Part 17 (1/2)

Chapter 15.

”...what is this?”

I asked G.o.dfree quietly.

”Hmm, I already know what happened between you two. But since you're comrades within the same guild from now on, I thought this would be a good opportunity to work out the bad blood between you two.”

As I watched G.o.dfree laugh with his head up in the air, Kuradeel slowly walked towards me.

I tensed and prepared to react to any situation. Even though we were in a safe area, there was no telling what he might do.

But against all my expectations, Kuradeel suddenly bowed. He then muttered in a barely-audible voice under his long hair.

”I'm...sorry for causing you trouble last time...”

This time I was genuinely shocked. My jaw dropped in amazement and I was left wordless.

”I won't act so rudely again... I hope you will forgive me...”

I couldn't see his expression under his long, greasy hair.

”Ah...yeah...”

As I forced myself to nod, I wondered what in the world had happened. Did he get a personality altering surgery or something?

”Yes, yes. Well, that's all taken care of now!!”

G.o.dfree gave another hearty laugh. I felt really suspicious; Kuradeel must be up to something, but I couldn't guess from looking at his lowered head. In contrast to its overstated emotions, SAO had a hard time portraying subtle expressions. I could only accept his apology for now, but I reminded myself not to let my guard down.

The last member arrived after a while, and then we set off for the labyrinth. Just as I began to step into my pace, G.o.dfree stopped me with a gruff voice: ”Wait... Today's training will be done under the most realistic circ.u.mstances. I want to see how well you deal with dangerous situations, so I will be taking all of your crystals.”

”...even our teleport crystals?”

G.o.dfree only nodded in response. I hesitated. Crystals, especially teleport crystals, were the last safety net in this death game. I had never been without them. I was about to refuse, but a problem here might put Asuna in a problematic situation, so I decided to hold back my words.

Seeing as Kuradeel and the other member handed over their crystals obediently, I had no choice but to follow. G.o.dfree even carefully checked my inventory afterwards.

”Hmm, good. Then let's go!”

At G.o.dfree's order, we walked out of Grandum and journeyed towards the Labyrinth Area that we could see to the far west.

The fifty-fifth floor training area was a desolate wasteland almost devoid of vegetation. I wanted to finish the training quickly, so I suggested running all the way to the labyrinth, but it was rejected by a single wave of G.o.dfree's hand. It was most probably because he had focused on raising his strength stats and disregarded his dexterity. I could only give up and continue to tread through the endless wilderness.

We ran into monsters a couple of times. But when it came to this, I had no time to wait patiently for G.o.dfree's orders, so I simply cut them down right away.

Eventually, after making it past a number of tall, rocky mountains, the gray limestone of the labyrinth finally came into view...

”Okay, we're taking a break here!”

After G.o.dfree announced this in his gruff voice, the party stopped.

I wanted to just rush through the labyrinth; but since I figured it'd be overruled even if I brought it up, I simply sighed and sat down on a rock. It was already nearly midday.

”I'll hand the food out.”

G.o.dfree then called up four leather pouches and threw them to the members. I caught mine with one hand and opened it without any expectations. Inside were a water bottle and some hard bread that were sold at NPC stores.

I opened the bottle and swallowed a mouthful while cursing my bad luck; I would be eating Asuna's handmade sandwiches right now if everything had gone as we had planned.

Then, I suddenly noticed that Kuradeel was sitting on a distant rock. He hadn't even touched his pouch, and those eyes beneath his long hair glanced darkly in our direction.

What on earth was he looking at...?

A cold feeling abruptly pa.s.sed through my body. He was waiting for something. That something...it most probably- I immediately threw the bottle away and tried to spit the liquid out of my mouth.

But it was too late. Strength suddenly left my body and I collapsed. The HP bar came up at the edge of my vision; it was surrounded by a green line that wasn't usually there.

There was no mistaking it; it was a paralysis poison.

When I looked around, I discovered that G.o.dfree and the other member were also writhing on the ground. I immediately reached inside my pouch with my left forearm, but this only intensified my panic. I had already handed all my antidote crystals and teleport crystals to G.o.dfree. I still had a potion, but it didn't have any effect on paralysis.

”Ku...kukuku...”

Shrill laughter reached my ears. As he sat on the rock, Kuradeel held his stomach with both hands and bent over in laughter. His heavily lidded eyes revealed the crazed ecstasy that I remembered all too well.

”Waha! Haha! Hyahahahaha!!”

He guffawed towards the skies, seemingly unable to control himself. G.o.dfree stared at him with a stupefied expression.

”What...what is this...? Wasn't the water...prepared by...you, Kuradeel...”

”G.o.dfree! Quick, use an antidote crystal!!”

After hearing my shout, G.o.dfree finally began to rummage through the pouch at his side.

”Hya-!!”

With a strange scream, Kuradeel jumped off his rock and kicked aside G.o.dfree's left hand with his boot. A green crystal rolled out of G.o.dfree's hand. Kuradeel picked it up, then stuck his hand in G.o.dfree's pouch, took out the remaining crystals, and put them into his own pouch.

Everything was over.

”Kuradeel...what, what are you doing...? Is this some sort of...training exercise?”

”Re-tard!!”

Kuradeel said as he kicked G.o.dfree, who still didn't understand the situation and muttered these stupid things, in the mouth.