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.:: Iᴍᴍᴜʀᴇᴅ ::.. [Tsᴀɪʀ & Iʀᴏɴɪᴄ]

Ziv was right in that it would take a while, this mission was known as being tedious to search for the groups of kobolds. It was, however, very rewarding for experience, though not for much else. Luckily this is exactly what their goal was, so Raziel hummed happily as the second group came upon them. Her inner gamer had taken over, and she was eager to get her level up by killing these creatures.

Her blade flicked through the air as she engaged a couple of the monsters, rapidly stabbing with her rapier in quick succession, knocking ones health out entirely before they got to attack much. She had taken a hit, and her health regen kicked in as she fought, activating her <Evading Strike> to dodge a swing from the kobold and stab into it's back, eliminating the last of its health and sending it into pixelation. She then turned to strike another Kobold, but just before her blade hit, Ziv's dagger flew into it, and finished the beast off.

Due to shared experience between the party, it didn't change anything but Raziel still have a small huff of disappointment before moving to the next one. Once it attempted to strike, she activated her class ability to Parry, and then struck hard into the creature to take most of it's health away. "My health is on regen right now, so I should hit full in about a minute. If you need to stop and heal, let me know," she stated to Ziv, though his health seemed to be just fine for the moment.
 
"It's fine, take you time and heal. I can finish this last one off." He commanded before taking one of his poison dagger's to be met with the back of the Kobold. It wasn't much to cease its existence, and he heaved another huff of air after a big group was diminished to nothing once again.

"I couldn't help but notice how into it you get while you're fighting them off." He said before crouching down onto the back of his heals. "I find it reassuring to see the demeanor come from you. It helps me, and allows me to know that everything will be okay." He admitted, rubbing the backside of his head coyly after saying something kind of sincere. After he took a quick breather, he got up from his resting position and stretched the stresses away.

"Okay, on to the next group. Hopefully this'll be the last one, and I am sure there is the ultimate Kobold that we have to kill, right?"
 
Raziel glanced aside when Ziv mentioned how into fighting she got. It was good that it helped him to feel reassured, but she knew that it could be a problem if she got carried away at the wrong moment. She simply turned back to him and smiled in appreciation, not adding anything to the statement. She watched as he stood up, and responded to his question, "Nope, no ultimate Kobold. It's just a crash and bash, kill all the kobolds inside, mission complete, only a bit of a ways to go," she stated as she began walking once more into the cave.

She moved on with caution, attempting to redeem herself for her brashness earlier. She wanted to ensure they were truly able to level up safely, and carrying them through this mission was the beginning. Another group of kobolds revealed themselves as they delved in, and it was a short fight before the creatures were felled by the pair. "If you're excited for boss battles, the floor lead is definitely going to be your thing. And for that, we're definitely on the right path."
 
The next fight ended rather quickly, with the pair working together and now understanding the attack patterns well enough. After the final kobold dissipated, a screen popped up for each player with the words <Quest complete!> Followed by a detail on the rewards received. Mostly col and experience, but both players were pushed up to level five. At the sound of the level up ping, Raziel was absolutely beaming.

"See? A breeze, and the payoff... Most people are probably competing for the starter quests, and even those only get them to three, this went great!" she said enthusiastically, as she sheathed her blade. She smiled to Ziv as she pressed the 'return to town' trigger on the quest, and the two were teleported back outside the Town of Beginnings. She eagerly clicked through her level up stats, looking at her new ranks in skills. It was only a few moments before she seemed to snap to attention.

"Sorry, I got a bit... Overexcited. It's just... Its still the same world. We have information that we didn't have before the beta, and now... Well, now being strong means something. It means we get to live, but I'll be more careful," she said a bit sullenly, nodding her head to acknowledge that she did, in fact, recognize that the situation they were in was an intimidating one. She moved a hand back to fiddle lightly with the edge of her cloak, looking to Ziv. "We lucked out getting paired together though. It seems like we work very well," she said as she smiled brightly once more. "I think we earned a bit of a break though... How about we get something to eat? I'll buy," she offered with a grin.
 
"I'm just grateful that we still have some skin on us." Ziv breathed out a sigh of relief, happy to finally be back in town, away from danger... for now. His eyes widened in surprise, not really expecting an apology, since he didn't see the point in apologizing for being excited. "Hey, it's alright, don't be sorry!" He reassured her quickly, placing his hands up to calm her down. "You're the one that did all of the ass-kicking, you rock out there!" He cheered, returning the same bright smile that he was receiving.

