> SAO: Friendship Online
>  by Solar Force
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Link Start
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Video games. Everyone plays them for different reasons. You know, like for chilling out or just plain fun. Or if your like me it’s because you want to escape reality. Because you know, in the real world, I don’t have any friends. Sounds sad I know, but it's ok because I enjoy my own company. Okay it’s sad! It’s just that, I find it so much easier to talk to NPCs, then I do talking to real people. Man, that sounds so lame!  Anyway, as you can probably guess, I’m a complete game nerd.  I literally own every games console ever created, and when they announced the V.R. Headset, I had a gamer orgasm. I know that’s more of a boys thing to say, but that’s what it felt like. Don’t Judge Me!! But to be honest, right now, I wish I’d never bought the damn thing.”

Hour Zero:

Sunset Shimmer carefully performed the setup procedure one last time, making absolutely sure that everything was perfect.

“Okay, all the software is setup, everything’s connected, we’re good to go.” She said excitedly. Then she blushed slightly. 

“It is a bit embarrassing using these again at my age.” She said, looking down at the pack of diapers lying next to her bed. Then she blushed even deeper, thinking about the one that was currently hidden by her skirt.

“Besides, I’m sure I’m not going to be the only one. There will be a lot of people spending a long time playing this game too.” She reasoned with herself.

“Come to think of it, everyone else is probably going to be doing the same thing, because it’s launch day.”

With that thought, her embarrassment faded away. She looked at the clock, and saw that it was almost time. Now it was finally the moment she had been waiting for, time to start the game, and enter a whole knew, virtual world. She placed the Virtual Reality Headgear carefully on her head, laid down on her bed, got as comfortable as possible, and closed her eyes, giggling with excitement.

“I feel like a little kid at christmas.” she said happily.

“Link Start!” She Announced.

Through a dream like sensation, Sunset could feel her mind leaving her body behind, and entering the virtual world. She opened her eyes, and looked around. She was now standing in what looked like a medieval city, much like the ones she’d seen in many fantasy animes, or JRPGs. In front of her, stood two tall Crystal Obelisks, and hanging between them, was a huge banner, which read, WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF BEGINNINGS. Sunset gave a wide smile.

“Oh, I am beyond welcomed.” She said happily.

Without hesitation, Sunset ran off to explore the town. The first thing she came across, was a window of a virtual cafe, and she stopped to admire the reflection of the Virtual Avatar that she created for herself. The mirror image staring back at her, had short red hair, was wearing black leather boots, long black stockings, a short black skirt, a simple white tank top, and had brown leather armor covering the front of her torso. She struck a pose like a model, and blew herself a kiss.

“Hey good looking, you busy later?” She said to her reflection. Then she laughed. “I’m such a dork!” She said.

It was then that Sunset took a closer look at her reflection, and noticed just how big her Avatar’s chest really was, causing her to blush. 

“Maybe I overdid it in the boob department.” She said. “I mean I did base this Avatar on Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7. Maybe I should get moving before… “

“Hey babe!”

“Before that happens.” Sunset groaned, with a deadpan look.

Sunset turned around, to see two average looking guys, one taller than the other.

“Why don’t’ cha form a party with us?” Said the taller one. 

The shorter one placed his arm around Sunset’s waist. “It’s way more fun when you play with friends.” He said in what he believed was a charismatic voice.

On the inside, Sunset was cringing. “Ew, pervert alert!”

Then she thought of the oldest trick in the book.

“Ok,” she said aloud in the most innocent voice she could muster. “I’ll play with you guys, as long as you don’t have a problem with me being a dude. That’s no problem right?”

The two guys looked at her in shock, and made a hasty retreat. As they ran away, Sunset could hear what they were shouting to each other.

“Man, we should have known it was a trap!”

“Yeah, no girl in their right mind would choose an Avatar like that!”

Sunset snickered to herself. “Worked like a charm.” She said with a satisfied smile. “Well now that that unpleasantness is dealt with, I better check and see what gear I’ve got.”

Sunset then swiped her hand through the air in front of her, and a floating interactive menu appeared. She used her finger to scroll down the menu, and pressed the icon saying [Inventory]. In the new menu, she saw four items, a Sword, a Shield, a Spear, and a Dagger. Sunset thought for a moment, and decided to use the classic Sword and Shield technique.

“The game has only just started so let’s keep it simple for now.” She said to herself.

Once her chosen items had been equipped, Sunset then set out to explore her new environment, and find some weak enemies to train against. For the rest of the day, Sunset spent her time out on the grassy plains outside the town, fighting and killing Boars. Just as she struck down yet another Boar, she overhears two other players.

“Whoa! Nice kill there bro.  That pig never saw that one coming.”

“Damn right there bro. Were gonna totally own this game!”

“Too right bro!”

“Bro fist, bro!”

“You got it bro!”

The two players fist bumped each other and headed off, laughing loudly.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Ok, that was weird. Could they have broadcast any clearer how close they are?” She said.

“Stil, though, I bet it would be nice to have a friend I was that close with to play this game with.” She thought to herself with a sigh.

Sunset then checked the time on the clock above her health bar, and decided it was time to logout before it got much later.

“I just hope when i wake up that i’m not wet.” She thought with a grimace. “Not looking forward to that.”

She opened her menu, and scrolled down to find the log out icon. But to her surprise, there was only a blank rectangle where the logout icon should have been.

“That’s weird, it should be right here” She thought.

She scrolled back to the top of the menu and then scrolled back down slowly, thinking maybe she had missed it. When she still couldn’t find it, she thought that it may be a glitch, so she decided to try to contact the Game Master for help. But as soon as she tried to make the call, her screen said (Error). Sunset then presumed that she’s not the only one experiencing this problem.

“It must be a Glitch. I mean it is launch day, there are bound to be problems.” She said to herself.

Just then, she heard what sounded like a large bell ringing in the distance, and suddenly she found herself being transported back to the central plaza. She looked around and saw she was surrounded by what looked like a sea of player Avatars, probably every player in the game. She could hear everyone talking to each other, and it seemed like they were all asking basically the same questions, What was going on?, Why can’t we log out?.

Before Sunset could say a word, a voice in the crowd shouted.

“Hey, look at the sky!”

Sunset looked up and saw what looked like a red shape in the sky, she squinted her eyes to see it more clearly, and read the word (Warning!.) Then the whole sky turned a terrifying Scarlet as hundreds more (Warning!) Signs covered the sky like a huge blood red lattice. Almost immediately a blood like substance began to leak down and coalesce above the twin obelisks, finally forming into a giant figure in Scarlet robes with a gooden trim.

Sunset could only stare in shock and awe. “Isn’t that the Game Master? but why can’t we see his face?” She thought.

The hooded figure began to speak, and all the gathered players fell silent.

“Attention gamers of my world. I bid you all welcome. My name is Akihiko Kayaba.”

Sunset was stunned. “The game creator? Why is he here?.” She thought.

“As I am sure you all have noticed, an item is missing from your menus, the log out icon.” Said Kayaba. “Allow me to assure you that this is not a glitch or a defect. This is  part of the games original design. I repeat, this is how the game was designed.”

“No log out?! Why?!” Shouted a voice from the crowd.

“‘Why?’ you ask? Simple.” Continued Kayaba. “I wanted to create a World where life and death truly matter. You see, if you attempt to remove the headgear, or if your health bar drops to zero, you will immediately be deleted from both Aincrad and the real world. Behold.”

He waved his arm and dozens of virtual screens appeared throughout the plaza, showing feeds from news networks from all over the world.

“As of now, there are 247 less players in SAO than when the game began. The families of these 247 did not heed my warning about shutting down or removing the VR Headgear and this is the result.”

Sunset looked from screen to screen with horror as the news feeds relaid stories of the tragedies that were unfolding in the real world.

“Now,” Continued Kayaba, “To mark the beginning of this event, I have sent you all an item. Please look in your (Inventory).”

Sunset opened her menu and looked at her (Inventory), she saw there was indeed a new item. She then opened the inventory and selected the received item. The item that appeared in her hand was a small hand mirror. Sunset was confused. But then, suddenly, the entire plaza lit up with a shimmering blue light. Once the light died down, Sunset was even more confused. What was that all about?

Then Sunset heard two boys shouting at each other, “Your not a girl!”

“Your not seventeen!”

Sunset looked around and noticed that everyone around her suddenly looked different. Then she looked back at the mirror in her hand and she gripped it so tightly it almost broke.

“That’s… That’s me! The real me!” She thought in utter shock.

Before she could attempt to process what just happened, Akihiko Kayaba continued.

“Now, before I depart, I have one last thing to tell you. Your five senses will be available to you, this world is just as real as the one you all came from. And finally, in order for you to leave this world, you must clear the game. To do this, you must make your way threw all the floors of Aincrad, and defeat the Boss on each floor to unlock the next. Make it all the way to Floor 100 and defeat the Boss, and you will have cleared the game. I bid you good luck and farewell.”

With that announcement, his body begins to glitch before he vanished, and the sky returned to its original twilight glow.

