KeotsuEclipse
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A fierce shout was loosed from my lips as I leapt forward, my slender straight sword finding its way into the heart of the large boar in front of me, my body guided by some unforeseen power, and my sword engulfed in a radiant blue glow. In a vibrant shower of glimmering shards, the boar exploded, and a small window popped up, congratulating me on my victory, and informing me of my gained EXP and Col I had gained from the encounter.
The rush of battle was still running strong in my body. Opening my status window, signaled by the chime of bells, I checked my stats: I was sitting at about 80 percent HP, and was nearing level two.
I had been at this for a while, and unlike traditional grinding, was so far enjoying myself. Though it had taken me a few tries to get used to the “Sword Skill” system, once I had figured out exactly what I needed to do to use it, battles with these boars had become extremely easy – they tended to charge straight forward and when they did so, I would dodge the side, and slash at them with a regular attack, unaided by the system. Then, while they were trying to turn around to face me, I would lunge at them with the basic Sword Thrust Sword Skill.
Looking around this glorious emerald field, there were several more boars scattered about the expanse, as they continued to respawn every few minutes.
I sprinted, sword in hand, to the next closest boar I could find. Giving the beast no time to turn and initiate the first act of aggression, I leapt forward, once more, activating a sword skill. Pivoting on my foot as I came to a halt after my lunge, I swung my blade from left to right, using the spin of my pivot to help me move faster, before leaping out of the way, to my right, as the boar tried to slam me with its tusks.
I had figured out how they fought well enough to battle them without losing any – or, very few at the most – HP, which was good, as my health seemed to regen at a rate of only 10 per minute. With another quick lunge, the beast exploded, and another window greeted me.
Grasping the scabbard on my hip, I drew my sword’s edge along it, before sheathing the blade. Though I had eaten before hand, I felt peckish, and thought that a small snack and a drink of water would do me good before I continued playing. Bringing up the menu, I searched for the log out button.
And searched.
And searched…
Where was it? After searching for about ten more seconds, I gave up. I wasn’t that hungry, anyway, and I was enjoying myself. I would log out later, closer to when the guys would be arriving. Looking up as I leaned against a large white stone, jutting up from the ground, I marveled in the detail of the setting sun, painting the sky a brilliant shade of gold, with streaks of red running against the horizon. It was far more beautiful than the real world.
As I was staring up, suddenly a blue light engulfed me.
“What is this…!?”
After a moment, the blue was gone, but I still couldn’t see, as my eyes had dilated due to the sheer intensity of the light; I was, however, aware of a large amount of murmuring going on around me.
“What’s going on?”
“What happened?”
“Why are we back in the <<Starting City>>?”
It seemed…It seemed as if every player who had been online at the moment had been transported to the square. While various people were theorizing about what was going on…
Turning my head skyward, though, I found a scene that would remain etched into my mind for eternity.
The bottom surface of the second floor, one hundred meters up in the air, was checkered in red.
When I looked closely, I could make out that they were made up of two phrases crisscrossing each other. The word that was written in red was [Warning] and the other [System Announcement].
A few cries of relief were scattered amongst the crowd, but I could only feel coldness run through my body.
From the middle of the pattern, a liquid similar to blood started oozing down slowly. It came down at a rate that almost emphasized how viscid it was; but it didn't fall down; instead, it started morphing into another shape.
What appeared was a twenty meter tall man with a hooded robe draped around him.
More cries came about from the crowd, but I was transfixed by the area of darkness where the face should have been. The inky blackness was sucking me in, and I fought to resist its terrible pull. The pull of fear.
Suddenly, hands garbed in ivory gloves slid from the expanse of the robe, connecting to no visible arms, rising in the air as if greeting the tremendous crowd before it.
“Players, I welcome you all to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person who can control this world.”
Control….the world? Was this man the Admin? He had to be. But…what was going on?
I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of «Sword Art Online»'s system…Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will.”
Wait. Was that why I couldn’t log out earlier? Were we…trapped?!
“...also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted...”
Kayaba Akihiko paused for a moment, which was good. In my adrenaline fueled state, it was taking me a moment to decipher his Japanese statements.
“The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions.”
The only sound I could hear was blood, rushing through my veins, and my own batted breath as I took in what he had just said. If the Nerve Gear was removed forcibly…we would die.
