Alkor

There was one thing left to do before taking her on.

Alkor checked all of his stats, his skills, and his inventory. He had potions, his equipment measured up... he just had to ensure that he took the fight seriously. Regardless of how weak it might be, the Wasp Queen would be much stronger than the mobs he had just trashed.

He made a promise to be more careful. Yes, he'd get stronger, and yes, he would propel himself toward the Frontlines- but he wouldn't take any leaping risks on the way there.

There were at least two people who had entreated him not to do anything rash. Then there was Bahr... 

That guy again. I dunno why, I get a weird feeling about him. I just couldn't piece together what got into him. Stop going where I don't belong...?

Does he not want me around Lessa...?

Whatever. I've got to focus. This is important.

Alkor exploded into motion once more, intent on landing the blow he meant to strike in the first place. When he charged the sword art, the verdant color thrummed around his curved sword, and he started slicing clean through areas of the wasp's body.

When he returned to the ground, it shivered, spasmed, and exploded into a string of data that roiled toward the heavens. The swordsman remained crouched a moment longer, just to catch his breath.

He knew that wasn't totally necessary, but it also allowed for him to collect his thoughts. As he rose to his proper height, he noticed it. The creature that dwarfed all other wasps had appeared, and she looked very displeased.

Roaming the center of the field and buzzing furiously, the Wasp Queen had made her appearance at last.

Alkor walked out into the town and looked around. Not only was it beautiful, it was decked out for the festival. He listened as various NPCs called out instructions and promises of good cheer, and thoughts of his family at Christmas came to his mind. It was the only time they all ever really came together. He had already missed many of them. Did his family miss him? Had they given him up for dead?

Ah, well. It was a time for cheer, and the game seemed to insist on everyone having a good mood in spite of their losses. For Alkor, it was a chance to meet up with Players he had not seen in a very long time, and possibly see people who he knew as well.

He strolled through and looked over the various events and items they had laid out, and a woman who offered him hot cocoa smiled. Alkor looked at the options and discovered they had a plethora of effects that could be useful to him at some point in the future. "I'll take... this one," he declared as he pointed out the item he wanted.

After all, speed was his path of choice, and it only made sense for him to take an item that offered it. The others had great things going for them, but they just didn't seem up his alley. The cocoa was meant for the event anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to take whatever appealed to him the most.

As it went to his inventory, he sauntered toward the game where the lumberjack offered Players a chance to throw the ball. "Oh, it's a marksmanship type carnival game," he muttered to himself. "I wonder if I can hit the targets." He chuckled.

"Don't know if I don't try, I guess."

He took the ball in hand, tossed it in the air a few times to get a feel for it, then took aim and cocked back. "Here goes..."

His next attack was as ruthless as it was sudden. Alkor spun the blade quickly as he rushed forward and came at the wasp, intending to take it off guard. Unfortunately, the creature managed to notice him before he could get within range, and it flitted upward and away from the devastating blow that the swordsman had intended.

Alkor cursed under his breath and continued along with the hope that the momentum would carry him out of harm's way. Luckily, the enemy was insufficient to harm him in any lethal way, because he was able to take the damage with no real consequence to his health.

The impact drove him forward by a few inches as he reeled away, but he recovered quickly and brought the blade around into a defensive position. He knew that was pretty useless without any defensive skills, but it was still the right thing to do.

Form was important, after all.

He wasted no time after his breath. With a quick motion, he burst into action and brought the blade around. Quick, precise strokes with a great deal of force behind them assailed the wasp, and it succumbed instantly to the damage. 

Alkor continued with his follow through and finished in a relaxed stance, blade held with his arm across his body. He was already starting to get used to the difference in how the weapon moved, and how to grip it more effectively. He felt the excessive force of a critical blow in his last attack.

It was hard to score those with a weapon you were just starting with.

"This is excellent," he muttered to himself as he let the blade fall to the side and glanced around him. "How many more of these things to I have to kill, though?"

There was no sign of any sort of special wasp. Just the ones he'd already been picking on. With that in mind, he decided that he'd continue to harass the mobs until their fearful leader did decide to show up.

Then maybe he'd actually have a challenge on his hands.

He began to charge his sword art as the creature slowly stirred, certain he could respond before the stun effect faded. Regrettably, his timing was still sloppy, and he still needed practice with the Curved sword in order to chain attacks together. The wasp managed to regain its wits just in time to weasel out of the way of the strike, even with the closeness of the blade to connecting.

