Fenros sighed as he and Mia walked into town on the 20th floor, he felt like it had been ages since he and Mia took up that bounty of a serial killer. He glanced back at the man he was dragging with a rope tied around him. He personally felt that he should just kill him now and be done with it. But the man who contracted them, wanted that personally... seeing how his wife was murdered by the psychopath. His real life wife that is. He felt sorry for the guy, apparently they were married only a month before the game...and only two months after they were stuck in the game she was murdered.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Mia said, "Next time YOU be the bait...just being near this guy makes my skin crawl..." Fenros glanced at the petite blonde woman next to him, and replied, "I don't know...i don't think killers like him like men too much..." He said with a smirk at which Mia glared at him with a scowl on her face. " You know what I mean smart ass..." She then looked up at the town and then said, "I am going to find a place to stay for the night. I'll meet up with you after.." She looked at him for a moment as if she was waiting for his his reply, but after a moment she changed her mind and turned and walked away.

He paused for a moment as he watched her leave then yelled towards her, "Why don't we just Get..." Which he was quickly interrupted by a sharp reply from Mia of "NO!!!" He sighed again and continued walking towards the clients place. He was going to say a house or an apartment because in the long run it will just be cheaper, she always said she didn't want one because he was a moron or she would rather die or what ever, never a real excuse, just one to end the subject. He shook his head and decided to let it go for now. The man he was dragging made some comment which he didn't hear but just kicked him for what ever it was, and continued in stride as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

'Target acquired...'

To any who was sitting within the local Tavern on floor 35, one would notice the dark figure who'd just burst through the doorway. It was unmistakable who it was, and fear spread like a dead forest covered in jet fuel. The Dark Arrow Mora, also known to very few as Kilia Fayne, had arrived, and most certainly NOT just to drink good beer...

She scans the now silent room with cold, piercing eyes that seemingly could see into everyone's souls. A sudden feeling of dread fell upon the occupants as they knew what was going to happen next: someone was going to die...

She takes a few steps forward, towards the bar, to where one man is seated with his back facing her. She creeps right behind him, though the man doesn't move. It's as though he's...paralysed?! One may think that it was impossible, though unless this man was just so struck by fear that he couldn't move, the answer seemed likely. She leans in close to him, whispering something in his ear, seemingly only heard by him. The man doesn't react - hell, he hardly does much of anything, though sweat begins to pour down to his brows...

A message appears on the mans display, yet he cannot click to decline the duel offer. However, Dark Arrow seems to do this for him, manipulating his hand to accept the duel and put them into standard dueling procedure. The sixty second countdown begins, and within the first second of the duel, he is already dead, body fading away into a million strands of loose data, effectively ending the poor soul's life...

Kilia spins around and twirls a dagger in her fingers. "If you need someone killed, I'll take on the job, for the right price," she states as she walks to the exit. "Have a nice day..." She says just as she exits the Tavern, disappearing into the night with her armour.

Delta44 said
To any who was sitting within the local Tavern on floor 35, one would notice the dark figure who'd just burst through the doorway. It was unmistakable who it was, and fear spread like a dead forest covered in jet fuel. The Dark Arrow Mora, also known to very few as Kilia Fayne, had arrived, and most certainly NOT just to drink good beer...She scans the now silent room with cold, piercing eyes that seemingly could see into everyone's souls. A sudden feeling of dread fell upon the occupants as they knew what was going to happen next: someone was going to die...She takes a few steps forward, towards the bar, to where one man is seated with his back facing her. She creeps right behind him, though the man doesn't move. It's as though he's...paralysed?! One may think that it was impossible, though unless this man was just so struck by fear that he couldn't move, the answer seemed likely. She leans in close to him, whispering something in his ear, seemingly only heard by him. The man doesn't react - hell, he hardly does much of anything, though sweat begins to pour down to his brows...A message appears on the mans display, yet he cannot click to decline the duel offer. However, Dark Arrow seems to do this for him, manipulating his hand to accept the duel and put them into standard dueling procedure. The sixty second countdown begins, and within the first second of the duel, he is already dead, body fading away into a million strands of loose data, effectively ending the poor soul's life...Kilia spins around and twirls a dagger in her fingers. "If you need someone killed, I'll take on the job, for the right price," she states as she walks to the exit. "Have a nice day..." She says just as she exits the Tavern, disappearing into the night with her armour.

But following her, was a large man, he had a greatsword resting on his back, most people could recognise him as The Mountain, due to his intimidating stature, as Mora he was a mercenary, but he didn't really like competition, especialy of Mora's kind, so he would do three things, the first was to propose her to join forces, if she didn't want to he would ask her to leave his territory, if she refused, she would cut her down and be done.

"Hey, you!" he says to her. "I have a proposal that you couldn't refuse and I hope you won't, how about we join forces, you and me are the toughest around, so what do you say?" he asks tightening his grip on his greatsword.

Crimson Guardians of the Asylum HQ, The Spire of Othe, Floor 35

The courtyard of the keep was in dead silence. A dozen guards stood at the ready against the four walls that surrounded the courtyard, each of them held a blazing torch to illuminate the area. Three more guards stood in the center, their hands held firmly on the pummels of their sheathed blades, next to a fourth man, although he wasn't a guard. He was, in fact, a criminal and, as such, was kneeling down in complete submission. He didn't seem to realize where he was, almost as if he'd lost his mind. The tattered rags that clothed him barely covered his shaking body. Mez wondered whether it truly was the cold that gripped him and not fear.

