Chapter 4
January 5th, 2023
(A few minutes later)
I ran as fast as I could into the city of Falconus, straining my virtual lungs with each breath. The streets were packed with players and NPCs alike, though there appeared to be more than just the usual crowd gathered for the afternoon rush. After apologizing my heart out for bumping into so many people, I finally made it to the centre of the city. I rushed into the amphitheatre and looked around frantically through the congregation of people until I spotted Bran and the others. With a beating heart, I used my last remaining ounce of energy to force my way through the crowd and make it to Bran, sitting down next to him.
"BRAN! *gasp* I'm *gasp* here!"
"Great," he whispered. "Now quiet. They're about to make the announcement."
'The announcement'. There was only one announcement that mattered in this world, and we all knew what it was.
After sitting quietly for a moment, a young man in his late twenties walked out onto the stage in a green, grass-stained tunic. Everybody in Aincrad knew him as the man who orchestrated all the battle plans for the floor boss raids. Adrian the Planner they called him.
"Attention everyone! Thank you all for gathering here with me today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Adrian, and I have great news."
We all knew exactly what he was going to say, and yet we all still waited with bated breath…
"After countless attempts to navigate through the labyrinth, we've discovered the boss room!"
We all cheered hearing the news. In this place, good news and dreams were the only thing keeping us going.
"Ok! settle down! Time to get down to business. The boss is a minotaur by the name of Zakeil. From what we've seen, his front seems armoured, but his sides are unprotected. We'll split into groups and attack it from all angles. Now, those who are fighting, please step forward."
"Are we fighting?" asked Astrid.
"Heck yeah we're fightin'! Right, boss man?"
"Now hold on," interrupted Luisa. "What about Osaka? She's only level 7. I'm the second lowest level in our group, and yet I'm still double hers. I don't think it'd be wise to take her into a giant battle like this. You agree, right Bran?
"As your grand, fearless leader," Bran announced, "I say that we fight! You'll be fine, won't you? Like Adrian said, we'll be in groups, so its not like you'll be fighting alone."
I was still terrified of boss battles, especially floor bosses. The enemies were usually twice as big and twice as strong as normal bosses. Even with large groups, there was no guarantee that you'd be safe. 14 people died in the first battle alone. Even so, it was people like me who were making clearing this game harder and take longer. People like would prefer to sit back in safety while others risked their lives. I didn't want to do it, but I had to. It was the least I could do, for not just my guild, but all the players trapped in this world. I took a deep breath and readied myself to make a confident announcement, but my body refused.
"I-I want to help too," I whispered.
All of us stepped forward, with there being a total of twenty of us. Adrain surveyed the assembly. He was clearly disappointed in the numbers, but did his best to hide it.
"Great! A little less than I'd have liked, but that's ok. I see a few familiar faces that I know have what it takes, as well as a few new ones willing to help out. Just know that all of your contributions help. I know it's not easy to willing through yourself in harms way for the greater good, but I appreciate all of you. Now, I'd like each of you to find a partner and add them to a temporary party.
I had only just turned back to the group, and yet they were all teaming up already, with Dyrk paired with Astrid and Bran with Luisa. I found myself running around the area, trying to recruit a fellow player, but my efforts proved futile as my small stature rendered me essentially invisible in the bustling see of people. I found myself getting pushed almost crushed withing the ground until finally making it out into a clearing and spotting a familiar face. One that I didn't think I'd ever see again.
"Raigen!" I exclaimed, rushing over to him and embracing his leg tightly.
"Little lady?!" He chuckled. "My god! It is you! Come here!"
He lifted me off the ground, twirling me around in the air before gently placing me back on the ground – the familiar action stirring wonderful memories of my father.
Raigen inquired, "I take it you're looking for a person to partner with?"
"I mean," I fidgeted my feet, "If it's not too much trouble."
"Like I said, you can never be too much trouble," he reassured, adding me to his party.
A man interrupted, "So…who's this?" He asked in a thick, German accent.
Distracted by my reunion, I didn't notice another man standing beside Raigen. A guy with spiky fire-red hair in his late twenties.
"Oh, this is a friend of mine. Osaka, this is…well, also a friend of mine. This is Toru."
