14 Chapter 14

In a hunting ground of 26th floor, sounds of a fight accompanied with colliding weapon could be heard. There is a girl there, with a blue attire and brown tea hair holding a dagger, facing a monster in front of her.

The monster itself was using a wooden club as a weapon and after growling at the girl, it attack her. The girl was very agile, evade the attack with jump to the side and make a somersault. She positioned herself again and make motion to execute a skill. The game system responded to the motion and her dagger start to glow red in color. The girl move after that, then execute the skill with the help of system's skill-assist, to attack the monster.

She is attacking from lower part of the monster, cut thorough the monster's belly and make last cutting move on the monster's neck. The monster figure distorted when its HP was drained and disappear into bluish fragment of light.

"Fuuh~~" The girl sigh slightly after the monster disappear then smile brightly and happily.

"You can kill that monster alone now." Said a guy behind her while leaning against a tree, watching the girls fight.

They are Nao and Yuna. While Haku could be seen perch on top of his head.

They are here to help Yuna raise her level and train her skills. Make her stronger and more prepared as she get more experience from the battle. Not only experience in the form of number which she got after a monster defeated, but also the experience which would make her more familiar with the fight and build her courage. It's useless after all to have high level and parameter without a courage to use it in the fight.

She was a strong willed girl to begin with, so she can adapted with the fight more easily. Nao a bit surprised actually at first. He is thinking that she is a weak girl type which need to be protected all the time. But in reality, she was a girl with a courage and resolution inside.

"It's thanks to you, Nao-kun. You always help me all this time raised my level and teach me how to properly use my skill." Yuna turn around to face him with a smile on her face.

'She's a very cheerful girl.' Nao thought while smiling at her too.

Since that night, it's about a month already. And as agreed, Nao will help her raise her level and teach her how to fight and use the skill properly. While she will send him a massage to tell him where she want to sing at the night. Make them often meet each other from time to time.

There are some awkwardness and embarrassment at the first time. But she's very skilled at reading and improving the mood, so the awkwardness disappeared as soon as they found interesting topic like how to hunt better, skills, and equipment. Or sometimes about music and things around that.

For someone who create clones and send them around the world to learn how to cook and even make a clone to learn how to piloting an air plane, music of course become one of the thing he learned. He can play music instruments very well and with [Extreme Super Growth] skill, his singing skill and voice was also great. So they have many topic to make a conversation, make the awkwardness replaced with cheerful chatter.

They become close soon after that. Make the sight of a guy with a fox on his head, waved at a girl and greet her with a smile while the girl run toward him, smiling and greet him back cheerfully, become a normal occurrence of a daily live for this one month.

Nao remember something, then take out an item from his item storage and give it to her.

"Here, use it from now on. It's longer than your dagger. So with this one, your range of attack would be increased a bit more. It has better parameter too." Nao said while handed the new weapon to her.

"This is?!" Yuna was a bit surprised knowing what kind of item in her hand.

It's a blue dagger, but longer than the one she has and the parameter was better too. Much better actually compared to the one in her possession. It looks so beautiful too.

"Is it alright Nao-kun? The quality of this dagger is very high so definitely very expensive too. I can't accept this." Yuna said to Nao.

"Hehehe It's alright. It's free after all." Nao chuckled while saying it.

"Free?" Yuna ask him.

"Yeah, I found it in my loots yesterday after 38th floor's boss raid." Nao really get the dagger after 38th floor's boss defeated yesterday.

He is a bit surprised at first but feel happy later on. His luck was really good to get the dagger just the moment he thinking about finding her a better equipment. It's a drop item from a recently defeated boss floor, so its quality was very high at the moment.

"I see. But, is it alright to give it to me?" Yuna still feel hesitant to accept it.

"It's alright. It has better parameter and can protect you better than the one you always had until now. Well, let just say it's a birthday present or something like that." Nao said to her.

"Do you know my birthday?" Yuna asked him while blinking.

"No! Tell me then." Nao said while lean froward.

