Episode 60 - Life Lessons
Front Line - Floor 62
June 12 - Year 2
Kirito, Bladescape, and Doombunny walked from the tree they had been resting in to the nearest town. It didn't take long. It was also quiet. A comfortable quiet. After Kirito teleported off to Algade, Bladescape stepped up to teleport to Mishe, but Doombunny held back.
She hesitated to speak, despite Bladescape's questioning glance. "I need to go to The Town of Beginnings," Doombunny said sweetly.
"Why?" Bladescape directly asked.
"Colorra needs more food, and I get mine from there."
"Oh," Bladescape replied. "Can I come with you?"
"Sure," Doombunny shrugged. "It's no secret. Well, now that I'm not breaking any rules it isn't."
"Can you not find it elsewhere?" Bladescape asked as Doombunny joined her side.
"Teleport Town of Beginnings!" Doombunny shouted loud enough for the plaza to recognize the command.
Bladescape teleported right behind her, still intent on getting an answer. It was waiting for her as she stepped off the Plaza.
"Colorra can eat any meat, but she has a preference. I can't get it anywhere else. I have to pay to have it caught."
"Caught?" Bladescape asked.
Doombunny just nodded and turned, heading to the church with a skip in her step. Bladescape followed her, unsure as to where they were going. It wasn't a long walk. The Town of Beginnings still had a third or so of the remaining players residing in it. Some made a good living, while others were so scared that they didn't dare leave the city's safe zone. With no job, and an empty stomach, some sat under the popular tree along the streets. It had fruit on it. A low durability fruit that had to be caught or it would disappear. Bladescape watched a man sitting under one, staring up at it, wishing one would fall so he could satisfy his hunger and live another day of the same, pitiful existence. The Army claimed to distribute things evenly among the lower players, but it didn't seem like it could handle such a large task.
Bladescape saw the destination once they entered the small square in front of the church. Despite the quiet air, it obviously had a lot more going on that just being a building. Doombunny strolled confidently up to it and knocked on the main doors. A short while later, the door was opened by a young woman in a long, navy blue dress and white collar.
"Bunny," She said, the warmth of her greeting matching her smile. "And who is with you?"
"Sasha, this is our guild leader, Bladescape. Bladescape, Miss Sasha here does all she can to take care of the kids in SAO. There's a lot who didn't do well once this game became a prison. She is affectionately known as Teach or Teacher by many of the kids. Some are able to do things to earn money and bring food to the table for them all."
Sasha gave a short bow to Bladescape. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The same to you," Bladescape said, bowing back. "Doom and I were out training together, but we finished early. So I came with her. I had no idea about any of this."
"Here we call her Bunny so we don't traumatize any of the kids," Sasha sweetly explained. "Doom is not a name some of the kiddos could bond to, but Bunny is. Please, come in. They are used to seeing equipment and gear. Gin, Kain, and Mina do what they can in the field, along with some of the others when they are up to it, but it is dangerous. Safety is the most important thing. They don't push the safety limit. It isn't worth it. They just get what we need, and that is all."
"Bunny," Bladescape said, a sly grin on her face at using the name. "What exactly do they do for you and Colorra?"
"They trap rats, mice, and the occasional rabbit," Doombunny stated plainly.
"Live?" Bladescape asked, a bit shocked.
"Mhm," Doombunny nodded. "They use cage traps. Colorra is a snake who prefers live food."
"BUNNY!" Two boys yelled as they ran into the room. They stopped and bowed to Sasha. "Teach, we left the food on the kitchen counter."
Sasha smiled back at them. "Thank you, Gin. Thank you, Kain. Where is Mina?"
"Helping sort out a fight," the one called Gin said. "Between Ira and Olais."
"Not again!" Sasha exclaimed, running off to a side room.
They were not going anywhere as Gin and Kain threw their arms around Doombunny in a tight hug. Colorra dropped off her perch and curled around the one called Kain who immediately began to scratch the snake's head.
"How have you two been?" Doombunny asked. "Behaving for Miss Sasha?"
"For the most part," Gin admitted. "Yesterday we had to run from a squad of Army soldiers. They were hollering on about us owing them for something. We sprinted away as fast as we could and lost them through a few back alleys."