For a few moments, everything was still and silent.

And then… “OH, SHIT, WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!”

There was chaos. Everyone was screaming and running in panic.

Sunset didn’t scream or run. She just fell to her knees.

“It’s just a game.” She whispered. “It’s just a game.”

With tears in her eyes, she threw back her head and screamed in anguish.

“IT’S JUST A FUCKING GAME!!!”


To Be Continued...
> Chapter 1: The First Boss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“1 month. It has been 1 month since that day. 1 long, hard month since the start of this death game. In that time, over 2000 players have died, and about 70 % of those deaths were suicides. I witnessed players throwing themselves off the map. And I've also seen players down on their knees and begging other players to kill them. Why? Why would they choose death? To be honest, there have been times when I’ve actually thought about it myself. Ending it all.”

“Hey!” Shouted a voice.  

Sunset looked up from where she was sitting beneath a tree. “What?” She asked. 

“What level are you?” The voice asked.

“15. What’s it to you?” Sunset replied.

“Get down to the Coliseum!” The voice continued.

“Why?” Asked Sunset again.

“Haven’t you heard?” The voice asked. “Someone found the Boss Room! There’s going to be a raid! They want all Players at level 10 and above to take part!” The player turned on his heel and ran off. “See you there!” He shouted over his shoulder as he went.

“And at those times, something like this happens, and I say to Myself…”

Sunset gave a small smile. “Maybe there’s hope after all.” She said softly. 

At the gathering in the large Colsiem, there were 50+ Players waiting for the host to arrive so the meeting could begin. Sunset was among the crowd. She sat down on one of the chairs that had been set out for the meeting. Just then, another player sat down in the chair next to hers. This player was male, about the same age as Sunset. His armor was strange, as it looked like a mismatch of different pieces. He looked over at Sunset. “Hey.” He said.

“Um, Hey.” Replied Sunset, feeling a little awkward.

Before anything else could be said, the crowd fell silent, as an individual at the front called for their attention. “First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice.” The figure said. “Now, I would like to confirm that, yes, the Boss Room has been found. This our first major step on our way to escaping from this game. Now, I would like to ask you all, If there are any of you which have any Skills, Items, or Weapons they wouldn’t mind sharing, please feel free to inform the rest of us of them now.”

There was an awkward pause. Everyone seemed hesitant to share their supplies with anyone else. That was until the guy sitting next to Sunset stood up and made his way to the front of the crowd. “I’ve got something.” He said to the host. He pulled up his Player Menu, went into his Inventory and selected an item. A six feet long sword appeared on his back. It was also 12 inches wide. He pulled the sword from his back and held it up for all to see. “I got this from a Mimic.” He said. 

At this, the assembled players began murmuring to each other. They were all surprised. Mimics were known to be quite dangerous, so the fact that this player managed to defeat one to gain such a weapon was quite impressive. But before anything more could be said, a loud shout rang across the Plaza. 

“Stop right there!”

A female player ran up to the front of the crowd. She had mint green skin, streaked blond hair and hazel eyes. She pointed an accusing finger at the male player. “You’ve got a lot of apologising to do!” She said angrily. “So get down on your knees and start apologizing!”

“What crime have I committed?” Asked the armored player.

“Don’t play dumb!” The mint skinned girl yelled. “You know exactly what your guilty of!”

“Elaborate?” The armored player asked.

At this point the point, the host intervened. “I believe I know what she is accusing you of.” He said.

“Yeah, that's right.” The girl scowled. “You goddamn Beta Tester!” She turned to the crowd. “When we got imprisoned in this virtual nightmare, the Beta testers abandoned us, all of them! And because of that, over 2000 players have died!” 

“Excuse me Miss?” Asked the Host. “But who exactly are you?”

“My Tag is Lightning Gal 42!” The girl stated. “And none of you dweebs better not forget it!”

At that moment, the armor clad player stabbed his sword into the ground, drawing everyone's attention back towards him. “Since we’re introducing ourselves...” He said as he reached up and took off his helmet, revealing a pale skinned face, inky black hair and a pair of mismatched eyes, one Ruby, and one Sapphire. “The Tag is Nomad, and don’t you forget it you little twerp.” He said, glaring at the blond haired girl. “What evidence do you have for accusing me of being a Beta Tester?”

“The evidence is right there.” The girl said, pointing at the sword that was wedged in the ground. 

“You're basing your entire accusation on a Lucky Drop?” Nomad asked incredulously. “Anyone could have gotten this.”

“Lucky Drop? Don’t give me that crap!” She shouted. “Only a Beta Tester could get an item that powerful this early in the game! Now I think you owe us for what you bastards did! So not only should be on your knees begging for forgiveness, you should hand over every Item, every weapon and all the money you got!”  

“Now hold on just a minute.” Said the Host, trying to regain calm. “Lightning Gal, I know where your coming from, but making accusations about another player simply because of what Items they have is ludicrous.” 

But before he could say another word, he was simply shoved aside by Nomad, who grabbed his sword form out of the ground. “I…” He said, lifting up the sword. “Am not, a BASTARD!!” He roared. He took a threatening step toward Lightning Gal, his face twisted in rage. “I’m gonna snap your neck you little bitch!”

“Oh, is that a threat, tough guy?!” Shouted Lightning, pulling out a Dagger.

“It’s a Promise!” Growled Nomad.  

But before a fight could break out, a Spear was thrown in between them. From down the steps of the surrounding stands, came another female player. She had blue skin, spiky blue hair with white bangs and deep red eyes. “Hey goldilocks.” She called. “You pick a fight with Nomad, you pick a fight with me.”

“Who the hell are you!?” Shouted Lightning.

“You can call me Fire Princess.” Said the new arrival. 

“You stay out of this Fire.” Said Nomad. “She’s mine.”

“Yeah, and once you get started you don’t know when to stop.” Fire Princess said back. “Look, for once, just let me handle this.” She then opened her menu and pulled out a book. “You see this? Every Player would have received one of these. You received one didn’t you?” She asked Lightning.  

“Yeah, I did.” Lightning replied snottily. “What's it to you?” 

“You know what this is right?” Asked Fire.

“Yeah, a lame old Book.” Replied Lightning.

“It’s a beginners guide.” Said Fire. “It’s to help noobs like you, survive the first few floors. And do you know who gave out these books? That’s right. The Beta Testers. So you can’t blame them for those 2000 deaths. They gave everyone a fair chance. And by the way? Would a Beta really be stupid enough to reveal the fact that he had a rair weapon in front of a big crowd like this?”

Lightning blanched at this. “W-well he might be.” She stuttered unconvincingly. 

“Yeah right.” Said Fire, rolling her eyes. “Just face it, Hun. You lost this argument before it even started.”

Lightning grit her teeth and blushed. She stomped through the crowd and back to her seat, where she sat down and began pouting like a small child.

“You know, you should have let me handle that.” Said Nomad, turning toward Fire Mistress.

“Everyone here should be glad I stepped in when I did.” Fire replied with a frown. “Who knows what you would have done if I hadn’t stepped in when I did.”

Throughout the whole confrontation, Sunset had sat and watched in silence. “Hmm? When did she get here?” She thought, looking over at the player known as Fire Mistress. “I don’t remember seeing her sat next to him. And I don’t remember seeing her when I got here either. When did she arrive? And without anyone noticing?” 

Now seeing that the situation had been settled, the host cleared his throat to regain the assembled players attention. “Ahem! If there's going to be no further interruptions, I think we should get to the point of this meeting.” 

Nomad and Fire Mistress both nodded, then took their own seats in the crowd, Nomad retaking his place beside Sunset. From that point on, the host resumed the meeting. He explained about the layout of the Boss Room, and about the Boss they were to face. The Boss’ name was Razorclaw The Goblin Lord, and he apparently used a sword and shield as his main weapons, but once his HP was reduced to 50%, he would discard his primary weapons, and gain the use of a giant Double Handed Cleaver, and his attack patterns would completely change, making him much harder to predict. On top of that, the new weapon would also cause poison damage, making it that much more deadly. “After studying this strategy guide for a while, I have decided that it would be best if we make our assaults in teams of five or six. That way we can all work off each others strengths, and cover for each others weaknesses.” The host said in conclusion.

After hearing this, Sunset began to panic.    

3 hours later, the meeting had concluded. 

Outside the Colosseum, in an alleyway, Sunset was pacing back and forth frantically. “Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!” She said to herself in a panicky voice. “What am I going to do?!” The simple fact was, Sunset had never had any social interaction with anyone, neither in games or IRL. She had always kept to herself in her everyday life, and whenever she played video games online, she always played solo. And now she was suddenly in a situation where she had to be part of a team? She rubbed her hands through her hair, both in panic and frustration. 

“Ya know?” Said a female voice. “Making a rats nest out of your hair isn’t going to solve your problems.”