He walked, silently, from the large wooden doors that lead into the keep, other figures were filing out from the innards of the keep, there were eleven in total. The three guards in the center turned to face him and simultaneously placed a closed right fist over their left breast, just above the heart. Mez acknowledged them with a nod. His stride lengthened just by a little so that he may reach them quicker.

Execution was a nasty business. But sometimes there was no other solution. The kneeling man had been a prisoner beneath the Spire for just over three weeks. His crime was first-degree murder. He had stationed himself just outside of the Town of Beginnings and proceeded to prey upon the lower ranks. Slaughtering weaker players as if they were just another thing to be farmed. The man had managed five killings before a Crimson Guard had apprehended him. He was teleported to the Spire immediately to stand trial. His time was now up. The Twelve Guardians had reviewed his case and had granted him the most severe form of punishment. Death.

It had been Mez who initially introduced them all to the idea of policing the players who killed other players, otherwise known as PKers. This man had done it simply for sport, for his own twisted amusement, Mez felt sick just looking at him. They then had to take up the mantle of responsibility. He wasn't stupid, Mez knew that he couldn't completely eradicate PKing from this game, as long as it were an optional thing to do, but he could do his utmost to deter others from doing it. And so, as the Guild Leader, he nominated himself to perform all executions. It was a guilt ridden task but there was no one else stronger and more dedicated to the cause.

He loomed over the criminal now, his shadow dancing in the firelight, and looked down upon the husk of what once was a human being. A glimpse of a smile still etched upon the man's face. Mez, however, felt nothing but pity. "Secure him." He uttered. One of the guards held the man's top half against a chopping block, whilst another secured the metallic shackles that would keep him in place, his head was left hanging over the edge with a bloody, wooden bucket underneath.

Rhan had come to stand beside Mez by now, a worried look upon his face. "Are you sure this time, Mez. I can always..."

"No." He interrupted. "You know the rules. Only one of us may be red." He fixed Rhan with a stern look as he said so, then eased off and began looking at the ten remaining of the Twelve Guardians, their green diamonds floating proudly above their heads. He daren't look up at his own. Instead, he opened his inventory and, after scrolling through it momentarily, selected a weapon named Retribution +3. Doing so caused the one-handed sword to materialize in his grasp. He took a single step towards the criminal, soon to be relieved from this world and the past world. Slowly, his lifted his right arm, in which he held the blade, and pointed it toward the pitch black sky.

"You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have been found guilty. For the heinous crime of multiple accounts of first-degree murder, I, MezmeriSin, Venerable Lord of the Asylum, grant you only that which you deserve most. May your descent into Hell be everlasting and your stay, even longer. I sentence you..." He paused, allowing the gravity of his next words to fill the air.

"...to death."

With those final words, he brought his sword down swiftly upon the man's neck. Crimson liquid sprayed for a while, after the man's severed head fell into the bucket, but it quickly died down. Mez flicked the blood from his sword and sheathed it at his side. "The deed is done." He announced. "Place his head upon a spike with the others." It was the last thing he said before turning back towards the keep and walking off.

Claw2k11 said
But following her, was a large man, he had a greatsword resting on his back, most people could recognise him as The Mountain, due to his intimidating stature, as Mora he was a mercenary, but he didn't really like competition, especialy of Mora's kind, so he would do three things, the first was to propose her to join forces, if she didn't want to he would ask her to leave his territory, if she refused, she would cut her down and be done."Hey, you!" he says to her. "I have a proposal that you couldn't refuse and I hope you won't, how about we join forces, you and me are the toughest around, so what do you say?" he asks tightening his grip on his greatsword.

Mora stops instantly and slowly spins around. "Very few people have the tracking capabilities to ever find me... No." She states simply before continuing on with her walk, eventually reaching a nearby building and stopping just outside. She looks up at the tall structure, it's light wooden frame sticking out on all it's bad points. It was perfect for climbing.

She grasped firmly to a piece of wood just above her head and gained a foothold slightly above ground level. Her ascent up the building was nimble, grabbing loose boards of wood with precision and speed, and before long she was atop the building, looking back to see if The Mountain was still following...

Varren awoke to a consistent pinging sound, repeating in his eardrums. He yelled out of surprise and tried to lean towards the menu, to silence the notifcation. In his tired state, he easily lost his balance and the forward momentum of his arm was too much to counteract, kinetic energy forced him off of the bed, and face first into the floor. He was able to prevent himself from faceplanting into the wood by propping himself with his arm, though the rest of his body was already in motion, causing his side to slam into the boards instead. The boy let out a groan of anger, even though he was unable to feel pain, it was mostly instinct at hand. After letting out a side, the swordsman rose and silenced the alarm, which then displayed a message. Varren let out a yawn and focused his eyes on the note, quickly skimming through the holographic text.

