As soon as I arrived back at town I sent Argo a message describing everything I had observed with the Briar Nightmare. Once the message had been sent, I went back to my inn room and collapsed onto my bed. Looking up in the top left corner of my vision, I could no longer see Sterra or Stern’s health bars… but that didn’t necessarily mean they were dead. I mean, it couldn’t. It could have just been because I was too far away for our group to be recognized. That had to be the reason!

Closing my eyes I fell into an unsteady sleep.

It took three days before I worked up the nerve to check the monolith at Black Iron Palace. During those three days I never ate and hardly slept. There were of course, other ways that I could have checked their status, but I couldn’t bring myself to open my in game menu. The only time I had gone downstairs had been to renew my room, and even then, I would forget until the system kicked me out. It was as if the entire world around me had become a dark cloud. Peoples’ voices were muffled and the light seemed dim.

As I approached the courtyard I recognized the familiar green cloaks of the Army. My hand went through the familiar gestures to activate my hiding skill out of habit. I had done this so many times that I could navigate my menu without even looking. Before I could activate the hiding skill though I felt my entire body tense up. My fingers hovered a few mere centimeters above the activation command but they refused to press the final button.

My head clouded in and my heart rate increased. As I closed my eyes tight I could see Stera and Stern’s terrified expressions as they faced that monstrous beast. The approaching Army members glanced my way curiously as I fell to the ground grasping at my chest, before continuing on their way.

My heart rate refused to settle until I closed my menu with shaking hands. My limbs felt like they were filled with lead, and my face felt cold clammy. With the last of my strength I struggled unsteadily to my feet. I had to face this once and for all.

Approaching the giant monolith, I pondered to myself if Kayaba had purposely designed the room to have such a forlorn aesthetic. My first few weeks in Aincrad I had read through every name on this list countless times looking for any name that Miku might have used. Today however; the list of names seemed to go on forever.

I worked my way through the alphabetical list, flinching at every crossed out name. I avoided the urge to check my name at the end of the list. I had worked hard to keep my in game name fairly private as it had become a bit of an urban legend on the server. Tales had spread of the unknown player that randomly appeared one day at the end of the monolith. The less people tied the mystery name to me the safer I would feel.

My vision began clouding in again as I finally reached the S names. There were already so many names crossed out. Sachi, Sasamaru, Sekimachi… I forced my eyes to continue looking as I approached the names I feared the most. Two names directly next to each other with a harsh ugly line chiseled through them by an unseen hand. My two companions; Sterra and Stern.

I fell my knees cupping my hands over my mouth. I cursed the game system for not including a system to vomit no matter how much I wanted to. My body burned hot as I could hear my heart beating in my ears. The voices and room around me slowly faded as visions of Sterra and Stern flashed before my eyes. Stern’s hearty laugh. Sterra’s gentle voice. The kindness and warmth they had allowed me to feel in this cold game of death was now turned to a deadly painful ice in my veins.

“So you finally came out of your room.” A nasally voice commented forcing me to start to surface from the darkness. I turned around to see a familiar shabby brown cloak and mousy face with three whiskers on either cheek looking down at me.

“Argo?” I sputtered. It was at this point I realized Sword Art Online’s automatic emoticon system had been streaming a steady flow of tears down my face.

Argo leaned towards me searching my eyes. Due to her height I was usually unable to get a good look at her face. From this new angle though I could see her curly golden brown locks and large brown eyes clearly. Her expression was concerned but also sympathetic. The whiskers painted on her face twitched as she scrutinized me as if attempting to read the emotions I had kept bottled up the last three days.

“Ya never answered any of my messages.” She replied still focused in on my face. “Normally I’d just say ‘live and let live’, but a business girl’s gotta look after her best clients.”

I attempted to stand up, but my strength hadn’t returned to my legs yet. I stumbled as I fell back down to the ground. As I struggled to sit up, I felt a presence beside me. Argo plopped down next to me.

