William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 14||Floor 2​

Godot's sprinting came to a halt upon entering the cave as he was rocked by a blustering roar. "Holy crap..." Godot tried his best not to crack a smile. "...I have to hurry." Even as the cave rumbled, Godot sped his way towards Lacy. He found it difficult not to get excited. The professor from "Only Once a Year", the Silver Salmon, and even the first floor's boss...he was practically powerless to stop himself from fighting them all. His excitement would overcome his rationale every time.

Godot's advance was met with little resistance. It seemed as if the monsters had already been cut down to size, making his path an unbarricaded one. it wasn't long before he found the suicidal blonde. Godot skidded to a halt and said, "Sorry to keep you wai-" He stopped himself. "...Wow, that really does make me sound like a...I can see why Rise doesn't like me saying it." He then noticed a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. "...Wait a minute, Taka? What are you doing here?" He scanned the room further. "Ryuusei, too?" He thought that was his name, at least, that was his name, at least. They'd only met once quite some time ago. He was surprised he remembered him, he wasn't the best when it came to names of people he'd only briefly met, though. He was in the same guild as Princess.

"Heh, I guess this is some sorta reunion, huh? I'm surprised to see you two here." Godot felt a strong rumble and unsheathed Mammon's Fang "I won't ask you why you're here, but," Godot turned to Lacy. "I'm not going to let you throw your life away. I know the effects of losing a sibling all too well, and I know even more the effects it has on a person. You clearly have too much to live for to be carelessly giving yourself up like this." He used his sword to point into the depths of the cave. "But if that thing down there is so important that you would go in there fully knowing that you'll die..." Godot smiled. "...Then for the next 30 minutes, my life is yours."

Godot turned to the others. "I'm not sure why you guys are here, but I'm counting on you. I don't know much about this boss, but if you don't think you can handle it then I suggest you leave. It's Christmas, and I think those close to you wouldn't much appreciate having your death be their Christmas present."

William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 14||Floor 2​

"Tiny little blade?" Godot looked down at Mammon's Fang. "I've only ever used Heavy Swords in other ARPGs, I hadn't even considered them for SAO. And now that you mention it...I have had this sword for a long time. Heck, I haven't even forged it to make it stronger or gotten a new sword in a while." He tilted his head just slightly. "Maybe it's time that I did..." He turned his attention to Lacy, who seemed to be agonizing over her sister's birthday that wasn't too far off, promptly heading for the enemy not long afterwards.

Godot didn't waste any time. Following Lacy's lead, Godot sprinted towards the enemy...only realizing just before he reached it exactly what the enemy was. Or rather, what the enemy wasn't. Or rather, the fact that he had absolutely no idea what he was going to be fighting. Of course, even if he knew it probably wouldn't have changed anything, but he still wasn't sure as to whether he was prepared or not. Not only was his Meister's Soul still incapable of doing what made it unique, but he'd just gotten back from fighting a monster large enough to compete for a spot in Shadow of the Colossus. A sandwich would have been nice. Or maybe some type of cold beverage. That's what he told himself all in the matter of a couple of seconds. But it wasn't by any means a matter of fear. His fatigue was the last of his worries, and what he was fighting only crossed his mind for a couple of moments. The surprise was a part of the thrill.

But his logic wasn't borked, and he wasn't transformed into some irrational monster with a fetish for battle. His excitement simply got the best of him, and that was all there was to it. It was definitely a more violent process than usual, probably because of his desire to think about something other than his current situation. It wouldn't have been wrong to say that his rationale was slightly out of whack, his thinking wasn't completely straight, but he did have a purpose for fighting the beast. That purpose was Lacy. Or her sister, Patricia. They could have just been excuses, but even if they were, they counted as reason enough.

And yet, he found himself wondering why he was thinking so much, even in the the face of a boss reveal. Why was he thinking about my condition. Why was he trying to rationalize my actions. It was all unconscious, and yet, it felt more on the forefront of his mind than it originally had. He then started to wonder when he was going to reach the boss. Why hadn't he reached the boss yet? What was Kagome up to? It sure was taking a long time. How long had he been running? Maybe he should have stayed with Rise. Why did he feel so light headed?