“Eep!” Sunset yelped, nearly jumping out of her virtual skin in shock. She spun around to face her eavesdropper. Standing behind her was a tall woman, with dark purple skin, tall dark pink hair, and ocean blue eyes. She was dressed in a dark, skin tight ninja outfit, which left little to the imagination, and showed just how much of a sculpted body she had. Admittedly, Sunset was quite jealous. But the most striking thing about her, was the large scar she had across her right eye. She also carried a short Japenese style sword on her lower back. “Don’t do that!” Sunset shouted. “You trying to give me a heart attack?! Who the hell are you?! How much did you hear?!”

“I heard everything.” Said the female player. “Pretty hard not to when your right outside my window.” She pointed up to an open window just above their heads.

Sunset’s cheeks went red with embarrassment. “Oh.” She said sheepishly. “I didn’t disturb did I? I thought there was no one eles around.”

“Hmph, not really.” Said the woman with a shrug. “But let me guess. Your not exactly the most social person are you?”

Sunset laughed nervously. “Hehehe. It’s that obvious?” She asked.

“It’s actually more common than you’d think.” The woman said. “A friend of mine saw you leave the Coliseum. He said you looked like you were about to have a fit or something.”

“I guess you could say I was.” Sunset said, feeling even more awkward.

The woman, seeing how uncomfortable the situation was for Sunset, gave the poor girl a reassuring smile. “Hey, would you care to join me for a drink? Better than staying in this dank alley.” She said. 

Soon, Sunset and the woman were sitting at a table at the back corner of the local Tavern, enjoying their virtual Beers. Sunset gulped hers down with gusto. “Ahh! You know, I know this all just a bunch of Zeros and Ones, and that my brain is telling me that this is delicious, but damn this tastes good!” She said with satisfaction.

“You know, we're pretty much ripping off the Matrix here right?” Said the woman. 

“Who cares!” Exclaimed Sunset. “Real or not, I want more!” 

“Well, you certainly changed your tune.” Said the woman. “First your freaking out because you didn’t have a Party. And now look at us. We’re like proper drinking buddies.”

“Uh, yeah.” Said Sunset sheepishly. “Sorry about that huge freakout before.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Said the woman. “So let me guess. Your like a shut in NEET huh?”

“Well, less NEET and more Shut in.” Said Sunset. “I have a really hard time socializing. You probably think that's weird huh?”

“Not really.” The woman replied. “Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty common amongst gamers.”

“Really?” Said Sunset, surprised.

“Really.” Said the woman. “Say listen? You're looking for a party to join right? Well I’m actually part of a party of four. Do you think maybe you’d like to join us?”

“Are you sure?” Asked Sunset. “I wouldn’t exactly say no, it’s just that…” She stopped when the woman reached out and placed a hand on top of her own.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Said the woman. “Your not good with social situations.”

“You know what?” Said Sunset. “I think I will join you. I mean you seem nice enough. I bet the other members of your party are nice too.”

So the woman sent Sunset the invite to join her party and Sunset accepted. Once she had joined, she saw the list of names of the other Party members. At the top, was Nomad, next was Fire Mistress, then Storm Shadow, and finally Solus Force. “Hey, wait a minute.” She said, looking up at the woman. “Your not your Party’s leader? Is it really okay for you to just invite me to join without asking the rest of your Party first?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” The woman replied with a shrug. “Fire and Nomad wouldn’t care, and neither would Solus.” She then looked towards the front of the tavern. “Well, speak of the devil, there’s Nomad.” She then raised her hand and waved. “Hey Nomad, over here!” She called loudly.

The patchwork armor clad figure walked towards their table, and stopped beside Storm. “What’s up?” He asked.

“You see this girl right here?” Storm gestured toward Sunset. Nomad turned to look. “I invited her to join the Party. You don’t mind, do you?”

Nomad turned back to Storm. “You know what Storm? I really don’t give a crap!” He said, before turning and stomping away.

“Well,” Said a slightly uneasy Sunset. “That was...blunt.”   

“Uh, yeah.” Said Storm. “He’s not the best people person. In fact, he spends most of his time going around as a Solo Player.”

“Really? But why? If he’s the leader of your Party, how can he also play solo?” Sunset asked.

Storm just shrug. “I don’t know. He never explained. Not to any us. Not even Fire. Come to think of it, I don’t even know what kind of relationship those two have.” She then let out a cute yawn. “Anyway, It’s getting late, and we need to be at our best for tomorrow. You got anywhere to stay?”

Sunset hesitated. “Um...not really.” She said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Really? Well, where have you been sleeping?” Storm asked.

“Actually, this is my first visit to this town.” Said Sunset.

Storm chuckled. “Well, in that case, why don’t come stay with me until tomorrow?” She said. 

“Oh, no, I wouldn't want to intrude.” Sunset tried to protest.

“Nonsense, you wouldn’t be intruding at all.” Said Storm. “Besides, It’s only for one night. Think of it like a sleepover.” 

“A-a sleepover?” Sunset had never been invited to a sleepover before.

“Come on, would it really be so bad?” Asked Storm.

“No, I guess not.” Said Sunset.

“Well then, come on, let’s go.” Said Storm as she stood up.

“All right, if say so.” Said Sunset as she stood up as well, and followed Storm out of the tavern. 

The rag tag army made its way towards the first boss room. Before they opened the doors, they went through the strategy one last time. “Alright, Listen up!” Shouted the leader. “Squads 1, 2, and 3, will be taking on the main boss! Squads 4, 5, and 6 will take down all the grunts and clear a path!” He then turned to look at Nomad’s team. “Nomad, you and your party will bring up the rear! If need be, you can use that rare weapon of yours to fight the boss!” Nomad simply nodded without speaking. And so, everyone prepared themselves for what was certain to be the battle of a lifetime.

The giant doors swung open, everything beyond was in complete darkness. Suddenly, everything lit up, and they all laid eyes on the enormous goblin, seated in a towering throne. The boss stared down at them with beady eyes, before it hefted itself out it’s throne and roared furiously. This was it. No turning back.

The leader stepped forward, and raised his sword. “CHARGE!!” He bellowed. The small army surged forward, splitting up and scattering as they went, their weapons held out in front of them. The only stragglers were Nomad and his party, playing their part as support. It was their job to roam around the battlefield, giving assistance to any squad that was in trouble. 

There was fighting everywhere. Somewhere amongst the chaos, Sunset came up against a huge hobgoblin, wielding a large club. It thrust the club at Sunset, and she raised her shield to block, but the force of the blow through her off her feet and onto her back. She sat up with a groan, only to see that she was now surrounded by goblins. Her eyes widened in horror. “Oh, my God!” She shouted. “Oh,my god! I've seen Goblin Slayer! I know where this is going!” 

Just as the goblins were closing in on her, Solus lept in front of her, and cut down the goblins with his saber. “Oh, yeah, last second save!” He shouted in triumph, as Fire ran up to check on Sunset.

“You okay there?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Replied Sunset as she got back to her feet.

“Heal up quick.” Fire said. “This is far from over.”

Fire was right. The boss was just entering its second phase. It smashed its fists into the ground and stomped its feet, like it was throwing a tantrum, as its sickly green skin turned a furious red. It threw away it's shield and sword just like predicted, but the weapon it now wielded was not the Cleaver, It was a giant Sickle. This took everyone off guard, this was not part of the plan. With one mighty swing of its knew weapon, the boss took out nearly half of both Squad 1 and Squad 2. 

The leader, enraged at the loss of so many of his comrades, became reckless. He charged straight at the boss and swung his weapon wildly. The giant goblin grabbed him with his huge, bulky fist, and tossed him far across the battlefield, straight into a pillar on the far side of the cavernous chamber. 

Sunset dashed toward the fallen player, and knelt down beside him. “Hey, are you okay?” She asked, as she pulled him into a sitting position. She quickly rummaged through her satchel for a healing potion. “Here, you need to drink this.” She said, placing the bottle up to his lips, and attempting to pour the potion into his mouth. 

Slowly, the potion poured down the leader’s throat, and he began to regain his strength. He looked at Sunset with a grateful look. “Thank you.” He said. “You came just in the nick of time. I was almost a goner.” He also seemed to have regained his senses. “I can’t believe I let that happen. I just become so angry I couldn’t think. But anyways, we now have a new problem.” That problem was the giant goblin. It was now jumping back and forth across the room, from one pillar to the other, and it appeared that all its stats had been doubled. All the remaining players scattered like scared children, as the enormous goblin picked them all off with his massive sickle. 

Looking out over the battlefield, Sunset could plainly see how desperate the situation was becoming. This wasn’t a battle anymore, it was fast becoming a massacre. Before she could do anything, the leader pulled himself back to his feet, and before she could stop him, he ran straight back into the fight. 

And then, before Sunset could act, the giant goblin landed right in front of her. 

Sunset was petrified with fear. She thought that this was it. She was going to die.

The goblin raised it’s weapon to deliver the killing blow. But the attack was intercepted by Nomad. The goblin’s new target was now him. 

As Nomad was dealing with the goblin, Storm ran over to check on Sunset. “Here, Shimmer. Drink this.” She said, offering her a HP potion.  