“To be a little more specific, dislocation from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully get rid of the Nerve Gear. The result-“
The metallic voice took a short breath here.
“—regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world forever.”
My body went cold. Minus the suitemate, I lived alone. And my friends would not think twice about trying to remove the NerveGear from my head. Would I die, just like that? Just like those two-hundred people, who were simply trying to return home…?
“Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and internet media are all repeatedly reporting this situation, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have given, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax...and concentrate on beating the game.”
From within the crowd, a voice cried out, “What are you saying!? Beat the game!? You want us to play around in a situation like this!?”
I couldn’t figure out who said it. By the time I had deciphered the phrase, Kayaba had already begun talking again.
“But I ask of you all to understand that «Sword Art Online» is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality....from now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment that your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever, and at the same time….your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear.”
That was it. The flame in my heart was snuffed out. I had long since known that “Keotsu” was an alternate persona, one that walked alongside “Blake”. Whatever “Blake” didn’t have the courage, or the strength, to do, “Keotsu” lent to him. But, now, “Blake” was thrust into Keotsu’s world of swords and monsters. I…I did not possess the amazing prowess that I had attributed to the Swordmaster Keotsu.
My eyes trailing up, I looked at the green bar at the corner of my vision, in the upper left. 350/350. My life was now a number. Finite. A fraction.
One.
One life.
That’s all I had. With each dropping point, my very life-force would be drained from my body.
Thoughts exploded in my head. “You were safe inside the city walls”. True. I couldn’t take damage. But, if everyone hid inside the city…how would the game be cleared? And, would I be able to live with myself, if I cowered away like that? “We are now one.”
…
It was true. “Keotsu” and “Blake” were now the same being. Whether I liked it or not, I was forced into a situation where I would have to grow. I would have to conquer my fear, and use courage I was not sure I possessed. I would have to develop skills I thought only possible in my dreams. I would have to become “Blake, the Swordmaster.”
“Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word.”
Simple, then. Beat the game, win our lives back. The cold logic of it left a metallic taste in my mouth.
But, part of me…Part of me also didn’t believe Kayaba. What were the chances that this was real, and not some elaborate hoax. Yeah. That must be it. My friend would take my NerveGear off, and everything would be okay.
But, then, as if to crush that small ember of hope…
“Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this.”
Suddenly, bells chimed. I had opened my inventory without even realizing it, and noticed that, there was indeed, an item present that had not been there before.
«Hand Mirror».
Pulling the object from my inventory, I looked into the mirror to see the strong, yet gentle features of Keotsu.
That was before I was, once again, engulfed in a white light.
A moment passed, before I realized what I was looking at in the mirror.
Keotsu’s slightly upturned nose leveled off, and his strong jawline softened considerably, the face covered ever so slightly in the beginning of a five o’clock shadow – a triangle of freckles were painted in the center of the right cheek. The body was slightly less bulky – that of a fit student, not a lean warrior. The almost jade colored eyes were now an odd mix of green and brown.
The face staring back at me wasn’t Keotsu’s, but my own.
“This is the real Keotsu…”
The voice too, had changed. The deep bass of Keotsu’s voice had risen a bit, matching the mid-to-high baritone that was my own voice.
And then, once again, Kayaba’s booming voice rained down upon the crowd.
“You will all most probably be wondering 'why.' Why am I—the creator of both the Nerve Gear and SAO, Kayaba Akihiko—doing something like this? Is this a sort of terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us? None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only that, but now for me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because...this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the Nerve Gear and SAO. And now, everything has been realized...now I have finished the official tutorial for «Sword Art Online». Players—I wish you luck.”
There was a pang of…sadness? in that last statement. Something within my soul stirred, but I knew not what. My emotions were in too much of a maelstrom for me to even comprehend what I should be feeling right now.
And then the Giant Robe fell and dissolved away, vanishing, as did the System message that painted itself across the sky.
And then, chaos.
People where in a uproar, in a general riot. But, something within me – fear perhaps – kept me calm, and I quickly looked around, finding the easiest path out of this god-forsaken city.
And I ran.
I didn’t bother with the pleasantries I may have in real-life when I collided with someone…I simply…ran.