"Ooh. Noch ein Deutscher?" I asked.
"Huh? I'm sorry, I don't understand," Toru chuckled. "I'm may be German, but I never stopped to learn the language."
"Then I'll just have to teach you one day," I smiled.
"I guess I'll have to find someone else to partner with, huh Raigen?" he asked.
Raigen responded, "I know I'm not the only friend you've got. I'm sure you'll find someone."
###
(A few minutes later)
After discussions concluded and everybody dispersed, I chose to linger with Raigen for a bit. It'd bee too long since I'd last seen him.
"Cool sword," I commented, eyeing off his impressive weapon.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Raigen replied with a grin
I hadn't seen another like it before. The silver colour of his blade had a dark blue pearlescent sheen and the pommel resembled a proud lion.
"What weapon do you have?" he asked.
"Just the starting dagger," I admitted. "I haven't been doing very well on money."
Turning to Toru, Raigen asked "How much cor do you have?"
"About 1200," he replied.
"Mind if I borrow about…300 to get the little lady a new weapon? I'll pay you back."
"Huh?!" I exclaimed, surprised by the offer.
"Well, she is only a kid, and I'd sleep a lot easier knowing that I chose to help. Better wake it 600. Can't have her dying on us, can we?"
"A-Are you sure?!" I stammered.
"Yeah. A buddy of mine owns a little weapons cart. He should still be in the city somewhere.
He turned his back, opening the menu and navigating through the friends tab and clicking someone. Pressing the call button to utilize Sword Art Online's 'telepath' function, which was essentially just a way to call other players, so long as they weren't in a dungeon. He held two fingers up to his ear and began speaking, though I could only hear his side of the conversation.
"Kuram, my man! Are you still in Falconus? Sweet. Do you think you could meet me near the centre of town? I've got a customer for you. Bring all the daggers price 600 cor and below. Ooh, friends discount? I like the sound of that? See you soon pal," he spoke.
Clicking the red button, he turned back to me with a smile.
"Come on. Lets go. I'll catch up with you later, Toru."
###
(A few minutes later)
We walked through the town for a few minutes, taking a longer route than usual to avoid the bustling croud. Eventuall, we reached the town square and I spotted the man Raigen was talking about. It wasn't hard. He was the only formidable figure standing next to a weapons cart. Measuring 6'1", the imposing man with silky golden hair and a battle axe strapped to his back looked down at me with a warm, gentle smile.
"Hello there, little one." The mans voice resonated deeply, like a TV announcer in an international movie. He spoke in an American accent, a detail that confused me, considering the NerveGear was never released outside of Japan. "An what might your name be?"
"I-I'm Osaka! I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kuram!" I bowed my head.
I couldn't help but be nervous. The guy was basically double my size. Yet, he chuckled.
"There's no need to be so nervous, little one. I don't bite. And Mr? Please, just Kuram is fine. So I take it you're the customer Raigen was talking about? I wasn't expecting someone so young, but no matter. I have something for everyone. Tell me what you're looking for."
My eyes scanned across the table, examining the array of weapons, each a testament to Kuram's investment into the weapon crafting skill tree. Blue, black, red, green. Some made of silvers. Others gold and bronze. Even a few made of crystal, which required a really high level in crafting. The variety was staggering, with so many different shapes, sizes, colours and designs, but one weapon caught my eye.
"Woah! Raigen, look at that one!" I pointed at the unnamed crystalline dagger. Semi-transparent and made of a foggy, rose gold coloured crystal. Opening the menu over the weapon revealed that the DEX level matched my own, making it a perfect fit.
"Oh! That one? Whoops. I was meant to put that one way. That's urr… Well, it's pretty expensive," Kuram admitted, causing my heart to sink at the though of somebody else buying it.
"How about you choose another one? What about the blue one?" Raigen suggested.
"I mean, I guess," I replied, trying my best not to sound too disappointed.
Kuram inquired, "What did you say your budget was again?"
"600 cor," Raigen replied.
"Would you bump it up to 8?" Kuram proposed.
"I'd make it 10 if I needed to. Come on. Help a guy out," Raigen pleaded.