“Thanks.” Said Sunset, taking the potion and gulping it down.

Meanwhile, Fire Mistress had run in to assist Nomad against the goblin. But despite both their efforts, the goblin got in a big hit on Nomad, sending him flying back towards Storm and Sunset, landing on his back. He sat up with a frustrated growl and shouted, “Damn it! How the hell is this the first boss?!”

While all this was happening, Sunset was deep in thought. “This boss is quite powerful. But something about this seems familiar. Like I’ve seen this boss fight somewhere before.” And then, like lightning, it hit her. “Wait! That’s it! I know how to beat this thing!” Turning to Storm, she said aloud, “Storm? Do you have any rope?”

Storm looked puzzled. “What would you need rope for at a time like this?” 

“Do you have any or not?” Sunset insisted.

“Uh, yes, but,-”

“We need it to beat the boss!”

“I got some.” Said Nomad, pulling it from his inventory. “What do you need it for?”

Sunset snatched the rope from Nomads hands. “No time to explain. Just go over, and have your big sword ready.”

“And I’m taking orders from a crazy girl.” Said Nomad as he stood up and ran toward the door, looking through his inventory and equipping the sword as he was instructed. 

“Fire and Solus, I need your help too.” Said Sunset, handing them the ropes. “I need you to lasso the goblin’s hands and keep them both wide open.” 

“Oh, were doing a John Wayne. Sweet.” Said Solus. 

“Alright, let’s do this.” Said Fire. “No idea what’s going on, but let’s do this.”

Following their new allies lead, Fire and Solus managed to get the ropes around the goblin’s wrists and pull both of its arms far apart. Of course, this wasn’t easy, as the goblin pulled hard on the ropes and thrashed about. It took everything the two players had just to keep their footing. But soon, other players took notice of what was happening, and decided to step in to help. They grabbed the ropes and pulled with all their strength. 

“Nomad! Now!” Sunset yelled. 

Nomad came charging toward the restrained goblin, before jabbing his enormous sword into the ground and flipping himself up like a pole vaulter, doing a somersault. “I’m about to go goblin slayer, bitch!” He yelled, as he swung the sword down, right through the middle of the goblin, finally vanquishing it. He landed back his feet, and looked behind him. “Holy shit, that actually worked?!” He exclaimed.

Sunset was just as shocked. “That actually worked?”

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Said Solus. “A badass is born this day.”

Just then, everyone erupted into cheers for their survival and their victory.

“Hey thanks for that awesome plan you came up with.” One player said to Sunset.

“We probably wouldn’t have been able to stop the boss without you.” Said another. 

“Hey, don’t forget about Nomad, he was the one who dealt the killing blow.”

“Didn’t you get something from the boss?” A player asked Nomad.

“You know what?” Said Nomad. “With all the excitement I forget to check.” He took a quick glance through his inventory. “Oh, it seems I got the boss weapon.”

“Is that so?” Said the leader. “So, it would seem that after you defeat a boss, you obtain their weapons. That’s useful to know.”

“Yeah.” Said a still angry Lightning. “And what would have been more useful to know would have been how to beat the boss, which bacon hair over there seemed to conveniently know.” She said, pointing an accusing finger at Sunset. “I mean think about. Who among us would think that a plan that stupid would actually work?”

Slowy, the other players began to agree with Lightning, some even starting to throw accusations at Sunset.

The leader tried to maintain order by backing Sunset up, but his efforts were in vain.

“You can’t prove I’m a Beta Tester.” Said Sunset. “That plan worked because of sheer dumb luck.”

“HORSE...SHIT!!” Screamed Lightning furiously. “You know what I say? I say we beat the truth out of her. And you know what else? I bet a lot of these boys here got a lot of pent up energy. And the only way they know how to burn it off, is to be perverted.” She turned to the other players. “What do say boys?”

Some of the guys looked away, but a few actually nodded their heads, showing creepy smiles.

“ENOUGH!!” Yelled the leader. “This is shameful! There is absolutely no proof that this young lady is a Beta Tester! Including if she is, there is no call for the method you are implying, Lightning! No person in their right mind would do such a heinous act in the real world! Why would they do so in the game!”

After hearing this, the creepy smiles disappeared, and several players turned their heads away in shame. 

“Don’t listen to him!” Screamed Lighting. “He’s a conspirator! He’s working with those FUCKING BETA TESTERS!!” She was starting to look a little unhinged.

“Give it a rest, LIghtning!” Shouted Solus. “This is getting beyond ridiculous! In case you forgot, Shimmer and Nomad are the reason the boss was defeated in the first place! Are you really that ungrateful to them for that?!”

“Forget it, guys.” Said Sunset. “It’s obvious her mind’s made up. Lets just go.”

“I agree.” Said Shadow. “There’s no getting through to this one, so why bother?”

“Alright, listen up.” Said Fire. “We’re leaving now. If any of you want to fight, then line up!”

Nobody stepped forward, so Sunset and her companions turned and left, leaving a fuming Lightning behind.

“This isn’t over! I’ll expose all you damn Beta Testers for the scum that you are! YOU HEAR ME!!”

As she continued to rant and rave, all the other players had had enough of her, and so they all left as well, leaving the deranged girl all alone to stew in her anger. 

After they left the Boss room, Sunset had something she needed to say to her party. “Listen, everybody. I can’t thank you enough for all your help today. But I have to be honest with you. Despite everything, I still don’t really feel comfortable being in a team. So, for now, I think I’m better off on my own, as a solo player.”

Shadow smiled. “Hey, don’t worry about it.  Just know that when you feel ready, your free to join up with us again, anytime.”

“Yeah, what you did back was there pretty cool. I’d definitely let you join us again.” Said Fire.

“Agreed.” Said Solus.

“I still think your crazy, but your a good kind of crazy.” Finished Nomad.

Sunset smiled. “Thanks.”

And with that, Sunset and the four player team went their separate ways. But they all knew that this was not the last time they would see each other.

They also knew that from now on, the game was only going to get that much harder.

To Be Continued...
> Chapter 2: Betrayal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It’s been about two months since the first boss was defeated. Currently, 14 bosses have been defeated, and now we have access to floor 15. As for me, I’ve recently become a mercenary. I know how that sounds, but I found it was the best way for me to survive in this game. Players will pay me to help them complete quests and for escort. It’s a pretty sweet gig, all things considered. But I do have 1 rule. I absolutely draw the line at Player Killing. My current Level is 31. I don’t know how many times I've been asked to join a Guild. But I’ve always said no. Solo Playing is more my gig. That is, until this one came along.”

“CHEERS!” 

A rousing chorus of cheers was heard, as drinks were raised in celebration. 

“Basically, after I finished my last job, I came across these guys who were struggling against a Golem. An Iron Golem to be exact. Golems come in many variations, and Iron Golems are particularly tricky. Definitely when they are equipped with a giant axe.”

“Hey, Lady Shimmer!” Called a scrawny teenager as he ran up to her as she sat at the table, nursing her drink. “Can I give you a refill?” 

“Hey, Miss Shimmer!” Said a young girl with glasses. “Can I get you more to eat?”

“Look, guys, I need to-” Sunset tried to object, but she was rudely interrupted.

“So, Miss Shimmer, what do you think about joining our guild?” The teenage boy asked. “I mean you know, we’re not exactly, y’know.”

“Look!” Sunset said sternly. “I know what you guys are trying to do, especially with all this food, drink and favours. But let me make something crystal clear, it’s not going to work.” She then fixed the boy with a resolute look. “I have no interest in joining any guild. None whatsoever. I’m sorry, but I work better as a Solo Player than I ever will in a guild.” She got up from her seat. “I appreciate the food and drink, but I’m just going to go now.” She turned and headed towards the door, leaving the tavern, and headed back to her home. 





Sunset opened the door of her in-game home, as far as you call it home. It really wasn’t much to look at, just a single open space, with the most basic necessities needed for her comfort and survival, but still, as long she was stuck in this stupid game, she called it home. She was about to get settled in for a long rest, when there was a knock at her door. She groaned in frustration. “This better be good!” She went to the door and opened it, her eyes narrowing at who she saw. She remembered him as the leader of the guild she had saved. 

“Hi, Miss Shimmer,” He said. “Look, I know this is unexpected and all, but-”

“Did you follow me home?” Sunset interrupted, looking at him suspiciously. 

“Yyyes, I did,” he said slowly. “But I did it for good reason.”

“Rrright,” Sunset said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Look, I know you already said you wouldn’t join our guild,” He tried to reason with her. “But, I think I can offer you something which I don't think you can refuse.”

“Oh, really,” Sunset said sceptically. “And what is that?”

“Basically, we’ll pay you if you join our guild,” He said. 

“Oh, yeah?” Sunset said. “How much are we talking here?” 

“Whenever we complete a quest, you will get an extra 15% cut along with the 25% you get from simply being a member, and whatever items we obtain, you can have whichever one you want, no questions asked,” He said with a serious tone.

Sunset was still sceptical. “And If i do accept this offer, how long will I be working for you? You realise there is absolutely no way that this would be permanent,” She stated firmly.

