Chapter 7
November 5th, 2023
(46 days later)
"November 5th, 2023. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Aincrad…and my 12th birthday," I sighed, twirling my dagger against the table.
"That's rough," Kikina empathized.
The day felt more melancholic than ever. Ever since I can remember, there had been a single birthday where I wasn't bouncing off the walls the day before, but this time felt...different. Depressive.
As usual, a lot had changed over the last month and a half. I reunited with Raigen, Toru and Kuram soon after Enzu's death. The four of us stayed together and went on quests and I started adventuring with them in my free time away from the guild. One of our adventures lead us to a group of players who were under attack, so we went to help. Remi, Raymon and Azura. Their party leader had died during the attack, so they began staying with us, going from tavern to tavern as we roamed, but the bills began piling up quickly, so Kuram had an idea. He sold his weapons cart and put all of his money towards buying a little place of his own on floor 27. The Silver Flask. He told us all that we could stay for free, so I packed up my things and left the Round Table and moved into Kuram's tavern. Even Kikina moved in, which was nice, but it did get lonely here. Remi, Raymon and Azura liked to explore, Kikina had to attend to her smithy, Raigen and Toru liked to go on quests that were too difficult for me, and come night, Kuram liked to go out and level up. I wasn't brave enough to go out into the field alone. Not since Enzu.
"This is going to be my first birthday without my mother and brother," I sighed once more.
It felt like forever ago, but I still remember exactly how my birthday went last year. Mum had left for work early and told me not to log in until she got back so we could have cake. I didn't listen. Though it was a present for me, everybody in the house decided that the NerveGear would be shared between me and my brother, so I ran into my Keishi's room and begged him to let me log in. He had work, and knew that I'd probably just take it while he wasn't home, so with a heavy heart, he agreed to let me use it. I rushed back to my room and threw the headset on, unaware of the horrors that would come of my impatience.
"Gosh, has it really almost been a year?" Azura, the ocean-blue haired girl asked. "Does anybody know how many of us have died?"
The atmosphere grew heavy with the question, and the concept of death always did.
"That player who's been counting every month. Darkstar I think his name was. Last I heard, he counted 2,673, and that was five days ago," Kuram answered.
"Almost 2,700?!" I exclaimed. "We're only 27 floors in!"
"Peace to the fallen," Kikina murmured.
Players hadn't been levelling up like they used to, and not enough people were volunteering for the boss battles. Even I was too afraid to join them anymore. Usually, at least five players would die per battle.
"Hey, Kuram," Raigen beckoned. "Can you get me some ale? I need...something to take the edge off. This is getting too heavy for me."
"You got it," he replied, scrounging through the pile of bottles under his counter.
As it got closer to the anniversary, it became ever more apparent that our progress wasn't as promising as we'd hoped. The prospect of clearing the game seemed like a fantasy. If we kept going as we were, we'd be here another three years at least before we got out, and that was if we didn't all die before then.
Raymon rose to his feet and began facing the inn, clearly frustrated with how far from the end we were.
"Oh, what now?" Remi groaned. "What's on your mind this time?"
"We can't just sit around and do nothing. We have to stick to Poran's plan," Raymon suggested. "Level up and join one of the high level guil-"
"Shut up!" Remi snapped. "Poran's dead!"
"Please, calm down," Azura intervened. "We all know what she meant to you, but Raymon didn't kill her. There's no need to get angry at him. What he was trying to say is-"
"Is this the part where you tell me that it's what she would have wanted?" Remi growled. "Save your breath. Kuram, was it? Get me a drink."
"Aren't you 17?" Kuram questioned.
"What are you? A fucking cop? Can't you just let me deal with grief in my own way? Please?" Remi sighed.
"Yeah, alright," he replied, sliding over an ale to her.
"You know what? Forget about it," she groaned. "I'm going to bed."
As Remi left the room, the tension eased, and Toru and Azura also decided to call it a night. I looked out the window a at the moon shining down onto the snow below, just piercing the blizzard with its light. Floor 27 was exclusively a tundra biome, so it got cold later in the year. It got me thinking about whether the weather system was the cause of the snow, or if the floor was designed with only snow in mind.
The door of the inn swung open, immediately chilling the room as the howling winds blew the frost in. Caught up in my unusual and entirely unproductive thoughts, I didn't notice a player approaching. He stepped through the threshold and closed the door behind him. The player, draped in a black cloak with a hood on brushed the excess snow from the blizzard off of his shoulders with deliberate grace. Undeterred by the wintry elements, he walked across the room, his every step muffled by the soft padding of his boots. Likely the result of shoes possessing high stealth stats. As he reached the old worn counter of the inn, Kuram smiled at him.
