Sword Art Online - Volume 8 - Early and Late

by Reki Kawahara

  The stats of a level 1 along with the specifications of the initial equipment was obviously extremely weak, but still, if a boosted «Slant» were to deal a critical hit at the weak point of the blue wild boar—its official name, «Frenzy Boar», the HP reduced in a single hit would be just a little more than what it has. The slash that I released head-on hit the mane area of the wild boar that came charging in, returning a strong recoil, and the beast with a total length of around a meter, twenty centimeters was sent flying towards the back violently.

  “Giiiiiii!”

  Screaming as it bounced off the ground, it stopped in the air unnaturally. *Bashaa!* An intense sound effect, along with a light effect. Within the blue light, the wild boar turned into thousands of polygon fragments, before blowing up.

  I did not even spare a look at the indication of the experience points added, or the dropped material items; on the contrary, without even stopping my feet, I walked right through the drifting light effect. I did not feel even a fraction more refreshed. Plunging the sword into the scabbard on my back with vigor, I faced the dark forest I was finally nearing, I continued running at the speed limit allowed by my agility stat.

  Nevertheless, I had to take caution in the forest to avoid the reaction radius of the monsters about, but I still ran through the path as fast as I could and reached my destination, «Horunka Village», right before the setting sun went down.

  I quickly surveyed the village of ten buildings, inclusive of both private houses and shops, from its entrance. The color cursors floating in my vision were all tagged as NPCs. It seems that I am the first to arrive, but thinking about it, that was only to be expected. After all, I did dash off at full speed with barely any conversation the moment Kayaba’s tutorial ended.

  Firstly would be to head for the weapon shop facing the narrow plaza. Before the start of the tutorial—that is, at the time SAO was still a normal game, I hunted down several monsters along with Cline, so there were a number of raw material items saved up in my storage. I had no desire to increase my manufacturing-type skills, so I would just sell them off to the shopkeeper NPC. Using nearly all of my gold, which had just recently increased, I bought a brown leather half coat with decently high defense.

  I touched the instant equip button displayed when I purchased it without any hint of hesitation. Above the white linen shirt and thick grey cloth vest that were my initial equipment, a leather piece of equipment that gave off a feeling of durability came to be while releasing light. I caught my breath for a bit, dwelling in the slightly increased sense of stability, then glanced at the large full-length mirror installed onto the weapon shop’s wall.

  “…It’s… me…”

  I unconsciously muttered so, and the elderly shopkeeper polishing a dagger’s scabbard at the counter raised his eyebrows, before returning to work straight away.

  The avatar reflected in the mirror, aside from the height and gender, was one extremely far away from the «Kirito» that I went to great pains to create.

  The body was thin and slender, without a trace of masculinity in the facial features. Long black forelocks hung down, the eyes too, were black, or darker than that. An appearance just like mine in reality, reproduced with an astonishing level of detail—

  Just by imagining this avatar, like what the previous Kirito had on, equipping dazzling metal armor, a vehement reaction of denial surged through my entire body. Luckily, in SAO, even with lightweight leather equipment, speed-type one-handed sword users were able to gain sufficient defence. Of course, they were unable to become tanks, the ones able to pull monsters’ attention to their own selves, but there was no need for a tank-type build for a solo player.

  From now on, I shall stick to leather equipment as far as the situation allows it. Not to mention those as plain-looking as possible.

  Deciding thus in my mind, I left the weapon shop. The only thing that improved was the Leather Coat, with the Buckler set aside for now, and my weapon still remained as the initial sword. Rushing into the tool shop next door, I bought as many recovery and antidote potions as I could, turning the money in my possession to an absolute zero.

  There was a reason behind why I did not get my weapon replaced. The one and only one-handed straight sword sold in the weapon shop of this village, «Bronze Sword», had more power than the initial equipment, «Small Sword», but its durability easily drops, and it was weak against the corrosion liquid fired by plant monsters too. If one were to go against them frequently, staying with the Small Sword was a better idea. But even saying so, it’s not like I could not stay with the weak initial sword forever. Leaving the tool shop, I flew into a private house deeper in the village with a dash.

  Stirring a pot in the kitchen, an NPC that truly gave off the feel of a «village missus» turned and talked while looking at me.

  “Good evening, journeying swordsman. You must be tired, I do wish to offer you some food, but I do not have any at the moment. All I can give, is a single cup of water or so.”

  Without missing a beat, I answered with clear enunciation, for the system to be able to recognize it.

  “That will be fine.”

  Actually, just “That’s fine” or “Yes” would be enough, but these things were for setting the mood. However, if I were to say the even more polite phrase, “Don’t mind me”, nothing would happen.

  The NPC poured water into an old-looking cup from a water jug, and set it down on the table before me with a clunk. Sitting on the chair, I drank that down in a gulp.

  With a slight smile, the missus turned back towards the pot. Despite something simmering, «not giving any food» was meant to be a slight hint. Upon waiting further, the steady sound of a child’s coughing could soon be heard from the other side of the door to the next room. The missus’s shoulders appeared to have fallen with despair.

