SAO part 8: New challenge.
The sun was shining brightly on the first floor of Aincrad.
Unlike the night where everything feels creepy and scary, the day in Aincrad is beautiful as it fully shows the fantasy and magical design of SAO.
From the giants trees and the various ecology to the mixed terrains like swamps that dotted with lakes, mountains, valleys, and some ruins that inhabited by powerful monsters.
At the northern end of the floor there lies a square tower three hundred yards across and a hundred yards tall. This is the first-floor labyrinth that makes the players feel despair just by looking at it from afar.
The floor is also filled with different settlements, the starting city and other villages of various sizes, but the most prosperous one is Tolbana, a valley town and the closest one to the floor's labyrinth.
Next to the town, there is a deep forest filled with some small lakes and swamps that filled with monsters like boars and worms.
Somewhere inside the forest next to Tolbana, there were five monsters walking together according to the system instructions.
The group consisted of four blue boars bigger than the regular boars with each of them had 6 levels while in the middle, there was a big boar with red color and long tusks while his level was 8 with an elite rank.
The group was roaming normally with the red boar in the middle, but suddenly. The boars turned over to see their kind in the back turned into fragments without any reason.
The group started to feel restless while checking their surroundings, but there was nothing in their sight.
This continues until the boars heard something from a bush so one of them rushed towards it, but he only found a stone there.
The red boar saw it was a false alarm and turned around, only to see two more boars becoming fragments after their HP reached zero.
Feeling anxious, the red boar turned towards the place where the boars died but before he took one step, he heard a breaking sound of the last boar in his group.
The red boar stood in his place while swiping his on the ground preparing to attack. Few leaves started to fall from the trees while the wind carried them slightly, but the boar kept focusing on his surrounding.
However, before the boar felt anything. A knife glowing with a red light hit the boar head two times, emptying his HP before he turned into fragments while leaving the loot and EXP screen in his place.
In the boar place now there is a tall man with an open black long leather coat that hangs below his knees with red ends while his shirt inside was gray with a red belt that had few knives in it, and his pants and shoes were black.
The man had a black shiny gauntlet in both of his hands. But the most noticeable sign was his hood that covered the upper half of his face and made his eyes hidden. This gave the man a mysterious feeling of unknown and danger.
"..." Akashi(DIO) checked his loot and EXP before walking away silently while activating <
This's the 13 days after SAO started and it was a very intense period.
Most of the players already accept the fact that this game became a prison and started to level up while doing quests to clear the game but this was after the death of a lot of people either by monsters or suiciding.
In the first days of the game, a lot of players tried their theories of jumping from a cliff of any other way of dying to quit the game. All those players had really disappeared from the game. But the other players never know if their attempt were successful and the only thing they got was names crossed out in a black metal monument with reasons of death carved beside it.
The black monument that took place in the room that was for the resurrection. It represented death for the players and the reality they are facing right now.
After those days, the players started to adapt and began to face monsters, but even if they did, sometimes humans can only learn by the hardest way and that is death.
The number of death increased frightfully and reached more than a thousand in mere days, with players venturing to the plains and the forests while thinking this is still just a simple game.
These attempts showed the player the cruel truth again while they started to take the game carefully, but the situation got somehow better after the players found a guidebook in NPC stores for free in the second week of SAO.
The book gave the players a clear path of how to play the game correctly. However, even with it there still players dying every day.
Akashi(DIO) knows well how terrifying the human adaption. From a boy that didn't even hold a weapon in his life to a killer that can kill hundreds without blinking.
Akashi(DIO) looked at his palm and remembered all the events until now before closing his fist tightly.
Loosening his fist, Akashi(DIO) smiled before watching Tolbana gates in front of him.
This doesn't need words or any complicated feeling now. Humans always adapting, and so did Akashi. There is no justice or evil in this world, it's just actions or decisions that already decided by people before. And what stops Akashi(DIO) from making his decision himself as long as he thinks it is right and never lose his goal and way.
Entering inside the city, Akashi(DIO) walked slowly while thinking about his next move in this game.
Akashi(DIO) level now is 10 while he invested his stats mostly in AGI while baking it with some STR and VIT but he isn't able to level up more because the monster levels and quest are far below his level in this place.
Akashi(DIO) skills level already passed level 10 and opened some sub-skills like <
After getting weapons from the boss and the quest, Akashi(DIO) rushed from that town and made it to this city that he used all the drop from the boss to make these clothes from the werewolf leather.
