Part 1
«Vorpal Strike» flashed through the darkness, and with its blood colored light two giant insect monsters' HP went to zero.
Confirming with my peripheral vision that the polygons had scattered, I withdrew my sword just as I unfroze, and turned around to block an attack from a big, sharp jaw. I then used the same «Sword Skill» to finish it off; it made a Giii cry before tilting backwards and dying.
This heavy single-handed attack skill first appeared in my list just three days ago, when my «Single-handed Sword Skill» reached level 950, and it was surprisingly convenient. Even though the skill has such a long cool-down player freeze period, its reach is double that of the actual blade; and the fact that its power is comparable to a two-handed heavy pole-arm is more than enough to make up for its shortcomings. Of course, if used in battle against other players, they would read the timing immediately. But the simple movements of the AI monsters cannot counter it. You can simply spam it and blow away groups of enemies with deep red light effects.
Having said that, after continuously battling for an hour under this weak torch light, I did indeed feel my concentration waning. I can no longer react and counter their big, biting jaws or acid mucus as well as earlier. Though they attack in large numbers, these monsters are not small-fry. This habitat is only three floors below the front line on the 49th floor, and these are very powerful monsters. Even though this is within the safety margin when considering level differences, if a massive swarm were to attack and surround me, my HP would quickly go down to the yellow zone.
To brave these dangers and come to a floor that has already been cleared, there could only be one reason. This place is the most efficient way to earn experience points out of all the currently known training locations. These giant ants that come from caves around the cliff here have high attack power, but their HP and defense are both very low. As long as you can continue to avoid their attacks, you can quickly take down a lot of these monsters. But as mentioned earlier, once under attack and surrounded, you may not even be able to hold your ground, thereby leading to death, so this area cannot be seen as a suitable training zone for solo players. Because this is such a popular place, every party is only allowed one hour to hunt. I was the only solo player there. Even now, there are familiar faces from various guilds lined up at the valley entrance. There should be a row of bored expressions that look as though they were stamped on. If it were just impatience, that would be fine. But strongly team spirited players thought of me as the "Strongest Idiot" or the "Anomic Beater" – but, of course I didn't know about that.
My left side timer display showed 57 minutes. I decided to finish up after clearing the next wave of monsters. I took a big breath and waited, in order to squeeze out every last bit of concentration.
As ants approached from both left and right, I faced towards the one on the right, and threw a dagger to stop its movement before killing the one on the left with the triple attack skill «Sharpnail». As I turned around, I used «Vorpal Strike» to cut towards the big open jaws of another ant. During my skill cool-down, I used the glove on my left hand to wipe off the green acid that had hit me. With a jiyuu sound my HP bar lowered, and then I kicked off the ground and jumped high. In midair, I cut apart the weakest part of the ant's belly and killed it. For the last two, I used half of the longest chain skill I know, a six-hit chain, to defeat them. Before the next set of ants appeared from their hives, I suddenly dashed away.
After running the thirty meters of the ant valley in five seconds, I rolled out of the small entrance before finally releasing my breath. Gasping for fresh air, I wondered if this pain was just mental or if my real body also stopped breathing. In any case, I felt my stomach cramp up, and unable to bear this degree of nausea, I dropped like a rag onto the frozen winter ground.
The sound of many footsteps reached my ears as I lay on the ground. Even though these are people I know, I can't even say hello to them. Feebly waving my right hand to bid them onward, I then heard a rough voice and a big sigh.
"My level and yours have already grown apart, so I won't join in the action today. Listen up. Don't let the circle formation collapse, and constantly be mindful of the people around you. Make sure that you don't act shy if you encounter anything dangerous, just shout to me for help. And also, flee immediately when the queen comes out."
After receiving their leader's directive, six or seven people answered with a "Yes!" or "Ho!", and the rustling footsteps gradually moved away. I breathed heavily a few times, and after finally getting my breath under control, I propped myself up with my right hand and leaned on a nearby tree.
"Catch!"
I gratefully caught the healing potion, flicked the cork open with my thumb, and drank it greedily. Even though the taste carried a hint of bitter lemon juice, I thought it was delicious. I tossed the empty bottle to the ground, watched it emit a small red light as it disappeared, and looked up.
Klein, who was the leader of the guild «Fuurinkazan» that I had met at the beginning of this death game SAO, still wearing his vulgar bandana, opened the mouth that was above his scruffy beard and said:
"Kirito, no matter how you put it, this is more than a little absurd. Just when did you come here today?"
"Eh... around 8 p.m."
After I replied in a hoarse voice, Klein showed an exaggerated expression of dissatisfaction.
"Oi, oi, it's already two in the morning, you've been here for six hours. At this kind of dangerous training zone, if you use up your strength it will be an instant death."