Alkor in turn managed to get himself out of the way of a vicious reprisal, leaning backward in an extreme manner to the point where his waist was almost bent at a ninety degree angle. Thanks to the Athletics mod, his avatar was much more flexible, had greater endurance, and was capable of doing things players who lacked that capability could not manage.

He threw his free hand back and his weight shifted, transferring onto the extended appendage and carrying his legs overhead. He turned a full somersault and landed on his feet, once more crouched low and at the ready.

With a huff, he assessed his situation and prepared to move in once more.

He turned in toward the insect, twisting his torso to bring the blade upward from below. He followed through with a step, then pivoted a full turn to follow through with a second blow from the opposite vector. His blade burned a viridian color as he moved, and then struck close to the wasp enough that it responded by attempting a dodge.

It was a feint.

The creature re-oriented itself just in time for the blade to make its true mark. The weapon swiped for the hexagonal gaze of the wasp and delivered the intended effect- STUN. Familiar with utilizing the mechanic due to his time with the one handed straight sword, it was nice to have something he was used to. He would keep that in mind for later. For now, he landed and rolled behind the creature, intent on his next attack.

It wouldn't stay stunned for long, after all.

His cloak billowed out behind him as he moved, a stain of black in an otherwise sunny, grassy field on the second floor. It almost looked sinister, but for the fluidity of his movements. Truly, he felt at home with this weapon and the movements it spurred.

He rushed toward the next one with skilled speed and measured breaths, but the first strike went wide as it ascended. Alkor threw himself upward in an attempt to turn a flip and put the blade through the beast, but it failed to make its mark.

The swordsman came to rest in a crouched position, quickly pumping his legs to twist and bring the blade around defensively. The wasp came surging downward, thrusting its stinger toward Alkor menacingly. Due to his mitigation stat, he was able to shrug off the damage, but his enemy still managed to hit.

That was a good sign, though. It meant he was still in for a challenge, despite the low floor he was on. His lips peeled into a grin and he dropped into a proper stance, low to the ground with his knees bent.

The blade rested out to one side, the other hand out to the other for balance.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go!"

He moved toward the wasps quickly, blade at the ready. It was less familiar than the Straight Sword, but not awkward. The weight was different, and the swing felt more relaxed. The blade was clearly intended for this.

His sword art shifted the blade green, then carried him through the action, swiping multiple times at the creature with lethal purpose. 

More lethal than anticipated, because even with a weak weapon, he instantly wasted the creature. It had no chance to respond before bursting into streams of blue data and flittering skyward, back to the Cardinal system to be repurposed.

"Okay," he relaxed his posture and looked the blade over, "I like this weapon."

He admired it for a few seconds longer before setting his sights on the next wasp. That one was not so far away, and if the info brokers were to be believed, killing them was the only way to trigger the Queen's spawn.

Well, that just meant more chances to get a feel for his new weapon.

Alright. Finally.

As he approached a group of wasps, Alkor readied his weapon. The Curved type sword was a different monster from the straight blade. It entailed more slash based attacks than thrusts, and instead of a focus on stun type attacks offered a higher overall damage threshold.

That was what he wanted, after all.

He looked the weapon over and checked his skills. Unfortunately, unlike his Perfect Straight Sword, this weapon was underwhelming. It did not boost his damage or offer any other statistics to boost his output. For someone interested in dealing damage, that was a big damper.

The wasps were not a massive threat, however. All things considered, he should have been able to make short work of them. Maybe a bit more slowly, due to his weapon change, but quicker than if they were at an even level.

The last encounter he had with a Player, other than Mari and Lessa, only confused and frustrated him more. Bahr was a man clearly driven by his emotions, even to the point where he encouraged Alkor to show them during encounters with others. He didn't understand what the man meant by that. He wanted to understand, but his frustration and the inability to communicate only served as a buffer to that end.

He understood that Lessa meant something to the man. They were friends, right? He was worried about a friend? Or was there more to it than that? 

Good for them, if that's it.

It may have explained the explosive rage and violent punch he received, but anyone who just... did something like that? That seemed unstable to Alkor.

I hope he's not dangerous. 

The distance from Urbus grew as he trudged along the path and toward the field where wasps gathered in force. This would be a great chance to slash a few annoying enemies and cool off.