“Yeah, I know. You’d rather be solo, like you’ve already said. You would only have to stick around until we all reach Level 30. I’m at Level 12, and the others are all still at Level 11,” the leader explained.

“So, you guys want me to stick around until you all reach Level 30?” Sunset asked.

“Yes. We would be so grateful if you’d help us.”

Sunset frowned. “Forgive me for sounding insulting, but at this point, you should all have at least reached Level 20. What’s taking you so long to advance?”

“Uh, well,” The leader said, looking very uncomfortable. “Back on the first floor, we just… ran and hid while all the other players levelled up. We only just started advancing last week.” 

Sunset’s eyes widened, before she slapped her forehead, groaning. “Well, that’s just great! I’m dealing with a bunch of complete amateurs!”

“Look, your right, I know we’re amateurs,” The leader said. “But you can’t tell me you're just going to pass up this opportunity. You get to make loads of money and you can have whatever items you want from whatever we find. The only thing we ask in return is that you help us, and once we’re strong enough to fend for ourselves, you can just walk away, and you never have to see us ever again.” He then lowered himself to his knees, holding out his clasped hands. “Please, we're begging you. You're the only chance we have of survival,” He said, like a peasant begging for mercy from Royalty.

Sunset ran her hands through her hair. “Jeez, you’re really putting me in a tough position here.” She then looked back down at him. “Look, just let me sleep on it, OK?”

The leader reluctantly agreed and left, allowing Sunset to ready herself for a night's rest. While she was in her small bed, she thought over the offer the guild leader had made, weighing up the pros and cons. But in the end, she was too tired to think, so she decided to think about it more in the morning, and dropped off to sleep. 

Once she woke up next morning, she got up to get herself ready for another long day. While she was getting ready, she thought of the offer again. Finally, she decided that she would join their guild. The pros easily outweighed the cons. 





Later in the day, Sunset returned to the tavern, meeting up with the leader, and agreed to his terms. Needless to say, the leader and the rest of his guild were thrilled, and they showed it loudly, much to Sunset’s annoyance. After that, all the guild members take Sunset to where they live. As soon as Sunset saw it, she cringed. Her place may have been small, but it was at least liveable. This place was a dump! Not only was it somehow even smaller that her own, but it had obviously not been cleaned for ages. It was messy, smelly, and way too cramped for four people.

“OK, um,” She said, trying not to gag. “How about we do a run down on what each of you can do.” She looked at the only girl of the group. “So, where do you think your strengths lie?” 

“Hi, my name’s Spartacus-XXX, but most people just call me Spartacus,” Said the Guild Leader. “Like true Spartans, I always rely on the trusty spear and shield,” He stated proudly.

“Yeah, no, your no Spartan, pal,” Sunset thought. 

“Yo, the handle’s PicklesLover-777, but my buddies just call me Pickles,” Said the dorky teenager. “My weapon of choice is always a mace, so don’t mess with me or I’ll mace ya,” He laughed heartily at what he thought was a good pun.

“Cringe! Pure Cringe!” Sunset thought with distaste. 

“Um, hello, Miss Shimmer,” Said the small girl with glasses. “My name is Lilith-Chan, my weapon is twin daggers, and also, I'm very good at stealth, which makes me a good thief.”

“OK, seeing at least some potential with this one,” Sunset thought with mild interest.

“And together, we are,” Said Spartacus, as they all took poses like Charlie's Angels. “The Three Amigos!”

“These guys are seriously going to make me earn my paycheck.” Sunset felt like slapping herself. 

“Alright,” Spartacus said with a wide grin. “Now that the introductions are done with, guess what guys. I’ve already got a quest lined up for us all!”

“What?” Groaned Pickles. “You can’t be serious, boss.”

“Yeah, we talked about you doing this before. You need to stop taking up quests without consulting us first,” Complained Lilith. “Just because you're our leader doesn’t mean we’re going to automatically do everything you say.”

“You're just going to throw your Guild into a quest without even saying what the quest is?” Sunset said flatly.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Spartacus said with a wave of his hands. “This quest will be a piece of cake, especially now that we’ve got Miss Shimmer in our corner.”

“I’m not lifting a finger to help you until you tell us exactly what this quest is,” Sunset stated firmly.

“It’s just a simple extermination quest, like I said, piece of cake,” Spartacus said, trying to brush the whole thing off, but Sunset was not satisfied.

“Exterminate what, exactly?” she asked, quickly becoming suspicious of the guild leaders dismissive attitude. “Tell me exactly what the job is, right now,” She demanded. The leader finally relents, and hands over the job ad in question. Sunset read it through thoroughly, before looking up at the leader with a disapproving scowl. “A piece of cake? This is an extermination request for five Minotaur! You call this a piece a cake?” 

“Well, yeah, a piece of cake for you, that is,” The Leader said.

“Minotaur are level 25, and you guys are just over 10. How did you possibly expect to… wait a minute,” Sunset argued, before she grabbed the leader by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him out of the out of the tiny apartment, out into the street and into an alley. “Are you telling me, that your great plan is to take your team out on suicide missions, and let me do all the work of taking out whatever monsters need beating, while you and you lackeys reap the rewards, without actually doing anything for yourselves?”

“Look, Sunset, think of it this way,” The leader tried to reason with her. “The sooner we reach level 30, the sooner you leave the guild. Besides, you prefer to go solo, don’t you?”

“Regardless,” Sunset said in a hard voice. “That doesn’t excuse the fact that your whole plan is fucking stupid!”  

There was a pause, before the leader said, “OK, that kind of language is a little uncalled for.”

“Well, I think this whole, stupid situation does call for it,” Sunset said with a dangerous glare. “Do you idiots have a death wish?” 

“No! We just want to get stronger, faster,” The leader said defensively.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “OK, fine, I’ll let it slide, just this once. But from now on, as long as I’m part of this guild, you have to run any and all missions by me, as well as the rest of the guild first, and if you try to pull something like this again, I’m out, along with all the items and pay we agreed to in the original deal. Got it?” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say!” The leader quickly agreed.

“Good. Now, get your team ready for the quest. I want to leave in five,” Sunset said with finality in her voice. The leader nodded and dashed off without another word. Once he was gone, Sunset ran her hands down her face and groaned. “I know I’m going to regret this.”

(45 Minutes Later)

Sunset laid low to the ground alongside Lilith, her eyes fixed on the tall, hulking, horned beast that was the Minotaur. This was the last one that needed to be slain in order to complete the quest. The Minotaur was very muscular, and carried a large, heavy looking club as it’s weapon. It was also the biggest of the lot. Sunset knew that this was not going to be easy. Given its size, it was easy to assume that this Minotaur was at a higher level than the others. But, they still had a job to do. Without hesitation, she gave the order to attack. She and the rest of the team charged forward, coming at the Minotaur from all sides. As was the plan with the other Minotaur, both boys attacked the legs, Sunset went for the hand, and Lilith went for its neck. They hacked and sliced as hard they could, doing as much damage as possible, before they jumped back, as, with a furious roar, the Minotaur began to swing its huge club wildly in all directions, trying to hit any target. The wilder it’s swings, the more it swayed back and forth, until, with one last, mighty swing, it lost its balance, and toppled over backwards, hitting the ground with a humongous thud. This was the chance Sunset and the other guild members needed. They dashed in and began hacking away at the mighty beast as quickly as they could, before it could regain its footing, until at last, the Minotaur gave one last pain filled roar as it shattered into digital mist. The quest was completed.

“Woo hoo, we did it!” Cheered Spartacus. “I must have levelled up so much from this quest. I gotta see!” He quickly checked his current status, only for his face to fall in disappointment and annoyance. “What?! Only Level 15?! You gotta be kidding me! All that work, and I only go up 3 levels?! This sucks!”    

“Before you go into a full blown tantrum, allow me to explain it to you,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes at his childishness. “When you're in a party, all the money, and more importantly, all the experience is shared equally between all members. That means that all of you have gained enough experience to go up 3 levels, except for yours truly. Since my level was already so much higher than any of yours, I only gained enough to level up by 1.” 

“Wait, what?!” Spartacus spluttered. “You serious?! I didn’t know that!”

“How long has it been since you guys got together?” Sunset asked, before raising her hand to silence him. “On second thought, don’t answer that. I don’t think I want to know.”

Spartacus scowled at her. “Like I said, I didn’t know this stupid game was rigged so only solo players get all the good shit!” He spat at her.

“Regardless of whether you knew or not, that’s simply how the game works, and it’s not rigged against parties, it’s done that way to make the game fair,” Sunset replied calmly.

“Fair, my ass!” Spartacus yelled as his rage increased. He ran toward Sunset, stopping with their faces inches apart, seething with indignant fury. “If what you’re saying is true, then you're just a drain on the experience we desperately need! I don’t know why I made that stupid deal with you in the first place!”

“Get out of my face,” Sunset said in a cold voice.