For now…I would trust my instincts….
***
“HAAAARGAH!”
With a mighty roar, I blew apart a large serpent, my Sword Skill bisecting the monster. The small, heavy-metal kite shield adjusted itself on my left arm, as my blade hovered near the ground.
It had been nearly two months since we had been trapped in this game.
And I had refused to simply sit back and wait for help. I was a part of a group of players – though separate from <<The Army>> - who had taken it upon themselves to clear the game. The fact that I had saved up most of my Col, spending what I needed only on equipment and food – and lodging, for when I absolutely needed rest – meant that I was much better off than most players.
Where as many parties had sprung up recently, I was what was known as a “Solo Player”. There was a very…negative stigma around this group. That they were extremists only concerned for with their own survival. This wasn’t true. At least, not for me.
But, for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to join a party. And, I had not made any friends yet, either, so there was no real reason for me to do so, either. As a result…My equipment was fairly good, when compared to others. Investing more in <<Healing Potions>> then most large parties did, I would poke about, in my light metal armor, with my heavy metal shield, into dungeons, and kill monsters that were slightly tougher than what I should have been fighting if I wanted to survive. But, by using the crystals, I gained experience, and thus skill, more quickly. Thus, I gained more Col, more Healing Potions…and then I was alright. I had been known to clear entire stores out of Health and Status Potions when I could.
I knew I couldn’t keep up this practice forever. But, I knew leveling up early on would be important. It was just like that game I played regularly – Pokemon. Leveling up your team early on made the pre-game easy, and helped you adjust into the really difficult mid-game. I had no reason to suspect that this logic wouldn’t work here.
I looked around, taking in the surroundings of the cave I was in. What I was in now, was technically a “Field Dungeon”, but it was also the most popular one of the “Pushers”, the group of people who were trying to level up, before taking on the Floor Dungeon.
It seemed I had cleared my immediate vicinity out of monsters. I would need to push further on to continue grinding. After taking a quick inventory of my stock, and healing up, I rushed forward, into the only narrow opening I could find that would allow progress into the cave.
“Yes!”
I found myself exclaiming, as I came into a large opening, a rather…fancy looking treasure chest in the center of the floor.
Treasure was always good. There was the chance of either more crystals, or perhaps some better gear. However, I was no idiot – I had played video games before. It was most likely trapped.
Drawing my blade and raising my small shield, I slowly walked forward.
As I neared the chest, it seemed my suspicion was correct.
The box suddenly launched up towards the ceiling, caught in some sort of net. Leaping backwards, a flaming spider the size of a small truck came crashing down from the roof.
<<Pyrachnaid>>
A “Field Boss”. I was not ready to fight this thing, not alone. While, examining it, I was high enough level to solo the monster… Fighting an enemy – and remaining safely in the margin of “I’m going to survive this” – required being about 1.5x the monsters level. This thing WAS my level.
Crouching down, the spider leaped at me – rushing forward and raising my shield, I placed the metal plate against the underbelly of the beast, and threw it over my head, while simultaneously striking at its legs with my blade.
By helping it stay airborne, the spider had been unable to damage me. And, luckily, it didn’t seem like it did “Burning Contact” damage, though, I’m sure taking a hit from its fiery bite wouldn’t be advisable.
And simply slashing at its leg – without a sword skill! – took out a large portion of its health. Maybe not a Field Boss after all.
But…
Then three more fell from the ceiling.
I cursed.
One, I could handle. Four, though? That was a deat-
“No!” I yelled dismissing the thought from my head. I had to fight. HAD to.
With a gurgling noise, the spiders surrounded me as I backed into the center of the room, each one in a cardinal direction.
The one to the east suddenly crouched down, preparing for attack.
But, to my immense relief, a great shout came, and a man flew from the same hallway I had entered from, and tackled the beast, before drawing a scimitar, the best curved sword we could possibly have at our level. No doubt he was another solo player, rummaging about in this cave.
“Oi, oi, still alive over there?” called the man, whom I could see had silver hair, and was dressed in a black-leather shirt and pants – the basic starting gear, with a black leather vest as armor. He approached me, placing his back against my own so that we could face the four arachnids.
“Yeah. Thanks for the help. No way I could take these things by myself. I’m Keotsu, by the way.” My sentence was slowly said, as I had to deliberately choose each word.