...Why DID he feel so light headed? In fact, it barely felt as if he was running anymore, but he was overcome by a surreal feeling that came close to sleepiness. He couldn't feel his feet crashing into the ground with each step. There was no sensation of wind as there had previously been. His vision was blurring, and all he could feel was the quickening throbbing of his heart. His mind was throwing more and more questions at him faster and faster, to the point that he was barely able to maintain his grip on sanity.

Godot finally reached a creature. It was a Tauros, a larger golden one. It didn't matter if it was unique or even if it was the monster that Lacy was looking for; Godot just wanted it dead. The Tauros let out a booming roar, but Godot was undettered. He simply smiled and persisted in his sprint. The monster side swiped with his weapon, but Godot had no intention of dodging. His sword shone bright, with a leap, Godot unleashed a Dive Flurry. 4 of the seven strikes landed on the chest of the beast, but it hardly seemed deterred. The Tauros took advantage of Godot's vulnerability and punched him. Hard. Godot was sent spiraling in another direction, landing between some debris that had "cushioned" his fall. There was no gasp from Godot's side, he simply laughed and made to rise again.

What Lucina had said about gender inequality was at least a little true – that much was proven in Saito. He was the minority, though, as far as Turnip was concerned. And besides, look what happened to him. Thwack thwack stab. No more Saito. Admittedly, it hadn't been Lucina or Kagome who'd killed him, but he hardly seemed to enjoy having his face pounded in beforehand.

The armoured figure glanced up at Robin. The young man didn't seem to be in too good of a mood, actually. That was a shame; it looked as though he was being a bit more hospitable a few moments ago. Hmm… perhaps he hadn't taken kindly to Turnip's compliment/jibe. Any guilt Turnip may or may not have ended up feeling, though, was entirely flushed out of his mind with the arrival of the food. He thanked the waitress quickly before immediately sliding the top half of the first bun into his helmet. The bread was steadily pulled inwards by an invisible force, eventually disappearing entirely into the abyss. In the process of chewing, another thought occurred to him about Lucina's predicament. He paused his eating to speak in a voice with as little muffling as possible.

"You know, Not Batman, wouldn't it be a better idea to prove those kinds of people wrong, rather than humouring them? You're obviously capable of it. You're level sixteen for gods' sake."

Lucina was still glaring at Robin for making such an awful comment, then turned to Turnip. "They wouldn't give me the chance to prove it since they'd keep me out of fights and wouldn't notice because they're too busy trying to save someone who doesn't have to be saved." Lucina replied. "Sometimes I hate heroic figures because of it. They see someone in trouble and immediately think they need saving while they actually could handle it themselves."

Whatever those two were talking about, it wasn't Robin's place to speak. He would listen, however, if they asked him for his opinion. When Lucina gave him that glare, Robin didn't mind. He'd been used to that kind of stuff since school. She explained the reason she wants to prove herself. It's a little flawed, and Robin couldn't help but speak, "Maybe they just don't know what the person they're saving is capable of. Unless you know their true strength, you can't tell if they can handle it." Robin finished his speech off and sipped some more ramen. It wasn't like him to speak much without being spoken to first.

Turnip shrugged, "Eh, but with her level visible, that isn't really an excuse," He turned to Lucina. "If people are really all that intent on keeping you out of fights, you could always just kick them in the face. Face-kicking tends to work."

Lucina chuckled at Turnip's comment about face-kicking. "Turnip is right there. My level has been visible in all the online games I've ever played. It has always been like that." Lucina replied to Robin. "Since I've been hiding my level and my gender some players just walk by while I'm training without trying to help me out. I like it that way." Lucina took a bite of the... what was it? Robin bought something that she didn't even knew but after taking a bite it turned out to be quite delicious. "I also have another reason for hiding my gender but that's not a story I'm going to tell you." Lucina added.

Somehow Robin could see a little of himself inside Lucina. She wanted to be left alone. In real battles, however, there are things you can't handle alone. "Well, I won't pursue that story if you don't want to." He didn't know what else to say, nor did he want to speak, so he continued eating his ramen. Lucina seemed to be enjoying her food. It was a bit pricey, so it looked like it was worth it.

