25th November 2022, 13h00 (1:00 p.m.), Floor 5, Decaying Ruins Teleport:
Luckau level 38, Kirito level 42, Asuna level 40, Chris and Koharu level 36. Total cols: 390 296.
Chris and Koharu POV:
*Sound of teleportation*
Chris and Koharu are the only players of the 1st E.I.S. Team to be on the 5th floor. Luckau Kirito and Asuna will join them later to continue the Elves Campaign.
Chris: *Talking in French* 5ème étage, toujours prêt à explorer!
Koharu: What did you say?
Chris: Oops désolé, I said, always ready to explore the 5th floor.
Koharu: Oh ok, one day, you should teach me the French language.
Chris: Maybe when we will be out of the game. or when we have the time here.
Argo: *Hidden from them* Well you two should survey the area.
Koharu: Argo? Where are you?
Argo: *Spooky her* Behind you.
Koharu: Aaahhh!
Koharu jumps out of fright and goes very close to Chris and grabs his arm.
Chris: *Arm bruptly grabed* Aïe mon bras!
Koharu: Sorry.
Argo: *Mocking at them* Nya Ah ah ah ah! It was funny!
Chris: Since when did you become a ninja?
Argo: Oh never, I just wanted to spook you since it fits very well with this floor.
Koharu: Well congrats, you did it, but this floor is..., I feel uncomfortable.
Chris: Too creepy for you Koharu?
Koharu: Yeah a little bit, we will explore a ghost town, unlike the other floors which are more vibrant.
Chris: That's true, so Argo what do you doing here?
Argo: Well Luckau asked me to help you explore the area, and spot the differences between what you and I wrote in the guidebook, and what we could have new objects and threats to face.
Chris: Yep the 4th floor was totally different but far better than the beta one, dealing with the desert storm at the time was awful, hopefully, it's a water lake theme now.
Argo: Yep, and normally for this floor, players can do a treasure hunt anything hasn't changed!
Chris: Yeah but to do that we need to eat the [Blue-Berry Tart] and I don't have it, Koharu neither too.
Argo: Oh don't worry, I have some, eat them, you two.
Argo gives 2 pieces of a [Blue-Berry Tart] that she has in her inventory.
Koharu: *Eating the tart* Hum that is both sweet and sour. If it was in real life my tongue would be blue now.
Chris: Oh it is the case look at me. *Sticks out his tongue* 😛
Koharu: *Giggles* Hihi oh yes I see.
Argo: Now look around Koharu.
Koharu looks around her and sees shining objects in her view.
Koharu: Oh Chris look at this!
Chris: Pick it.
Koharu picks the item which is a coin from the treasure hunt quest.
Koharu: What is it? It looks like an old coin or a chopper.
Chris: It is a [Bronze Karlul Coin], the cheaper value of all the coins we can find here.
Argo: It exists Silver and Gold Karlul Coins and even more precious objects such as...
Koharu: Jewels?!
Chris: Bingo! (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞
Argo: But to get these coins or the jewels you need to on the high-risk areas where the monsters are the strongest in the sector.
Chris: Yep and there were a lot of players participating in these treasure hunts during the beta, dropping their levelling to just focusing on the jewels hunting and there was even a tournament on who would find the most valued jewel or who would have the biggest total value of his hunt.
Koharu: Oh I heard about that when I was staying on the Plaza it was awesome, but who won?
Argo: The Guy next to you.
Koharu: Oh of course Chris is excellent at spotting objects.
Chris: Yep, but the devs cancelled the results, fak you Luck'! Because I was too op to find the jewels easily, since I ate a lot of the tarts before I participated 🤣, but the reward was nothing, in reality, it was just a record title [Ace of the Treasure Hunt] for the top 1. That I can show on my profile even now. Anyway, let's do it again.
Argo: Well Chris, check your titles, you have it.
Chris: Really?
Argo: Yes
Chris: Let me see, *checking his record titles* oh ah ouais
Koharu: What kind of monsters we will fight?
Argo: Here there are Aqua Slimes, Crumble Orcs, and Moldy Mummies, and on the Tower Ruins there will be the same Orcs Humid Mummies and Mournful Witches.
Koharu: Ok I hope they will not be too scary for me.
Chris, Koharu, and Argo begin the treasure hunt with their buff activated to find the Karlul coins and the rare jewels.
30 minutes later...
13h30 (1:30 p.m.), Floor 4, Decaying Ruins:
After half an hour of scavenging the treasures, the buff finds quickly the coins have now expired with a lot of coins picked by Chris, Koharu and Argo.
Koharu: Oh my buff is over.
Chris: Ok me too we're done here.
Argo: Yep let me do the counting.
Chris and Koharu give all their findings to Argo.
Argo: *Counting the coins drop* So you got 80 [Bronze Karlul] with a value of 10 cols each, 47 [Silver Karlul] with a value of 100 cols each, and 9 [Gold Karlul Coins] with a value of 1000 cols each so you earned 14 500 cols.
Chris: Not bad for the Coins and for the first time in the official version.
Koharu: And the jewels?
Argo: You have found 5 jewels for a total of 15 000 cols and this one is very special.
Koharu: ✪ ω ✪ Oh this one is beautiful, it changes its colour according to the angle you watch.
Chris: How much?
Argo: This diamond is valued at 25 000 cols do you want to sell it too?
Chris: *Looking at Koharu* Maybe, Koharu do you want this jewel?
Koharu: Oh yeah I would like to have it.
Argo: Too bad that this jewel is not available to transform into a necklace or wristlet.
