrum. Four skills fell on top of the boss in quick sucession, shaking it awake and leaving it writhing in pain.

    The boss considered them prey, so there was no way the Reavers would be so kind as to leave it alone just because it looked pitiful.

    "Switch!"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Silica, Sachi, Tetsuo, and Asuna were already targeting its eyes just as Drifter pulled back his arm for another blow and Shigio and Vallerk tried to stun it with their control skills.

    That was the moment the boss chose to retaliate, unfortunately. Kirito and Wolv had been circling around its back to catch it by its blindside when the Abyss Leviathan suddey retracted, coiling its body like it was a giant spring and someone was pressing down on it.

    And then, just as suddenly, also like a spring, but one that was let go, the boss uncoiled, a flash of blue that seemed to hit all the Reavers at the same time.

    Kirito, Wolv, Drifter, Asuna, Silica, all of them were sent flying after some part of the huge monster hit them head on. The only ones untouched were Kizmel, Liz, and Keita, who had yet to join the battle, as well as Sinon and Yuna, who were far enough away.

    Drifter hit the ground ten meters away from where he had originally been standing, instinctively curling into a ball to soften his landing.

    It didn''t help much. He had been launched too high, his parable top steep. What little air he was still holding after getting smacked by the boss left his lungs. To add insult to injury, he took secondary damage from the fall, bringing his HP down to 63%.

    It bore a reminder that this was after an AoE attack, which, normally, caused more damage overall, but less individually. And he wasn''t just any random player, but Broken Spear Drifter, elite amongst elites, outfitted with a full selection of armor by Lisbeth and her Volcano Forge.

    "Ugh..."

    Drifter groaned as he got up on one knee. The entire room was spinning, and he blinked, trying to vanish the black spots in his vision.

    The others were all in similar states. Even to battle-hardened veterans like them, getting up after a blow like that wasn''t easy.

    Which meant that, while they recovered, Kizmel, Liz, and Keita were forced to aggro the Abyss Leviathan and keep it from ending one of their wounded guildmates.

    It was too much for just the three of them. A tooth the size of Drifter''s arm pierced Keita''s stomach, and a slap from the Abyss Leviathan''s tail sent Liz reeling.

    Yuna and Sinon exchanged glances, the archer dropping her bow in favor of her dagger, while the songstress put up her fists in a Martial Arts stance.

    "Don''t! Sinon, Yuna, keep your distance!"

    Drifter yelled, but he was still having trouble getting up. There had been some kind of stun debuff to the boss'' attack. ''Freeze'', most likely.

    Either way, Sinon and Yuna looked over to him, then to Kizmel, who was bring quickly overpowered. With a muttered ''sorry'', both threw themselves into the fray, right as their dark elf friend lost an arm to a bite.

    Sinon dodged under a swinging tail and stabbed, more to take the boss'' attention away from Kizmel while Yuna dragged her away, then anything.

    Unfortunately for her, it worked. The Abyss Leviathan turned its four bright yellow, floodlight-like eyes to her, and hissed. The archer stepped back uneasily, none of her usual snarkiness to be seen, only unyielding concentration.

    Sinon knew how to fight with a knife. She had learned before getting her bow. And she hadn''t stopped training since either, but obviously it was secondary to her main weapon. She was Aero Huntress Sinon, after all, not Close Combat Huntress Sinon.

    She was maybe Reaver''s Requiem fourth most skilled dagger-user, behind Silica, surprisingly Wolv, and Sachi.

    In other words, nowhere as good as she needed to be I order to take on a hidden map boss.

    In a matter of seconds, the Abyss Leviathan had already battered Sinon into the red zone of her health. Even a desperate Martial Arts combo by Yuna wasn''t enough to distract it.

    Drifter waited to scream. He wanted to shout and at Sinon for being stupid and abandoning her biggest strength in favor of what was arguably her weakest suit.

    But yelling would do nothing but distract Sinon and make her die faster. So he channeled all of it into his efforts to get up and back into the fight.

    The ''freeze'' effect Drifter was under was already near its end, so no one, not even Cardinal, noticed when it flickered and vanished a few fractions of a second earlier than it should.

    Taking off on a dead sprint, Drifter smashed into Sinon with his shoulder, sending her tumbling out of the way of what would have been a lethal strike by the Abyss Leviathan.

    Which meant he had to withstand it in her place, but that was okay. Better to get bitten to red health than let Sinon''s drop to none.

    "Drifter! Down to the left!"

    The spearmaster followed without question, and Kirito''s swords cut through the air where his torso had just been, leaving a series of nasty gashes across the left side of the boss'' snout, while Wolv''s mace smashed into the right, like a baseball player hitting a homerun.

    The rest of the Reavers got to their feet, smashing Healing Crystals and chugging potions. Yuna desperately played Rest, having retreated after making sure Kizmel and Sinon were safe.

    The dark elf was staring at her missing left arm with a curios expression. It was her first time losing a limb, and even though she had long since become accustomed to the idea of being a player in SAO, it still left her feeling odd that she felt no pain, and that the limb would grow back soon.

    "Kizmel, stay back until you recover your HP! After that, only jump in if you are sure you have a clean shot and a path back. Asuna!"

    "Yes!"

    "I want you, Ran, and Yuuki on hit-and-run tactics. Triangle formation, rotating."

    "Got it!"

    "Vallelk, Shigio, you are to support Nautilus. Keep the boss from moving around too much. Naut, hold back engagement. Only block when you see it getting ready for a big move. We need you fresh each time, so watch the bar."

    "Hm."

    "Griselda, Keita, Agil, Wolv, Sachi, Tetsuo, Liz, Kirito, Silica, skirmish tactics, free form. Eye on your HP."

    "Roger that."

    "Sinon!"

    The archer flinched, though Drifter thankfully didn''t see it.

    "Yeah?"

    Drifter glanced back at the cyan-haired girl. His expression, which had gone cold while ordering his guild around, softened.

    "We will talk ''bout it later. But don''t pull that shit again. For now, you are our spotter. Find the pattern for that coil move. We can''t afford to get hit by it again."

    Sinon grumbled and nodded sheepishly. Drifter shook his head with a sigh. They all had their moments of being reckless. He had no doubt Sinon had done it with the best intentions, even if it had been monumentally stupid.

    Taking the time to recover his depleted health, Drifter observed the battle. The Abyss Leviathan had caught them by surprise, that was true. But now that the guild leader could take a calmer look at things, he was sure it wasn''t as strong as floor bosses.

    Somewhere between a floor boss and a field-boss, that was Drifter''s assessment. The AoE move made it dangerous, but in terms of normal attacks, it was actually weaker than most field-bosses.

    Which just meant it was still a perilous battle, with his Reavers getting hit and hurt way more than he would like.

    As his HP returned to green, Drifter glanced at the boss'' health. Still just a quarter of the way down of the first bar.

    They were in for a long fight.

 Chapter 179 - Loot and News

    It took three more near-death situations before the Reavers managed to bring down the Abyss Leviathan.

    Silica got hit by two tail attacks in quick sucession, only surviving because Liz rescued her. Yuuki lost a leg when she had to jump over a bite - and failed. And Nautilus endured one too many hits, including a surprising critical that sent him down to red.

    Turns out, Drifter shouldn''t have been so hard on his internal assessment of Sinon, because he had also been reckless. The smart move would have been to retreat and call for backup, but he had insisted they take on the boss by themselves.

    Lots of things could have gone wrong. But then again, wasn''t that the summary of the life of a frontliner? They were a walking contradiction of always taking the best precautions, and yet always marching into the most dangerous situations.

    It was rare to find such a large group of individuals as messed up as they were. But if it got them through to the end? Then it was fine.

    "Finally! That took forever!"

    Ran collapsed to the ground in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. Not that the other Reavers would - or could - call her out on it, since all of them followed her example.

    Kizmel''s arm had regrown during the course of the battle, that was how long it took. Yuuki, meanwhile, had been relegated to the backlines for reasons of only having one leg, and was now poking at the stump of the missing limb.

    "This is weird."

    "You tell me. Never fun to lose a limb. It throws my whole balance off."

    Drifter nodded sagely, as if that were the only concern. Outside of SAO, several therapists were conspiring to kidnap the frontliners for year-round sessions the moment they got out.

    "Loot! What''s the loot!"

    Silica, despite nearly dying, was happily scrolling through her menu. The young girl wasn''t as crazy about drops as the more hard-core players, but she did enjoy distributing them.

    Drifter smiled, and opened his menu. In accordance to its status, the Abyss Leviathan had dropped an abundance of items, not to mention an almost literal wagon-load of cor.

    Potions and crystals were set aside, and all crafting materials thrown directly to Liz for appraisal. The blacksmith would select what she wanted and send the rest to their guild warehouse to serve as a reserve, or to be sold.

    The equipment was what everyone was focused on. The first one Drifter took out was a beautifully crafted pair of greaves, made of some dark-blue ice that made it seen like someone had frozen a portion of the deep ocean as it were.

    A short glance at the item''s properties later, and Drifter threw it directly to Vallerk. It was a tank-oriented piece of equipment, and the boy''s current greaves were lower-level than Shigio''s.

    "Next... Helmet of the Leviathan. An even split between strength and dex. Ran, Yuuki, Kirito, Sachi, Tetsuo, Kizmel. Me too, I suppose, but the one I''m using is just a little worse stat-wise so I''m out. Only one helmet, so you''ll have to decide between yourselves."

    Almost immediately, several of the people he called bowed out citing similar reasons to him. Kizmel and Yuuki were the two left, and they stared at each other before shrugging simultaneously.

    "You can take it."

    Drifter snorted as both spoke the same thing at the same time, and the other Reavers laughed. That was not an uncommon scene amongst them. Some, like Asuna, were charitable to a fault.

    In the end, the helmet went to Kizmel after she won against Yuuki in a heated game of rock-paper-scissors.

    A pair of boots and a mace followed, going to Silica and Tetsuo respectively. The last item was a beautiful icy-blue spear, with deep green emeralds adorning the shaft and head of the weapon.

    And it was a twisted bident.

    Before Drifter could even look up from the masterpiece in his hands, Sachi had already shoved it back into his lap.

    "It''s yours Drifter. Practically made for you."

    The others nodded, and even Liz glanced jealously at the craftsmanship of the weapon. It was better than anything she could make at her current level.

    "Thanks."

    Drifter ran his hand over the weapon, smiling. It was a thing of beauty. And deadly. The best combination there was.

    "We should pack up and go back. We need to restock."

    "You heard the man. Move out, people!"

    ...

    They could tell something was wrong immediately. Usually, the 32nd floor would be bustling with activity. Parties going in and out, merchants selling their wares, customers haggling.

    There was none of that now. Only an eerie silence and mostly empty streets. The few people they saw looked out of sorts. Scared.

    "What is going on?"

    Griselda asked no one, because the Reavers didn''t have an answer. At least, until one of Akari''s shadows found them.

    It was so uncharacteristic for one of the Fuumaningum role-players to appear in broad daylight that the Reavers stared at him for a solid minute before snapping out of their confusion.

    "What happened?"

    "An attack. A declaration of war. You were out of communication for a while. Our leader is meeting with Argo the Rat. Both wish to speak with you, Broken Spear Drifter."

    Hidden maps blocked messages. That''s why the Reavers had warned Argo before going in. And now that Drifter looked at his messages, he saw a backlog from Argo and Akari, both telling him to get back as soon as possible.

    Glancing back to his guildmates, Drifter saw the worry in their eyes, certainly reflected in his. He nodded once to the Fuumaningum ninja.

    "Lead the way."

    ...

    Turns out the meeting was taking place in the 12th floor, where Fuumaningum had some sort of base.

    After passing by several more of the role-players, Drifter was finally led to a room where Akari and Argo were having a heated discussion. Drifter caught snippets of it, words like ''kill'', ''fear'' and the like. It didn''t sound good.

    "Akari, little rat. What happened?"

    The two jumped, not even having noticed him enter. Then Argo was on him, punching his stomach and ignoring the [ Immortal Object ] message since they were still in a safe zone.

    "What took ya so fuckin'' long, Dri-bou?"

    "The boss hit harder than we thought. We have good intel for you. Later, though. Now, what happened?"

    Drifter asked again, ruffling her hair and nodding to Akari. The Shadow Blossom looked... Ragged. She sighed.

    "Laughing Coffin."

    Drifter''s spine locked. His fingers that were brushing Argo''s hair clenched until the info-broker stomped on his feet to make him let go.

    Laughing Coffin. Always them. Drifter took a deep breath.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Who did they kill?"

    Argo and Akari exchanged glances. Not ''what have they done'', but ''who did they kill''. It was scarily accurate when it came to Laughing Coffin.

    "A small-sized guild of the mid-floors."

    So more than one person. Drifter exhaled.

    "How many in total?"

    "9. They only let one live. That''s how we got wind of the attack so fast."

    "''Let one live''? Does that mean..."

    Drifter caught on to Argo''s exact wording very quickly. His expression hardened even further, if that was possible. The info-broker nodded.

    "Yeah. They let one go on purpose, so he could tell everyone about what happened. Even encouraged it."

    "They want to raise their reputation. Spread fear."

    "More of the second, I''m afraid. It brings the first up anyway so-"

    Akari shook her head, fiddling with a throwing pick. Drifter hadn''t seen her this nervous even when they went after Morte.

    "There''s more, isn''t there?"

    Argo hung her head.

    "Yep. They left a message for the Assault Team, through the survivor."

    "What is it?"

    Drifter snarled, then recoiled. Argo and Akari didn''t deserve his vitriol and anger. Only Laughing Coffin.

    Neither the info-broker nor the ninja seemed to mind, or even notice. Argo started reciting.

    "The game, or the players? Which will you choose?"

    This time the spearmaster full-on growled, slamming his fist down on the table. This was a clear threat. If the Assault Team focused on clearing SAO, Laughing Coffin would go after innocent players. If they tried to protect the lower-level players, they wouldn''t be able to climb fast enough.

    "That''s not a choice! It would be suicide!"

    If the frontliners spread their forces to patrol the lower floors, they would never leave, and their real bodies would eventually give out.

    "No. It''s a taunt. Laughing Coffin wants us unsettled and the normal players scared."

    "Well, they got what they wanted. I''m fucking pissed right now. And I would bet you can''t find a soul in SAO who hasn''t heard about those bastards and what they did. People are scared shitless."

    Normally Drifter wouldn''t curse so much. He toned it down for Yuna''s sake, as well as the kiddos in the guild. But right now, he just didn''t care, and old habits slipped through.

    Akari and Argo ignored that too. Drifter took a few deep breaths to regain his control. Then his gaze sharpened, glinting like his new spear.

    "What else do you know. Where did it happen? How? When? How many red players, distinctive characteristics? Can we hunt them down?"

    Akari bit her lips behind her mask.

    "My people are interrogating the survivor right now. He is terrified, and lost. Possibly suicidal. But we will get all the details that we can."

    "And I''m gonna talk to Loute in Black Iron Palace. Fuckin'' bastard''s batshit crazy, but maybe those months in a cell loosened his tongue."

    None of the three even noticed how callous they sounded. Drifter just nodded. It was as good a plan as any, and probably the best they could do in the short term. Pulling people away from the frontlines would be just a waste of time and resources with 30 floors to safeguard.

    "Alright. Akari, keep one of your shadows on the poor player if you can. You said he''s suicidal, but let''s try to prevent more loss of life if we can."

    "I''ll see what I can do, Broken Spear. But it''s hard to stop someone from taking their own life in SAO."

    "I know. Trust me, I know. But just try. If he goes ahead with it... I wish him peace."

    The ninja nodded, already sending sending message to assign someone to the task. All the other Fuumaningum players were already redoubling their efforts to find Laughing Coffin.

    "Okay. Okay. I need to get back to my guild and tell them everything. Anything else, little rat?"

    Drifter was already half turned, but he stopped when he saw Argo''s expression. It wasn''t angry or sad. More like uncertain.

    "There is. Of course there is. What''s it, Argo?"

    The info-broker scratched her chin.

    "Not sure, Dri-bou. Just a rumor that started goin'' ''round. The timin'' is suspicious, that''s all."

    The spearmaster raised an eyebrow. Argo''s hunches were usually right.

    "What''s the rumor?"

    "That there''s a special boss in the 35th floor. Hidden map, like the one ya just came from."

    "Okay? Why''s that suspicious?"

    "''Cause the rumor says the boss drops a revive item. And I can''t wrap my mind ''round how it started circulatin'' right at the time people are most scared for their lives. Everyone''s gonna want it."

    Drifter''s brain had short-circuited at the words ''revive item'', but it rebooted when Argo finished speaking.

    Putting aside the fact that it was just a rumor and they weren''t on the 35th floor yet, Drifter could see what Argo meant. Everyone would want the item, either for themselves, as insurance, or to bring back someone they cared about.

    Hell, Drifter could think of dozens of people he wanted to revive. Merida. Namate. Ducker and Sasamaru. Meowlen. Diavel. Those were just some of the first names who sprung to mind.

    "If that''s true - even if it isn''t - people are gonna fight for it. Maybe kill for it. Doesn''t that sound like what those Laughin'' Coffin bastards want, Dri-bou? Make players kill each other?"

    Argo had a good point. A great, indisputable one. That sounded exactly like something Laughing Coffin would do.

    "Can''t we just tell everyone that then?"

    Even as he spoke, Drifter knew he was being naive. And Akari was shaking her head before he finished.

    "Not unless we can prove the rumor''s false and that it were the red players who started it - both of which are things we don''t know. For all we know, it can be real. There''s all sorts of stuff hidden in Aincrad."

    "And even if we could do what Akari-chan said, plenty of people would still believe it. They would just think we are trynna take the item for ourselves."

    Drifter furrowed his brows. They were right, of course.

    "Fuck. This is bad."

    He paused. Considered their options.

    They had none. Not any good ones, at least. So Drifter tapped the table.

    "Damage control. Spread another rumor, connected to the first, saying there are restrictions to the item. A time limit. It won''t even be a lie, I bet. Kayaba would never put such a broken thing in SAO without equally broken limitations."

    Argo and Akari nodded. It wasn''t a bad idea. It might dissuade some from searching for the item or throwing themselves recklessly to death in some false hope that they could be brought back.

    "And for all that''s sacred, find Laughing Coffin."

 Chapter 180 - 35th Floor

    As expected, Reaver''s Requiem didn''t take the news of Laughing Coffin''s public debut well. And Drifter didn''t like the glint in some of their eyes when he told them about the revive item rumor - a glint that remained in some even after he explained the high likelihood that it was another trap by the red players.

    Over the course of the next weeks, Laughing Coffin ramped up their attacks. They stopped bothering with secrecy, and seemed to be in every floor at once, ambushing anyone who was alone or in small groups, even attacking right next to safe zones sometimes.

    Even entire guilds weren''t safe, as Laughing Coffin already proved. But still, the murderers never once went after the frontliners, which was at the same time frustrating and relieving, because it meant they didn''t have the strength to match the Assault Team just yet.

    Still, over the course of three weeks, nearly a hundred players had been killed by Laughing Coffin. And their MO was always the same: leave one survivor to tell the story.

    It was like living a horror movie. Even more than SAO already was. Until now, everyone at least thought they knew who the enemies were. Not anymore.

    And the arrival at the 35th floor didn''t make things any easier. Players were crowding by the hundreds in front of the teleporters in every floor. They had barely paid attention to the 34th floor raid.

    The counter rumor Drifter, Akari, and Argo had spread had done little to dissuade people from searching for the fabled revival item. Sure, the more prudent players had taken it to heart, but they were never the ones the spearmaster was worried about.

    The frontliners approach to the safe zone after lingering for as long as they could in the boss room was slow.

    Drifter had warned everyone. He had told them again and again that it was most likely a plot by Laughing Coffin. That even if it was true, it would be one item for thousands of dead players.

    Even so, it had still taken him and Kirito beating Lind, Klein, Ambros, and a couple other hotheads into the ground in a series of closed duels before they calmed down.

    What finally got the message across had been as simple as it was cruel: if you get the revive item, who are you bringing back?