Turnip thought for a moment, then shrugged and ate another rasher of bacon. "The human race is pretty bloody weird," He murmured. He spoke up when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, yeah, uh, so anyway - speaking of things people can't handle alone, I... have you guys done the 'Where is Rudolph' quest? 'Cause I haven't, and when I just scrape the level requirement, I don't really know what to expect. Now, normally I'd just grind first and solo it, but with it being an event quest, I don't know if I'd have the time, and I'm... oy... I haven't caught up to everyone yet." The armoured figure paused, folding his arms a little grumpily. "You..." He sighed. "Anyone feel like taking it on sometime later? I'm not asking for help, but we can have some fun, right?" Turnip looked up hopefully for a moment before correcting himself. "Yeah, if that wasn't clear I'm totally asking for help. Oh, and Robin, I don't know how the level requirement works, or if a party can bypass it or something."

"Maybe that's something we could do after the boss fight. I mean... that person would message us, right? After a plan was made? I wonder how much longer that'll take..." Lucina replied to Turnip as she finished the food Robin had bought for her. "That reminds me of a question that I wanted to ask earlier." Lucina immediately faced the white haired swordman. "With what did Turnip assist you yesterday if I may be curious?" Lucina asked him, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

While enjoying his ramen, Robin continued to listen in on Turnip's saying. He was talking about the Rudolph quest that was available for a short time. No doubt he's a sucker who wants to get himself killed. Still, he goes out of his way and seeks assistance for the quest. There are some good rewards, Robin thinks carefully. A party would increases their chances of survival. They just need to act in sync, which is difficult to learn.

Lucina thinks it'd be better if they wait until the current boss is dealt with. "I agree," Robin spoke up, folding his hands together under his chin. "Besides, if we were to tackle this quest together, we'd need to work together in sync, with no mistakes. Otherwise, we'd be walking into a new life." A little straightforward, but they should get the picture.

Lucina decides to bring up another question which concerns yesterday's events. Robin pauses eating his ramen, then sets it down. It's better not to leave her in the dark, "There was a man listening in on our conversation at the inn yesterday. No doubt the men you know," Robin stares at Lucina to make sure she gets what he means, then continues, "I contacted a few acquaintances, Turnip included, then later the man attacked me with two others guys. The party I contacted assisted." Robin replays the battle in his mind, remembering a few instances from that battle. There was one that really ticked him off... "Anyway, in the end, we got rid of them. I'm paying Turnip back for his help that day. As for the other..." Robin hid himself deeper inside his hood, thinking back on his conversation with Kagome, "I still need to pay them back." It was a long story. Lucina would be shocked at this news. It's highly likely that she would. Robin continues gulping down his ramen before it's completely gone, "Anyway, that's the story."

Turnip frowned, Jeez, who died and made Robin Grand Lord of the Rudolph Quest? Come on, this is one event quest, not a bloody world record co-op speedrun. It bugged him slightly that Robin was so adamant about stressing how difficult the quest was, but in all, he supposed if they weren't going to do it, he'd hardly force them. He had originally wanted the quest done before the boss battle, too, just for the extra level before facing it - but then, that depended on how quickly it was made available. With the fight only being prevented on a whim, it could be minutes or weeks before whoever was 'in charge' of it deemed the boss ready to fight. He might have to take a look at the situation later, just to see whether it was actually some kind of reputable organisation, as opposed to a rag-tag group under the banner of an egotistical prick, like there was with Saito. He supposed he'd leave the quest for now; it'd hopefully be left up over the entire Christmas period, anyhow. With the conversation now on the fight yesterday, and his bacon bun nearly finished, the armoured figure suddenly noticed the hot beverage in front of him - and the other two already at the table.

Turnip shrugged, "Yeah, we killed a few guys and Kagome made a sweet FMA reference - anyway, uh, is this hot chocolate mine? Because, uh, I don't mean to be ungrateful and all, but I only eat bacon buns here. It's kind of a protest thing." He laughed somewhat meekly, a guilty smile on his hidden face.

Lucina was a little shocked hearing this story from Robin. She felt kinda guilty that Robin was being picked on while what they really wanted was her. "... I'm sorry you had to deal with them." Lucina apologized while looking at Robin, then turned to Turnip. "I'm sorry to you as well. If it wasn't for me then you guys wouldn't have to deal with them." At least they were able to take them out. Lucina just hoped that she and her friends wouldn't have to deal with them again. Lucina was curious about the third person or persons that Robin apparently didn't want to tell her about. He hid himself in his hood so Lucina decided not to ask any further about it... until Turnip gave away the exact information that she was curious about. "... Kagome?" Lucina looked at Robin but figured he wouldn't reply to that. "I-I see..." Lucina looked at her cup of hot chocolate and looked like she was thinking. Of all people she hadn't expected Robin to choose her to help him battle them... was there some kind of connection between them? A romantic one? Lucina didn't want to know about it for some reason and was surprised by how she was reacting to this.