Chris: Even if it can't be converted it can be used as decoration so I give it to you Koharu.
Koharu: Really? Can I?
Chris: Ouep, it's a gift for you.
Koharu: Woah thank you.
Argo: *Smirk* Oh what do we have here, something smooth is going there.
Koharu blushed with the remark of Argo.
Koharu: *Feels embarrassed* It's not what you thinking! I'll treasure it, Chris.
After Koharu stores the gift jewel in her inventory, Klein arrives at his turn on this floor.
Klein: *Happy to see his friends* Hey Argo, Chris, Koharu! What's up?
Argo: Oh Klein.
Koharu: Hi Klein!
Chris: It's been a while since we didn't see you.
Klein: Yeah since the first day of the game, how are you guys?
Chris: Good, if you don't know, with Koharu, Luckau, Kirito, and Asuna, we are the top players of the Assault Team and we formed our proper group, and here we finished doing a treasure hunt.
Klein: Cool oh you know where is Luckau?
Koharu: He is not here why?
Klein: I just created a guild with my buddies [Fuurinkazan] and we would like to join the Assault Team for this raid.
Chris: Cool to hear that I think Luckau will be glad to accept you and your mates in the Assault Team.
Klein: Yeah, oh and you two have you heard about a ghost here?
Koharu: *Wondering* A ghost? Do you mean the ghost mobs?
Klein: No, a real player, there are rumours about a player who is here but no one sees him.
Argo: Hum I wasn't aware of that, I will investigate this.
Klein: Ok thanks, Argo. Chris, Koharu I will grind with my mates on this floor if you need me to call me.
Koharu: Ok.
Chris: I will ask Luckau if he knows about that too. And good farm Klein.
Klein: Thank dude. *Goes with his guildmates to levelling*
Koharu: For now what will we do?
Chris: The others will arrive later so we can begin to explore the catacombs if you want.
Koharu: *Shivers* The... the catacombs? Are there spiders there?
Chris: Oh no don't worry, there are only rats, ghosts mommies, and a gigantic mommy as the Boss Dungeon normally.
Koharu: You don't reassure me with your "normally", I will do it with you but you will help me right >_<? I'm afraid of ghosts I tend to run away from them.
Chris: Guess what, me too I don't like them if they are too spooky I will run away from them with you.
Koharu: Thanks, Chris.
Argo: Good luck you two, as for me it's time to research this "ghost".
Chris: Inform me if you have news about it.
Argo: Got it, if you pay me of course.
Chris: Really?
Argo: Hey oh, I need money.
Chris: Ok ok 4 000 cols it's alright?
Argo: 5 000.
Chris: 5 000, if you finish today.
Argo: The Rat always finds quickly. Prepare the bag, Chris.
Chris: I will see. Anyway, Koharu let's go!
Koharu: Yes Chris. *Proceeds to leave with him*
Chris and Koharu until Luckau Kirito and Asuna join them will explore the catacombs and earn experiences. As Argo begins her investigation about a player who scares the player on the already spooky 5th floor.
14h30 (2:30 p.m.), Floor 4, Floor 3 Dungeon, West Catacombs:
The sounds of fighting with Chris and Koharu resonate in the catacombs, as they eliminate together the mobs in their encounter.
*Slash*
*Slash*
*Slash* *Fragment burst*
Chris: *Spotting a mob* Behind you, ghost!
Koharu: *Slash* Got it!
*Fragment burst*
Koharu: Thank Chris, hey do you think that this ghost player is here for a reward?
Chris: *Try to guess his motivation* I don't think so, if I were a ghost player, I would better try my best to grind here, since the monsters from the dungeons leave better experiences than the field floor. With that, this player is more than ready to fight the dungeon and labyrinth bosses.
Koharu: It must be hard to grind alone here, I don't why he or she does that.
Chris: This player must have a reason, anyway the boss is just here. *Showing the boss dungeon of this catacomb's sector.
Koharu: What is his name and the strategy to beat it?
Chris: *Detailing a lot of the boss* Its name is Vacuous Monarch, weak to the Thrust weapons and Holy elements. You don't have the weapon advantage, me, yes with my Bow, but we can do it anyway. Just be careful of its poisoned attack otherwise, you will have a poison debuff type II stack of 3 on each hit received.
Koharu: It is quite fast or slow?
Chris: Quite slow so be quick on your attack, and if you can have the aggro it's perfect for me cause I will use [Sharp Shooter].
Koharu: Copy. I will do my best. *Prepares her Dagger*
Chris: Good luck Koharu. *Shoots an arrow*
Chris shoots his first arrow at the boss to begin the fight with Koharu taking the aggro with her [Anneal Dagger +14].
10minutes later...
*Shouting*
Koharu: Take this! *Dagger slash* *Dash the poison attack* Chris!
Chris: Game over! *Large Bore!* *Bow skill execution* *Multiple arrows hits*
*Fragment burst*
Chris: *Raises his fist in the air* Échec et mat! The boss is dead!
Koharu: Yay! *High five with Chris*
Chris: Shall we leave the catacombs?
Koharu: Of course.
Before they leave the dungeon they hear a fight.
*Sounds of fights*
Chris: *Aware of another combat* Someone is in the area too, wanna help them?
Koharu: Why not?
The duo advances to the east side of the catacomb to help the players.
Minutes later...
2 players are fighting the ghosts but are surrounded by them.
Fully Armored Player: Stay behind me!
Player girl: Understand, Liten.
Koharu: Hey look! It's Liten!