"I wondered when I'd see you again," Kuram grinned. "What can I get for you?"
"Roasted mountain salmon sandwich," the hooded player replied with a yawn, running his hand down his face..
"You got it," Kuram confirmed, heading into the kitchen.
I sat, looking at the figure for a moment before cautiously approaching. I sheepishly grabbed the sleeve of his coat and gave it a slight tug.
"Ye- Oh. It's you. The beast tamer, right?" he asked?
He lowered his hood, revealing an unexpected look. A young man, possibly in his late teen years with smooth, pale skin and silky brown hair that passed his neck. With his flawless skin, long hair and soft face shape, his appearance seemed rather feminine. Getting a closer look, even his body shape was lacking in masculine features, though the coat did well to hide his thin limbs and lack of muscle. Everything about how he looked was a shock to me. After watching him fight, I expected somebody completely different. I expected a tall man with tons of experience and huge muscles, and instead, it was revealed that my savior was about 5'5" and had the appearance to join a J-Pop group without even needing makeup.
"Y-Yeah. That's me. Osaka. I-I never got your name."
"I didn't tell you? Sorry about that. I guess I just assumed that everyone knew who I was. I'm Shiraki," he replied.
Shiraki. It had a nice ring to it, and it was an easy to remember Jame, yet unique in it's own way.
Just as he said his name, Kikina shot up from her seat and bashed her hands against the table, causing everyone who was still awake to turn towards her.
"Hold the phone! She exclaimed. "Shiraki?! As in Shiraki the Hooded Swordsman."
"That is one of the names I've been called, yes," he answered.
"You've heard of him?" I asked.
I'd heard of a few players who had made a name for themselves. Darkstar the counter, Chiyo the info broker, the Baron of Blood, Needlepoint Rizea and Commander Benjin, but I'd never heard of the Hooded Swordsman. Then again, I rarely went outside anymore, so I was bound to miss important news.
"Who hasn't heard of him?! He's a legend!" Raymon exclaimed in excitement. "They tell stories of the player, covered head to toe by a black hooded coat, with a strength stat so high that he can wield a two handed great sword in one hand. He protects the weak and slays all the foes before him!"
"That's mostly true, but not the sword part. Contrary to what people think, the weapon I use is just an extended long sword," Shiraki clarified. "A one-of-a-kind weapon called 'Judgement Blade' that I unlocked by getting the final attack bonus on the first boss. The game registers it as a one handed weapon, but when I first got it, even with my high strength and dexterity skills, I could barely wield it without two hands. My guess is that it was originally, it was meant to be designed as the shortest great sword, but the devs decided to go a different direction with it, without changing too much of the code."
"Its been too long, kid," Raigen reminisced.
"You know him too?! HOW?!" Kikina demanded.
"Because the three of us were in a party together during the first floor boss," Kuram shared, placing a plate with a sandwich on it in front of him. "Now that was a day to remember. The day we took our first steps in beating this world."
"I had no idea," I admitted.
"There are many things you don't know about your good old uncle Raigen and his friends," Raigen smiled.
"Uncle, huh?" Kikina remarked. "I suppose you do give off that cool uncle sort of vibe,"
"I try to be as friendly as I can. Within reason," he responded.
The playful banter continued until I decided "Ok, from now on, you will be uncle Raigen," I giggled.
"Fine with me," Raigen smiled, embracing his new title with amusement.
I can see that. This whole time I've been with him, he's been acting like a cool uncle, trying to help me out with whatever I need, and whenever he sees me, he greets me with a smile. If I'm apparently the cute one of the group, he can be the uncle.
"So, are you guys…getting stronger?" Shiraki inquired.
His question hung in the air for a moment in a rather peculiar was. As he awaited a response, his movements and expressions seemed slightly off, giving the impression that he wasn't used to small talk. There was a distinct hesitation in his body language, like he found casual conversation a chore. It was apparent that small talk wasn't entirely within his comfort zone.
"I'm level 29," Raigen responded.
"I'm level 26," Kikina added. "I spend most of my time tending to my smithy, so I don't get a whole lot of time to level up."
"I'm only level 27," Kuram admitted.
"I'm level 30," boasted Raymon. "I'm going to join the Knights of the Bloodoath next month. What about you?"