"There's nothing to apologise for," Turnip waved a hand dismissively. "It's three fewer PKers in this game, and a boatload of experience points for us."

Lots of tension in the room. Turnip didn't want any of the hot chocolate. That's rather rude. Robin begins drinking his hot chocolate, taking quiet sips. Lucina apologized to both him and Turnip for involving them with her problem. It was a common thought to have. "What's done is done." Turnip had mentioned something about the Rudolph quest. Robin thought a little more about it before speaking, "We'll take on that quest tomorrow morning, under one condition," he looked at Turnip's helmet to see if he was paying attention, which was difficult, "you follow my commands or you'll die." Robin turned to Lucina next. "It's your choice."

Turnip was astounded, What the hell did he just say to me?

"Well excuse me, God, I wasn't aware your life-and-death controlling spirit had manifested itself before me. What in the Nine Hells have you got stuck up your arse? It's an event quest with a level requirement I meet, not bloody Punch-Out's Mike Tyson. Honestly, I'll be careful and all, but that's a given – I'm not taking commands from you, Robin. Jeez. Sorry I asked. Have you even done the quest before, or are you just talking out of your behind?"

Lucina sighed, pretty irritated, before putting the empty cup back on the table. "I'm not going to deal with that. No one is going to order me around when it's just a quest boss. It's probably an easy one too considering it's christmas." Lucina said with an irritated voice. "I do agree we should work together as a group but no one is going to be some kind of leader."

"You underestimate too much. Level isn't everything, it's the skills you learn and how you execute them." Robin decided to let it be and continued talking. "We'll work together, if that's how you wanna hear it." Their status with each other wasn't going so well. Socialism was never Robin's strong suit. Is it better that they don't do this quest at all? Maybe it's better if he goes at it alone. Robin got up from the table, with his food finished, and adjusted his hood, "You two figure out what time we should take on this quest and message me. I'm gonna go stock up now." Finally saying this, Robin left the two at the table, sighing from finally being alone for now.

Since they were going to take on this quest, Robin should prepare himself soon. It's off to restock on healing potions & crystals.

Turnip watched him go, bemused, although a little confused. The armoured figure followed the white-haired swordsman's movements all the way to the door, one of his eyebrows firmly raised the entire time. He chewed the bacon in his mouth slowly, and as the door closed behind Robin, he swallowed.

"Hmm. Implying he's more skilled than us. Don't know what the hell he was trying to say with all that." He turned back in his seat to face Lucina again. "Welp, just talking out of his arse again, I guess. Uh, you can have that if you want; just bacon buns for me." Turnip prodded his hot chocolate gingerly in her direction, then moved his hand to take the final piece of his bun and slot it in through his visor.

Lucina didn't turn even one second to Robin while he left and listened to Turnip's words as he turned back to her. "I don't like the way he's acting either but I'm not going to do such a quest with just you and me." Lucina stood up and brushed her hair out of her face while hiding in her hood. "I'm leaving. I gotta prepare myself for the boss fight." Lucina gracefully left the table and approached the door. While holding the doorknob she glanced back at Turnip. "By the way, if you see a blonde haired girl in a black uniform please message me." She turned back to the door. "She's bothering me somehow..." With these words she opened the door and left.

"Well, alrighty then." The armoured figure murmured. "Sure, I'll find the one blond girl in black. It's not like people wear things with… colours. Mlegh." He stood from his seat, picking up the unwanted cocoa and walking over to the bar. He placed it in front of another patron, saying without a hint of sarcasm: "Here, drink this. The time is now. Bluebird eight is go."

And with that, Turnip promptly left.

With some potions & crystals restocked, Robin is prepared for combat once more. He'll have to restock on Col though, so that'll take a while to do. He can just do so as he continues his training. He'll have to buy new armor & upgrade his sword as well, but again, he is short on Col. He was never one to worry about money, but in this case, it's a necessity to survive in this game.

Just as he was about to head out, a message from an unknown user popped up. He opened it & read what the message had inside.

From: ???
To: 1000+ players
Subject: Floor 2, Boss room.

-----------------------------------

Greetings, everyone within Sword Art Online. Speaking here is the founder of the second boss. As my name is not important, let's get to what really matters.