“Or what?” Spartacus asked mockingly, before Sunset threw back her head, and bashed him in the face, hard. He stumbled back, before collapsing in a heap,grabbing his nose with both hands. “ARGH, WHAT THE FUCK YOU CRAZY BITCH!!” He screamed in pain and anger.

“Don’t you EVER do that again!” Sunset shouted dangerously. “I knew you guys were amateurs, but to be stupid enough to not know the rules of the game, and to be childish enough to actually think the game was rigged against you when it’s obvious your just too lazy to put in the needed amount of work, and then throw a tantrum when things don’t go your way?!” She then turned her back to him. “I don’t know why I bothered making that stupid contract with you. Well, consider it null and void. I’m done with all of you.” She then began walking away, before looking back, shooting them all a disgusted look. “And if any of you morons even try to follow me, I’ll break your god damned legs!” She threatened, before marching away without another word. 





A short while later, Sunset opened the door of her little apartment, heading straight for her little bed, flopping down, and burying her head in her pillow, moaning loudly in anger and frustration. “I can’t believe I even thought about helping those pathetic idiots!” She thought indignantly. “What a complete waste of my time!” She continued to seethe, until she snapped her head up, as she heard the sound of someone knocking at her door. “Not even 10 seconds,” She muttered darkly, as she got up and stomped to her door, fully intending to give her unwelcome visitor a piece of her mind. When she opened the door, her anger only flared up to new heights as she saw who it was. Lilith. “You!” she growled, grabbing the girl by her collar, pulling her into the apartment and slamming her against the wall. “I’m giving you 10 seconds to tell me why you're here, or I’m sending you crawling back to that joke of a leader of yours with busted kneecaps!” she snapped.

“Wait wait wait please!” Lilith said frantically. “Before you do anything, I’m just here to give you your reward!”

“Oh,” Sunset said, dropping the girl back on her feet and stepping back. “Well, then, just give it to me and go.”

“Wait, hold on, let me just explain something to you,” Lilith tried to reason.

“Puh, save it,” Sunset scoffed. “Just give me what you owe me and get the hell out of here.”

“I’ll give it to you if you’ll just hear me out,” Lilith pleaded.

“OK, fine,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll listen to whatever you want to say. Then you give me my reward, and then leave.”

“Look, there’s something you need to know about Spartacus,” Lilith began. “He’s not responsible for his actions today.”

“What?” Sunset said in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Lilith seemed to hesitate, as if fighting an internal battle in her mind, but then a look of resolution crossed her face. “He's autistic!” she blurted out.

Sunset stopped and stared at her. “Uh, excuse me?” She asked, dumbfounded.

“Well, to be precise, he has a type of autism known as Aspergers Syndrome,” Lilith explained.

“Aspergers Syndrome,” Sunset said thoughtfully. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of it. But, why are you telling me this now?”

“I just thought you deserved to know why he reacted to the situation the way he did,” Lilith said. “Also, he doesn’t like people knowing about it in case he gets treated differently by them.” 

Sunset sighed heavily. “Alright, I understand now,” she said. 

“Look, Miss Shimmer,” Lilith continued, a pleading look in her eyes. “I really think you should reconsider about terminating your contract with us. We still need you. We’re all too weak by ourselves, and without you, we won’t be able to survive. Please, give us another chance.”

Sunset was torn. On one hand, part of her was still angry with them, but on the other hand, she couldn’t help feeling sympathetic to their plight. She sighed and said, “I’ll think about it, alright?”

“Thank you, Miss Shimmer,” Lilith said with a respectful nod, then she gave Sunset what she owed her, before she headed for the door and left.

Sunset felt drained, both physically and emotionally. She decided she was just too tired to make up her mind right now, so she simply got ready for bed. She would make her decision in the morning.





By morning, Sunset was back at the tiny apartment of The Three Amigos, staring down the nervous looking Spartacus. “Alright, I’ve decided to give you guys one last chance, but not for the money, or anything else, but because Lilith begged me to come back,” She said, glancing over at the young thief. “And when I say last chance, I mean final. If you give me even the slightest reason to regret this, I will be gone faster than you can blink, and you will never see me again. Understand?” She finished with a stern glare to get her point across.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, I understand perfectly,” Said Spartacus placating. “We’ll do whatever you say. Just, please, help us get stronger?”

“You’ll do whatever I say, huh?” Sunset said, with a raised eyebrow. “Alright, then, we’re going to go out there and do some jobs. But this time, I’ll decide whatever jobs we do.”

And so, for the whole day, Sunset and the Amigos spent the day doing all the odd jobs and quests that Sunset carefully chose for them to do. (If you wish to insert some montage music at this point, feel free to do so.) 

By the end of the day, after doing hour after hour of safer quests and minor tasks, the Amigos had all advanced by two levels each. Unfortunately, this did not go down well with Spartacus. 

“Why do we have to advance at such a snail's pace?” He complained bitterly to Sunset. “At this rate, we’ll reach Level 30 by the time our bodies in the real world simply die of old age!” 

Sunset rolled her eyes, having had enough of his childish impatience. “OK, I think it’s about time you came clean,” she said, giving him a hard look, “Why are you so desperate to reach Level 30?” 

“Why? Simple, it’s the minimum requirement to gain entry into the Holy Dragon Alliance,” He replied with a shrug, as if it was obvious.

Sunset just stared at him, before slapping the side of her head with her hand, and dragging it down the side of her face with a drawn out, frustrated groan. “You seriously want to join those guys?” She said in annoyance and disbelief.

“Well, yeah, duh,” Spartacus said, again, like it was obvious. “How else are we gonna get people to take us seriously?”

Sunset shook her head, before giving him a hard look. “Look, if I were you, I’d stay as far away from those guys as possible. They are not the kind of people you want to get involved with. Trust me, I know.”

Spartacus scowled at her. “Well, that’s not your decision to make, is it?”

“At present, per our deal, yes, it very much is my decision what this guild does,” Sunset said back. “Listen, if you really want to level up faster, there is one thing that…” She paused, hesitating, before saying, “Actually, no, forget it.”

“What? What is it? Tell us!” Spartacus asked with a bit of desperation in his voice.

“Well, there is a faster way you level up,” Sunset explained. “It involves finding and beating an optional boss or a secret boss. You can gain a lot of XP that way.” She then gave a serious look. “But I would seriously not recommend doing either.”

“Why the hell not?” Pickles suddenly spoke up. “If there’s always been a shortcut, why don’t we just take it? Besides, I’m tired of all of the dumb, boring crap that you’ve been making us do. All that hard work is so lame, and it’s not getting us anywhere.” 

Sunset slowly turned to look at him, her right eye twitching. “I’ll tell you why,” She said in a cold voice. “It’s because Optional Bosses are tricky, and Secret Bosses are overpowered. In other words, if you seriously want me to lead you into a fight against one or the other, it’ll be an execution waiting to happen.” 

“Miss Sunset is right,” Lilith suddenly said. “We’re nowhere near strong enough to even think about doing something so suicidal.” 

At these words, Sunset looked toward Lilith as if she were a messenger from Heaven. “One of them actually has common sense! It’s a miracle!” She thought ecstatically. She reigned in her happiness as she looked around at all three Amigos with a serious look, and said in a commanding voice, “Alright, if you guys really went to level up fast, here’s how we're going to do it. We’re going to go out into the field and do some hardcore grinding!” 

Once this was said, the Amigos gave a cheer, and they headed out at once. 

And so, the heavy grinding began. Under Sunset’s command, and executing her well thought out tactics, they took on high level monster after high level monster, taking them down one by one, as their XP, as well as their levels, steadily climbed higher and higher. Days went by as the fighting continued, until one evening, two weeks later.





Sunset and the Amigos were at their tiny apartment, with the three guild members checking their levels. They were now all at Level 26, while Sunset herself had reached Level 35.

“Whoa, check it out, guys!” Cheered Spartacus. “We’re so close, I can feel it. I say this calls for a celebration!”

“Yeah!” shouted Pickles excitedly. “Let's get totally wasted!”

“Wait a sec, guys,” Said Lilith, before looking over at Sunset. “Is that OK with you, Miss Sunset?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and sighed. Why not? This meant her contract with them was almost up, anyway. “OK, fine. After the last two weeks, I guess you do deserve it.”

“YES!” The Amigos cheered.

The party went on late into the night, as all four players, even Sunset, binged on food and booze. After many rounds of heavy drinking, the boys were passed out on the floor, still clutching their empty beer cups. Sunset, who was sitting off to the side with Lilith, just rolled her eyes. 

“Typical guy behaviour,” She said to her. “They drink so much, just so they can regret it the next day.” She shook her head, before giving out a tiny hiccup and blushing. Even though she hadn’t drunk nearly as much as the boys, she was still a bit tipsy.

“I know what you mean,” agreed Lilith, her speech a little bit slurred, as she was only a tiny bit more drunk than Sunset. “You know, I have a really stupid question.” She continued with a drunken giggle, “How can I be tipsy when we’re inside a game? Everything here is virtual, all programmed, just a series of zeroes and ones. So you tell me, how can we get drunk when the alcohol’s not even real?”