"Mmmm~ maybe next time." Yuna said to him after pretend to ponder about it and turn around.

"Ee~hh, well, fine. By the way, just keep the dagger. Its a birthday present after all." Nao said while winking at her.

"Fufufufu. Thanks, Nao-kun." Yuna said her thanks to him.

"You are welcome." Nao replay while smiling.

"Well,. Let's try the new dagger then." Nao said again.

"Un!" Yuna nodded cheerfully.

After that, they proceed to the next spot to continue the hunt and familiarize her with the new dagger. As expected though, the performance of the new dagger was quite amazing. Boost her attack several time better.

After some time hunting the monster and raised her level, they found a safe area and decide to rest for a bit.

"Let's rest a bit there." Nao said while pointing at the safe area.

"Alright." Yuna nodded and follow him.

They sit down on the ground and they take out from their storage some food and water. Nao take out some berries too for Haku.

"By the way Yuna, you had a great talent in singing. Are have a plan to become a singer or something?" Nao opened the conversation with her first.

"I just like to singing. My father wouldn't allow me too if I want to be a singer." Yuna said a bit dejectedly.

"Your father, huh."

"Un! He is a strict person. When I want to learn about music, he allowed me if that was classic. So I learn about piano and guitar classic. But he didn't know I develop my singing too."

"Ever think about tell your father?" Nao asked a bit curiously.

Yuna keep silent for a moment, then answer him.

"Un! Maybe I will tell him when I meet him again. When we can get out of here." She said while smiling brightly.

"That's good. I want to listen to your song outside too after all. So, when the day we get out of this game, make sure to tell your father about what you want to do." Nao said to her while smiling too.

"Un! Understood."

Yuna then look at the sky and keep looking at it for a while.

"It's almost a year already, right?" Yuna ask him.

"Hm? Yeah, we trapped on november and it's october already. So' almost a year, huh." Nao said confirm her word.

"Can we really get out of here?" Yuna mumbled softly.

"Of course. That's the reason why we fight and survive until now." Nao said while smiling brightly.

"Umm! I want to do something that can help clearing the game too. If I can reach the level of the clearer like you, I can help everyone with my song." Yuna said determinedly.

"You mean your enchanter skill?" Nao ask.

"Un! As you know, my enchanter skill enable me to give a buff to another player inside the range of effect. I believe that I can do something to help the other with it."

'How should I tell her? Hmmm' Nao though about how to tell her about her enchanter skill.

"Yuna, do you know about aggro?" Nao asked her.

She tell him before, even though she like game, what she play was onge, a music game and this SAO was her first mmorpg.

"I know a bit about that. It's something about being targeted by monster, right?"

"That's right. From what I know, enchanter has tendency to attract the monster. In other words, their aggro would be increased and make monster inside the chant effect area targeted the enchanter and attack them. If you use your chant, you will be targeted by the monster inside the effect area. So if you want to use your chant in a fight, make sure that you are properly protected and don't use it when fight a horde of monsters because you will be swarmed. And don't use it when fighting a boss with minions with them, It'll be very dangerous." Nao explain to her.

"I see. That's why monster always targeted me before when I use the skill?" Yuna realize the reason about what had happen in the past.

"It is normal though. It's a basic to kill the one who can heal and give a buff to the other first in a fight. If you let the enchanter -with their healing ability for example- be, you will be like fighting with an almost unkillable foe." Nao explain to her the logic.

"So I can't use it every time I want." Yuna said a bit sad.

She was always want to do something to help the other to clear this game, and finally, she has the enchanter skill and think that she can help everyone with her song. But to think that it's dangerous to use and potentially become hindrance to the other. She feels disappointed right now.

"Well, it's undoubtedly very useful actually, but come with great risk. Especially when fighting a boss, it is very dangerous being the only one who targeted by a boss class opponent. And this game wasn't a game anymore so...." Nao stop when looking at Yuna's reaction.