These clothes have a good defense even if they didn't reach the degree of a heavy armor but with these Akashi(DIO) will not be afraid of being one-shot by a boss full attack.
Akashi(DIO) wanted to pick DIO phantom blood outfit, but SAO doesn't have this design ready, and there no player now that can make them so Akashi(DIO) just picked assassin design.
After that Akashi(DIO) increased his weapons and new outfit grade while doing a quest to get a blacksmith skill to create his knives by himself.
Now, Akashi(DIO) is ready to go to the labyrinth but before he remembered an interesting rumor, he heard from a few beta players when he was in the other towns, so he's nowhere to confirm it with an Acquaintance.
Walking in the empty streets of Tolbana, Akashi(DIO) reached the church before entering and heading towards the confessional.
"Took you long enough" Akashi(DIO) heard the sound of a girl from the other chamber.
"You have the information?" Akashi(DIO) said.
"You have my money?" the girl said.
"It depends on the information... And you know that I'll not run with your money" Akashi(DIO) said directly while the girl clicked her tongue because she knows that is true after a few deals with Akashi(DIO).
"And you should feel grateful that DIO is with you here" Akashi(DIO) said while the girl in the other chamber rolled her eyes.
"Yeah right... But why are you looking for this information?" the girl asked with confusion in her tone.
"As an information broker, you shouldn't ask why people want those informations, Argo" Akashi(DIO) said with his eyes closed.
"That usually the case, but... Are you planning to die?" Argo said while Akashi(DIO) frowned.
"Is it that bad?" Akashi(DIO) said calmly.
"If I said that the people that completed this quest in the Beta were only three would you believe it?" Argo said while Akashi(DIO) opened his eyes.
"..." Akashi(DIO) didn't say anything while Argo continued talking.
"This quest opens only at the 7 days in the midnight from the start of SAO and keep circling, but... It nearly impossible, especially when this game became like this" Argo said.
"Without resurrection... Right?" Akashi(DIO) said while Argo nodded.
"Yeah... The quest is an extra one after completing some quests for the church in Tolbana. It was something like a challenge for both the player skills and mind with those puzzles and traps" Argo said in an annoyed tone like it was remembering something bad.
"In the Beta, most the players failed the mission and gave up, but some of them kept trying during that 7 days until they memorized all the traps and answers" Argo said.
"I see... And I assume that those players didn't tell anybody about the rewards or the traps" Akashi(DIO) said with a calm tone.
"Yeah... But I don't think they can say it now" Argo said in a tired voice.
"Died, huh... Probably from information error after the official launch" Akashi(DIO) said.
"..." Argo didn't say anything now.
"... What happened to the players in the starting town currently?" Akashi(DIO) changed the subject because he doesn't think this conversation will lead anywhere.
"One word... Bad. More than a thousand players died and more are dying at the moment we speak" Argo stopped before continuing.
"But... Players are adapting the situation and they're making groups to fight monsters while I heard there were some players gathering the people that chose to fight and creating huge groups of players to attack the mobs" Argo said before her tone turned complicated.
"And people are blaming the Beta player for what happens to them, especially because of the people that died. Those people that gathering players are mostly using this as a reason for others to join them while the regular player hatred for the Beta players is increasing with each day...*Sigh*..." Argo said before sighing.
"Of course, it will grow... People don't like to think about the logical solutions or causes in these situations, so there always the need of finding someone or something to put the blame on and this thing is the Beta players" Akashi(DIO) said before leaning his back on the wall.
"Humans... Always see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear while mostly believing in those without even thinking" Akashi(DIO) said before silence filled the chamber.
"... Why did you do it?" Argo hesitated before asking.
"Do what?" Akashi(DIO) said.
"Pretending to be a Beta player" Argo said.
"Who knows... Like it matters anyway" Akashi(DIO) said before operating his SAO menu and choosing a trade.
Argo saw the trade option with cols while hesitating until she sighed before putting a book with the quest instruction.
"I thought you going to ask more... Like about the groups in the starting town" Argo said while Akashi(DIO) walked out of the confessional.
"If I asked that it'll be another information for you to sell..." Akashi(DIO) looked at Argo that left the confessional and said.
"Of course, this how information goes" Argo smiled and said.
"... I really wanted to ask you if you believe in gravity, but I think you already believe in cols" Akashi(DIO) said in a helpless tone while Argo felt confused.
