The Survival Logs || Sword Art Online Fanfic

PK Pandemonia Arc: Chapter 58 - Harmony in the Horizon

17 February 2024

Horizon's Edge guild base, 30th Floor

Being early to a guild meeting has never, ever, been a virtue of mine.

As a Drifter who wanders around different Floors every single day, my schedule was determined by the parties that I join and the various tasks that they need my help with. With the number of middle-leveled players on the rise, there was always some party who needed help in clearing a field dungeon on a Floor higher than what they could manage.

The reasons for going to such lengths of risk were of a wide variety: EXP grinding, rare item drops, quest progression, or anything that was similar. These players make up the largest group of the player population in the current frontline of the 63th Floor, and they're becoming bolder as the days pass by.

Consequently, I was almost always out and about, travelling with a different client party in order to help them with whatever they wanted done, but can't due to their levels being not high enough. On the weekends when I take breaks from Drifting, I would visit the Horizon's Edge guild base for the weekly meetings that the guild leader Misuko would hold.

Nevertheless, I would never fail to incur her burning wrath whenever I came, and I knew very well why. I would always--in some way or another--find myself in front of Misuko and the other Company leaders as I awkwardly popped my head through the door, being at least 30 minutes behind the time I should have been here at.

Me being ruthlessly chased by Misuko around the guild base after that wasn't an exaggeration. I might even become used to the sight of her waving her green axe with bloodlust intent as I helplessly screamed and sprinted around like a kid in trouble with the teachers.

It's not like I wanted to be late for guild meetings, but I couldn't help it; due to my Drifting, I could find myself anywhere that would be considerably far from the 30th Floor on the day before. Only the main cities of each Floor had a Teleport Gate each, which would take more time to get to since I would often find myself in the smaller towns instead.

Of course, trying to state that as an excuse wasn't valid enough, as far as Misuko was concerned.

This morning, however, as I leaned on the doors into the lounge, only Misuko was sitting there, sipping her tea as she gently lifted her head. Her reaction was one that I would probably only see once in my lifetime.

"Oh my, Zenalyth!" She raised her arms wildly. "You're here before the others? For once?!"

I could easily sense the sarcasm blended into her voice amid her surprise. Her smile was probably genuine, though her mouth was stretched wider than normal.

".....Yeah." I shut the door gently.

"I must be dreaming! It's a miracle!" Misuko stood up, about to head for the door. "I better ask Tekion at the smithy if Rogna's grown wings already!"

"'Kay, 'kay, calm down, I get it...." I held my hands to hopefully stop her act that might embarrass me in front of anyone else who would walk by. "But, Hammertail Dragons growing wings? Seriously?"

"Would you like it if I said pigs?"

".....Fair enough."

The guild leader plopped herself back onto her seat, which was one of the long sofas in the lounge, particularly the one with its back facing the balcony across the room.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking the effort to be early for meetings. The others will be here soon, plus there's guests we have to entertain. I have already informed Krieg to fetch them."

"The guild we'll be working with?" I took a seat on the sofa facing opposite hers.

"Let's call it an alliance." Misuko reached for her tea cup. "In fact, I got along pretty well with their guild leader. Oh? I think it's them."