4 Chapter 4 - Partnership

November 7th 2022, afternoon.

Drifter dragged his tired feet through the gate of the Town of Beginnings. The streets were empty, and not for good reasons. Most players were holed up in the inns, spending what little cor they had in the hopes that they would soon wake up in their beds, and be told everything was just a prank. Drifter didn't hold that illusion. Especially since there was another reason the streets were empty.

About twenty-four hours had passed since Akihiko Kayaba announced their imprisonment in the deadly game known as Sword Art Online. Where in the closed beta once stood the respawn hall, now was a black stele, covered in names. The Monument of Life. Ironically, it was filled with the names of dead people.

The monument was probably supposed to be used to know who was still alive and who wasn't. But little more than a day after the launch of SAO, almost 400 names had been crossed, their causes of death written next to them. Most were suicide or forced disconnection.

Pushing open the door of his inn, Drifter sat at a corner table, and ordered something to eat. The cheapest bread available at the market might sate his hunger, but if he was going to fight for his life, he wanted a decent meal.

The NPC waitress brought him his food, and with it also came an undesirable visitor. Drifter barely lifted his eyes to look at the small figure who had sat across from him. After glancing at her, he started eating.

"Oy! Dri-bou! That ain't nice, ignorin' a lady like that!"

Sighing, Drifter lifted his head from his food, and gave a good look over at the annoying girl. She was small, shorter than his shoulders. Her golden-brown hair was messy, and covered with a tattered hood. He had to squint his eyes to see the face underneath. The girl was actually quite pretty, with a perky nose, thin lips, and brown eyes which seemed to shine. He had to look very deep into them to find the despair he and every other player felt.

"Are those whiskers?"

Painted on the girl's face were three pairs of what looked very much like cat whiskers. Apparently that was the right thing to ask, though, because a sly smile lit her expression.

"Ho ho! Wouldn't ya like to know? Afraid that's gonna cost ya way more than ya have on ya."

"Okay? I'm not really that interested anyway."

With that, Drifter resumed eating. The girl opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to react, until she noticed his lips trembling slightly. She slammed the table.

"Ya are playin' me!"

With that, Drifter couldn't hold it anymore. He chuckled, which sounded so out of place in Aincrad that even the NPCs in the inn looked at him as if he was a weirdo. Most probably chalked it up to a mental breakdown.

"Yeah, sorry, but gods, I needed that. I couldn't resist it when you started talking like a gangster. Or tried to, anyway. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Humph! The name's Argo. I have a proposition for ya."

Drifter had to give a thumbs-up to the girl, she recovered fast. He couldn't even enjoy her stunned expression, since she - Argo, was it? - put on a business face, complete with a predatory grin and everything.

"I feel like I'm about to get scammed. Do go on, please."

"Gotta get straight to the point with ya, I'm an info-broker."

"Info-broker?"

"Yeah. I buy and sell intel to other players."

"Huh. And what's that gotta do with me?"

"I want ya to be one of my sources."

That got Drifter's attention. He pushed his plate aside, and focused completely on Argo.

"Why?"

"'Cause ya, spearman Drifter, is one of the few players who hasn't given in to despair, or given up on clearing this hellish game. While most people are moppin' about or cryin' or cursin', ya stepped outta the city first thing in the morning, and spent the whole day gridin', even if a single mistake might cost ya your life."

Drifter's pupils contracted. That the girl across from him knew his name, weapon, and what he did today, while he knew absolutely nothing about her, was worrying, to say the least.

Argo noticed his reaction, because her grin widened. Drifter didn't ask how she knew all this information, she had already told him what her job was.

"Hmm. All right, you have my interest. What do you want?"

"Information. I'm damn good at what I do, but fightin' ain't my thing. I want ya to sell me intel 'bout the mobs you fight, their attack patterns, their weaknesses, their drops. I want ya to send me maps of the new areas, tell me how to activate and complete new quests, and everything else. Even intel on other players. Don't be thinkin' any information you have is useless. Come to me, and I will tell ya whether it's good or not, and I'll buy it at a fair price."

Drifter nodded. It made sense. And, of course, if any other player wanted to know about him, Argo would also sell his intel to them. Well, better build a good relationship with her then. Though she seemed very money-minded, it might stop her from selling anything too important if she considered him a friend, or, at least, a valuable source. He still had his reservations, though.

"I'm tempted to accept, Argo. But I want to know if my intel is going to be used to scam other players, 'cause if that is the case, I won't be joining in this enterprise. Also, I want your guarantee you will only sell verified intel. Enough people are going to die already, and I don't want to be the reason behind some of those."

He was pushing it, he knew. The info-broker had come to him to make a proposition, not to have restrictions imposed on herself. It would be very understandable if she got up and left now. Even more so if she started to bad-mouth him to other players. But unexpectedly, Argo smiled. The first real smile he saw her show today, not those fake ones which didn't reach her eyes.