"I've never really been good at saying no to kids. They just get so sad and then I feel awful, so I'll tell you what. You give me 800, and the sparkly pink one is hers," Kuram said with a generous smile on his face.
"Done," Raigen agreed, pulling out a thick leather sack from his inventory and handing it over to Kuram.
"Are you sure?!" I exclaimed, taken back by the unexpected generosity.
"Sure," Kuram replied. "It's called, urr…flower…bane. Yeah. That's it."
Raigen rolled his eyes, "Oh, you're so full of it."
Kuram completed the transaction, transferring ownership of the dagger named Flowerbane to me. The moment I received the notification, I equipped the dazzling weapon.
"EEEK! I LOVE IT! THANK YOU, KURAM! THANK YOU, RAIGEN!" I squealed in delight."
###
January 10th, 2023
(A few days later)
To say the journey had been arduous would have been an understatement. Navigating through the labyrinth paths, battling enemies and confronting the undeniable truth – I'm what's holding this raiding party back. Level 7 in a group where the next lowest level players was level 13, and most hovered around level 16. Uselessness was a heavy burden.
Adrian took charge like always, leading us along the perilous path until we finally arrived at an imposing, 8 metre tall red door. It stood as a foreboding gateway that dominated the surrounding space, standing as a stark reminded of the perilous journey that lead here and the challenges that awaited those who dared step beyond its threshold. Adrian interacted with the door, swinging it open. The boss room revealed Zakeil – a colossal red minotaur with golden horns and a menacing sword. The room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by my quiet exclamation.
"Oh my gosh," I whispered."
Fear rooted me to the spot. My body wanted to retreat, but my heart knew I couldn't, or perhaps I was so paralysed by fear with the gravity of the situation that I was unable to move. Whichever it was, my feet were anchored to the floor. With every second I stood before it, the fear amplified. Zakeil's nostrils flared, steam rising from them as we approached. The air was thick with tension as I started to understand the gravity of the situation. This wasn't just any battle. This was a pivotal moment in Aincrad. One that would either shape our journey to the top, or end it.
Dyrk glanced over at the weapon it was holding. "It's huge," he remarked.
"It's a tachi," Adrian responded. "Ok, teams. Get into position."
Being a novice, I resorted to trailing behind the others. Groups gathered on both sides of the boss, as well as the front. Both Raigen and I, as well as our team positioned ourselves to the left of the creature, close enough to smell it. The stench was nauseating, like old, decaying pork.
Adrain held his hand up, preparing to signal. "On my mark," he said.
Silence enveloped the room as we all waited for the signal. Being so close to the creature I couldn't help express my fear to Raigen.
"Raigen, I'm not ready for this. I don't think I can do this."
Focused on the boss, Raigen responded without turning to me, "I'm sorry, but it's too late to back out now. Just stay close to me. You'll be fine. Just stay next to me."
At Adrian's command, we all charged towards the looking figure. Zakeil raised its sword, glowing with a red hue.
"Bosses can use sword skills?!" I exclaimed – my panic a contrast with the calm demeanour of most of the other players.
Adrian efficiently directed the battle, orchestrating attacks and defences seamlessly, all while attacking himself. Despite the absolute chaos of shouting and attacking, Adrian remained composed. The battle demanded synchronization, and one wrong move could be fatal. Bran led assault team three, striking Zakeil from its right side. The creature retaliated by slamming its sword down against the ground, creating a line of energy. Teams adjusted their positions accordingly, showcasing not only their own skill, but Adrians aptitude for commanding. As Adrian barked commands, everybody followed them to the letter. When it was finally my turn to attack, I charged in, swinging my dagger wildly. Raigen clearly noticed my lack of direction and called for a switch.
Switching, though not a physical game mechanic was a common strategy used in MMO's (Major Multiplayer Online). It prevented friendly fire by allowing a single player to attack at a time and offered the other player time to recover before their assault again. In my case, it offered a brief respite from the reality of battling a half-man half-bull creature, and allowed me study the moves of other players and determine how I was meant to attack. This whole experiences was still all new to me.