Yuna keep silent and didn't say anything, she feel really dejected right now. But Nao know that even though she know the consequences, she would still use it if needed to. Nao didn't know what to do so he decide to just say what he want to say and throw all the caution to the wind. He hold both of her shoulder to make her face him and look straight into her eyes.

"N-nao-kun?" Yuna was very surprised about Nao's action.

"Promise me!" Nao said firmly.

"Huh?!" Yuna didn't know what's going on.

"Promise me that you'll never use your enchanter skill in a fight when I'm not around." Nao didn't care if his demand was unreasonable. He didn't care at all.

"B-but Nao-kun, I think if..." Yuna still want to help someone with this skill.

"This is not a game anymore!! Being the only target of a boss class or hordes of monsters is not a joke. Promise me that you will never doing something stupid like make yourself a bait with your enchanter skill or sacrifice yourself."

Nao can't always be by her side every time. He can't use his magic either in this world to make her in check. He really handicapped in this world with can only use his Sixth Sense barely with his learning and his fighting skill. Fighting solo a boss was one thing, but fight while protect someone was far away different thing. And he isn't a tank type player on top of that.

"But,..." Yuna still didn't give up and think maybe she could somehow still use it to help the other.

"If you die, I will kill myself too right away!!!!!!"

"Nao-kun!!!!" Yuna was really scared right now, her voice was trembling and almost chocked.

Nao really didn't want her to die. He hope that with the responsibility of two life, will be enough to stop her from doing something stupid, like sacrifice herself for the other she didn't know about even their name at all. He know her character very well after this month. Her resolution to help other was what Nao scared the most.

"I will go to the place where you die and kill myself there, to die together with you." Nao said firmly while looking straight into her eyes. There's no hesitation at all in his eyes.

"Nao-kun, Why!?!?" Her eyes become moist and her lips was trembling, what is this feeling?

Yuna's heart was in great pain right now. She didn't know why but hearing about how he will kill himself make her feel unbearable pain. Thinking about him dying makes her heart feels like gripped tightly. Tears run through her cheeks, showing how much in pain she was thinking about him dying because of her. She can't bear it anymore and hug him tightly.

"Please, don't say something like that, Please." She crying hardly on his shoulder.

"Promise me then!!" Nao said firmly didn't want to stop until she promise him.

"Alright, alright I promise you. I'll never use that in a fight without you around. So please, don't say something like that." She hug him tightly, scared that he would disappear when she let him go.

She didn't know why but she feels in great pain thinking about him disappear. She just know him for about a month. She didn't now why she feels really close to him. She remember how warm his smile, how he show his care at her, how nice him toward her, every time he come to listen her song, every time they hunt together, how he teach her many things not only about this game, but he know much about piano too when they are talking about it. She feel strangely very safe around him, and very comfortable too? without realizing it, she became very dependent on him.

She is crying once again remembering about all of it and remember about him will kill himself for her. What is this feeling? What is this hurt so much. She didn't want to let him go at all. She didn't know what she feel but she will never let him go. Never!!! She hug him very tightly again after that.

Nao let her crying on his shoulder. He didn't stop her and let her crying as much as she wanted. He won't die when he die in this game, but he want to placed on her a responsibility of other's life to prevent her from doing something stupid that may lead her to her death.

They keep hugging each other for a while and after some time, Yuna stop crying but still hug him. She didn't want to let him go.

"Don't say something like that again." Yuna finally said.

"Alright." He answer simply.

"Never." She said again.

"Un!" He nodded.

They remain like that for a long time until Yuna finally calmed down and let him go. Nao could see that she was red all over her face. He smile at her and pat her head.

"Feel better?" Nao asked, and Yuna nodded.

"Want to hug again?fufufu" Nao asked while teasing her.

She pout with more reddened face and hit him on his chest several time, Nao didn't stop her and after some time, Yuna place herself in his embrace again and feeling of happiness run through her heart while comfortably close her eyes enjoying the feeling she never experienced inside this death game for almost a year. The feeling of security.