Thud!
As the wind Drake collapsed, my body relaxed, and I fell to the ground. In a hurry, Ava approached with a small vial of green liquid—a potion.
"Suzanne, I'm so sorry. If only I had been more careful..."
"It's not Ava's fault. I was just careless."
"Seriously, when did you get strong enough to be careless? Here, drink this. It will at least restore your stamina."
The potion is a standard item from Ava meant to restore health. To heal physical wounds, you need healing potions or the Heal spell. Right now, even with dragon leather armor protecting me, my exposed skin is covered in cuts and bruises. This is where the regular AIWOn differs from VRMMO.
"Thanks for helping Suzanne, Mihira."
"Well, we were equally helped. Dealing with both a fire Drake and a wind Drake at the same time is a hassle."
True enough, if we hadn't been there, Mihira and the others would have had to face two dragons alone.
"Hey, you still alive? I thought I was a goner when I took that dragon breath head-on."
"Ugh, I'm fine. What, worried about me?"
"Pfft! Who would worry about you?"
"...Are you maybe a tsundere?"
"Huh? What's a tsundere?"
Despite her complaints, it seems Trinity is genuinely concerned for me. We ended up fighting an unexpected (well, in this case, perhaps not so unexpected) battle with dragons, but we managed to locate Mihira after all.
**Alive In World Online - Guild Thread 199**
623: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:51:33 ID: Edn9Dq9fiG
Has anyone learned the Sword Maiden's Dual Heaven style?
624: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:52:59 ID: wi310Kme2R
Oh, that's the style founded by the priestess goddess Fenris, right?
625: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:54:25 ID: Adl6Ms10r
Wait, I've heard that it was actually the kobolds who spread the Sword Maiden's Dual Heaven style?
626: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:56:41 ID: Bm33bK10n
Kobolds, like the monsters?
Or could it be that they're NPCs involved in an event?
627: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:57:59 ID: wi310Kme2R
>>626 Oh, I meant kobolds as in the beastmen.
628: Kemomofu Enthusiast: 12/13/2058 (Thu) 23:59:12 ID: km0Nmfm2L
There are both monster kobolds and beastmen kobolds, meow!
Monster kobolds are straight-up monsters, but beastmen kobolds are all fluffy, meow!
629: Anonymous Adventurer: 12/14/2058 (Fri) 00:01:41 ID: Bm33bK10n
"What!? Soft and fluffy...?!"
Ah, that fluffiness really makes me want to touch it...
"Fluffy enthusiasts, head over to the fluffy thread, haha!"
"Okay, let's get back on track. Is there anyone here who has learned the Twin Blade Style from the Sword Princess?"
"Well, I was lucky enough to meet someone who knew the Twin Blade Style, but it's quite a challenge to master."
"Unfortunately, I haven't learned it. Right now, I'm just trying my best to master the Light Flash Blade Style."
"I've heard rumors about the priestess Fenris's style, and I'd love to see it, but I can't seem to find anyone who practices it..."
"I'm doing my best to learn the Beast King's Claw technique, you know?"
637: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:13:09 ID: BltzPl202P
">>634 The Teright Flash Sword style focuses on speed, so it shouldn't be too hard, right?"
638: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:14:41 ID: Bm33bK10n
"Come on, if you're a man, you should go for the Steel Slice Strong Sword style!"
639: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:15:13 ID: H24jkcBu4
"Oh, that makes sense. It's no surprise the legendary Sword Princess Two-Heaven style is hard to find."
640: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:16:25 ID: Adl6Ms10r
">>638 What are you talking about? The Steel Slice Strong Sword style isn't just about brute force."
641: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:18:41 ID: Bm33bK10n
">>640 If that's your argument, the Teright Flash Sword style is all speed with weak attack power!"
642: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:19:33 ID: Edn9Dq9fiG
"Hey, don't forget about one of the three great sword styles, the Valrant Beast Sword style!"
643: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/12/14 (Fri) 00:20:00 ID: Adl6Ms10r
"That is the wrong path!"
"I am the Apostle of Beginnings, Start. Those who aspire to reach the summit of the gods, show me your power before me. Only those I acknowledge shall obtain the token to ascend to the heights of divinity."
Before me stands a colossal Drake—an Elder Dragon towering at least 20 meters. Although it belongs to the same family as other Drakes, its majestic presence far surpasses that of fire Drakes or wind Drakes. Yet, because this is merely a trial for us, it carries no murderous intent, and thus, the Apostle of Beginnings instills no fear. Perhaps the killing intent we encountered from the fire and wind Drakes along our journey helped build our resistance.
"Oh, I absolutely must reach Arcadia. I'll take the token of the Apostle of S from you," I declare, brandishing my sword at the Apostle of Beginnings.
"Whether you can obtain the token of the Apostle of S depends entirely on you. Now, let the trial begin!"
---
"Wait, which woman from another world have you been questing with recently?"
"Yes, that's the one! I came to AIWOn searching for my childhood friend, but I can't remember her name or appearance. I do remember she was with Michiba-san when they tackled that KATANA quest together."
After we defeated the Fire Drake and Wind Drake, the six of us dismantled the dragons, each taking our share of materials. It seemed the others needed the blood of the Fire Drake, so they carefully collected it in bottles. We then divided the materials from the two dragons among ourselves and the others, ensuring no hard feelings lingered between us.
