Reaching 100: A Sword Art Online Fanfiction

Level Seven

A/N: Hi, guys! It's TG, as one of my readers has started calling me! First off, I just wanted to say before we begin that I don't know how to do this officially, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter of Reaching 100 to @UNICORNZ_POOP, who has been increasingly enthusiastic about this new venture I'm taking. Second, I have absolutely no idea how this conversation actually went, so bear with me. You guys all rock! Anyways, back to the story.

The meeting next morning isn't exactly packed. About thirty people fill the expansive seating area, making them look small. I sit in the front row, right in front of Diabel. He looks at me and smiles as he begins the meeting.

"All right! Let's get going!" he says, and the crowd grows silent. "Okay. Now, I assume you all know why you're here. Our sources have found the Boss Room not too far from here. You're all here to help us fight him. I commend you all on your bravery."

"Wait a second!" says a voice from the crowd. Everyone turns to look at where it came from. A guy with spiky red hair who's not the best-looking jumps into the arena. "You're going to let him go with us?"

He points at another boy, sitting high up in the stands. His hair is as black as his eyes, and he's way better looking. The guy looks surprised. Moreover, he looks innocent. What does Carrot-Top want with him?

"He's a Beta Tester!" says Tomato-Head. "They've been taking advantage of us since the game started! They've been taking all the good Quests, hogging the food, and all-around beating us to the ground!"

Another guy stands up. He's tall and biracial, and his muscles ripple as he folds his arms. "What's your name?"

Carrot-Top gulps. "Kibaou," he says.

"Well, Kibaou," says the tall guy, pulling out a little brown pamphlet, "did you get one of these?"

"Yeah," says Kibaou. "So what?"

The guy steps forward. "This little booklet contains all the essential information in Sword Art Online. It says where to get food, how to get money, and how to get XP. And you know who was giving these out?" Kibaou is silent. "The Beta Testers."

The crowd mumbles as Kibaou sits down, defeated.

"Thank you, Egil," says Diabel. "Now, the Boss is called Illfang the Kobold Lord. He's guarded by five or six of his minions, called Ruin Kobold Sentinels. We're going to split into parties of six and go after them. So why don't you go ahead and invite people to join your party?"

The crowd starts to chatter as invites are sent and parties are formed. Diabel lets a few people into our group: the one I heard him call Egil and a few others. I look up at the boy Kibaou was criticizing. He's sitting alone with a girl in a pink hood. I want to go join their group out of sympathy, but I'm already in Diabel's party. Would he let me do that? In the end I decide against it.

Diabel calls the meeting back to order. "We'll meet back here at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon to take down the Boss. Be well-rested and make sure your HP Meter is full before you go out. Dismissed!"