”Hello, Mr. Varren! I’ve caught word that you’re an excellent tailor, and can sew masterpieces! My leather armor needs some repair after a run in with some oversized ants, could you please offer me your services? I’ll pay good money, I’ll give you the coordinates to my house on the fourteenth floor.
From,
CoMa”

Varren closed the message and pondered whether he should take up the job or not. Repairing leather armor was something that could be done at the local tailor, but using the NPCs had a higher chance of breaking the item. Perhaps “CoMa” wanted it to be improved after it was fully repaired, he decided to take up the offer. He threw on a pair of dark pants, and a black sweater, much like the ones in the real world. He had customized a jacket he found and tried to make it as similar as possible. It acted as a tie to the life Yinyues used to live, a more peaceful and calming life, which he floated through with ease. With only intentions of playing the game as a pastime, as long as the boy kept up good grades in school, it would be an acceptable hobby. Though, his aspirations bit him in the rear and trapped him within the world of Aincrad, forcing him to fight for his life. He smoothed out his relatively long brown hair and draped a scarf around his neck, then slipped on gloves of the same color scheme as the rest of his clothing. With that, he grabbed his sheathed blade and departed for the floor.

LATER:

Varren loosened the scarf resting on his neck and proceeded through the forest, using his sword to move the underbrush out of his path. Though throughout his walk, he hadn’t encountered a single mob, due to the fact he was almost twice the level of most of the monsters which resided on the floor. Even though the were AI, they were still programmed to value their lives and not attack those who were of a higher level. “Damn, I hate all of these trees. It’d be nice if I had a shield to just charge through with.” He grimaced as he glanced down at his map, noticing the distance between his destination and himself. Varren let out a high and proceeded on his route, letting time silently slip by. After a few minutes, the player heard some rustling behind him, he spun around and readied his blade, both of his hands clutching the hilt. Through the trees bursted an overgrown beetle, its HP bar and level appeared on Varren’s screen. ”Level 16, notably high level mob for this floor.” He thought to himself, his eyes squinted as he mouthed the name of the monster; Crowned Goliath.

It most definitely did not sound like a common monster, but it wasn’t registering as a boss. Yinyues narrowed it down to an elite class entity, a rank just below boss level. To him, it was like taking out the trash. He activated a basic sword skill which propelled him towards the insect, Varren quickly jabbed one of its legs four time in succinct motions. The bug let a cry of pain and realed back, a common movement these types of monsters made. It was an attempt for the creature to show its everlasting dominance over its opponent, though the boy didn’t intend to let the chance slide. He charged the beast and raised his sword in an upwards motion, sinking the sharp tip into the exoskeleton. The bug ceased to move after a few moments and blew up into fractured polygons of light. Varren let out a sigh of relief, closing down the pop-up, knowing the contents were of no use to him. “Damn, that was a little tiring. Perhaps I’ll head back to town for a cup of tea or coffee.” He stretched out and walked through the forest, heading towards his destination. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen any players yet. I would imagine at least somebody would be around here grinding for experience.” With a shrug, he patted down his hair and held his sword with one hand, just in the case he would need to use it soon.

<<Littrix>>

Was on the second floor and at a town called Urbas. She was getting too much attention because of her tamed beast, Aura. She simply sighed trying to pass through the large crowd around her. Urbas seemed very mundane. It seemed like any old medieval-ish time but with some kind of modern, Italian touch. Most of the houses were brick and filled with merchants. She could see other players fighting over something and a merchant simply ripping off someone. She sighed seeing Aura on her shoulder rubbing on her cheek as she walked. It was normal Aura was pleasured at the time. She had only been here for two days ever since she battled the first floor boss. He had a demonic face that scared her, though she didn't do the boss fight alone.

As she walked through the streets of Urbas it silence. It was finally night of the 2nd floor. She sighed once again the town was still Mundane nothing changed and she finally planned that she'd go figure out what types of creatures there are. As she stepped along the town she'd finally notice that she has been circling the same area! She wanted to curse so badly now but she needed to keep calm. She turned and went for the center of town. She was lost and she didn't know if Aura could do anything that could do with Locating. She tried for a few minutes..nothing happened. She frowned only a tree and some people having a picnic beside it. She sighed and didn't know what to do. Urbas was huge and was complex.

Finally after a few hours of walking she could tell it was really..late and was really tired but she could see the gate. Luckily there was a inn next to it. She smiled quickly running to it as Aura flew from her shoulder and glided towards her. She entered the building, again it was modern with Italy stuck in it. She slightly chuckled as she walked up to the man behind the counter. " May I have a room? " she asked politely. The man smiled as he nodded waiting for the money. She gave him at least 50col. The man nodded once more as she turned around and held something in his hand, a key. He nodded once more handing the key to her.

Littrix smiled, " Thank you! " she would say running to her sighed as she quickly dashed up the stairs. There were various doors and it kind reminded her of a..myth- she shook her head and didn't want to talk about it. She shrugged as she looked at her key and engraved on it was " E-15 " she looked around the halls until she could find the door. The number was exactly E-15. She unlocked the door and opened it! She smiled as she looked into the room. It was plain, white walls, a desk, a queen sized bed, and a cabinet in front of the bed. It looked like her room when she was in reality, smiling she would close the door behind her and plop onto the bed. Nothing much to do until she wakes. For now she wanted to rest.~

The Lazy Start

Delta44 said
Mora stops instantly and slowly spins around. "Very few people have the tracking capabilities to ever find me... No." She states simply before continuing on with her walk, eventually reaching a nearby building and stopping just outside. She looks up at the tall structure, it's light wooden frame sticking out on all it's bad points. It was perfect for climbing.She grasped firmly to a piece of wood just above her head and gained a foothold slightly above ground level. Her ascent up the building was nimble, grabbing loose boards of wood with precision and speed, and before long she was atop the building, looking back to see if The Mountain was still following...