“You’ve got to remember,” Sunset replied, “This game is full immersion. It’s all thanks to the VRH. It’s making our brains think that everything going on around us in the game is real. So if the game is telling our brains that were drunk, our brains are telling our bodies we’re drunk. Which means that if we left the game and returned to the real world right now, we'd wake up stone cold sober.”

“Wow,” Said Lilith with wide eyes, “That’s amazing.”

“But, unfortunately,” Sunset continued dully, “We’re still trapped in this stupid game, which means we’re all gonna wake up tomorrow, feeling like shit, because we all have hangovers.”

“Noooo!” Lilith whined morosely.  

“So, you know what?” Sunset said. “I’m gonna go home right now before I pass out.” She dragged herself to her feet, took a step forwards, before losing her balance, and slumping right back into her seat. 

“Nuh uh, you're not going anyway,” Said Lilith. “You're staying here tonight, cause you're not gonna make it back.” Before Sunset could protest, Lilith got to her feet, grabbed hold of Sunset’s arm, and dragged her off toward her room. Once inside, she pulled her over to her bed. “Sorry, only one bed. Hope you don’t mind sharing.”

Sunset just shrugged. “Eh, whatever,” She muttered, before slumping down on the bed. “Let's just try and get some sleep.” Lilith climbed on the bed and crawled up next to Sunset, before laying down and snuggling up to her. Sunset looked over at her with a questioning look. “Little close don’t you think?”

“Like I said, only one bed,” Lilith said. “And not the biggest either.” She then started to look sheepish. “Do you want me to move over?”

“Eh, nah,” Sunset said nonchalantly. “Whatever helps you sleep better.”

“Uh, OK,” Lilith said as she blushed a little. “Thanks.” She then snuggled up even closer to Sunset, even gently wrapping her arms around her. “Umm, this is nice. You're so warm,” She whispered. Now, Sunset was also blushing, as she shifted to look at Lilith. She wouldn’t say out loud, but in this moment, she did look kind of cute. She then looked up at Sunset and quietly asked, “So, what are you going to do once we all reach Level 30? I guess you’ll have no reason to stay with us anymore.”

“Well,” Sunset said slowly, “I guess I’ll just find my next job. A mercenary’s work is never done, after all.” She finished with a heavy sigh. 

Unexpectedly, Lilith then crawled on top of Sunset, holding herself above her with her arms, looking deep into her eyes. “I know this may sound selfish, but I wish you would stay with us,” She said softly and in an almost begging tone.

“I-I can’t,” Sunset stuttered, her blush only growing heavier. 

Lilith then gently lowered herself down on top of Sunset completely, and she ran her hands down her sides, gently caressing her body, causing her to blush even more, and make her moan softly. “I don’t just want you to stay for us,” Lilith said in a passionate tone, “I want you to stay for me.” Before Sunset could protest anymore, she leaned in and planted her lips on hers in a deep, passionate kiss. In her drunken state, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to resist, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Lilith, deepening the kiss even more. 

What followed was a long night of tossed clothes, pleasure filled cries, and moans of unbridled passion.





Next morning, Sunset slowly awoke, her head pounding from her hangover. She felt dreadful, and all she wanted was to go back to sleep. She shut her eyes, trying to drift off again, until she heard soft breathing next to her. She sat up and looked down beside her, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw Lilith laying next to her. She was even more shocked to see both she and herself were naked. “Oh my god!” She said in shock. “D-did... we have sex?” She asked herself shakily.

Just then, Lilith slowly woke up and her head was also pounding. She then looked up and saw Sunset. “Good morning,” She said with a happy, sweet smile.

“Umm, Lilith,” Sunset said nervously. “Did we have sex last night?”

Lilith sat up, her smile becoming warm and content. “Yes, we did, and it was wonderful,” She said lovingly, as she moved closer to Sunset. “I know we were drunk, but Ms Shimmer…” she looked deep into Sunset’s eyes. “Please, stay with us. Not for the gild, but for me. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but after last night, I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt.  I love you, with all my heart, body and soul.” 

Sunset shook her head and leaped out of the bed, turning to face Lilith again. “Look, Lilith, this is moving way too fast for me and…” She stopped talking when Lilith also stood up from the bed, standing in front of her. 

“You don’t have to explain,” She said calmly. “It’s okay. I mean, I’m probably only able to say all this to you because I’m going through a high right now. But, just think about it,” She stepped closer to her and took hold of her hands. “Please?” She leaned forward and gave Sunset one last, light, gentle kiss on her lips. Sunset held the kiss for a moment, before pulling back, looking for and gathering up her clothes, and then leaving the room as she’s redressing herself.

Once she was outside, Sunset ran, to nowhere in particular, her mind a confused, whirling mess. She just kept running. She finally came to a stop, finding herself in a marketplace. She caught her breath, before burying her head in her hands. “Oh, Sunset, what have you gotten yourself into?” She thought to herself in despair.

Just at that moment, a tall, dark skinned woman walked past her, before stopping and turning round to look at her. “Shimmercode, is that you?” she asked.

Sunset looked up, and turned to look at the woman. “Sorry, who are you?” She asked, not recognising her in her current state of mind.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your old drinking buddy,” The woman said with a chuckle. “It’s me, Storm Shadow.”

“Storm?” Sunset said as the memories resurfaced. “I haven’t seen you since the first boss.” She looked at her from head to toe. “Is that new armour? You're wearing white? Don’t you usually wear black?”

“Yeah, I do,” Storm said. “It’s actually the colour of the uniform of the guild I’m now part of.”

“You joined a guild?” Sunset asked. “Which one?”

“The Knights Of The Blood Oath,” Storm answered.

“Wow,” Said Sunset, impressed. 

“Hey,” Storm said, looking at Sunset’s gamer tag. “Looks like you’ve joined a guild, too.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess I did,” Sunset said hesitantly. 

Storm couldn’t  help noticing that Sunset seemed really uneasy. “Are you alright?” Storm asked. “You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Need someone to talk to? Is it about the guild you joined?” 

“Uh, well…” Sunset said skittishly, before sighing heavily. “OK, yeah, soft of. I wouldn't mind someone to talk to about it.” 

“Come on, then,” Storm said, and the two of them walked to a nearby tavern and sat down at a small table. “Alright, tell me what’s happened,” Shadow said.

“Alright,” Sunset said. “Well, for a short time, I’ve been working as a mercenary. I took a job with a small guild with only three members. They were called The Three Amigos.” At this, Storm burst out laughing. “Yeah, I know, it was ridiculous,” Sunset continued, rolling her eyes. “At first, I really didn’t want to. These guys weren't just amateurs, they were absolute jokes. It had already been four months since we got trapped, and they were still at Level 11 for crying out loud, not to mention how immature and stupid they were. The only reason I joined up with them at all was because they’re leader made an offer I couldn't pass up. Things only got worse after our first mission…” She continued to explain all the events that lead up to the night before, and her budding friendship with Lilith. “Much to my surprise, I actually started to like Lilith. She was the only one of them who was actually competent. Plus, she was nice to talk to. But then, last night, I discovered how much she liked me when…” She trailed off, a blush beginning to form.

“When?” Encouraged Storm.

“When we…” Sunset blushed heavily as she whispered, “When we slept together.”

Storm gasped. “When you say ‘slept’, You mean you and this Lilith…?”

“Um hmm,” Sunset nodded.

“Ohhh,” Storm said with wide eyes, before they narrowed, and she gave a teasing smirk. “Was she any good?” She asked in an amused tone.

“Seriously?!” Sunset almost shouted in disbelief. “That’s the first thing you ask me at a time like this?!” 

“Well, yeah,” Said Storm with a shrug. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that I've never slept with a girl before!” Sunset said, exasperated, before she seemed to visibly deflate, signing heavily. “Or anyone for that matter.”

“So you're telling me that was your first time?” Storm asked.

“Yeah,” Sunset said. “And the fact is, I was kinda drunk at the time, so when she just came on to me, I couldn't resist her. I don’t even know for sure if I actually like girls. Am I gay, am I bi, am I something else? I don’t know.”

“Do you like Lilith?” Storm asked.    

“Yeah I do,” Sunset said uncertainly. “I’m just not sure how much.”

“Does she like you?” Storm asked.

“Oh, she definitely does,” Sunset said. “In fact, before I ran off, she actually confessed her love to me and then kissed me.” She laid her head on the table. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s so confusing. What do I do?”

“Look Shimmer,” Said Storm. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I think it’s pretty obvious you like each other.” 

Sunset blushed heavily.

“When does your contract end with them?” Storm asked.

“When they all reach level 30, which will be soon,” Sunset replied.

“Well, in that case, I think you should at least talk to her about it before it’s too late,” Storm said. “Who knows, it might just turn out for the best for the both of you. You may prefer being solo, but in this death game, we all need someone who will be there for us. We are trapped in this digital world, and we can die here. If you have found someone to help you deal with this place, then I say be gay.”