    For some, the answer was simple. Fuurinkazan had lost Harry One, so that''s who they wanted. But the DKB? The remnants of the ALS? They had suffered dozens of losses. How could they choose?

    After hearing that question, tempers had cooled down a lot. Because there was no right answer. Only one that brought some happiness and a lot of heartache and anger.

    That was how the Assault Team ended up dragging their feet towards the 35th floor main settlement, Mishe.

    Some of them split off first. Heathcliff and his KoB, for example. The older man had a permanent frown on his face since Drifter first shared the rumor with the rest of the Assault Team.

    Most simply didn''t have the heart to watch hundreds of players pouring out of the 35th floor teleporter, and then immediately leaving the safe zone to venture out in the wilderness, searching for their ''immortality ticket''.

    Drifter supposed the bright side was that this floor would be mapped in days.

    But there was no bright side when you considered how many people would die for what was quite possibly a fairy tale, or just a straight up trap.

    "What now?"

    Yuna asked softly, resting a hand on his arm. Drifter looked back at her, at his guildmates, shoulders hunched.

    He hadn''t felt this defeated in a long time.

    "Now? You can do whatever you want. I''m going to sleep."

    He shrugged off Yuna''s hand, and stalked towards the first inn he saw. She followed him, of course, looking just as tired as he felt.

    He didn''t see that Nautilus was with them too until the ash-haired player sat down on the foot of his bed. Drifter glanced up to him.

    "What?"

    "Everything will turn out okay, Drif- Itsuki. Maybe not fine, but okay. We''ll make it through this."

    Drifter didn''t even react to Nautilus using his real name. It felt so distant right now, more like a memory.

    He was more Drifter than he had ever been Itsuki.

    "We will make it through this. What about everyone else?"

    Nautilus grimaced. That wasn''t a question any of them liked to ponder. But Yuna''s expression held a hint of steel.

    "We are not heroes, Drifter. You know that better than anyone."

    The remainder hurt, especially because of how true it was. He led people to their deaths. He let children join his guild and fight with their lives on the line. He had blood in his hand, of friends and foes.

    No, Drifter was no hero. He never aspired to be one. Not since he killed Morte. Since he learned Akari led her guildmates to hunt down red players like animals, and let her.

    Since he started believing that killing off Laughing Coffin was not just the only solution, but the best one. Permanent.

    "People still look up to us, Yun''."

    "Not our problem."

    "They will die."

    "Not our problem."

    Nautilus echoed Yuna''s words. Callous, cold. Cruel.

    Realistic.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "We did what we could, Drifter. You did what you could. We warned everyone. They didn''t listen, won''t listen. I''m not saying we should write them off, far from it. We still have to save everyone we can. But this isn''t a burden you or anyone can carry, Drifter. It will crush you."

    He knew it was true. Hell, he had made that same argument to others once before.

    "We are a bunch of hypocrites, aren''t we? All that talk... And don''t we want it just as badly as them?"

    The songstress and shield-bearer couldn''t deny it, and Drifter let out a hoarse bark of laughter.

    It was the truth, yet again. That if they got the chance, if, by some miracle, the revival item existed... They would try to have it, hoard it for their own use.

    They just wouldn''t cross as many lines as some others to get it - except the ones they had already crossed.

    "We are taking the rest of the day off. And tomorrow. We''ll go somewhere else, the 3 of us, to clear our heads. Just like old times."

    Yuna combed Drifter''s hair with her fingers, and Nautilus nodded, one leg stretched over her lap. The spearmaster breathed.

    "Yeah. That would be nice."

    ...

    Aincrad felt like a ghost town. Of course not everyone had gone to the 35th floor, but enough people had that everything below felt empty.

    Normally Drifter would be glad for that. He hated being gawked at. But right now, all he felt was miserable. And Yuna and Nautilus weren''t doing a very good job of cheering him up.

    "Stop thinking about it, dummy. You are supposed to relax."

    "Yeah. This is the first time in a while we are taking this big a break, right? Since..."

    Drifter raised an eyebrow.

    "You two are especially bad at this today."

    Nautilus snorted, idly swinging his feet over the waters of the 4th floor.

    "Making grand motivating speeches is normally your job, Drif. You are quite good at it for someone who hates attention almost as much as Kirito, too."

    Drifter opened his mouth to deny, then closed it again. It was true, wasn''t it? He huffed.

    "Nautilus is bullying me, Yun''! Scold him!"

    His wife gave him a deadpan stare.

    "You are 21."

    Drifter scowled. Now even his lover was joining in on it!

    He knew they were doing it simply to take his mind off what was happening right now on the 35th floor. And it worked, a little.

    But not nearly enough. It wasn''t so easy to shake off the doom and gloom. And Drifter wasn''t sure he wanted to.

    "What''s everyone else up to?"

    He asked, just to change the subject. Yuna frowned, gazing at the water. Then she sighed.

    "They are all keeping to safe zones, like you asked. Kirito and Asuna went to the church to visit Sasha and make sure none of the kids got swept up in the excitement. Agil''s with Wolv, Shigio, Vallerk, and Liz, doing something, dunno what. Keita and Tetsuo are meeting some friends down on the 1st floor. The others are mostly planning on staying in their rooms for today, I guess."

    "Ran and Yuuki are chasing down a lead on the chain quest we got from killing the Abyss Leviathan. I think they roped Sinon, Kiz, and Silica into going with them. They promised not to leave the safe zone, or call for backup if they end up needing to do anything more than run around the towns on the 30s."

    It wasn''t as if the Reavers expected to be attacked. They were, without a doubt, the group Laughing Coffin hated the most. But the red players also knew they were dangerous. And that at least one of them was willing to kill.

    No, Reaver''s Requiem was too big a fish for the current Laughing Coffin. Maybe if one of them got careless, went out into the wilderness on their own.

    But that wouldn''t happen. Drifter gave explicit orders, and when he looked like he did, you didn''t disobey him.

    Drifter was known to be somewhat confrontational and even overbearing towards other players, especially Assault Team members, but it wasn''t often that he turned to his own guildmates.

    Sinon had seen that side of him after her stunt on the raid against the Abyss Leviathan. The others hadn''t expected to be targets of it so soon, or ever, but Drifter had made sure to stamp out any inkling his guildmates might have of chasing the revival item.

    He probably wouldn''t have been so stern if, when Argo came back from talking to Loute in prison, she had anything to say other than that the red player seemed to find what was happening the funniest thing in the world.

    "35th floor already. Should I say that? Or ''finally''?"

    Drifter sighed. It had been nearly 19 months since they entered SAO. If they kept going at this pace, ot would take another 7 months before they reached the halfway point, the 50th floor. Which meant they now had a somewhat feasible time-line for clearing SAO. 4 and a half years.

    If they didn''t all die first.

    With that last hundred or so players who died between the 33rd and 35th floors, the count of players in Aincrad had fallen to somewhere around 6.600 souls.

    In other words, 3.400 people were already gone. Drifter really wasn''t sure if they would have enough to beat the game if the death toll kept increasing at this rate.

    It was hard to relax when those kinds of thoughts were running through your head 24/7. As much as Drifter could put on a good facade for others, he couldn''t just turn off his brain when he was idle.

    He wished he could. Everything would be so much easier. But that wasn''t reality, so instead, he just leaned back and tried to enjoy the sun.

    -----------------------

    The 35th floor was a frenzy. Hundreds of players who would normally stick to the lower floors were now on Aincrad''s most dangerous and uncharted territory.

    Surprisingly, not that many people had died. Only 19 so far. In the 12 hours since the floor had been opened.

    So, a lot of people. A lot of needless death. But not as many as one might expect, as Drifter had expected, simply because of how many people were on the 35th floor.

    Whenever they spawned, the mobs were immediately ganged upon by at least 2 dozen players. Sometimes they got a lucky hit in, and that was when someone died, but more often, the sheer numbers advantage overwhelmed them.

    Maybe even Laughing Coffin hadn''t expected this situation, or at least they underestimated the lure of the revival item, because they too were staying quiet.

    Although, maybe their objective had already been achieved: to cause strife between players. The amount of fights that had broken out, for any number of reasons, had already resulted in a few orange players in prison, although none had gone so far as to kill someone. Yet.

    That could change very quickly. Two hot-headed players meeting, an unlucky critical hit. All that was needed was a spark for the powder keg to blow.

    It came in the form of old grudges. Two clearer guilds which had already gotten into conflict because of loot division and kill stealing before.

    Someone in one of them, didn''t matter which, got a rare drop from an elite mob. Not the revival item. But when they refused to share what it was...

    It devolved into arguing. The arguing into shouting. And the shouting into fighting. Until one player took it a step too far. Used a skill on someone who was already low.

    The flickering shards of a shattered life seemed to pause the entire floor, all of Aincrad, for an eternity.

    And then, just as abruptly, the fighting resumed. Now with blood in their eyes. And more shards in the air.

    Nobody noticed the hooded figure of Johnny Black putting away their throwing picks with a silent guffaw and reapplying their Hiding skill to watch the carnage.

 Chapter 181 - Undercurrents and Loopholes

    "How many?"

    "Dri-bou..."

    "I asked, how many?"

    The room was quiet, the inn vacant by all but Reaver''s Requiem and Argo the Rat. People knew better than to bother Broken Spear Drifter when he was in a bad mood.

    The Reavers themselves were tense. They had just come back to the 35th floor after their day and a half vacation, and had been instantly hit with the news of a conflict between players turning into an all out battle between guilds.

    Argo hadn''t wanted to tell Drifter about it, but she knew he would find out one way or the other. The only silver lining was that she knew the spearmaster wasn''t as arrogant as to think it was his fault. He simply needed to know.

    "7 in the fight itself. 31 overall in the 35th floor."

    The guild leader took in her words. 31 people dead in less than 48 hours. Seven of them in a stupid fight for a necklace - with good stats, sure, but still just a necklace - because someone refused to show it - as was their right.

    "And did someone get the fucking revival item?"

    "If they did, they''re keepin'' quiet ''bout it. Smart too. It''s what I would do."

    Argo shrugged, and Drifter didn''t blame her. Just because he wasn''t willing to lead his guild in a wild goose chase for the rumored item, didn''t mean he wouldn''t be overjoyed - and conflicted - to have it in his hands. And he most certainly wouldn''t advertise it if he got it, not even to Reaver''s Requiem closest allies.

    "What about the guilds involved in the fight?"

    "All but dissolved. They weren''t big to start with, and with so many dead or in prison, it''s over for ''em."

    Drifter nodded. This didn''t actually have much to do with him, but as one of SAO''s foremost players, it was his responsibility to know.

    "How many?"

    "5 on Black Iron Palace. Three are orange and will walk in a month or so. I already got Akari-chan to put a few shadows on ''em when they come out. The other two are red. They''ll be keepin'' Louze company."

    It seemed unfair, to put two players who had killed in the heat of the moment in the same level as a Laughing Coffin murderer. But at the same time, they were also killers, weren''t they?

    Like Drifter.

    "Does anyone have any bit of good news?"

    The spearmaster looked around. Again, it was Argo who shrugged and spoke first.

    "I''ve got some not-bad news, if that works for ya?"

    "Perfect. What''s it?"

    "We''ve already got the tower entrance and made a start on mappin''. Expect to fight another raid in 2 days'' time."

    That wasn''t bad news. It wasn''t good, either, since everything was still a mess, but hey, maybe if they passed the 35th floor, things would calm down?

    "And we got the next part of that chain quest?"

    Yuuki spoke hesitantly. Drifter raised an eyebrow.

    "Why was that a question?"

    The young swordswoman grimaced.

    "It''s on the 35th floor wilderness. The Forest of Wandering. Where pretty much half of Aincrad is nowadays."

    "Of course it is."

    Drifter sighed. Reaver''s Requiem joining the chaos on the floor was not what they needed right now. And especially not the guild showing in force. That would almost certainly be misunderstood as them going after the revival item.

    "We can wait some. Probably should, actually. It''s not like it makes a difference."

    Agil pointed out wisely. Hidden map bosses where like floor bosses. Unique. You killed them once, that was it.

    "We''ll revisit it later. For now... Kirito, reach out to Klein and Orlando. Asuna, you get Heathcliff, he seems to like you. I''ll take Lind and Shivata. Griselda, Kizmel, Ran, the other frontliner guilds."

    Reaver''s Requiem had many leadership-capable players. Too many, some might say. But it helped in times like these, when Drifter wanted to delegate tasks.

    "What do we tell them?"

    "That Reaver''s Requiem will be keeping out of the 35th floor until the boss room''s found. We advise - use that word exactly - they do the same to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts with normal players. Also, they are to be ready to raid the floor boss within the next 72 hours."

    The spearmaster nodded to himself. That would have to do. Then he turned to his favorite info-broker.

    "Little rat, sweat your sources. Any and all information on the boss, deliver to the Assault Team immediately. I''ll pay for it."

    The whiskered girl raised an eyebrow.

    "That''s nearly 2 dozen copies. It''s gonna cost a pretty cor, Dri-bou. Ya sure? I can just make ''em pay."

    The spearmaster shook his head.

    "I''ll talk it out with them later. I just want to get over with the 35th floor without delays."

    "If ya say so. I''ll shake up my web. Get the ones who hadn''t gone crazy to step on it."

    That was good. The only way to get past the whole unpleasantness of the search for the revival item was to get past the 35th floor itself.

    "Sounds like we have a game plan then. Beat the floor boss, explore the 36th floor, and circle back in a week to complete the chain quest. That good?"

    The Reavers nodded. And just like that, they were back in business.

    ---------------------

    There was someone else who was particularly dissatisfied with the current state of affairs in Aincrad.

    Heathcliff oversaw the inner workings of Sword Art Online from his inn-room-turned-office. Especially the details of one revival item he had specifically told Cardinal to remove before game launch.

    "Cardinal. What is this?"

    [ Divine Stone of Returning Soul. An item which allows for a player to be brought back to life as long as the conditions are fulfilled. ]

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The AI responded in a robotic tone. A vein ticked on Heathcliff''s forehead. He knew his creation could be a lot more expressive than that if it so wished.

    "Why is it still in the game? I told you to get rid of all revival items."

    [ Your order was followed. However, you did not command me to erase the special boss Nicholas the Renegade. As the Divine Stone of Returning Soul is this particular boss'' only drop, it was deemed to go against the fairness guidelines you set to erase the item. The fairness guidelines preceed the erasure of revival items, and, as such, was given preference. ]

    A reasonable, logical explanation. So why did Heathcliff fell like punching something?

    "And the rumors about the stone? How did they come about?"

    [ Player PoH discovered the clues present in one of the two quest chains directed towards the acquisition of the Divine Stone of Returning Soul. He has not continued to complete the quest chain, however. ]

    PoH. That was a name Heathcliff knew well. The red player, leader of Laughing Coffin, and a psychopath worse than even him, who jumped into SAO after the game was released.

    It was easy to deduce what the owner of the only Unique Skill targeted towards PVP wanted: chaos.

    Heathcliff sighed, massaging his temples. Giving PoH Darkness Blade was, without a doubt, the right decision. There was no one more suited for the skill than him. But he was starting to become a headache.

    After all, Heathcliff''s - or Kayaba''s, in this case - objective wasn''t to kill all the players. That would have been only too easy if he wanted it.

    No, he wanted the players to beat Sword Art Online. To climb all 100 floors and complete his storyline.

    PoH and his Laughing Coffin were starting to become an obstacle to that goal. And not just a stepping stone for the frontliners as Heathcliff first thought, but an actual threat.

    "Keep me appraised of PoH''s movements, Cardinal. And verify that no other loopholes like the Divine Stone of Returning Soul are standing. Delete all revival items except for it, and execute a system check for other possible anomalies and previous commands not followed. Those orders will take precedence starting now."

    [ Understood, sir. ]

    It was too late to erase the Divine Stone of Returning Soul now, with all of Aincrad scouring for it. He would not be caught by surprise again, however.

    Worried about all the possible things he could have missed, Heathcliff never thought to ask Cardinal of anyone had taken up the second quest chain related to the Divine Stone of Returning Soul.

    ----------------------

    If the 1st floor held the record for the longest players spent in a single floor, than the 35th would forever hold the unbeatable record of the shortest amount of time to be cleared. 4 days to the discovery of the boss room, and then another for preparations, for a total of only 5 days to beat the floor.

    In those 5 days, over 70 players died. Together with the 100 or so that Laughing Coffin murdered before, that was nearly 200 people in less than a month.

    To that, the frontliners could do nothing but continue to advance, while trusting Argo the Rat and Shadow Blossom Akari to find the damned murderers.

    The rest of the Assault Team hought that the info-broker and Fuumaningum were simply working on that. Drifter, on the other hand, knew better. He had direct access to Akari, after all, something only he and Argo, other than her guild members, could boast about in SAO.

    Fuumaningum had already clashed with Laughing Coffin a few times in the last month. They had lost another one of their number, while 3 of the red players were put out of circulation. Forever.

    Drifter didn''t consider it a worthwhile trade, and neither did Akari. But it was what it was. And at least it sent a message to Laughing Coffin that, just because the normal players feared them like the plague, it didn''t mean they could do whatever they wanted.

    Saying it scared the red players would be an exaggeration. Drifter didn''t think Laughing Coffin feared anything. But at least it put the murders on the back foot after their month-long hunting.

    The frequency of attacks fell, and eventually ended, at least for now. That was the only silver lining Drifter could see.

    In a way, it was survival of the fittest. The players who were still left alive, after coming out of their frenzy for the revival item - which many were starting to believe was just a rumor - were a lot more cautious. Laughing Coffin didn''t have nearly as many openings to do what they liked. The careless players, their preferred prey, had already been... Weeded out.

    Still, PoH was satisfied. Sure, his guild may have lost a few members to those annoying ninjas - who would have thought a bunch of role-players would be so deadly - but it wasn''t like he cared.

    He just wanted to have fun.

    And Laughing Coffin''s official public debut had been magnificent. Followed by the frenzied chaos his discovery of the existence of a revival item had sparked, it was... Fun.

    PoH didn''t care for the item. He didn''t even try to finish the quest chain. He had lost all interest after finding out what the reward was. There was no fun in having a second chance in your back pocket.

    And fun was what it was all about, so it bore repeating a few times.

    PoH closed the broadcast for the 35th floor raid, seeing as the Assault Team had already won.

    He would let them have their peace for a few weeks. Then he would be back.

 Chapter 182 - Nicholas the Renegade

    The 36th floor was a lot like the one before it. Vast expenses of frozen ground, forests covered in snow, rivers of ice-cold water. Nothing particularly special about it.

    Which was not the reason the main party of Reaver''s Requiem wasn''t on that floor. To them, the less interesting a floor was, the better.

    No, Drifter, Kirito, Asuna, Yuna, Nautilus, and Sinon weren''t on the 36th floor. They were on the one just under it, the dreaded 35th floor, to complete the questline they unlocked by killing the Abyss Leviathan.

    Only the six of them, though. Mainly because it would attract too much unwanted attention if all of Reaver''s Requiem left the frontlines to strut about the 35th floor.

    But those six were more than enough. They were the original Reavers.

    Broken Spear Drifter, Black Swordsman Kirito, Lightning Flash Asuna, Songstress Yuna, Indomitable Knight Nautilus, Aero Huntress Sinon. Six titled players. Six of Aincrad''s best.

    Nowadays, they rarely partied together. It was too much firepower in one group. It left the other Reavers... Understaffed, for lack of better words.

    For this, however? It was the best decision they could have come to. Small enough of a group that it didn''t hurt their guild to be without them for a while, especially after Drifter left Kizmel in command. And also enough to take on everything that was thrown at them, be it mobs or red players, with the exception of a boss like the Abyss Leviathan, from which they would run.

    If they knew what they were getting into... Drifter would still have gone. It was that precious. But he would have brought the rest of the guild.

    Still, their adventure started by slaying Drunken Monkeys in the Forest of Wandering. Tall, blue-furred baboon-like mobs, only the size of gorillas, and carrying a wine vat around their necks, which they would occasionally take swings from before unleashing a skill.

    They were strong. Elite mobs. And they had killed more than their fair share of middle-level players over the last days.