Liten: *Don't see them because of her helmet* Chris? Koharu?
Chris: Yeah it's us Liten, we are here to assist you.
Liten: Thank you in advance.
Chris swaps his Bow for his Sword and eliminates the ghosts one-on-one with Koharu and Liten covers the girl next to her.
Liten: Take this! *Blunt* *Fragment Burst*
Chris: Zone cleared!
Koharu: You alright you twos?
Liten: Yeah thank you.
The little girl thanks them with a flat emotionless tone.
Player Girl: Thank you two.
Liten: Hey Chris, can do a favour for me?
Chris: Yes?
Liten: Can you escort this girl out of the place? I have a meeting with ALS in a few minutes and I'm late.
Koharu: You are not friends?
Player Girl: No it was just a coincidence if Liten and I are here, and I'm not introducing myself, I'm Mater, how about you?
Koharu: Im Koharu.
Chris: Call me Chris, and ok Liten, I do it.
Liten: *Grateful* Thanks you two I must own you one later. Oh hey, Mater it would be good if you were part of a party and working together, or even a guild like mine ALS or DKB, don't be reckless alone or something bad will happen to you.
Mater: I know.
Liten: Chris, Koharu, see you later, maybe on the next floor raid! *Rushes to her meeting*
Liten leaves the catacombs with the remaining Chris Koharu and Mater.
Koharu: Hum Mater? Let me escort you back to the town, will you?
Mater: I'm fine, I just messed up earlier when I was surrounded otherwise I'll be safe.
Chris: Maybe we can make some mistakes in a game but here in SAO it's a death game so...
Koharu: You don't know what could have happened if Liten or I and Chris didn't show up. There might be no help next time.
Mater: So you mean that I need protection and you want to be my guardians?
Chris: Quoi? Well maybe. ¯\(°_o)/¯
Mater: I don't need your help, I have nothing to do with the other players. I'm used to being alone so you can go on your own.
Chris: Maybe you are still a kid, alone or not you need to be accompanied by someone older and more experienced than you Mater.
Mater: So Chris, you telling me that, you want to protect me and make sure that I'm still alive?
Chris: Oui
Mater: So you and Koharu can feel good about yourselves because of me?
Koharu: I suppose that is true. I don't wanna regret not helping someone in distress that I could have. Maybe you should indulge my selfishness of mine?
Mater: *Insist to stay alone* I understand but I prefer to stay alone.
Chris stays muted while Koharu doesn't understand her.
Koharu: Why? You don't trust us?
Mater: I have my reasons and other things first to do, but I'm appreciative of my concern so take this.
Koharu: *Receiving the object* What's this?
Chris: *Recognize the item* Oh it's the Night Sky Ring! Needed for the Elves Quest.
Koharu: (⊙_⊙)？Really? But how?
Mater: I have my own reason... right I'm going out. Maybe we will meet again later.
Chris: Wait!
Mater leaves Chris and Koharu on a very small passage.
Koharu: *Troubled about Mater* This girl is weird right?
Chris: Woah, ok this girl reminded me of when I was younger.
Koharu: What do you mean?
Chris: *Listing why* Very calm, almost no emotion because of the very very monotone voice, over frankly, don't see the danger situation... and mainly did you see her looking at us? No not really, she didn't look into our eyes at all, she always looked away, the same traits as autism on the spectrum Asperger like me bingo, jackpot I'm not alone.
Koharu: Oh my...
Chris: (。_。) Oh, bordel, even when I see my old videos where I spoke like that, I can't support my old me, merde, fortunately, the special lessons that my parents provided helped me to have a better adaptation to the environment. It was a success because it was very expensive hehe. 😅
Koharu: How much?
Chris muffles his voice to not reveal the huge cost.
Chris: Euh millions of euros.
Koharu: What? How much?
Chris: *Prefer to not tell* You really want to know?
Koharu: Yes I want to know.
Chris: Ok then, it cost me 8 million € (8 500 000$, 1 150 475 000 ¥).
Koharu is shocked by the huge cost of his trouble.
Koharu: WHAT?! w(ﾟДﾟ)w
Chris: From 7 to 13 years old, my life was 20% studies, 60% communication lessons, and 20% gaming. My parents went nuts with the spending for me, Luck' told me it cost my family around 10 million € (10 600 000 $, 1 445 600 000 ¥) in total including study stuff and costs and gaming stuff just for me.
Koharu: *Astonished* Oh my god... I don't what to say.
Chris: Ouep, even me, it all made me very uncomfortable when I heard how much they invested in me. I feel guilty, I didn't deserve all of that.
Koharu: At least your parents were with you.
Chris: Vrai, enfin bref let's get out of here, normally Luck', Kiri, and Asu should be at the teleportation.
Koharu: Yes, let's leave the catacombs.
Minutes later...
15h00 (3:00 p.m.), Floor 4, Decaying Ruins Area:
Chris and Koharu are outside the catacombs when they see together Luckau, Kirito and Asuna running toward them.
Chris: Luckau! On est là!
Luckau: *Shouts at him* Dégage de là!
Chris: *Disturbed* Hein?
A shadow arrives on Chris preparing to stab him when he is neutralized with a pepper grenade thrown by him.
*Grenade explosion*
Ambushed Fallen Elf: Argh! My eyes!
Chris immediately attacks the Fallen Elf and cuts his head from his body.
*Slash* *Fragment burst*
Chris: Oh bordel!
After the first one perished, 9 other Fallen Elves attacked the group.
Asuna: The Fallen Elves are here!
Luckau: Stay behind us!
