Kane

Kane's eyes focused again, and he shook his head. "I froze up for a second... Somebody in the real world must have been messing with my body. Maybe a doctor." He went into the back where Trinoko was looking at his failed item. "Yikes. Hopefully you'll have better luck next time."

Kane pondered for a moment before answering. "I'd like a full suit of steel armor, something that is specially treated to resist paralysis. That's the most debilitating status effect, I'd like my armor to resist that."

Kane nodded thoughtfully, listening to Angel's story. He saw Maximillion enter the tavern and sit nearby, clearly waiting his turn. He acknowledged the newcomer with a wave, motioning him over. "If you're here about the Guild, come on over. I'm Kane." He turned back to Angel, replying to his previous statements.

"Honestly, we could use someone with that kind of foresight, and the will to help others. You'd make a great addition to the Order of the Sword, and I'm sure you're going to be a great Hero. I'll be honest, right now the only members so far are me and that guy at the bar over there." He pointed to Trinoko, who was relaxing with his fruity drink. "We need at least five people to officially start a Guild, but I'd love to get you on board." Turning to face the newcomer Max, Kane looked him in the eye. "I'll ask you what I asked him: Name, skill-set, and why you want to join."

Kane gave a small wave as he greeted the smith. "I'm Kane, nice to meet you. I'm in the market for a suit of enhanced heavy armor, and I have the Col to pay for it."

Kane offered the recruit - to - be a seat, looking him in the eye. "Well, I believe an interview would do the trick. First, we can start with your name. Then, why don't you tell me a little bit about your skill set, and why you want to join Heroes for Hire."

Kane laughed, standing as his armor clanked around him. Smoke curled around his shoulders in vapor form as he stood to leave, waving a farewell to Trinoko. "Sounds like fun! Take care of yourself til next time!"

"Hey, you the one looking for Guild recruits?"

Kane looked up from his glass of <>, looking for the source of the comment. Before him was a tall, strongly built player, a teen with short, spiky white hair. He had an earnest, likable look to him, and Kane put down his drink to acknowledge him. "I am indeed. The name's Kane." Kane's smile was genuine as he offered the young man a handshake, looking him over. Obviously he wasn't a "fresh off the first floor" newbie, but he still had his beginner's sword. So he was ambitious; this was good.

The seventh floor's main settlement was the cavernous indoor city of Nimbus. Illuminated by the soft glow of emerald crystals, the whole floor had a mystical feel to it that was difficult to put into words. It was here, at the peak of their current exploration of SAO, that Kane decided to do recruiting for his new guild.

Entering the tavern, one could not be blamed if they assumed they'd see the same sights that one saw in every bar in Aincrad; raucous singing, people laughing and drinking, fights breaking out and lovers making out, the occasional drink flying through the air. The biggest tavern in Nimbus, however, The Well, had a more sober tone. It wasn't as densely populated, as many had not leveled up enough to feel comfortable on the seventh floor yet. Those who were on this level were either strong fighters looking for a challenge, eager crafters looking for rare materials, or ambitious upstarts looking to quickly jump a few levels of their own. In any case, it was a perfect place for Kane to post his message, visible on the door to any who entered:

RECRUITING: Heroes for Hire

Forming a Guild whose main focus is to provide a mercenary service for the Players of Sword Art Online.

Members will be divided into two Orders:

>The Order of the Sword is for combat specialists. They will be the ones who are given contracts from the Guild as bodyguards, hired muscle, guides, front-liners, etc. They will follow their contract to the letter, and provide protection and power to clients of the Guild.

>The Order of the Shield is for artificers, blacksmiths, tailors, alchemists, and any who are crafting specialists. Their responsibility will be to provide quality equipment for the Guild's combat specialists, and give them the best chance possible of survival in their battles. They will routinely acquire materials in the field, and may be assigned an Order of the Sword bodyguard if the materials are in a dangerous place, to assist in keeping things running as smoothly as possible.

The goal of the Heroes for Hire Guild is to provide a structure for Players to be able to hire mercenaries for many different scenarios: Accepting a duel on a Player's behalf, escorting them through dangerous territory, adding extra firepower to a boss raid, enforcing debt collection, hunting dangerous criminals for the Army, etc.

If you join, you'll have access to benefits, and you'll follow a code of conduct:

>You'll have access to superior equipment as Guild crafters master their art.

>You'll have protection when gathering materials and traversing the Floors.

>Your name will become synonymous with efficiency, honor, and professionalism.

>You'll have a steady flow of missions that will give you an opportunity to earn Col.

>You are welcome to keep any additional monster drop items from your assignments.

>Somewhere on your person, you will openly wear the symbol of your order, unless stealth is necessary: a Sword or a Shield design, so that Players know you're part of the Guild.

> You will not kill another Player when there is any other option. As a rule, Heroes for Hire does not accept Orange Players as guild members. If a member kills in the field and turns Orange, they will undergo investigation before they are given any more assignments. The reputation of the Guild is of utmost importance. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and cases may be made to the Guild leaders.