    But to the party from Reaver''s Requiem, they were just walking experience. It wasn''t even that each player was that much stronger than the mobs - although none of them, perhaps not even Yuna, would have problems taking them one-on-one. It was just that the six Reavers together was blatantly unfair.

    Drifter ducked under a fist as big as his head, stabbing the mob''s arm from beneath in an almost lazy motion. A shake of his wrist and he had batted away the limb, throwing the Drunken Monkey to the ground by using its own momentum.

    It was easy. Not the fight, necessarily. Neither the movements. But just the way he did it. Muscle memory and battle instincts at their finest.

    And no sense of honor.

    Kirito stabbed the downed mob in the face with both of his swords without hesitating a single second. Nautilus punched it with his shield when it tried to get up, Indomitable Might knocking it back down. Sinon nailed it''s limbs to the ground with her arrows.

    Drifter stabbed it much like Kirito did, but in the chest, and using Dirty Play. The Drunken Monkey died a pitiful death, face down on the forest ground, attacked on all sides by players with zero pride when it came to killing mobs.

    "Are we the bad guys? I feel like we are the bad guys. Oh, Healing Crystal! Nice."

    Yuna mumbled the old joke while scrolling through the drops they got from the Drunken Monkey. No one bothered to respond to her.

    Even for Reaver''s Requiem, who had an actual NPC and two mobs in their ranks, feeling pity for the creatures was not something that ever crossed their minds.

    "Two more that way."

    Sinon''s eyes glowed when she used Searching. Her bow was raised and she let a volley of arrows fly, targeting mobs that Yuna couldn''t even see yet.

    "Yiiiikkk!!!"

    She struck true, like always. SAO''s only archer never missed. Sometimes her arrows were defended against, dodged, deflected. But she never missed.

    Two Drunken Monkeys burst through the undergrowth, bounding towards the party with all four limbs. Yuna brought her flute to her lips and blew on it.

    The shrill tunes of Del Din froze the mobs dead on their tracks. To this day, the melody she had acquired in one of the lower floors was still one of Yuna''s most used songs, simply because the ''fear'' effect it applied was too good to pass up.

    Drifter was there to take advantage of the window his wife provided, his spear swinging in a Horizontal, catching both mobs across the chest.

    The spearmaster pivoted as the mobs stumbled, and kicked the one on the left towards Asuna and Nautilus, who locked it down with a series of skills.

    The Drunken Monkey on the right Drifter went after himself. His weapon changed into a halberd, which he brought down on the mob''s shoulder in a mightyVertical.

    It cut clean through the Drunken Monkey''s collarbone, only stopping halfway down its chest, intersecting with the line already left there from the previous skill.

    Kirito and Sinon were hitting the mob with their own skills while Yuna switched up to an attack-oriented tune. The Drunken Monkey finally recovered from its debuff and reared back a hairy arm to swipe at the players.

    Drifter barely slowed down through all that. He retracted his halberd and spun. A polearm pierced the neck of the Drunken Monkey, and then it was a spear slashing across its thighs.

    Perhaps only Drifter could achieve this level of versatility in Sword Art Online. In many ways, Infinite Spear was the hardest Unique Skill to master, but he had done so flawlessly.

    Still, Drifter always came back to his spear. It was his chosen weapon, his core, the very center of his being. As much a part of him now as his heart or lungs.

    A swinging fist stopped centimeters away from his face, the Drunken Monkey''s arm extending as far as it would go.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Drifter''s spear reached further, through the open mouth of the mob and out the back of its head as it broke into shards.

    The spearmaster nodded once to Kirito before spinning on his heels and throwing his spear at the second Drunken Monkey.

    He needn''t have. Asuna and Nautilus killed it and his weapon flew right through the space where the mob had been before thudding against a tree.

    It would have been cooler if the weapon stayed embedded on the wood, but most trees were [ Immortal Objects ]. So Drifter''s weapon just fell to the ground, and he winced - Liz was going to have his head for wasting durability like that.

    Or she would have, if his spear had actually hit the ground at any moment. But it didn''t. It just disappeared into empty air, a ripple none of them had noticed during the fighting.

    The spearmaster felt all the hairs in his body standing up. He tried to recover his spear through his inventory, and it didn''t come. You couldn''t recall equipment if you were in a different floor.

    Or if it was in a hidden map.

    Drifter eyed the fracture in the air with suspicion and distate. He had never seen something like it. But then again, hidden map entrances were always weird. Just take the one on the 33rd floor as example. They had to literally jump down a hole in the ice to access it.

    "Drifter-"

    "Don''t tell me. That''s where your quest''s pointing."

    "Yeah. Funny that, huh?"

    The spearmaster shook his head and took out another spear from his inventory. This was why they had backups.

    "No. Not at all. Crystals in hand, everyone. We are out the moment anything feels off."

    Hesitating only for a moment, Drifter stepped through the gap in the air, and appeared in another place entirely.

    It looked somewhat like the Forest of Wandering, but it was different at the same time.

    He was in huge clearing, the ground full of packed snow, hard under his feet. The trees surrounding the open space were pine, but taller than any he had seen before, with trunks that would take at least 6 or 7 people to encircle them.

    Their bark was of a brown so dark it was almost black, creating an illusion of shadows melding against shadows.

    Like a barrier. A living wall stopping the players from running around.

    Drifter knew right away that they were in a boss room. Of course, the creature in the middle of the clearing was also a pretty good clue.

    It looked like a human. Drifter didn''t think it was one.

    The limbs were too long, the body too small. Despite it having their backs to him, Drifter see the thin neck leading to a misshapen head.

    The ashen skin of the boss contrasted with the blood-red coat it was wearing, complete with a furry cap. From this angle, it looked like some kind of monster Santa Claus.

    Nicholas the Renegade. Drifter saw the name above the boss'' head, and instantly pushed Kirito, who had jumped into the fissure behind him, back.

    "Boss. We''ll get everyone and come back."

    It was what they had promised, after all. To not take any risks. Unnecessary risks, that was.

    But Kirito shook his head as Asuna, Nautilus, Yuna, and Sinon appeared behind the two of them. He spoke at the same time that a loud siren blasted through the air, and the boss turned to them.

    "Look at the quest menu. There''s a 6-player limit to the hidden map."

    "Well, crap."

    Drifter didn''t check his menu as he picked up his spear, eyes glued on the boss. If Kirito said it, then it was true. Which was annoying. But also...

    "Might as well take it down, then. This would probably be our raid configuration anyway."

    A limitation on the number of players who could enter the map also meant a limitation in the boss'' power. SAO was above all else fair. If it said 6 players were enough, then it was enough.

    Of course, there was a huge difference between 6 random low-level players, and 6 frontliners. Thankfully, the party was on the extreme high end of the spectrum.

    It didn''t mean the battle would be easy. They rarely ever were. But Drifter had the confidence to win, although it faltered slightly when Nicholas the Renegade turned to them with blood-red eyes that matched his coat, drool falling out of a mouth full of rotten teeth like some sort of zombie-Santa.

    "That''s one ugly boss."

    Nautilus whistled, readying his shield and setting his stance. When the first set of fingernails bigger than daggers raked across his defense, the ash-haired player took two steps back, not because he was pushed, but on purpose.

    Simply twisting his shoulder, Nautilus deflected the attack and chopped down on Nicholas the Renegade''s wrist with his blade. The boss let out a scream of rage, still with a maniacal smile in his face.

    "Left left right."

    The spearmaster spat a bunch of instructions, seemingly disconnected words. To anyone else, it would be nonsense. To the party, it was more than enough.

    Kirito and Asuna ducked left, his swords racing across Nicholas the Renegade''s side while her rapier left half a dozen holes in his chest.

    Drifter went to the right. An arrow careened over his head as the boss swayed from Kirito and Asuna''s attack, inadvertently dodging Sinon''s, but Drifter wasn''t bothered.

    His spear flashed, puncturing holes through the boss'' thighs. His newest skill, Triple Thrust, seemed simple for one gained after reaching 800 points of mastery in Two-Handed Spear, but it packed quite the punch.

    He was ever so close to fully dominating the basic skill, but those 200 points might as well be an insurmountable gap. Drifter wagered he would need at least another 6 months before reaching his goal.

    That still put him heads and shoulders ahead of every other spear-user, and most players in general. Only the original frontliners, the ones who had started fighting the very first day of SAO and never stopped, had mastery of any skill even close to his.

    His fighting was... Immaculate. The transition between skills and normal attacks, between system data and human factor, seamless. Sometimes he got hit, red lines and gashes appearing over his body, but it was only when he judged it worth it.

    That''s why people said nothing beats the real thing. And most definitely, no amount of training can surpass betting your life on every move of your spear.

    It was exhilarating, in a way. Fighting for your life while trusting only yourself and the people you had come to care about like family. No safety nets, no safeguards, nothing else but the spear in his hands and his companions at his back.

    "Tidal Sequence!"

    His spear slashed across Nicholas the Renegade''s neck, emptying his second to last health bar in exchange for piercing five holes in Drifter''s shoulder with his nails.

    A worthwhile trade, in the spearmaster''s opinion. Nautilus was there to take the aggro away from him, and with a combination of potions and Yuna''s Rest, he was soon back to an acceptable amount of HP.

    Most battles were like this. Dodging or blocking every blow was exhausting, and deceptively dangerous.

    It may seen counterintuitive, but yes, dangerous was the right word. Always blocking or evading tired you out, not to mention it left you in the back foot the entire time, dragging out the battle. And the longer a fight went on, the more likely a player was to make mistakes - mobs didn''t have that problem.

    No, sometimes it was better to take the blows and counterattack. Losing a few points of HP was worth it if it meant your opponent lost more significantly.

    Of course, that only held true in SAO, where the players felt no pain and could recover from the most grievous of injuries with just a potion or Healing Crystal.

    And even then, it was a fine line to walk. Make a mistake, misjudge the enemy''s strength and how much damage they will do to you, and you could easily find yourself in a perilous, and oftentimes deadly, conundrum.

    Drifter had mastered the art of walking that line, one foot after the other, steady as a mountain. Hell, if you wanted to take the metaphor further, the spearmaster was doing flips and trickshots on the line, and landing on his feet every time.

    It never ceased to amaze his family and all the people watching from the outside world. That just two years could transform 6 innocent civilians in the tireless machine that was the Reaver''s party.

    Drifter was just one cog in that mechanism. Together with the other five, they were dismantling the boss hit point by hit point.

    Until it died. Just like that.

 Chapter 183 - Divine Stone of Returning Soul

    Nicholas the Renegade died a very pitiful and anticlimactic death.

    Pitiful and anticlimactic deaths - of their enemies - were good, or so Drifter had always thought. Maybe that wasn''t very brave or gallant of him, but who was going to complain?

    Certainly not the 6 Reavers, who paused in the sudden quietness of the boss'' death. Then, as one, they all turned to look at Asuna.

    "Is the quest done?"

    "Yes! Finally."

    To date, that had been their most annoying chain quest. Sure, the fight with the Abyss Leviathan had been fun when they looked back on it, not to mention rewarding, but everything else had been mainly fetch quests with a few hunting ones thrown in the mix, and a lot of acting like messengers for NPCs.

    The players weren''t even that interested in the rewards. Sure, they were nice, but the bounty of chain quests always came from the veritable mountain of Intel they provided about floor, maps, mobs, and bosses. This one had been no different.

    Still, scrolling through the drops menu after defeating a boss was always a fun experience. Or at least it should be, but Asuna''s brows were scrunched up in confusion.

    "Asuna? What''s wrong?"

    Kirito walked over to her, squinting his eyes as if that would help him see the invisible window in front of her. The fencer looked up.

    "We only got one drop from the boss. Divine Stone of Returning Soul."

    The others raised their eyebrows in questioning. Sure, it had a pretty impressive name. But it was still-

    "A rock?"

    The item that materialized in Asuna''s hand was... Just a peddle. Polished, sure, but still, just a piece of dark stone no bigger than a baby''s fist.

    "Is it a quest item?"

    Yuna wondered out loud. That could be the case. It sure looked like a lot of other quest items they had come across, like the keys way back in the Elf War questline.

    When Asuna didn''t answer, they looked up from the Divine Stone of Returning Soul in her hand to her face, and found the fencer with her mouth hanging wide open as her eyes ran rapidly from one side to another, doubtlessly reading the item''s description.

    Now Drifter was starting to get curious. Quest items often had some impressive and needlessly long descriptions, but it had to be one hell of a backstory to shock Asuna like that.

    Those thoughts lasted just long enough for Drifter to notice how pale the fencer had become. Then he started to worry. And he wasn''t the only one.

    "Asuna? What''s wrong?"

    Kirito repeated his earlier question, snapping Asuna of whatever state she was in. The chestnut-haired girl looked to her friends with wide eyes and a trembling expression.

    "Revival item."

    "What?"

    "This is it. The revival item."

    Of course. The-

    "Revival item?!"

    The players all but screeched. Drifter felt an urge to snatch the stone from Asuna''s hand so he could see it for himself. He held it back, barely.

    "Are you sure?"

    "As in the thing people were literally killing each other to get not even a week ago?"

    "Just our fucking luck..."

    The Reavers had mixed reactions to the news, even after Asuna nodded. There was no denying they all desired the revival item. But at the same time, they also despised its very existence, because of what it had caused.

    "Let us see, Asuna."

    Desire won out in the end. Desire for what was quite possibly the rarest item that there will ever be in SAO. Desire for a way to come back to life. Desire for having what others did not.

    "Here. But... Well, take a look."

    It wasn''t meant to be. After skimming through the lore behind the Divine Stone of Returning Soul, Drifter focused on what mattered: its use.

    Without a doubt, it was written right there in the item description that it could be used to revive a dead player. But right bellow it, in bold, red writing, were the restrictions.

    "What the hell? One time use, okay. But it can only be used in someone in the same party? Only within 10 seconds of their death, and it has to be on the exact same spot? It can''t even be from a distance? Is it even supposed to be used?!"

    Sinon was being harsh. Of course, the Divine Stone of Returning Soul was still useful, despite all the restrictions. Because it meant a second life.

    But 10 seconds passed in the blink of an eye in the middle of a battle. Especially chaotic ones like the frontliners usually found themselves into.

    In those battles, you were so focused on staying alive, that you could barely keep an eye on your party members. Oftentimes, you only learned someone had died after the fight was over.

    10 seconds was nothing. Not if you needed to process the death of someone you cared about, retrieve the revival item from your inventory, reach the spot where they died, and use it.

    This... This was a double-edged sword. A poisoned knife. Because now, with every death he witnessed, Drifter would think: ''what if...''

    Still, he didn''t hesitate with his next words, nor the decision he made. His head snapped up, and he grabbed Asuna''s hand, curling her fingers around the Divine Stone of Returning Soul.

    "Put it into your inventory, Asuna. Now. Not the shared guild storage, we''ll talk to them first. And..."

    Drifter looked at his friends, his wife. And he didn''t regret it. Not one bit, despite how selfish it was.

    "Don''t talk about it to anyone. I mean it. Not Klein, not the Braves, not even Akari or Argo. Nobody."

    If they didn''t understand the seriousness of the situation already, seeing Drifter''s pale but determined face settled it. Kirito, Yuna, Nautilus, and Sinon all nodded grimly while Asuna stored the Divine Stone of Returning Soul in her personal inventory, as Drifter instructed.

    This would be the only secret Drifter ever kept from Argo. She knew everything about him, but she wouldn''t know this if he could help it.

    It wasn''t a matter of trust. The spearmaster trusted his little rat with his life. He trusted her to keep any of his secrets, even if her job was literally selling information. He had no doubt that if he asked, she wouldn''t say a word about the revival item either.

    But this wasn''t about trust. It was about safety. His, of all his fellow Reavers, and of Argo. Because until now, the revival item had been just a rumor, and people had still killed for it. If it ever became public knowledge that it truly existed?

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Drifter shuddered just imagining it. No. Reaver''s Requiem would have to know. If only so they could try to prevent Merida or Namate or Ducker or Sasamaru from happening again. Even if they failed. But no one else.

    ...

    The other Reavers knew something was wrong the moment Drifter summoned them with urgency. That feeling was only exacerbated by his expression when they met back at the inn.

    The last time they had seen Drifter like this, he had killed Morte.

    Some of them were seeing this face for the first time. And they didn''t like it. It scared them, the intensity, the fragility.

    One by one, the Reavers were rushed into a private room, while Nautilus and Sinon stood outside to make sure not even someone with maxed out Eavesdropping could listen in.

    That many precautions certainly did nothing to assuage his guildmates'' worries.

    The spearmaster didn''t say a word after they all gathered. Instead, he gestured with his head for Asuna, and the fencer took out the Divine Stone of Returning Soul, setting it on the table in the middle of the room, and allowing everyone to analyze the item''s window.

    Their reactions were as predicted. First, incredulous shock. Then loud surprise. And finally, a sort of stifled silence as their guild leader held up a fist.

    "You saw the restrictions. The stone is going into the shared guild storage. If, gods forbid, we ever need to use it, anyone will be able to take it out. But you are not to breathe a word of this to anyone outside the guild, understood? Don''t even talk about it out loud unless you are sure nobody''s around to listen."

    He looked each of his friends in the eyes as he spoke, and saw understanding dawning on them. None of them were stupid. They knew what he meant even without him being explicit about it.

    It was a lot of trust Drifter was putting on them. He wasn''t just sharing that he had possession of the Divine Stone of Returning Soul. He was putting it on the guild storage, where anyone of them could take it out and do whatever they wanted with it.

    The others wouldn''t even know if one of them did that, it wasn''t like the inventory noted down who put in or took out whatever.

    This was a sign of absolute trust, and they all knew it. So, as one, all the Reavers in the room nodded or grunted or spoke their agreement. They would never break the faith Drifter put in them.

    And the spearmaster could only hope they never had to use the Divine Stone of Returning Soul.

    ------------------------

    If anyone noticed how out of sorts Reaver''s Requiem was over the next few days, they didn''t comment on it. Or they just chalked it up to how unnatural the quietness after Laughing Coffin went to ground felt.

    The red players didn''t resurface even once throughout the entire 36th floor. And now, a week into the exploration of the 37th floor, there were still no signs of them.

    Drifter didn''t know if that was better or worse. Certainly, not having players get murdered everyday was a plus. But it was hard not to think that the mysterious guild leader of Laughing Coffin was scheming something.

    All Drifter could do was keep leading his guild to climb Aincrad, and trust that Argo and Akari would warn him as soon as they found something.

    Which was why he was currently on the 37th floor with his guild, fighting Dust Lions in a wind-swept savannah.

    At least it wasn''t so cold anymore. In fact, the temperature was quite pleasant. It got hot when you were swinging your weapon under the sun, but there was a surprising number of trees casting shade under which they could sit down and rest.

    Just had to take care of the mobs first. The light-brown felines would put any of their real counterparts to shame in terms of size. And they were swift.

    A lot of SAO''s monsters were based on real animals, so this was far from the first time Dfifter fought a lion-like creature. But the Dust Lions weren''t 37th floor mobs for nothing.

    Drifter kneed one of the mobs in the snout, and stopped another via stabbing it in the eye, but a third Dust Lion caught him with a swipe of their claws.

    Okay, so maybe fighting them 3-on-1 while his guildmates watched had been a tad arrogant on his part. But there was something about going against three of the so-called kings of the animal world at once that pleased Drifter''s inner child.

    Agil had bragged about killing two on his own, so maybe that also influenced his decision a little. But what was a little bit of healthy competition amongst friends?

    "Tornado! Pinpoint Star!"

    A heavy metal staff, one of Liz''s latest creations, smacked all three Dust Lions away. Drifter then used Infinite Spear to bring back his favored weapon before targeting the lion he hit in the face with another skill.

    One down, two to go. His hands switched place on the shaft of his spear and he spun it a full 270 degrees before letting a Snake Bite end the second mob''s life.

    With just one enemy left, Drifter charged directly at it. The Dust Lion roared in challenge, and lunged at the player.

    Taking a quick peek at his opponent''s HP, Drifter didn''t bother with dodging. He met the Dust Lion head-on, his body glowing with a Comet Break that seemed to launch him right through the mob.