"It's fine. I can rest for up to two hours when waiting."
"If nobody comes then you plan to keep on fighting!"
"That's exactly why I chose this particular time to come. If I came during the day then I might have to wait five or six hours."
Klein mixed the sound of being flabbergasted with the phrase "You idiot". He then unhooked his katana from his waist, and sat down heavily in front of me.
"...well, regarding your strength, from the first day of SAO I understood it without a doubt... what's your level at now?"
To be able to keep secret stats such as the level is a player's lifeline. To not ask is therefore an unspoken rule in SAO. But up till now there's been no reason to hide it from Klein, so I answered honestly.
"Today I got to level 69."
The hand rubbing his chin stopped suddenly, and the eyes that were half-covered by the bandana opened wide in shock.
"...hey, are you for real? Since when were you ten levels higher than me – and, I don't understand it. Lately your leveling speed has been too unusual. You must have been training even during the time of day when the training areas are sparsely populated with any players. Why do you have to go this far? I don't want to hear any of that..."for clearing the game". Even if you become stronger by yourself, the clearing pace will still be determined by strong guilds like KoB."
"Don't mind me; I have become a level-aholic. Just getting experience points makes me feel good."
Seeing me say that with a shameful smile, Klein countered by putting on a serious expression.
"Don't joke around... even I know how exhausting it is to grind like this. To play solo is incredibly taxing on the mind...even if your level is approaching 70, to be alone in this area is definitely not safe. You want to take risks, but you must have a limit too. What's the point of leveling in a place like this where you can die at any moment?
Fuurinkazan is a guild with a core of Klein's friends from before SAO. Its members are a gang that dislike unnecessary meddling and, its leader, Klein, is no exception.
This guy is a good person, but for this kind of man to be concerned to this extent about an anomic beater like me, I'm afraid it might be because he must, for I can understand what his reason is. To help Klein, who isn't very good with words, I opened my mouth with a smile.
"It's fine, you don't need to pretend to be worried anymore. You want to know if my target is the Flag Mob, right?"
Flag Mob is set up to be a monster for quest completion. It will spawn either once every few days or sometimes hours, but once in a while a unit will spawn that is very close to the Boss Monster, so of course its strength is no joke. Thus, to defeat it, players will usually form parties as big as the ones with the Boss as the target.
Klein bluntly revealed a hard expression and rubbed his jaw.
"...I wasn't particularly trying to find that out..."
"You don't have to hide it anymore. The fact that you bought information regarding my purchase of intelligence on the Christmas Boss from Argo...this information I also bought from her."
"Say what?!"
Klein opened his eyes wide and was speechless.
"That Argo... her nickname, Rat, is not just for show."
"That girl would sell any information, even her own stats. Anyways, we know that each other's target is the Christmas Boss, and I've already bought all the current information that can be acquired from an NPC. So, you should know that I will earn experience points like this indefinitely and no matter what kind of advice is given I will not have a reason to stop."
"Ah... my bad. That is something I would reject too."
Klein removed his hand from his chin and scratched his head, continuing.
"It's 5 days until Christmas eve... every guild is the same, they all want to increase their combat ability before the appearance of the Boss, even if only a little. But in this kind of freezing night, idiots who lock themselves up in training areas are rare. Fortunately, our guild has almost ten people, we would have good chances even if our target was the Boss. You know, since it's a «Once a Year» big Flag Mob, this is not something you can hunt alone.
"...."
Unable to object, I looked down at the light brown, dry wild grass.
One year after SAO started, before the second Christmas, a rumor began to spread throughout Aincrad. A month ago, NPCs on every floor started to talk about the same quest.
It is said that during the Month of the Holly[3], that is, midnight on December 24th, in some forest under the branches of a huge tree, the legendary monster «Nicholas the Renegade» [4] will appear. If you can defeat it, you will get all the treasure from the big sack it carries on its back.
Even for strong guilds that always only go after dungeons, this time they showed big interest. They understand that treasure, money and rare weapons will help a lot during Floor Boss fights. If we say that this is the SAO system, which has thus far only taken things from players, giving good-hearted Christmas presents, then how could anyone not accept?
But a solo player like me had, at first, no interest in this rumor. Without even Klein saying it, I already knew that this opponent was not a match for a mere single player. And besides, with the money I get from game-clearing, I could even buy a house if I wanted to. Most importantly, I don't want to, as a result of fighting the Flag Mob that everybody wants to fight, become famous, and get unnecessary attention.
But two weeks ago – my feelings made a sudden 180 degree turn after hearing an NPC's information. After that, I came to this popular hunting ground every day, under the laughter of others, and leveled like crazy.
