[F07-PP] From the Grave

[Azhoda 0]

Walking on the floor I looked around to see that this floor was a bit more Asian based floor. It quite changed off the scenery. It was quiet on this floor and with my bright orange hair going on the wind I looked over to the mountains. sigh, never thought I could see something like this living in a city my whole life and never really going out of it. Staring into the far horizon my blue eyes darted over the edge from the mountains. It was quite a few to see for sure and never thought I would see anything more than this. Still, it is a game and nothing is real here, it's all better for us to fight so we can get out of this game. 

I walked a bit into the settlement and looked at the houses, NPC's walked around doing their own things and Players started moving about as well, just slowly. To see some of the player's fear of death was quite weird, I only remember it a bit lightly now but back then I did not really care for much more than that guy his armor and weapons. Now he is dead and no going back on that at all. But I have to move on, "no need to linger on the dead, they are one way to get stronger. Making sure they didn't die for nothing," I said low looking at the sky for a second. Stopping in the middle of the street I looked up a bit and sighed again. How does one do this without getting more help, I need a tank or maybe a healer, For sure I need a tank I can heal myself. But who knows maybe I could use another DPS as well. I was thinking about this as I stood in the middle of the street. 

I walked over to the side of a cliff and looked over the edge and let out a sigh. Even if Fall damage was a thing I still wonder if it did really that much damage to a player's avatar. I kind of wanted to test it and see how much fall damage was going to be if I jumped over this cliff and into the wild. I looked over the again and smiled a bit, Its about 25 feet down, and that would be quite high as well. Maybe I could try and see, I thought leaning quite a bit over the edge now as I looked down.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

Aincrad offered different challenges to different people. For some, the simple thrill of combat was enough. Others craved a test of their mental facilities, or sought to face down their fears in order to improve themselves. All of these things were a culmination of the recognition that this was life now. There was no log out option, only constant reflection on the person they had been before, and the one they had become.

Players in Sword Art Online either moved forward or stagnated. For Alkor, it had not been a choice. He had spent so long moving forward that when he acted in an effort to remain alive, he paid for it with time. Now he was free.

The Seventh floor was a different sort of soothing to him. Various Japanese motifs littered his surroundings, and swordsmanship was revered like a proper religion on the craggy peaks of the mountain that climbed toward the skies. He came here to seek another missing piece of himself.

He scaled the treacherous mountain with his blade tucked away and gave silent thanks that pain did not exist here. The strain on his legs by now would have been inhuman. When he saw a decent vantage point, he took a short break and surveyed the sea of clouds that stretched out around him.

That was when he noticed the other Player leaning over the edge.

"Hey there," he called from a short distance away. "Couldn't help but notice you might be thinking about jumping. It's probably not a good idea," he said as he pulled the hood from over his head, messy black hair spilling out. 

Alkor knew he really wasn't the best candidate for talking someone down from self-harm, especially with his ineptitude in social grace. Still, he was the only one here- and if it was anything near what it looked like, he was the only one who had a shot at making a difference.

It didn't even occur to him that they might just be staring blankly over the edge.

@Azhoda

[Azhoda 0]

It would not be that high, I guess I could but maybe I can test it with something that has durability and drop it and see it like that. I thought and nodded as I opened my inventory for a second. But I was caught off guard a bit and with a small panic, I turned around as my goggles fell down over my eyes covering over my blue eyes a bit. The guy spoke up to me and I stared at him. Wait did it look like I was thinking of ending it, Bleh! stupid Shion... Well, let's make him calm there then. I thought as I made a small bow.

"Sorry," I said as I stood straight again, "Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, I was planning on testing something. Plus it's not that far down, there is a small path down there just about 25 Feet down," I as my voice sounded smooth, soft, and calm. Carefully thinking of the words that came out while my eyes, hard to see thanks to my goggles falling down in the panic turn, scanned the guy up and down.

I moved a bit away from the edge to make him clear I was not planning to do anything, even more so that he was here. Knowing that some people would take weird action if they see someone thinking about killing themself. Looking over the mountains in the distance I gave a smile as the sun made a small reflection from my goggles. "Nice place, isn't it, This Reminds me a bit of Japan." I paused and made a fist from my hand, "One day, I'll see this view for real, I'll make sure of it," I said as my voice changed a bit from is calm to being quite determinant.

I turned my face back to the guy and with the same look I gave him a smile, "Name is Shion Kikenna, Pleasure to meet you," I said to him still smiling.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

One of a very small group who entered Sword Art Online outside Japan, from the sound of it. This woman seemed to be fascinated with the culture and tradition, enough that she stopped to admire the Creator's tribute to his own nation in a game otherwise meant to run parallel to reality. Alkor could appreciate that. He'd dreamed of being a samurai, once.

