Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
Illfang, the Kobold Lord—boss of the first floor—was defeated. A few days had passed since the teleport gate of Urbus went active.
During that time, tales of what the raid party witnessed in the boss' lair had spread among the top players. Eventually, these stories branched out on their own and began to circulate among the general player base.
A boss monster with the ability to use Katana skills. The controversy about Argo's Guidebook. And most importantly:
A solo player nicknamed 'X,' a beta tester who had gotten far ahead of everyone else and defeated the floor boss by himself—a feat which should have been impossible under normal circumstances.
Fortunately for me, while mostly everyone in Aincrad had caught wind of this, there was no one who knew my real name or appearance. In this game, the names of strangers didn't appear below their in-game cursors, which was the only reason why I was able to walk out of that boss room without compromising my own identity.
Still, there were things I had to look out for. For example, I couldn't wear my Coat of Midnight nor my Feathered Gale's Hood in front of other players.
On the day the boss was defeated, the teleport gate, oddly enough, didn't seem to function immediately after the defeat of Illfang, though I hadn't understood why at the time. Only later did I discover that the gates became usable two hours after a floor boss was defeated, regardless of manual intervention.
Back then, I had assumed this was a rare chance to monopolize the second floor's resources, and I intended to make the most of it. While the majority of players were unaware of the floor's activation, likely recuperating or celebrating in the Town of Beginnings, I had arrived at the town alone.
Without the usual swarm of players competing for resources, I had free rein over the hunting fields and collection points. Slaughter quests were remarkably efficient to complete. There was no one to jostle with for the monsters that roamed the open areas.
I supposed that such solitude had its advantages, but there was a fine line between being alone and being isolated.
Anyway, a few minutes after the teleport gate had finally been activated, my attention was briefly caught by an altercation near one of the shadowed alleyways.
It wasn't uncommon to see disputes among players in Aincrad—competition over resources, frustrations boiling over, or simply petty disagreements. Normally, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but this one was different. The name involved was too significant to ignore. Especially since it was someone I knew:
Argo the Rat.
She was one of the most well-known figures in Aincrad by now—a fixer and an information broker. Though, it wasn't only Argo herself that I'd been concerned about. What truly caught my attention was the word that slipped from the mouths of her aggressors.
"Extra Skill."
It intrigued me, but I wasn't about to involve myself in their quarrel. While Argo might have been outnumbered, she was far from defenseless. I supposed I had no reason to intervene. My anonymity and distance from such high-profile individuals were advantages I wasn't willing to squander.
***
The line in front of the food stall moved slowly with each player ahead of me taking their time selecting ingredients. My purpose here was simple: gather enough ingredients to level up my Cooking Skill. It wasn't something I particularly cared for, but there were advantages to having access to well-crafted food buffs, and I wasn't one to ignore potential benefits.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the bustling background.
"Yo! Isn't that you, Kiyo?"
I turned my head toward the source of the voice.
It was Klein, now flanked by a handful of party members.
The memory of our first meeting back on the first floor resurfaced. I remembered him yelling in panic while fleeing from a boar—a rather memorable introduction to say the least. I feel like I should've been more amused by the sight of a grown man reacting that way, but I simply logged it away as another data point about the chaotic nature of, well... humans
"Hey, it is you! You remember me, right? From the first floor?" His tone bordered on frantic, as if he was actually worried about me forgetting him.
"Yes," I replied flatly. I supposed it would make the situation even more awkward if I pretended not to know him, especially with his party watching the exchange like an audience at a performance.
"I knew it! Man, I wasn't sure you'd still be around, but here you are. How've you been holding up?"
I offered a noncommittal shrug. "About the same as always."
Why was he acting like we were old friends? Our first and only interaction had been brief and almost incidental.
Despite my reservations, Klein seemed intent on maintaining the conversation. Perhaps indulging him was less about obligation and more about maintaining appearances in front of his party. It wouldn't create unnecessary friction here.