The Mountain climbed it even though it was harder for him due to his weight after her, after he reached the top, he asked.

"So, do we team up, or not?" he asks

Claw2k11 said
The Mountain climbed it even though it was harder for him due to his weight after her, after he reached the top, he asked."So, do we team up, or not?" he asks

"Are you deaf? I said no." Replies Kilia simply, threatening him with a raised dagger by his throat. Though she couldn't harm him as of yet, even the dagger's presence should provide some unrest. "Unless, of course, you have Col or EXP to offer, in which case I'm inclined to take on your stupid cynic job, whatever that may be." She says, voice intent with harm.

Delta44 said
"Are you deaf? I said no." Replies Kilia simply, threatening him with a raised dagger by his throat. Though she couldn't harm him as of yet, even the dagger's presence should provide some unrest. "Unless, of course, you have Col or EXP to offer, in which case I'm inclined to take on your stupid cynic job, whatever that may be." She says, voice intent with harm.

"There will be both, we will split the winnings 60%(you) and 40%(me) he says, I can go to 70%(you) and 30%(me), if you refuse again, then I will have your equipment soon." enough." he says grinning.

Claw2k11 said
"There will be both, we will split the winnings 60%(you) and 40%(me) he says, I can go to 70%(you) and 30%(me), if you refuse again, then I will have your equipment soon." enough." he says grinning.

"You obviously don't know the definition of 'no' you persistent fuck!" She murmurs, though her voice kept rising until it was just above a fierce whisper. "If you want my blades, you'll need to fight me for them. The same goes for even my bow and my daggers. If you truly want me to do something, go to the Central HUB and write out a short-term contract. I don't do anything long-term and I even more so don't do teams or partners. So, unless you have anything else to say, I think we're done here." She says in a voice filled with malice, turning away from him and leaping across the rooftops to the central teleporter.

Happenstance ::: Floor 35

"What a bitch."

Clarence Moore scowled disgustedly at the player bearing the username Dark Arrow Mora who had just slaughtered an unprovoked player in a safe-zone in what was obvious to everyone as an unfair, forced duel. He wasn't the kind of person to go getting himself involved in other people's affairs, but some things just weren't right. Everyone was struggling to survive here, the objective was to beat the game, and he hated that so many players would be so selfish as to murder their comrades. It might be all fun and games if it were that, just a game, but people could really die here. You die here, you die in the real world too. Red players were no better than murderers, the scum of the earth.

He spat on the ground as she stalked out the door pompously, but she either didn't notice or purposely ignored him. As he watched, a man rose and followed her out. Maybe he was an accomplice, maybe he was out to get her for what she'd just done. He hoped it was the latter.

As his username suggested, Happenstance wasn't a particularly serious player. Well, he was serious about playing, MMO's were his forte, but he wasn't particularly goal-oriented. As good as he was, he knew there were probably better players out there. Even though one could not see others' levels, he was sure he wasn't very high-ranked among them, and though he'd helped with floor-clearing a handful of times, it just didn't particularly interest him anymore now that big shot guilds like the Knights of the Blood Oath made it their sole purpose in life to clear the game. All the most talented players were asked to join guilds like that, while he, well, he was just an aimless wanderer.

It didn't take long for the atmosphere of the taproom to cheer up a little, though several players had either left or retired for the night. He ordered another ale at the bar and sulked for another half hour. A small voice in his head told him to go after that mercenary woman and make an end of her, that little voice of heroism and justice. He quickly squashed it with the logic that had helped him to survive up to this point: keep your head down and don't go sniffing for trouble.

"Yeah," he smiled bitterly, "What a coward, poor bastard that I am. No wonder nobody's partying up with me." In fact, if you checked his profile it would tell you that he did belong to a guild, Dark Horses--he'd thought it was a clever name at the time--though being the sole member he guessed it wasn't much of anything, he just hadn't gotten around to dissolving it yet.

After downing his ale he retreated to the rented room, he stretched out on the mattress and stared at the ceiling. Moonlight trickled in along with the faint sounds of crickets and wind in the eaves. If he was quite honest with himself he was probably depressed. His usual happy-go-lucky attitude somewhat dampened by tonight's events, among other things, like the fact he couldn't seem to keep people around. He made friends easily enough, they just never stayed, or maybe it was him that didn't stay. Probably they would move onto something else while he was set in his ways of performing menial quests on the same levels, or going back to lower levels to hunt out quests he'd missed before. He would check up on his favorite fellows once in a while, having them all saved in his friends list. Come to think of it, he could always rejoin them, but something happens when you part ways and come back together, usually one or both of you has changed, and then you wonder why it was you got off so well in the first place, or maybe remembered why you initially separated.

He turned on his side and hugged the down pillow to his chest, knowing that the fact of the matter was simply that he was lonely. Six months of mostly solo-playing was wearing him down, and he was beginning to realize that his current lifestyle was pretty pointless. Heck forget floor clearing, he wasn't even contributing to the growing society of players who ran businesses, places like the one he was staying at now, or shops that crafted and sold things to others. He could of course, if he wanted to, do the same. But somehow settling down like that just seemed altogether unappealing. He was tired of doing nothing, he needed some kind of purpose.