"Well, just let Miss Sasha take care of them," Doombunny told them.
"And you are?" Gin asked, directing his attention to Bladescape.
"Bladescape," Bladescape said. "And it is Gin, right?"
"Uhuh! How big is your sword?"
Bladescape reached over her shoulder and drew Harmonic Salvation. With the tip on the ground, the sword still stood taller than both Gin and Kain did. Both boys marveled at it. It really showed the discrepancy Merlin spoke about; the one between a long sword, and an oversized sword.
"How heavy is it?" Gin asked.
"Try it," Bladescape grinned.
The kid couldn't be that much younger than her, 13 at most, but he was looking and acting more like 10. He had to be having a hard time in Aincrad, lost without his family and friends who normally would have caught him and helped guide him through such a difficult time. It was a good thing Sasha had found him.
Gin struggled to pick it up while it stood straight up. He tipped it over so he could cradle it in his arms. He grunted and huffed before buckling and dropping the sword. It clattered to the floor as he struggled to breath.
"GIN!" All of them looked at the young girl who had just yelled as she entered the room. "I'm so sorry, Miss." She said with a bow. "He knows better."
Bladescape bent down and picked up her blade with ease. "It's no problem. I let him. The blame would fall with me."
"Like you are one to talk, Mina," Gin shot back at her. "Miss Sasha has told you not to get involved in their arguments. You are supposed to stay out of it and get her."
Mina snubbed her nose at him. "Well I couldn't when they were already grabbing at each other's hair and were threatening to break the harassment code."
"Knock it off you two," Kain said as Colorra dropped off his shoulders. "Miss Sasha will be back any moment. We can't be caught fighting again. At least between us."
"Shove it!" Gin said, sticking his tongue out at Kain. He turned to Bladescape. "You want to see my sword?"
"Sure," Bladescape smiled. "What do you have?"
"The Army snags all the good spots," Gin said as he pulled up his menu. "It takes all three of us an entire day to get enough Col and items for food. We sell the hides, and buy bread, and such."
A basic iron blade popped out and he expertly caught the short blade in his left hand. With a quick flip the blade was popped out of the sheath and he caught it in his right hand, giving it a little twirl to show off his familiarity with the sword. He then held it out for Bladescape to see.
Bladescape took it from him and swung it, testing it herself. "It is a good blade," She said with a smile.
"Thanks," Gin grinned. "It took me a while to get that. Making sure we all eat is more important. I worked to save every scrap of Col I could. Miss Sasha kept it safe for me so I didn't spend it."
"Not bad," Bladescape said. "Solid life strategy too. It looks like you are learning well while in SAO."
Gin sighed. "Real school would be better. Here I have to fight, nearly every day, except it's not fun. I have to make sure Kain and Mina survive."
"Hey!" Kain exclaimed. "I can take care of myself!"
"Same," Mina huffed.
"Sorry about that," Sasha said as she came in. "And please, you three, don't fight. You are role models for the others. I know it's a lot on your small shoulders." They all bowed towards her and apologized. Sasha sighed. "Gin, why does the nice lady have your sword."
"Oh, um, I was showing her mine after I got to see her big one. I can't even lift it, it's so heavy."
Sasha sighed, shaking her head.
"It's okay," Bladescape said. "I encouraged it. A warrior has to have absolute trust in their equipment."
"Well, I hope what they have is good," Sasha said. "It's been tougher these days. The army is choking out everyone not directly with them from the best spawns nearby."
"It isn't a bad sword," Bladescape said. "I had better by your level, but it gets the job done and that is what is important. With the three of you," Bladescape chuckled, thinking about what they had just done today with three warriors. "Well, let's just say, three can be a very powerful team and do more than you think. But, you need to focus on gathering enough to eat, not taking down dangerous monsters."
"What did you do!" Kain asked, getting excited.
"Oh we just had to kill a dragon today," Doombunny sweetly said, waving it off as nothing. "We came here to pick up food for Colorra. I assume you guys have been able to catch some."
"Oh yeah," Gin said with a grin, trying to be cool. "We got a good haul. You won't be back anytime soon." He rethought his words and regretted them. He still tried to be smooth and cool about it. "But, you um, are always welcome to visit."
