章節 9: Chapter 9
It's early in the morning. Nao get up from the bed of his inn and ready to meet with kirito.
Yesterday's meeting resulted in the same way like the story. Because their party was only composed by three player, they assigned the task of handling the boss's minions.
Because they assigned to take care of the minions, Nao leave immediately while running to do a quest around, which have a reward a decent katana that kirito told him.
He do the quest until late at night and finally he get the katana barely just when he want to give up. He then leave the area and back to inn because Kirito said he want to train Asuna how to switch out team fighting.
"I forget that Asuna don't know about that." He said while looking at the massage Kirito send to him.
And in this early in the morning, he go out to meet them to do the quest while train in switching. The quest itself can only be done while morning so they go early in the morning.
He doesn't put his mask today. And decide to not put it on anymore from now on so while walking along the street, people reaction can be expected.
"Well, siiighh,, it can't be helped." He said while walking along the way to the place.
As soon as he arrived, there's one more player there. And he know her. She was Argo.
"Yo!" Nao greet them simply.
"A-h~ O-ohayou" Kirito greet him back while Asuna only nodded with bad mood.
'Hm~? What's going on with this awkward situation, and the twos action really suspicious. Is something happen?' Nao thought.
"Miss informant is here too?" Nao pointed at Argo while smiling. Then Argo nodded simply.
"Then Miss informant, because you are here, I want an important info right now." He said with serious expression make all attention sent towards him.
"I want to know about what is happening to this couple that make the atmosphere around he so lack of oxygen?" Nao said while pointing to Asuna and then to Kirito.
"What?!" Kirito was speechless when Asuna was blushing hardly.
'I see, something really happen. And Asuna reaction was suspicious.' He thought interested with what happen with the two.
"Wait Argo, don't listen to what he say." Kirito said restless.
"N-nothing happen." Asuna join too with a blush.
'Oooh~? So Argo was involved too and know something.' He a little surprised knowing that Argo know what happen.
The two want to stop them but was a pointless attempt because the deal was made already after that.
"One thousand col." Argo said.
"Deal." Nao sent the money.
The couple was speechless with the two transaction. And then Argo finally spew out the bean.
"Someone accidentally get a jackpot after the heaven door opened and see the miracle of the world, is that information clear enough?" Argo give the information.
"I see~~" Nao make a contemplated look while pinch his chin. Then, looking at Asuna and nodded.
Stared by Nao with 'aha~ I know everything' eyes, make Asuna very embarrassed and want to find a hole and bury herself inside.
"What a lucky bastard." Nao said after looking at Asuna and stare at Kirito with smirk on his face.
"Indeed. What a lucky bastard." Argo nodded too.
"Ugh... " Kirito can't say anything to their statement.
Their exchange make Kirito and Asuna very embarrassed. Then Asuna give Kirito hateful look make the later shiver.
"W-well, w-we have quest to do for now. Let's go, this quest can only be done in the morning." Kirito change the topic with a perfect excuse, save himself from Asuna's hateful stare.
After that short conversation, they ended it and hurriedly going to the quest place because, like Kirito said, the quest can only be done at the morning.
They doing the quest while train how to fight in a team. They alternately doing switch one after the other. But even when they are doing quest, Asuna and Kirito interaction still awkward with Asuna intentionally ignored everything kirito done and as if she don't hear anything he said. Make him like air and didn't exist.
At the end of the quest, Asuna get a new rapier, The Wind Fleuret from the loot. They then go to the blacksmith to enhance the rapier, along with Nao's new katana from last night. After the two weapon enhancement was done they part ways again and Nao go to the inn to prepare for tomorrow boss' raid.
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New days finally come and the first floor boss raid party gathered then go to the dungeon after that. Floor after floor was cleared by them and finally, boss room could be seen in front of them. In front of the door, they doing the last preparation and check all of the necessary item. After everything was checked and ready, like in the story, Diavel step forward and make a speech.
After the speech, Kirito ask him about the possibility of the different pattern from the guide book told because this isn't the same game anymore and the retreat plan if that really happen. Diavel give the answer for his question that players life was the priority and after his answer, Kibaou interject with disdain remark toward kirito's question and give him contempt look. While at the same time praise Diavel about how good leader he is.
'Hoo~ The two become really close, eh~. I think Diavel said something about Kirito. And, possibly about me too, huh. I can see from time to time how his strange eyes look at me. And there's possibility that they know each other too even before the meeting where I have a fray with Kibaou in it.' Nao thought about Kibaou's behavior to Kirito and strange eyes to look at him.
"Thank you for the high praise." Diavel thanking Kibaou's praise and saying that they are the best group he possibly hope for.
"Let's win this thing! Come on, let's go." He then turn around and open the boss room.