His thoughts returned to the murder, for it was surely a murder. Weren't there guilds out there that made it their job to take care of PKers? Probably, most likely. He wasn't quite sure how that would work but, in his experience, there was pretty much a guild for everything. He wasn't quite sure where he would find it though, so simply sighed, eyes closed, and let his thoughts drift to pleasanter things in the last few minutes before sleep overtook him.

Mia sighed gruffly after she yelled No. She knew he was only thinking about saving money...as he always was even in the real world. But still she couldn't move in with him. Even if this was a virtual world... That states something. At least in her mind. Something they weren't. She continued towards the inn and watched the players around her, ignoring a few whistling men as she passed by. Her mind wandered to a memory of Derrick, in the real world when some men were coming on to her and offering her to come to their place and to "Have some fun." Derrick suddenly appeared and ripped into them about how to treat a lady... and how they were all disgusting low life's for even thinking it was ok to say stuff like that. Derrick was gentleman through and through.The thought of him made her smile...She glanced to her right to see Derrick standing there... Her heart jumped and she spun to focus on him, but as soon as she did that she noticed it wasn't him... but someone who just happened to be wearing similar armor, and styled his hair the same way.

Her heart sank as she remembered were he was and that made her stop in her tracks. She had a sudden urge to go his grave she made for him...of course his body wasn't there, but she felt that he needed to be remembered in this world. She stood up straight and pulled out a telaport crystal and picked the town on floor two, the town of Urbas. After a flash of a bright light she now stood in the center of Urbas, the crystal breaking in her hand as it completed it's purpose. Without hesitating she made her way for the gates on the west side of town, and after ten minutes of walking outside of the city walls she came to a head stone at the edge of a cliff, The sun was setting and it was as beautiful as it always was...even though it was a program and not even a real sun, Derrick and herself would sit here and watch it together...and they both agreed it was the best sunset of all the floors they been on, and even in the real world. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and leaned her left side against the headstone,, just as if it was his shoulder.

She sat there till well past the time the sun had set. She suddenly woke up with a jolt. sleeping outside of town, or even outside of an inn was suicide in this game... but she soon realized she was in an Inn... in a bed. She smiled as she realized Fenros figured where she was and waited till she fell asleep before taking her to an Inn to make sure she was safe. Despite being an Idiot alot of the time he did his best to take care of her. She realized it probably just as hard for him as it was for her... they were alot closer before their friends deaths...being friends since childhood. For him though it was as if he lost all three of his friends that day.... she changed dramatically after that day..... and she was a lot harder on him have him grow up... ignoring old inside jokes and even beating a bitch to him sometimes...alot of times... and yet he didn't say anything about it... he just took it while taking care of her.. he was the strong one... she was the weak one, even if she acted otherwise.

She curled up and pulled the sheets around her and smiled softly as she quickly fell back asleep

Delta44 said
"You obviously don't know the definition of 'no' you persistent fuck!" She murmurs, though her voice kept rising until it was just above a fierce whisper. "If you want my blades, you'll need to fight me for them. The same goes for even my bow and my daggers. If you truly want me to do something, go to the Central HUB and write out a short-term contract. I don't do anything long-term and I even more so don't do teams or partners. So, unless you have anything else to say, I think we're done here." She says in a voice filled with malice, turning away from him and leaping across the rooftops to the central teleporter.

"Then I ask you to leave my territory, now if you don't mind?" he says grabbing hold of his sword

Claw2k11 said
"Then I ask you to leave my territory, now if you don't mind?" he says grabbing hold of his sword

Kilia can't help but chuckle at the mention of 'territories'. "I work on all floors. I'm just a visitor. Unless my next target is on this floor, consider me gone by the morning," she explains, seeing him draw his sword. She chuckles again. "You can't hurt me with that, not yet. Drawing it won't help anything..." She turns her back to him and begins to walk away, though turns around to give him one final message: "You kill my target, I kill you. Keep out of my way and I'll keep out of yours."

With that, she disappears off into the night, running across the rooftops and over buildings, making her way to the outer edges of the city. The place was mostly a slums by now, with run-down alleyways and homeless all around. Most were NPC's though there were a few players sleeping in various locations around the place. Home was just beyond...

On the outside of town lies a rather large, dark forest, and it is here that Kilia resides for most nights. She glides through the forest with an ominous presence that seems to follow her everywhere, and eventually she reaches her home. A poor, broken little wreck of a wooden shack in the middle of it all. Shadows swirl around the place as though they were guardians, and she welcomed the icy embrace of the darkness. Inside was not much better, with a few essential items - such as a bed, fire, and cooking pot - and a small chest. A trapdoor lies beneath a crate in the corner of the room, revealing the true extent of her humble abode, though she was far too tired to be bothered with emptying her items in the secret chest downstairs. Instead, she lay on the outside bed, still fully equipped, and drifted into a light sleep.