"So," Klein said as his grin widened, "we're about to head out for some Windwasp hunting. You wanna tag along?"
"Windwasp hunting?"
"Yeah, dude! They've got a chance to drop something that'll help you repair your items. Forgot what it was called..." Klein trailed off. "But, we should get it if we grind for an entire day."
For a moment, I hesitated. Joining a party wasn't exactly my style—I preferred working solo, where I had control over every factor and the loot that I'd earned. But turning him down outright might cause more trouble than it was worth.
"Sure," I said, accepting the invitation.
A list of names flickered into view at the top-left of my vision as I was added to their party. Klein, followed by his comrades, all with different names. They seemed competent enough, though it remained to be seen how well they functioned as a team.
"Oh, I just remembered what it was called!" Klein lit up, like he'd achieved something meaningful. "Needle of Windwasp. Perfect for upgrading weapons. Plus, they give a decent chunk of experience points."
I nodded again. While this hunt might have practical benefits, it would also serve as an opportunity to observe how a party functioned in combat. The dynamics, the coordination—or lack thereof—would provide valuable insight for future encounters.
The party and I made our way through the streets of Urbus, the towering stone structures casting shadows under the dim, perpetual twilight of the crater-like city.
Unlike the Town of Beginnings, which had a sense of openness despite its dense population, Urbus felt enclosed—walled in by the sheer cliffs. The air was cool, tinged with the faint scent of damp stone and iron, a stark contrast to the more temperate climate of the first floor.
While Klein led the way, occasionally throwing remarks here and there, I kept my observations to myself.
The settlement itself was structured in layers, with sloping pathways and jagged staircases carved directly into the rock, leading to different elevations where various merchant stalls, inns, and blacksmith shops had been set up.
Narrow bridges were placed between the higher platforms, allowing for quick traversal over the lower districts, though I noticed some players hesitated before stepping onto them. They were probably unnerved by the deep crevices that yawned beneath them.
It was a functional settlement, but the overwhelming sense of verticality made movement less straightforward than in the Town of the Beginnings.
After maneuvering past several stalls offering weapon refinements and overpriced consumables, we reached the outskirts, where the crater walls gradually opened into the hunting fields.
The terrain remained uneven, rocky outcrops scattered between sparse patches of wind-swept grass. The main hunting grounds were located a short distance beyond, where the Windwasps—a particularly troublesome breed of aerial bugs were known to nest.
"You sure you're good to go?" Klein asked, looking at me. "I'm talkin' to you, Kiyo. I heard these wasps are annoying as hell."
I nodded. "I'll manage."
Technically, I was the least experienced person in the group. I had never played an MMO before, which seemed to come as a shock to everyone when I had made it clear before.
"Can't believe SAO's your very first MMO game, though. That's gotta suck for you."
"Yeah, this game's supposed to be fun," another party member, Dynamm, chimed in. "Y'know, before it turned into a goddamn death game. I mean, no offense, but how the hell did you end up here if you've never played an MMO before?"
That was a reasonable question. Most people in SAO were either gaming veterans or casual players who at least had some background in online RPGs. I, on the other hand, had zero prior experience.
"I was curious."
"What, the whole 'you die in the game, you die in real life' thing? That part didn't come in the trailer," Klein joked, earning a chuckle from the rest of the group.
"I know that. I meant the mechanics of an MMO and the combat system. It's very well designed in my opinion."
They all exchanged glances.
"You're weird, man," Klein said. "No offense."
"I don't mind."
"So, wait," a heavyset man named Dale, gave me a skeptical look. "Before all of this, you've never played anything like this before? Hell, have you even played a single video game?"
"Haven't."
"So... this is not only your first MMO, but your first game?"
"Yeah. I guess you could put it like that."
There was a brief silence.
"That's just sad, man," Klein finally remarked. "What kind of luck is that?"
Luck had nothing to do with it, but I didn't bother correcting them.