I came up with a strategy to defeat the second boss. It's name is «Baran». Baran the general Taurus has the same ability as most of the Taurus on the second floor which is «Numbing Impact» except that «Baran» has a wider striking range. I know this information because my dear friend entered the room without knowing that it was a boss room. He send me little information before he died. May he rest in peace...

To progress to the third floor we need to defeat this boss together. I ask of everyone to finish what you're currently doing and to come to the door of the boss room. The location should be marked on your map. I'll be waiting there for all of you who wish to fight this devilish monster.

Click to expand...

So the attack will soon begin. Why on earth would this player not reveal his identity actually? I have a bad feeling about this... Robin was hesitant about this message. For all he knew or anyone else, it could be a trap.

...Of course, Robin was gonna go. It's not in him to just sit out & do nothing. If he finds anything suspicious, he'll step in & protect anyone in danger. That's his style.

This boss, «Baran». Robin fought him in the beta version. He's slow in speed but is very hard to dent. He should have a weak point somewhere, if he could remember. "I'll have to be careful," he said curiously, heading off to the dungeon while looking at the map. Perhaps he'll meet some familiar faces.

Upon exiting the inn, Turnip couldn't help but notice yet another message appear in his inbox. The armoured figure was perplexed somewhat by the apparent attention he'd recently been receiving, but his thoughts soon changed as he opened the message that had just arrived.

"Man, it's message central today. What's this abou-? Oh. Oh, bloody heck, that's… awesome and slightly inconvenient."

The boss fight… it was happening! They'd only spoke of it just in the inn a little while earlier, he supposed that was tempting fate. He didn't know just how long it'd actually be until the boss fight, though, and he really did want to go grab that demon sword… The armoured figure was caught in his decision for a moment, but he soon decided to choose the sword. He just hoped he could make it back to the boss battle in time.

"Screw it! Screw it all!" Turnip shouted, disregarding the stares of the other players and bolting off in the direction of the Springs dungeon.

---

Turnip had managed to narrowly avoid mob confrontation on his sprint to the Springs, so ultimately he arrived there unscathed. He remembered the lizards he'd faced in there earlier, though, so he couldn't just go barrelling in to the place. As he reached the entrance, he was met with a slightly unexpected sight: a party of five players, geared up and ready to storm the place. Not surprising in and of itself – rather, the surprising thing was that one of the group recognised him.

"Hey! It's you, the guy who saved me from that PKer yesterday!" And that set the group into a flurry of conversation.

"Oh, that's the guy?"

"Is he nice?"

"Hey, nice one, dude."

"Why did no-one tell me this happened? You almost died? When was this? How did this happen?"

Turnip spoke up. "Yeah, uh – I did things. Great. I want in to the dungeon."

"You do?" The girl from yesterday said. "Great! We're just about to go in, too."

"I'm just going for a quick visit – there's loot in there, and the boss battle is pretty much on now, so, if you don't mind, it'd be nice if I could be pretty quick." The armoured figure explained. And so it'd be nice if I didn't have to stop to talk to people… He sighed and relented for now, drawing his sword and pointing it in the direction of the dungeon. "Alright, first enemies you'll meet in there are two pretty high level lizard men. We can probably take them pretty easily. I'm looking for a room off to the left of there, and I've got to get what's there and go. I mean, I'd help more, but I've gotta run. Boss battles don't fight themselves, and if I don't get the chance for XP and loot from it I'll probably scream."

"You'll, uh… scream? Are you sure you're the same guy from yesterday?"

"Let's just get the hell on with this, shall we?"

There was little argument. With six players, the two lizard men were dispatched almost immediately. With an odd grunting sound and a leap of sorts, the helmeted player burst into the room that held his Christmas present.

"You, Kevennerax, get in my bloody inventory!"

"What!?" The DemonSword cried in outrage. "How did you find my name!? You weren't meant to find it! There WASN'T ANY WAY TO FIND IT for THIRTY-ODD FLOORS!"

"Oh. Oops, heh, well, I just asked Santa."

"Agh! Curses! Chris Cringle, my old nemesis! Damn his jolly soul to the deepest pits of hell!"

"Yeah, I'll get on that. So, uh… your name's Kevennerax, huh?"