Varren’s journey through the forest of Yibar lasted roughly another two hours. It’s not like he was covered in the dirt, grime and sweat he would have been in the real world, but the player felt like it. During the trek, he had only encountered another Crowned Goliath, which had rendered an uncommon drop; its horn. It would fetch a good price on the second floor, some merchant or blacksmith would want to use its resources to craft better items. If this was the real world, Yinyues would have to carry a horn half the size of his body, but thanks to the equipment system which most MMORPGs ran off of, it just appeared as a single item in his inventory. He had also poached some ordinary rabbits with his knife-throwing skills, which would hopefully serve as dinner the next day. He was cutting his way through the forest, when he spotted a clearing fifty meters ahead, which must have been his destination. Varren let out a sigh of relief as he jogged into the open space. Within it was a small wooden hut, but there wasn’t a single trace of a player inside of the shack.

He sighed yet again as his screen found itself focusing on a being, attempting to hide itself behind some shrubs. ”Perhaps he’s just foraging whilst waiting for my arrival? He’s probably in a daze for something, I’ll call out to h-” To his dismay, his second theory was confirmed by a faint humming sound. It was a sword skill activating, perhaps the player was trying to be stealthy, but his plans were thwarted by Varren’s high awareness and perception levels. He grimaced as he readied his sword, moments before the figure bursted out of the shrubbery, lead by a dagger giving off a bright yellow light. Though, Yinyues wasn’t surprised by the skill, but its user. The player was only a mere kid, he estimated that he was roughly twelve or thirteen. It was a miracle the boy was able to survive so long in the death game. He was wearing a green cloak and had shortly trimmed black hair. Varren instantly saw the trajectory of the skill; it was a basic charging ability, but because of its user’s low level, he was unable to change the course of the blade. Yinyues easily sidestepped to the left, the boy was almost past him until he activated a skill of his own.

«Flat Edge»

Varren’s estoc gave off a cyanic light, letting the skill guide him, he slammed the wider side of his sword into the boy, sending him flying a few meters. The skill was used to taunt monsters, or disable their guard before a switch was activated. To other players, it simply stunned them and dealt only minor damage. At this point, the boy lay on the ground in a heap of tears and denial. Yinyues’ breath was moderate, as it wasn’t that hard of a task, but he felt a slight sense of guilt. ”Damn it Varren. Damn you and your good heart.” He thought to himself as he initiated a trade request with CoMa. The boy unknowingly accepted it, and received three uncooked rabbits. By the time he glanced up to thank the player, Varren was already gone.

Later - Floor 2: Urbas

After trading the horn for a few spools of thread, he chose to make his way to a nearby inn. He glanced at his friends list and realized there were a few individuals residing in the same tavern. They were six levels lower than him, and they sometimes asked for Varren to help them out. As he entered the complex, they instantly greeted him, ”Oi! Varren, join us for a drink! We’re seeing how much ale FeliX can down before the effects make him pass out!” He facepalmed and let out a deep sigh, “My god, there are people trying to slee- wait, how many has FeliX downed so far?” He asked, cocking his head in slight interest. Two of the three looked at each other, whilst the third, FeliX, was chugging down a glass. ”I’d say… four so far?” The individual known as Baron answered with a shrug. This made Varren ponder his next move, though he decided upon his next action in a second, “Bartender. May I have a glass of coffee, along with a room?” The notification popped up on his display, he pressed the accept option and received the to room E-12. “Alright, it’s been a long day. Guess I might as well indulge myself in FeliX’s stupidity.” He joked as he sat down and wrapped his hands around the hot beverage, and took a sip of the bitter liquid. A grin of approval formed on his face, ”Say, Varren. Why do you wear such… real-world-ish clothing? I mean, we get to put on armor, and be knights! That’s amazing, a dream come true! Yet here you are, wearing an ordinary winter sweater, a scarf and cotton gloves.”

Varren thought about the query for a while, sipping from the glass, then turned to his friend, “Well, unlike you, I still have ties to the real world. I fight so I can advance. And I advance so I can get free of this game. Though there isn’t much awaiting me on the other side, there’s still the possibility to do new things.” FeliX sneered and leaned towards Varren, the stench of ale pouring from his mouth. ”Yeah, there are a lot of thing you can do. Like a wom-” Yinyues cut off the comment by shoving the man’s drink into his mouth, then heavily patted him on the back, “Just keep drinking, my senior. Just keep drinking.” Varren intended to go up to his room once this whole charade was over, but he monitored his friends, hoping they wouldn’t wake any of those who were residing upstairs.

Seeing that it went well without a fight Dariel sighs and sheathes his sword and thinks that it wasn't such a bright idea, but without thinking about it he jumps off the building which takes him some damage, but thankfully it wasn't a lot of damage, but still that made the day slightly worse as the woman from before had just stolen his kill, it wasn't the first time that money that belonged to him were stolen by someone else, but the rest of the times he got them back as he made short work of his enemies.

He simply just stopped thinking about it and went off to his modest home, he could notice a lot of NPC's around in the slums, but a few players too, he thought at first to kill them, but then again if they were sleeping in the slums then it means they lacked the money and frankly it wasn't worth it, so he just passes by them and continues towards his home, which was built in the nearby woods.

When he finally reaches it he sighs, it was a small house with a three rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom and a small storage room, he goes inside right in the kitchen which only had a few cooking pots and a oven, not much, but then again he didn't need much, he goes from the kitchen directly to the bedroom, to tired to even put the things he had in storage, the bedroom, had a simple bed, a small chest and a small light right on a small desk next to the bed, without even thinking about comfort he crashes on the bed and in just a few minutes he falls in light sleep.