Pipe dreams, but if you don't dream, what value can you place on your aspirations? It made him wonder- what was his dream? Did he have one? What would he seek beyond this world?

He looked the goggled girl over and reached up to scratch his head. "Sorry, you can see how someone might have got the wrong idea," his chuckle was uneasy, but that was par the course. "Didn't mean to intrude. I'm sure you know what you're doing."

Out of habit, he gave a slight bow and settled into a relaxed standing position. It was obvious she had adapted a bit to the culture: touching was a rarity, even between friends. He respected that, because he'd been living there for several years before...

Before.

"Pleasure's mine," he greeted, "I'm called Alkor."

He took a few more steps and joined her near the edge. "It's a bit different, but the cosmetics aren't far off," he told her. "It's a good homage, all things considered."

@Azhoda

[Azhoda 0]

The guy seemed to be a bit shy as he chuckled uneasily confirming to me that he was thinking what I thought he was thinking. But at least he recovered quite fast with his words and seemed to accept that I was knowing what I did. Giving his name or gamer tag, I did not really know but Alkor was the name. He seems nice at least as far as I could see. But somehow I felt like he has seen a lot more than me in this world.

"Well Alkor, if it is almost like this, then I still want to see it. I never saw it so this is the first time seeing something like this, so I guess it's fine."  I said thinking how most of my life I was in Tokyo and did not really get out into the world staying around my house and work. Trying to see if I could get there it would be a dream but for now, I got something to work for, "For now I have something to fight for. Clearing this game and getting out of here," I said as a bit of fire came out into my eyes as I made my hand into a fist. 

I turned to Alkor and gave a friendly smile, "Question, do you have something you are going for. Like what are you fighting for, because you don't seem like someone who would sit by and do nothing like other useless people down at floor one," I said a bit harsh but still with a calm and soft voice, almost if I didn't mean to be harsh to the lower level players. Even if it did sound harsh I didn't seem like I was meaning it. while looking out again I placed my goggles back on my forehead, My bright blue eyes shined in the sun a bit and I looked out a bit enjoying the few at the moment.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

He crouched down and ran his fingers over the rock face. It was so easy for some people lost in their dismal emotions just to throw their lives away. The edges of Aincrad had claimed so many lives, so many people who could have been saved.

The swordsman narrowed his eyes as the wind picked up a bit, buffeting his face and tossing his hair wildly about. His expression never changed from that grave, flat look. It was nice to have something forward to, and in a way, everyone had at least one thing. Whether it was that pizza they ordered to be ready after they logged in for the first time, or seeing their grandmother after years of being trapped inside of a virtual world. Alkor heard that the girl wanted to see the Japanese countryside and thought that was a nice dream.

"Anyone who's gained more than a few levels and isn't spending all their time on the first floor has something in mind, I think," he agreed. "But some of those people chose to stay there and take care of other things that the rest of us can't while we work toward ending this world. They play an important role, too."

It was easy to forget that small children had taken to Sword Art Online, and without adults to care for them, they might miss important aspects of childhood development. There were merchants as well, people who supplied the Frontlines. Alkor used to consider them little more than NPCs as well.

He had been humbled since.

"As for me," he said at last, "I'm working toward joining the Frontlines in their effort to clear the game. I want to be sure no one else has to die, if it can be helped."

@Azhoda

 

[Azhoda 0]

Something in mind, those words stick around for a bit. I have been calling the noobs, the level one people useless as they did not even try to gain levels but just sit by and do nothing. But hearing Alkor sying this, and that people on the lower floor took care of the others while we as levelers fought to end it all. It sounded good putting it like that, I remember seeing kids play around with not much care in the world. 

Though I was more interested in hearing Alkor's end goal, he wanted to make sure nobody else died. What a noble goal for sure, but the way he said it felt like he has seen people die on the frontlines before. "so you and I have the same goal, just different means to get to it. I have done all my leveling up till now mostly alone, I don't make connections with anyone as they hold me back, and friends seem to do the same thing." I said being full-on honest, as I always felt like people held me back while I worked on a project back home. Maybe it was just me who was always so focused on working, but somethings can change, I learned that a bit if you relax for once a while.

"Alkor, Don't mind me asking, when you mean I want do be sure no one else has to die, you sound like you have seen death before. I know a bit from that but its more of an optical for me than something I want to remember. Plus it also sounds like you saw not just death but also death on the frontlines, Why?" I asked as I did get interested in this now and wanted to know why and how he sounded like this and if his goal could help me as well to get stronger and clear the game.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

He remained crouched as she spoke and then became silent for a spell. How did he answer that question? What had he seen? He supposed anyone in Aincrad probably had come in contact with death in one way or another. The very first day had seen a smattering of suicides, and after that, people twisted by captivity started to lose touch with reality. Player Killers with no regard for human life became a normal facet of life in SAO.