"Colorra thanks you all," Doombunny giggled. "You know we love to visit you whenever we can, for as long as we can.
"Do you want to join us for Dinner?" Sasha asked. "It is about that time. We may not have much, but it is always enough."
"Sure," Doombunny said with a courteous bow. "We would love to."
Bladescape pulled up her menu and messaged the others that they would be late and not to worry. Then she scrolled through her menu to double check something. She did have what she thought she had. Since she had her menu up, she removed her sword from her back.
"Miss Sasha," Bladescape said. "An evening with you all would be lovely. Is there a place I could change out of my armor?"
"Of course," Sasha smiled. "Mina, show her to a spare room."
"Of course," Mina smiled with a short bow. "Follow me, Miss Bladescape."
Bladescape followed the young girl. Once they were out of the room, Bladescape asked her a question. "You guys work for everything, don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Mina asked as they headed up the stairs.
"I mean, you guys don't take handouts."
"No. Miss Sasha thinks we should earn everything. She wants us to learn how to function in life. She says life doesn't just give you things. She says you have to work to get things in life. School doesn't give you good marks just for showing up. The same for university and a job. She calls it work ethic."
Bladescape asked the question she had been setting up for. "So, if I had equipment, better equipment, that you guys could use?"
"Miss Sasha would want us to earn it," Mina stated as she stopped in front of a door and bowed. "You can use this room to change in."
Bladescape changed with a few clicks into one of the dresses Diemond had given her. Her menu was getting clogged up with dresses from Diemond. The drop list from the King Black Dragon was not helping at all.
Mina showed Bladescape to the dining hall. Sasha and Doombunny were off at a separate table in the corner. But the hall had two rows of long wooden tables with beach seating and each was full of kids. It was loud as they did what kids do around a dinner table: make fun, tell jokes, and eat loudly. Sasha wasn't just caring for a few children, there were easily 20 kids in the room. Filling this many bellies three times a day required a lot of food. Even though it was simple things like bread, milk, and fruit, it still cost Col.
Bladescape made her way over to the other "adults" and sat down with Sasha and Doombunny. Mina had been lost in the crowd of kids.
"There are so many," Bladescape said. "I didn't realize there were this many under your care. And you guys are self sufficient?"
"For the most part, yes," Sasha replied. "I spend time each day making sure there are no other lost kids, but I have a lot to care for. Some have regressed quite a bit. Either they grew up and developed tactics to handle the stress of being trapped in here, or they regressed and act like a younger version of themselves. 13 is the youngest a player can be for Sword Art Online, without parental permission. Which means that either some of these kids had permission to dive, or others lost family members and were left here, alone. No matter what the situation is, they need strong help and guidance. And I can give them just enough of that."
"Mina said you don't take handouts. She said you like to teach them work ethics."
"In the beginning, the Army helped," Sasha stated. "But that aid slowly dwindled until we were forgotten. We couldn't contribute to the guild, so their support was dropped. There were too many members to handle. I think we are better off without their help, but they are causing us more trouble, even harassing some of the kids."
Two kids ran up to the table. They had come from outside the church. The boy was holding a small sack of Col.
"Teach! Here is the money we made in that delivery run."
"Great job!" Sasha praised them. "Now go wash up and get food before it's gone."
"Wow," Bladescape said. "I haven't seen a more enthusiastic, loving, caring, supportive, teacher in my life. Not that I am that old, but I mean that you really love these kids. And you are doing everything you can to make sure they make it through each day and out alive."
"I do," Sasha said, blushing slightly at the compliment. "Bartello and Arcadia are two of the runners. Unlike Gin, Kain, and Mina who stay close and hunt in the fields, a few of our kids get paid to transport items. Sometimes it is from player to player, but more often it is from craftsman to the customer. Neither have time to meet, so the kids take the item to the closest city with a teleport plaza where the final exchange is made. Or crafters will shift supplies between each other, using the kids to ferry things back and forth so they don't have to leave their projects. Bartello is bolder than Gin, but he can be rash. Arcadia balances him out. However, neither are good with a sword. And none of the kids have the money for crafting. Several do the baking when we get raw ingredients and they are slowly leveling that up. But most of the time, we get by on the cheaper option, which is buying the bread already baked."
