Sword Art Online - Alternative Reality

Unexpected Debuff CHP.4

I already had a bad feeling when I saw that Kirito hadn't finished his breakfast, saying he was full. However, that feeling was confirmed as I saw the changes in how he carried himself, slowing down and swaying slightly. He was always an easygoing person, but this wasn't his usual relaxed demeanor and was the sign of something affecting him. At first, I was worried it was something that he was thinking about, but after looking into his eyes, I realized that it was nothing that serious, and he had simply caught a cold. Satisfied that he was going to take it easy so that I could take care of him later if the situation called for it, I nearly ran out of the guild meeting when he sent me a message saying that he was going on a dungeon trip with some of our friends.

After a quick exchange of messages, I had my hands tied as soon as he sent 'I'll be fine, but if anything, you've always got my back, right?' So I did my best to rush through the meeting when he would inevitably need my help. Surprisingly, the meeting went quite smoothly even without his presence as there was a distinct lack of opposition, although according to Godfree, several of the members wanted to make a separate meeting with Kirito later on.

The thing that sent me running out of the meeting was when I felt something dim, as if a warmth within me had faded slightly. With that, I wrapped up the meeting and gathered two squads from the KoB, and we ran into the 'Mycelium Burrows' on the 51st floor. I later found out from Liz that they had triggered an event boss, which explained the appearance of the weakened 'Mycelium Royal Guards' that appeared before us.

Chasing them around, they eventually led us into a hidden, upper area of the cave where 'The 'Mycelium Sovereign' was present and after a brief skirmish, the boss had disappeared through the floor. I knew Kirito was nearby, but after seeing the 'Mycelium Royal Guards' ability to take damage for their Sovereign, I decided it was a safer bet to finish them off before chasing after the boss. Then, as if pushing me to hurry up, I sensed that Kirito was up to no good once again, leading to us breaking through the ceiling and landing on the boss he had positioned for us by acting as bait.

The battle afterward was won with ease, and with the help of a stretcher, we returned to town with Kirito in tow and rented an inn for him to rest at. The aftermath with Klein however, could not be said to have ended as easily, but that's a matter for another time.

"Mmm..rrrr...mm..."

His groans sent small pains through my heart as I switched out the towel that was covering his head. It was well into the night already, and although his fever had died down to some extent, it looked as if it would take a bit longer before he had fully recovered.

It was a deluxe inn, but there was nothing too noticeable about it and was an incredible downgrade when compared to the NPC home we had on the 60th floor. I would have liked to have him shower or bathe in some cold water, but unfortunately, my outside skill of finding what I wanted wasn't as high as his.

"Well...I suppose that isn't completely true."

Combing his hair back, his expression loosened up. Of course, I was angry that he had overexerted himself and rendered himself into this state, but there were only a few things that would push him to go back on his word, and I had confirmed it with Argo based on the things I saw him grab from the boss earlier.

"Really, you don't have to do so much you know?"

Poking his cheek, he groaned again as his eyes fluttered open, the mesmerizing dark color within them returning to normal. He glanced around at first before setting his gaze on me and weakly smiling, before putting on a confused expression as he felt for the towel on his forehead.

"Hm...what's...this?"

"It's a wet towel. We can't do much about your fever, but we can at least make you feel a bit more comfortable until it passes."