Saraswati moved from rooftop to rooftop, peering down into the alleys. She had to be careful as she was technically outside of the "safe" zone. Actually, with the orange flag above her head she couldn't even enter an actual safe zone or risk being mobbed by a bunch of settlement guards. Worse still was "The Army, or the Aincrad Liberation Force. They would lock her up inside their Black Iron Palace and, most likely, throw away the key. A life of petty thievery wasn't all it was cracked up to be but spending the rest of her life, until the servers eventually crashed, inside a dungeon wasn't really her cup of tea either.

Ever since the announcement that this electronic world was lethal she'd retreated from higher floors and came back down here to the second. She just didn't see the allure in fighting monsters and ascending to ever more dangerous areas. If one of them managed to free them all, so much the better but she wasn't going to take the risks. Monsters, thankfully, didn't enter settlements, safe zone or not. They might be plenty in the sewers but not on the streets and in the buildings. She'd heard rumours of course, of vampires, werewolves and others that masqueraded as NPCs and attacked without warning but she'd never seen one in person.

Walking across a cable strung between buildings Saraswati marvelled at her sense of balance and the confidence she felt. In real life she'd never have attempted such a crossing but her she was, clutching the rope between her arches of her feet and sauntering through the air. In short order she'd reached the other side and was moving stealthily across the tiled roof. Peering down into another street, her bare toes curled around the eaves trough of the building she called forth her inventory. Mostly it was junk. Small items of little or no worth that she'd stolen from NPCs and PCs alike. They were small items, the like that would be an annoyance to lose but not necessarily a hindrance. The last thing she wanted was to anger a player enough for him or her to gather his fellows and seek her out. No, just enough that it wouldn't be worth the bother of trying to reclaim their property.

Surprisingly, Saraswati spotted some silverware through an open window and moved, leaping across empty space, shimmying down the side of a building before perching upon the window sill. Her sharp golden eyes took in the room, searching out traps or ambush but she hardly expected anything. Sara placed one toe against the wood below the sill, then slowly put her weight down and then padded quietly across the room. In short order, she was searching through drawers and sliding her fingers along hung paintings in search of hidden compartments. All she received for her trouble was three Col, a silver candlestick and some steel cutlery she recovered from next to a half eaten piece of pie.

Then she retreated, heading back towards the rooftop. She could sell these things to her fence and earn a few more Col, enough to pay the rent and possibly earn a few drinks at the local tavern.

Littrix
(Assuming that everyone wants it to be morning.)

The soft lights began seeping through the curtains. A soft chirping noise and a normal sound of a mundane village outside the inn The sun was beginning to rise.

She slowly wakes up. Shifting around the bed. Her body felt stiff, tight, as if it was frozen. She yawned, sitting up, opening her eyes staring of what was infront of her. The wall and the cabinet. It was normal like usual. She turned her head seeing Aura sleeping soundly beside her. Smiling she would slowly slide out of the bed. Once she stood up she began stretching out her arms and legs. Once she was done she swiped her finger through the air opening the GUI and equipping her Rapier and Armor on. She rolled her shoulders, walking to the other side of the bed to wake up Aura. Poking him only once as he quickly dashed up into the air up and ready to go. She smiled looking around if she had left anything then walked towards the door.

She felt refreshed, walking down the stairs, Aura right beside her flying in the air. As she reached the first floor not many were there. Only the man behind the counter and a few players chatting. It was mundane but she didn't really mind. The man waved at her and so did she, walking towards the door and exiting the inn. She felt the cool wind as it swiftly danced along her virtual skin, moving the weak branches of trees. It was a pleasant day, nothing much was going on, only the NPC's setting up there stalls and readying themselves for the day.

She looked up at the sky, smiling seeing a few birds fly by Urbas. She she sighed looking towards the gate a few buildings to the left of the inn. She gulped and was ready as ever! As she walked towards the gate she had grabbed out her Beta Tester book, reading information on the monsters and area. Some seemed scary and including that! Pictures of the monsters made it more creepy! She felt fear climb up her spine gulping as she looked up at the gate. She shook her head trying not to think of anything scary. She looked out the gate seeing many large hills and mountains with flat tops on them. She looked at her surroundings seeing a forest right beside the hill the town was on! It was perfect and it looked so easy to get back in town.

She gained a little hope, Aura landing on her shoulder, walking down the path to the ground. Once she was in the forest she began walking a few meters away from town. Not much was there only a few passive animals were roaming around..but nothing else. She yawned. She was under a tall tree, marking the area, still looking around. She climbed up the tree, slowly. Once she reached a suitable spot to sit she saw Urbas calculating that it was only two miles away. She rested on the tree for only a few minutes until she head a buzzing noise. Knowing that the book didn't list any mutant bees. She stood up, balancing on the Branch she was and thus she dashed off the edge landing swiftly on the ground then turning back at the-..." What..tha..." The 'things' appearance looked than the picture shown in the book. She backed away a few steps then un-sheathing her Rapier.