Kirito: Chris Koharu what did you do?!
Koharu: I don't know! Chris and I have explored the catacombs and picked up an item from the Campaign that's all.
Luckau: The [Night sky ring]?
Koharu: Yes.
Luckau: *Talking to him in French* Chris, don't rush the story you fool!
Chris: Not my fault first, it's a player who gave me it!
Luckau: Well you should have refused! Don't accept items from unknowns! Cause of that we are in the shit!
Asuna: Stop arguing you two! We are attacked!
Chris: Oui oui what I'm doing now? I fighting them *slash*. Ah ha got you!
Chris cuts a Fallen Body in half but weirdly disappears instead of turning into fragments.
Chris: C'est quoi ce... oh oui... leur pouvoir...
Luckau: Yep, I saw it, careful friends. You can't kill them on your first attempt, they use illusion tricks!
Asuna: What how?
Kirito: It's their magic, they are able to use their bodies as illusions and attack us from the distance.
Koharu: How they can do that? Wasn't forbidden for the Elves to do that?
Chris: Yep, in the lore, it's like that, the only way to beat them is to kill the original, but it's harder than doing since normally they are hidden.
The Team struggles to beat the Fallen Elves and The Fallen Elf leader of the ambush talks to the group to give him the ring back.
Fallen Elf leader: Humans give us back our ring!
Luckau: Jamais! Connard! Rather to die! Or rather than you die!
Fallen Elf Leader: So you will die!
Kizmel: *Counter attacks in backup* Not on my watch yaaah! *Slash*
Kizmel arrives in time with her dark Elves squad to save her friends and eliminate with them, all the Fallen Elves in the area.
Lyusula Elf soldier: Hostiles neutralized, Captain Kizmel!
Asuna: Kizmel!
Kizmel: Sorry for the lateness.
Koharu: Don't worry, thank you for the rescue.
Kizmel: What happened?
Kirito: *Explaining the situation* Chris and Koharu have an item belonging to them.
Chris: I totally forgot that their [Night Sky Ring] could trigger them so much that they will kill me for that.
Kizmel: You got the [Night Sky Ring]?
Koharu: Yes we have it.
Kizmel: Excellent let me out the document was stolen by one of my agents.
Luckau: Honestly Chris, you were suicidal mais at least we advance in the quest.
Kizmel: Can I have it? I need to decrypt it.
Chris: Sure voilà.
Kizmel: Thanks. *Using the effect of the ring*
Koharu: So what's the plan for this tonight?
Kirito: The main objective for tonight, destroy one of the bases belonging to the Fallen Elves, pick up the intel necessary for their next moves and if possible as a bonus, to know the infos for the floor boss.
Koharu: Sounds like a good plan.
Chris: Me I want to grind with Klein and his bros. It's been a long time since to looked at my level and Koharu and compared them with yours, I'm late.
Kirito: You know you don't need to be focused on the level to be good, just focused on your fighting, wasn't you who told me that during the beta?
Chris: Ouep, but I like having hegemonic levels in the same group, after the exploration of the catacombs Koharu and I earned one level today. We are still behind you three.
Luckau: You got a point.
Asuna: Why not do that, Kirito and you Luckau will attack the fallen Elves and Chris and Koharu will grind the ground.
Luckau: Ok let's do that.
Kizmel: *Interrupts him* Luckau? Can you come here?
Luckau: What is the problem?
Kizmel: *Showing the map* Look you see well that the Fallen elves will attack there?
Luckau: Yep, the marks leaven by them, it shows their target is this basement there.
Kizmel: However this basement is occupied by my comrades, if the Fallen Elves succeed in their bomb attack, there will be a lot of casualties.
Luckau: *Changing his plan for the Team today* Ok that's not good at all, *whistles* CHRIS, KOHARU, KIRITO, ASUNA, VENEZ ICI!
Koharu: We arrive.
Kirito: *Asking the situation* What's the deal?
Kizmel: I discovered from their plan that, they will launch a bomb attack in one of the main outposts there.
Asuna: Ok and do we know exactly when they will attack?
Kizmel: I don't know maybe right now or later, I inform my members to prepare for the incoming attack. This threat must not be underestimated.
Chris: Yep, if this base is hit by a bomb attack the losses will be huge.
Kirito: Especially in a time of war..., each soldier counts.
Kizmel: Yep unfortunately the Kales'Oh can cancel the cease-fire if their King wants to continue the war, but we have the advantage against them.
Chris: *Perturbed* But I don't understand why their King would force them to continue the War...
Luckau: Oh Chris, you know... when we are losing in a war and you have nothing to lose, you want to continue the war despite all the situation against you..., ask Putin for example.
Asuna: Or they are just crazy all simply.
Kirito: Maybe, but we should go now. If we do nothing the danger is here.
Kizmel: You're right, find me at the Tower Ruins I will prepare a plan against them.
Koharu: Ok Kizmel, see you there.
Luckau: Chris, remind us s'il te plait, was it part of the beta? L'attaque à la bombe?
Chris: Ouep, both sides Forest Kales'Oh or Dark Lyusula, are attacked by the Fallen Elves, and one of these two will have a huge casualty loss, and the other faction will gather a large troop and attack the other on the 6th floor.
Koharu: So we can say that if we failed here, it's game over for us?
Kirito: Yes and since we are the only advanced players to do the campaign...
Asuna: *Determined* Fail forbidden.
Luckau: Oh oui, échec interdit... allez les amis, on y va.
The Team: Yeah!