For a long while we both just sat there, neither of us speaking. Argo had been in this game of death for an entire year longer than me. In addition to this, unlike me who had spent all my time on the first floor; Argo had taken the effort to follow the front line fighters and create business partnerships with players from all walks of life. Losing Sterra and Stern had destroyed my world, but how many more times had she faced this feeling?

I gave a groan as I buried my head deep into my arms. I couldn’t think straight any more. I had taken Sword Art Online far too lightly, but now I had finally come to understand my reality. This really was a game of death. A tomb. A place of despair. What had I come here for? Would Miku even still be alive? Even if she was, what could I do to protect her? What had I been doing all this time?

“Hey Argo…” I mumbled half in a daze. Argo turned towards me. A golden brown lock of hair fell across her eyes as she cocked her head to one side.

“Do you know of another way to use daggers effectively other than using the hiding skill or supporting a group?”

Argo stared at me for a while longer before letting out a defeated sigh.

“Not saying.” She replied leaning back against the wall.

“Why not?!” I cried out grabbing her by the shoulders. All the anxiety I had kept bottled up had surfaced and threatened to choke me out. “I’ll pay you! I’ll pay you whatever you want! That’s how this works right?! I bring the col and you’ll tell me what I want to know!”

A player harassment warning snapped me out of my anger as I realized Argo’s pained expression. A few players had started whispering around us about the scene I had created.

“I… I’m sorry.” I mumbled letting go of Argo.

We sat again in awkward silence neither of us knowing quite what to say. Although she always referred to us as a business relationship, I truly felt like Argo was a more of a friend… perhaps not a friend I trusted with secrets, but there was no way I could have come as far as I had without her.

“I… I can’t use my hiding skills any more.” I confessed.

Telling ‘The Rat’ about the state of my skills may not be the wisest choice, but I needed someone to talk to and Argo was the only friend I had left in Aincrad. Normally at this point, Argo would remind me how anything I told her became merchandise for her to sell to others, however; this time she simply sat there. Quiet, yet attentively listening.

“Every time I try… I see their faces.” My face began to feel cold again as I continued. “I hear their voices… I… I just think about how useless I was… how… how maybe if I had been stronger I could have saved them. Instead, I’m too weak to save anyone.”

A small chime from above me caught my attention. I looked up to see Argo’s menu visible in front of my face. It was set to the message I had sent her three days earlier outlining our encounter with the Briar Nightmare along with all the details about its abilities and patterns that I had seen. I was surprised how coherent it had turned out considering how messed up my emotions had been at the time. In all honesty I had forgotten half of the things I had written.

“This message saved lives.” Argo explained. “Since ya sent me this message, the info’s been shared through an express edition of my guide. Low level adventurers have all been alerted and they’re avoiding the forest. The guilds have been arranging a party of high level members to scout out the field boss and take it down if they can. From what I’ve heard there may even be a front line member or two joining in! The price of low level health potions have of course risen since nobody’s bringing in the juunberries anymore, but thanks to the early warning, many of the merchants and craftsmen have made arrangements to stock up against it. Some have even gone so far as to sell higher level health potions for lower prices. Apparently charity ain’t dead yet.”

Argo studied me again before closing her menu. She paused briefly as if pondering if she should say what she was about to.

“I’m not holding out on ya because I want to ya know.” She added. “I had another client… think I’ve mentioned him before… One handed sword wielder. He was in a similar situation around Christmas and asked me for info as well. I had my doubts about telling him anything. He seemed pretty out of it like you are, and the information hadn’t been confirmed. But I figured I’ve got a reputation to uphold so I gave him what he wanted. Turned out that he went out on a suicide run because of it. Info turned out to be only half true anyways, but he would’ve been done for if he hadn’t been followed by some friends of his.”

Argo Leaned back closing her eyes as she remembered the unpleasant memories.