The Second floor was expansive and covered in fields of lush green grass. Just the way he remembered it, and yet different. It was filled with memories instead of infantile Players trying to worm their way through the ranks. Those people had gone on to bigger and better things, multiple floors above. After a brief stint in the caverns of Floor 21, Alkor decided to go back to basics.

A low level field boss might be just the thing to sharpen his skills. Low enough that it didn't pose the threat of death, but high enough that he could play around with skills and damage dealing. After consulting a few information brokers who had been dealing this information for literal years and decided it was hardly worth charging him for, the darkly dressed player set out into the sunlit field to find himself a wasp.

He just had to hope he wouldn't kill it instantly, because that would be counterintuitive to his plans.

Uh... what?

"I'm really not sure what you're talking about," he blinked. "When someone has an incorrect idea about someone else, it's proper social protocol to correct them, isn't it?" He tilted his head, genuinely curious.

"You're talking to the wrong guy about emotions. I barely understand my own, let alone anyone else's. I'm sorry, I'm genuinely making an effort but I'm lost right now. I don't understand why you're upset, other than that you're worried about Lessa."

He let out another sigh, as though the conversation were grating on him. It was. Heavily. "Anyway, I do appreciate you jumping in to help me. I thought I could handle this floor, but I obviously can't. I didn't mean to take a risk like that.

Sorry, again, for troubling you, Bahr."

@Bahr

It didn't exactly surprise him when Lessa said she wasn't interested in Fantasy. She always seemed less like someone who would get into an MMO and more like a sporty, horse riding, carefree kind of girl. Well, for what Alkor knew about girls. He only had experience with them limited to twelve years of required school, and even then, he had been ostracized and bullied. Girls didn't show kids like Thom the time of day.

Lessa was nicer, though. She'd always accepted him, and tried to be close. He knew she meant well, even if before he had gone about communicating with her all wrong. Still, when she said it was odd that the Dragon had been "hiding..."

"Oh," he began, "you know about the Cardinal system, right?" He glanced at her and swiped the menu open. "It's the thing that controls everything that we're not in this world. All the NPCs, all the quests, all the mobs. It thinks in real time and responds with new data. It can generate new information on the spot."

He opened the item menu and scrolled through it one last time. Health potions he wouldn't need, but still had were present. The menu flickered closed. "That's how, probably. As we cleared more floors, Cardinal reacted. It could have been programmed in all along, or it responded to a need for new quests."

Alkor blinked. "Also, I understood that reference. The Lazarus thing."

@Lessa

Lessa. Ah. Okay. That makes more sense.

The man unloaded a lot of emotional words and Alkor sat through it while hiding his ennui. These things were clearly something that Bahr needed to get off his chest. He had many reasons to feel the way he did that the other man couldn't quite comprehend. Instead of firing back, Alkor crossed his arms and sighed.

"You're allowed to feel how you want, man," he said finally, the obvious frustration oozing from his pores. "I talked to her the other day so I could apologize for how I treated her. I'm aware that I wasn't great to her. I feel bad for it.

I almost died on the Ninth Floor. Up to that moment, I thought I could be something I wasn't. I thought I could be a hero, apart from everyone else trapped in this world, all by myself. In that moment where my health was dwindling, all I could think about was staying alive. I have things I have to do. I have people who care about me.

I understand now. I see why you don't like me. That's fine. I'm not going to ask you to change your mind. Thanks for the jacket."

He glanced back toward the settlement in the distance. "Lessa's a good person. I'm glad she has good people around her now."

@Bahr

Alkor stood and stared blankly. 

What...? Did he just punch me?

The red space on his face didn't register in his line of sight, and he didn't feel any pain, but the impact registered. It was soaked by his mitigation, but it was enough to make him blink. 

Someone he just met hit him.

His brow furrowed and he almost spoke, but the man threw something at him. He caught the item and blinked. 

"Are you bipolar?"

Alkor sent the item to his inventory and eyed the man as his expression returned to ambivalence. "I just met you. I don't know who you are. You punch me, you talk about 'her' like I know who you mean, and then you give me a piece of equipment. You want to elaborate on that? I'm already bad enough at knowing how other people feel and why, I'm not going to put it together by myself."

That was open enough. Maybe he'd get the picture, maybe he wouldn't. It wasn't up to Alkor to do more than he already had.