  After having waited for another few seconds, a golden question mark finally lit up above the lady’s head. The sign of a quest’s activation. I called out without a moment’s delay.

  “Is something troubling you?”

  It was one of many possible phrases, of those used to accept quests from NPCs. Softly turning to face me, the «?» mark atop the missus’s head blinked constantly.

  “Actually, journeying swordsman, my daughter…”

  —And her daughter was stricken with a severe illness that was completely unfazed even when given medicine from the market (this was inside the pot) and there was no other way to cure her daughter aside from making her drink medicine gotten from the ovules of predatory plants inhabiting the forest further to the west with the problem being that plants of that particular type were of extreme danger and those that actually bloom were rarely seen on top of that resulting in her complete inability to obtain any hence if only a swordsman was able fetch it in her stead to whom she will gladly offer a long sword handed down in her family as an expression of gratitude.

  Which was the general synopsis of the missus’s speech that she gave while gesturing, as I listened on patiently. The quest would not progress if not heard to the end, and I was unable to bring myself to harden my heart against the sporadic dry coughs of her daughter during her story.

  The missus finally closed her mouth, and the tasks on the quest log display on the left of my vision were refreshed. I got up, and while crying out, “Please leave it to me!”—a line that there was no need for, but it’s to set the mood—I rushed out of the house.

  Immediately following that, the time bell melody played throughout the town from the small watchtower in the middle of the plaza. Evening, seven o’clock.

  Just how was the condition of the real world now? There was no doubt that a huge uproar had occurred. Beside me, lying down on my bed in my room with the Nerve Gear on my head, my mother or sister, or perhaps both of their figures were probably there.

  I wonder just what are they feeling right now. Shock? Doubt? Fear? Or maybe grief…?

  However, the fact that I am still living here, within Aincrad, is proof
that my mother and sister have not forcibly torn off my Nerve Gear. In other words, they probably do believe in it. In Kayaba Akihito’s warning—and that I would return alive.

  In order to live through this death game and return, there is no choice, but for someone to break through to the top floor of this Floating Castle Aincrad that roughly reaches up to a hundred levels, and defeat that monstrous last boss of a form that I can’t even begin to imagine about, to clear the game.

  Of course, I don’t even have a single thought of achieving that deed myself. What I should be doing, no, the one and only thing I am capable of: to struggle for my life with all my might, that’s all there is.

  First of all, to become strong. At the very least, on this floor, regardless of the type and numbers of monsters coming at me… or perhaps to the extent where I am able to protect my own life even when a malicious player assaults me. I can think about anything beyond that when I reach there.

  “…Sorry, mother. For making you worry… Sorry, Sugu. For having something like this happen through those VR games you hate…”

  The words that unintentionally leaked out from my lips caused me slight surprise. The last time I called out my sister’s name in short-form was three years ago, or maybe even longer than that.

  If—If I were to live on and return, I’ll face her directly and call her «Sugu» once more.

  Deciding so meaninglessly, I passed through the village’s gate, striding towards the forest covered in the ominous night.

  There is no sky within Aincrad; all that was in its place, was just the bottom of the next floor stretching out a hundred meters overhead, hence the only times when the Sun could be seen directly was restricted to the mornings and evenings. Of course, the Moon follows suit.

  Even then, it’s not like daytime is dim with the night pitch black, space lighting is applied like other usual VR spaces, ensuring ample gamma exist. Even in the forest at night, while obviously not to the level of day, a pale blue light illuminates all the way to one’s feet, posing no inconvenience even while running.

  That may be true, but the gloominess in one’s heart is another matter all together. Regardless of how much attention is paid to one’s surroundings, the anxiety that something could be right behind still floats up every so often. It was only at times like this that I start to miss the sense of security from playing as a party, but I was beyond the point of no return. Both in terms of distance, as well as what the system dictated.

  The number of «skill slots» allocated to a level 1 player was a mere two.

  To one of those sides, I filled it up with «one hand sword» straight after the start of the game at one o’clock in the afternoon today, with plans to think hard on what to put in for the other empty slot. However, after experiencing that nightmarish tutorial and leaving behind the Starting City, the chance to mess around with skills was robbed from me.

  For solo players, there exist several indispensable skills. The ones most important among those are «Searching» and «Hiding». Each of those two are able to raise the rate of survival, but the former is also able to contribute to increasing the efficiency of hunting, while the latter has its efficiency falling faintly in this forest, due to a certain reason. As such, I chose the searching skill, deciding to add the hiding skill on my next slot increment.

  That said, those skills, for that with an already high chance of safety, manpower—that is, by spreading out the searching range through sight while playing as a party, they are not stressed upon much. In other words, the moment I took up «searching», I have already lost all paths except to rush straight through that of a solo player. A time when this decision haunts me might come sooner or later, but at the very least, it wouldn’t right now…

  Within my vision, as I walked while thinking of such things in a nook of my mind, a small color cursor was displayed. The reaction range was enlarged due to the searching skill, hence I was still unable to confirm it by sight. The cursor was of the red denoting a monster, but it had a slightly dark tint, perhaps closer to magenta, rather than red.

