127 chapter 28
Five days later - within the second floor of Aincrad.
A group of players has gathered and formed a circle behind a large rock, while behind that large rock lied a rare spawn monster, a large bullheaded Taurus wielding an ax.
All of these players had the guild tag of a cat with a crescent moon under their names.
It was none all than Leonard and guild, Moonlit Black Cats.
"Alright guys, you know the drill right? Stay behind the tank, so he could block the attack for you and stagger the monster, next you immediately switched out with the damage dealer to do as much damages as possible within the giving time frame before switching out with the tank again." Leonard reminded them while they're hiding behind a large rock.
"Umm! I got it." Sachi replied with confident after Leonard debriefed them on the basics of how to handle monsters and party teamwork.
"Alright then, let the forward- I and Tetsuo get the first attack on that thing, then you switched out with us," Leonard suggested and they quickly made their ways around the monster and getting into their position.
*****
Flashback- five days previously.
After Leonard and Klein had their little catching up, they celebrated later that night where every one of the guild Fuurinkazan was passed out drunk on the floor, include most of the players on the guild Moonlit Black Cats as well, however they're slightly better off than that of Klein group as they only drink a small portion of it.
"hey…*hic...Leonard, why don't you and Kirito join our guild? It's going to be like old time..erm the first day of SAO that is." Klein asked Leonard in his drunken stupor.
"Nah~ man...I think I'm good, I already had a rough idea as to which guild I'm going to join." Leonard replied as he tried to keep his words from not sounding as sluggish as possible.
"Which guild is it?" Klein asked him.
"The guild name is...the Moonlit Black Cats," Leonard replied.
Immediately Keita and the rest of the guild was shocked by Leonard words, their hands were visibly shaken as they try to comprehend what Leonard just said.
"Hmmm…" Klein glanced at the group of newbies that Leonard tagged along with.
He then couldn't help be showed a smile.
"Good for you…if you need anything...feel free to message me, I'll help whenever I can." Klein then struggled to get up onto his feet and patted Leonard on the shoulder, before he and his group picked up and left the restaurant.
"Alright, thanks man, good luck to you guys on the front line," Leonard shouted out to the leading figures of the guild Fuurinkazan, as they slowly left through the stairway, but Klein heard Leonard shouting and before his figure completely disappear down below he gave them a thumb up.
"Alright guys...you heard what I said previously, so how do I join the guild?" Leonard finally turned his attention to the stunned players after Klein and his group left.
"A-are you being serious?" Keita couldn't help but asked Leonard again, as his words were quite shocking to them.
"Of course, I do like you guys, so might as well joined up and help you out," he told them, as it was the truth, he indeed liked this group of newbies, he wanted to do whatever it takes to keep them from dying like what was shown in the anime.
Their deaths have always been a bad taste in his mouth every time SAO was mentioned.
Keita immediately slammed both of his hand onto the wooden table while having a serious expression on his face, he's now had completely sober up from the alcohol intake.
All of them remained silent.
After a few seconds have passed Keita broke that silence.
"It is our honor to have you with us," he told Leonard and immediately sent out an invitation toward Leonard.
[The player "Keita" has invited you to the guild "Moonlit Black Cats" would you accept the invitation?]
Leonard tabbed the [Yes] option that was given.
"Alright! Let celebrate for our new member! Leonard!!!" Keita then poured more beverage into this cup and raised it high.
"YEAH!!!" the rest of the players also joined him.
Needless to say that what happened next lasted till the sunrise and report showed that there's a major drop on Leonard own personal wealth.
*****
Flashback end- back to the present.
"Attack! Now!" Leonard exploded out in a burst of speed while having Vengeance on hand glowing in a dark and ominous color of purple.
*swoosh *burst! The blade cut the side of the bullheaded monster and immediately took a chunk off of its health.
Tetsuo followed closely behind and slashed the creature on the opposite side of its waste.
"Roarrr!!!!" the Taurus then raised it ax intending to pulverize Tetsuo who was the closest to him, however just before the attack hit Tetsuo Sachi ran up with a shield on head and managed to deflect the blow, which occupied the monster long enough for the rest of the party to join and in melted it health to a low enough point.
"Everyone disengage! I'm going to finish it!" As Leonard shouted out he activated Shadow Step and reappeared right behind the back of the bullheaded monster.
"DIE! NEGATIVE BURST!" the blade made contact with the creature muscular shoulder and exploded out in a stream of data fragments.
*roooaaarrr!! *thud.
The bullheaded monster then collapses onto the hard and dry ground before exploded into a million tiny piece of data fragments.
"Nice switch there, Sachi." Leonard sheath his sword and pat the shy tank on the shoulder, which got her flustered for a moment.
"I-it's nothing, you're just good at teaching...that's all," she said in a soft voice.
"Nah, my teaching means nothing if one does not put in efforts." Leonard then told her.
"Alright! Let continue! Let get everyone to level 10 at least by the end of tomorrow!" Leonard suggested as he then set his attention onto the large herd of bulls monsters a little further up in the distant.
"Yeah!" the guild cheered upon hearing Leonard suggestion.
"But...can we actually killed them all?" Keita asked as he was a bit skeptical about the pace they were going at.
"Oh yes...with me around, you're definitely going to level up faster than ever...because I'm just going to steamroll them in a group, they're not bosses or rare monster so it should be possible," Leonard told them as he unsheathed his sword and gave it a few swings as demonstration.
"Just like-" however he was stopped in his track when he suddenly got a voice call from Kirito.
"Leonard! We need your help on the third floor as soon as possible! also please bring along with you a group of high level players and some status curing potion! or I swear Asuna will kill meeee!!!!!" Kirito shouted out desperately on the other side.
"...change of plan...you're going to reach level 10 by high noon." Leonard then informed his guild while having a dead serious expression on his face which gave all of them a chill down their spine.