16h30 (4:30 p.m.), Floor 4, Tower Ruins:
The Team arrives on these ruins to find Kizmel and her squad with a large number of Dark Elves camping here.
Kizmel: Our friends are here, Merja can you brief them?
Lyusula Elf Merja: Understood Captain. Ok, Luckau, you and your team will assist the raid team, we will attack in 30 minutes the fallen elves before they attack us.
Luckau: Ok do we know the area?
Merja: Yes, they are in the Northern Catacombs, which are the biggest catacombs compared to the others. Be careful they settled a lot of traps.
Kirito: Which kind of trap?
Merja: Pikes, poisoned gas, arrows, and possibly some explosives traps.
Asuna: And the ennemies?
Merja: Our spies estimated that there are around 90 Fallen Elves in their presence.
Chris: How many people will participate in the attack?
Merja: With you 50.
Chris: Ok..
Kizmel: Other question?
Luckau: Ouep.
Kizmel: Tell me.
Luckau: If we can disable the traps, I would like to leave Chris to do that.
Chris: Et merde...
Kizmel: Oh really?
Luckau: Oui, Chris has bright eyes to see the traps, and how to disable the traps.
Chris:... Fine! But I take Kirito with me. (* ￣︿￣)
Kirito: WHAT? Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Chris: You have done this part too! So you will help me with the traps.
Kirito: Yeah, but I forgot how to disable them. ＞︿＜
Luckau: Chris's photographic memory will help you.
Kirito: Ok..., but don't screw it. ＞﹏＜
Luckau: T'inquiète pas. You will both succeed. (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ
Kirito: 😕 Ok... (。﹏。*)
Koharu: So what's the formation?
Chris: *Exposing the plan* Me and Kirito in the front, disabling the traps. You with Asuna behind covering us from possible attack from behind or in front.
Luckau: Me with Kizmel overseeing the assault.
Asuna: Ok! Well, I'm ready and you?
Koharu: I'm ready to fight!
Kirito: Me too.
Chris: Always ready.
Luckau: Kizmel? We are ready for departure!
Kizmel: Thank Luckau.
Before the onslaught, Kizmel gives a motivational speech to her squad.
Kizmel: Alright, Lyusulas! The situation of today is critical. The Fallen complot against us to lead us to our defeat but it's out of the question that we will lose this war! It has been generations that we are in this fratricidal conflict with the Kales'Oh, and this year must be the last, 200 years we waited until it ends, but 200 years it continued because of the Fallen. They have done it again today with enough explosives to destroy our main basement here but with our Human friends, Luckau, Chris, Koharu, Asuna, and Kirito. With them, they helped a lot for days and they participated in the raid too.
*Shouts of satisfaction and determination*
Kizmel: The insanity of the Fallen has crossed the line, with their bombs stored in their catacombs. Our attack must secure these explosives and neutralize the Fallen Elves, act methodically, evacuate the catacombs if you are seriously wounded, forbidden to die this afternoon. My friends let's go!
*Warcry*
The Dark Elves shout of rallying and leave with their Captain the area in the direction of the Northern Catacombs.
Luckau: Let's go too, don't waste our time here.
17h10 (5:10 p.m.), Floor 4, Floor 4 Dungeon North Catacombs:
The players and the Dark Elves are in the northern catacombs dungeon, a stash of the Fallen Elves. They launched the assault minutes ago and the Dark Elves fought the Fallen Elves and their monsters in the different rooms while Chris and Kirito disabled the traps to advance in security while the girls protected them.
Kirito: *Look for the trap* Chris you know this one?
Chris: Ouais, spikes in the walls, let me check on which slab triggers the trap.
Chris throws a potion that detects the traps, which triggers the traps.
*Spike traps went off*
Kirito: Oh man...
Chris: On this wall, be careful you can lose your hand. *Disabling carefully the trap*
Kirito: Great, that's the 7th trap disabled, let me mark this one to the other. *Marking the trap disabled*
Chris: Where are the girls?
Koharu: Just here Chris! Do you need help?
Chris: Non it's fine. Just wanted if you were still here.
Koharu: Ok
Asuna: What's the situation?
Kirito: 3 traps left, and then we can go to their main room. Where are the others and Luckau?
Asuna: *Points them* On the back clearing the rooms with Kizmel and her mates.
Chris: So we are 4 to advance?
Asuna: Yep.
Chris: Ok, at least we will have enough to beat the main Fallen Elves...
Chris lowers his attention as a Fallen Elf tries to stab him.
Ambushed Fallen Elf: DIE!
Kirito: Oh careful! *Dagger thrown in the head* *Fragment burst*
Chris has been saved from the ambush by Koharu who got the reflex in time
Chris: Ok who saved me?
Koharu: It's me.
Chris: I own you one. *Giving back her Dagger*
Koharu: Be careful next time ^^
Chris: I will try, but continue to protect me.
Chris continues to advance and deactivate the traps with protection from his friends.
Chris: 8th trap disabled! *Signaling the trap disabled*
An hour later...
Chris: Trap neutralized.
Kirito: Cool one last and we are safe.
Asuna: But boys, if we triggered these traps, we could have still been able to continue our way to the main Fallen Elves.
Kirito: Well not really, I remember that in the beta, the debuffs that we got were permanent until you were back in the Town of the beginning, so facing the Fallen Elves boss would have been hard. And I'm not counting on the damages we received, generally, you were dead,
Chris: That's why I prefer to disable the traps, they could be far more dangerous than the beta version. And imagine if we must run away, safety precautions first.
Asuna: You both got a point.