It seemed my accent explained well enough why it took me so long to reply, as he simply replied with a nod of his head, and a single word.
“Gintoki.”
The rush of battle was still running strong in my body. Opening my status window, signaled by the chime of bells, I checked my stats: I was sitting at about 80 percent HP, and was nearing level two.
I had been at this for a while, and unlike traditional grinding, was so far enjoying myself. Though it had taken me a few tries to get used to the “Sword Skill” system, once I had figured out exactly what I needed to do to use it, battles with these boars had become extremely easy – they tended to charge straight forward and when they did so, I would dodge the side, and slash at them with a regular attack, unaided by the system. Then, while they were trying to turn around to face me, I would lunge at them with the basic Sword Thrust Sword Skill.
Looking around this glorious emerald field, there were several more boars scattered about the expanse, as they continued to respawn every few minutes.
I sprinted, sword in hand, to the next closest boar I could find. Giving the beast no time to turn and initiate the first act of aggression, I leapt forward, once more, activating a sword skill. Pivoting on my foot as I came to a halt after my lunge, I swung my blade from left to right, using the spin of my pivot to help me move faster, before leaping out of the way, to my right, as the boar tried to slam me with its tusks.
I had figured out how they fought well enough to battle them without losing any – or, very few at the most – HP, which was good, as my health seemed to regen at a rate of only 10 per minute. With another quick lunge, the beast exploded, and another window greeted me.
Grasping the scabbard on my hip, I drew my sword’s edge along it, before sheathing the blade. Though I had eaten before hand, I felt peckish, and thought that a small snack and a drink of water would do me good before I continued playing. Bringing up the menu, I searched for the log out button.
And searched.
And searched…
Where was it? After searching for about ten more seconds, I gave up. I wasn’t that hungry, anyway, and I was enjoying myself. I would log out later, closer to when the guys would be arriving. Looking up as I leaned against a large white stone, jutting up from the ground, I marveled in the detail of the setting sun, painting the sky a brilliant shade of gold, with streaks of red running against the horizon. It was far more beautiful than the real world.
As I was staring up, suddenly a blue light engulfed me.
“What is this…!?”
After a moment, the blue was gone, but I still couldn’t see, as my eyes had dilated due to the sheer intensity of the light; I was, however, aware of a large amount of murmuring going on around me.
“What’s going on?”
“What happened?”
“Why are we back in the <<Starting City>>?”
It seemed…It seemed as if every player who had been online at the moment had been transported to the square. While various people were theorizing about what was going on…
Turning my head skyward, though, I found a scene that would remain etched into my mind for eternity.
The bottom surface of the second floor, one hundred meters up in the air, was checkered in red.
When I looked closely, I could make out that they were made up of two phrases crisscrossing each other. The word that was written in red was [Warning] and the other [System Announcement].
A few cries of relief were scattered amongst the crowd, but I could only feel coldness run through my body.
From the middle of the pattern, a liquid similar to blood started oozing down slowly. It came down at a rate that almost emphasized how viscid it was; but it didn't fall down; instead, it started morphing into another shape.
What appeared was a twenty meter tall man with a hooded robe draped around him.
More cries came about from the crowd, but I was transfixed by the area of darkness where the face should have been. The inky blackness was sucking me in, and I fought to resist its terrible pull. The pull of fear.
Suddenly, hands garbed in ivory gloves slid from the expanse of the robe, connecting to no visible arms, rising in the air as if greeting the tremendous crowd before it.
“Players, I welcome you all to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person who can control this world.”
Control….the world? Was this man the Admin? He had to be. But…what was going on?
I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of «Sword Art Online»'s system…Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will.”
Wait. Was that why I couldn’t log out earlier? Were we…trapped?!
“...also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted...”
Kayaba Akihiko paused for a moment, which was good. In my adrenaline fueled state, it was taking me a moment to decipher his Japanese statements.
“The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions.”
The only sound I could hear was blood, rushing through my veins, and my own batted breath as I took in what he had just said. If the Nerve Gear was removed forcibly…we would die.
“To be a little more specific, dislocation from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully get rid of the Nerve Gear. The result-“
The metallic voice took a short breath here.