"About the Beta player... Things will get worse, especially with the simulation that the players are receiving now. And that guide book of yours and the little plan of being a scapegoat will not help that much" Akashi(DIO) said while Argo felt surprised before lowering her head.
"...*Sigh*... There is nothing to do about it... And you really planning on doing in that quest" Argo said while Akashi(DIO) shrugged his shoulders.
"We all die one day... And did you ask this question to all the people that you sold this information for?" Akashi(DIO) said with a smile while Argo remained silent.
"I see..." Akashi(DIO) said before walking to the church front because that where the quest start.
"... Just don't die before giving me my compensation" Argo said with an angry tone after remembering she had to wait until two other cities to get <
"Sure, I'll pack you a stack of health potions and feed you them later... Arrivederci(Goodbye)" Akashi(DIO) waved his hand and using <
"...*Sigh*... How much level does that guy <
If Akashi(DIO) heard her, he'll say you need to be a hardcore gamer that doesn't sleep for three days while grinding his skills to reach this level.
Akashi(DIO) that left Argo reached the church front before looking at some writing in the colored glass.
"Hero who believed in the false oracle and adventured into the darkness... The hero faced will a lot of challenges from his foolishness... The blind gatekeeper that stops anything that tries to pass the gate that opens only for the sound of the lord... The Arrow that only points for the sinner... The flames that burn the evil and anyone who tries to pass without being worthy... After defeating his enemies the hero met the light... But he understood that someone like him isn't worthy of that light, so he chooses to be in the darkness to atone for his sins..." Akashi(DIO) read all the phrases before a priest appeared in front of Akashi(DIO).
"Are you perhaps interested in the story of the fallen hero adventurer?" the priest said while Akashi(DIO) used the SAO system to donate some cols for the church because this's the start of the quest.
"Thank you for your kindness, adventurer... But may I tell you a story?" Akashi(DIO) watched the NPC talking about his friend that was injured in the forest before accepting the task of finding some herbs.
"Thank you, adventurer. I'll be waiting for the good news" the NPC said, but Akashi(DIO) was already outside the church.
Akashi(DIO) walked outside the city while thinking about this mission before he looked at part of his mind that he was ignoring for the past 5 days.
'F-F-F-I-I-G-HT---In-G...G--O--L....' Akashi(DIO) watched the arrow singing Jojo opening for the last 5 days nonstop in a very laggy way. Akashi(DIO) felt he might get a skill just from ignoring this arrow.
Because Akashi(DIO) didn't have time to set a perfect prison, this arrow is able to skip some barriers, but he can only talk in a very laggy way. And the reason he was able to wake up is because of Akashi(DIO) mental energy explosion and him finding a way to steal energy from the connection between SAO and the real world.
'C--C--C---A---N...' Akashi(DIO) felt the arrow noticed him before Akashi(DIO) removed one chain from the arrow.
'Can you stop this already? I'm lagging harder than King Crimson' Akashi(DIO) almost recovered the chain before he took a deep breath.
'Hahahahahah... NO' the arrow said after a light laugh.
<...*Sigh*... what did I do in my life to be stuck with you?> Akashi(DIO) said with a headache.
'Actually, I was stealing the source energy all the time, but taking it from the gap between this world and this game is much easier' the arrow said while Akashi(DIO) frowned.
'Yeah... D4C helped me' the arrow said while Akashi(DIO) felt he was betrayed by himself.
Taking a deep breath, Akashi(DIO) looked at the blue sky with all the clouds drifting.
Raising his hand to block the sun, Akashi(DIO) felt the warmth of the sun and a light breeze blowing his clothes slightly. This simple thing always happens in the real world, but seeing and feeling them inside of SAO always makes Akashi(DIO) wonder why Kayaba did it.
'A bunch of rules and laws stick together in a coordinated way to create a platform that can survive in the void' the arrow answered instantly while Akashi(DIO) felt helpless.
Akashi(DIO) thought while remembering a lot of character that wanted to save or rule the world.
'Honestly... I don't know... You humans and especially your hearts and mind were always a mystery that even the world can't solve' the arrow said.
'Maybe... Now if you excuse me. I'll sing again... SONO CHI N-' Akashi(DIO) returned the chain before the arrow continued.
"..." looking at the virtual sky for a while, Akashi(DIO) walked towards his mission location because tonight is going to be crazy.