Kevennerax sighed. "Yes, that is my name, congratulations, you found it, bask in your fleeting success… you can take me, but you still can't wield me yet, so don't get cocky."

"Right. I'm going to call you Kevin."

"What? No. You shall call me either 'Vengeful Acts' or 'Unholy Lord and King of All Things Magnificently Unholy'."

"But Kevin's shooorrrtteeerrr..."

"Too bad, mortal! Now get your gloating over with!"

"Egh, screw it, you can't stop me. I'll be done in a minute, Kevin."

Kevin growled. "You are trying my patience."

"Ooh, I'm really scared of the demon trapped in an inanimate object. Who also happens to be named Kevin. Deal with it, you can't do balls."

Kevin made a humphing noise, but ultimately, he had to admit that the armoured figure was right. To be honest, he didn't really have any idea what an inability to 'do balls' could possibly entail, but in his predicament, he suspected that whatever it was, he couldn't do it. Turnip approached the sword, and shortly tapped the hilt to bring up the options. In doing so, the warrior took a slight sap to his hit points.

"Jeez." Turnip winced, "That really is a health drain, isn't it?"

"Yes, well, that's what happens when you get a sword you're severely under-leveled for." Kevin grumbled, still sour over his challenge being beaten so easily. "I'm still going to make you go through my quest and all. I'm not standing for this."

"I'm not sure you could even if you wanted to, with no feet and all."

"Agh, if I were in my true form, I'd-"

"You're not."

"I… Argh! Just be quiet! I suppose I can't stop you from wielding me as you please, you've at least proven your resourcefulness. And I suppose you could be worse. On the other hand, my quest is still available, should you be able to find it. There are certain other benefits it can provide."

"You've interested me." Turnip raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't get too interested just yet," The demon laughed. "you won't be doing it for a while to come. Still, I tire of conversation; let us slay some poor unwitting souls."

"Us? I can't wield you yet."

"Curses! Fine. I shall simply bask in the knowledge that things are dying in my vague vicinity."

"Yeah, you do that." Turnip told the sword, tapping the box once more to place Kevin safely into his inventory. After a quick check to see that the demon didn't sap his health by being in his inventory, the armoured figure bolted as fast as he could manage, out of the dungeon and into the plains. He just hoped that the people fighting the boss would make decent preparations – not just so that they'd be able to kill the thing efficiently, but so that they'd be delayed enough for him to arrive.

As Zander relaxed in an inn at a small town called Marome, away from people that would disturb his peace, he received a message by a mysterious player.

"Hmm... I guess I should take the quest. I am a bit low on funds right now and I also need to upgrade my armor if I want to go to the next floor."

Zander never really enjoyed being by people but when he is in a party he usually stays in the back throwing his blades that he obtained at a shop. He decided that this was the best weapon of choice for a player who doesn't want to go into front lines.

He heads out to supply himself with potions and crystals for emergencies. As he exits the town he opens the message that was sent to him. As he looks closely at the mysterious message once more he noticed that the message was also sent to an additional 1000 players.

"Great! (he said in a sarcastic voice) the more the merrier. Well at least I won't need to head to the front lines. Also when I see the boss at low health I can quickly have the last hit and get the bosses items! Hahaha! Oh that would be great and plus all that extra gold and..." he continues to talk about all the possible ways when he kills the boss.

He heads through the monster infested forest to only have himself taking the trees as his only route to not get spotted not only by the monsters but also from other players. He didn't enjoy meeting new players but he would always put an act to show that he at least cares. As he got closer and closer to the boss door he noticed a player that was already there. Zander decided to stop and stay in the trees for awhile until more players came to the boss door.

"YOU IDIOTIC NPC!!" The self-proclaimed lady spoke out loud, throwing a «Potion» onto the rocky groud with all the strength she could muster and watching it shatter into pixel pieces. For the past month or so, Adrianna had been going around to field to field, leveling up with ease until she had hit Lvl 10. From there, she had decided to settle down at a safe in and only go out to gather the necessary resources she needed and the extra hit of Col every once in a while. From there, she had, but slowly, gotten to Lvl 11. By this time, the boss had finally been found and Adrianna was able to simply get to Floor 2 with ease, as did the majority of the remaining players of this world, and the boss announcement in her inbox had forever been left untouched. Still, here she was in a floor the most horrible setting ever and was completely and utterly furious.