“—regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world forever.”
My body went cold. Minus the suitemate, I lived alone. And my friends would not think twice about trying to remove the NerveGear from my head. Would I die, just like that? Just like those two-hundred people, who were simply trying to return home…?
“Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and internet media are all repeatedly reporting this situation, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have given, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax...and concentrate on beating the game.”
From within the crowd, a voice cried out, “What are you saying!? Beat the game!? You want us to play around in a situation like this!?”
I couldn’t figure out who said it. By the time I had deciphered the phrase, Kayaba had already begun talking again.
“But I ask of you all to understand that «Sword Art Online» is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality....from now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment that your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever, and at the same time….your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear.”
That was it. The flame in my heart was snuffed out. I had long since known that “Keotsu” was an alternate persona, one that walked alongside “Blake”. Whatever “Blake” didn’t have the courage, or the strength, to do, “Keotsu” lent to him. But, now, “Blake” was thrust into Keotsu’s world of swords and monsters. I…I did not possess the amazing prowess that I had attributed to the Swordmaster Keotsu.
My eyes trailing up, I looked at the green bar at the corner of my vision, in the upper left. 350/350. My life was now a number. Finite. A fraction.
One.
One life.
That’s all I had. With each dropping point, my very life-force would be drained from my body.
Thoughts exploded in my head. “You were safe inside the city walls”. True. I couldn’t take damage. But, if everyone hid inside the city…how would the game be cleared? And, would I be able to live with myself, if I cowered away like that? “We are now one.”
…
It was true. “Keotsu” and “Blake” were now the same being. Whether I liked it or not, I was forced into a situation where I would have to grow. I would have to conquer my fear, and use courage I was not sure I possessed. I would have to develop skills I thought only possible in my dreams. I would have to become “Blake, the Swordmaster.”
“Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word.”
Simple, then. Beat the game, win our lives back. The cold logic of it left a metallic taste in my mouth.
But, part of me…Part of me also didn’t believe Kayaba. What were the chances that this was real, and not some elaborate hoax. Yeah. That must be it. My friend would take my NerveGear off, and everything would be okay.
But, then, as if to crush that small ember of hope…
“Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this.”
Suddenly, bells chimed. I had opened my inventory without even realizing it, and noticed that, there was indeed, an item present that had not been there before.
«Hand Mirror».
Pulling the object from my inventory, I looked into the mirror to see the strong, yet gentle features of Keotsu.
That was before I was, once again, engulfed in a white light.
A moment passed, before I realized what I was looking at in the mirror.
Keotsu’s slightly upturned nose leveled off, and his strong jawline softened considerably, the face covered ever so slightly in the beginning of a five o’clock shadow – a triangle of freckles were painted in the center of the right cheek. The body was slightly less bulky – that of a fit student, not a lean warrior. The almost jade colored eyes were now an odd mix of green and brown.
The face staring back at me wasn’t Keotsu’s, but my own.
“This is the real Keotsu…”
The voice too, had changed. The deep bass of Keotsu’s voice had risen a bit, matching the mid-to-high baritone that was my own voice.
And then, once again, Kayaba’s booming voice rained down upon the crowd.
“You will all most probably be wondering 'why.' Why am I—the creator of both the Nerve Gear and SAO, Kayaba Akihiko—doing something like this? Is this a sort of terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us? None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only that, but now for me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because...this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the Nerve Gear and SAO. And now, everything has been realized...now I have finished the official tutorial for «Sword Art Online». Players—I wish you luck.”
There was a pang of…sadness? in that last statement. Something within my soul stirred, but I knew not what. My emotions were in too much of a maelstrom for me to even comprehend what I should be feeling right now.
And then the Giant Robe fell and dissolved away, vanishing, as did the System message that painted itself across the sky.
And then, chaos.
People where in a uproar, in a general riot. But, something within me – fear perhaps – kept me calm, and I quickly looked around, finding the easiest path out of this god-forsaken city.
And I ran.
I didn’t bother with the pleasantries I may have in real-life when I collided with someone…I simply…ran.
For now…I would trust my instincts….
***
“HAAAARGAH!”
With a mighty roar, I blew apart a large serpent, my Sword Skill bisecting the monster. The small, heavy-metal kite shield adjusted itself on my left arm, as my blade hovered near the ground.