"Gin, Mina, and Kain need equipment upgrades," Bladescape plainly stated. "Both weapons and armor. I have that upgrade in my inventory. Today's drop lists just happened to give me that. I literally haven't had time to do anything with it. We came straight here.
"Normally, I would either have the items broken down by our smiths for experience and use, or I would junk sell them, because almost no one is this low. I understand work ethic and experience. I value that and am glad you are teaching them that life skill. So, I was thinking, can I take the three of them out hunting tomorrow. I could give them guidance on their skills and strategy, and at the end of the day I am sure that they will prove they deserve the upgrades. Because as much as life doesn't give you handouts, sometimes people give you things they think you deserve, even if you didn't directly 'earn it'."
"I think that would be a wonderful opportunity for them!" Sasha exclaimed with a bright smile. "It would be very appreciated. It would reinforce their value as well. All positive things that I believe would be a big benefit."
"Colorra and I wouldn't miss it," Doombunny added.
"I guess we have a solid party for tomorrow," Bladescape smiled. "Five will be fun."
"We have enough spare rooms," Sasha said. "We can get you set up for tonight and then you can leave in the morning."
Bladescape opened her menu and scrolled through it, checking to make sure she had everything she needed. "Yeah, I am well supplied. Not that we will be going into any dangerous areas, but we can't be too careful. Especially since you are trusting us with their care."
Bladescape took a drink of milk and a bite of the basic, hard bread. It had been a while since she had eaten such a plain, poor meal. She had to remember to thank AFCK for all the work she did for them. The food she was eating wasn't bad. It was just basic.
The beds too were basic. They were better than nothing, and the cushion was just enough. It provided what they needed; sleep. There wasn't much they could do otherwise, because the church was a public building, not an owned player property.
Bladescape did her best to turn her mind off as she laid there. Everyone went to bed early. They were kids. Sasha had a lot to do in the morning. Bladescape laid there, trying to sleep and get some rest. She wanted to be the best she could be, the sharpest she could be, for the hunt in the morning. But as important as that was, sleep eluded her. Insomnia was running her life. She was safe, but she barely got any sleep, and light sleep at that.
In the morning, Bladescape exited the room fully geared out. As she strode into the room for breakfast, all the kids quieted down. Some of it was fear, even though they had seen her in regular clothes the day before, but most of it was awe. They didn't know anyone could walk as strongly as she did, or wear such brilliant armor either. Bladescape knew she had an extra kick in her step. She felt like she was giving off a Rainbow Dash confidence vibe as she strode through the dining hall to where Doombunny and Sasha were with breakfast. By the time she sat down, the kids were back to their normal morning chatter.
"You are confident this morning," Sasha said with a grin. "Did you get some good sleep."
"No," Bladescape admitted. "But I rarely do get sleep anymore. I am rested up and sharp. It will be a fun day."
"You better eat quick," Sasha warned her. "Gin is rearing to go, and Kain is working to hide his enthusiasm so he can look cool. Mina is mad about something another girl did this morning. However, she is certainly ready to go."
Bladescape chuckled at the kids being kids. She ate the plain porridge quickly and was ready to hit the fields. She nodded to Doombunny and then smiled at Sasha. Both stood up with her.
"All right!" Gin yelled, jumping up. He didn't even need to ask if they were ready. "Let's rock and roll!"
"That catchphrase won't work either," Mina said, shooting him down as she also stood up.
The kids were in their armor, but it wasn't until after they exited the church that they equipped their swords and Shields. Bladescape set up the party and they accepted. Gin's, Mina's, and Kain's HP bars popped up in the corner of her vision. She would have to be careful because they were the same size as Doombunny's was, but they didn't have anywhere near the amount of HP she did. It was deceptive, giving the perception to her eyes that they had exponentially more HP than they did even though her mind knew otherwise. That, more than anything, was why players typically didn't party up with others too far above or below their general level.
Bladescape led them out of the city, with Gin by her side. She had done this on the very first day, so long ago. But this time she wasn't in a panic to leave. She wasn't blocking out everything in an effort to focus on the only thing that mattered: keeping her friends alive and surviving by clearing the game.
"We should go this way," Gin said, pointing in the opposite direction Bladescape expected. It wasn't where the better hunting grounds were.