  This reddish shade could be used to loosely determine the relative strength of the enemy. The cursors of the monsters that one cannot defeat regardless of how much one struggles, with an overwhelming gap in levels, is a dark crimson, more intense than blood. Most of those weak monsters, from which barely any experience points can be gained no matter how many one kills, are a light pink, close to white. Fair enemies of the same levels are shown as pure red.

  Currently, the cursor appearing within my vision is a red, slightly more intense than average. The name of the monster is «Little Nepent». Despite having little attached to its name, it is a walking predatory plant with a stature of a meter and a half. It was level 3, hence the cursor seen by the level 1 me was painted in purple.

  Although it was not an opponent that can be made light of, there was no need for fear either. That is due to the narrow yellow border surrounding the cursor. Showing that it is the target mob for a quest.

  I stopped walking for a moment, and after confirming the lack of other mobs around, I turned to the Little Nepent once again and dashed straight on. Back attacks are rarely effective on monsters without eyes, such as this.

  Separating from the small path, I turned about the grand, old tree, and its form entered my sight.

  On its lower body that brings the Nepenthes species to mind, countless roots were wriggling about as it used them to move. Vines, with pointed leaves attached, twined about at its side and it had a «mouth» for consumption of prey near where its head should be, dribbling a vicious liquid as it snapped open and shut.

  “…A miss.”

  Having seen that much, I murmured softly. Occasionally, one with a large flower blooming atop its mouth would appear. The key item need for the quest received at Horunka Village, «Little Nepent’s Ovule», drops from none other than a Nepent with that flower attached. And the rate of one with the flower appearing is likely less than one percent.

  However, even if they are normal Nepents, as long as one continues defeating them, the appearance rate of one with a flower will increase. As such, engaging it in battle is not a waste, but there is an important point that one cannot ignore.

  That at a rate similar to one with a flower, a type of Nepent with a round fruit attached might appear. That one could be said to be a «trap»; if the fruit is attacked in the midst of battle, it will break off with a deafening sound, letting out fumes with an unpleasant smell. The fumes possess neither poison nor corrosive properties, but it has the extremely troublesome special trait of calling together its fellow Nepents from the surroundings. Not many would be called if the POP of the area was running low, but with the current circumstances, an obviously immeasurable amount should be gathered together.

  I focused my eyes again, and upon confirming the lack of the fruit on the enemy, I pulled out the sword on my back once more. The Nepent noticed me at the same time, raising its two vines up high threateningly.

  The attack patterns for this mob are to use the pointed edge of its ivy to slash and stab, like a dagger, and expelling corrosive fluids from its mouth. It had much more variety compared to the blue wild boar that merely charged recklessly, but as it does not use sword skills, it could be said to be easier than demi-human mobs such as Kobolds and Goblins.

  And above all, its ability slants a fair bit towards the offensive side, with its defense weak. Even in «the previous Aincrad», I was fond of these sorts of monsters. After all, as long as you don’t receive any of the attacks, it is possible to take down several of them within a short time.

  “Shuuuuu!”

  And with that howl, spilled out from its prey-trapping mechanism of a mouth, the Nepent thrust its right vine towards me. Reading its trajectory in an instant, I jumped towards the left to dodge it. Turning towards its side in the same motion, I drove my sword into the part joining the pitcher portion and its thick stalk—its weak point.

  It was a fitting counter. The Nepent’s H
P bar slumped down, with more than twenty percent decreased.

  Letting out a voice of anger once again, the plant inflated its pitcher. The preparation motion for the firing of the corrosive fluids. The range was as long as five meters, it’s not possible to dodge it even when retreating straight behind.

  Apart from the damaged HP and a drastic drop in equipment durability, thanks to the viscosity, the player’s movement will also be obstructed. However, the effect is limited to a narrow range of 30 degrees ahead. After determining the timing to do so until the very last moment, the instant the expansion of the pitcher portion of its body stopped, I jumped with all my might towards the right this time.

  A pale green fluid shot out in a spray with a *Bushuu!*, forming a white vapor as it fell onto the ground. But having avoided getting even a single drop showered on me, I touched down onto the ground with my right foot and brandished my sword, dealing a hard blow at the same weak point once again. Along with a scream, the Nepent’s prey-trapping mechanism bent backwards as a yellow light effect circled around it. A stunned status. It might be strange for a plant to get stunned, but there was no way I could let this chance slip.

  Once again, I strongly pulled my sword towards the right. With that movement done in an instant, the sword skill activated, engulfing the blade in a faint, pale blue light.

  “…Raa!”

  In this battle—or perhaps for the first time since the start of SAO’s official service, a yell welled out of me, and I violently kicked off the earth. The single-hit, horizontal offensive technique to the neck, «Horizontal». The only thing about it different from «Slant», is whether it’s slanted or horizontal, but this way made it easier to aim for the Little Nepent’s weak point.

  Right before the plant mob, with close to fifty percent of its HP lost to the earlier two attacks, recovered from its stun, its exposed stalk was given a straight slash by the sword skill. Of course, I was boosting the force to its maximum with the movement from my kicking foot and right arm. The sword blade glowing with the light effect cut into the tough stalk, and facing what resistance was left for a moment—