    Agil would later admit that the spearmaster looked just a tiny little bit cool, posing in the ending motion of the skill with a cloud of shiny mob remains swirling behind him.

    At the moment, though, the Merchant Warrior decided he couldn''t give Drifter the satisfaction, so he cupped his mouth and yelled.

    "Nerd! You look like one of Fuumaningum''s role-players, Drifter!"

    The spearmaster stumbled, turning a scowl to his tall friend as the rest of the guild dissolved into laughter.

    "That''s dirty, Agil. Low even for you."

    The merchant was unrepentant, scratching the back of his head with a grin. Drifter glared, but without any true heat behind it.

    "I''m not the one who looks like he''s training to hit a homerun whenever they use Tree Felling, old man."

    "Ouch. That hurts right here."

    It was Agil''s turn to make a face, and he clutched his chest in mock-heartbreak. Drifter couldn''t hold it in anymore after that, and started chuckling.

    "Alright, three''s the new record. Who''s gonna go next?"

    "Oh, me! I bet I can do four!"

 Chapter 184 - Just Another Floor

    The limit turned out to be 4 Dust Lions before it started becoming too dangerous for the player challenging them, and Drifter put a stop to it. Just because they had the Divine Stone of Returning Soul, didn''t mean they could taunt death as they wished.

    Still, the fact that multiple Reavers could take on 4 Dust Lions at once was extremely impressive. The mobs were mostly solitary, or roamed in pairs at most. And they followed SAO''s logic of, the smaller the pack, the stronger the monster.

    One of the other common mobs on the 37th floor, the Joker Hyenas, were different. The smallest group of them had at least 5 individuals, often growing up to packs as large as 12 mobs. Conversely, their individual prowess was weaker.

    Drifter didn''t like the hyenas. They were loud. And the noises they made didn''t sound at all like laughter like their name indicated, but more like nails dragging across a blackboard.

    All in all, the 37th floor was pretty normal. No hidden maps or chain quests with mind-boggling rewards that they could find. Just good old-fashioned exploring.

    Honestly, Drifter had missed it. With everything that had happened over the last few weeks, even few months, it felt like it had been years since he could level up without any worries on his mind. Mostly.

    ----------------------

    While Drifter went about the business of farming mobs with his guild, others were having a hectic day.

    For once, it wasn''t Seijirou. Instead, the one running himself haggard - figuratively - was Asuna''s father, Yuuki Shouzou.

    SAO was like a never-ending machine of producing conflicts and hurdles. Laughing Coffin was just the latest, but might be, by far, the most dangerous one, both to his company, and to his family.

    Having taken over the parent company of Sword Art Online, Shouzou also had to deal with all the problems that came with it.

    Actually, there were only problems. The only reason he had even done such a thing was to make sure his daughter was as safe as she could be. Which wasn''t a lot, considering the circumstances.

    Especially not with murderers running around inside the game. Shouzou massaged his forehead with three fingers.

    Damn Akihiko Kayaba for protecting the identities of the red players. Damn the law for stopping them from executing the few they could confirm.

    Shouzou never had an opinion on the death penalty before, neither one way nor the other. It had never affected him.

    Now, he would gladly pull the plug of the red players himself, if that didn''t mean he would go to jail for murder, and his daughter would loose what little protection he could offer.

    Including from his wife. That was Shouzou''s major source of headaches at the moment. Kyouko still insisted on not watching their daughter''s broadcast, and was instead trying to find fucking marriage prospects for Asuna.

    Shouzou was entirely sure that, if he wasn''t around, his little Asuna would be married off the moment she turned 16, which was in just a few months, and regardless of the fact she was trapped inside a death game, struggling to survive each day.

    That she alredy married the boy, Kirito, even if just in-game, apparently didn''t even factor in the equation. Nor the fact that she was so very obviously in love with him.

    Shouzou wasn''t sure his wife even knew, with how she went out of her way to avoid any mentions of SAO. That had been the beginning of more than a few shouting matches between them lately.

    It had gotten bad to the point that Shouzou had taken to sleeping in his office lately. He had a fully furnished suite annexed to his office, so it wasn''t even a burden.

    That probably said more about the state of his marriage than he wanted to think about.

    Well, at least the SAO merchandise sales were on the rise. Although it still creeped him out to see his daughter''s face stamped on t-shirts and action figures.

    ------------------------

    Ogawa Kenji, Drifter''s father, was relieved. His son had gotten the revival item - well, his guild had, but nevertheless.

    He didn''t think for a moment that Drifter was being selfish for keeping it a secret between the Reavers. He was a father, and Itsuki, for all he was a grown man, still was, and would always be, his little boy. He wanted to see him safe, the rest of the world be damned.

    Kenji was sure that watching SAO had taken years off his lifespan. Each time Drifter went into battle - which was nearly every moment awake - or worse, got wounded, his heart beat so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

    He tried to put a strong front for Kana, he really did. But they had been married for too long for her not to notice his nervousness each time, not that she was any different.

    Which was why that Divine Stone whatever sent such a thrill of relief through his body. Because now Drifter had an actual... Safeguard, or... Or solution... If he ever - gods forbid - died. A way to come back to them.

    -----------------------

    Others weren''t so happy. The search for the revival item had resulted in over 30 deaths. And then Reaver''s Requiem had just stumbled upon it while completing some random quest.

    At least, that was how many people, especially those who had lost loved ones to Sword Art Online, saw it.

    Deep down, they knew it wasn''t true. Reaver''s Requiem hasn''t just tripped over the Divine Stone of Returning Soul. They had completed an entire questline around it, cleared a hidden map, and defeated two unique bosses, one of which was dangerous enough that it would have wiped swaths of lower-level players.

    Not to mention, they were Reaver''s Requiem. If anyone deserved to have a means to revive a player, it was them. With how often they put their lives on the line to clear SAO, there weren''t many who thought Reaver''s Requiem could come out intact - which they already weren''t.

    But humans were emotional beings. And despite knowing that it wasn''t their fault, despite knowing the conditions to use the Divine Stone of Returning Soul, despite knowing that their loved ones were already dead and buried - they still couldn''t help but curse Reaver''s Requiem.

    If Drifter could hear them, he would have been angry. That cold anger, that simmered beneath the surface. Then he would have turned around and ignored them. Because the stone was a means to save one of his friends, his family. For that, he could endure any sort of hate.

    Until the time came that the Divine Stone of Returning Soul was needed - because one day it would be, as much as Drifter tried to avoid thinking about it - they kept it in the guild inventory, and their mouths shut.

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    Having 20 or so people keep a secret wasn''t easy. Just one slip-up was needed for it to be revealed. But the Reavers were surprisingly tight-lipped about it.

    Well, not surprisingly. Drifter gave an order, after all. But by the time the 37th floor boss raid came around, it was like they had already forgotten about the revival item''s existence.

    Drifter had made sure to hammer into their heads that just because they had the Divine Stone of Returning Soul, it didn''t mean they could be careless. There were too many variables to ensure that whoever died would be brought back.

    He ''convinced'' them of the importance of valuing their lives the best way he knew how: by beating the ever-loving crap out of his guildmates.

    Practice duels weren''t uncommon in Reaver''s Requiem. At least thrice a week, thry set some time aside to make sure their PvP skills didn''t rust.

    Seeing Drifter pummel them into the ground so throughly wasn''t normal, though. The only ones who could hold their ground against the spearmaster were Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, Sinon, and Nautilus - the later two only because of their bow and Unique Skill, respectively.

    Even them, more often than not, the spars ended up in the guildmaster''s victory. It was just how it was. When it came to fighting other players, Drifter was the most experienced one of bunch.

    Well, the Reavers'' greatest strength had always been their teamwork anyway. Such as right now, when they switched with Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves to engage the 37th floor boss, Udur the Deathworm.

    The battle was going well. Meaning, only one player, a Kura-something from the Knights of the Blood Oath, had almost died. Practically nothing.

    Udur wad one of the more mechanics-based bosses of Sword Art Online. The main challenge of the fight didn''t come from a frontal confrontation with the boss, but rather from perceiving and avoiding its ambushes when it tunneled around and appeared right beneath a player, trapping them in its maws.

    "Oh, fuck!"

    Drifter got to experience that first-hand, and it wasn''t a pleasant sensation. Udur the Deathworm''s mouth was like an inverted circular saw with a thousand barbed teeth.

    They rotated at right speed, destroying the durability of Drifter''s armor, and leaving him with an uncountable number of red scratches over his body.

    Thankfully, the frontliners had quickly figured out that the way to make the boss let go was to hit it in one of the half-dozen pairs of milk-white eyes just underneath its maws.

    Two arrows sprouted from the boss'' amorphous head, and it shrieked before releasing Drifter.

    Instead of falling back to heal like any sane person would do, Drifter stabbed down immediately with a Double Tap, knowing that Udur was about to go underground again. The boss had a fairly simple attack pattern.

    He was rewarded with another screech and a small shower of red shards floating off from the wounds he inflicted. 7 other frontliners also managed to hit the boss before it dived again.

    Some boss raids were just easier than others. Udur the Deathworm would be a nightmare for single players or groups without teamwork - even if it wasn''t a boss. That was just how it was designed. The player captured by the boss couldn''t attack, and had to rely on others to free them.

    But for a group that communicated and helped each other, it became a fairly easy fight, because when the boss trapped a player, it also ended up leaving itself open for attacks.

    In the end, it all boiled down to how well the players could work together. The epitome of boss raids. And to the Assault Team, that was already second nature.

    Like many times before, the battle paused for a second, the only sound being the rumbling of Udur the Deathworm traveling underground. The players wanted to predict where it would emerge, and when it did, be ready to attack.

    Suddenly, the rumbling grew much louder, the ground shaking and lifting a cloud of dust. Wolv shouted.

    "On us!"

    When the boss appeared, it was under Kizmel, who was next to the merchant. It clamped her between its maws as Wolv, Ran, Yuuki, and Agil, who were closest, descended on it with their best skills.

    When Kizmel''s HP fell to yellow, Drifter judged that was enough. His spear flew in a Serpentcoil Impale, embedding in one of Udur''s eyes at the same time that 3 of Sinon''s arrows blinded another pair with a skill.

    Again, the boss dived underground. And again, thr players reset their formations, healed when necessary, and switched who needed to be switched.

    Drifter raised his spear as the rumbling grew again.

    ...

    The 38th floor appeared in all its glory for the frontliners as the sun set over Aincrad''s edge.

    Rolling hills of purple grass and rainbow flower greeted their eyes. Almost smack-down in the middle of the floor, an acidic-green lake reflected the sunlight. All around it were houses and other buildings, in what was doubtlessly the main settlement of the floor.

    "Pretty."

    Silica commented. Drifter took a moment to pull the young girl into a one-armed hug.

    "There are some things you can only see in SAO."

    There was a reason why Sword Art Online had been so famous long before it was even out of the development phase, and why the 10.000 NerveGears were so sought after.

    Only in Aincrad could you experience the the joy of traveling around the world by going to different floors, and to see sights beyond the laws of physics.

    While the combat was what attracted most players, the possibility to be in a savannah at one moment, then a glacier in the next, or the bottom of the ocean, or in a desert, or any number of other biomes had been a huge selling point.

    SAO had innumerable attractions. If only most of them weren''t trying to kill the players.

    But even then, the ones with a strong mentality, like the frontliners, still found it in them to sometimes simply enjoy the game for what it should have been.

    Seeing Silica run around giggling with Feredir and Pina chasing her, Klein and his guildmates laying on the purple grass, Shivata putting a flower crown he made himself on a blushing Liten''s head, Orlando and his Braves taking bets on what the lake in the center of the floor was made of...

    Those were the moments Drifter loved the most in Aincrad. When even for just a few minutes, they could relax and take in SAO as it was meant to be.

 Chapter 185 - Purple Field

    Soil crunched under Drifter''s boots as he walked along the crest of a hill. His eyes scanned the horizon for threats, and his spear was in his hands, like it always was when he wasn''t inside a safe zone.

    Those who had shorter weapons could keep them safely sheathed at their hips, or, as some dagger-users preferred, across their chest. For Drifter, however, the only two options were to carry his spear in his hands, or on his back.

    Both worked pretty well, to be fair. And the spearmaster needed less than a second to retrieve his weapon from his back. But at his level, even that short amount of time could spell the difference between victory and defeat, and life or death.

    So, carrying it on his hands it was, even if that wasn''t as comfortable. It wasn''t like it mattered for him anyway. Drifter was so used to having his spear with him that he actually got uncomfortable whenever he had to unequip it.

    He wasn''t the only one. Ever since they got Dual Blade, you couldn''t see Kirito and Yuuki without their swords - well, not that any frontliner would be caught dead without their weapon within reach, but their''s was more obvious.

    Anyway, his mind was going off on a tangent, as it usually did when he was bored. The mobs on this floor were all semi-peaceful. They didn''t attack unless attacked first, so there was little to worry in terms of getting caught by surprise.

    Of course, to the frontliners, being cautious was second-nature, so even if Drifter allowed himself some level of relaxation, it wasn''t much. But it was enough to let his mind wander.

    These days, he rarely thought of the outside world, or what his life was like before. SAO was real. Aincrad was real. And sometimes, it felt like his life only became real after he entered Sword Art Online.

    The spearmaster let his spear sag, and dragged the tip across the ground, cutting stalks of purple grass and digging a trench. His guildmates looked at him strangely, but didn''t comment.

    The 38th floor was peaceful. However long that would last, Drifter didn''t know. But he thought it was just a sign. A small respite provided by Kayaba before they arrived at the 40th floor.

    It wouldn''t be a death floor, that was the 50th. But it was a round floor. And just because they had beat the 30th without losses, didn''t mean that would be guaranteed to happen again.

    He looked around. It wouldn''t be one of the Reavers who died. Of that, he would make sure.

    Still 2 floors before that battle arrived. They hadn''t even found the entrance to the labyrinth yet on the 38th. But that shouldn''t take to long. Which meant another hard battle wasn''t far off either.

    Was it wrong that he felt excited?

    ...

    "Six more that way. You want to take them on?"

    A few days later, Drifter, Kizmel, Vallerk, Agil, Wolv, and Yuna were treading through another seemingly unending field of purple grass. Not far away from them, a pack of half a dozen Wilted Faeries was galivating around a formation of protruding blue rocks.

    The Wilted Faeries were pretty in a deathly kind of way. About half the size of an adult, they had elvish features, a dress of flowers covering their bodies. Instead of being colorful like one might expect, however, the dress was in gradients of grey and black.

    When in conjunction with their pale white hair and red eyes, it fit their names well. The two pairs of insect-like wings on their backs completed the picture.

    The spearmaster raised his weapon in consideration. Six Wilted Faeries weren''t much trouble. They had sharp teeth and could spew a spore cloud with a nasty paralysis effect, but that was all.

    "We''ll take them two at a time. Vallerk, you help me block the four in front, while Agil, Kizmel, and Wolv, you guys take the ones behind. Finish them off then aggro another pair, and we''ll kill the last two together."

    "Roger that."

    Without wasting time, Drifter launched a Serpentcoil Impale. It was his usual opener for battles. Honestly, there was no reason to not use it whenever he could - it dealt a ton of damage, caught the enemies by surprise, and aggroed them in a way that he could control the flow of the battle.

    One of the Wilted Faeries yelped in surprise, a surprisingly melodic sound, as a fist-sized hole appeared on its chest. As one, the pack of mobs turned to the Reavers'' party and flew towards them.

    Vallerk stepped in front of Drifter and smashed the first fairy in the face with a Shield Bash. When the others tried to go around him to get to Drifter, he yelled a Taunt.

    Using Brace and Shield Wall, the tank firmly set himself against the retaliation from the mobs. Repating the combo, with a few Counterforces thrown in the midst for good measure, quickly put him at the top of the aggro list.

    "Kizmel, Agil, Wolv, you are good to go!"

    Drifter''s spear flashed with a Snake Bite over Vallerk''s shoulder, catching one of the Wilted Faeries in the throat. He was ignored, the mobs unwavering on their determination to kill Vallerk, so he shouted to the rest of his party.

    The other 4 Reavers jumped into action immediately. Yuna played her Song of Stone to boost Vallerk''s defense, while Wolv, Kizmel, and Agil circled around the mobs to quite literally stab them in the back.

    The aggro system in Sword Art Online was a lot more complicated than just seeing who had the highest damage. The mobs all had advanced AIs, so they weren''t going to sit around and let themselves be killed.

    Being attacked in the back was a known trigger to an instant aggro switch. So when Kizmel slashed at a Wilted Fairy''s wings with her Serration Wave, and Agil hit another with a Cleave, the two mobs immediately abandoned Vallerk to target the new attackers.

    The pressure on Vallerk lessened, and with Drifter darting in and out of range, the duo quickly led the other 4 Wilted Faeries away, ensuring their party members could deal with their two undisturbed.

    Trusting his guildmates to do their job, the spearmaster turned his attention back to the fight at hand. He was mainly focusing on putting a spear through the mouth of any Wilted Fairy that tried to get Vallerk with their paralysis attack.

    It was mostly working. 9 times out of 10, he managed to interrupt and cancel the skill before the mobs could complete it. And, when he couldn''t, Vallerk simply had to tank the attacks for a while. His stats were great enough that the paralysis effect was vastly reduced.

    "Coming up! Which ones do we take, Drifter?"

    Barely 3 minutes later, Agil yelled. Drifter risked a glance over his shoulder and saw no sign of the other two Wilted Faeries, only the Warrior Merchant shaking his ax, with Kizmel and Wolv right behind him.

    "The two to the left. Bait and switch."

    "Got it!"

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    "Vallerk, push!"

    The shield-bearer did just that, a point-blank Shield Bash sending one of the mobs tumbling head over heels. Wolv caught it right in the face with a swing of his mace, bashing the mob into the ground.

    Kizmel thrust her blade at a second Wilted Fairy, piercing it through back of the neck.

    Faeries 3 and 4 started to turn around to face the new threat, but Drifter stepped out from behind Vallerk and planted his spear on their backs with a fake Double Tap. The two Wilted Faeries shrieked and threw themselves at him again.

    Drifter simply let his body drop, dodging both creatures. He fell on his hands, and immediately rolled to the left, thrusting his spear upwards and skewering one of the Wilted Faeries.

    Vallerk shoulder-checked the other, and just like that, it was a fair fight. Well, as fair as it could be when you had 2 Reavers supported by Songstress Yuna''s music - so not very fair at all.

    Needless to say, the duo made quick work of the two mobs, ending the fight even before Agil, Wolv, and Kizmel were done with their two.

    "Good work, everyone."

    The party reconvened and sat down on the rocks the Wilted Faeries had been circling. Drifter took out a couple other drinks and passed them around.

    "Hey! Why did you ki- Kyaa!"

    The spearmaster was just about to inspect the loot when someone shouted way too close to his ear.

    In a second, Drifter had dropped down to a knee and turned around, his spear stopping millimeters away from someone''s throat. All the other Reavers also had their weapons pointed at the origin of the voice.

    A blond girl with a ponytail and red glasses was eying Drifter''s very sharp spear, just barely avoiding touching her neck. If she breathed too hard it would.

    "W-Wait wait wait just a minute! I''m friendly! I''m friendly!"

    Her eyes were wide like saucers, and she had her hands raised above her head in a classic gesture of surrender. Drifter didn''t let his spear down.

    "Who the fuck are you?"

    The girl looked innocent enough. She was wearing a mix of mid and high-tier equipment, and she had a dagger strapped to her hips - a drop from a 32nd floor elite mob, if Drifter recognized it right.

    All in all, he would normally not look at her twice if they passed by each other on the street. She looked just like any other clearer.

    Except she had managed to sneak up on 6 of the most paranoid players in Aincrad. That was no mean feat, even if Drifter and his party had been focused on the mobs.

    "M-My name is Ceba! I''m just a painter okay?!"

    A painter? Drifter furrowed his brows.

    "Kizmel."

    "On it."

    Drifter pulled back his spear, and Ceba let out a breath of relief, right before the dark elf placed her blade under her chin.