"How many times must I say if for you to pronounce my name right? It's Hime! Hi-me! 'Hi' as in He and 'Me' as in Mess!! That's not even the full name! It's Hime-sama! Got it?!" SAA-MAA!! She stopped to take a breath, somewhat calming down as she did so and maybe even enjoying the stares other players had pointed at her. "I expect you to get it right next time, got it? In return, lower the price." The person she was talking to was in fact not an NPC by all means. She was another player; one who had decided to reduce her life to selling goods, that is. Adrianna smartly flicked her hair, it's strands shimmered under the light. She had been in the mood for a sugar hit and this particular player was known for her bad marketing skills ...or basically being someone who doesn't know how to refuse.

"I...I'm sorry Hime-sama but I-"

"10 Col." She decided to not mention the fact that, once again, she had pronounced 'Hime' like Time for the sake of giving her some pity.

"10 Col?! B-but that's almost nothing! I...I won't do it again so-"

"You already have. I'm giving you mercy child so, give me the goods or else."

The girl quietly handed Adrianna the «Tremble Shortcake» and promptly left the scene, thoughts of getting a new «Potion» fresh in her mind. Adrianna, on the other hand, was now in complete bliss. She had just obtained what was rumored to be one of the very best sweets in all of Aincrad and, to top it off, she had gotten it at an unbelievably low price. Admiring the strawberry and the sheer size of the shortcake, she took a note to consume it later in moderate amounts.

"Ha ha! Maybe Urbus isn't so bad after all!" She gleefully put the item in her inventory and strolled down the street. Things like this were better kept to yourself and eaten alone. Besides, she could use a Luck buff later. Seeing people eyeing her from her previous rant, Adrianna began to quicken her step, her destination the village called Marome. However the screen which appeared before her stopped the lady in her tracks.

ONE MESSAGE RECEIVED​

She frowned, taking note that it wasn't addressed to only her, and reluctantly opened the message.



A boss fight? Images of the message somewhat similar to this one popped into her mind and the lady shook her head in disapproval, she almost scoffed even. Why should she, someone so refined and elegant, go do something others could simply do for her? It was preposterous! She clicked her tongue, feeling the stares of the people around her burn into her back. Was she that beautiful that people had to stare so much? No matter, Marome was where she wanted to be and Marome would be where she went.

Adrianna sank into her bed, ready for the sweet that would come quite soon. Her rent for the room had just been paid and it wasn't bad for a lady like her. Actually, when alone, she could forget about all that acting like a lady biz and just relax... She flopped onto the pillows, sinking her face in the fluffiness and rolling about. Suddenly, she sat up and equipped herself into something more casual and began to look through her items when her hand unwillingly opened up the messages box once more to reveal the two boss messages, both old and recent. Taking another mental note to delete both of them later, she promptly closed her menu altogether and lay flat on her back, staring at the roof of her room.

... I really don't have many friends do I? The memory of the only two messages in her inbox crossed her mind, making her frown. I'm bored. I think I'll go training later. She sat back up, just remembering the rumor of the Bonus Item which came with Last Attack of a boss fight. Adrianna smiled, a silly plan forming in her head. Say... If I took the number of people there to my advantage, wouldn't I be able to get my hands on that Bonus Item? It'd be a chance to get my name known too! Not to mention I have a Luck buff on my side too! It'd be a quick way to level up too! "Good idea, get!!" The lady giggled, jumping up as she spoke her last thought out loud. It was brilliant. Nothing could get in her way. Adrianna grinned widely as she re-equipped herself and opened up her menu and pressed on the Map option. The red marker wasn't too far off and she was pumped up and ready.

"Boss room, here I come!"

William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 14||Floor 2​

Clearing his mind seemed to work like a cure-all. Godot felt something of a rush as he laughed unconsciously, not minding his health level or even those being bashed attacked by the beast. But his mind was working fine, he was still Godot. It seemed as if his mind hit the fail-safe reset button and flushed all of his worries, thoughts, and preoccupations out. But he was aware of what was going on around him and it made him no less excited. He ignored Ryuusei Ryuusa's warning and decided to give it another go.

But it was upon this that Godot found error with his methods. He wasn't alone, but he was fighting as if the others weren't there. This thought occurred to him as he nearly stumbled upon a downed Lacy. "Tch..." He scoffed. It made things more difficult with other people there. ...Wait a minute...why am I here, anyway? Godot felt a twinge. Systems seemed to have been coming back online in the brain center. The Golden Tauros took this opportunity to attack Godot from the side. Godot reacted at the last minute, gripping his sword's blade and attempting to block the hammer, only to be swept from his feet and lifted a good distance, but he landed on his feet.