*Traps activated* *Rocks collapsing*
Chris makes a mistake on the last trap and activates it which leads to the fall of big rocks in the hall.
Chris: Merde, ma faute, désolé les amis.
Koharu: It's not your fault. Don't worry.
Chris: Maybe, but I blocked this way and from my remembering, it was on this way.
Kirito: Don't need to worry Chris, you do a good job, *leaning to a wall* *hidden door opened* ahhhhhh! *Falls*
Kirito after activating a hidden trap falls into a dark void which he falls, 5 meters under the main hall.
Asuna: Kirito!
Koharu: Kirito!
Chris: You alright?
Kirito: Yeah, I'm fine just lost HP from my fall.
Chris: *Looking at his HP from the Party section UI* Yeah, you lost the half.
Asuna: What happened?
Kirito: I think, *protecting his head* I think we are in a good direction, I see light on your other side.
Koharu: You see lights? Should we go down too?
Chris: If we have a rope to go up again, imagine if we are trapped.
Kirito: I have one in my inventory, you attach it somewhere enough heavy to support the rope and us.
Asuna: Chris, can you transport a heavy rock here and attach the rope to it?
Chris: Good idea I can do it.
Chris takes a big rock with his arms and brings it next to the darkroom.
Chris: *Struggles a bit* Piouf it's heavy! Hopefully, the muscle mass is the same as your IRL.
Koharu: Yeah...
Asuna: Still good Kirito?
Kirito: *Finishing drinking* Yeah, no danger on me, for now.
Chris: Ready to throw your rope?
Kirito: Let me do a knot, and I'm ready.
Chris: Throw it!
Kirito throws the rope at him but Chris fails to catch it.
Chris: Throw it better!
Kirito: Hey it's you who must catch it better.
Kirito throws it again but it fails again.
Chris: Oh allez quoi!
Asuna: Chris, use my [Fleuret] to catch it.
Chris: Ohhhhh, merci.
Kirito: Ready again?
Chris: Yep!
Kirito: I throw!
For the third attempt, Kirito throws the rope further away and Chris catches the knot with Rapier's blade.
Koharu: You got it finally!
Asuna: That was better.
Kirito: Attach it, Chris.
Chris: Yep yep, let me undo your little knot, I'll do a better knot and leave more resistance to support our weights.
Kirito: You can tell me that my knot is shit you know?
Chris: It's not shit (yeah it's shit in truth), do you want that your rope breaks when we will up again?
Kirito: Euh no.
Chris: Say thank you to my fucking photographic memory and genius gift! I have plenty of strong knots in my head.
Koharu: Teach us, Chris, which knot is the best for this situation.
Suddenly a light project on Chris and a piece of accordion music play during his explication.
Chris: Doing a knot is easy, having the correct knot is different, because according to what you want to do you need to do the correct knot. For climbing as an example, you need to do the double 8 knots, for this case, the bowline or noeud de chaise or noeud de bouline in French is perfect for that, easy to do and undo, he is very resistant to support our loads for this distance even in high dry or very wet areas.
Koharu/Asuna: OH!
Koharu/Asuna: Tell us more Chris and how we do it.
Chris: It's simple, we cross the strands at 90°, then we make a loop by tilting the strands and we iron the short strand in this loop.
Chris: Tada this method in my country is named "technique bretonne" because it is mainly made by the Breton marines.
Asuna: Good work Chris.
Koharu: You are the best.
Chris: Thanks. \^o^/
Kirito: Hey have you done conversing? I'm waiting for you.
Asuna: We arrive, be more patient Kirito.
Chris attaches the rope around the rock and tightens it until it's very tight.
Chris: Corde attaché, ready to go down.
Kirito: Who goes down first?
Chris: I will watch the rope for safety.
Koharu: I'm volunteering to go down first.
Chris: You know how to do it?
Koharu: 😣 Euh no.
Kirito: It's easy, you need both hands and legs. You tighten very hard with your two hands, and you relax your legs from the wall, you go down as you walk in reverse with your hands tightening the rope.
Koharu: Oh I understand, you will catch me if I'm falling Kirito alright?
Kirito: Ok but don't be too heavy with your fall.
Koharu: 😡 Hey!
Kirito: What?
Asuna: A boy must never tell a girl that she is heavy! 😠
Kirito: Ah ok sorry.
Koharu: Anyway I go down. Don't look at me or step back!
Koharu goes down and does the technic that Kirito told to her and she successfully lands safely, followed by Asuna and Chris who leave a note next to the rope to inform the potential Luckau and the dark elves not to cut it.
Kirito: Everyone is here?
Asuna: Yeah, let's advance.
Chris, Koharu, Kirito, and Asuna move in the direction of the light when they arrive in another room with the Dark Elves arguing about the situation and coming in their direction from their opposition side
Kirito: *Speaking silently* Fallen Elves in front of us.
Asuna: Where do we hide from them?
Chris: Behinds or in these objects!
Koharu: What?
Chris: I will hide in this explosive barrel.
Kirito: Me too.
Asuna: Is there a risk that we suffocate inside it?
Chris: Normally your size is tall enough that only your head exceeds the powder. And honestly, it's primarily coal, so hold your breath just in case.
Chris just got inside one barrel and closed it leaving the other to do the same or improvise another hidden.
Koharu: I do the same thing, I don't care if I will be dirty after that.
Kirito: I agree. *Hiding in the coal barrel*
Koharu and Kirito hide too as Asuna without a solution, do the same in the last seconds when the two arguing Dark Elves arrive in the room.