With its first HP bar depleted, Zakeil turn its attention toward assault team two, who was in the front. Adrian, maintaining his composure orchestrated a counter attack, urging spear wielders to target the creatures ankles. The manoeuvre was executed flawlessly, causing Zakeil to stumble backwards and crash into a wall, initiating the transition to it second and final HP bar. The battle was progressing smoothly with Adrian now ordering the archers to attack. The battle had almost concluded when Adrain began charging directly towards the enemies.
"Cover me!" he yelled. "You're not getting the last attack this time, you hooded bastard!"
He ran closer, charging his skill, but the boss began doing the same, preparing to unleash the Poison Crater skill to counter Adrian's move, but he wasn't looking. He was too fixated on getting the final strike on the enemy. Acting on instinct, I rushed towards him, desperate to prevent a devastating attack.
"No! Get out of there! He's charging up another at-" My warning was cut short as Zakeil's sword struck the ground sending both Adrian and I crashing backwards.
The AoE (Area of Effect) skill took a toll on my HP, damaging me so much as to shift the colour of it from green to yellow, below 40% of my total health. Pain surged through my body, but there was no time to dwell on it. Adrian lay on the ground, suffering the effects of the poison. I rushed over to him, crouching before him and placing his head on my lap.
His calm demeanour surprised me. "Ha. Would you look at that. My HP is still going down. And do you see that little green skull and cross bones next to it? Guess it really was poison," he chuckled before grunting in pain.
I frantically called out for help, but nobody responded to my cries. Tears streamed down my face, not due to my pain, but from the helplessness of watching a fellow player suffer.
"You're going to be ok!" I cried. "SOMEBODY HELP!"
I desperately searched my inventory for an antidote crystal to heal him.
"Adrain, with a sigh replied, "No. I… I don't think I will be."
"What are you saying?! You have to be! You need to fight! We need you! Somebody help!" My voice trembled as I desperately sought a solution.
It was no use. Raigen, as well as everyone from my guild were occupied with the battle and therefore, couldn't come to my aid. With a calm acceptance, Adrain uttered, "You know, you remind me a lot of my daughter. She would have been about your age now."
"Then get up! You need to stay alive so you can get back to her! In the real world!" I pleaded, but Adrian's resolve remained unshaken.
"No. I think today, I might join her. Go. Kill that thing. I'm coming…Hikari."
Adrian's HP bar dwindled, and with a burst of polygons, he vanished. The reality of a life lost finally hitting me at its full force. There was no time to grieve. No time to apologies. There wasn't even any time to be sad. All there was…was anger. Anger towards the boss, this world, and the man who trapped us here, Akihiko Kayaba. It all surged through me at once as I rose to my feet.
"Grrah! Raigen! Switch!" I shouted in a fit of rage, sprinting toward the creatures legs, my metal heels clanking against the hard stone floor.
"You got it!" Wait, I have an idea! Osaka! Under its legs! Archers! Swing around behind it and create a line of arrows travelling length of its leg!"
Raigen's strategy became apparent immediately. The archers' arrows created a line up the back of Zakeil's leg, similar to a ladder. I jumped up, grabbing an arrow with my left hand and stabbing into the monster with my dagger on the right, climbing higher and higher with each movement. While the creature was distracted by the other players, I had climbed all the way to the back of its head. I charged up Downward Slash, a basic sword skill for frontal assaults, but repurposed it, jumping down in front of the monster, causing my dagger to slide through its head, down between its eyes and slide the entire length of the creature. As I landed on the ground, the boss fell backwards, stopping awkwardly midway through its fall and disappearing into a million polygons. Exhaustion took hold of me and I fell to my knees, but that was the least of my concerns. Cheers erupted around me, and one player in a hood even strode up the staircase to the next floor, seemingly unphased by the victory.
"My god! We did it!" a man exclaimed.
"Level up!" another cheered.
"Holy crap! I went up almost 2 levels!" Astrid exclaimed.
"Dude, me too!" Toru added.
Everybody was celebrating, immersed by the joy of victory, but my voice cut through the cheers.
"STOP IT!"
The room fell silent, a tearful frustration filling my voice.
"Did any of you even realize that we lost somebody?"