Shiraki's face tensed up in disgust at the mention of the KoB, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, he disclosed "41."
My jaw dropped hearing the number. On floor 27, the enemies had an average level of 31, and somehow, he was 10 levels above that. I wasn't even sure it was possible to be so strong. Had he ever stopped training since day 1?
"And you?" he asked, turning to me. "You were level…15 last time I saw you. And now?"
My body froze and my throat went dry. I tried to speak, but the words simply wouldn't come out. He was going to mock me. I just knew it. He was ridiculously strong and I was the polar opposite.
"Sorry about her," Raigen chuckled. "She still gets nervous around people. We're still trying to work on that. Osaka is level 20."
"Only level 20? The enemies on this floor have an average level of 30. You do know that, right?" he asked.
"I know," I sighed. "I've tried levelling with guilds, but they usually take more XP since I'm only a child.
"Then why not go alone?" he suggested.
"Last time I went out on my own, I lost Enzu. I'm… I'm too scared to go out on my own.
"Hmm. It's 8:30. What time do you sleep?"
"Uncle Raigen says my bed time is 9 o'clock, but sometimes I stay awake till 9:30."
"Sleep is important," Raigen sighed.
"Uncle?" he whispered. "So I guess that would mean that he's the one looking after you. Raigen, you trust me, right? Shiraki inquired curiously.
"I see where this is going. Yes, I do, but it's not up to me. It's up to her."
"Do you want to go out and train with me?" Shiraki asked.
The invitation was just what I needed. Training with somebody as powerful as him would not only enhance my combat skills, but possibly even overcome my fear of monsters. A spark of curiosity ignited within me. Could there be a method or strategy to transform my chaotic blade dance into a formidable fighting style?
Excitement bubbled up as I jumped from my seat, bowing almost instinctively to express my eagerness. Shiraki jolted back, seemingly caught off guard by my display.
"C-Come on now. It's no big deal. Let's just get this over with before it gets any more awkward, huh?"
The two of us departed, opening the door and getting assaulted by the bitting cold winds. The icy air gnawed at me, seeping through the thin armour, causing me to involuntarily tense my body. I looked up at Shiraki, who seemed entirely unphased by the frost. Likely his coat provided adequate protect from the elements, which left me yearning for the warmth of the such attire. However, he trudged forward through the thick snow, completely ignoring my discomfort. I followed behind, walking in his footsteps as to try and avoid walking through thick patches of snow. As we trekked further, my inquisitiveness overwhelmed my discomfort and I couldn't help but question the dangers of the new area. I'd never travelled to Yeulic Plateau, so I was unfamiliar with what creatures awaited.
"How strong are the enemies here?" I managed to utter, the cold making my jaw stiff.
"The frost trolls here are level 30," he replied.
"Level 30?!" I exclaimed. "Y-You're going to kill them right?!"
He grinned as a giant, 3 metre tall troll rushed out of the cave, swinging a huge wooden club. The pale blue eyes of the creature seemed to glow in the moonlight, while its thick blue fur shielded it from the elements.
"Pay attention," he smiled. "There's a reason I chose frost trolls."
Drawing his weapon, Shiraki walked towards the stampeding creature, displaying no signs of fear.
"I've seen you fight," he admitted. "You're small. You rely solely on speed rather than strength. Trolls are the opposite. They're big. They rely on their strength at the expense of mobility. Use that to your advantage."
His tutorial began the moment the troll reached him. It raised its heavy club and swung its club to the left, hitting the ground. Shiraki simply stepped to the side to avoid the attack and unleashed his own torrent of slashes before moving out of the way. I watched in awe as the actions continued and Shiraki danced around the behemoth. Each careful step he took to avoid the attacks was like a choreographed dance. An intricate dance between player and AI (Artificial Intelligence). Before long, the dance had concluded and the creature was defeated.
"See? All I did was move side to side, and it completely threw off the AI. Trolls are rather unintelligent creatures, so it's easy to trick them, but some other creatures require a bit more trickery. Even so, their programs. Programs obey the will of the program."
I'd never thought about it that way. I, and so many other players had been too caught up in trying to survive that we'd forgotten that the creatures that scared us were nothing more than billions of lines of code, all written to behave a certain way.
"The same applies when it comes to players," he added. "Most players are too afraid to try anything new. Their fighting styles become repetitive. Predictable. All you need to do is predict that patters, just as you would with an AI. Don't think of a player any differently than you would a monster. Fool them. Rewrite their way of thinking, and you'll never lose a battle. To neither monster nor player. Now, it's your turn."