    "Stay still."

    Ceba did. Meanwhile, Drifter stood up and turned a full circle on the spot. His Searching didn''t pick up anything, so he nodded to his party.

    Agil lowered his ax and Wolv his mace. Vallerk stepped back from where be had been prepared to jump to someone''s defense, and Drifter stuck his spear into the ground. Yuna sat back down on a rock, tucking away her harp. Finally, Kizmel released Ceba and sheathed her blade.

    "I am sorry for the rudeness, Ceba. We were startled by your sudden appearance."

    Kizmel bowed in apology, and the other girl hurriedly waved her off.

    "Ah, n-no, don''t be! I mean, you guys are frontliners, right? Reaver''s Requiem. It''s understandable you guys are jumpy. It was my bad, appearing like I did."

    Drifter liked her already. She was surprisingly calm for someone who just had two different weapons at her throat moments ago, and she readily admitted it was her fault - which it was, you just don''t sneak up on frontliners unless you have a death wish.

    "By the way, you are Dark Elf Kizmel, right? Can I paint you? Where is your wolf? I always wanted to paint them. Maybe one of both of you together, it would look dashing!"

    Ceba''s eyes were glinting under her glasses as she started pulling out all sorts of painting supplies from her inventory while bombarding Kizmel with questions. Drifter didn''t even know you could paint in SAO.

    "Feredir is with Silica. He basically adopted her."

    While Kizmel was still blinking from the rapid-fire interrogation, Yuna giggled. She stepped out from between Agil and Wolv, who had put her in the middle as soon as Drifter moved when Ceba appeared.

    "Songstress Yuna, right? I have a painting of you, from one of the times you performed on Tolbana, I can show you later if you want! Feredir? Is that the wolf''s name? How cool! Do you think I can paint him with Dragon Tamer Silica? Ah, and her dragon, as well! She is so cute! That color is just-"

    "So, Ceba. You are a painter?"

    Drifter cut her off, but he couldn''t keep his amusement out of his voice. It was rare to find someone this passionate about something that wasn''t fighting in SAO.

    "Oh, yes! I''m an artist in real life - an aspiring one at least - so I also paint all kinds of things here in SAO. Take a look!"

    She pushed a dozen sheets of paper onto Drifter''s hand. The spearmaster looked at the topmost one and whistled.

    "That''s really good."

    The painting was of a pride of Dust Lions from a few floors below lazing in the sun. The color pallette was immaculate.

    He handed the painting to Yuna, who was peeking over his shoulder, and looked at the second one. It was a beautiful sunrise as seen from Aincrad''s edge. The cloud layer reflected the red, orange, and yellow hues in a way that it almost looked like a picture.

    The party spent the next several minutes passing the paintings around and appreciating each of them. They were all masterworks, showcasing mobs, towns, NPCs, players, landscapes, even a few bosses.

    It was all really impressive. Ceba''s proficiency of Painting, if that was a skill, must have been close to full mastery. And that was saying a lot, since most anyone couldn''t be bothered to even pick up lifestyle skills beyond Blacksmithing and Tailoring, the two most directly useful ones for fighting.

    Drifter couldn''t help it. He collected the paintings from the party and handed them back to Ceba, who was beaming from all the compliments.

    "Want to get a drink? I''m very curious."

    Ceba''s eyes widened. This was Broken Spear Drifter, inviting her to talk. Then her gaze took on a decidedly devious glint, and the spearmaster felt a tingling in his spine warning him he might have made a mistake.

    Too late.

    "Only if you model for me. I''ll even give you the painting."

    "Ah, there''s no-"

    "He accepts!"

    Yuna cut him off, and the rest of his traitorous party members snickered. Drifter had shot himself in the foot in a stunning display.

    The spearmaster could only sigh. He knew that look in Yuna''s eyes. There would be no wriggling out of this mess of his own making.

 Chapter 186 - Painter

    Not 20 minutes later, the party plus Ceba were sitting in the external area of a cafe, overlooking the green lake at the center of the 38th floor''s safe zone.

    They all had ice cream scones.

    It was an unusual enough sight that several players who passed by slowed down to look at the group and whisper.

    There were even a couple of frontliners who came up to greet them and joke that Drifter was getting old if he was back in a safe zone before the sun was down, before moving on.

    "Ah, Drifter, stay still, please!"

    Ceba already spoke to the Reavers with a familiarity that made it seen like they had known each other since childhood, and not met half an hour ago in an almost violent encounter.

    The spearmaster just sighed, and did his best to ignore his wife - traitor! - and friends silently laughing at his discomfort.

    Drifter didn''t know why Ceba insisted on painting him eating ice cream. Something about composition and backdrop. He didn''t understand a word. At least his wife seemed amused.

    "I thought you would want to paint Drif with his spear, Ceba. You know, all frontliner-like. Broken Spear Drifter, that stuff. Isn''t this a little... Too normal?"

    Vallerk peeked over the woman''s shoulder as she painted. Judging by his raised eyebrow and impressed expression, it was turning out quite well.

    "Oh, I already have paintings of him like that. Of all of you, actually. I used the raid broadcasts as the base and winged the rest. I thought this would look cooler since it''s more natural and different. Also, I don''t think Drifter would accept if I asked him to pose all frontline-like like you said."

    The last part was added almost like an afterthought, and Drifter narrowed his eyes. Ceba was a lot smarter than her initial airhead impression showed.

    "Hey, does that mean you have paintings of me?"

    "Sure. Of all the Reavers. Wanna see?"

    "Yeah!"

    Agil stuffed the rest of his ice cream into his mouth, and grabbed the stack of paper Ceba handed him. He grinned at the first one.

    "Wow! Never thought I would look this dashing. You are gonna have to paint me this one again so I can show my wife when we get out."

    There was a tick of silence before Agil realized what he had said. The big man coughed once, then resolutely turned over the painting and looked at the next one.

    "Oh, that''s the 27th floor boss, ain''t it? Yuuki and Ran are gonna like this one."

    Nobody commented on Agil''s little slip up. Wolv, Vallerk, and Yuna went over to see the other paintings while Kizmel scooted over closer to Drifter so he had company while Ceba drew him.

    "You know Yuna''s this enthusiastic just to mess with you, right?"

    The spearmaster let out a long-suffering sigh, but there was no concealing the fond glance he gave his wife.

    "Don''t I know it. If it makes her happy, though..."

    "That''s what I thought. You are a great couple."

    Drifter chuckled. He didn''t need anyone to tell him that, but it was still good to hear.

    "Thank you, Kiz. And now that we know a painter, Yuna''s gonna make sure that''s immortalized forever. Which reminds me-"

    He turned to Ceba. The blond woman was bitting her lips, concentrating on what she was doing. That was another endearing side to her.

    "-Ceba, how come you became a painter in SAO of all places?"

    Her brush stopped moving and she looked up. Resting her chin on her hand, Ceba considered what to say.

    "Well, I''m an amateur artist. A freelancer. I work as an assistant''s assistant''s assistant''s manga artist, also some small advertising, stuff like that. That''s just to make ends meet, though. What I really want is to make real paintings. The kind that goes in galleries and people get all excited over."

    Her expression brightened as she spoke, then fell again.

    "I hit a slump, even some of my freelance work was getting sub-par. A friend of mine who played SAO''s beta said I should give it a try because there were a lot of incredibly beautiful things that didn''t exist in the real world, and that trying to paint them might get me out of my slump. I gave it a try and... Well- here we are."

    "Oof. Tough luck."

    That was all Drifter said. It wasn''t like the spearmaster had anything to console her. She was trapped in SAO, that was just a fact.

    "At least you seem to be making the best out of it. I didn''t even know there was a Painting skill in Aincrad."

    Yuna smiled comfortingly. Ceba nodded rapidly.

    "Most people don''t. Actually, there are a lot of overlooked lifestyle skills. Painting, Fishing, Carpentry... Even Cooking doesn''t get much attention. Pretty much everyone is just concerned with Blacksmithing and Tailoring - which, understandable - but it also means they are missing out on a lot of the more relaxing stuff."

    Drifter scratched his head, embarrassed for some reason he didn''t quite understand. He was one of those players who didn''t pay attention to lifestyle skills, having deleted his - admittedly very low proficiency - Tailoring skill to make room for more combat oriented ones.

    Ceba seemed to notice his reaction, because she laughed loudly.

    "Don''t worry, Drifter, I''m not calling you out. You are frontliners, of course you don''t have a lot of time to waste leveling up lifestyle skills. ''Cept Forge Master Lisbeth, that is. But it''s only because there''s folks like you fighting that I can pursue my silly hobby."

    "I don''t see anything silly ''bout it, Ceba. And I might be biased-"

    Wolv held up a drawing of him, Shigio, and Namate with their arms around each other.

    "-but I think whatever slump you hit? You took right off from it. Can I keep this one?"

    Ceba nodded softly. She had drawn that one based on her memories, many floors after Namate died.

    "Are there a lot of other players who took up lifestyle skills? I''ll admit, I never paid much attention to them."

    "A few. Only 3 or 4 more painters like me, but there''s a couple who has a very high mastery of Carpentry. They mostly stay on the 4th floor. And there''s a whole bunch of old fishermen who hang about the lakes on the 22nd floor."

    It was Drifter''s turn to nod. He wasn''t going to pick up a lifestyle skill again, but it was nice to know that some of SAO''s most unfortunate victims were managing to have a somewhat normal life.

    "They seem to hang out mostly on lower floors?"

    "Well, yeah. We aren''t exactly fighters, are we? I know my Dagger proficiency is pathetic, and I train it more than most."

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    "What were you doing on the upper floors then? And alone, on top of that."

    Drifter asked what had been on his mind since they met Ceba.

    "I wanted to paint the Wilted Faeries. It''s rare to encounter peaceful mobs like them, you know. Ah, speaking of that! You killed all my models!"

    She pointed an accusing finger at Drifter. He just raised an eyebrow.

    "They were mobs."

    "Well, I know that. But still!"

    Ceba pouted, and the others chuckled. There were all kinds of crazies in SAO. Kizmel crossed her arms.

    "I assure you we would have taken your opinion in consideration if we knew you were there, Ceba. How did you stay concealed for so long anyway? You almost gave Drifter a heart attack."

    "Hey!"

    The spearmaster''s complaint was summarily ignored by everyone around. Ceba just scratched her head.

    "Hmm... It''s not something I like to advertise."

    "Ah, you don''t need to say it if you don''t wish to. I apologize for prying."

    Kizmel quickly retracted her words. Every player had secrets they didn''t share. Reaver''s Requiem knew that better than most.

    "It''s no big deal, really. And you guys are frontliners, so I don''t mind you knowing. It''s just my Hiding skill, nothing earth shattering. I just made sure to train it a lot so it made my hobby safer."

    Ceba waved Kizmel''s apologies off and told them. Drifter couldn''t help but let out an impressed whistle.

    His Searching had already surpassed 800 points, and was without a doubt one of the highest ranked in SAO. He didn''t have it activated all the time, obviously, but he had used it to scan the field before engaging the pack of Wilted Faeries. If Ceba had already been there, painting, either she had been very lucky to be just out of his range, or she had even more points in Hiding than he did in Searching.

    "Ouch. I think my pride''s hurt. Hiding or not, I''m not used to getting sneaked up on."

    The spearmaster joked, but it was the truth. Refined through thousands of battles, Drifter''s sixth sense was very strong. It was hard for anyone, mob or player, to get the jump on him, regardless of skills.

    "You did scare the life outta me in return, if that helps your ego recover?"

    "It does a little, thanks."

    Drifter raised his nose to the air smugly, eliciting laughter from his friends. Ceba was one of the loudest.

    "You guys are a riot. I didn''t think frontliners had any mode but all serious."

    Agil snorted.

    "We are still players, Ceba. We are focused when we are doing our job, but otherwise we aren''t that different from everyone else."

    "Except you ''do your job'' nearly 24/7?"

    Agil couldn''t deny that. You couldn''t really turn off being a frontliner. The only ones who saw their other side were other frontliners like them.

    "Fair. By what you are saying, I suppose you met other frontliners before? And that they didn''t leave a great impression?"

    The brush stopped moving, and Ceba''s expression soured. She looked away from the Reavers.

    "Kibaou the Challenger. Before the 25th Massacre, mind you. Called my paintings useless and a waste of time."

    Drifter and the others scowled at the reminder of the unpleasant man. Of all the frontliners Ceba could possibly have come across, he was arguably the worst.

    "Then you already know not to take what he said to heart. Kibaou''s an idiot. Your paintings and drawings are unbelievably beautiful, Ceba. And there''s nothing useless about doing something you love."

    Yuna wrapped the artist in an one-armed hug. Ceba might be three years older than her, but the songstress had a maturity to her that few could match. It came from being in no small part responsible for keeping her guildmates alive.

    "Yun''s right. Forget Kibaou. I know I can''t wait to see how Drifter''s painting turns out. And you''ll have to make one of me later, got it?"

    "We also gotta check out that fishing spot you talked about. We could make a guild outing outta it, hum? What do you think, Drifter? Take the whole guild and see who''s best at fishing?"

    Agil and Wolv skillfully steered the conversation away from Kibaou. Even now, nearly 15 floors later, the former frontliner was still a sore topic.

    "Maybe. None of us has the Fishing skill, so it would be a level playing field. Could be fun."

    "How about before the 40th floor raid? A nice, relaxing afternoon to unwind before diving into it."

    Yuna suggested, and Drifter nodded thoughtfully. It could work. Doing it after the raid was out of the question, because it was likely they wouldn''t be in the mood to party. But going away for an afternoon to relax might actually help with their state of mind for the fight.

    And they would need all the help they could get. A round floor was no joke.

    "It''s decided then! Let''s get through this floor and the next, and then set a date. Whenever it is, you will be more than welcome to join us, Ceba. Just be prepared to take requests."

    "Aye aye, captain! No problem!"

    The artist threw Drifter a mock-salute and went back to finishing her painting of him. Agil was already nagging her for a portrait of his own.

    A sudden thought hit Drifter, and he shivered, then knocked three times on the table. Yuna tilted her head and looked at him, amused by his strange behavior.

    "What''s that for?"

    "I just got this horrifying image in my mind of Klein and Ceba meeting. Just imagining it... Ugh."

    The spearmaster trembled exaggeratedly, but Yuna''s and the others'' eyes widened in fear.

    "Oh no. No no no no no. That can''t happen. Nope. We can''t let Klein know."

    "It would be a supremely bad occasion."

    The songstress hugged her shoulders in feigned horror, and even Kizmel got in on the joke. That was when the others lost it and started laughing uncontrollably.

    "That is a horrifying thought. He would carry it around like a poster! We would never be able to make him get rid of it."

    "It would be all he ever talked about. Ceba, promise me that if you ever see Klein, you are gonna run the other way..."

    Drifter''s eyes sparkled when he looked at the somewhat confused painter. She wasn''t quite sure what the party''s problem with Redblade Klein was. She thought Reaver''s Requiem and Fuurinkazan were allies.

    "...If nothing else, it will be very funny."

 Chapter 187 - Sleeping Queen

    That night, when Drifter, Yuna, Kizmel, Vallerk, Agil, and Wolv met the rest of their guild, they were feeling much more refreshed.

    Meeting Ceba had been one of the best things to happen to them in a long time. Not only were her paintings and drawings amazing - and a hefty ego-boost - but the woman herself was a great person to have around.

    Ceba was loud, colorful, bubbly, and any number of other positive adjectives. She always had some sort of tool in her hand, be it a pencil, charcoal, or a brush, and a seemingly unlimited stocks of canvas.

    In the hours that they spent in that ice cream parlor near the lake, she had drawn at least a dozen paintings. Although, according to her, the only one she put serious effort in was the one of Drifter. All the others were just rough sketches for later.

    Of course everyone was eager to meet the painter too, after all the high praise their guildmates offered. It would have to wait, however. Climbing came first.

    A relatively well established clearer guild, Violet Hurricane, had found the entrance to the tower. The problem was, the field-boss for the 38th floor was sleeping right in front of it.

    That had actually helped narrow down the location, since field-bosses often guarded important spots or passages, unless they were the roaming kind, which this one definitely wasn''t.

    The field-boss was pretty much rooted on the spot - pun intended. It was a giant carnivorous plant - someone pointed out it looked like the ones in the Mario franchise, and now Drifter couldn''t unsee it.

    The Hurricanes hadn''t understood why the field-boss'' name was Sleeping Queen until they approached the seemingly inert plant. That''s when it opened its ''mouth''.

    They hadn''t known a vegetable could have so many teeth. Or any at all, actually, but the Sleeping Queen did have them, and they looked sharp.

    When the upper body of a woman - also giant-sized - popped out from inside the plant, the Violet Hurricanes decided they didn''t want to tackle that on their own, and called Argo the Rat, who, in turn, called Reaver''s Requiem.

    Squinting his eyes at the Sleeping Queen, which had now gone back to looking just like a man-eating plant that had way too much fertilizer, Drifter gestured for the guild leader of the Violet Hurricanes, a standard but skilled sword-user, to come closer.

    "What did you say the rest of the boss looked like again?"

    "A woman. Kinda pretty, if ya ignore the lower body. Black hair, black eyes, pale skin, massive... You know."

    The spearmaster shot the clearer an unimpressed look, as did several of the women within hearing distance, and he scratched his head, flushing.

    "Anything else? Actually useful to the fight, maybe? You know?"

    "Err- It looked a bit like the Wilted Faeries? So maybe it has similar skills? Paralysis breath. It had just two normal arms, no weapons. It really just looked like a normal person from the waist up."

    The clearer reiterated, and Drifter was starting to regret promising him first pick of the loot as a finder''s fee.

    "I guess we are gonna find out in our own. Let''s get this show on the road. Kirito?"

    "Everyone''s in formation."

    "Asuna?"

    "Ready when you are, Drifter."

    His right and left hands in controlling Reaver''s Requiem nodded, and Drifter spun his spear with a flourish.

    "Time to go. Remember the plan. Reaver''s Requiem will engage it first to test the waters, and if it''s manageable, you can jump in."

    The guild leader of the Violet Hurricanes nodded eagerly, more than a little cowed by the look Drifter gave him. It promised untold pain if he made a mess of things.

    "Keep a lookout for the human part, but don''t forget it''s still a plant-type boss. Eyes on the ground. We are starting in 3... 2... 1... Ring us off, Sinon!"

    The Aero Huntress did. An arrow with a blinding white trail flew at the field-boss, the sharp whistle of it cutting into their eardrums. It struck the Sleeping Queen right in the stalk, provoking an immediate reaction.

    The ''mouth'' of the field-boss snapped, and a low growling was emitted, almost like a dog. Vines burst out from the ground, sweeping all directions.

    They found nothing. Plant-type monsters always had a smaller aggro range, and Sinon''s skill completely outmatched it. Unfortunately, she couldn''t deal enough damage to feasibly cheese the battle and just kill the field-boss with arrows from afar. In compensation for being mostly bound to one spot, plant-type mobs had an unreasonably high HP recovery rate.

    None of the Reavers advanced, despite what Drifter said. They waited to see if the human part of the Sleeping Queen would appear, but it didn''t.

    "I guess we need to get close for it to show up."

    "Should we go for real now, then?"

    While they discussed, the field-boss recovered what little health it had lost. After a few seconds of searching for players but not finding any, it also went back to its dormant state.

    "Go!"

    That was when Drifter gave the order to attack. As one, Reaver''s Requiem charged forward, and Sinon let fly another skill-empowered projectile.

    Just like before, vines swung around wildly, and this time, the Reavers were inside their range.

    Drifter managed to duck under one vine and jump another, but some of his guildmates weren''t so lucky. Vallerk and Shigio were happy enough to tank the blows with their shields, but Tetsuo got clipped on the side of the head and went down, and Liz had her feet swept from under her and also kissed the ground.

    The spearmaster kept an eye on the HP gauge of his guild members. None of them had been hit too hard, so this would be a good indication of the field-boss'' power.

    His focus was attracted to something else the very next moment, however. Just like the Hurricanes had described, once the players were physically within the aggro range of the field-boss, changes started happening in the Sleeping Queen.