But in the battles toward freedom, at the forefront, where it became increasingly difficult to survive? The people who wanted to be there probably imagined it as a struggle, but the reality was that it was its own brand of hell. He still remembered the Twinfire Phoenix, and the Hydra...

It was enough to make his blood boil. People rushed headlong into battle and risked their actual lives just so others could escape. It truly was a test of humanity, and of community. He supposed that aspect came from the ingenious mind of the creator, who knew men were inherently selfish.

"You can't get far in this world alone," he replied. "I say that as a Solo Player myself. The Frontlines- you have to learn to accept others, and trust them, and work together with them. The more people you lose, the harder it gets to press on. Not just physically, but mentally as well."

He paused, looked up at the girl, and offered a sad smile. "There's been a lot of death," he told her, "and I came close myself, back on Floor Nine. Barely managed to get out of it. Ended up in a coma, and only just woke up a few days ago."

He remembered going to the monument and seeing the names of people he had fought beside. Zelrius, for one, had surprised him. His eyes moved back toward the clouds. "This is as unfair a world as the one we came from, but the rules? Those are as absolute as they come."

@Azhoda

[Azhoda 0]

Can't get far, well I got here without help, well mostly. who could say you can't get to the frontlines without help. I do enough damage to my enemies to kill them fast so I could do it very easy. But hearing his advice was a bit dark to learn to accept each other. but I never had anyone to accept because nobody was there for me, because of the same reason they could not accept me so why should I accept someone who could not accept me. Thinking like this got me to where I am today and I'm still alive.

But listening to his words a bit more careful and hearing he got near death himself I made a connection. The frontlines should work together better and he got near death. One he must have been there at some point, 2 he got near death and stopped helping them for a bit. Or he was just good friends with a player who came from the frontlines.

"Yeah rules... I have never been one to go by rules, they are made to keep us in a place. But if I must I will break those rules for my own reasons." I said looking at him with a sort of flame in my eyes.  I looked back at the clouds and let out a sigh, "But back on what you said, you talk like you know a lot more then you let off. You said you went in a coma, how long was that, Like you must have been short as floor 24 was cleared lastly, with a lot of trouble from the boss of course." I said with a bit of harsh tone to my voice.

@Alkor

[Alkor 0]

Alkor stared out lazily over the expansive floor, a pensive expression on his face. "Some rules aren't so easy to break," he replied simply. People often talked about how rules were meant to be broken, or how unjust laws ought not be enforced; but in reality, parameters were set that made the world operate within specific constraints. Those people who sought to operate outside the paradigm were destined to struggle. "It's better to learn to operate within the rules, and how to best exploit them to your advantage. Don't you think that's more feasible?"

He glanced toward the woman as she began to question him. His expression remained soft, gentle, like still water. "During the ninth floor boss fight," he revealed at last. "I tried to rush into things, and I didn't trust my team. I ended up barely teleporting out alive." He shrugged, then looked back out onto the horizon. "I thought I could handle it alone. It doesn't work like that past a certain point. Everything you know becomes invalid. Working together, keeping your allies alive, it's everything."

It is everything.

"I was asleep for several years. Not sure how it happened. I figure there was a glitch in the system, but who could say. I'm no Akihiko Kayaba." He didn't like it. Every time he thought about the time he spent in veritable stasis, his skin crawled. 

Best way to avoid that feeling would be not brushing with death again, I guess.

[Azhoda 0]

some rules aren't so easy to break, that still doesn't say they can not be broken. The rule was also that people could not fly, but the Wright brothers didn't do stop, they got to fly. On the other hand the laws of physics can be broken in a lot of things. Gravity is an example, its a rule of the world but still go outside this world and you broke it. I was not going to agree with Alkor here, it would mean that I agree against my own idles and that would not work. Rules can be broken, but first, you have to bend them for you get past them. Guess its a concept on one's mind if you think about it.

Listening to his story I thought, well ... yeah, I did hardly believing it. Came out of coma and be gone for a bit was some small talk if you disappeared after floor nine, and it is also just a dumb action to go into a boss alone, even I knew that. That's why I have a hunting partner, I make sure he is safe and he makes sure I am safe, that is how it should work. "At least you are not dead. Means you can enjoy the company of friends again," I said to him quite blank, not like I knew how it was to be with them, at least I knew I had some people who cared about me, "It's always nice to know you got someone to lean on even if you go down with the ship, you seem like you got someone to lean on, and you sound like you could do the same to others if you trust your companions more," I said yet again with a rather blank voice.

@Alkor