@Bahr

Alkor returned his blade to its resting place at his hip. He had not considered the difference between himself and the 21st floor to be quite so great. He knew better, now. When the other man spoke, he let out a sigh.

"Didn't think I was this far behind," he replied. "Now I know better."

He glanced off toward the large lake that glowed somewhere in the distance. It was a dark floor, but perhaps not so dark as the tenth. The other man was illuminated by strange, discordant yet colorful light; but his eyes were actually that red and green dissonance, and it wasn't a trick. As strange as the gold of his own.

Players enjoyed little things like that, he noted.

"I appreciate the help," he stated. He had given a similar speech not so long ago; but Alkor was skilled to some degree. Any chances he took were more likely to end in success than someone at the base of the mountain.

But, could still end in death.

He could have actually died, this time. Knowing that was worse than actually dying. It meant there was weakness to wring out.

"I'm Alkor."

@Bahr

The second floor seemed like a good place to take a few quests. It was below his level a bit, certainly, but the darkly dressed Player knew that he could still benefit from the quests he had yet taken, even if it were just the rewards. Games like this didn't penalize Players from wanting to do work, after all.

It would be interesting to see what kind of things he had missed, back before. The world had so much lore tied in, and all of it worked together with the system that controlled the entire world of Aincrad to randomly generate content at the drop of a hat. These quests were a result of that interaction. One of his friends always used to get so excited when they were waiting for the game to drop.

He wondered now if Evan was quite so enthusiastic.

Hmmm?

A questgiver NPC had ticked on his mini map as he mused about past interactions, and he glanced up just in time to see a girl start to walk away from her. Alkor moved forward, listened to what the quest entailed- the NPC sobbed and pleaded with him to go and rescue a small child.

The other player seemed in a huff, and Alkor wondered if that meant she was displeased with the content. Wouldn't this be the kind of story most girls would think was sweet, or something?

Well, I guess that's not true for everyone. Maybe I should see if she needs any help? Yeah, at worst, she'll just tell me to go away.

"Hey there," he called, "I just took this quest, did you need some help?"

For Alkor, conversation of most types was a bad thing. He said things that made people misunderstand, or he misunderstood what they were trying to tell him. The very core of their current problem was that the things she was saying didn't help that they had already started off on the wrong foot.

Idle conversation was often even worse. If there was no point, why did they talk? They had nothing in common except a brief incident where they instantly disliked each other. That seemed like a recipe for disaster to Alkor, even if he were no authority on social things.

He thought he heard her mutter something, but clearly he had missed it if she did. He did not deign to pry about it. She returned his thanks with an uncharacteristic- or at least, uncharacteristic from what Alkor could tell of the woman- smile. He looked her over one last time from over his shoulder, then turned and raised his hand to wave goodbye.

"Later," he said, not unkindly. There was no reason to be mean to the woman, so he did his best to be as neutral about all of it as he could. He slipped out the door of the tavern and into the snow, swiping open his menu as he went.

He did have to respond to a message or two, after all.

@Ceres

The very idea of a Dragon is what made some children fall in love with fantasy. The genre was wild and exciting, and when it was applied to games, they often magnetized new Players. To hear about a Quest line that involved the mythical beasts gave Alkor something to be excited for. It was rare anything beyond leveling up interested him.

But Lessa didn't need to know he was excited, right? She would be content knowing he was in if for the experience. He didn't have to-

"Yeah, I want to fight a Dragon," he admitted.

Okay, way to keep your Poker face up on that one.

"Read a lot of books as a kid with Dragons. I'd never meet one in the real world, but here? That's worth looking into." He rested his arm on the sheath of his weapon and reclined a bit. "Won't get a chance if we don't go for it, right?"

I've got to be more friendly than I used to be, but still set boundaries. We're friends. Friends are nice. Friends talk about stuff like dreams and hopes. Right?

"So, we're looking for a Dragon, probably guarding a gem. Anything else important to know about it?"

@Lessa

The expression he gave her was somewhere between skepticism and disbelief. 

Rabbit Man? 

He waited a few seconds for the blank pages of his mind to fill with words, then composed his face and lifted the mug to his lips. The container emptied rapidly. He placed it on the table in front of them. 

Alkor looked around to see if Ashton Kutcher had been trapped inside Sword Art Online with them, and he was in fact being PUNK'd. When it became clear that he was not, he let out a sigh. 