His fingers twiddled with themselves, a feeling of coy consuming him. "I'm not familiar with people buying me things, I'm more comfortable to be the one to buy it, so allow me to!" He protested before grabbing her wrist and leading the way down town. The aroma of food lingered into their nostrils, Ziv's mouth watering just by the thought of eating something.

"I'm not too great at this, since you've played the game before, do you know any great places nearby? A strew sounds great right now." Without noticing, his stomach rumbled from hunger, a look of embarrassment covering his features.
 
As Ziv responded with returned enthusiasm, Raziel lit up once more. It was hard for her to find people she could truly share her enthusiasm with, and Ziv seemed at least to be willing to put up with it for the sake of survival. She couldn't help but laugh when he said that she did all the work, replying "You did as much as I did. It's not something I could do on my own, so you having my back was very helpful."

As Ziv grabbed her wrist, Raziel couldn't help but redden lightly as she was led down the street momentarily. Her first instinct was to pull away, but she was taken aback and her thoughts had time to process the situation. She knew he thought she was a girl, so it made sense he might try and pay for the food, perhaps? She would feel bad to insist on paying, and they would get plenty more as they levelled more, so it wouldn't be a big deal. She decided to go with it, smiling to Ziv as he led on, as she went to her menu and marked a position on their map.

"The Beginner's Luck. It's a nice little place near the edge of the city, it's a pretty popular face and has the best food on this floor. Not saying much, but it's still good, and they have a pretty good stew," she confirmed looking to Ziv. She allowed herself to be led as they went to the target point, reaching a large diner with a large die on the entrance sign, followed by the stylized words, "Beginner's Luck".

The atmosphere was almost that of a saloon, with gates as the entryway and a hint of roughshod to the looks of the establishment, as though it were slightly out of the time sync of the area around it. As they entered, they were seated fairly quickly and their menus, which were basically just selection screens, were given to them. Raziel placed her order, designating a nice steak platter. The food quality here was fairly low tier for the game due to the floor being so low but it would be far better than anything another player could make for some time.
 
"Hm, Beginner's Luck?" Ziv repeated her, wanting to feel the way it sounded on his lips before smiling in agreement. "Okay, sounds like a plan!" Happily he chirped before turning his head over his shoulder to take a gaze into her reddened face. It wasn't awkward to him, male or female, since he was really a 'she', he did things like this with girls all of the time. Maybe it was a girl thing to girl thing? Seeing her somewhat awkward expression, he released his grip on her arms, coughing awkwardly to break some silence. "Sorry, I got carried away there. Please don't hesitate to tell me to stop."

The aroma of the restaurant was already creeping up on him as the approached closer, the swaying sign already legible in the distance. His stomach grumbled more, uncaring to what he put in his mouth at this point, just as long as he could eat to ease the hunger.

Upon sitting down, he didn't even have to look at the menu, ordering a stew with hearty vegetables as Raziel took her order. "I wonder what other places wait for us on the floors above." He sighed, daydreaming of tastier food than what they were going to be eating. Everything would be different on the oncoming floors; the scenes, the buildings, the quests... everything. The food came out quickly, breaking Ziv's distracted mind back to the real world. The steam from his meal entered his awaiting nostrils, his mouth salivating from pure anticipation.

"Okay... Dig in, since I don't know when we'll eat next." He admitted before taking a great big bite, his lips sprawling in euphoria as the taste lingered on his tongue. "So good!" Before he realized, the food was gone, his stomach full and at ease. Quickly before Raziel wanted to be sneaky, he payed for their dinner. "Thanks for the recommendation, it was wonderful!" Standing up from his seat he would push in his chair, waiting for Raziel before they exited the building.

"It's getting pretty late... Do you think we should retire somewhere for the night, or should we keep at it?" Ziv asked before stretching, letting out an exhausted yawn before straightening his posture.
 
Raziel dug into her food readily, the plate dissipating into a pixellated mass as she finished, a contented sigh coming from her as she smiled, reflecting on what the food would be like on the floors ahead. They hadn't been farther than the eighth floor before the end of the beta, but even but then there was a substantial increase in the quality. She couldn't help but wish for some of the pasta that was on the sixth floor. Her desire to progress only increased with that thought, and it was pleasant to have a few moments to simply enjoy the sensory input from the game, and not dwell that everyone was now trapped within this world.

As Ziv paid, she gave a warm smile of appreciation before following him out back into the city. The night was falling now, and Raziel watched as Ziv spoke and stretched, beginning to think on sleep and how much time they could acceptably sacrifice while still keeping their pace. She saw his yawn, then, and her mentality of weighing the time frames broke, instead realizing that her companion would like to rest, and it was a better idea to hunt while fully rested. One mistake, and either of them could be dead.