>You will treat other Players with dignity and respect. Even if the job is unpleasant, or your client is being rude, you are a professional, and will act like one.

>Items and equipment will be assigned to members on a case-by-case basis by the Guild leaders. The more equipment that is made, the better you'll have to work with.

>Remember, this Guild is for profit, but we are also brothers and sisters. We will always be there for one of our own when they need us.

>Any disputes between guild-mates will be settled by a Guild leader. Remember who the real enemy is.

Apply Inside. Ask for Kane.

Hopefully, he'd be able to recruit some excellent Players and get his Guild off the ground.

Kane was meandering through the fourth floor, ice and snow coating the streets. He was able to find Trinoko's shop rather easily, as it was one of the only artisan shops on the entire floor. Smoke padded along by his leg as his footfalls crunched the sleet underfoot, finally arriving at the shop. Entering, he looked around. There were a few very well-crafted trinkets, and the store had Trinoko's style written all over it. "Hey bud! You home?" Kane figured Trinoko would be in the back of his shop, but didn't wish to intrude.

Daisuko sniffled, accepting the items. "Thank you, both of you. I'll send over the Col to your accounts immediately. I'm... glad that there was no more bloodshed." As he headed back inside the tavern, Kane flopped down on a bench outside the building, his HP still not back at full. "Well, I think we can say that was a job well done. So what's your tomorrow look like? Didn't you say something about collecting materials?" (Leads into "That Stings")

They had almost reached the warp gate. Kane shook his head. "That's absurd, of course you need it more. Take the light armor, I'll just take whatever Col we get from selling the weapons up on the fifth floor. We should sell 'em there, Players on those levels will be in need of better equipment than those down here. Hopefully these weapons will do some good yet."

As they stepped through the warp gate, Kane could feel the climate change back to the desert. They were back. He sent a message to Daisuko, asking him to meet them out in fron tof the tavern. When they arrived, he was slouching against the building as if in deep thought, but he brightened up when he saw them. "So, I-I take it that he's, umm, been dealt with?" Kane nodded, then gestured to Trinoko. "We recovered your friends' gear. It's not much, but it's something to honor their memory."

Kane waved as Trinoko headed off, and Smoke emerged from his shadow to curl at his leg, giving him an amused -purrr-. He bent down to pet the cat, smiling wryly. "Yeah, I think he was too, Smoky. Kinda cute, though."

Kane laughed along with him as they walked towards the warp gate in the middle of the city. The streets around them were bustling as NPCs and Players alike traded goods, and swapped stories in the busy marketplaces. "Well, you should take it to a smith and see if they can re-forge it into something your style and speed. Or, if you melt it down into something I can have made into heavy armor, I'd trade you some leather crafting materials if that's more your thing."

Kane accepted the two stingers, acknowledging Trinoko's generosity. "I hear that. Try not to get killed out there before we meet again. In fact," he said, an idea striking him. "Why don't I swing by your shop tomorrow, see what you've got for sale?"

Kane chuckled, shaking his head as they made their way out of the Black Iron Palace. Stepping outside, he noticed that the air inside had been twenty degrees colder at least. Huh. "We should take the warp gate at the center of the city back up to Armadillo, and return Daisuko's friends' gear. As for his own weapons and armor, you can keep the Light Lamellar if you want. I'd sell the rest, since neither of us uses axes. Should go for around... 800 all together, so 400 each if we sell the weapons. Sound good?"

Kane smiled genuinely. He knew how difficult it must have been for Trinoko to make the offer. "Well, if you insist, I won't say no if you want to give me one or two. I can trade them to shopkeepers for other materials." He stretched his arms and legs as Smoke curled up inside his shadow once more. "Heroes for Hire... I like it. I'm going to start recruiting. If you find any like-minded fighters or crafters, have 'em send me a message. I want to get this up off the ground so we can work on getting organized!"

Kane nodded, tapping the completed quest icon on his HUD. A chest appeared, floating in front of him. Tapping the front of it, he watched it open. Alright critters, time to see what we got!"

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1-4: The chest contains nothing.

5-8: The chest contains two materials.

9-13: The chest contains three materials.

14-17: The chest contains four materials

18-19: The chest contains five materials.

20: The chest contains eight materials.

Rolled a 2: 0 Mats.

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Kane laughed as his chest opened revealing nothing. "Haha, oh well. I didn't need any stingers anyway, I'm just glad there was a slight Col reward."

As they stepped through the warp gate, the world turned blue around them. Kane was holding onto Fukushu's collar like a parent holding an impudent child. Stepping through, the party found themselves in the dark interior of the first floor's major landmark, the Black Iron Palace. Recently, a group of Players who were attempting to set up a form of government had occupied the Palace, using it as a holding cell to house PK'ers and dangerous criminals.

A pair of lance wielding guardsmen in heavy steel armor confronted them as they stepped through. "Halt! Who goes there?" Kane threw Fukushu down onto the floor, then brought up his quest marker for the guards to see. "I'm Kane, this is Trinoko. And this murderer is Fukushu, a wanted PK'er from the fifth floor. We're here to turn him in." The guards looked over his quest marker. "All the evidence points to this being true. We'll make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else. If you find any more PK'ers, drag 'em back here. If you capture any really notorious ones, there might be a reward."