It had been nearly two months since we had been trapped in this game.
And I had refused to simply sit back and wait for help. I was a part of a group of players – though separate from <<The Army>> - who had taken it upon themselves to clear the game. The fact that I had saved up most of my Col, spending what I needed only on equipment and food – and lodging, for when I absolutely needed rest – meant that I was much better off than most players.
Where as many parties had sprung up recently, I was what was known as a “Solo Player”. There was a very…negative stigma around this group. That they were extremists only concerned for with their own survival. This wasn’t true. At least, not for me.
But, for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to join a party. And, I had not made any friends yet, either, so there was no real reason for me to do so, either. As a result…My equipment was fairly good, when compared to others. Investing more in <<Healing Potions>> then most large parties did, I would poke about, in my light metal armor, with my heavy metal shield, into dungeons, and kill monsters that were slightly tougher than what I should have been fighting if I wanted to survive. But, by using the crystals, I gained experience, and thus skill, more quickly. Thus, I gained more Col, more Healing Potions…and then I was alright. I had been known to clear entire stores out of Health and Status Potions when I could.
I knew I couldn’t keep up this practice forever. But, I knew leveling up early on would be important. It was just like that game I played regularly – Pokemon. Leveling up your team early on made the pre-game easy, and helped you adjust into the really difficult mid-game. I had no reason to suspect that this logic wouldn’t work here.
I looked around, taking in the surroundings of the cave I was in. What I was in now, was technically a “Field Dungeon”, but it was also the most popular one of the “Pushers”, the group of people who were trying to level up, before taking on the Floor Dungeon.
It seemed I had cleared my immediate vicinity out of monsters. I would need to push further on to continue grinding. After taking a quick inventory of my stock, and healing up, I rushed forward, into the only narrow opening I could find that would allow progress into the cave.
“Yes!”
I found myself exclaiming, as I came into a large opening, a rather…fancy looking treasure chest in the center of the floor.
Treasure was always good. There was the chance of either more crystals, or perhaps some better gear. However, I was no idiot – I had played video games before. It was most likely trapped.
Drawing my blade and raising my small shield, I slowly walked forward.
As I neared the chest, it seemed my suspicion was correct.
The box suddenly launched up towards the ceiling, caught in some sort of net. Leaping backwards, a flaming spider the size of a small truck came crashing down from the roof.
<<Pyrachnaid>>
A “Field Boss”. I was not ready to fight this thing, not alone. While, examining it, I was high enough level to solo the monster… Fighting an enemy – and remaining safely in the margin of “I’m going to survive this” – required being about 1.5x the monsters level. This thing WAS my level.
Crouching down, the spider leaped at me – rushing forward and raising my shield, I placed the metal plate against the underbelly of the beast, and threw it over my head, while simultaneously striking at its legs with my blade.
By helping it stay airborne, the spider had been unable to damage me. And, luckily, it didn’t seem like it did “Burning Contact” damage, though, I’m sure taking a hit from its fiery bite wouldn’t be advisable.
And simply slashing at its leg – without a sword skill! – took out a large portion of its health. Maybe not a Field Boss after all.
But…
Then three more fell from the ceiling.
I cursed.
One, I could handle. Four, though? That was a deat-
“No!” I yelled dismissing the thought from my head. I had to fight. HAD to.
With a gurgling noise, the spiders surrounded me as I backed into the center of the room, each one in a cardinal direction.
The one to the east suddenly crouched down, preparing for attack.
But, to my immense relief, a great shout came, and a man flew from the same hallway I had entered from, and tackled the beast, before drawing a scimitar, the best curved sword we could possibly have at our level. No doubt he was another solo player, rummaging about in this cave.
“Oi, oi, still alive over there?” called the man, whom I could see had silver hair, and was dressed in a black-leather shirt and pants – the basic starting gear, with a black leather vest as armor. He approached me, placing his back against my own so that we could face the four arachnids.
“Yeah. Thanks for the help. No way I could take these things by myself. I’m Keotsu, by the way.” My sentence was slowly said, as I had to deliberately choose each word.
It seemed my accent explained well enough why it took me so long to reply, as he simply replied with a nod of his head, and a single word.
“Gintoki.”
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