It had been a couple of minutes since Asuna and I had left the safe zone in search of this unknown threat, neither of us were too troubled about that though currently, Asuna was more interested in answers whilst I was personally quite invested in my immediate survival.

Asuna: "Enough with these half-answers now U/N, please!"

Y/N: "But it's the truth!"

Asuna: "Yes, you've managed to solo a couple of Floor Bosses now, but that's not reason enough to be so... so reckless!"

Y/N: "i- i- It's not reckless though, its calculated! It's always been calculated."

Asuna: "But what if these respawned bosses had some new secret ability or something?! What if the Boss Rooms didn't let you just teleport out of them? What if..."

Y/N: "What if, what?"

Asuna: "What if you... if you mess up even once, you could die out there... alone."

Y/N: "Asuna, I promise that-"

Asuna: "You can't promise something like that! Everybody is capable of making a mistake! It doesn't matter how strong you are, someday you might mess up!"

Y/N: "...sorry."

Asuna: "j- just.. take someone, anyone, with you! ... please?"

Y/N: "I... I can't promise that... but I'll make an effort to try?"

Asuna: "I guess with you that's better than nothing... thanks."

Y/N: "... Sorry for being a pain."

Asuna: "You're not a pain U/N, I'm sure that when I say this I'm speaking for all of us: you really are a great friend to have around. And the fact that you're as strong and reliable as you are in a fight is reassuring in a world where we could die at any point."

Y/N: ". . ."

Asuna: "You're just too selfless, too adamant to do everything for us.. how can we catch up to you when you're running as fast as you can in the opposite direction?!"

Y/N: ". . ."

Asuna: "Why is it that you try to do everything by yourself? Why do you want to go solo in everything."

Y/N: "... it's what I'm used to-"

Asuna: "-That doesn't cut it, not with me. Not in this world, we should all be teaming up for the best chance to survive in here! It might make you a little anxious but at least we'd all stand a better chance of everyone making it out alive!"

Y/N: "*mumbles*"

Asuna: "I didn't hear that, sorry?"

Y/N: "i- I know this won't last for ever, eventually the Bosses will be too much for me to solo... b- but for now, whilst I can hold my own I'd like to play in a way I'm comfortable with..."

Asuna: "Play? This isn't a game, it's a life or death situation!"

Y/N: "i- It's still a game, it was developed as a game first and foremost... the death-game part of it was an afterthought."

Asuna: "..."

Y/N: "I've been thinking about it... I don't really know why I'm trying so hard..."

Asuna: "What do you mean?"

Y/N: "i- I really love it in here, in Aincrad... a world where I can level up my skills, they actually matter and I feel like I'm progressing in here... unlike out there in the other world..."

Asuna: "You mean the REAL world?!"

Y/N: "mmhm... I guess."

Asuna: "But what about everyone waiting for you to wake up?"

Y/N: "Who?! I was a total recluse in that world- like I tried to be in this world, I had nobody... the only person I had I haven't spoken to in years...-"

Kureha, I'm sorry...

Asuna: "-And your family? What about them?"

Y/N: "I love them, I do... but I'm sure if they knew how much happier I was in here, they'd accept me staying in here for as long as my real body could hang on for..."

Asuna: "You're not serious, are you?!"

Y/N: ". . ."

Asuna: "U/N..."

Y/N: "-Looks like that's the mob we're after."

Asuna: "w-What?"

Y/N: "That mob, for the quest we're currently on... remember?"

Asuna: "Oh right! I completely forgot about that!"

Y/N: "It's a giant Tree Nectar Slime, I've fought a fair few of these in the Labyrinth."

Asuna: "Oh? You've already headed in there already? Alone I presume."

Y/N: "Actually, I was with Rain.. she wanted me to duo with her to help her boost her levels a little quicker."

Asuna: "Oh, well I'm glad to hear it! How uh- how effective was it for her?"

Y/N, with a playful smirk: "Why? Falling behind?!"

Asuna: "n- No! . . . Anyways, anything special about these bigger ones to the usual ones?"

Y/N: "Not really, just don't let it grab you."

Asuna: "Grab? But it's a slime, it doesn't have any arms?!"

Y/N: "It doesn't need arms to grab you, I haven't seen it with the big ones but I saw some of the smaller ones latch onto some other players... these ones are big enough that they wouldn't just latch onto you, they'd probably... you know..."

Asuna: "w-what?"

Y/N: "swallow you... B- But I wouldn't let it just do that okay?"

Asuna: "ummm... d- do you t- think maybe you could uh- deal with this for me?"

Y/N: "I could do. But I thought you wanted the experience points?"

Asuna: "Uuurgh... you'd better help me weaken it then!"

Y/N: "Of course, I wasn't just going to let you deal with alone!"

Asuna: "Well then, let's do this!"

*STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *backstep*

Y/N: "Switch Asuna!"

*SCHWING* *STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *Asuna backsteps*

Asuna: "U/N, switch!"

*SCHWING* *STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *backsteps*

Y/N: "Once more, switch Asuna!"

