Episode 53 — Storm Rising
Episode 53 — Storm Rising
First Day in the Month of Silvergrass (January 1) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 35 — Front Line Floor 50
Bladescape sat at her desk, thinking over the events of the day. They had been up late the night before, to toast the new year. Then they went to bed so they could continue to clear the following day. They got their break on Christmas, but they were not taking off the first day of the new year.
It went well. They had cleared a new area and found an undiscovered dungeon. The Wondercolts shifted to clear it. It had been challenging and there were some close calls fighting the boss. Both Thunderborne and Natora had weak attacks against the marble golems and had low defense against their heavy hitting attacks, but they all came out alive and well.
Their pride in their accomplishments were shattered when they got back to Mishe and found a group waiting for them at their headquarters. It was led by Yamata of the Divine Dragon Alliance. They immediately demanded an account of Doombunny's activities for the previous forty-eight hours.
Bladescape wasn't going to let them bully the Wondercolts, but she also had to keep Malus and Thunderborne from acting on the threats they both issued. Neither liked being challenged so aggressively and typically met aggression with aggression. This was a diplomatic situation. It didn't require hostile actions. Which put Bladescape in an odd position, wedged between both the DDA and Wondercolts while she was just trying to sort out why the DDA was even looking for Doombunny.
Once she finally got them to simmer down, she was able to shift her focus to Yamata. He was a shady guy. Bladescape didn't like him, but he was a key player for the DDA. He had been steadily more and more important as the months passed by. Bladescape had to play nice while not being a doormat.
They finally gave her the answer she needed, but it wasn't what she had expected. Some of the details were unknown. While it was still dark, a guild had been attacked by players. Orange players, those who broke the conduct code and had an orange cursor, were an issue for many of the intermediate players. They would intimidate them into handing over their stuff, or beat them into it, threatening them with death if they did not surrender what they were ordered to.
Breaking the conduct code and earning an orange cursor kept players out of most cities. The game didn't let them enter habitable safe zones. It was to protect the good players and was a form of punishment it could give out. Normally, the time outside would be a nuisance. The player would spend a few days orange and, assuming they didn't break the rules, their cursor would turn green after a few days, depending on the crime. Since SAO was not a normal game, being unable to enter was not a mere nuisance. It meant no access to inns or homes where a player could rest their head without fear of being killed. Likewise, they also had no ability to access the taverns, shops, or player crafters. To circumvent the system, the orange guilds used green players to conduct their business and hid out in the safe zones of obscure dungeons. The green players often found their marks for them and led them into traps. If they didn't actually attack the mark, despite what they had done, they didn't get an orange cursor.
Breaking the conduct code was different from being a criminal. Being too rough with someone, even with good intentions, could trigger the system. Getting angry and decking someone, even if it was deserved, could also land the player an orange cursor. Cases happened and those players were not criminals. Criminals actively sought out prey to continue their conduct breaking activities. They wanted to act badly. They enjoyed it.
There was a major exception to the rule blocking them from entering cities. The Black Iron Palace just north of the Town of Beginnings' teleport plaza was the headquarters of the Aincrad Liberation Force, which was nicknamed the Army. They not only had their HQ there, they maintained the built in prison. They had established a court system and would lock up players for the determined amount of time. The Army was supposed to serve every player equally, so it was a logical mantle for them to bear. It kept the orange players even further away from the cities, for fear of being captured by players and bound so they could be put in front of their tribunal and locked up. Sure, they got three meals a day, but it was a prison and there was nothing to do but sit in the cell. Adding in the prison, a feature from the start, was an interesting choice by Kayaba.
But none of that mattered for the issue at hand. This new group was organized into an unofficial guild called Laughing Coffin, LC, and they had murdered the targeted guild for no other reason than to kill. That was a first for Aincrad. Players actually killing other players broke the unspoken code of life they all lived by. These evil players should have a red cursor, just like any other monster. At least killing a player outside a duel did earn the murderer a permanent orange cursor. They could never have a green player cursor again. All of Laughing Coffin would be locked up in the Black Iron Palace without any hope of being freed until they beat the game.
While it didn't actually connect her to them, Doombunny's poison Skill made her a target, both by the DDA and Laughing Coffin. The DDA didn't trust her because of Doombunny's Hide and Mixing Skills. Both were things that could be used against players. Many argued that they were only intended to be used against players because Skills like Hide or Listen didn't work against monsters. Hide eventually did, but it had to be close to max and it was still a gamble to try and hide from monsters. Plus, they were common Skills that the criminal guilds used. Laughing Coffin would certainly benefit from Doombunny’s talents and Colorra if they got their hands on her.