The silence continued, only further adding to my anger.
"NOBODY?!" I couldn't contain my tears and more. Cold, salty liquid flowed from my face down to the floor.
I heard people in the background questioning. 'We lost someone?' 'Who did we lose?'. I couldn't believe how quickly they discarded hi,. Adrian was the soul reason we made it this far, and not only did nobody care, but they didn't even realize that he was gone.
"Adrian!" Raigen shouted unexpectedly, his rage a reflection of the gravity of the situation. "It was Adrian! You're goddamn battle commander you bastards!"
"What ever happened to the rule?! HUH?!" I yelled.
In Aincrad, we lived by a simple code. 'You never let another player's HP drop to zero. No matter what.'
"The one who made all this possible! Are you trying to tell me that none of you heard Osaka's cries?!" Raigen challenged their disregard.
"We just thought she was exaggerating?" A man tried to explain. "After all, she is just-"
Dyrk intervened, his hot-headed nature surfacing as he slammed his fist into the players face, causing his own cursor to shift from green to orange. "What?! She's just a kid?! You think that gives you the right to be ignorin' 'er?! You make me sick! The lot of you! Heartless bastard!"
I approached Raigen, wrapping my warms around him, seeking some solace from the situation. Raigen reciprocated, an anchor to my emotional storm.
"Let this be a lesson," Raigen added. "To everyone. Battle is a dangerous thing. Get that through your skulls, people! This isn't a game! This is real! Every time you set foot outside of town, you're playing with people's lives! There's no respawning here! I understand you're all glad we won, but have some respect for the people who got you here."
Despite Raigen's impassioned plea, the murmurs that followed suggested a lack of genuine concern.
"Saka!" yelled Luisa, rushing towards me. "Are you ok?!"
I shook my head as she hugged me.
"I want to go home."
I want to get out of here as much as everyone else, but will the toll of death outweigh the victory in the end?
###
(A few hours later)
"You've barely touched your food," Bran remarked.
"Come on, Osaka. You've got to eat your dinner," Luisa encouraged gently.
How did they expect me to eat? After what happened today, how did they even expect me to function. When Maxis died, I ran off. I didn't stay to watch. I never actually saw him die. Adrian died in my arms. I was the last person he talked to before he died.
"What if it were one of you?" I whispered, the weight of the recent loss heavy in my voice.
"Huh?" queried Astrid.
"What if one of you had been on the other side of that attack? I just… He didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to anyone," I voice, fear and grief hanging to my words.
"You're worried about losing us, aren't you?" Luisa's understanding gaze met mine. Causing me to break down.
"You saw how fast it happened! He made one wrong move, and it killed him!"
"I see," Bran interjected. "Not only are you afraid of losing us, but you're afraid that things will be left unsaid. We'll if that's the case, I have an idea. I recently bought some audio recorders from an NPC on floor 3. I was going to use them as a way of keeping a diary as we continued along the floors, so I could document things, but this is a better use. I'll give each of you four of them so you can record a message to send on the off chance we do die. Make it about whatever you want. Biggest regret. Greatest desire. We'll send one each to everyone in the guild and set it to be received on Christmas. If we're still alive, we cancel it. Simple as that. Then nothing will be left unsaid."
"Sounds good, boss man." Dyrk agreed.
Bran distributed the audio recorders to each of us and we all headed to our rooms at the inn. I materialized each of the items from my inventory and placed them on the table. They were a small, diamond shaped object that floated above the desk, with a large circular button in the middle. Each device could fit in the balm of my hand. I decided to record a group message and hit the button on all of them at once.
"Umm… H-Hi guys. If you're…urr…hearing this message, it means I'm probably dead."
Everything suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks to the chest. The air left my lungs as I realized the magnitude of what I had just said.
"Oh gosh!"
My breathing became more rapid as hysteria set my. My chest began to tighten and my heart started to ache as images of Adrian flooded my mind. My face tensed up so hart that it hurt as tears dribbled down my face onto the table below.
"I ke-keep seeing his face in my head! I don't want to die like that! I don't want to die! Please! I-I just want to go home! I want my mum!" I cried out, spilling all my raw emotion into every word.