"Alright, alright, let's not get too depressing," Klein began, waving his hands. "Kiyo, since you're a total MMO newbie, leave it to your big bro here to teach you a few things about MMOs!" He gestured to himself with his thumb, earning yet another chuckle from the party.
"Uh..."
"Listen up. Usually, against flying enemies, you should use fast attacks to disrupt their flight so that you can keep them on the ground. And what should you do if they start swarming?"
"AoE skills, right?" I answered.
"Yep. Well, that goes for any type of enemy. AoE skills are your best friend," Klein explained.
"Look at this guy. Always acting like he knows his stuff," Dale commented, eliciting an annoyed glare from Klein. "Hey, Kiyo, you know why we call this guy the 'potion maniac'?"
"Hold on, dude—"
"This guy literally face-tanks every hit, so he ends up chugging HP potions like they're energy drinks," he continued, cutting off Klein.
Klein scoffed. "You haven't seen my dodging skills."
"You literally ran at a charging boar last week, bro. I don't wanna hear it."
Klein grumbled under his breath. Silence enveloped the party once again since no one decided to argue any further.
He glanced at me again, like he was still trying to process something. After that, he cleared his throat and clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Respect, man. Seriously. It really sucks that this has to be your first video game, but you're handling this a lot better than most people would."
"Thanks."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I couldn't even tell if that was a compliment or not.
Eventually, we arrived at the nest. The party had already begun spreading out, taking their positions in preparation for the hunt.
I have not yet encountered them, but from what I had heard, Windwasps were deceptively quick. Their movements could only be described as 'erratic' when they zip through the air, making them difficult targets.
If I had to assess the real danger, it wasn't the damage they inflicted but rather the paralysis effects their stingers potentially carried. Factoring in the possibility that if they are based on real bees, they more or less have the ability to call reinforcements. The situation can devolve into chaos and escalate to an unneeded degree if mishandled.
That said, I need to purely focus on my own survival. While it is a good opportunity to socialize and observe a human in an uncontrolled environment or cherry-picked simulations, I valued my own safety more than anything else.
"You know, Kiyo," Klein said, flashing a grin as he drew his katana, "you've got this whole 'mysterious lone swordsman' thing going on, but maybe you should party up with us more often. We're not that bad, huh?"
I didn't respond immediately, instead checking my inventory one last time to ensure I had the necessary antidotes for potential status effects.
"Well, I don't wanna end up troubling you guys," I said.
Klein laughed. "As if, man. Don't worry about that, we're all in this together, aye?" He looked back at his party members, who gave him collective nods and cheers in agreement. He then turned back to me. "Look, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us."
"Uh, sure. Thanks."
I glanced over at Klein. His comrades, or party members were a mixed bag—some confident, others visibly wary—but they functioned decently enough as a team. There were obvious gaps, and the coordination was just barely above clumsy, but it was enough to survive without my interference.
"Here they come!"
One of Klein's party members yelled as a swarm of Windwasps came rushing in our direction.
Windwasps were earthen black bee monsters with green stripes and ice pick-sized stingers. They were approximately fifty centimeters in length, a size that would make them the largest known insect if they had existed in reality.
I watched as Klein and his team engaged the creatures, analyzing their combat approach. From my observations, the Windwasps didn't possess a high HP pool.
The fact that Klein, whose level was about ten points lower than mine, could take one down with a single strike meant that their durability was weak.
Additionally, when one of the creatures managed to land a hit on a party member who was a striker rather than a tank, I noted the impact—it was noticeable but not devastating. This confirmed that the Windwasps had relatively low attack potency.
His comrades were doing well, as a few more monsters fell to the ground.
Midway through the battle, Klein lunged forward to deliver another strike, but the moment his feet planted on the rocky ground, his body stiffened. His knee buckled, and he dropped down, unable to move.
'Paralysis,' I noticed.
Beyond the mechanical design of the monster, I saw a look of victory in its crimson-vermillion eyes as its mandible twitched in excitement. Dipping its head low, it flew towards Klein at full speed.
"KLEIN!"