Dungeon room was opened and the parties entered the room. And in there, the Kobold Lord, Illfang and its sentinels was waiting for them. And the battle was started with Diavel's command.
The players was fight according to what planned and the trio, as assigned to, fight with the sentinels away from the main group that fight with Illfang. Along the fight, Nao thought about how he should deal with the situation when Illfang change his weapon.
'Should I stop that guy from death? Well, let's see what the outcome will be if I save him?' He thought.
In the fight, because the other who assigned to fight sentinel overwhelmed, he go to help them.
"I'll help them, you and Asuna could handle this one here right?" Nao said to kirito.
"It's alright." Kirito nodded. And Nao go to fill the gap the other party make and fight with the other sentinels.
He fight with the sentinels normally. Even though there's no need to use skill-assist, he still use that from time to time, because it will be weird from the others perspective that he can inflict damage that sword skill do without using it.
It's not a problem though, because technically everyone can do it too. But they would need at least months to train even a move until it can be like sword skill, because basically its like training and apply swordsmanship movement technique in the real world into this virtual world. With enough training, they could do it.
But Nao could be said a sword grandmaster in the real world, thanks to the clones that diligently train the swordsmanship, and the cheat that known as Extreme Super Growth. So apply the swordsmanship into this virtual world was easy thing to do after feel and study what skill-assist do to his body to execute the movement. He have the cheat on top of that, so it become like a piece of cake.
However the other player was an ordinary civilian in the real world, without any knowledge about the foundation of the swordsmanship, so it's become more and more difficult.
But in the eyes of other, even though he use the skill-assist, his movement was so unbelievable. His skill activation was so fast because game system confirm it right away and his after movement was like flowing water, done naturally and flawlessly. Player that see how he fight stunned with how he fight the sentinels.
With katana as the weapon, his movement not like a fighting at all, more looks like a dancing movement instead. Then when they thinking about that, they remember what he said in the meeting. "Let's Dance." That line he said in the meeting was very well fitted with how he fight right now. He really looks like dancing after all.
"Sugoi (amazing)." Asuna said subconsciously.
"Hahahaha~ As expected from Kendo club' ace, I guess." Kirito remarked too.
"Kendo?" Asuna ask, she remember that they are acquaintance in the real world too. And when they meet for the first time, he too mention something about skipping the club training.
"Yeah, He is a National Champion of Kendo Tournament after all. And from what he told me, he learn about Kenjutsu too." Kirito explain to her while didn't realize that what he was saying was a private information of a player in the real world. Though there's no one that heard their conversation.
The fight continue until Illfang hp hit the red mark and he throw his weapon and shield.
"It's like the information."
"This is it. Talwar will come."
Nao had already come back to his group right now and together with Kirito and Asuna.
"You know how Talwar looks like?" Kirito ask suddenly.
"Hm~? I remember it's a single edge curved-sword like katana, but more curved with single-hand handle and hand guard usually." Nao said remembering how talwar looks like and ready to move because it's not talwar what the boss has.
And as Nao expected from what Diavel would do, he really want to get the Last Attack bonus from the boss. But before that, what revealed from filthy cloth that covered the boss weapon was not talwar, but a nodachi.
Kirito's face was full of shock at that time because the weapon was not a talwar, but a nodachi. Nao had already move at this moment too.
"It's not a talwar." Asuna murmured too, realize what it was.
"Stop Diavel!!!, don't do your motion!! jump back as hard as you can." Kirito shout to stop him.
Nao want to stop him from saying that line at first, because that line he said was what makes his identity as a beta tester known. But he didn't have that much time because of the shock. Not a shock from the different of the weapon but from the speed of the boss' attack.
He know that the boss in the berserk mode will have an enhancement on their parameter, so he readied himself beforehand. But when the prediction ability of his sixth sense was kick in, he know that he has underestimated the extent of the boss' enhancement and from where he is right now, and with his parameter, the distance was too far for him to reach in time.
So he move as soon as he can and try to bump with Diavel while parrying the boss attack. But the attack was so heavy and make him and Diavel hit by the attack and thrown to the air and Diavel get the full burn of it. The two was still in the air, but without waiting for them to land to the ground, the boss next attack ready to come. Nao make a motion to execute a skill and use an attack to parry with the boss attack. His sword glow ready to execute the attack. The boss attack come and Nao's was ready too, but Diavel was not. So Nao try as best as he can so that Diavel out of range of the attack.
Two attack collide with each other. Illfang was thrown back landed far away. Nao and Diavel was thrown to the back to, landing hard on the ground. His prediction ability kick in again make him get up immediately to engage in the battle with Illfang that already run toward them for the new attack.
"NAO!!!" Kirito was surprised that without he knows, Nao already in the front line.
"TEND HIM!!" Nao shout while running to intercept Illfang's charge.