    The giant bulb/mouth of the field-boss opened up, spilling acid-green juices everywhere, and a female upper body rose.

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    Like the guild leader of the Violet Hurricanes had described, it - she - was pretty. The Sleeping Queen had a kind of ethereal beauty similar to the Wilted Faeries, only more human.

    It did, indeed, also have proportional-sized breasts, covered by a fabric of dead leaves and plant fibers. Drifter still thought the other guild leader wasn''t right in the head if that was what he focused on.

    "Shigio, Vallerk, try to attract their attention! Everyone else, fan out and attack at will! Silica, Kizmel, to me."

    Taunts and other aggro-inducing skills were used, and the rest of the Reavers continued their wild game of jumping rope - or vines - like they were back at school.

    "What''s up, Drifter?"

    Silica and Kizmel stopped behind him. The spearmaster jerked his head towards the upper half of the boss.

    "We need to find out what that thing''s deal is. You up to being a little crazy with me?"

    "What''s the plan?"

    Silica grinned sharply, licking her lips, and Kizmel ran her finger along the edge of her blade in an unconscious mannerism. Drifter smiled wryly.

    "Kiz, lend Feredir to Silica for a while. Sil, do you see the main roots holding the bulb? We are going up those."

    The two girls blinked incredulously at him, before they burst out laughing.

    "Alright!"

    That was all Silica said, already running her fingers through Feredir''s fur coat.

    "What do you need me to do while you go up?"

    Drifter hadn''t given Kizmel a role yet, but he wouldn''t have asked her to come over if he didn''t have something in mind. Feredir was pretty much Silica''s already, and obeyed the young teen more than her.

    "You are on rescue duty, Kiz. If we mess up, you bring us back. That good?"

    "No problem. Good luck."

    Drifter grinned, and tapped Silkca on the shoulder. With a firm nod, she started racing towards the field-boss, the spearmaster right behind her.

    -----------------------

    "What are they doing? What are they doing?!"

    A man in his mid-forties slammed his fist on the armrest of the couch, eyes bloodshot. He was Ayano Tetsuhiko, Dragon Tamer Silica''s - who lse real name was Ayano Keiko - father.

    Tetsuhiko had been leery of joining the other families of Reaver''s Requiem in their gatherings at first, mainly because he was one of the few who never accepted the fact that his daughter was in the Assault Team.

    It had taken a lot of convincing on Kana and Midori''s - Kirito''s adoptive mother - part to get him to agree, if only so he wouldn''t suffer through his anxieties nearly on his own.

    In the end, the way to convince him had been through his wife, Ayano Sara, who now sat next to him. Sara had been on the hospital, recovering from a sudden bout of sickness, when SAO started. Having the two people he loved the most in the hospital had nearly broken Tetsuhiko.

    Thankfully, she was all better now, and much more easy-going than her husband, although her grip on his hand as they watched Silica and Drifter charge the field-boss, Sleeping Queen, still had both of their hands turn white.

    Kana wisely kept her silence. Tetsuhiko had been very vocal on his dislike of his daughter''s choices to join the frontlines, and even made the mistake of blaming Drifter once. Sara made him apologize eventually, but by then words had already been exchanged, and everyone had left the gathering subdued. The following meetings were very awkward.

    Even now, several months later, the two still watched what they said around each other. This was Wolv''s house, and they were being hosted by his girlfriend, so the two guests were careful to not make a fuss.

    Tetsuhiko''s outburst was understandable, however. Weird as it looked, the Sleeping Queen was still a field-boss, and everyone who watched SAO had come to understand just how dangerous they could be. To see the two players not just running to attack it, but actually darting over it would shock anybody.

    The large screen, set by Wolv''s girlfriend, showed the fight from a bird''s-eye view. On it, everyone could clearly see Drifter and Silica running through the mesh of vines of the field-boss, without bothering to attack.

    They didn''t miss a beat in jumping on top of thr main body of the Sleeping Queen, Drifter on the left and Silica on the right, and running up.

    Tetsuhiko was now clenching the armrest of the sofa as tightly as he could. His gaze followed his daughter as she stepped to the left and stabbed a vine that was aiming for her multiple times, all without breaking stride.

    "Keiko- Is she laughing?"

    Tetsuhiko''s jaw dropped. She was. A vine grazed Silica''s side and left a red streak, but she simply used it as a jumping pad to propel herself towards the human portion of the field-boss.

    She was laughing all the way, and yelling something to Drifter which had the spearmaster grinning as he mirrored her actions.

    Mad, both of them. They were fighting a monster Tetsuhiko could only dream up in his worst nightmares, and having fun with it!

    "Keiko!"

    His daughter sunk her dagger on the side of the Sleeping Queen, and didn''t see a vine sneaking around her back to swat her way. Tetsuhiko got up and yelled in alarm, despite the rational part of his brain knowing she couldn''t hear him.

    He sat back down to the couch with wide eyes when the scene he expected didn''t play out. A grey blur intercepted the vine before it could reach Silica.

    Feredir''s powerful jaws clenched around the vine, and the wolf shook his head wildly, ripping the whole thing off.

    "Good boy!"

    With just a look over her shoulder, Silica grinned at the wolf. Then she was back to slashing wildly with her dagger while Feredir tore the field-boss apart with his claws. Pina, the little feathered dragon, was happily spitting bubbles while flying overhead.

    Tetsuhiko all but crumbled. He knew his Keiko had changed a lot since SAO began. He had watched a lot of it, even if he couldn''t be glued to the television 24/7. But now, he suddenly felt as if he didn''t recognize his own daughter.

 Chapter 188 - Planning a Trip

    Fighting the Sleeping Queen was fun. The field-boss didn''t hit too hard, but it had a lot of means to attack - mainly vines, lots and lots of them. It made the battle a lot more technical instead of just desperate slashing.

    Even the Violet Hurricanes got in on the action, after Drifter confirmed it was safe enough.

    It was in times like this that the spearmaster was grateful for his title and reputation. While he mostly disliked the attention it brought, it was useful knowing that when he spoke, people listened.

    Not that they always obeyed him, mind you. And he didn''t really want to have his every word followed like it was law. Most of the times, he would rather be just Drifter, instead of Broken Spear.

    Not all, though. Drifter had never been an overly modest person. He knew his own worth, and wasn''t shy about showing off every once in a while. His confidence only grew as did his position in the Assault Team.

    In another life, that confidence would have turned into unbridled arrogance. But in this world, it had been tempered through way too many trials. It had transformed Drifter into a leader, not just to his guild or the Assault Team, but to all the players.

    All that was to say, Drifter had grown used to people listening when he spoke. So he was not amused by being currently ignored by his latest cause of annoyance, and even less so by all his laughing guildmates.

    "Feredir! Get back here, you smelly mutt!"

    Predictably, the wolf didn''t listen. Instead, he continued to run circles around Drifter while Yuna, Yuuki, Liz, Agil, and Nautilus egged him on.

    "Give me back my spear, you unevolved dog! Kizmel!"

    "Feredir enjoys playing chase, Drifter. It''s very kind of you to volunteer."

    The dark elf chuckled and pointed out in that way of hers that made it impossible to be mad at her. Drifter was making a good effort, though.

    "Kizmel! I didn''t- Argh!"

    The spearmaster threw his hands up in the air and gave up. He thumped over to a bench and sat down, giving everyone his patented I-hate-you-right-now glare. For some reason, that only made his guildmates laugh harder.

    "There, there... Feredir''s just playing. Don''t be mad, dummy."

    Yuna patted her husband''s shoulder reassuringly, but it seemed quite insincere when she was struggling to hold back her giggles.

    The Songstress fully broke down when Feredir trotted over to the bench, spear still in his mouth, and gave Drifter puppy eyes. When the player resisted - with effort - the wolf dropped the spear at his feet.

    The spearmaster stared at it suspiciously, until Feredir whined. The wolf seemed genuinely sorry for upsetting him. Drifter''s expression softened some, and he bent down to pick up his weapon.

    That was when Feredir darted forward and picked it up again, holding it tight between his jaws. The wolf skipped out of reach and restarted the chase while Drifter screamed.

    "Feredir! I''m going to boil you!"

    By now, most of the Reavers were rolling on the ground with laughter. Silica was wiping away a tear and leaning on Kizmel to hold herself up.

    "I think... Hahaha... I think Feredir''s getting smarter."

    The dark elf opened her mouth to answer, but only a strangled snort came out when she saw Feredir diving under the spearmaster''s legs. Since he still had the spear held horizontally in his mouth, that sent Drifter tumbling down.

    The Reaver didn''t bother getting back up. He laid on the ground, defeated and glaring at everyone he could see.

    "If I ever find out who told Feredir to do this, I''ll make them suffer."

    His guild laughed harder. Drifter kept his stern expression until Feredir approached him again.

    "Oh no. You are not tricking me again. Go away."

    The wolf whined, and Drifter''s frown twitched. When Feredir plopped down next to him and laid his head on his stomach, Drifter couldn''t resist it anymore.

    "Alright, alright. Maybe I won''t boil you."

    He scratched the wolf behind the ears, and Feredir''s tail wagged rapidly against the ground in contentment. Drifter sighed.

    "I won''t give you any more pats if you get slobber all over my spear again."

    Feredir grumbled, and Drifter closed his eyes. The ground wasn''t the most comfortable place, but he enjoyed the moment. He wouldn''t ever get tired of listening to his friends chat and laugh - even if it was at his expanse. It proved that they weren''t just still alive, but also living.

    "I never thought I would catch you of all people slacking, Drifter."

    The spearmaster opened his eyes at the new voice, and saw Sasha staring at him upside-down. Well, not really. It was just how it looked since she was standing by his head.

    Her seemingly innocent remark didn''t fool him. He didn''t miss the glint of amusement in her eyes, nor the slight curling of her lips. He would bet anything she had been watching for a while.

    "I''ll sic Klein on you if you say anything, Sasha."

    He took some vindictive pleasure in the way her expression contorted in distate. Ever since the Fuurinkazan guild leader had met Sasha a couple floors back, he had been declaring his undying affection for her. Love at first sight, he said.

    "Please don''t."

    Drifter stuck out his tongue, which proved to be a bad choice as Feredir decided to lick his face.

    "Eck! Stop that! Anyway... How have you been, Sasha?"

    Sputtering, Drifter pushed Feredir''s head away and sat up. He also conveniently swipped his spear back into his inventory while at it. Feredir whined at the loss of his toy.

    "Me? Pretty good. Also, why didn''t you do that from the beginning?"

    Drifter flushed a little and turned his head away. Sasha giggled when she heard him mumble an answer.

    "Feredir was having fun."

    "You are a big softie, aren''t you?"

    "Hey! I''ll have you know I''m a very cold-hearted frontliner! Broken Spear Drifter! I am-"

    "Yup, he''s a softie."

    "Sinon!"

    Drifter crossed his arms and pouted. It didn''t really work when everyone knew he was playing along.

    "Hm, I knew Drifter was a good guy from the beginning. Not everyone would take time out of their busy schedule, especially frontliners, to play with the kids."

    "That was mostly Yuna, though."

    "Liar. You were as excited as I was."

    The songstress stuck out her tongue at him from where she was sitting cuddling Silica and Pina. Drifter just snorted and flopped back down, resting his head on Feredir''s flank.

    "Okay, maybe I was. Speaking of which, if you are here, who''s taking care of the church, Sasha?"

    "Ah, Thinker and Yulier are looking after it and the kids."

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    Drifter furrowed his brows.

    "Thinker? Yulier?"

    The spearmaster had never heard of them. Neither had his guildmates, and the new names caught the attention of the others, who paused their conversations to look at Sasha.

    All of Reaver''s Requiem was very fond of the lost kids that Sasha took in. Maybe even a bit overprotective.

    The woman knew that, and she couldn''t help the grateful smile that touched her lips when she noticed the keen interest from all the Reavers. Knowing that others cared for the kids like she did took a weight of her shoulders. She knew they would never be abandoned again, even if something happened to her.

    "They are a couple, you probably don''t know them ''cause they come in the days you aren''t there. But they have been a huge help for the past few months. I had to rely on doing odd quests around the Town of Beginnings to fund the church, but with Yulier and Thinker hunting and doing actual quests on the lower floors, I''ve been able to providence better care for the kids."

    Drifter felt a prick of guilt when he heard that, and he wasn''t the only one. They knew Sasha didn''t mean anything by it, but it was a fact that the Reavers only went down to the 1st floor once a week.

    Nobody blamed them, of course. Their work in the frontlines was much more important. But it still felt a little like they let Sasha and her charges down.

    "That''s good to hear, Sasha. You deserve all the help you can get."

    What Sasha did was charity. She was a saint. Nobody had told her she had to take in kids and cloth, feed, entertain, and put a roof over their heads. She did it all of her own volition.

    "Thank you. It would have never happened if you didn''t support me at the start. Especially you, Drifter, Yuna."

    The couple shook their heads.

    "We didn''t do much."

    Sasha, Sinon, Nautilus, Kirito, Asuna, Ran, and several of the others snorted at that. For a guild leader and a performer, Drifter and Yuna sure had a hard time accepting praise.

    "Yes, you did. But enough about that. I actually came to talk about something else. Involving painting, fishing, and a field trip to the 22nd floor."

    Drifter stared at Sasha.

    "How did you even know about that?"

    "Oh, a little rodent told me. She thought I might be interested. In her own words: ''Dri-bou''s stupid and forgot to invite ya, so I''m doin'' it for him''."

    "Argo."

    The spearmaster groaned, not just because the info-broker wasn''t wrong. All of Reaver''s Requiem going down to the 22nd floor? That was the perfect chance to take the kids out to play. They couldn''t be safer.

    "I hope I''m not imposing too much, Drifter. I do believe the little ones would enjoy it, however."

    Waving his hand, Drifter dismissed her sheepish expression.

    "Not at all, Sasha. Argo''s right, I should have thought of it sooner. You are more than welcomed to join us. I bet Ceba will love it. Oh, and bring those two you talked about. It will be a good chance to meet them."

    The caretaker beamed. Kneeling, she threw her arms around Drifter in an awkward hug, before proceeding to get up and wrap her arms around Yuna, squishing Silica and her pet in the middle.

    "Thank you so much!"

    "You''re- Ugh... Welcome."

    They chatted for a while more before Sasha looked at her menu and saw that it was already past 10 PM. She hugged Yuna and Drifter once more and bid farewell go the Reavers.

    "I should relieve Thinker and Yulier. I''ll see you soon. Good luck with the raid tomorrow!"

    The players waved goodbye to her, not in any hurry to leave their spot. The 38th would probably be a simple battle, but they had all gone back to the safe zone early today, as soon as the sun started to set, so they could rest.

    Most players had learned to leave frontliners alone before a floor boss raid. The ones who didn''t were sent scurrying away with glares and frowns if they made too much of a fuss.

    The other Assault Team guilds each had their own pre-raid rituals. Relaxing as a guild was Reaver''s Requiem''s, and, all in all, they were pretty satisfied with having a corner of the safe zone all to themselves.

    "It''s getting to be quite a huge group, no? For our little trip."

    Griselda commented while braiding Sachi''s hair. Yuna, who was next line for the older woman''s treatment, shrugged.

    "The more the merrier. It''ll be fun. If nothing else, we can hand our catches to Asuna so she can level up her Cooking."

    "Oh, seafood!"

    "Oh, seafood!"

    Keita and Tetsuo high-fived, and Kirito snorted.

    "Close enough, I guess."

    The swordsman was sitting on the ground in front of a bench, with his back pressed on Asuna''s legs, and his head reclined back to rest on her lap.

    "I don''t have any problems cooking what you fish. Although I do need to prepare some extra ingredients since there will be more people than usual."

    The fencer tapped her lips with a pensive expression. Probably making a mental list of everything she had to buy.

    "I''m volunteering Yuuki to go with you buy what you need, Asuna."

    "Sinon! I thought you loved me! But yeah, I can go, no worries, Asuna-chan."

    "Stop jostling her, Yuuki. I''m trying to sleep."

    "Why are both of you even using me as a pillow?!"

    Cracking an eye open, Drifter saw Sinon, with Yuuki and Nautilus, sitting to her left and right respectively, and leaning heavily on the poor archer.

    The two exchanged mischievous glances. They could have chosen to sit or lay down anywhere, and had decided to bug Sinon on purpose.

    "You are my girlfriend. It''s my right to cuddle up with you."

    "My girlfriend abandoned me. I''m using my right to cuddle up to you as you are her sister-in-law."

    Sinon blinked.

    "I don''t think that''s how that works"

    "And I didn''t abandon you, Nautilus. Honestly..."

    Ran, who was perfectly within reach, seeing as her feet were on Nautilus lap as she and Liz chit-chat, rolled her eyes. She was unable to keep a smile from appearing on her face.

    Drifter shook his head, amused. There wasn''t a single moment when the players of Reaver''s Requiem weren''t trying to mess with one another. All in good fun, of course.

    The quietest member of their guild, Vallerk, was surprisingly managing to keep some of the loudest - Agil, Wolv, and Shigio, who else? - entertained via a card game you could buy from NPCs. Otherwise, things wouldn''t be nearly as placid.

    Well, loud and boisterous or silent and intimate, Drifter enjoyed all the moments with his guild. This was the family SAO had gifted him, and he knew he couldn''t have done better if he tried.

 Chapter 189 - Things on The 40th

    The 38th floor boss raid went okay-ish. There was one scary moment that reminded everyone that, even if they weren''t in a round floor or a sure-death floor, this was still Sword Art Online.

    But other than nearly giving several people, both in and out of Aincrad, a heart attack, nothing unexpected happened. And the player who stupidly put themselves in a dangerous situation was very throughly scolded.

    As the day for their planned outing approached, Drifter could see his Reavers getting more and more excited. It put a smile on his face.

    It wasn''t anything that special. Just taking a day off to better explore the 22nd floor, without the deadline of having to clear it hanging over their heads. Some fishing, chatting, and eating.

    Reaver''s Requiem had taken short vacations before. Sure, they were usually half a day, since they tried to stick to the clearer schedule, but they did take time off every now and then. Mostly to go to the hot springs.

    This felt like an actual family trip. Not just a bunch of tired soldiers needing to forget a bad day.

    It was understandable then that everyone was eager that Reaver''s Requiem breezed through most of the 39th floor with a smile on their faces. Even the floor boss was put down without much trouble.

    Things changed when they stepped on the 40th floor, of course. Excited or not, no one was going to take a round floor lightly.

    "Eww! What''s that?! It''s gross!"

    Nobody could blame Liz for her reaction. The 40th floor was a dreary expanse of black soil and dead trees. But what disgusted the blacksmith so much was the first mob they came across.

    The... Thing... Was almost all eyeballs. A mass of toxic muck not unlike the Slimes from lower floors, but covered with bloodshot eyes, at least two dozen of them, and in all different sizes. Some were as big as a fist.

    "I don''t like that."

    "I think I just got a new phobia."

    While some of his guildmates complained, Drifter''s reaction was much more straight forward: he stabbed the mob.

    Usually that worked pretty well in SAO. Don''t know what you are dealing with? Stab it. Don''t want to deal with that problem? Stab it. Don''t like that person? Stab it.

    Well, not the last. While it arguably worked, it also caused more problems. But that was the gist of it. Unknown mob? Stab it.

    That usually worked. Not this time. Drifter''s spear pierced clean through one eyeball and the rest of the mob, coming out its back splashing black goo and red shards.

    The mob lost less than 5% of its HP. Just a blip in the bar. And when Drifter tried to pull back his spear, he found out he couldn''t. It was completely stuck.

    "Damnit! It resists sharp weapons! Blunt weapons forward. Liz, Tetsuo, Wolv, shields, we''ll be relying on you. Everyone else, focus on finding weak points. Start with the eyeballs."

    Drifter finally managed to retrieve his spear with a mighty heave, but not before a tendril of muck whipped his arm, doing a not insignificant amount of damage.

    "I hate everything about what you just said."

    "Less complaining and more hitting things."

    "That''s the problem! I can''t hit things! Only stab them. My whole deal is stabbing things twice!"

