All this mess traces back to Akihiko Kayaba.
I've always been short, slender, with my mom's feminine face. My dad's wiry too—our genes mixed into the obvious disaster that is me. Everyone called me "cute." My idol? Schwarzenegger, the ultimate macho man. Anyone who called me girly got a fist to the face and a kiss with the asphalt.
I started karate to get strong, masculine. My genes laughed, rejecting muscle. I went to an all-boys school to soak in gritty masculinity. Three months in, the judo club captain confessed to me. I broke his nose and got suspended.
Then came NerveGear. I could finally be a rugged avatar. Kayaba shattered that dream. I conquered SAO's 100 floors, my spirit forged into a man's. But years bedridden in VR wrecked my body—no beard, no growth, hormones a mess.
"Get it? This is life-or-death for me! I'm not gay or a trap—I'm a red-blooded guy who loves women!"
Day 10 of the death game. Our makeshift trio—me, Diavel, and Sinon—set up in an abandoned village outside the [Dying City], leveling steadily. The city's mobs get hunted dry fast, like SAO's early days. Beta testers' info hoarding fueled their edge then, and it'll happen here. I warned Sinon she'd be targeted but convinced her to party with us for safe leveling.
This village is a ruin—no inn, no residents, just mobs spawning freely. Hardly a base. But one odd NPC, [Gravekeeper Zura], lives here. A skeleton, looking like a mob, but rational and intelligent. He guards us while we sleep if asked. Silent but kind. Killing him yields decent EXP, but he turns hostile, wielding brutal area magic and a mace. He respawns after 30 days, and attacking him makes skeleton mobs hunt you relentlessly.
"Fine, my bad. Focus—your light gear means one hit takes 40% HP," Sinon snaps.
She covers with arrows, I draw hate in close combat, and Diavel watches for mob ambushes. We rotate roles to avoid stamina depletion. Our current strategy.
The village's [Failed Flesh] mobs—slimy, melted humanoids—offer balanced EXP and Col, respawn fast, and are easy to hunt if you stomach their look. Zura calls them "Failed Flesh." I quipped about the name; he didn't react.
These mobs are slow, with limited attacks but high damage. One-on-one, they're no threat; two-on-one, we dominate. Their only issue is numbers—low EXP and Col per kill, but quantity compensates. Diavel suggested this strategy, factoring in the skeleton warrior ambush. One of us stays on lookout. Sinon snipes safely, buying cheap [Beast Bone Arrows] from Zura. Easy leveling for her—these dumb, melee-only mobs are sitting ducks. Only downside: her arrows deal half damage to them.
"Your face doesn't matter. You're plenty manly—just mismatched with your look," Sinon says.
"Thanks," I mutter, unamused.
No comfort there. I vent, mincing a Failed Flesh with my war pick. I'm level 4 now—three levels gained in eight days of grinding these slimes. Party EXP splits slow us down, but safety trumps efficiency. I don't underestimate DBO. Unlike SAO, its creators' malice demands caution, especially early on.
I down my 30th mob, swapping with Diavel.
"Good work. Rest, Ku, but stay vigilant," he says.
"Got it."
We high-five. I climb the roof of a ruined church for lookout. I've bonded with Diavel and Sinon, chatting easily now—a miracle for a socially awkward guy like me. They call me "Ku" now. They're good people, respecting boundaries. We all have secrets, but no one pries—not out of fear or distrust, just knowing it's pointless to stir the hornet's nest.
They don't ask about my SAO days. Their teasing about my looks? Tolerable. Once we clear DBO and meet IRL, I'll punch their faces in. That frustration fuels my drive to beat this game.
"Level 5 soon. Sinon says level 6 ensures a safe margin for the northern dungeon. Solid pace."
Lookout's simple: warn them if players or Failed Flesh swarm. No other players yet—our rule is to avoid contact until we find a safe zone. DBO encourages PKing, offering huge EXP, all Col, and random item drops. It's the fastest way to level. SAO's orange/red markers flagged criminals; DBO has none. Crime guilds like PoH's are inevitable. I pray no charismatic killers like him exist here.
"Time to pick a build."