He was late a bit, but even though Diavel get the full burn of the attack before, he know that his life was not in danger with the speed his hp was drained. So he leave him to intercept Illfangs charge instead so that he can be healed.
He exchange attack with Illfang, and wait for the others to come but he was surprised the next moment with what is happening. A sound of something broken and fragments was all around kirito who holding a healing potion.
'Eh?!!?' Diavel was dead.
'Why he is still die? His wound is not that severe, with enough time he will be healed.' He thought and continue to fight.
The other was shock too and Kirito along with Asuna run to the front line to help Nao. He switched with the two of them and use his healing potion as an excuse to stay back.
'Haa~h, If it's already come to this, just let it go the same way from the story then. I think the "Beater" name was fated for him. Is it the legendary "Plot armor"?? I wonder.' Nao was thinking what is "fate" actually.
He think maybe some fate couldn't be changed even if he want to change it. 'Is it also why Kayaba always can find the program that I try to planted to the core system data of cardinal system all this time? So even if I try as hard as I can, he will still find a way to start this death game.' He couldn't help but think that way, but soon he shook his head.
'I don't know and I don't want to think that way. I don't need an excuse to make me look better. I'm not try hard enough to change the system and give up after some try and that was the truth. I'm not stop this death game and that was the truth. I have many ways and kill Kayaba as the most extreme way of them but I don't do it, and that was the truth. I'm not try hard enough, not stop this game, and not kill Kayaba either, that was all the truth. I don't need something like "some fate couldn't be changed" as an excuse to make me look better. I do what I want from the start, and that was all I know.' He rearranged his train of thought again and don't care about fate or plot armor or something else. He do what he want to do in his life, and that was enough for him.
After that, they fight the boss again and Nao join the battle too. And finally after some moment, the boss was killed and Nao let Kirito get the last attack so that he can get the Coat of Midnight. 'As a beater he will need that coat so it would feel more dramatic, right?' He think. But the real reason was he don't like the coat, he want a Haori instead if possible. He like Nurarihyon character so much after all.
The fight was over, victory was in hand and all of them cheering joyfully. They give applaud to Kirito and him at first but the next moment what taking place was a heavy atmosphere about beta tester amongst them. And strangely, even though Nao knows what will happen, he found that it's really funny and trying his best not to laugh in this show where the term of "beater" was created.
He know Kirito very well after all. Or it could be said, he know Kazuto very well. The one he first meet was Suguha, when he is in fifth years of elementary school. After that, they would often meet if there's an activity that involved kendo within it. But still and all, they not too close at that time because there's something called gender different. Make Sugu shy away around him. They can only be said friends that like the same thing, kendo.
Nao like kendo too after all, or more precisely, he like katana since his previous life. So, knowing he has second chance to life with cheat that make him learn faster and easily, he learn all the thing that has something to do with katana. Kendo included because it derived from kenjutsu.
As for Kirito, Nao meet him after some time he meet suguha. But they have same thing they like too. So not hard for them to get close to each other, and after he enter the junior high school, they meet more often.
That being said, even though he know it will happen, he can't help but to think what actually happen in the head of this guy. To actually doing something like become a beater with his poor acting skill in Nao's eyes. He know Kirito well after all, so looking at his poor acting in this show make Nao dying from holding his urge to laugh out loud.
"Beater,huh. I like that term more. Never included me with those amateurs beta tester ever again." After that he turn around and go to the second floor. But before he could go far Nao couldn't hold in his laugh anymore and let it out.
"Pfth khhaa ahahahahaha~~~~ ahahaha~~~~ Ha." He really couldn't hold his laughter anymore that time and make Kirito's ears red, luckily no one see his face and just can see his back, so no one see how red from embarrassment his face really are.
"What are you laughing at!!?" Someone shout at him.
"Ahahaha~ ha~ ha~ cough cough Ha~. What? Are you retard or something? Of course I laugh because It's funny." After that reply he turn around and leave them there.
Along the way he still chuckled slightly from time to time and finally arrive at the second floor.
"So Beater, eh? hahahahaha~" He said to kirito.
"Ugh... what are you laughing at?" Kirito really embarrassed.
"hahaha no, this is funny. To see yo do this kind of thing was really weird. hahaha"
"Shut it. stop laughing already." Kirito was pissed.
"hahaha alright alright." Nao said.
"I have a massage from Agil-san." From behind Asuna's voice could be heard.
"Oh this is it Mrs. Girlfriend." Nao said while looking at Asuna.
"I'm not his girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!." Asuna said while blushing.
"Hahaha Maybe "Yet"?? Then I will go first, I don't want to disturb two lovely bird. See you next time Asuna."
Nao said that and leave the two blushing hard lovely bird behind. He was really interested in this amazing game and run to the horizon.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票