Getting Yamata to back off had not been easy. It didn't help that Doombunny had instinctively triggered Hide as soon as Yamata aggressively demanded to speak with her. It took time, but Bladescape was finally able to get them to leave them alone. It wasn't going to be the last the Wondercolts heard of the issue, but that wasn't something Bladescape or the guild could control.
The implication was clear. They had to protect Doombunny from both the DDA and Laughing Coffin. Colorra would not let Doombunny be taken, not without a fight, but there were still plenty of considerations to think about. These players didn't care. They had decided murder was okay. They had spread the news of their actions on purpose. The new year brought with it a new type of bloodshed. The other "orange guilds," criminals who extorted players for their stuff, would likely begin to cross that line. At least certain guilds or players would. Laughing Coffin was the big name and threat, but the other orange players were likewise a threat.
Bladescape wasn't sure if the right choice had been made, but they had made it with everyone present and able to speak up. Bladescape spent most of her time moderating the discussion. Malus had been quite vocal about protecting Doombunny from falling into the hands of the murderers. Everyone was concerned, but Malus was their defender.
Natora, the second most vocal member, felt they needed an answer for diplomatic reasons. They needed to know how to answer the DDA's future accusations. The DDA was sure to stir up trouble with other guilds over the matter and they needed to be ready to address them as well. The Wondercolts members had to be able to give a unified answer to any issues raised. Knightstar fully agreed on that matter.
In the end, Bladescape put the leading solution to a vote. A blind vote, but a vote by all members. She abstained "to tabulate the vote" and would act as the tie breaker if needed. It was an easy excuse that removed her from having to immediately vote. Bladescape needed more time to think about the options available, but they lacked the required time. Their discussion had taken over an hour, after already putting in a full day in the field. Natora and Knightstar were right, no matter what the answer was, the Wondercolts needed to be ready with a unified one.
With a vote of seven to three, a strong enough split that Bladescape couldn't force a delay on or nullify, Doombunny was confined to being with another Wondercolt at all times. She was forced to have an escort. At their headquarters, she just needed someone else present and to know that she was there. Otherwise, she would always be in sight of another Wondercolt. Doombunny was rarely alone. They all were rarely alone outside of their headquarters. Bladescape was the one who most often was out on her own, but what was once a choice was now mandatory.
It sounded cruel to Bladescape, but she didn't have an alternative worked out in time and couldn't delay the discussion any longer. Doombunny was not happy, but accepted the judgment. At least she understood where the others were coming from. She had been oddly silent, giving no defense of herself outside of clearly stating that she had never discussed the Mixing Skill with anyone outside of the Wondercolts and Argo for the thirty-fourth floor boss battle. Colorra had been on edge and on high alert through the entire proceedings. The coating on her scales appeared to shine like a rainbow even more in her agitated state.
Doombunny immediately went to her room after the judgment was passed. When Bladescape had knocked on her door, she had told her to go away and let her think. Unless Bladescape used her guild administrator privileges to override the door, there was nothing she could do. She wasn't going to do that, especially after all of the curve balls that had been thrown at Doombunny. She needed her one safe space to not be broken. There was no way for Bladescape to really check up on her friend or console her other than to tell Doombunny she was there if she wanted, or needed, to talk.
So now Bladescape sat in her room, trying to devise a plan to release Doombunny from the shackles that had been placed upon her innocent friend. She had been thinking about it in solitude for a few hours and still had no alternative even partially worked out. Even one other person abstaining from voting would have been enough for Bladescape to pause the vote and restart proceedings in the morning, but no one appeared to want to abstain. They all seemed set in their choice before they cast their vote.
Everything seemed to be against Doombunny. She was prey to both the DDA and Laughing Coffin. The night was now quite late and the Wondercolts had another full day planned for tomorrow. Bladescape wouldn't let speculation change their guild plans. She couldn't. Otherwise the DDA or others would use it to leverage the Wondercolts out of the fight.
If she could, Bladescape would make Yamata pay for his baseless accusations. She didn't have a clue about how to do that. Part of her didn't blame him, he was obviously scared and worried. The intentional murder of players was a frightening concept when they all were fighting for their freedom and to keep each other alive, but that didn't make his actions righteous. That also didn't make the Wondercolts chosen response righteous either. And so she sat there, puzzled, frustrated, disappointed, and stuck between a rock and a hard place as the storm rose and descended upon her, with no idea how to gain any leverage on the situation.