This death game screws me over with stat choices. Diavel's a melee tank, heavy on VIT and STR, with [One-Handed Sword], [Shield], and [Magic Defense] skills—the last a huge edge against magic. Sinon's a high-speed ranged fighter, focusing TEC and DEX, with [Bow], [Dagger], and [Precision Shooting]. Me? I spread stats evenly, a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. My war pick and [Warhammer] skills carry me, but I need a goal. In SAO, I flirted with every build, settling on a balanced mess. I won't stick to a plan here either.
One decision's set: prioritize CON for stamina. It's a lifeline, more than HP. Sword skills burn stamina, and dodging trumps VIT. Like the Red Colonel said, "If it doesn't hit, it's nothing." As long as 1 HP remains, I fight. Survive one max-damage hit, and I'm good.
"Level 8 unlocks a skill slot. Stock supplies and weapons for the northern dungeon. Another month, maybe."
No recovery items except from merchants, so players rely on time-based HP regen: 5% per hour without combat, 10% in towns, 30% in inns. Food grants minor recovery or buffs, including faster HP regen. With items scarce, our low-threat, infinite-spawn mob grinding is ideal.
Did Diavel calculate this village strategy in five minutes using Sinon's info? Scary. I'm teamed with a brainiac.
Leveling's fine. We'll bulk-buy recovery items with saved Col. Weapons are the issue. Stronger gear boosts damage more than level-ups. Diavel's [Red Rose] sword outclasses his longsword in power, durability, and reach, with low stat requirements. Only flaw: no enhancement materials drop here. My war pick's decent for the northern dungeon if enhanced, but my claws are useless there—cutting attacks don't work on robots. I'll enhance them but keep them hidden; [Hidden Weapon] screams PKer. Sinon needs a new bow, which means tackling an event.
[Bowmaster Genzo's Dilemma]
An NPC bowmaker in the [Dying City], Genzo, triggers this event when you bring a damaged bow for repair. His daughter's marrying a guard, but he can't bless her. You gift her a wedding present on his behalf. Her evaluation determines your reward, with the top prize being the [Spirit Bow Akatsuki]. Sinon knows it's the reward but not what gifts score highest. Beta testers who got it did heavy NPC intel-gathering.
We'll hit level 6, return to the city, secure the bow, train weapon proficiency, and resume this leveling grind.
"Not enough."
My heart's drying up, like cracked earth in a drought. Beating Kayaba's heir and ending this death game is my unshakable goal. This leveling's for safety. Yet, something's off—gears grinding without oil. Am I craving death? This restlessness is dangerous. I'm no better than Sinon.
"Slacking off?" Sinon says.
"Nah. Done already?"
"Yup. Back to Zura before dark. Nighttime here's no joke."
"I know. Those flesh lumps merge into a giant King Slime, huh?"
Sinon sneaks up behind me, no [Stealth] skill. Impressive. She looks pale, maybe from dusk's light or exhaustion. Firing arrows all day takes guts, unlike me or Diavel.
I respect her resilience. Whatever "strength" she seeks, she might reach it alone.
"…Pretty," she murmurs.
"What?"
"The sunset. This dying world makes it shine, don't you think?"
Add "sentimental" to my Sinon profile. I want to say something, but nothing comes. He would've had words, but silence suits her now.
"Sunsets are all the same," I say, a small rebellion.
"Knew you'd say that. Predictable, but helpful."
She smirks, superior. I scratch my head.
Guess we're both analyzing each other.
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Note:
The story's pace swings between slow and fast, struggling to stabilize. For now, I'll focus on writing it carefully.
Skills
[Spear]: Boosts spear performance. Enables spear sword skills.
[Battle Axe]: Boosts battle axe performance. Enables battle axe sword skills.
[Warhammer]: Boosts warhammer performance. Enables warhammer sword skills.
Items
[Longbow]: A reliable bow crafted by skilled artisans. No ordinary human could withstand its shots.
[Kite Shield]: Favored by knights. Primarily for defense, but also used for bashing or parrying.
[Holy Sloth Ring]: A silver ring with no apparent power. Given to devotees of the Sloth Goddess, this one is reserved for high-ranking clergy. The goddess symbolizes both corruption as an evil deity and abundance as a fertility god.