Fallen Elf female warrior: Honestly Ulises, not only did you screw up the attack but you have badly planned our defence and Dark Elves are already here!
Fallen Elf Ulises: I know Cervera, but Kysala should have sent more warriors here. These humans since they are allied with our enemies ruin our plans, especially their leader Luckau, he and his squad have already killed too many of our comrades and they even stopped the attack on the Lysulas' fortress despite our successful manipulation of the Kales'Oh.
Fallen Elf Cervera: You know that Kysala hates failure, she and our supreme leader will severely reprimand me.
Ulises: Tell me what I do my sister?
Cervera: Prepare to move our explosives, it's out of the question that neither the humans nor the Dark Elves stole our explosives.
Ulises: Understand my sister, I'll do it.
This Fallen Elf goes back where he was before while her sister stays here when she hears a noise coming from one of the barrels occupied by the players.
Kirito: *Atchoum* (Argh damit, I hope she hasn't heard!)
Cervera: Who's there?! *Dagger unsheathe*
Kirito: (Screw me!)
Cervera with her weapon approaches Kirito.
Cervera: Out of here, or I stab you.
Luckau: *Ambush from behind* You talking to me?
Cervera: What? *Stabed* Y-y-you! *Blech out blood*
Luckau: Oui c'est moi, maintenant tout simplement crève!
Cervera: You will... *Again stabbed**Fragment burst*
Luckau: *Cleaning his weapon* Chris, les amis, you can off.
Chris, Koharu Kirito, and Asuna are out of their hide.
Asuna: *Looking at herself* I'm dirty now, there is a lot of mark on my face!（＞人＜；）
Chris: Ouep, like the coal miners' good old days.
Koharu: After this mission, I go back to floor 1 to take a shower.
Asuna: Me too!
Kirito: Fortunately you were here Luckau, she was about to find me.
Asuna: Luckau, you are not with Kizmel?
Luckau: Kizmel told me to join you, we evacuate the catacombs after we have done here, unfortunately, we have lost some Elves in a trapped room.
Koharu: What happened?
Luckau: Classic ambushed, oh and take these.
Luckau is out of his inventory with a lot of empty bottles.
Koharu: What are these?
Luckau: Well with the powder we got here, I want you three to fill all of my bottles, we will need this powder later.
Chris: Three?
Luckau: Oui trois, you come with me Chris, we will eliminate the last fallen elf here. Kirito, Asuna, Koharu I count on you.
Kirito: We are taking care of it Luck'.
Koharu: Be back here Chris when you have done here ok?
Chris: It will be easy don't worry.
Luckau and Chris move to the next room where the last elf is, and Luckau discusses with his best friend in French.
Chris and Luckau POV:
Luckau: I saw that you defused almost all of the traps.
Chris: Except for the last one, but at least we discovered this room.
Luckau: Did you explore it during the beta?
Chris: Not at all, totally new to me even for Kirito.
Luckau: At least you're still alive for now because I almost cut the rope if I hadn't seen the note that you left.
Chris: How was the message?
Luckau: Yeah, he was so funny *sarcasm* asshole.
Chris: Thank you.
Luckau: Anyway, bro, take out your sword, he's here.
Chris and Luckau arrive in front of the remaining Fallen Elf, furious after he lost her sister.
Ulises: YOU! YOU KILLED MY SISTER!
Luckau: Ouais et what? You are already dead in any case, so put your weapon down, and I will make sure that you join her.
Ulises: DIE! JUST DIE!
Chris: Je peux?
Luckau: À toi l'honneur.
Chris: Hum, by how I kill him... Oh je sais! Coup de pied retourné!
*Hard Kick*
Chris does a left reversed kick landing on the Fallen Elf temple where he falls unconscious violently before he is finished with a stab in the brain with Luckau's blade.
*Stab in the head* *Fragment burst*
Luckau: Well, so you know what to do.
Chris: I blow everything?
Luckau: Oui
Chris: Ok give me 15 minutes.
Luckau: Bien, I will meet the other.
While Luckau goes back to the last room where the others are filling the bottles with the black powder, Chris thinks about how to destroy the catacombs with the reserves.
Chris: Bon... ben je fais comment? / Well... how should I do?
Meanwhile...
Asuna, Koharu and Kirito POV:
Asuna: And the 50th and last bottle.
Koharu: What do you think Luckau will do with all of these?
Kirito: Explosive bottles, very useful on the 8th 9th, and 10th floor and maybe for the undiscovered floors.
Luckau: Ouep.
Koharu: Where is Chris?
Luckau: Preparing to dynamite the area, when it's ready we get out of here. Have all of my bottles been loaded?
Asuna: Yeah, all have been filled.
Luckau: Merci, *storing in his inventory* bon shall we get out?
Koharu: I prefer to wait for Chris here.
*Whistle* *Whistle*
Kirito: Oh no need it's Chris.
Chris is back with them taking a barrel and spreading its black powder on the ground.
*Whistles* *Whistles*
Asuna: Chris what are you doing?
*Whistles* *Whistles*
Koharu: Chris?
Luckau: Oh yeah don't bother him when he whistles, he is thinking at the same he did it so don't interrupt or block his way, or... he will be very irate. Autism moment, don't be bothered by that, it's normal.
Koharu: Oh ok.
Chris while whistling continues to spread the black powder close to the next explosives and continues back to where the rope to go up on the outside is.
Kirito: Hum we should go now. I don't think he took care attention of us!
Luckau: You're right because maybe he didn't remark us at all and he could kill us accidentally!
Asuna: WHAT?!