    Drifter rolled his eyes. He knew Yuuki was complaining only for the sake of complaining. It didn''t make it less gratting on his ears.

    "Then get to it! You''re just gonna have to stab it a lot."

    The swordswoman huffed, but started slashing, cutting, and yes, stabbing.

    Her nickname of Untamed Storm wasn''t for nothing. Yuuki pretty much looked like a blur of purple hair and cold grey steel when she got into a rhythm.

    Her sister was far less flashy, but no less skilled. Precise Blade Ran, they called her, for her knack of finding chinks in the enemy''s defense and slipping her sword into them. She had perhaps the highest crit rate of Reaver''s Requiem after Aero Huntress Sinon.

    In fact, it was Ran who was making the most progress in finding the Thing''s weakness. Her sword lashed out like a viper, not dealing much damage due to the mob''s nature, but striking a different eyeball each time with uncanny accuracy.

    "Got it!"

    It was on her thirteenth try that the swordswoman found the monster''s weak spot. She dodged a splattering of goo resulting from a heavy strike from Liz''s hammer, and stabbed a fist-sized eye near the ''base'' of the mob.

    The creature gurgled loudly, the first noise it made in the entire battle, and all the Reavers watched as its HP went from 30% to 0% in an instant.

    "That''s one hell of a crit. Good job, Ran."

    Someone whistled, impressed. That was over 10 times the damage Drifter inflicted with his first attack. Considering the mob was resistant to sharp weaponry, that was quite the feat. Far more than a critical hit could achieve, actually.

    "Uhh... Thanks, I guess? It felt... Weird."

    "How so?"

    "Not sure. It just did."

    Ran pursed her lips thoughtfully. She kept staring at the spot where the mob had disappeared, her hand moving as if replaying the battle, until Nautilus nudged her.

    "You can think on it later, dear. We''re still a ways away from our target."

    The ash-haired player''s gaze flicked to his map, which showed the path Reaver''s Requiem had taken to get to this part of the floor. The dots representing them were surrounded by fog in nearly all directions.

    "If that''s the type of mob we are gonna find here, I''m kinda regretting letting the DKB take the southwest direction just ''cause it looked gloomy. More gloomy, anyway."

    Asuna muttered while wiping her rapier. No remnants of the mob were left on the sword, of course, but it still felt tainted.

    "Eh, who knows. Maybe they also have Things there. If not, it might be something worse. This floor''s shaping up to be a real doozy."

    "If it makes you feel any better, Asuna, Klein and Orlando are already complaining."

    Drifter looked over his shoulder to the fencer, smirking slightly when her expression did brighten a little. Orlando was on her shit list recently for an ill-thought joke about hers and Kirito''s love life.

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    "It does, actually. They took the east, right? What are they yapping about?"

    "Pack mobs. Something called Roller Beetles. Orlando says they are, and I quote, ''ugly little bastards with bad timing''. Whatever that means."

    "Ugh- Bugs. I take back what I said."

    Asuna shuddered, as did several others. The fencer wasn''t particularly afraid of insects - that was Yuna, and, to a lesser degree, Nautilus - but SAO was often too realistic when it came to mobs - in everything except size.

    Seeing a car-sized locust bearing down on you would never not be terrifying, disgusting, or both. Drifter never knew insect mouths had so many independently moving parts.

    The spearmaster had no idea what challenges the other Assault Team guilds were facing, but he was sure they wouldn''t be much better than Reaver''s Requiem''s and whatever it was Fuurinkazan and the Legend Braves were dealing with.

    Even just 2 hours into their exploration, one thing about the 40th floor was becoming clear: the floor didn''t like them, and it was made to be as inhospitable as possible.

    Each of the frontliner guilds had chosen a direction of the floor to map, and Reaver''s Requiem''s was the northwest. The putrid slime monster they met was just the first of the challenges they were bound to face.

    "Another Thing ahead. On your mark, Drifter."

    "Wait. I want to test something. Sinon, did you see which eye Ran stabbed in the other mob?"

    The archer nodded, already drawing her bowstring. She placed one of her special arrows on it, a product of the old couple with the Carpentry skill that Ceba had introduced to them.

    "Hit it."

    She did. Her arrow flew a straight path towards the mob, glowing red. The broadhead pierced the eyeball with a frankly disturbing noise reminiscent of an emptying balloon, but otherwise nothing happened.

    The Reavers watched as the mob started ambling towards them, lashing out with its tentacles. Drifter frowned as Nautilus, Wolv, and Griselda moved forward to engage it.

    "What skill was that, Sinon? It was a different red than your Overcharge."

    "Second String. It''s not that great so I don''t use it often."

    The archer certainly seemed disappointed but the result. Her skill hadn''t done much damage at all to the mob. It''s HP gauge barley dipped.

    "What does it do?"

    "It''s supposed to give my arrows extra range. It sorta woks like a secondary engine in a rocket, giving it further impulse when it starts to slow down. It doesn''t do any extra damage, though."

    "Hm. Why choose it, then?"

    "I found out that if I hit the target before that second wind kicks in, it still happens, and enhances crit chance by quite a lot. So not totally useless, but I also have other skills that do that."

    Sinon was appropriately proud when she explained. Finding hidden uses or secondary utilities for skills was one of the marks of a good player. It didn''t mean it was easy. Drifter patted her shoulder.

    "Keep testing it. Who knows, you might find something else useful. Good thinking, though. Now, about the results..."

    "I definitely hit the same eye Ran did. No super crit, though. But you already expected that, didn''t you?"

    Her tone was conversational, and she continued letting arrows fly while she spoke.

    "I suspected it. It seemed too easy that a mob like that would have a fixed insta-kill weak point. This is a round floor, after all."

    Drifter bit the inside of his cheek. He felt comfortable enough to simply observe while his guildmates fought, but he was ready to jump in at a moment''s notice. However, he believed his time would be better spent analyzing the mob for weaknesses.

    "So it is. Do you think we can do it again?"

    Her voice shook, and Sinon faltered for a second. Not enough to affect the flow of the battle, but Drifter noticed. His expression darkened.

    He knew what the archer meant. The miracle of the 30th floor. Defeating a round floor without any losses. A miracle paid in sweat and blood in the floors before it.

    "I don''t know. We were pretty good back then. We are better now. But..."

    "It''s still a round floor. Yeah."

    Sinon sighed, and all Drifter could do was offer her a weak smile as one of her arrows finally found its mark and the mob shattered, this time when it still had a full 40% HP left.

    "Let''s focus on the now, Sinon. We will deal with whatever comes later, later."

    Saying that, Drifter clapped his hands to catch the attention of the others. The only one who had been close enough to hear his and Sinon''s hushed conversation was Yuna.

    "Well, I say this confirms my theory that the Things have an insta-kill weakness. It just ain''t fixed. So, from here onwards, this is how we''ll fight: Vallerk, Shigio, Nautilus, you will trap it in a triangle formation. Everyone else who isn''t Liz, Wolv, and Tetsuo, dart in and out and target the eyes. Try not to overlap. You three, just let loose. If you can just beat the mobs to death before we find their weak points, that works as well. We''ll adjust our formation if we come across more than one at once."

    "We''ll get through this, Sinon."

    While Drifter explained their strategy going forward, Yuna rested a gentle hand on Sinon''s forearm. The archer looked at the songstress, one of her closest, if not her best friend, and hugged her.

    "I know. But let''s think happier things. Now that we are on the 40th floor, that trip is close. Yuuki can''t stop talking about it."

    Yuna giggled. Sinon''s girlfriend was a constant source of entertainment.

    "And you''ll finally get to meet Ceba! She''ll be ecstatic to be able to paint you!"

    Sinon grimaced. Her, Kirito, and Drifter were very similar when it came to receiving attention.

    "Yeah... Not looking forward to that."

    "Yuuki is."

    The songstress teased. Sinon sagged and sighed dramatically.

    "Don''t I know it."

    "Hey, you two! We are moving!"

    Kirito called their two ranged combatants. Yuna raised a hand and waved, shooting Sinon one last smile before following their guildmates.

    The archer could only shake her head and grin to herself. What was to come would come. No sense in thinking too deeply about it.

 Chapter 190 - Sludge

    The Eyeball Slimes - Drifter refused to use the name the system gave them, Things, because it sounded too much like a 3rd-rate horror flick - weren''t the only enemies Reaver''s Requiem came across in their exploration.

    Somewhere along the way, as they advanced deeper into the floor, Black Corrosives started to show up. The name didn''t really make them justice.

    The Black Corrosives looked like melted scarecrows. Each of them wielded a scythe, and swung it with surprising skill.

    The real problem the mobs presented was their acid. Every now and then, one of them would plunge a hand inside their bodies - yes, full-on pierce their own stomachs - grab a handful of a sludge-like substance, and throw it. If hit by it, the players had to endure a harsh DoT effect, as well as suffer great losses of equipment durability.

    In a way, it was good that it was Reaver''s Requiem who chose this direction. They had with them Forge Master Lisbeth and her Volcano Forge Unique Skill, so while annoying, the Black Corrosives couldn''t force them to retreat to safe zones to repair their equipment like they would do to other guilds.

    It was the third mob type that they came across that gave the Reavers pause. Drifter saw it when he activated his Searching by habit, and his entire vision light up red.

    "Stop!"

    The players halted immediately, tightening their formation when they heard the urgency in Drifter''s voice. The spearmaster pointed to a large boulder about 15 meters ahead of them.

    "Behind that. Something big."

    The Reavers fanned out following his words, like hunters cornering a prey. Only, this time they had chosen their quarry wrongly.

    They were about 5 meters from the moss-covered boulder when it moved. Drifter realized the mob hadn''t been hiding behind it - it was the rock. That realization came at about the same time something hit his chest like a runaway truck.

    The spearmaster''s feet left the ground and he flew a good 7 meters, bowling over Kizmel and Sachi.

    "Drifter!"

    The three landed in a pile on the ground, completely disoriented, even if the spearwoman and the dark elf were unharmed.

    Drifter certainly wasn''t. There was a large red line going from his left shoulder to just beneath his ribs on his right side, as thick as his forearm. His HP had dropped to yellow in one single blow.

    "I''m okay! Focus!"

    The spearmaster yelled as he struggled to get up. He hadn''t even seen what hit him.

    "Argh!"

    Splitting their attention to worry about Drifter proved to be a fatal mistake. Kirito had just started to turn around when he too got hit.

    This time Drifter saw it. From a gap under the boulder - which he now recognized wasn''t a boulder at all, but a shell - a whip-like, dark-green tentacle slashed out, catching the Black Swordsman across the face.

    Kirito felt like he had just gotten shot. His head snapped back, followed by the rest of his body, and then his feet as he performed an unplanned backflip.

    The swordsman landed in a heap on the ground, groaning. The other Reavers watched with wide-eyes as two of their best were disabled so promptly.

    "What the fuck?!"

    "Eyes on the monster! Kill that fucker!"

    Still, caught by surprise or not, they were frontliners. Drifter getting hit could be considered unavoidable, since they didn''t know what they were dealing with. Kirito was a mistake.

    If they let it happen a third time, they might as well jump over the edge of Aincrad. It would certainly be less embarrassing.

    When the mob lashed out again, still with the tentacle from under its shell, Nautilus twisted to the side, and caught the thing between his shield and the pommel of his blade.

    "Cut it!"

    Straining to hold the slimy extension, he shouted for help. Griselda was upon him in an instant, cleaving down with an Avalanche.

    It only got about halfway through the arm-thick tentacle. The thing was tough.

    "What the-"

    Before the woman could go for a second blow, the tentacle managed to wriggle free of Nautilus'' hold. However, instead of retreating back under the shell, it turned towards Griselda like it had a mind of its own.

    It was only then that the players noticed that the tip of the tentacle was rouder and bigger than the rest of it. The reason for that was apparent when it opened up like five petals of a gross flower, and spewed black muck all over Griselda.

    "Ack! What is this? Get it off! Die!"

    It was disgusting. Griselda was torn between dropping her sword and trying to clean herself, and just unleashing her rage on the mob.

    She went with the second option. Slashing wildly, she landed a normal attack and a Power Cut before the tentacle pulled away.

    "Griselda! Are you okay?"

    "No! Yes! Argh! I''m not hurt. But-"

    Whatever else Griselda was going to say got caught on her throat when she saw the mob growing. She looked up as Agil and Yuuki retreated after a few ineffective attacks against the shell.

    Then she looked up again, because if they thought the mob was big before? Now it towered over them by a good 5 meters. If it wasn''t for the fact that it only had one health bar, she would think it was a field-boss.

    Drifter had also managed to get up in the interval, and was gaping at the mob. It was huge. The moss-covered shell was one thing. But even that was currently 2 meters off the ground, held on the back of a dark-green...

    "Snail. It''s a damn snail?"

    Keita cursed. The mob was, in fact a snail. And the whip-like thing that lashed out before weren''t tentacles, but its antenna. The ball that opened up to spit muck at Griselda was an eye.

    "Doesn''t matter what it is, ''cause it hits like a fucking train. Get ready, everyone. It won''t go down easy."

    As if responding to Drifter''s words, the snail turned towards them, and they finally saw it''s head. Other than the antennas on top, all it had was a tiny circular mouth, complete with row after row of sharp teeth.

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    Drifter threw his spear at it.

    The weapon soared towards the mob, but it ducked with surprising agility for... Well, a snail. The spear passed between the antennas and hit its shell with a defeaning, gong-like sound.

    Drifter winced at the thought of how much durability his weapon had just lost. Even worse was when he looked at the monster''s HP and saw that it hadn''t diminished at all. In fact, it seemed only Griselda''s attack had been effective.

    "The shell makes it invulnerable. Aim for the flesh!"

    Not the nicest way to put it, but it passed the message well enough. Unfortunately, the surprises weren''t over yet.

    "Wh-"

    Just as Griselda started to run towards the mob, she found her movement impaired. The sludge the creature had covered her in had hardened, throwing off her sense of balance entirely, and she fell.

    "Griselda! You okay?"

    "No! I got a 70% speed debuff!"

    Drifter almost stumbled himself. An attack that could take almost half of his HP in one go, and another that applied a debuff on par with round floor bosses?

    "Are we sure that thing isn''t a field-boss?!"

    "Less talking and more killing! I don''t wanna find out what other tricks it has!"

    A Healing Crystal and some bubbles from Pina had seen to it that Drifter''s HP recovered to an acceptable range. The spearmaster was quick to charge towards the mob.

    He heard Yuna start playing her Clear Breeze song, hopefully it would cancel out some of the negative effects Griselda was under. For him and the other Reavers, the speed buff was welcomed anyway.

    Even then, he was still hard-pressed to dodge the swiping antenna that targeted him. It extended far beyond what was normal or logical, like a stretched piece of gum or a rubber band.

    Analogies aside, the member was right in front of him before Drifter could blink. It was pure instinct that saw the spearmaster ducking, then curling up when he lost his footing.

    Transitioning into a roll, Drifter shot back to his feet in time to see Wolv grunting as he awkwardly blocked the antenna with his mace. Luckily Yuuki was there to help, chopping down on it with a Slant.

    Again, it wasn''t enough to cut off the... Limb? Anyway, Drifter only gave them a cursory glance, not even slowing down as he used a Comet Break to finally reach the main body of the mob.

    "Hah!"

    He felt grim satisfaction as his spear plunged deep into the snail''s flesh. The creature''s HP dropped by nearly 10% just from that, proving that, while it''s shell was impenetrable, the monster itself wasn''t that sturdy.

    To his right, he saw Asuna unleashing hell on the mob with Triangular, Folium, Sharp Hail, and a number of other skills. To his left, Silica and Ran were tearing into the monster with Tiger Bone, Stop Cut, Savage Fulcrum, and so on. Drifter himself happily added Tripple Thrust and Cobalt Slice to the mix.

    Under the onslaught of skills, the mob fell while buried by a myriad of colors and glows. The players stood around the spot it previously was, panting.

    Still, the beast didn''t go down easily. Even while under attack, it never stopped whipping its antennas and spewing that black sludge. Other than Griselda, Shigio and Liz were also covered in the muck, and Sachi, Agil, and Nautilus were sporting rather nasty red lines across their bodies.

    "What in Kayaba''s cursed name was that?!"

    It was Vallerk who asked that, while trying fruitlessly to scrape the now-hardened sludge covering his girlfriend. Liz was fuming.

    "No fucking idea. But I don''t like it. That was on par with an elite labyrinth mob. And an ambush-type too."

    Agil spat while holding his arm out so Pina could perch on it and heal him. The Merchant Warrior was frowning.

    "Yeah. That... That was not okay. We were already somewhat ready because Drifter noticed it early, even if it still caught us by surprise. A distracted clearer party? That''s deadly."

    "Three hits would be enough to kill a player. It could do that in the initial confusion after the first attack."

    Kirito shook his head with narrowed eyes. Reaver''s Requiem had managed to take the mob down so quickly partly because they were who they were, and also because they were all there. If they had split into parties of 6 as they normally did...

    None of them would have died. They were Reaver''s Requiem. So they wouldn''t have died. But it would have been a painful battle. A panicked one, which was the worst kind of battle.

    In a way, it was good this was a round floor, because they had taken precautions. One of them was not splitting up until they had a good grasp of the floor.

    On the other hand, the only reason there was a mob like that was because it was a round floor.

    "Ambush-type mob, lightning-fast attacks, unbreakable shell, boss-level speed debuff... The only weakness is how squishy it is. Sounds about right?"

    "Sounds fucking absurd."

    Yuna slapped Sinon on the shoulder for her improper language, but even the songstress couldn''t help but think it was pretty accurate.

    "Debuff lasts 35 seconds."

    Griselda had been timing it, and her expression of distate showed her opinion on it pretty well. 35 seconds was a lifetime with a 70% speed reduction.

    "Round floor. We aren''t playing anymore. Keep an eye out for more... Sludge Crawlers."

    Drifter had to pause to check the battle log for the name of the mob. Everything had happened so fast he hadn''t been able to see it during the battle.

    "We stopped playing a long time ago."

    Someone muttered under their breath, but Drifter ignored them. His mind was in the future.

    That were 3 different types of mob Reaver''s Requiem had encountered already, and they weren''t even a day into the floor yet. Things, Black Corrosives, and now Sludge Crawlers. They all hinted at something.

    A round floor indeed.

 Chapter 191 - Adventures on The 40th Floor

    In the end, it was still the 40th floor. Four-tenths of the way to the top. 40% of Aincrad.

    Hoping there were no problems was just wishful thinking.

    "Haa..."

    Drifter sighed and massaged his temples. It was their third day on the floor, and Reaver''s Requiem had just retired to their inn. Yuna was already asleep, and he was about to join her when Argo''s message arrived.

    4 dead. He warned them the Sludge Crawlers were dangerous. It was depressing that there were people who still didn''t listen.

    Idiots. If they wanted to die, they should have chosen a better death. Or at least a meaningful one. All they accomplished was leaving 2 traumatized party members and reigniting the fear players had of round floors.

    That was the last fucking thing the frontliners needed. There were only just over 100 of them. It would take weeks for them to clear and map a floor on their own. Weeks they didn''t have.

    That was why they needed clearers. Even frontliners would burn out if they had to clear floors and fight bosses.

    Especially as this was a round floor.

    People thought they knew what it meant to be in a round floor. They thought it was more dangerous, that they were more likely to die.

    They weren''t wrong. But the only ones who truly understood the magnitude of a round floor were the frontliners. They were the ones who walked into the boss room.

    Only after looking each other in the eye and accepting some of them might not walk out.

    And then 4 people who weren''t even frontliners went and died such useless deaths. It pissed Drifter off.

    That was probably a sign that there was something wrong with him. He was angry at how the players died, not simply that they did.

    He couldn''t bring himself to care. He was working out the bloody math. Adding and subtracting lives. And the results weren''t to his liking.

    Honestly, Drifter thought they had reached the end of the potential of the SAO players. Those who wanted to fight were already fighting. Those who wanted to do and be more already were.

    Maybe some mid-level players would find inspiration and become clearers. Maybe a handful of clearers would end up becoming frontliners. But overall, the numbers they had now?