*SCHWING* *STAB* *ST-GLOOP*

Asuna: "Aaaaa-help! U/N. Heeelll-MRGH!"

The slime! It was ready for her!
When she tried to attack it held onto her Rapier, absorbing it!
And then it pulled the Rapier further into itself, bringing Asuna with it until she was entirely submerged in the giant sap slime.

Y/N: "I've got you Asuna!"

*SCHWING* *STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *SHATTER!*

Asuna: "cough cough urgh cough cough t-thanks."

I quickly go into my inventory and materialise my cloak, similar in appearance to Argo's, the one I use when I want to get around unnoticed.

Y/N: "h-here."

I then threw the cloak over Asuna, leaving none of her visible but her long chestnut-coloured hair.

Asuna: "cough cough what's this for? Does it inflict a cold debuff?"

Y/N: "n-no... it uh- your armour durability seems to have taken...- a couple hits..."

Asuna: "w-wha? d-did you see?"

Y/N: "I DIDN'T!"

Asuna: "i- I have another set of equipment...t- turn around and k- keep an eye out for me okay?"

Y/N: "r-right!"

*SHORT TIMESKIP*

Asuna: "Not a word to the others about this... ever. Okay?"

Y/N: "I wasn't going to!"

Asuna: "Good... urgh, all that and I didn't even get the final hit!"

Y/N: "s- sorry, I couldn't think of anything else I could do!"

Asuna: "... it's fine, at least I'm still alive. And I got a third of the exp of that kill because we partied up at least..."

Y/N: "j-just think, all we have to do is take this shipment back to the cook and it's over... and we might end up with a unique recipe for our trouble..."

Asuna: "I should hope so! After all that! And do you see now U/N, you thought it was fine but if I was solo that could have been it! That's why we're all so against you going up against these big threats by yourself all the time!"

Y/N: ". . ."

Asuna: "Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask a couple of things: firstly, which Respawned Bosses have you dealt with so far?"

Y/N: "ummm... well there was the First Floor Boss when me and Lisbeth got trapped by it-"

Asuna: "-that one I can forgive I suppose, you weren't expecting it after all. And then?..."

Y/N: "Well... the second and third ones were easy enough... the fourth one was a little more difficult because of it being in the sea and having to fight it from a boat..."

Asuna: "How did you manage to steer a ship and fight that Boss at the same time?!"

Y/N: "I didn't."

Asuna: "What?"

Y/N: "I just crashed the ship into the Boss and attacked it whilst the bowsprit was lodged in its body..."

Asuna: "w- Wouldn't the ship sink if it did that?!"

Y/N: "It did... yeah, but I managed to kill the boss before then... and then I materialised my smaller rowboat before the ship was entirely submerged..."

Asuna: "There's a line U/N, and that was too reckless."

Y/N: "i- I realised it at the time... sorry."

Asuna: "So did you stop after that realisation then?"

Y/N: "n-no."

Asuna: "So which other ones did you do?"

Y/N: "the fifth one, the sixth one and *mumbles*"

Asuna: "So almost all of them?! You've gone and solo'd all of the Respawned Bosses except for the Seventh Floor Boss?!"

Y/N: ". . ."

Asuna: "You didn't."

Y/N: "n- not on purpose..."

Asuna: "How do you accidentally end up in the Boss Room of the most recently cleared floor when you're the one who knows best about the respawning bosses!"

Y/N: "t-there were people trapped in there, I went to help."

Asuna: "oh... When was this? Why didn't you ask for any of us to come with?"

Y/N: "Two days ago... they were pressed for time."

Asuna: "Have you told Argo about it yet? She can list it as a safe room to walk through now in her guide."

Y/N: "n-no... i- I didn't really want to t- talk about it..."

Asuna: "What happened?"

Y/N: "..."

Asuna: "U/N?"

Y/N: "they died... all of them."

Asuna: "U/N..."

Y/N: "I don't want to talk about it..."

Asuna: "So is that why you were doing down on the First Floor yesterday?"

Y/N: "Yeh... I just wanted time away for a little bit..."

Asuna: "You should take more time off! Have a real break, we'll pick up the slack and you can join us again at the Boss Fight maybe?"

Y/N: "Yesterday was all I needed, i- I met a couple new players... they helped me to- deal with it..."

Asuna: "That's not something you just deal with! You know you can always come to us if you need to talk, I can always make Kirito take a day off from the Elf War Quests if you ever need me or..."

Y/N: "I did, I talked with Lisbeth... last night, we had a chat for a while and then some more over dinner... it definitely helped..."

Asuna: "Well, I'm glad. But don't go bottling too much up on us, okay?"

Y/N: "... Argo told you?!"

Asuna: "Told me what?"

Y/N: "About the- about the bottling things... she told me she wouldn't tell anyone..."

Asuna: "She didn't say anything like that to me! Honest! It's just a common phrase!"

Y/N: "o-oh..."

whoops

Asuna: "But now I know that much, you can talk with me about that too if you'd like?"

Y/N: "Not now, we're back in town... and I don't want other players to hear about it..."

Asuna: "r-Right! Well, lets head back to the Cook now and the reward better be worth it!"

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