“If you bring this up I’ll deny it, but my first priority isn’t to make a heap of col.” She admitted. She raised her arm above her head as if reaching for the artificial sun in the distance. “One day we’re gonna escape this world. I wanna do my part to make sure as many people survive to see that day as possible.”

Swinging her arms, Argo leaped to her feet as only a character with a high agility stat like hers could manage. Turning back to me she had her usual scheming grin.

“Now that’s not to say I’m noble enough to be above making a nice hefty profit along the way of course!” she grinned reaching her hand towards me. Accepting her hand she helped me to my feet.

“Speaking of which, all that sappy stuff I said just now is some first rate premium information.” Argo mused causing me to start to sweat. “I’ll put it on your tab for now, but you had better stay alive long enough to pay me for it!”

“Great… Now I’m stuck in a game and stuck in an unpayable debt” I groaned. Argo simply laughed in her usual nasally manner.

“Neeheehee. Makes you really feel alive having a goal to work towards doesn’t it?” Argo snickered. “Please work hard to make my wallet nice and thick!”

I was about to make a comeback when I heard a familiar voice that made me sick to my stomach.

“Can you believe the look on the face of that First Floor Titaness??” a large man in a green cloak laughed. “I can’t believe she bought that bogus story about children exploring the forest? I didn’t think a strength and vitality based character could run so fast!”

My legs started to give out again as the man heartlessly laughed.

“Is this really okay Cartan?” the second player clad in green asked nervously. “I mean, if people find out we might be accused of PKing!”

“You worry too much!” Cartan scolded attempting to calm his companion’s nerves before others noticed. “She was a clearer wasn’t she? I don’t see how she could have gotten as far as she did if a random field boss on the first floor was enough to do her in. I’m sure she’ll be fine. This is just payback for her always acting all high and mighty and getting in our way!”

The two men walked away leaving Argo and me stopped in our tracks.

“Idiots…” Argo spat opening her menu to start a message.

My heart rate began to rise again as images of Sterra and Stern began to flood back into my mind. Even though I hadn’t been there to witness it, scenes of those two thorny vines piercing their digital bodies before they burst into a cloud of polygons played on repeat. I no longer had control over my body. It was moving on its own.

“Argo… I’m sorry…” I whispered under my breath. Argo had only managed to look up from the message she was writing long enough to see me take off into a full sprint.

As a dagger user, almost all of my stats had been put into agility and dexterity. I never realized how much those points had made me capable of before now. I thought I had been running at full speed away from the forest three days prior. I now realized this was not the case. My mind struggled to keep up with my body as I entered the forest using my high acrobatic skills to ricochet off of trees and accelerate further. It wasn’t long before I heard the sounds of battle in the distance.

“Faster… I need to be faster…” I thought to myself pushing my legs as hard as they could go. Trees flew past me faster than I could see them. I could no longer rely on my eyes. With a deep breath I let my instincts take over. Lights flickered around me and the wind blew through my hair. My body dodged and twisted almost involuntarily as I made my way through the thick forest. The flashing tree branches vanished as I finally burst out into the clearing.

As my eyes finally took back their duty, I was surprised to see I was surrounded by the tops of trees. I had somehow managed to climb higher than I had expected during my run and I was now flying high above the battle.

Down below me I could see the massive body of the Briar Nightmare sending its thorny vines like spears towards a young girl with purple leather armor and a black and red coat. She attempted to block the attack with the massive battle axe she carried but it was easy to see she was being pushed to her limit.

“You are not taking another life you overgrown weasel!” I thought to myself as I lost my momentum directly over the beast. If I had been thinking properly I should have approached the battle slowly and looked for the best opportunity to attack. Well… to be honest; if I had been thinking properly I shouldn’t have been here in the first place… but as I saw this one sided battle below me, all fear was pushed out of my heart by my unbridled rage.

“SWITCH!” I cried out at the top of my lungs as I pulled out my dagger and began my plummet towards the Briar Nightmare far below. Both the girl, and the monster peered up at the sky confused, but there was no stopping me now.