Given the sheer size and weight of the dragon materials, transporting them was no small task. As a result, the others generously transferred most of the dragon materials to us. This was possible because of Ava's dark magic, Shadow Gauge, which made carrying easier.
I also received treatment for my injuries, thanks to a female archer who could cast the healing spell, Heal. Once everything settled, I explained to the others that I was looking for Miba and the reasons behind it.
I mentioned that Yuki had fallen into a coma in the real world, possibly trapped within the game Alive In World Online. I explained that without intervention, Yuki might not survive for long. Since I had never played with Yuki before, I didn't know their name or appearance. However, I did recall playing with Miba in the past.
After hearing my explanation, Miba fell deep in thought. "Miba, recently we collaborated on a KATANA quest—could it be referring to that party for the 'Sword of the Azure Sky'?"
"Isn't it true that there was only one woman in that group? It must be about Blue," one of Biha's male magician companions recalled.
"Wait, what kind of party name is 'Celestial Blade'?"
"Ah, that party led by the blue-haired female mage and the knight. She was nearly as strong as our sub-master," the female archer added, reminiscing about Yuki's strength during their collaboration.
Wait a minute. Didn't they say that the sub-master of the 'Moonlight' clan bears the title 'Crimson Witch'? For Yuki to be on that level...
"Ah, it must be Blue," I said. "She only needed to confront the Apostle K, having completed all but the Apostle A of the Angel Quest. Since she defeated KATANA, she might now be tackling Apostle A and is probably already in Arcadia."
"What? Arcadia? You mean... the one from the Angel Quest?" A feeling of unease washed over me at Biha's words. The Angel Quest was a mission where you had to collect tokens from 26 Apostles to enter the divine realm of Arcadia. If Biha was right, it meant Yuki had gathered all the tokens and entered Arcadia.
"Wow, that's incredible! I can't believe someone has actually cleared the Angel Quest..."
Trinity is simply amazed by the challenges of the Angel Quest, but for me, this is far more serious. If my suspicions are correct, Yuki fell into a coma in the real world at nearly the same time she entered Arcadia.
Ava seems to have reached the same conclusion, looking at me with a serious expression. "Ava... I think Yuki might have gone to Arcadia and can't come back..."
"Most likely. They offer power in the world of gods... luring players in with sweet words and trapping them. That's exactly the kind of thing they would do. We should have realized this just from the existence of the Angel Quest."
They—those executives from Access, the company running Angel In Online. They were the ones orchestrating a death game, so setting a trap like this would be easy for them. By Ava's tone, it seems they pulled similar stunts during the previous Angel In incident.
Thanks to Miba's information, I now know where Yuki is. But to reach her, I have to clear the Angel Quest first. Damn, what a hassle.
"Alright, I'll conquer the Angel Quest in a week and get to Arcadia. I can't afford to waste any more time."
"What!? Are you serious? You can't possibly clear the Angel Quest in just a week! Usually, it takes a year to complete such an ordeal!"
Trinity challenges my one-week plan to tackle the Angel Quest. Her tone is more measured than usual, probably because Miyaba and the others are present.
"You can achieve it. It's not about whether you can or can't; it's about doing it," I say firmly.
"Um…"
Trinity stumbles over my decisive words. I hadn't told her about Yuki's life at stake, but now that she understands the urgency behind my determination, her retorts soften.
"Suzanne, I understand how you feel, but don't push yourself too hard. Rushing will only lead to mistakes. We have six months, so let's make sure to pace ourselves."
"I… I know."
I do understand, but I can't shake my anxiety. Even though six months should suffice, Yuki's situation might be dire, and when I think about how much time we'll need to search once we reach Arcadia, I feel an overwhelming pressure to progress quickly.
"Alright, if we're tackling the Angel Quest, we should start with the 'Apostle of Beginnings.'"
According to Miyaba and the others, the first step in the Angel Quest is defeating the 'Apostle of Beginnings - Start' to obtain the Apostle's S mark. Miyaba shows me a blue, tear-shaped necklace hanging around her neck.
After she seems to focus, a magical circle decorated with letters spreads out around the necklace.
At the top, the letter "A" stands out. Surrounding it, the 26 letters of the alphabet are arranged in a clockwise direction. Some of the letters glowed faintly.
"…This is the proof of the Apostles. You can't obtain this unless you clear the 'Apostle of Beginnings.' In a sense, it serves as a container for the proof of the Apostles. If you start with other Apostles, you can't store the proof."
I see. So, that's what comprises the 'Beginning' Apostles. After exchanging information with a few members of the group, we parted ways to head towards the Source Forest, where the 'Apostle of Beginnings' resided.
Yuki's AIWOn name is Deep Blue, and Amy refers to her as Blue. She is an A-rank adventurer with the title 'Eight Wings.'
As for her appearance, she stands 165 cm tall, with waist-length blue hair and a slender figure. Rumor has it that her bust is exaggeratedly ample, and her face supposedly only differs from the real world by having red eyes.
The 'Apostle of Beginnings - Start' is, in reality, an ancient Drake far surpassing a fire Drake. It awaits challengers in the Source Forest, located south of the Central Ruins.
The challenge is designed to test the strength of the challengers, but it is said that it will not involve taking lives. The Source Forest is a day and a half's ride from the Drake's nest, but Ava seems to know a secret route to the forest. Thus, we decided to head to a place known as the Drake's Remains, located near the Drake's nest, to shorten our travel time.