"I- I can't!" I stammered.
"Yes you can! You're stronger than you think. Your greatest enemy isn't a troll. It's your own lack of self confidence."
"But if it hits me-"
"What colour is your HP gauge?" he asked.
"G-Green?" I replied.
"Yes. Not yellow. Not red. Green. Full."
"I've seen players with full HP die in seconds!"
"Then don't be you during the battle."
"Huh?"
He explained, "Osaka has watched countless people die. Osaka is a coward. Osaka is too scared to fight because of the things she's witness. So don't be Osaka. Put on a mask. Just like when you're playing behind a screen. Focus on that."
"B-But I can't!"
"NEVER BACK DOWN FROM A FIGHT!" he raged. "Are you just going to sit back and wait for others to do everything for you?! Is that it?! Not even you're that pathetic! YOU'RE A WAARIOR! FIGHT!"
His words pierced through urging me to discard my lack of self confidence. With the arrival of another troll, I unburdened myself from my fear. I adopted a new mindset. One of a warrior, embracing the cold, reassured by the green hue of my health bar. I positioned my legs shoulder width apart, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the polar air of the night. It stung, but I knew it was what I needed. I opened my eyes and exhaled just as the troll began swinging its club. A surge of energy enveloped my body, creating a feeling I'd never experienced before. As if I'd just been jump started. I drew my blade and stepped to the side, avoiding the attack of the troll. My movements flowed seamlessly as I embraced my newfound confidence, performing an intricate blade dance around the creature. It lifted its weapon once again, but just as before, I dodged, sliding across the snow, under its legs to attack it from behind, utilizing the bonus damage of a back stab. Though its attacks were heavy and would no doubt result in a near death experience if I were hit, my speed was unmatched. I dismissed the enemy with relative ease. As it fell, the window appeared before me. I'd levelled up.
"Were you…glowing for a second?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"I-It's nothing. Must have been my imagination. Anyway, here comes another one. Keep it up.
###
November 6th, 2023
(The Next Day)
The aftermath of the intense training session left my entire body aching. The NerveGear, with it's uncanny ability to simulate the symptoms of exhaustion and fatigue, had seemingly pushed me to my physical limit.
I exited my room and groaned, "Ugh! I'm so soooooore! Training is hard!"
"It was worth it though, wasn't it?" Shiraki responded.
I groaned, zoning out of the conversation as I rested my head against the table. I heard Raigen and Shiraki taking about my level, buy I was too tired and sore to pay attention. The sound around me began to fade and my vision grew darker as my body prepared to drift off into a peaceful slumber, only to be interrupted by my cheek being poked. I regained my senses and my head shot up from the table. I turned towards the hand that poked me and instinctively bit down on the finger.
"Ouch!" Shiraki yelped. "What the hell?!"
"U'm fowwy," I uttered, his finger still in my mouth.
"You're still biting me!" he complained.
I opened my mouth and he withdrew his hand, blowing on his finger.
"I'm so sorry! Enzu used to do that to me, and I guess I picked up her bad habit," I chuckled nervously. "Anyway, what did you need?"
"It's actually about the bird. Do you...urr...still have that feather it dropped?"
Perplexed but compliant, I confirmed, "Yeah, why?"
The air thickened with anticipation as Shiraki revealed, "Listen, it's just a rumour from an NPC, so don't get your hopes up just yet, but I heard that apparently, on floor 28, there's a lake in a place called the Field of Life that has healing properties. The local legend is that it can revive fallen familiars in the centre of the lake if you have the remnants of the dead creature. Like I said, don't get your hopes up yet, but-"
"Are you saying I might be able to save Enzu?!" I beamed.
"Hypothetically, yeah, but the only problem is that you're only level 26. You're still not strong enough to safely fight the enemies on this floor, and floor 28 has even stronger enemies. I'd go and revive the bird myself, but the pets owner needs to be there to do it. If you'd like, I could go with you."
Determination flared in my eyes as I announced "We just need to clear floor 27!"
Shiraki calmly corrected me. "We did that yesterday."
The revelation prompted Raigen to react. "Huh?!"
Shiraki clarified, "When I came here yesterday, I was on the way back from the boss battle."
Ever the voice of reason, Kuram intervened. "You don't always need to go to the next floor right away, you know. There is no rush. You go on ahead. We'll stay here."
"Come on," Shiraki rose to his feet. "Let's go check if this lake is legit."