"Clearly, I'm not doing much of anything positive for either of us," he muttered. The truth was, irritation like this and a clear inability to empathize made Alkor infinitely more heated than he actually needed to be. They were both trying, but they were both also failing. Miserably. "Look, good luck with your adventure and the SP and all that. I'm not one to wish anyone ill, and I'd much rather see everyone in this god forsaken game thrive and survive. I just don't think I have anything worthwhile to offer you."

And I really don't need to create another situation like I did with Lessa back then. I need to be honest enough that I can create that space, and not try to help someone even though I'm not okay with it.

"It sounds like you already know everything I could tell you, and that's enough to get you by. There's plenty of people who would be willing to talk, if you are. Getting better takes practice, like you said. So, good luck with that, too."

He stood up paid the col that his menu prompted him to. 

"I've got an appointment to keep, so I really do have to run anyway. It was..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "It's been an experience, talking to you. Thanks."

@Ceres

"Talking isn't that hard," he pointed the back end of the mug at her, "I just don't like doing it." She had a lot of nerve, not that any of it would keep her alive. Still, she seemed aware of that. His entire reason for being there seemed pointless now. At least he had a few brews to show for it.

"You seem to want me here as much as I want to be here," he narrowed his eyes a bit and shrugged. "I can leave anytime. Just say the word. I did what I came here to do. You've been sufficiently warned."

He gestured toward his drink. "And I've wanted one of these for a while, so I guess that worked out in my favor."

Alkor took a leisurely sip, reclined a bit and leveled his gaze on the woman. She wanted to tear into him just as badly, but decided to settle for passive aggression? Was that it? He wanted to throw that right back at her, but honestly, he knew better. 

The high road would get him out of here with less of a headache, and he'd probably never see her again.

Probably.

@Ceres

He resisted the urge to get in her face again after the last comment. She had been around long enough to at least read the tutorial, or overhear someone talk about skills. To not invest them? At all? What-

No. Pick your battles. You don't need to start that again. Be calm. Be constructive. Be-

"Don't take this the wrong way, it's great you want to start moving forward; but you should stick to the First floor until you've made decisions about that SP, and work your way up once you've gained confidence in your abilities. Or at least have a party that can keep you alive while you're at it."

Okay, you could have done worse. Probably.

He finished the mug and crossed his arms. "I've met a few people, maybe one or two I'd call friends. That's a precarious word, and not a lot of people fit in it. But, acquaintances, neighbors, or allies- sure. I have those. I have..."

Had.

If they're all alive. If they still remember me. They haven't heard the news yet.

"...a few of those."

He straightened a bit and called for another drink. "You should try to find a few, possibly around your level. Work with them. Stick to the back. Feel things out. Get comfortable, then move forward."

@Ceres

"It's... rough," he said after a moment when his drink arrived. The cool amber fluid washed down his throat and the familiar flavor soothed him just a bit. "I don't want to be helped, but I recognize this is a world where being a loner isn't going to get you far. Teamwork and community are important. Even if you don't know someone, if you let them die, that's one less person who might reach out a hand and save you from death later."

I didn't let anyone hold a hand out to me back then. I tried to take on the world alone. I tried to fight the Hydra without relying on my teammates.

As much as he hated to admit it, people did need others. There was no way to avoid it in this world. Perhaps the Creator had made it that way, as an indictment of modern society and how people were so far removed from communities, social activities, and engrossed in their phones.

In the real world, he avoided leaving his room as much as he could.

Here, you couldn't have a room if you didn't go out and agonize over mobs and col for it.

"You're allowed to ask for help when you need it."

@Ceres

Alkor wasted no time as the other man soaked the damage for them. He raised his blade, illuminated a golden color this time as the energy coalesced around it and offered it extended length. A moment later, he surged forward with vigor to impale the Troll- only to be disappointed as it stepped clear out of the way in its mad lust for the Red Cloaked Player's life.

It brought the other fist down this time, a one-two punch type combo even as it's other arm flailed backward and it cried out in surprise and pain. The creatures further up the Castle were no joke. He knew that now.

He felt his shoulders sag a bit with humility. First the Hydra, and now a Troll. Two very real reminders that the ladder was high, and he still had many rungs to climb.

It was close now, though. One more attack like what this man had already managed and it would be over. They could get out of here. And Alkor could go lick the wounds of disgrace with more training.