"Why?" Bladescape asked. "That way will have better spawn points. Where you are pointing is too close to the exterior wall."
"The army hunts that way," Gin stated. "We need to avoid them. They always run us off, so it's not worth it."
"They have no legal right to those spawn points," Bladescape huffed, trying to not lose her cool in front of the kids. The army had a complicated reputation, but it also was a large organization that served an important role to many of the players. They too needed to hunt on the lower levels. "Besides, you have us for the day. We will hunt where we want to."
Bladescape started to head to where she wanted to hunt. The others followed after her. Colorra was enjoying herself as she went with them. She was stalking the various beasts of the fields. No boar or wolf could get close to them before she took them down with a savage precision and cold enthusiasm. Her joy seemed to shine out through her scales whenever they caught the light and she shimmered more than usual. It was annoying though because she was fast, could travel a good distance from them, and the menu for a battle being completed by the party kept popping up at an almost alarming rate. The rewarded Col was pocket change to the Wondercolts, and it came with equally tiny XP, but the Col was going to be very useful to the kids and Sasha. The XP wasn't worth it anymore for the kids at their level.
The Dandarabilla Cobra was still one of the most feared creatures in Aincrad. They were still the most poisonous creature in the game, even after all this time, and the aggressive air drop tactics of the tree snakes kept visitors out of their natural habitat. The quest they had been on to get their poison, and where Doombunny befriended Colorra, turned out to be a one-shot quest, meaning no others could ever do it. Not that many would risk it, even among the higher level players.
Bladescape saw Colorra curled up, glittering in the morning light, waiting for them. From the point on the small hill, the fields around them had plenty of boars around. The tree at the top of the hill would make for a good rally point throughout the day.
"I spotted a rabbit hole a short way back," Doombunny said." Colorra and I are going to go see if the owner is home. If it is, free lunch for Colorra. Besides, as fun as this will be, Colorra and I are not very good instructors in combat. That is better left for you, Bladescape."
"Alright, Bunny," Bladescape said with a sly grin over the name. "Stick close. It won't be long before they are working smoothly. I am sure they already have good tactics."
Bladescape was happy with the new arrangement. It was great having her with them, but Doombunny had just taken away the need for Bladescape to figure out how to use her without sidelining her in front of the kids. Doombunny was a Damage Dealer and these kids were shield users. None of them had anything to learn from her. Now there was no risk of Doombunny looking bad in the kid’s eyes.
"Alright," Bladescape said, drawing Harmonic Salvation. She pointed it at a nearby boar. "That is our target. I'm going to be right behind you as I evaluate your hunting tactics. Show me what you got."
Gin had his sword out with impressive speed and charged. No doubt he was extra cocky because he was showing off and he felt safe having her with him. Kain and Mina had to play catch up.
Gin ran a basic cut at the boar as it turned on him. The creature charged and Gin blocked him skillfully with his shield. It was a solid block, but in reality he was weak. All three were. They couldn't adapt to be stronger than what they had in real life because they were too young and they had not begun to discover the full physical potential of their bodies.
It was a tough fact of playing SAO. In here, you could be stronger, faster, better and more powerful than in real life. And it was that fact that separated those on the front lines and the intermediate players. Until those players learned that and accepted it in their mind, removing the shackles that bound their actions into a box, they could never be the best and what the front line needed. Bladescape would work to instill that mindset into their heads over the day so they could be better and safer as they helped Sasha care for the other kids.
Kain was stronger than Gin. He jumped in, forcing Gin out of the way so he could draw aggro. Mina stepped out behind him and rammed her sword into the boar's side. Gin jumped back in, coming from the other side of Mina, and finished the boar off.
"Good job," Bladescape said with a smile as she clapped her hand. She pulled Harmonic Salvation out of the ground and walked over to them. "Kain, you obviously are defense oriented, which is good. I take it a lot of the blocking while hunting happens by you?"
"Uhuh," Kain said with a nod.
"Mina," Bladescape continued. "You stayed back, but still didn't hesitate to strike when needed. Is that how you always attack?"
"Yes, Miss Bladescape," Mina said curtly and with a bow. She loosened up as she took a shot at the boys. "That is until they tire themselves out and I have to carry their share of the attacking."