BLADESCAPE: Level 71 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics
NATORA: Level 69 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 65 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce
MALUS: Level 68 — One-Handed War Hammer — Heavy Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts
THUNDERBORNE: Level 68 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts
KONPEITO: Level 68 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard
DIEMOND: Level 69 — Mace — Heavy Shield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry
DOOMBUNNY: Level 66 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Search — Listen
KIEFER: Level 66 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing
SORYUTO: Level 65 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics
REISENKI: Level 66 — One-Handed Axe — Heavy Shield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining
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Poor DB. Losing her freedom like that. I'd wanna smack this Yamada upside the head.
11842339
Yeah, he deserves a few good smacks.
Well, the start of a new year. Poor Doombunny though. She's nothing like Laughing Coffin and shouldn't ever be compared to those psychopaths.
If I have learned anything in life...
...is that one is as trapped, as one thinks is in one's mind.
Whoever thought the guild was a good idea, should go to hell!!!
Oh dear.
11842536
They get one better yet, anime spoiler, he get's turned into a tree.
11842583
I've seen the anime so you don't need to label it as spoiler. And yes, it was a good punishment.
I have to say I dislike how the revelation of LC was handled. Personally I think that the DDA confrontation should have its own scene instead of it just being something Bladescape thought over. The introduction of LC to Aincrad is a turning point, but the way it was handled here cheapened the revelation.
11842451
i'm excited for y'all, cause Doom has her own story arc within the story. We're not at the start yet.
11842583
11842800
i do appreciate the spoilers, as not every reader is familiar with SAO or seen all of them. I only recently finished the anime, but I had read the light novels. The anime screws up Vassago. It turns a complicated person into a pathetic character with poor motivation.
But the point I was sidetracking myself from is that going all the way to the Ruby Palace will, technically, throw off later SAO stuff. Some would just be delayed. GGO would be something they likely only gets delayed. I'm not sure what the ramifications of the entire shift will be. I do plan to cleanly wrap things up as best as possible, but some stuff will not have an answer. I have no idea how Alicization arc will be affected and I won't be writing it, but i will try to give a scoped view of the future in the epilogue.
11842850
i absolutely understand. i was trying a new technique. Without direct involvement with LC, which would result in death, it makes it hard. The argument with the DDA and then the guild meeting was just going to be painful circular discussion, going nowhere, so I tried the reflection.
11842460
That is a good saying. If it hasn't been stated, it will be addressed. Much of SAO is mental. A player can only excel as far as they can push certain limits. While some of the youngest players regressed, others like Silica did not, despite them all being 12ish.
11843081
wait, you planned on doing a story related to GGO? Would the same likely happen for the Alphiem segment too?
11843126
I have considered what equipment Sunset would use in GGO, but no, never planned on doing a GGO story. I am just trying to figure out the scope of the impact of the timing changes since it's going to take longer. The Seed Package can't come out sooner, since it relies upon the end of SAO. The readers will want to know how it impacts the future events and I believe I should be prepared to answer them or have the epilogue cover it.
The Fairy Dance Arc will require a clear answer once the Ruby Palace is conquered. Sugou will still do what he did. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision. He was prepared and he will still be prepared to start his "research." At this time, that is all I can say.
I need to get back on Floor 76, 80, some more on 85 (which is already about 20 chapters just on that floor), 90 and, 95. That's just my current ideas and plans. I have a few more that need to get built and find their floor.
11843198
gotcha.
11843198
I suddenly have a mental image of Kirito and Bladescape being the ones to "deal with" Sugou and they make their displeasures VERY well known lol
11843374
The cannon event is kind of crappy. Certain elements don't make sense. Sugou is pathetic. Partially because he stole everything, but Kirito also just rushed in to save Asuna like he has some great power, completely ignoring the authorities.
11843792
Would they have belived him? Kikouka might have but i dont remember if Kirito even knew the guy yet by that point. And in Kirito/Kazuto's defense he was not thinking to clearly at the time beyond "save asuna" lol. Though I do suddenly wonder what would have happened had Kirito approched Asuna's family with what he knew and suspected.
11843815
Maybe, maybe not. That is not even considered by Kazuto. It shall be interesting to see where it all develops. I have a lot of work to do on the later floors still. lol.
11843895
lol true enough! And as I have said before I look forward to seeing what you turn out! On a side note, I just had an adorable mental image spring to mind of Doombunny taking care of Yui for a day while Kirito and Asuna are on a date or something lol
11844107
That is an interesting image. Not a bad one. A fun one to think about. But, Yui...how? I did not spare Yuna. How does Yui survive?