Aura flew off her shoulder and stood there waiting for the right time to heal or defend for his master. Lit stared at it the wings made a strange buzzing noise which scared the hell out of her but..she stayed calm. Standing there waiting if the <<Wind Wasp>> would attack and I did. Dashing towards her straight and its mandibles open. She felt disgusted. She stood to her side. Her left arm out to the side pointing her blade towards the dashing <<Wind Wasp>> thus she activated <<Linear>> Her blade turned blue as she swiftly dashed towards it as well. Hitting the <<Wind Wasp>> as she damaged it. It was half of what its health was a few moments ago. She prepared another attack towards the <<Wind Wasp>> It hovered for a moment until it turned into a sideways 'V'. Staring at it for a moment until she looked below it was preparing its stinger.

She smirked. She was at her side once more her blade pointing towards the <<Wind Wasp>> she focused on its middle part waiting for the right time to strike and thus the <<Wind Wasp>> dashed towards her. As the wasp dashed towards her she activated another skill <<Quadruple Pain>> thus she dashed, like an ice skater but on grass. Her blade gleamed blue as it struck the <<Wind Wasp> four times with maximum speed and thus its half and some other parts were cut off. The wasp finally exploding into blue particles. Lit smiled. She wasn't hurt one bit and was very proud of that! She smirked walking back towards the tree resting once more.

<<Congratulations!>>
<< Col - 343 >>

Crimson Guardians of the Asylum HQ, The Spire of Othe, Floor 35

Mez hadn't slept. Last night's execution had taken its' toll, as it always did, on his normally stalwart mind. Images of the man's face and, more notably, his twisted smile kept him awake during the early hours. It was nothing new, however. The longer this game went on, the more he found himself struggling to sleep. 'Just another thing to add to the nightmares.' He thought. Sometimes he'd wonder if he truly was doing the right thing but then he'd think of the scores of players who had died unfairly due to someone else's choices. When it came to the executions, those people had already made their choice, they knew it would end that way.

His musing was interrupted by a knock at the door to his chambers. "Come in." He said aloud. A few seconds went by before the door opened and through it walked a Guardsman, the same one that had been posted to guard his door during the night for protection. The idea hadn't been Mez's of course, but that of the other Eleven. They had deemed him a rather big target ever since he had decided to confront the PKers. Mez wasn't crazy about the 24hr protection but he wasn't about to dismiss the concerns of his Councilmen.

The guard, Virgil was his name, shuffled forward a few steps before speaking. "My apologies, Lord Mez, but I have been ordered to inform you that there has been a murder on this floor. As recent as last night, taken place inside a tavern not too far from the Spire." The guard looked at the floor, obviously nervous. This had been the first time the guard had actually spoken to him.

"Thank You, Virgil." He began. "For bringing this to my attention. Have some men sent to the Tavern immediately and begin inquiries into what happened. No one in or out until I get there."

"Soldiers have already been sent to secure the location. They are awaiting your arrival." Mez was pleased at this. His council had saw fit to act immediately, rather than rely on his go ahead. He stood up from his bed, still dressed from evening prior. A murder this close to the Spire was serious, there hadn't been one for at least a month. Hygiene would have to wait.

"Then what are we waiting for? I assume you'll be accompanying me?" Mez replied.

"Well no, Sir. I am to stand guard at your chambers, My Lord." Another nervous shuffle.

"You would guard an empty room? Nonsense. You'll come along with me, I'll need the company. Besides, if you're going to be guarding me whilst I sleep, I'd prefer it if I knew you as a friend than just another subordinate." Mez had donned a large cloak by now and had affixed his massive, sheathed Greatsword to his back.

"Of course, My Lord, if you say so." Replied the guard, bowing his head.

"Which means you can drop the 'My Lord' crap. I'm no more of a player than you are."

"Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir."

"That too."

"As you command."

Mez sighed, "We're gonna have to work on you." Mez then strode out of the room, followed closely by his bodyguard.

Tavern, Floor 35

Mez walked into the tavern, which was now teeming with Crimson Guardians. He walked straight toward the bar where two Guardians were questioning the barman. Mez could tell he was growing frustrated. "Barkeep!" He exclaimed aloud. Players within the tavern turned to look upon him. Every member of the Crimson Guardians saluted in unison, all barring Virgil of course, who was following just a few steps behind him. "Two pints of your finest ale, please." He then turned to Virgil and asked, "Have you eaten?" Virgil shook his head. "And maybe something to eat, if you'd be so kind." The man's face eased slightly as Mez closed in on the bar, recognizing who he was and happy with his appearance in his inn. "And could all Crimson Guardian members please leave the tavern. I will be heading the investigation from here and will only require two of you to stand guard outside. The rest of you are dismissed."

The atmosphere within the building instantly seemed to calm as the Guardians left the inn. They had been far too overzealous with their investigations it seemed. Mez then regarded the other players who had stayed within the tavern for the night and who, up until now, were being unduly questioned by his subordinates. They, also, looked none too happy. "My apologies, Ladies and Gentlemen, for my over-eager guildmates. It has been a while since there was a murder on this floor. Please, sit down, enjoy some of this establishment's fine food and excellent ale, courtesy of the Crimson Guardians. I will try to make this investigation as short and as painless as possible."

With that, Mez placed a bag of coins on the bar and swooped up one of the ale glasses that the barman had just placed out in front of him. "So then," He said to the owner, leaning on the bar as he did so and taking a swig of the bitter liquid. "About this murderer..."