"SOMEONE! COVER KLEIN!"
I narrowed my eyes.
My analysis was complete.
The Windwasp had different attack patterns.
I had already observed two distinct aerial movements: when it dove while straightening its body and opening its mandibles, it went for a «bite» attack. But when it tucked itself into a bent arrow shape mid-dive.
It was preparing to use its stinger—the same attack which inflicted status: paralysis on Klein—which would result in a five-second delay before it could strike again, evident from how it leisurely tried to buy time by floating in the air.
Once again, it straightened its body, its wings humming like a saw blade as it twisted into another steep dive. The party members were far away and no one in his party was close enough to intercept in time.
Klein's eyes met mine and a look of unbridled desperation and fear flashed in them.
How pitiful.
I moved before anyone could notice, cutting through the air.
The Windwasp burst apart, its fragmented body dispersing into polygons before it ever reached Klein. At the same moment, a dozen more Windwasps collapsed to the ground, their pixelated remains flickering out of existence in unison.
However, I didn't stop there. The entire battlefield that was abuzz with grunts and sawing sounds of Windwasps wings beating suddenly fell into stunned silence.
As I landed beside Klein, I took the potion that I had prepared and fed it to him. After a few seconds, he stood up, curling and uncurling his fingers.
He was looking at me in disbelief and his party members stared at me continuously—which in all honesty, made me uncomfortable to no end—some with their mouths slightly open, others exchanging silent glances as they processed what had just happened.
I exhaled, sliding my sword back into its sheath. "Sorry for taking your kill."
Klein blinked, then let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Hah, after saving my life? The kill's all yours, man." He let out a sigh, then raised an eyebrow at me. "No, but seriously, what the hell was that all about?"
"What do you mean?"
"You got a high agility stat or somethin'? I've never seen anyone move that fast. And I've worked with a lotta people," Klein explained.
"I was lucky. That's all."
"Lucky?" Klein asked, sharing the visible confusion on the rest of the party's faces. "Look, if you don't want me to pry, you could've just said so."
"I'm serious. It was luck. My skill glitched or something, and it was faster than I'd expected. To be honest, I didn't even know what was happening," I stated.
"Okay, then..." Klein still looked a little skeptical, but he let it go with a shrug.
With that, we continued our grind and continued to push through waves of wasps. I stuck to their formation and moved in sync. It wasn't difficult to blend in once I understood how they fought. I played my part well, slashing and dodging where needed, and kept my presence unremarkable.
Even so, I noticed Klein sneaking glances at me every so often. His curiosity, or well, suspicion, hadn't faded, though he wasn't pressing the issue. Probably still wondering about that 'luck' I mentioned.
It didn't matter.
I'd given him an answer, and that would have to be enough.
Time passed, and before long, we had gathered enough wasp needles for everyone.
The party cheered, stretching sore limbs and cracking jokes as they counted the loot. The atmosphere lightened, and while there was some idle chatter, none of it required my input.
I was just about to take my leave when Klein clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Oi, Kiyo! You're coming with us, yeah?"
I blinked. "Hmm? For what?"
"To the restaurant! It's on me." He grinned wide, rocking on his heels. "C'mon, man, you've been all broody the whole time. And hey, you saved my life. Food's the best way to get to know someone, or thank them."
"Gratitude is unnecessary. I was a part of your party, so, I would have saved you regardless." I replied in what would have passed as the perfect response from a 'normal, empathetic' person.
"But hey, we still did a good job. We should really get something to eat."
I could've said no. Should've, really. But...
"And I heard today's special is the shortcake."
***
The restaurant was warm, filled with the sound of clinking glasses and easy conversation. I sat at the table, resting my elbow on the polished wood, absentmindedly stabbing the shortcake on my plate and ingesting big bites down my gullet.
"You're really enjoying that shortcake, huh?" Klein said with a slight expression of disbelief over his drink.
I exhaled through my nose, taking a moment to fill my lungs as I realized I had not been breathing.