Klein, who has been keeping quiet with me, said in a low voice:
"So it's related to that information after all – The «Resurrection Item»."
"...Ah."
Now that the conversation has gone this far, there's no need to hide it anymore. After I calmly admitted it, I sighed numerous times which I couldn't keep track of, and squeezed out the words.
"I understand your feelings...I never thought there would actually be such a dream item. «Nicholas's bag contains a legendary item that can bring the dead back to life.» ...but...like most people, I think that was just a lie. Or rather than call it a lie, I mean it might be a left over speech for NPCs for when SAO was just an ordinary VRMMO...that is, originally, this item would have revived people without the conditions of the «Death Penalty». But, the SAO now has no such thing. There is only one penalty, and that is the player's life. I don't want to recall that event, but this was said first day on the clearing by that Kayaba fellow."
I recall the incident's first day tutorial by Akihiko's fake GM in that clearing and what he said. A player whose HP becomes zero will disappear from this server, never to return to their physical body.
I don't feel that speech was a lie, but...even so...
"There's nobody that can confirm, that the death in this world is equivalent to the real thing."
I said these words as if I meant to argue. Just then, Klein wrinkled his nose and struck down my words:
"We're going to die and return to the other side actually alive, and Kayaba will face us and tell us «I lied» ? Stop it, this question was resolved a year ago. If it's this kind of sick joke, then just pull down all the players' Nerve Gear, and this incident will be over with. Since we can't do that, this death game is serious. When HP becomes zero, the Nerve Gear will become a microwave oven and fry your brain. If it isn't that, then the people who were killed by those bastards or monsters, who cried "I don't want to die" as they disappeared, what did all of it mean?"
"Shut up!"
Shouting loud enough to surprise myself, I interrupted Klein's speech.
"If you really think that I would not even understand this kind of thing, then I have nothing to say to you... Indeed, Kayaba did say that on the first day, but, a while back, even the leader of the game-clearers on the front lines, the leader of KoB Heathcliff said this: as long as there is even a one percent chance of saving the life of a comrade, then we should do our best to pursue that chance, and those who cannot do this don't deserve to form any party. Even though I don't like that man, what he says is right. I'm currently pursuing that chance. Suppose that those who die in this world have neither returned to the real world, nor have truly died, and instead were transferred to some sort of reserved area, waiting for the final outcome of this game. Then, we have established a reason for the «Resurrection Item»."
With a long-windedness rarely seen of me, I put forth this scenario that I only just created to support me. Klein put away his anger, and instead looked at me with pity.
"Is that so?"
The sound he emitted just now was completely different from before, very calm.
"Kirito...you still haven't forgotten about it, huh, that your last guild... And it's nearly been half a year since then..."
I turned my head, and spat out words to defend myself.
"It should be said, how could I have forgotten after just half a year...everybody died, except for me..."
"It was called «Black Cats of the Full Moon» right? They weren't even a game-clearing guild, yet still went to a place close to the front lines, and in the end some thieves caused an alarm trap. That was not your fault, and no one would blame you for that. Instead, you would be praised for being able to survive."
"It's not like that...it was my fault. Whether it's stopping them from going to the front line, telling them to ignore the treasure, or making sure everyone escaped as soon as the alarm went off; all of this I should have been able to do."
—If I didn't hide my level of skill from my companions. The pain that came from not telling Klein this truth was relentlessly biting my chest. Before the katana-user said any words of comfort uncharacteristic of him, I forced myself to finish the rest of my words:
"Indeed, there might not even be a one percent chance of it. But whether it's the probability of my finding the Christmas Boss, of defeating it alone, of the Resurrection item existing, or of the dead's consciousnesses having been preserved...all of these like finding a grain of sand in a desert. However...however, it is not zero. Since it's not zero, I have to put in my best effort. Moreover...Klein, there's no way you would give yourself this headache just for the money, right? So, you will use it as a reason to do this just like me, right?"
In response to my question, Klein snorted, answering while holding the sheath on the floor:
"I'm not the same as a dreamer like you. It's just that...before, I also had a friend who was eliminated. If I don't do everything that I can for him, then I won't be able to sleep at night..."
Facing the Klein who had stood up, I gave a slight smile.
"So it's the same."
"It's not the same. Our main objective is still the treasure, with what we just talked about on the side...with only that group of people, it would be bad if a giant ant comes out. I'll go and check out the situation."
"Ah, ah."
Slightly nodding my head, I closed my eyes and leaned deeply against the trunk of the tree. The whispered words of the katana-user floated over to me.
"And I worry about you. It's not just to gather intelligence, you moron. If you die by being brave in this kind of place, I certainly won't use the resurrection item on you!"