She sat across from me without a word pondering what I had said. As I watched her face go through a myriad of emotions, I wondered if it really was just my circumstances she was thinking of. After a long while she let out a sigh leaning back in her chair.

“I still think there are things you’re hiding from me, but at least I believe your intentions are noble.” She admitted. “So, what have you done so far to prepare?”

“What do you mean?” I inquired. It was now my turn to be confused again.

“Well, you said you’ve read through the monolith a few times, and I assume by now you know she isn’t on the first floor.” She explained tracing her finger around the rim of her glass. “Where are you headed next?”

I grimaced at the innocently asked but unwanted question. Deep in my heart I had come to realize that Miku wasn’t on the first floor anymore, but somehow I had kept searching and leveling up. Why? Had my fears of what threats lay on higher levels cause me to hide here?

“I’ve… been trying to level up so that I could explore the…” Kara leaned forward giving me a glare that sent ice through my veins. I guess considering I just got the last attack on a boss that reqyured a front lines guild to deal with, that excuse wouldn’t fly anymore.

“I’m sorry…” I apologized. “I was sure I could find her on the first floor. Now that she’s not here I have no idea where even to start…”

Kara leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “At least you aren’t too proud to be honest.” She mused. “I guess it can’t be helped. What is your sister like?”

My mind raced to bring up images of the last time I had seen Miku without her face covered by the NerveGear. “Umm, she has shoulder length, straight black hair, brown eyes… she’s taller than me. She’s about-”

Kara raised a hand cutting me off. “Not her looks.” She explained. “What is she like? What are her interests, her play style, her personality?”

I paused to think for a moment. “She’s athletic.” I explained. “She recently got involved in kendo and she was part of her college’s volleyball team. She would also sub in for some other teams whenever she was asked. She always got really passionate about things and had a hard time giving up when once she got into it. When we played games together she would usually play a damage tank with massive armor and I would play support or control.”

Kara nodded as I listed off my sister’s various quirks and interests. Closing her eyes she took a moment to ponder over the information I had provided behind folded hands. She looked like a middle school detective you’d find in a manga.

“If she’s used to playing a tank, it is possible that she would be playing as a sword and shield user…” she mused. “But she also sounds like a passionate and straight forward person. And if she is used to just having a support player with her for healing and crowd control, it’s more likely she went a damage off tank route like two handed swords with heavy armor.” Satisfied with her deductions she leaned back in her chair again taking a sip of her tea.

“Either way, it is unlikely she is on any of the first ten levels.” Kara added. “The Town of Beginnings is good for those who are basically too scared to leave, but the atmosphere here stinks. ESPECIALLY thanks to some certain green men who have claimed the first floor as their jurisdiction. The second level is just a barren wasteland. Unless she has a thing for cows, I don’t think there would be any reason for her to stay there.”

Kara looked to me and I nodded to confirm that Miku most likely had no plans to settle down and become a digital dairy farmer. Looking back towards her plate Kara continued.

“The next seven floors are fairly generic, and not many people live around there due to them being difficult to navigate. The fourth floor is a maybe, as it is pretty beautiful, but even then, you need a boat to get around everywhere which isn’t ideal for staying there long term.”

Kara’s brow wrinkled as she attempted to mentally travel through each of the floors. Some appeared to have better memories than others.

“Floors twenty through to twenty four are all pretty quaint and beautiful.” She explained. “In fact, I know a number of the more elder players have moved there to retire for the easy country life. I think those might be a good place to check out. Floor twenty five however…”

Kara stopped as her expression changed. The candles around us glowed with their usual zeal, but somehow it felt like it had gotten darker and colder in the small cabin.

“Well… those are the only floors I’m really familiar with.” She apologized. “I’m sorry. I know they’re currently working on clearing the fiftieth floor so I should know more, but its been a while since I last left the first floor. I’ve heard the forty seventh floor is fairly picturesque date spot… save for some plant monsters with… questionable behaviour… But I think these should be enough to give you a starting point at least.”

Kara looked at me inquisitively as my tired brain attempted to work through the vast amount of information she had given me. Tilting her head to one side, her expression changed from curiosity to concern.

“Say…” she hesitated. “Even if you do find your sister, what are you hoping to accomplish?”

Her words snapped me out of my internal musing. Same as previously, she had asked a question I really didn’t want to think deeply on. I had been made unbearably aware of how unprepared I was to protect Miku in this game, so just what was I fighting so hard for? What good would it do even if I did find her at this point?

“Originally I thought I would be able to protect her…” I responded. “She hasn’t always been a gamer and often asked me for advice. It made me really worried when I found out she was trapped in this world alone as there are still a lot of basic game logic things she doesn’t understand.”

“But now?” Kara asked. My hands fell limp to my sides as the reality of my weakness weighed heavily on me.

“I don’t know…” I groaned. “I underestimated Sword Art Online. I was honestly an idiot for ever thinking I could just swoop in and be some hero.”

My hands clenched into fists frustrated at my own uselessness. “But even still…” I muttered under my breath. “Even still, I don’t want her to be alone. If she’s gotten strong and is fighting to survive, I want to be there with her to support her however I can!”

A rare smile came across Kara’s face, this time I was definitely not imagining it. If Kara had been testing me, it seemed I had somehow managed to pass unknowingly.

“Fine. It’s decided then.” She exclaimed with a satisfied nod. “Where should we meet tomorrow to start looking in earnest?”

“W-we?” I stammered. Kara simply blinked in surprise.

“You don’t want my help?” she asked cocking her head to one side.

“Ah! No! I didn’t mean it like that!” I attempted to recover. “It’s just… Why are you doing so much to help me?”

Kara’s gaze drifted out the window at the night sky. For a while she didn’t respond as if she were unsure of the reason herself.

“It could be because I feel I owe you for coming to my aid earlier.” She mused to herself. “Or it could be that I feel like helping you now will help me find something I’ve been searching for for a while.”

I raised an eyebrow hoping she would explain further. A cautionary glare alerted me that this cryptic response was the best I would get.

“Listen.” She growled. “I’ve accepted you aren’t just some creep, and that I wouldn’t mind helping you out in THIS case, but that doesn’t make us close friends or anything. Sharing one meal together isn’t enough to make me gush out my whole life story to you. This isn’t some light novel doujin or something!”

I averted my eyes deciding this would not be the right time to discuss how that was exactly what she had been trying to force me to do earlier.

“Fair enough.” I nodded. Looking back I saw a hand stretched out towards me.

“I look forward to working with you.” Kara beamed with a shining smile that I admit caught my heart a bit off guard.

“S-same” I stammered accepting her handshake gingerly.

The partnership accepted, we finished our meal and returned to town agreeing to meet up first thing in the morning at the Teleport Plaza.