"Does it look like I am?" I asked.
"Yeah. Every single time you take a bite, you look like you've just tasted something from heaven. Didn't know you were even capable of enjoying things."
The cream was thicker than I expected, made from the milk of the so-called 'giant cows'—a rare delicacy, hard to obtain since the creatures roamed well beyond the safety of the safe zone.
It had been a long time since I'd eaten something this sweet. Too long, maybe. My taste buds weren't even sure how to process it at first.
Klein leaned forward and smirked. "So, you've got a sweet tooth or somethin'?"
I took another bite, slower this time, letting the richness settle on my tongue.
"Maybe," I replied. "I'm not exactly used to eating something so sweet."
One of the others chuckled. "Man, what kind of life have you been living where you're not even used to cake?"
One where things like this weren't common. One where luxury wasn't something I indulged in, because it dulled the senses. But I didn't say that. I just shrugged. "One without cake, I suppose."
Klein laughed, shaking his head. "Tragic. We'll have to fix that."
He then took a long sip from his drink—some kind of ginger ale knockoff brewed in the town's NPC-run tavern—and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Okay, but real talk, you guys saw that, right?" Dale asked. "Did anyone else notice how that one wasp straight-up ignored my aggro and beelined for Klein's face?"
"Hey, that thing was special. It probably had some personal beef with me or something. I swear, it even locked eyes with me," Klein said.
"All hostile monsters do that once they've found a target," I commented, earning a laugh from the rest of the party.
"Let me crack a joke for once!" Klein cried.
"Tsk, Klein, is that any way to speak to your knight in shining armor?" asked a party member with a goatee—Kunimittz. "Your 'Eeeek!' was actually pretty loud, by the way."
"It's called an exhale," Klein replied.
"Oh man, I heard that exhale. It made such a high pitch it almost broke my ears!" Dale commented.
A few players from the next table glanced over at the noise, but no one seemed too bothered. The tavern was lively enough. Maybe it was a little too lively for a place filled with people trapped in a game where death was permanent, but that was how it went.
If you think about it, distractions were currency here. And laughter was cheap armor.
"You were screaming," I finally commented, earning a glare from Klein.
"Hey!"
"So anyway," Dale said, still chuckling, "I checked the loot table on those windwasps on our way here. Y'know what the rare loot is? A poisonous sac. Like what the hell do I do with that? Slap people with it?"
"Pretty sure it's for crafting poison daggers," Dynamm said.
Dale frowned. "Yeah, but who uses daggers right now? We're on floor 2, man! Everyone's rocking swords and spears for now."
"I heard some solo player on the other side of the floor's been running a stealth poison build," Klein chimed in. "Apparently they took down a floor mini-boss solo using DoT and trap placements."
"And you believe that?" Dynamm asked.
"That sounds like one of those Kirito stories," Kunimittz muttered. "I heard he cleared a sub-dungeon solo. Dude's gonna be on the frontlines for sure."
"Solo, you say?" Dynamm gave a skeptical look. "People were telling me that some hot ass chick was tagging along with him!" He then turned to Klein. "Wait, Klein, aren't you friends with him? Is that true?"
"What's true?" Klein asked. "The fact that he's done a dungeon run solo or that he's got a chick with him?" He let out a sigh. "Well, either way, I can't really say since I haven't talked to the guy since we met on the first floor."
"While we're on the topic of stories, have you guys heard of 'X'?" Dale asked.
There it was.
Dynamm perked up. "X? Like... that guy who cleared the entire first floor labyrinth solo, including the boss? Everyone's heard about that story by now. What about it?"
"You think it's true?"
"Yeah, probably," Dynamm answered. "I heard it straight from that Diavel guy. He's the leader of the raid group that was supposed to be the one clearing the first floor."
"Is 'X' actually the dude's username, or is it just something people started calling him because they couldn't figure it out?" Klein asked. "From what I remember, you weren't allowed to make a username less than 3 letters long."