Bladescape chuckled while both boys protested. "Gin, you like to be up front, right in the battle. That was obvious. And as long as you don't get too cocky and keep a level head, that is exactly what you need to do.
"In playing terms, Kain, you are the Tank. Mina is the Damage Dealer, and Gin is the Forward. Mina, do you have a free skill slot?"
"No," Mina said. "I have Sword, Shield, Search, Hide, and Tailoring. I want to do more with clothes, but I both don't have the time or the Col. I guess I could get rid of it. Search and Hide are leveling up well."
"I was just wondering if you would be better off with a one handed spear, as a Lancer," Bladescape explained. "I have a spear I got yesterday in a drop that should be able to be used by you. If you were to switch and try it, and it doesn't work, I can guarantee you that I will provide you with what you need to double your tailoring skill. And if it works, you won't need your One-Handed Sword Skill, so we can get you back on track with tailoring."
Mina nodded and pulled up her menu. She paused and took a deep breath before she switched out Tailoring for One-Handed Spear. It pained her to do it. She obviously loved having Tailoring as a Skill. She trusted Bunny, who trusted Bladescape.
Bladescape opened her own menu and pulled out a spear the King Black Dragon had dropped. She handed it to Mina who hesitantly took it. She turned away from them and tried the first Sword Skill available. It was a simple thrust. But it made her face light up with joy.
"Not bad," Bladescape praised. "Now, we need to just adjust how you use it with a shield. You put the spear pointed forward and take a back stance, so the shield is forward. You can use it to block your body as you strike. Let the spear's length play to your advantage."
Mina did as instructed and tried again. Bladescape adjusted her a few times as she got it down. It wasn't long before she had the idea understood and was fine tuning her form.
"Gin, what are your Skills?" Bladescape asked.
Gun grinned with pride. "One-Handed Sword, Shield, Search, Sprint, and Agility."
Bladescape nodded and looked at Kain.
"Shield, One-handed Sword, Search, Hide, and Purchase Negotiation. I do all the buying and selling."
"Both of you have good set ups," Bladescape said. "The three of you had good switch tactics, but we will need to refine them, specifically since we are trying Mina with the spear."
They continued to work as the day grew. The sun had slipped high enough that it no longer was screaming through the slit in between the floors, but the ceiling above them had its own "sun" that lit up the floor.
As mid morning came, Bladescape saw a party approaching them. They were taking a break from hunting as they waited for the beasts to respawn. Bladescape soon saw who was approaching. Their green colors and dull steel armor was easy to recognize. They boldly strode right up to them.
"Hey!" The leader yelled, striding right up to Bladescape and pointing his finger at her. It would take nothing for him to poke her in the chest. He only hadn't because she was in her plate armor and he didn't know how far he could bully her. "This is our hunting grounds. These kids know they can't hunt here! This is an Army hunting spawn. And you cleaned it out! You owe us for that. The Army sustains this floor and citizens on it. Clearing this location out is a huge setback for us and our quotas for today. We need those resources so we can take care of the citizens."
Bladescape had nothing against the Army. They helped the other players immensely by running the prison and being a place to take the orange players too when they were caught. She wasn't a fan of them because of the rumors she'd heard about their behavior towards other green players, but he was pushing it too far in how aggressive and demanding he was. Limiting information about a spot was one thing, claiming you owned that spot was another thing entirely. No players or guild had that right or power. The DDA tried and did a decent job in some places, but they were resented for it.
Bladescape knew her smile was sly and mischievous. She couldn't help it. "You don't own this spot. You know no one can claim a spot. There are plenty of other places on this Floor where you can hunt. For now, we are here. Shove off."
"Listen here, Lady!"
"You have no idea who I am," Bladescape said, interrupting him.
It stalled him out. Before they could recover, Doombunny spoke up from behind them.
"Hey!" Doombunny shouted. She wasn't trying to be sneaky, but they were not paying attention. Colorra and her had openly approached from that direction and they had missed her, and she was not happy. Her arms were crossed, Colorra was on her shoulders with head raised, and Doombunny's right hip was jutting out in a sassy but controlled form spelling their doom. "You know-"
"You're that snake girl!" one of the soldiers shouted as he started to shake. "Doombunny, the snake charmer. What are you doing here!"