    They had to climb to the top with that.

    Which made every life precious. Not just because that is what should be normal and natural, but because every frontliner that died? That was one frontliner less they would have to face the future challenges of SAO.

    And it would only get harder. That was the cold and harsh truth. They were just two-fifths of the way up. Counting the 40th, they still had 6 floors were losses wouldn''t just not be a surprise, but expected.

    Three of those were sure-death floors. Drifter shivered every time he remembered how close the 50th floor was. They couldn''t afford another 25th Massacre. It would cripple the Assault Team permanently.

    The spearmaster wasn''t proud of how callous he had become. But he didn''t regret it either. Better him than Kirito or Asuna or some of the other kids.

    Not that they were kids anymore, any of them. Even Silica was far from being a child. She was a frontliner. That meant something. Good and bad.

    Sighing again and closing his menu, Drifter turned off the lights and laid down next to his wife. Almost immediately, Yuna snuggled up against him, and Drifter threw an arm over her, pulling her closer.

    Her warmth against his chest pushed the troublesome thoughts away, and he soon fell asleep.

    -----------------------

    The next morning, he only mentioned the dead players in passing. And hid Reavers accepted it like the veterans they were.

    Grieve and move on. That was how many frontliners worked. And they didn''t even know the deceased clearers, so they skipped the first step.

    The best way to honor the fallen players, even if they had been idiots, was to press onwards and clear the floor.

    Which was easier said than done. The 40th was fighting back. 9 new mobs, 3 of which could be considered elite, almost mini-boss level. One for each of the three regions the floor could be divided on.

    With his experience, Drifter was able to gauge the difficulty of the floor pretty well. He reckoned it was somewhere between the 30th and 25th floors. Harder than the first but easier than the second.

    Going by that metric, he could estimate how long it would take to find the tower and clear the boss room: 20 days, give or take one or two. More than usual, but not an absurd amount.

    That meant it would already be late September of 2024 when they left this floor. Not a particularly special date, if you ignored that it marked 22 months of their imprisonment.

    Like he always did when that thought came up, Drifter pushed it back down. He had already pondered over any possible time-frame in his mind, multiple times. He knew at the earliest, it would be another 2 and a half years before they escaped Sword Art Online.

    At the latest, never.

    Not a pleasant thought, and yet it was were his mind always ended up. He didn''t let it show on his face, however, no matter how distasteful. He knew better than to start day 4 of Reaver''s Requiem''s exploration of the 40th floor on such a sour note.

    Instead, he pushed their upcoming trip to the forefront of his mind, and that resulted in a genuine upturn of his lips.

    Ceba had taken to messaging at least twice a day since the beginning of the week to make sure he hadn''t forgotten. She vouched she had already bought enough canvas, paints, brushes and other supplies to the point it nearly spilled out of her inventory.

    She wasn''t the only one excited. Reavers aside, Sasha said the kids kept pestering her on when the outing would be and why it was taking so long.

    Less than a week, that was when. Drifter had already gone down to the 22nd floor to ''scout'' for a good location, as well as any possible dangers. If he was going to be taking the kids there, he would take every possible precaution. No way he would gamble with their well-being.

    Thankfully, the 22nd floor was a good one. Forests, trails, and lakes. The mobs were mainly concentrated on the forests, with a few aquatic ones that could appear when you were fishing. Nothing dangerous, especially not to a frontline guild absurdly over-levelled for the floor.

    Drifter had experimented. He could kill the 22nd floor mobs with two normal attacks, or one skill. Hell, depending on the skill, he could kill multiple at once.

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    Of course, he gained zero experience from them. Literally. Anything more than 10 levels below you didn''t give experience.

    That was okay. If Drifter wanted to level, he would do it targeting mobs more appropriate to his standing. Like the Gray Ghouls in front of him.

    Roughly human-looking, but with deathly pale skin and rotting flesh, the Gray Ghouls were another of the mini-boss-tier mobs of the 40th floor. Individually they were ''just'' on the level of elite mobs. Tough and fast, but nothing too abnormal.

    However, the Gray Ghouls never romaed in packs of less than 4 members. And they showcased a degree of cooperation and strategy that really didn''t match their status as undead.

    The larger packs of 7 or even 8 monsters posed threat even to frontliners, as the Reavers found out when half of them worked together to stall them while the other half ganged up on Nautilus.

    Were the ash-haired player not who he was, a titled frontliner with a Unique Skill, it would have been dangerous. Not enough to kill him, any frontliner worth their salt could at least hold their own against this many mobs until help arrived, but certainly a close call.

    Still, Drifter preferred the Gray Ghouls to the Sludge Crawlers or the other super mob of the floor, the Human-Faced Dogs. The Crawlers had that nasty speed debuff, while the dogs were just plain creepy, and their bite carried a DoT effect.

    In comparison, as long as you kept an eye on their numbers and didn''t do something stupid like straying too far from your party, the Ghouls were much more manageable.

    It was enough that Drifter felt confident splitting up in parties to further the floor exploration effort. Currently he had Yuna, Nautilus, Sachi, Wolv, and Silica with him, the latter accompanied by Feredir and the ever-present Pina.

    Not for the first time, Drifter thought of how far some of his Reavers had traveled. Yuna and Nautilus had always been with him, so they didn''t need to be mentioned, and Wolv had also been in the Assault Team from the start.

    But Silica and Sachi? He still remembered the young girl who stammered and stuttered when trying to greet him back on the 3rd floor. And also the young woman who had been picked up sword and shield for her guild''s sake, when she so obviously hated to fight.

    Indeed, Silica and Sachi had come a long way. The former was now a titled player, Dragon Tamer Silica, and a menace with her dagger. And the latter, while not a frontliner or famous, had changed her weapon to a spear and was now as capable as any clearer. More, even, thanks to the constant instructions of SAO''s foremost spear-user.

    To the Sachi of now, taking on even 2 Gray Ghouls at once wasn''t particularly hazardous. It wasn''t an easy battle, not like it would be for Drifter, but it didn''t put her in the deadly danger it would have were she still the same lost woman she once was.

    Her spear snaked around the heaf of a Gray Ghoul, stabbing into the neck of the one behind it. A violent tug resulted in her both retrieving her weapon and smacking the first mob with the shaft of her spear.

    The Gray Ghouls were too tough to be thrown down just with that. They lunged at Sachi, claws sharp as knives aiming for her chest, and the spearwoman leaned back.

    The mob in the back missed her entirely, while the one in front, being closer, managed to leave a scratch on her collarbone. Sachi''s response was to change how she held her spear to an inverted, one-handed grip, and stab directly up.

    It was a simple Sting that entered through the bottom of the monster''s mouth and came put thr top of its head. And yet, the position in which she delivered the skull was nothing but impossible for 90% of Aincrad''s spear-wielders.

    From his position in the middle of the party, Drifter nodded approvingly. Sachi would never be a frontliner because she didn''t have the mentality for it. But she was far from weak.

    "Garrhh!"

    Despite diverting his attention to Sachi''s battle, Drifter didn''t lose sign of the enemy in front of him. His spear swept in an upwards slash, severing the arm of a Gray Ghoul. Then it crashed back down, shearing through the head of the mob like an executioners ax.

    Riptide. One of his Infinite Spear skills. With just a sliver of health left, the mob tried to jump at him, but a seemingly innocuous swipe of his spear cut off its left foot at the ankle, causing it to fall face-first on the ground.

    A quick jab later, and his spear had gone through the Gray Ghoul''s nape. Only shards were left, the mob not even being granted the dignity of dying standing.

    His gaze went back to Sachi, just in time to see her put her spear through the chest of the last Gray Ghoul, ending its life with another Sting.

    Basic skills were the bread and butter of every player. Sure, high-tier skills like Sky Render or Pinpoint Star sounded a lot more impressive than Sting, which was basically a system-empowered stab. But you don''t need a light show when a straightforward stab does the trick.

    "Good work, everyone. Sachi, if you had your right foot half-turned when those two ghouls attacked you, you would have been able to dodge it completely. Otherwise, perfect."

    "Hm."

    The spearwoman nodded thoughtfully, not at all embarrassed by being the only one called out. There were a lot lf players who would pay good cor to recieve instruction from Broken Spear Drifter. She had it for free and whenever she wanted it, so the least she could do was take it all in and improve.

    "Yun'', any news from the other parties?"

    "Just the regular check-ins."

    Drifter nodded. No news was often good news. It was Reaver''s Requiem''s standard procedure to send regular messages every half hour when they split up to hunt.

    It could be a pain, but nobody complained. The protocol had been instated after Laughing Coffin became more active - and honestly, they should have been doing it much sooner. Everybody knew that the day one of them didn''t check-in, the others would rush to them immediately. Knowing that brought than a lot more comfort than being lazy was worth.

    "Alright. Three more packs and we can stop for lunch."

 Chapter 192 - Another Labyrinth

    It was 5 days later that Drifter stood at the foot of the 40th floor tower, looking at the entrance in front of him.

    It fit the floor''s whole vibe. It was dark and dreary, with moss and some black stuff Drifter honestly didn''t want to know what it was clinging to it. It looked like an abandoned mineshaft.

    Drifter looked at it, and marked the location on his map. He would sell it to Argo later. For now, he clapped his hand and turned to the others.

    "Alright, let''s take a peek and then call it a day, shall we? We probably want to be well-rested for tomorrow."

    "I thought the whole point of tomorrow was so we could rest?"

    Yuuki raised her hand, a mischievous glint in her pupils. Drifter narrowed his eyes.

    "Let me rephrase that: I need to be well-rested. After all, I''m the one who''s gonna be looking after a bunch of children tomorrow. And I''m not talking about Sasha''s kids."

    His gaze made it very clear who he considered the ''children'' to be. Yuuki snorted in amusement and clutched her chest, swaying dramatically.

    "Oh leader! You wound me! Right in my heart!"

    "That''s your liver."

    "What? No, it isn''t!"

    Yuuki dropped her gaze to check, and Drifter smirked. That prompted the others to start laughing too.

    "No, it isn''t. Though the fact you needed to check is worrying, Yuuki. Now c''mon. Just a quick look at the layout and mobs, then we take a Teleport Crystal back."

    He ignored the rude gesture the girl sent his way, chuckling as he boldly entered the tower.

    The labyrinth was like any other they had journeyed. A place where physics made no sense, where you could walk in a straight line and find yourself back at the beginning.

    Looking up, Drifter saw hundreds of glowing bridges and passageways. As a rule, boss rooms were usually close to the top of the labyrinth. He doubted this one would be different.

    "Eyes open, step light. Whatever comes our way, kill it quickly."

    Easy to follow commands. The jokester grin on Yuuki''s face disappeared when they entered the tower, replaced by calm caution - an expression that was mirrored by all the others, including himself, Drifter had no doubt.

    Joke and banter all they want, none of the Reavers would let their guard down inside a labyrinth, especially a round floor one. Shigio protected the front, while Kizmel guarded the rear. Drifter and Asuna were right behind the shield-bearer, and Yuuki supported the dark elf, leaving Sinon in the middle.

    Mixing the party members was a habit Reaver''s Requiem cultivated from a very early age. You never knew how chaotic a battle could get, and who you would end up having by your side, so it was indispensable that you could cooperate with anyone, and fit in any party configuration, no matter how skewed.

    It was also why Drifter, Asuna, and Kizmel were together today. Usually, the three of them, along with Kirito and Ran, tried to avoid grouping up. That was mainly because they were the 5 most suited for leadership in the guild.

    But again, you never knew when you might end up with 3 leadership-capable people in your party, or none at all.

    Not that that was a huge problem with Reaver''s Requiem. Compared to other guilds, they had an overabundance of leaders, especially in relation to their size.

    Disregarding Drifter and the aforementioned 4, any of who could take the reins with ease if the need arose, Agil, Griselda, and Sinon were all well-versed in command. Any of them could, and had, led parties before - and a guild in Griselda''s case. They simply didn''t enjoy it as much, and preferred to let any of the other five do it most of the time.

    No matter. That was just another unique characteristic of Reaver''s Requiem. It wasn''t like they lacked in that regard, what with 12 titled players in their midst.

    "Up ahead, Drifter."

    "I see them. Rearrange, everyone. Attack formation. Sinon, overwatch. Light reserve, Kizmel."

    "Got it."

    "Leave it to me."

    Like a well-oiled machine, the party members slipped into their new positions. Shigio stayed at the front to do his job as a tank, but now both Drifter, Asuna, and Yuuki were just two paces behind him and to the side.

    The spearmaster and the fencer stood to the left, while the dual-wielder took the right. They were ready for a pincer maneuver, with enough space between them that they wouldn''t get in each other''s way.

    Sinon was a few steps back, with Kizmel hovering just to her right. The archer was responsible for shooting arrows at the mobs, obviously, but most importantly, she was to keep an eye on their surroundings, and make sure they weren''t caught by surprise or trapped if more enemies appear.

    The dark elf, meanwhile, had what was simultaneously the easiest and hardest job of them all. Easiest because, if no variables appeared, she wouldn''t even have to fight. Hardest because, if something did happen, she would have to intercept and deal with it alone until the other players could disentangle from their current enemies and aid her.

    "Fountain Guardians. Not much of a clue in their names. On your toes, we don''t know what to expect. Shigio, mark the one on the right. Asuna, Yuuki, and I will focus on the one on the left. Sinon, do your thing."

    "Always do."

    The two mobs coming their way were unlike any of the others on the floor. To start with, they were clean. No stinky goo, no poisonous sludge, no creepy dozen-extra eyeballs.

    No eyeballs at all, actually.

    The mobs looked old, yet new. Opaque metal skin with a cyan hue and delicate silver and gold adornments. They had the kind of glow you got from polishing old metal - not a blinding shine, but just smoothness.

    They were vaguely humanoid in shape. Their limbs weren''t attached to the triangular torso, instead hovering with about the space of a fist between them, though that didn''t seem to slow their purposeful gait at all, or get in the way of the sword and shield each of them carried. On their smooth heads, also hovering above their torso without touching it, there were no human features. Just straight silver and gold lines crossing seemingly without rhyme nor reason, and an ancient helmet, also made of azure metal.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    If Drifter had to say something, it would be that the Fountain Guardians reminded him of how old movies depicted fallen ancient civilizations that were, somehow, impossibly more advanced than the ones that existed now.

    Atlantis. That was the connection Drifter''s brain made. Highly technological but clearly old robot guards, the cyan and blue hues of the metal they were made out of, and the word ''fountain'' in their names. It reminded him of a movie he watched when he was a kid.

    Drifter could feel the exact moment they entered the mobs'' aggro range. Their faceless heads swiveled to the party, and the Fountain Guardians started striding towards them with renewed purpose.

    Idly, Drifter noted down in his head the distance where the mobs perceived them. This was all important information to sell to Argo later.

    Most of his attention was on the mobs, however. Despite their disconnected limbs, there was nothing awkward or cumbersome about the way they stalked towards the players. Clearly, those mobs had some level of intelligence.

    They still fell for Shigio''s Taunt. It was single-handedly the most useful skill in Sword Art Online, no contest. Even Drifter felt tempted to learn it, but he already had most of his skill slots full, and the ones that were left he was saving for the high-level Two-Handed Spear skills.

    As two swords slammed down on Shigio''s shield, fully aiming to cut the player in three pieces, Drifter struck.

    And missed.

    "Huh?"

    No, he didn''t miss. He was dodged. Before, he had thought the only parts where the limbs of the mobs weren''t connected were where they met the torso - the hips and shoulders. But when he stabbed at the leg of one of them, hoping to sweep the mob off its feet and destabilize it, the creature jumped back dexterously, and its leg split at the knee, allowing Drifter''s spear to pass clean through it before rejoining.

    "Okay, this is new."

    The spearmaster murmured, and, though surprised, he was not at all fazed. His spear, not having lost speed after hitting nothing, stilled. With just one arm, Drifter snapped a Vertical, cleaving through the forearm and chest of the Fountain Guardian.

    The mob would have to do a lot better than detaching parts of its body if it wanted to get Drifter. The spearmaster''s reaction time might not be as fast as Kirito or Yuuki''s, but that still meant he was above 99% of SAO players.

    The Fountain Guardian appeared to be completely unbothered by its injury. Without a sound, the mob raised its sword, which Drifter now identified as a falcata, in an attempt to cut the spearmaster.

    Drifter didn''t even lift his spear in defense. He wasn''t alone, and it was about time his guildmates joined the battle.

    A Shield Bash smashed into the Fountain Guardian, sending it reeling back. Shigio then immediately turned back to the other mob, the one which he was supposed to keep occupied, and used Unrepentant Charge.

    Field awareness was an essential skill for any tanker. Just being able to endure hits well wasn''t enough. Tanks were the ones who controlled the flow of the battle. They had an immense responsibility on their shoulders.

    Shigio was really good at his job. His skill knocked over the first Fountain Guardian, directly in the path of Yuuki''s swords.

    The orange glow of Cross Slash, one of Dual Blade''s skills, illuminated the mob. Two perpendicular lines were left across its chest and head. Another skill, a simple Horizontal, opened a gash across both of its thighs.

    The third skill, a Vorpal Strike, the mob managed to block. There was a loud bang when Yuuki''s sword hit the shield head-on and was sent veering off course. Even then, the purple-haired girl''s left hand flicked, putting a hole through the mob''s stomach.

    The whole exchange lasted maybe 3 seconds. More than enough time for Drifter to pierce the Fountain Guardian''s head with a Rage Spike.

    He caught a blur over the corner of his eyes. Asuna, using Yuuki as cover to get behind the mob.

    Deciding to provide an even better distraction, the spearmaster lashed out with a violent kick. His leg shone silver with a Martial Arts: Tendon Snap.

    Unlike most of the other Martial Arts skills, which mostly aimed to stun and incapacitate, Tendon Snap sought one thing and one thing only: crushing damage.

    A dent appeared on the left side of the Fountain Guardian''s torso, red shards dropping like paint flaking from an old wall. Or maybe rust from a corrugated fence was a more appropriate metaphor.

    Either way, the pure brutality, the sheer power and violence behind the kick, was more than enough to throw the mob off balance. And that was all Asuna needed to hit it with a series of skills.

    Sharp Hail, Parallel Sting, Glass Shard. Over a dozen red dots appeared all over the back of the Fountain Guardian. More than enough to wipe out the last of its HP.

    As the mob crumbled, the Reavers trained their attention to the other Fountain Guardian. Shigio was doing a good job of blocking it, and between his skills and Sinon''s arrows, it was already down to yellow health.

    Cocking his arm, Drifter launched a Serpentcoil Impale. It punched a hole straight through the side of the monster. Three last arrows from Sinon - Double Shot and Breaking Airflow - ended it for good.

    In the afterglow of the battle, the sound of light panting was all that could be heard. Drifter quickly regulated his breathing and reflected on the skirmish.

    It had been a battle of skills. The players, Drifter included, had barely used any normal attacks. That was his fault. He was the one who said he wanted to finish it quickly.

    Still, it provided lots of useful information. The mobs'' intelligence, their cooperation, attack patterns, their ability to separate their limbs - and he thought he saw the last one about to activate a skill, but they had killed it before it could.

    "Serration Wave."

    Kizmel seemed to read his mind, because she spoke the name of the skill softly - you didn''t shout in a tower. Drifter tilted his head.

    "You sure?"

    "Uhum. The color and starting stance matched."

    The spearmaster nodded. Serration Wave was a basic skill for sword-and-shield-users. It made sense the Fountain Guardians could use it.

    "Anything else special? Other than it avoiding my spear the first time."

    "No."

    "Okay. Let''s keep going. Now that we know what we are up against, we''ll study the next one. Shigio."

    "I know. Leave it to me."

    The shield-bearer nodded reassuringly without Drifter even needing to tell him what he wanted. The guild leader patted his shoulder.

    "Thanks. We will keep the same formation. Sinon, focus fire on the ones we are engaging, leave Shigio''s alone. Normal attacks only when we get to it. I want to dissect their skill set."

    The girls either nodded or made noises of agreement. Drifter heaved his spear onto his shoulder and started walking.

    Deeper into the labyrinth.