Sunset sighed. “Yeah, maybe you're right. I still need to figure out how I really feel, and it’s not something I can just ignore,” She said. She stood up with a resolute look on her face. “I have to go back and face her.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Shimmer,” Storm said with an encouraging smile. “And I hope you get the answers you're looking for, and happiness too.”

“Thanks,” Sunset smiled back. “Hope to see you again soon.” With that, she left the tavern and headed back to the guild. 

When she got back, she looked around for Lilith. “Lilith? Can we talk?” Seeing no sign of the other guild members, she headed for Lilith’s room, where she found her, all alone, sitting on her bed. “Lilith, where are the others?” She asked.

“They went to resupply for the quest,” Lilith answered, not quite meeting Sunset’s eyes.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Sunset replied, before sitting down next to her. “Listen, Lilith, I’ve been thinking about last night.”

“I have too,” Lilith said, her voice quivering ever so slightly. “Miss Shimmer, I can’t stop thinking about you. I know I meant what I said earlier. I really am in love with you.”

“I know,” Sunset said softly. “Lilith, I’m still not certain what my own feelings are yet, but… I think I want to try to make this work between us, even if it’s only until we escape from the game. I really do feel happy being with you.” 

At this, Lilith’s face lit up with joy, and she moved to sit in Sunset’s lap, as they looked deep into each other's eyes. Unable to hold in their feelings anymore, they moved in and kissed each other passionately. They hold the kiss for a few moments before pulling back, Lilith looking at her with a bit of worry.

“What will we tell the others?” She asked. 

“We’ll figure that part out later,” Said Sunset with a smile. “For now, let's just savour the moment.” Then the two girls resumed their kiss.





Throughout the remaining contract with the guild, Lilith and Sunset just keep getting closer to each other, keeping they're relationship a secret.

However, the girls eventually told the rest of the guild about their relationship, and they seemed happy for them.

It seemed like everything was perfect for Sunset and Lilith.

Over time, more changes occurred for the guild, such as deciding on a new name, The Sun Knights, Sunset becoming the new leader, and finding somewhere better to live. Naturally, Sunset and Lilith had the better room.





One day, Spartacus returned to the guild with information about an ultra rare item. Hearing his proposal, the guild decided to get this item.

Spartacus led his friends to the hidden area where the item was hidden. He pushed a rock which revealed a secret passage, which led to a large wooden door, which opened into a vast chamber. “There it is,” He said, pointing to the item sitting on a plinth at the back of the chamber. He ran towards it. 

Sunset looked warily around the chamber. “Wait, this place looks like a…” She stopped, her eyes widening in horror as Spartacus removed the item, activating the boss fight. “Shit, it's a secret boss room!” She screamed. “Everyone, we have to get-” She was cut off as the large doors slammed shut behind them, and multiple clicks were heard as the door was sealed shut.  They were trapped inside. Then, a giant, armoured, humanoid female figure, fell down from the ceiling. She landed gracefully on her hands, before flipping onto her feet, towering above them. She carried a sword made of fire in her left hand. (Here's what she looks like) https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3vodv

“Alright, guys, I got a plan!” Sunset called out. The rest of the guild quickly ran to her side… except Spartacus. “Hey, get over here!” Sunset shouted, only for her blood to run cold as she saw Spartacus look back at her with a cruel, hateful look in his eyes.   

“Actually, no,” He said, his voice dripping with bitterness and contempt. “I think not.” He holds up a crystal, which Sunset immediately recognises as a Warp Crystal. He smirks sadistically at her before he uses the Crystal to escape, leaving his own guild behind to die.

“H-he just left us!” Yelled Pickles in shock and disbelief.

“That…” Sunset said, clenching her fists, and narrowing eyes in anger. “That Bastard!!” She yelled.

“W-what do we do now?” asked Lilith, her voice quaking in fear.

“We take this boss down,” Sunset said, glaring up the boss’ face plate, “Then we’re gonna track down that backstabbing little asshole, and I’m gonna break his fucking legs!”

And so, the battle began. Even under Sunset’s leadership, the battle was long and hard. The boss moved with elegance despite her size, and her strikes were swift and precise. The battle seemed to teeter back and forth, as they dealt damage, and the boss dealt damage. One moment, it seemed like they were on the verge of winning, when the boss raised her other hand, and a second blade of light blue flames appeared. 

“You gotta be kidding me!” Sunset shouted in disbelief. “This thing can Dual Wield!?”

“So she has two swords now, big deal,” Said Pickles. “We can still handle this.”

“Pickles, we might not be able to handle this,” Sunset said. “Our supplies are almost gone, we’ve run out of healing items, and our health is getting too low.”

“We can’t stop now,” Said Pickles. “It’s only the way to get out of here.” 

“He’s right Sunset,” Lilith said. “We have no choice but to keep fighting.”

Sunset could only nod grimly. “You’re right. We can’t stop!”

They moved in for another strike, but just as they reached it, the boss began spinning like a top, her twin blades out stretched.

The first to be caught by them was Pickles, taking heavy damage. Too much damage. Right before the two girls wide, horrified eyes, he keeled over, as his health hit zero, and he shattered into shimmering shards. 

“PICKLES!!” Lilith screamed.

“No!! This can’t be happening!!” Yelled Sunset.

The Boss swung it’s twin blades into the air, and swung them down hard toward them.

“LOOK OUT!!” Lilith screamed as she leapt at Sunset, tackling her to the ground just as the blades struck. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, thanks to you,” Sunset smiled up at her, before she looked over at the boss' swords, which seemed to stick fast, and then at the face plate of her armour. This gave her an idea. A reckless idea, but at this point, maybe that’s what they needed. She got back to her feet and readied herself. “Lilith, I’m about to do something really stupid.”

“Uh, what?” Lilith asked.

“This!” Sunset shouted, as she raised her weapon and charged, jumping on to the boss’ arm and running all the way up to her covered face. The boss then pulls it’s swords free, raising its arms. Sunset quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a throwing knife. Time seemed to slow as she jumped, and threw the knife as hard as she could at the monster's face plate. Miraculously, it hit the mark. The boss threw back her head and let out a pained, furious scream, before slamming both hands to it’s face to get the knife out. Sunset fell back to ground, tucking in her body to reduce the impact, before scrambling back to her feet and dashing back toward Lilith.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Lilith exclaimed.

“I can't believe that actually worked,” Sunset said.

At this point, they’re attention was drawn back to the boss, as she raised her swords and began swinging them in wild, furious swipes. The two girls dashed and dodged as best they could.

“I think you made her mad!” Lilith shouted.

“It shouldn’t be much more!” Sunset called back. “We’re almost there! We can do this!”

The girls fought harder than they ever had before. At last, Sunset charged in as the boss thrust it’s sword at her. She threw herself to the ground, sliding underneath the sword, before getting to her feet and plunging her own sword deep into the boss’ chest. The boss let out a final, wailing scream, before collapsing to the ground, and shattering into shards. 

Sunset breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was over. “We did it, Lilith,” She said, before turning to look back at her… and her heart skipped a beat as she starred in utter horror. 

Lilith stood, completely frozen… and the boss’ sword impaled through her chest!

A moment passed.

Before Lilith fell to the ground. 

“LILITH!!” Sunset screamed as she ran to her side, knelt down, and took her lover into her arms. “Lilith! Hold on, please! I’ll get help for you!” 

“Shimmer,” Lilith said weakly. “It’s too late.”

“N-no!” Sunset’s voice quivered. “No! It’s not too late. Please don’t leave me!”

“Let me just say, it was fun being with you till the end. Please, escape this place and be happy, for your own sake.” Tears trickled down her face as she whispered, “I love you.” With those final words, she closed her eyes, and evaporated. 

Sunset was now alone.

She didn’t react.

She just got to her feet, left the dungeon and made her way back to town. 

She felt completely hollow.

As she walked aimlessly through the town, she was spotted by and recognised by Storm. She headed over to her. “Hey, Shimmer…” she paused when she saw her face, or rather the look in her eyes. Despair. Emptiness. She simply looked dead inside. “What happened?” she asked, her voice tense.

Sunset looked up at her, eyes filled with utter despair. “She’s gone,” She whispered, as her eyes began to fill with tears. “She died in my arms.” 

Storm gasped in complete shock. She didn’t need to ask who ‘she’ was. She gently took hold of Sunset’s arm. “Come on,” She said, guiding the emotionally fragile girl down the street. 

Storm took Sunset to her own place. She led her into a spare bedroom, helping her lay down on the bed. She had not said anything, and now she was just laying there, not moving. Storm just looked sadly at her, before heading for the door. “If you need anything, just ask, OK?” She said. Sunset didn’t respond. Storm just sighed as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sunset reached out, grabbing a pillow, and held it tight to her chest, as she pulled herself around it, curling tightly into a ball. The grief in her aching heart finally overtook her, as she began to weep, before her body was rapt with loud, heart rending sobs.  

For the rest of the night, the room was filled with screams and sobs as she grieved for the loss of her first love.

To Be Continued...