"Ugh...damn..." He looked up and sighed. "Running away from my problems like a seven year old." He looked around and scanned the conditions of the battlefield. Things didn't seem to be in his parties favor. He clicked his teeth and stabbed his sword into the ground. The problem wasn't that they didn't have the power to take it down, it was that they didn't have the chemistry. There was no team in their work. He scanned the field a second time and made first for Lacy, utilizing his Sprint skill to it's fullest.

Once he reached her, he took her by the hand and helped up. "Drink a potion." He didn't really have much time to talk, so he kept his advice brief. "We're offering you our lives, so don't hesitate to use us to our fullest." He made his way over to Rikuto next. This time, he had to cross pass the Tauros. This was partially to gain the beast's attention, but it was also because it was just faster. And indeed, he caught its eye. Just as he passed, the Tauros, rather then striking Godot, it strike the ground with great force, shaking the cave and throwing the Godot off of his rhythm, causing him to fall down. He picked himself up, pushing himself towards his target.

Godot found himself standing in front of a barricaded Ryuusa, and he stood with his back to the Tauros, knowing full well that it would probably strike. "Ryuu, I said that if you don't know how to handle the boss, you should leave. Either quite cowering behind the shield and man your sword or run and I'll provide myself as a better shield than that can prove to be. I don't know if it's because your mind is elsewhere or what, but you'll only get killed fighting like this." Godot turned around and faced the Tauros. "There's a much bigger enemy lurking in the midst than this small fry, so we can't have any casualties outside of the guy guarding the next floor." Godot looked back as the Tauros stepped forward. "And don't you sell armaments? Can't have SAO losing good retailers, it spoils things for everyone. Especially front-liners." The Tauros raised his hammer, seeking to crush both Godot and Ryuusa. But Godot stood firm, though he wasn't too excited about what was about to happen.

The Tauros brought down his hammer. Godot, fully ready, quickly equipped Santa's Cane and stood firm, raising it defensively. The hammer met the cane, and the force was immense. Godot's horse stance was brought to a near crouch the moment the cane hit, and he was just happy that he couldn't feel pain. He managed to prop the cane upright by twisting his body, promptly jumping out of the way and grabbing moving Ryuusa, while still returning the Cane to his inventory. The encounter wasn't without its loses, however; his health was low. He still hadn't recovered from the first full-on hit that he took, so he was relatively close to death. But he knew what he was doing, it was a part of the plan. Well, except for the first hit; he chalked that up to stupidity.

Finally was Taka, and he looked like he was down and out. The Tauros went for him next, seeing the unarmed Godot as less than an issue. Godot cursed, and he made for his sword. He didn't have time to heal himself. But he also had to wonder if he was doing anything. Were his words actually doing anything to make the fighters any more united than they were? If he was truly having no effect, then it would only end in failure. It was times like those that he wished Kagome was there, she was a great leader.

He reached his sword and pulled it out of the ground, taking no time to check his stamina. "«Mosquito's Kiss»!" Godot's sword shone a bright red. He leapt and yelled, "«Dive Flurry»!" His blade shone brighter, and he landed 6 out of the 7 hits, raising his HP a moderate amount. But the Tauros wouldn't have it. It looked behind it and saw the interloper. Godot only had a moment to block, and he took advantage of it...at a cost. The Tauros punched Godot's sword, which he was blocking with, and its durability dropped to zero. Mammon's Fang was no more, and Godot was left to fall to the ground with enough momentum to slide a good distance. It did keep the Golden Tauros away from Taka, but...a strange emptiness filled Godot. A sadness. He didn't really know how attached he was to the sword until he saw it turn into digital pixie dust and waft into the ether. He clenched his teeth, equipping his still yet-to-be-relured Meister's Soul and stood up.

He sighed, regretting his previous actions, and looked to the Tauros. He took out a potion and threw it in Taka's direction, hoping it would reach him. The more likely scenario? It would probably hit a wall, given the distance, but the Tauros' attention seemed to be away from the downed fighter, and that's all he really cared about. "You guys ready for an all-out assault?" He spoke loudly. "Because I'm tired of this Tauros' crap."