Progressive Factor

Raid Meeting and Party Formation

"Go on, just try it out." Intrigued and ravenous, Asuna doesn't hesitate a moment longer to bit into the bread. She cannot hold in the sharp surprise as the disgusting bread becomes filled with flavor like she got this meal fresh from a dairy farm. But before she gets ahead of herself, she reminds herself how stupid Sword Art Online is. But maybe...maybe she'll forgive it just a bit if there are more ways to have food like this.

"Want another?"

"...I'll pass. I didn't survive this long just to eat good food."

"Why then?"

Asuna stands up, keeping her back to the boy. "So that... I can be myself. If I was just going to hide back in the first city and waste away to nothing, then I'd rather fight with all of my strength until the very last moment. And then--"

"You can 'die satisfied,'" the boy finishes.

"I mean, it's a hundred floors. After two months, we haven't even beaten the very first one! Do you know how many people have died in that time? Two thousand! It's impossible... We're never going home."

"...I'm sorry."

Asuna sharply turns around, looking at the boy in the black jacket holding his head down. "Did you just--" A distant bell rings three times in the forest air, gaining Asuna's attention. She's never heard it before. "What's that? A bell?"

"That's the town. Tolbana's close by." The swordsman gets up and places the scabbard on his back. "The bell struck three o'clock. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"To the second floor," the boy says, pointing up, "before anyone else. It's time for the boss battle. You wanna come?"

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"At the amphitheater, four o'clock." Asuna and the boy split up at the town's entrance, blending with the crowd of players and NPCs. As he walks off, he looks as if he was going to ask Asuna a question, but says waves it off. What's his problem?

"Curious?"

Asuna looks to the side and down, seeing a familiar short girl with a hood. "Miss Informant?"

"You curious about him," the girl repeats as she gets close. "I can give you the details for cheap, A-chan. I hear you've been quite the hard worker, eh? I hear stories about a little red riding hood hunting wolfmen in the labyrinth day and night. Word gets around!"

Asuna says as the informant stops shaking her. "No, you've got it all wrong."

"How so?"

"About him, I mean! He's just teaching me about the strategy meeting, nothing more! A-Anyway, I only just met him! Please stop trying to pry and spread weird rumors!"

The informant smiles. "Ah, I see. Okay, okay, I get it. Thanks for the tip."

Asuna is confused but lets it go. "Anyway, Miss Informant, do you know much about him?"

"Oh? So you want to know more about your would-be beau? A-chan will do anything once she sets eyes on her prize."

"Um, well, I have no idea where you're getting this idea," Asuna says very crossly.