"I'm here with them," Doombunny snorted. "Helping them train a bit today. I'm a friend of Sasha's and her kids. I'm also a member of the Wondercolts, and she is our leader, Bladescape."
Several of the Army soldiers gulped. They had at least heard of the Wondercolts. They knew they were facing two members of the Assault Team, with at least one of them fighting consistently in the Boss Battles.
Their leader glanced back at Bladescape. Harmonic Salvation was leaning against her shoulder with its tip in the grass. Even without her hands on the handle, she still was a formidable player to look at in her dagannoth hide plate armor.
"You may hunt here for the day," he told her as he tried to control the situation. "But only for the day!"
Bladescape felt her grin grow wider as he tried to strong arm her. "What exactly do you think you can do about it if we decide to stick around? Will Thinker approve of your behavior?"
He was fuming, but he turned around in a quick 180 and began walking back toward the Town of Beginnings. The others followed him, unsure of what else they could do.
"Wow," Gin said, absolutely spellbound by what he had just seen her do. "You stood up to them."
"It's not hard when I easily have 40 levels on him,” Bladescape replied. “But I see that many of the rumors are true. They are pressing hard for their own gain. You would do best to listen to Miss Sasha and avoid them as best as possible."
Several boars respawned, ending the discussion. Over the next several hours, Bladescape slowly gave them their upgrades. It was subtle, always in ways to improve them from a "training" standpoint. They were all simple suggestions centered around "try this." She was certain they didn't realize what she was doing.
As the afternoon began to wane into the evening, Bladescape had a dangerous, but profitable, idea. They were waiting for more monsters to respawn, so she had time to synthesize it.
"Doom," Bladescape said as she took a drink of water. "I have an idea. But it is a bit dangerous." Doombunny nodded so she continued. "I want to jump Floors and take them to a training area. Think of how quickly we could level them if we kept them back and we grinded for an hour. You provide a direct screen while I kill the target. Just an hour could have them jumping levels."
Doombunny looked over at where Gin, Mina, and Kain were sitting in the grass and snacking. They had worked hard all day and they had not only improved their physical skill but they had earned their new equipment. However, their hard work had only rewarded them a negligible increase in their stats.
"Gin, Mina, Kain," Doombunny called out. "Come here here please."
They scrambled up and ran to them. They slid into a line, shoulder to shoulder, and bowed slightly.
"Yes, Miss Bunny?" Mina asked.
"Do you trust us?" Doombunny asked them. They all were shocked at the question. They all nodded slowly. "Good. Then I need you to do exactly as I tell you. Can you do that?"
"Yes," Gin said. "We will do exactly what you tell us to do."
Doombunny pulled out three blue teleport crystals. "We are going to hop to a higher Floor and go to a training field. There, you will stay back with me while Miss Bladescape fights. You will each hold onto one of these crystals and if I tell you to teleport, you will. This is a risk to you, but we are confident we can do this."
"Why?" Kain asked. "What is the point if we don't fight?"
Doombunny smiled at them as Colorra slid up to sit on her shoulders. "Because you will gain XP from each kill she makes. We can rapidly level you up in an hour more than you can do here on your own in a month, even at the best spawn points."
"But..." Gin started. He was not thrilled at the idea. "So we just sit back and get free XP?"
"Mhm," Doombunny said with a warm smile and a reassuring nod. "You can't get the appropriate amount of XP justified by your hard work doing what you need to for Miss Sasha and the others. You do what you can and stay safe, but that means you have all passed beyond the point where the amount of XP you are getting is proportional to the effort you put in. This will also make it safer for you to hunt here and allow you to hunt faster as well. It isn't weapon XP, but it is level XP, which is connected to your total HP and other attributes. Especially Skill Slots."
"Alright," Gin said, speaking for the others and grabbing a crystal. "We trust you and we will do exactly as you say."
They began to walk back to the city. Bladescape couldn't stop grinning. Something made her want to give these kids everything she could. She knew she had one shot at helping them, and this was it. There just would not be any more time for her to devote to these kids. This was already more than she had initially expected.
Bladescape (SS): Lvl 82 – Two-Handed Sword – Search – Weapon Defense – Leather Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Sprint – Acrobatics – Blade Throwing – Extended Weight Carry - Greatsword
Thunderborne (RBD): Lvl 75 – Rapier – Sprint – Acrobatics – Armor Pierce – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Leather Armor – Weapon Defense – Extended Weight Carry – Search
Backbreaker (AJ): Lvl 78 – Heavy Shield – One-Handed War Hammer – Extended Weight Carry – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Fishing – Search – Martial Arts – Acrobatics
AFCK(PP): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Axe – Parry – Cooking – Weapon Defense – Martial Arts – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Thrown Weapon – Musical Instrument
Diemond (R): Lvl 75 – Heavy Shield – Mace – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Heavy Metal Armor – Tailoring – Light Metal Armor Forging – Heavy Metal Armor Forging – Jewelry Making – Extended Weight Carry
Doombunny (FS): Lvl 78 – One-Handed Dagger – First Aid – Hide – Search – Listening – Battle Regeneration – Fighting Spirit – Familiar Communication (Colorra) – Drug Mixing – Reveal - Fencing
Astro (PS): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Spear - Purchase Negotiation – Armor Pierce – Acrobatics – First Aid – Light Metal Armor – Battle Regeneration – Weapon Defense – Parry – Extended Wight Carry
Kiefer: Lvl 73 – One-Handed Curved Blade – Parry – Weapon Defense – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Slash Weapon Forging – Katana – Martial Arts - Search - Armor Pierce
Lessa: Lvl 72 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Light Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Equipment Repair – Metal Equipment Repairing – Armor Pierce – Search - Acrobatics
Joltron: Lvl 75 – One handed Axe – Heavy Shield – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Metal Refining – Cooking – One Handed Weapon Creation – Two Handed Weapon Creation – Extended Weight Carry
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Does Sunset Himmer get Clarient?
10368448
I don't know what Clarient is.
Loved the update and cannot wait for the next! Might I ask when we might have another Aside chapter?
10368549
No idea. I haven't had time to write more. I also am in the middle of breaking this into three parts, since it was so long. It was really tough to read and stay in the right spot on AO3. So if you finished with Bladescape going to bed, you read it all, if not, the rest is coming shortly, today.
10368513
Clarent (no 'I') is one of the swords that King Arthur possessed; Mordred stole it and eventually dealt the death blow to Arthur with it.
The picture your using for this story has Sunset wielding the Nasuverse version of it to match Mordred's outfit.
10368680
Oh. Lol. No. She won't be. Sunset Mordred was the only free Knight EQG character I could find that would work for compiling a good cover. The pieces are sited in the long description.
I only know of two swords used by Arthur, which sometimes are the same one. The sword set in iron and stone, and Excalibur. As stated, sometimes they are the same sword, other times the first is just the proving sword that he should be king and he is later given Excalibur made in Avalon. I know there are a few other Swords connected to the legends too, but I don't recall them. I'm trying to learn all the legends as quick as possible since I'm using Merlin and the Glass Tower.
Pimp isn't the right word. She's basically a sugar momma 🤣
I wish teachers were this supportive in real life
Sleep? What is sleep? Sleep is for the weak!!
Ooooo. Rarity might have an apprentice soon
That might make them target the kids more...
Always the best idea's
Always a great plan
This makes me hate the KOB leader more. Those that know SAO know what I an talking about
It always feels good to have Sunset put some wannabe in their place.
10368914
I know some that are. It also depends on your country and type of school.
10368990
But not for an enthusiastic pre-teen who knows that he is doing all he can and that takes away from all his hard work.
10369478
mabinogi has a system like that. in party settings- can decide how the exp is split. 'all to kill' make the kill, get the exp. set kills to finish, take all the enemy hp-it doesn't poof. it sits on the floor, and you HAVE to make a killing blow. pretty detailed party exp and kill settings. but yea, i know how he feels..
I've got around my body a dangerous Dandarabilla Cobra, this one's a female! One bite of this over leveled snake and I'm dead!
I'm gonna scratch it's chin.
Good going Sunset.
Looks like she's gonna have to empty that out at some point/get rid of some outfits that she's gotten in sao. While I don't think she should, she might have to at some point.
What a real shame.
Ngl, I'm a little worried about this idea of hers.