Luckau: Ouais I know let's get out of here!
*Whistles* *Whistles*
Chris: Ah well it's empty, anyway let's start burning it.
Luckau: ATTENDS IDIOT! ε=( o｀ω′)ノ
Chris: AH! Oh, you are still here.
Asuna: Of course baka! We waited for you until you finished spreading it before we evacuated.
Chris: Ah désolé.
Kirito: Anyway I go first, girls after me and Luckau and Chris closing the way?
Koharu: Ok.
Kirito: Hope the rope will not break.
Luckau: Normally you can climb without issues.
Kirito: Ok I trust you. *Begin to climb*
Luckau: Oh and get out after you climbed.
Kirito climbs the underroom to the main catacombs hall, followed by Asuna and Koharu. Luckau gives the signal to Chris for the explosion.
Luckau: Chris at my signal, count until 5, you use your fire skill sword and you climb the wall immediately.
Chris: Ok.
Luckau climbs at his turn and when he reaches the middle alert, Chris.
Luckau: Vas-y brûle!
Chris: Okay, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! *Wave Flame!* *Sword Skill activation* *Slash*
The flame caused by his fire sword skill [Wave Flame] spread quickly on the powder created by him. When the first explosions are heard from the first room at the same as Chris climbs at his turn with the rope retrieved with Luckau to get him up faster.
Luckau: *Struggles to help him* Bordel you heavy! Did you gain weight?
Chris: No I think so.
Luckau: Ok I'm weaker on my muscles then. Now COURS! *Run away*
Chris is finally out and picks the rope with him and sprints to the exit with Luckau to avoid getting buried with the potential debris of the catacombs fall.
21h00 (9:00 p.m), Floor 4, Tower ruins:
Chris and Luckau are the last people to leave the Northern Catacombs, leaving behind the entrance damned.
Chris: *Very excited* It's been a long time since I didn't run like that 😁
Luckau: J'avoue the adrenaline dose was cool.
Koharu: Chris, Luckau!
Kirito: First time that I destroyed a special dungeon.
Asuna: Me too, and honestly getting dirty with all the dirt coal it's funny in the end.
Koharu: I agree.
Chris: Where is Kizmel?
Kizmel: I'm here, Chris!
Kizmel comes to him and hugs the boys.
Kizmel: Thanks for helping us and eliminating these Fallen Elves.
Chris: AGH you stroke me!
Kizmel: Oh sorry. *Stops the hug*
Luckau: So what's our loss on our side?
Merja: 3 Lyusula are dead, and 13 are injured.
Kizmel: The casualties could have been worse if you weren't here.
Chris: It's nothing, but we are still at war right?
Kizmel: Unfortunately yes, I received a report from our spied telling us that the Kales'Oh regroup a large army so the Commander needs me now to plan a strategy.
Koharu: You can't really take a break?
Kizmel: I would like but this is the rules of the war.
Chris: When the factions enter a war, no one is out as a winner but as a loser. That's what my father told to me.
Luckau: *Thinking something of the past* ...Ouais...
Kirito: Hey before you leave, Kizmel do you know what the boss that we will fight?
Kizmel: Merja has the infos for you.
Merja: Yeah but not enough that could serve you, the guardian beast is a living stone sculpture and it's only that I have, sorry.
Luckau: Pas grave, I think we know who we will fight.
Kizmel: Luckau I send you a message when I will need you, and good luck with your battle.
Luckau: Thanks, take care Kizmel, Merja.
Merja: Thanks.
Kizmel, Merja and their Dark Elves leave the floor ruins back to the Hidden Fortress. However, the squad gathered a little information about the 5th-floor boss.
Asuna: Do we agree that we don't have enough intel?
Luckau: Yep.
Kirito: Merja said it was a living stone sculpture so it's normally the same boss as the beta players fight before.
Chris: If it's the same boss we shouldn't be worried right?
Luckau: In your dreams, the boss can be the same but with a new skin and attack pattern like Hippocampus... However, the situation will be critical for us.
Koharu: Why?
Luckau: The boss drop reward is one of the very useful items in the game and the use of this unique item affects all the members of the same guild for a few minutes. That item I know well since it was me who chose where to put the item buff for guilds.
Asuna: Oh no I think I know what it could trigger...
Chris: Let me guess, DKB and ALS want so much to have the [Guild Flag Valor] even to kill the players to have it?
Luckau: Bingo! ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)
Koharu: That's dangerous, we must not leave the item for the Army and the Dragon Knights.
Kirito: Yeah, but we can't beat the floor boss when it's the first battle floor at our 5.
Chris: Why not ask Klein and his guild for help, maybe Agil and his bros too. Even Liten is a trustworthy player.
Luckau: T'es lucide on va faire ça! We will try to convince Klein and Agil and their guilds to help us even if I'm sure they are willing to assist. Chris, you will text Liten about the situation.
Kirito: Do we know where are they?
Koharu: Yeah, Klein is generally on the square place and Agil on the first floor.
Luckau: We do that, Kirito Asuna? You will talk to Agil. Me Chris and Koharu on Klein.
Kirito: Ok.
Asuna: When are you done talking to them, our journey is over!
Koharu: Yeah we need a huge rest. And a good bath and shower.
Kirito: And we should eat too before we sleep ^^.
Chris: True, I'm hungry!
Luckau: Oh purée, talk with Klein and Agil and after we take a shower or a bath to clean ourselves from the dirt, and after all of these we could eat and sleep before we prepare the plan.
À suivre...
Fin du chapitre / End of the Chapter: