U/n:(Thoughts) Since the game began, a whole month has gone by, and 2,000 people have died so far. After all this time, none of the players have been able to clear floor 1

Me and Kirito were learning on wall waiting.

U/n:(Thoughts) We used to b a beat tester, and we haven't found out where the boss's lair is. And today finally, we're having a meeting to figure out how to find and defeat the floor 1 boss.

(Timeskip)

Me and Kirito were sitting down away from other people both our eyes on a blue haired figure on the center stage, he claps to get everyone's attention.

???: Okay, people. Now that everyone's here, let's get this meeting started. So, anyway, I want to thank everyone for coming. Good to see you. My name is Diabel, and in this game, the job I rolled is knight.

Everyone started laughing at him and saying that there's no job system in 5his game

Diabel: You guys wanna hear this or not?

Laughter stops as everyone keeps their attention on Diabel

Diabel: Right. Anyway, here's the deal -- our party found the boss room at the top of the tower today.

Everyone stared at him in complete shock

Diabel: First, we need to defeat the boss and make it to floor 2. The next step is we have to tell everyone waiting in the town of beginnings that it is possible to beat this game. Fact is, it's our duty as the most capable players here. Do you agree or not?

Everyone started talking among themselves then soon they started clapping and whistling

Diabel: Okay glad to hear you're all with me on this. Now let's figure out how we're gonna beat the boss. First off, we'll team up into parties of six.

U/n and Kirito: Wait what?

We looked around and saw everyone sending parties invite to each other's

Diabel: A typical party doesn't stand a chance against a floor boss. We need a raid group made up of multiple parties.

I looked around and saw everyone sitting next to each other, but what catches my eye is a player sitting by herself away from everyone else

I got up and started walking towards her

U/n: You got left out, too, huh?

???: Not even. I wasn't left out. It's just everyone seems like they're already friends.

U/n: So your a solo player? You want to form a party with me and my friend over there?

I pointed towards Kirito

U/n: You heard what he said? We can't beat the boss on our. And it would only be for this fight.

I sent her a party invitation she accepts it and I saw her name underneath mine.

U/n:(Thoughts) Asuna.

We both walked over towards Kirito who was sitting by himself, he looks up and noticed Asuna

Kirito: Who is she?

U/n: Our new party member. Just for this fight.

He nods

We both sat down and listened to Diabel

Diabel: All right! Looks like everyone's teamed up. Now, then--

???: Hold up a sec!

Suddenly a man with orange spiked hair jumped down onto the stage

Kebaou: My name's Kebaou. Got that? Before we take on the boss, I want to get something off my chest. We all know about the 2,000 people who've died so far, yeah? Well, some of you need to apologize to them right now!

The crowd started murmuring.

Diabel: Kebaou, I think I know who you're referring to. You mean the ones who are Ex beat testers right?

Kebaou: Course I mean them! The day this stupid-ass game start, the beta guys just up and vanished, right?! They ditched all us beginners! They snagged all the good hunting spots, and they grabbed all the easy quests, too. They were the only ones getting stronger in here. Thus whole time they've ignored us like we're nothing.

He growls.

Kebaou: Hell, I bet there're some of them here! Come on out, Beta Testers! We should make them apologize to us, and we should make them all give up their money and the items they got. They can't expect the party to trust them when they don't trust us. Why should we?!

Kirito breathing becomes heavy. I put my hand on his shoulder.

U/n:(Whisper) Hey, c'mon man keep calm.

???: Can I say something?

Amongst the crowd someone raises their hand.

Looking at the source, I see a very large man who makes his way towards Kebaou

He stands in front of Kebaou staring at him.

Agil: Hey. My name's Agil. Kebaou, right? I want to make sure I'm on the same page. You say the Ex-Beat Testers should be blamed for the rookies deaths because they didn't help them and you want them to apologize and give up their winnings. I leave anything out?

Kebaou: No, you didn't.

Agil reaches into his pocket and pulls out a book.

Agil: The item store hands these out for free. It's a guide book. You got one, didn't you?

Kebaou: Sure, I got one. So, what about it?

Agil: You know who was handing these out? The Ex-Beta Testers.

The crowd once more started murmuring among themselves.

Kebaou grunts.

Agil turns around to face the crowd.

Agil: Listen up. Everyone had equal access to this information. Even so, lots of players still died. Now, I didn't come here to point fingers at anyone. I'm here cause I want to learn from those players deaths. I'm here because I want to find out how we're gonna beat the boss.

Kirito looked at him surprised.

Kebaou growls at Agil. Reluctantly he sits back down with the others. So did Agil.

Diabel: Okay. Can we get back to the meeting now?

Everyone nodded their heads.

Diabel: For info on the boss, it's all in here--

He holds up a book in his hands.

Diabel: The latest issue of the guide book you just heard about.

Everyone looked shocked.

Diabel opens the book.

Diabel: According to the book, the boss's name is Illfang the Kibold Lord. Also, he'll be surrounded by his minions. The Ruin Kobold Sentinels. Illfang carries an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one turns red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a tulwar. He can change his patterns of attack, too.

The crowd started murmuring.

Diabel closes the guide book.

Diabel: That's it for the briefing. As for the distribution of loot, money will be divided equally among everyone. The party that defeats the boss gets the exp, and whoever gets an item gets to keep it. Any objections?

The crowd is silent with occasional murmuring, but no one speaks up.

Diabel: Good! We leave tomorrow at 10:00 in the morning. Meeting adjourned, people!

Some people stands up, while others stay seated and chat with others players in their party.

Kirito looks relieved. Turning around I see Asuna walking away from us.

U/n: Well then, there she goes.

Kirito: Yeah.

I give Kirito a smile.

U/n: C'mon.

I pat his back.

U/n: Let's get some food.

(Timeskip)

That night you can hear everyone loud full cheering, while Asuna sits by herself eating a stale bread

U/n: Those are pretty good huh?

She turns around to face me.

U/n: Mind if I sit next to you?

She doesn't say anything.

U/n: I'll take that silence as a yes.

I walk over to her and sit right next to her. She scoots away from me.

Seriously, I sigh.

I pulled out a stale bread from my pocket.

She decided to speak up.

Asuna: You really think these taste good?

U/n: Yup. Since coming to this I end up eating one a day. Of course I got a way trick to make it taste even better.

She looks at me.

Asuna: What trick?

I pull out a jar from my inventory and placed in between us.

U/n: Behold, the ultimate jar of wisdom, legends say that this jar--

She ignores my story and goes to touch it.

U/n: H-Hey, I was still telling my story.

I sigh.

She touches the jar and her index finger glows.

I gestured to the bread in my hand

She smears it on her bread.

Asuna: Cream.

I put some on my bread, the jar in between burst into pixels.

I take a bite out of my bread.

U/n: Cream can just about make anything taste good. Well almost anything.

She takes a bite out of her own bread

After a few seconds she begins to scarf it down.

U/n: I would say a bread joke, but it's to crummy.

She sighs.

U/n: Jokes aside, I got the cream from "The Heifer Strikes Back." That's the quest in the village before you get to this one. If you want I can tell I how I did it.

Asuna: Mnh-mnh. I appreciate the offer, but I didn't come to this town to eat good food.

U/n: I did, I guess I totally misread the situation.

She doesn't say anything.

U/n: That was a joke you know? I'm just trying to lighten the mood. And help us forget we're in a death game.

She still doesn't say anything.

U/n: Okay. I'll bite why are you here?

Asuna: So I don't lose sight of who I am.

I wait for her to continue.

Asuna: I don't want to lock myself in a room in the town of beginnings and slowly rot away.

U/n: Are you talking physically or mentally. Cause physically we can't rot away here, and--

I trail off.

U/n: I'm just gonna shut up and let you continue.

She shakes her head and sighs.

Asuna: I'd rather stay the way I am till the last moment...

She pauses.

Asuna: Even if a monster beats me and I die. I won't lose-- to this game or this world no matter what.

U/n: Wow that was pretty deep.

I take another bite out of my bread.

U/n: Don't worry since your in my party I won't let you die, all I ask for you is to stay alive, at least until tomorrow.

Silence filled the air between us.

U/n: Probably could've worded that better.

I stand up.

U/n: Don't worry, I'll get out of your hair. See you tomorrow.

I walk away from her.

(Timeskip)

Me, Kirito and Asuna are walking in a forest following Diabel.

U/n: We might've been through this five times, but we'll go over it another five times if that's what it takes.

Kirito nods, while Asuna listens carefully.

U/n: We're the backup, so our target's are gonna be the boss's minions, when I say Minions I don't mean the yellow small creatures from Despicable me. I'm talking about the Ruin Kobold Sentinels.

Asuna: I know.

U/n: I'll use a sword skill to knock their weapons up and out of the way. When I do, you or Kirito, switch and jump in. But not like actually jump, you know?

Asuna: What's a switch?

U/n: Alright Kirito it was nice knowing you.

Kirito puts his head into his hand.

U/n: Okay Asuna, level with me here, is this the first time you've ever been in a party?

Asuna: Uh-huh.

Me and Kirito gasp.

We both stop our pace and just stand staring at her.

U/n: My confidence today, just went straight down. Like all the way down.

U/n: But we'll make it work.

U/n: Hopefully.

I pause for a few seconds.

U/n: Oh my God, we're gonna die.

(Timeskip)

Diabel: Listen up, everyone.

Everyone made it to the bosses door, as we listen to Diabel.

Diabel: I've only got one thing to say to you-- let's win!

Everyone stayed silent.

U/n: YEAH! KNOW I'M MOTIVATED!

Everyone looked at me.

U/n: What?

Diabel: Come on!

Diabel touches the door and opens it slowly.

Upon it opening all we see is a dark empty room.

Looking a bit closer I see a giant figure standing at the end of the room.

We all step in, and the room lit up. As Kobold Lord jumps up and roars landing right in front of his. His Minions spawned in.

U/n: It looks like a giant killer bunny lizard hybrid. I mean that's the best description I can give.

With that they all charge us. Me and Kirito drew our swords.

Diabel: Commence attack!

Everyone shouted and charged towards them.

The fight begins.

(Timeskip)

Diabel: Squads "A" and "C," switch in!

The Kobold lord roars.

Diabel: Here it comes! Squad "B," block!

Diabel: Squad "C," keep guarding and prepare to switch. Everyone else, when you fall back, regroup and flank them.

He turns around.

Diabel: Squads "D," "E," and "F," keep those minions off us!

Kirito: Yeah, you got it!

U/n: When he says Minions, I keep thinking the ones off of Despicable me and that makes not wanna fight them.

One of them jumps towards me and I block the attack knocking it off balance.

U/n: Switch!

Asuna runs forward.

Asuna: I'm on it!

U/n:(Thoughts) I thought she was a beginner, but she's got good skills. I can't even see the tip of her sword.

Charging up a sword skill, she hits the minion killing it in the process.

U/n: That's what I'm talking about.

Kirito: Right on.

Unknown to us both, one of the minions we're sneaking up behind us.

My head started tingling, just as before on the launch of SAO

I turn around and saw the minions right behind us.

U/n: No you don't!

I quickly blocked its attack and charged a sword skill myself, hitting the minion with it killing it.

Kirito runs up to me.

Kirito: Nice reaction time. How did you know it was behind us?

I looked at him.

U/n: I didn't.

Kirito: Huh?

The Kobold Lord roars, interrupting us.

Looking back at him I see he is down to his last bar of health.

U/n: Looks like everything is going according to plan.

Kirito: Yeah.

Why can't I help but feel something bad is gonna happen.

Illfang throws away his axe and shield.

Kebaou: Looks like the guide book was right.

My head started tingling like never before.

I clutched my head, Kirito looked at me concerned.

Kirito: You okay?!

U/n: I don't know, I have a feeling something bad about it happen.

Diabel: Stand back!

U/n and Kirito: Huh?

Diabel runs forward, towards Illfang.

Diabel: I got it.

I looked at Kirito.

U/n: Level with me here, wasn't everyone supposed to surround him.

Kirito nods.

U/n: Then why is he running forward then?

Looking forward, Diabel looked behind him, as we both make eye contact.

He stops in front of Illfang, his sword glowing yellow.

Illfang grabs a sword from behind him.

I gasp.

U/n: That's not a Tulwar, it's a Nodachi!

I get up and run forward.

U/n: Stop you idiot, it's not a Tulwar it's is--

Diabel runs towards Illfang.

U/n: IDIOT! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY

I was too late.

Illfang jumped up to the ceiling, jumping from pillar to pillar.

Leaping from one of the pillars, Illfang jumped towards Diabel, who had no time to react.

He slashes Diabel over his chest.

Diabel: AHHHH!

Diabel flies backwards from the impact, Illfang followed it up by another attack, sending Diabel flying.

Kebaou: Diabel, no!

Illfang lands in front of the group roaring at them.

Fast as I can I rushed over to Diabel.

U/n: Kirito! Help them out!

He nods and rushes over to the group.

U/n: Diabel!

I made my way to him, and rested his head on my knee holding him up straight.

U/n: Idiot, what the hell were you thinking?

I grabbed a health potion.

He grabs it and pushes it towards me.

U/n: What are you doing?

Diabel:(Weakly) You know... you were a Beta Tester, too, weren't you?

I gasp in realization.

U/n: You were after the last attack bonus-- the rare item. You're just like me-- a Beta Tester.

He chuckles.

Diabel:(Weakly) Please, you have to... defeat the boss... for everyone here.

With that he explodes into pixels in my arms.