"Come on Jon," Alder pleaded "you are going to be the toughest guy any of these people are going to see in the game. I mean a modern day warrior would obviously have the edge on combat compared to a bunch of nerds like me." 

For the last week Alder had been trying to convince Jon to try this game when it comes out, but Jon just was not a gamer.

"Or I will look like a damned fool trying to stay a float." 

Jon would find himself in the game any way, convinced that it would be better if Alder were not alone in a virtual world. On the launch day he would go in while Alder listened in one of many business meetings he would be apart of that day... Meetings that more than likely saved his life. Jon had waited and practiced his sword play and by the time he felt like he needed to check in on Alder it was too late and trap was sprung. . . 

Now he's on floor five, with a reputation for having one of the best shield skills in the game. There were a lot of people he knew on the first floor that helped him get this far, they were still down there and he couldn't  let anything happen to them. The big man pounded his targe with his war hammer and spoke.

"Count my shield and I in. We shall defend this first floor." So that makes three. He had heard of Mez but not the woman, and from Mez's reputation he wasn't too worried about any floor 1 creatures getting the better of them.