"Normally that would cost ya some cor, but fair is fair. For the sake of a good partnership, Imma answer those two questions of ya for free."

Her grin told him there was something else to it, something she didn't want to share just yet.

"On my reputation as an info-broker, I promise ya that any intel I sell will be verified to be true first, or, if not that, will come along with a warning."

Drifter nodded. He supposed time would tell if the girl was being honest or not, but he liked the feeling she gave.

"What about selling other players' information? Mine, for example."

Argo didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared at him with a twinkle in her eyes so obvious, Drifter felt ashamed he didn't catch it faster. With a sigh, he took 100 cor out of his inventory - which manifested as a small bag - and threw it across the table. Argo put it away with a smirk.

"I choose my clients well."

That was enough for Drifter. He started eating again, and, in between each mouthful, started describing all the mobs he had fought today, as well as the two gathering quests he had done. To top it off, he sent Argo a map of the areas he had been to. All the while, the info-broker was typing away on empty air, probably taking notes with her menu set for private.

When he was finished, Argo opened a trade screen with him, and put 426 cor in it. A very specific amount, and more than he was expecting, considering everything he told her the girl could have easily obtained herself. Not that he was complaining.

"That's about all I have."

"Gotcha. It was great doing business with ya, Dri-bou. Remember, if ya have any questions, just message me. Little ol' Argo will tell ya all ya want to know. For the right price, of course."

"Of course."

The two shared a laugh. Their conversation had been helpful, if nothing else. At least, Drifter knew he wasn't the only one who hadn't given up. If not a friend, Argo would be a good ally to have, even if it was just to banter sometimes.

"Ah, take this, Dri-bou. A souvenir all my buyers get. Also, here's a freebie for ya: find people you can trust. SAO ain't a game where you get far alone."

The way Argo so correctly spoke that last sentence told him how serious she was being. He firmly nodded at the departing figure before turning his attention to the booklet she had given him. On the cover it simply said 'guidebook 1st edition'. Underneath the title was a symbol that looked suspiciously like three pairs of whiskers.

Leafing through, Drifter's eyebrows shot up. It was exactly what the title indicated. A guide to surviving Aincrad's first floor. Every bit of information Drifter had just sold Argo, and much more, was there. Quests he had never learned about, materials that required specific ways of killing the mobs to drop, even intel on labyrinth monsters, though that last one had a very big warning next to it saying 'yet to be verified'.

On the last few pages was a sketch of what looked like a giant wolf-man, holding an axe. Over it's head, in blood-red font, it said '1st Floor Boss Illfang the Kobold Lord'. Next to it was once again the 'yet to be verified'. It described all of the boss's attack patterns and moves.

Closing the booklet and storing it away for a later read, Drifter rubbed his temples. His talk with Argo, and especially this last gift she gave him, told him a lot. First of all, the info-broker wasn't so selfish and greedy as she wanted to pass as, since she was distributing what was essentially a guide to survival. Secondly, she was very serious about what she did. Everything was described clearly and in detail. Third, Argo was probably a beta-tester.

Drifter didn't have any proof to actually support the last claim, but it made sense. If she wasn't a beta-tester, how would she know about the boss's skill set?

Getting up, Drifter opened his menu and sent her a quick 'thanks'. She would understand. Then, he walked upstairs, to the room he had already rented yesterday. Once there, he unequipped his weapon and armor, and fell into bed. With a swipe of his fingers, he opened his character page.

Just before returning to the city, Drifter had reached level 5. It might seem like good progress, considering it was just the second day of the game, but for him, it wasn't nearly enough. In a world where higher numbers equated to a better chance of survival, he was still too weak.

"Aff..."

After reading Argo's booklet, and comparing with what he experienced today, Drifter arrived at one conclusion: he needed to leave the Town of Beginnings. The mobs around the safe city were already below his level. If he wanted to get stronger faster, he needed to explore the 1st floor. Maybe even the labyrinth that connected to the floor above, though that was something to consider in the future.

After looking at his status, Drifter opened the skill tab. << Horizontal >> was still there, but << Searching >> and << Rage Spike >> had been added to the list. The former was used for scouting, and discovering monster tracks or hidden mechanisms. The latter was a basic combat skill that allowed him to jump forward, followed by an upward strike. Both were incredibly useful, in their own ways.

Closing the menu, Drifter crossed his hands beneath his head, and stared at the ceiling. He had spent today fighting safely and close to the city, to get a feel of the game mechanics and of his own limits. Tomorrow would be the time to push himself beyond that. Drifter had a feeling that whether he could make it past those first days would decide how far he would make it in SAO. Hopefully, far enough to leave this god-forsaken game.