11844122
Easy, CARDINAL, Way I see it she would probably like to continue existing after SAO, and would probably like to see Yui continue too, so it wouldnt be too outlandish for her to pull some strings so to speak and upload her data into someones NERVGEAR (probably Knightstars), and get into contact with Kirito, Asuna and the Wondercolts about Yui's nature and tetherher to Kirito's NERVGEAR
11844139
Oh, you are talking about after. I thought you meant during. After she finds Kirito and Asuna. After is another matter. Although, Yui did disobey her and was full of errors.
11844219
Then something CARDINAL didnt expect happens and like in canon Kirito Asuna and Yui run not tall dark and deadly lol and after Yui intervienes on Kirito and Asuna's behalf CARDINAL intervienes on Yui's behalf and quickly helps Kirito transfer her data to his NERVGear ^^ The Scenes though with Yui and Doom does admittedly take place before the Tall Dark and Deadly event.. i think the things name was Skull-Reaper if i remember right?
What i mean though is, what it CARDINAL was the one to actually arrange Yui to meet Kirito and Asuna having realized the little ones interet in the pair
11844269
Ah. I see what you mean. That is an interesting and valid approach to the situation. If the tall and dark thing was when Rescuing Thinker, then it was the Fatal Scythe. I had not considered the idea of Cardinal orchestrating their meeting. I am running with the cannon noninterference orders being given at the start. That said, since it is Alt-U, it could be retconed.
11844288
indeed! And in my defense, its been a while since i saw season 1 of SAO, so i dont remember what it was that Kirito Asuna and Yui encoutered lol. And now I am suddenly wondering what kinda conversations Knightstar/Twilight would have with CARDINAL post SAO, assuming she (CARDINAL) DID take refuge inside Knightstar/Twilights NERVGEAR lol
11844293
Ah, but how can Cardinal destroy Aincrad if her program is intimately linked to it? She must exist separate, able to interact, which means she would likely live on in the SAO server. That said, her trying to export herself is interesting. I had not considered that angle. I'm not sure the NerveGear's internal memory could handle such a massive AI program. Yui was much smaller and more focused than the Cardinal System ever was. (This is a lot of fun)
11844725
Well in another story I read. (Mystic Knight Online) After Kayaba was beaten, CARDINAL transfered herself and her sisters (Strea Yui) over to ALO. Heh there she continued to work on her own personal projects seeing as she no longer had a game to overseee. That said, theres quite a lotta options you could explore for CARDINAL should that be your desire. Insidentally, CARDINAL appears in the PS4 game Sword Art Online:ALICIZATION. Now whither this is the OG CARRDINAL from Aincrad now living there, I have no idea.
Heh and now i am imagining Knightstar and CARDINAL: playing a friendly game of chess while talking about things from Aincrad and each others thoughts on em.
11844979
Project Alicization uses the World Seed package. The cardinal system from the World Seed is stripped down and really a game engine, where as the SAO Cardinal System is an AI. ALO copied the full spec version of Cardinal from SAO's server. Sugou literally stole everything.
There will be exploration of Cardinal at some point. That is all I can reveal. I am literally just starting to play with the ideas. There certainly is a lot of fun ways to take it. I like reading other's ideas and projections.
I'm guessing Knightstar could trounce Cardinal in chess. lol
11845010
I look forward to seeing those ideas (as i have said before). I dunno though I think CARDINAL and Knightstar would be an even match as chess lol. And this is a cute thought that just now popped to mind but. Imagine Doombunny meeting Pina. Haha I imagine Silica would have to stop her from spoiling the lil dragon rotten lol
11845015
There will be some good Silica gems. Doom has already met Silica. And some mentioned fun with the Feathered Little Dragons. I need more gems. Silica is hard because she is an intermediate player, so less crossover. Lis was easy as a smith, but Silica has not even met Kirito yet.
Heck, Silica is 12 when she gets stuck in SAO. Many of the kids Sasha cares for are 12.
11845028
Doom meeting Silica is easy. You just have them bump into each other at a shop. Maybe one that sells snacks. Or maybe one that sells food for animals. Or maybe evetually after Kirito meets her intorduces Silica to the Wondercolts. Though personally i feel a chance encouter at a shop would be far more interesting. Especially if Doom has her snake with her and Silica Pina with her.
11845042
Episode 15: Doom takes a spare knife to give to a player. We don't see it, but that's when she met Silica. Episode 67 will briefly feature Silica.
11845075
Doh! I misread your previous post lol my bad!
11845254
It happens. There has been a lot to cover.
11845042
I examined an upcoming chapter not sent to editing and was able to adapt some of your great ideas with Silica and Doom to slide it in.
11846539
oh really? I look forward to it!