"No one knows, but it's probably the latter," Dale said. "All anyone knows is that someone went in alone, didn't party with a single soul, and by the time people actually started to plan for the raid, the labyrinth was cleared. I even heard they saw him walking away in a cloak."
"Damn. That last part is some edgy teenager stuff. You sure you didn't read that in a fanfiction?" Klein asked, smirking.
"Don't assume I read fanfiction," Dale groaned. "Don't wanna go anywhere near that rabbit hole."
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Dynamm waved it off. "Anyway, if 'X' and Kirito were to duel, who do you guys got?"
"Kirito, for sure," Klein replied.
"Your glaze game is pretty wild, man." Dale scoffed. "My money's on 'X'. How can anything compare to beating a floor boss solo?"
"But what if they're the same person?" Kunimittz asked. "If you think about it, the theory ain't too far off. Who else would be capable of doing that?"
"I dunno, maybe Kiyo?" Klein replied.
I looked at him. "What?"
Scary intuition.
"Kidding," Klein chuckled. "Anyway, whoever 'X' is, why wouldn't they want to take credit? You'd get instant respect across every party in the game."
"Hmm, probably not," I said.
The table paused.
Klein tilted his head toward me. "Huh?"
"There could be people out there that have a personal vendetta against 'X' for taking all the loot to themself," I continued.
"True, everyone's been pissed at the beta testers recently. Hell, I heard people have been coming after Argo," Dale added.
"Why Argo?" I asked.
"Apparently the stuff in her guidebook was wrong. I don't know the details, but that's what I heard."
"Huh, that all makes sense," Klein said. "Still, Kiyo, you give off creepy vibes when you talk like that. You talk like you personally know who 'X' is."
I shrugged in response.
"Watch, next time we turn our backs, Kiyo's cleared three more floors and left behind a note saying 'X was here'," Kunimittz joked.
I took another bite of shortcake.
The others laughed.
***
Klein let out a contented sigh, patting his stomach. "Man, that hit the spot. I swear, food just tastes better when you don't have to cook it yourself."
"Yeah? Tell that to my stomach," Dale groaned, slumping back in his chair. "I think I overdid it on the stew. Feels like I swallowed a brick."
"Maybe don't act like you're prepping for hibernation next time."
"It's not my fault the portions were huge!"
"You had three," I pointed out.
I took another sip of tea. It was lukewarm now. The taste had faded, but at least the warmth remained.
"So," Klein began. "Next hunt, I say we go after the trembling cows out east. Big ugly things, but they drop decent hides and rare meat. Could trade that for better armor."
"You just want more food," Dynamm said.
"I want us to be well-fed, thank you. There's a difference."
"Liar."
Klein grinned, then turned to me. "What about you, Kiyo? You ever tried trembling cow meat? Supposed to be amazing if you roast it with grass."
I shook my head. "Uh... not yet."
Who roasts food with grass?
Klein, still grinning, clapped a hand on my back as he stood. "Still, I'd say today was a success. You survived a meal with us."
"Barely," I muttered, wiping my mouth with a cloth.
Klein laughed. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You looked like you were having fun for a second there."
"Debatable."
"Nah, I saw it." He smirked. "That little twitch at the corner of your mouth? That was the beginning of a smile."
"Hallucination."
"You're in denial."
"Whatever."
Klein snorted, but didn't push it further. "We'll do this again. And next time, I'm making sure you try the honey pudding along with the meat."
"Pudding?" I echoed flatly.
"The honey pudding," Klein corrected. "It's the best damn thing on the menu. No way am I letting you go around not knowing what that tastes like."
"Oh gods, here we go again," Dale groaned, tossing his head back. "I swear, if I have to hear another speech about that pudding... uh, Klein?"
Suddenly, the group fell silent as a look of recognition crossed Klein's face. Tracing his line of sight, my eyes eventually landed on the raven-haired figure standing by the restaurant's door.
A second look wasn't necessary to recognize who this player was.
"Oh! Kirito!"