Kane watched as the guards dragged Fukushu away kicking and yelling. "This isn't over!" His voice carried down the hall, until they rounded a corner, and he could be heard no more.

The scorpions behind them chattered warily as they backed up, unwilling to leave the boss room and follow them. Kane adjusted the straps on his armor once more, returning the Dusk Shine to its harness across his back. Smoke left his shadow, and padded softly to stand by him as he looked out across the trees. "It sure is a change of pace, isn't it?" He let Smoke walk beside him as they made their into the treetop settlement. "By the way, did you get what you came for?"

Fukushu spat to one side. "Like I'd give up my equipment to you!" Kane grabbed Fukushu by the throat, looking him dead in the eyes. "Buddy, you're about one squeeze away from having your brain deep-fried. The job said dead or alive, do you really want to go for dead?" Wheezing in Kane's grasp, the craven killer quickly brought up his inventory. "Hack, cough, okay, okay. Here, don't kill me!" As he spoke, his equipment fell out onto the ground:

1x Light Lamellar (Light Metal Armor, Common)

3x Throwing Hatchet (One-Handed Axe, Common)

1x Cruel Steel Battle Axe (Two-Handed Axe, Uncommon)

Those items were his, and Kane recognized the others from Daisuko's description of his friends' equipment:

3x Beginner's Gear (Light Metal Armor, Common)

2x Starter's Short Sword (One-Handed Sword, Common

1x Beginner's Dagger (Dagger, Common)

<<800 Col>>

Kane shook his head in disgust. "You're not a very good bandit, are you? You only preyed on beginners and people too weak to protect themselves. Scum." Hauling him up, he began to walk him towards the warp gate. "Triniko, can you grab the gear? We can return the effects of the dead to our employer."

Kane retrieved his throwing blade by hand, not realizing you could do it by adding them from your equipped items back into your inventory. He hadn't played around with his ranged weapons enough to know that little trick yet. "Alright, let's blow this popsicle stand." Slashing through one last scorpion as he turned, Kane headed for the door that would lead out onto the seventh floor.

Kane accepted the friend request, waving goodbye to Ichiro. Turning to Grim, he yawned. "Honestly, I think I'm gonna go into town and have some relaxation time. It's been awhile since I've had time to myself, and tomorrow I'm helping a buddy of mine hunt metal scorpions, so I need to be rested." He started to walk away, but then turned back to Grim. "Hey, if you two get really good at crafting, let me know. I'm starting a mercenary's guild, we can use good craftsmen. Later!" Kane turned once more on his way, meandering off into the city.

At last, the reality of the situation dawned on Fukushu. Falling over backwards from their combined assault, he dropped his weapons, scrambling in the dust as he held up his hands in the air. "Okay! Okay, alright, you win. Don't kill me, please!"

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

COMBAT OVER

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Kane hauled the now-sniveling Fukushu upright, making sure he had no hidden weapons. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do, dirtbag. We're gonna teleport to the first floor, you're gonna go to a place where you won't be able to hurt anybody else, and then, we're gonna get paid. Understand?"

Fukushu looked like he was about to say something flippant, but Kane flicked him hard with a gauntleted fist, dealing a point of damage and bringing his HP to 3. "Okay, okay! Please don't kill me! I-I just wanted to join Laughing Coffin, they said I needed to be here, and hunt Players! Don't kill me, I don't wanna die..." he trailed off as Kane shook his head wearily. He looked over to Trinoko. "You have the teleport crystal. You wanna do the honors of getting us all outta here?"

Trinoko had given Kane another opportunity to move in and strike, punishing the killer for targeting the less-armored Player. Raising his sword again, this time he tried a whirling slash at Fukushu's face!

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(+1 to Attack, -1 to Enemy's Attack, +5 Damage)

CRITICAL

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As Trinoko spoke, Kane's blade had charged with a ruby glow, crashing across the killer's face and torso in a flurry of movement. The <> had carved through the opponent like butter, dropping his health to a very low point, the bar winking red.

Kane: 11/21

Smoke: 15/17 (Takes damage when Trinoko does)

Trinoko: 13/15

Fukushu: 4/25

Kane shook Ichiro's hand. "Well, I might be in the market for a good blacksmith. I see a lot of combat, so my gear often needs maintenance and upgrades. When you get your shop up and running, be sure to send me a message, and I'll swing by!"

Looking to Grim, he ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. "You bet. I spend a lot of time on the sixth and seventh floors. Just the other day, me and a friend hunted a field boss through the jungles of the sixth floor, Amazon. It was a gigantic Blue Tiger, like sabretooth tiger big." He grinned as he remembered the fight. "I've even got the pelt to prove the story." he added, withdrawing the <> from his inventory to show the pair. It was huge, and if Kane had made a cloak from it, it'd be longer than he was tall.