"We can post up for tonight. We'll have plenty of time to level up, no need to wear ourselves thin," she said enthusiastically, bringing out her map once more. She marked an inn, saying, "If we're going to be here for a while, this is probably our best bet for a room during the first few floors. It has beginner pricing, and the rooms are a bit Spartan but it doesn't matter for my taste," she explained. As long as the room had the bare essentials, she would be fine. With that, she moved, though turning her head back towards Ziv. "Don't worry, we'll work plenty hard over the next week, so we can relax well," she said with a playful tone. She was eager to get back onto the field, but not willing to risk their lives just to be slightly ahead.
 
Ziv sighed in relief to know that Raziel was okay with settling down for the night. "Oh goodness, thanks!" He smiled back before looking at the map with her. His eyes darted towards the Inn's location, figuring out in his head how to get there from where he was now. After viewing it long enough, they headed out to find it.

The more they walked, the more tired Ziv got, not even caring if it made him look weak or not, he was exhausted. Opening the door, he widened it enough for Raziel to fit, closing it once they both stepped firmly inside. The receptionist smiled before inquiring their requests. "Hello, do you happen to have two rooms available for the night?" Ziv asked before the receptionist shook his head.

"We have one bedroom with two beds, will that suffice?" He asked, and Ziv didn't mind, until he realized he chose a male avatar.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he had no choice but to accept, paying again, most of what he had earned in his short time online, and chucked Raziel a spare key to the bedroom. "I hope you don't mind, it's all they had." He coyly smiled, feeling his cheeks redden in embarrassment.
 
Raziel followed Ziv inside, looking around the in as he spoke with the receptionist. Until now, she never realized that she never actually slept in one of the inns in the beta. It felt like wasted time with what little they had, but now it was completely necessary. It never made sense to actually sleep while playing before, but now it was the only way to rest the mind.

As Ziv tossed her the key, at first she simply shrugged, not really caring about sharing the room since they were both guys. Then, she hesitated as she realized her form right now. Her eyes temporarily narrowed at Ziv as though he were planning something, but she then smiled and shook her head. "That's perfectly fine. The harassment security features will keep me safe if you try anything," she replied with a wink to Ziv. She didn't think he would try anything, as the pair had already put their lives in each other's hands, but being a guy in reality, she knew how most guys might take this situation.

Regardless, it wasn't something Ziv had a choice in, so there was no need to make him feel bad for it. "Let's go get to sleep, I would love to try to get some levels of battle healing tomorrow if we can, it's a bit dangerous but it'll be extremely helpful down the line, the higher it is," she said, beaming as she anticipated what awaited them.

She moved to their room, unlocking the door and heading inside. She turned sideways and plopped on to the bed nearest to the door, tapping through menus to unequip her weapons for the night. She looked to Ziv as he entered, saying, "Our next big landmark will be to find the dungeon. Every floor has one, and the boss room is somewhere in there. Once we can map it out and get to there, the players will probably all try and organize a raid. We should just overmatch it with numbers, but... Well, that's why our leveling will be important," she missed as she pulled her knees against herself, rocking lightly as she spoke.
 
Ziv couldn’t help but roll his eyes, letting out a puff of air accompanied with a giggle. “Oh, please. Why do you think I would do something to you? If I wanted to, I would’ve done it early.” He joked with her before showcasing a sincere smile, meaning no harm in his teasing words. He wasn’t too sure how much he should unequip, not wanting to make this situation any more awkward than what it needed to be. Taking it slow, he let his weapons go, then some hard cloth used to take damage, but he was still clothed from the torso down. It would’ve felt weird removing his shirt, as he was used to breasts in real life.

He would take it upon himself to lay in the available bed that wasn’t chosen, falling back-first as his head sunk into the comfort of two pillows. “Mmm, this feels good, to just lay down and relax for a second.” He hummed, closing his eyes peacefully before opening them to respond. “Dangerous or not, it needs to be done. This is our life now, and I’d rather die trying than not try at all, like some people on this game.” He admitted, only imagining their own fear.

“We’re going to have to prepare a lot if we have to go through a dungeon and then a boss.” The thought of it made him even more exhausted, already feeling his muscles tense up from the future fighting. “Just try and get some sleep, your mind is running faster than your mouth, you need a break.” Ziv noticed her instructions, how particular she was in her plans, and he knew that’s all she was thinking about. Her mind needed to rest, perhaps she would even think better in the morning after the sleep.

Shifting to turn around in his bed, he would pull the covers from underneath him on top of his form, nestling in comfortably until he found the perfect spot to let his body sink into the mattress. “Goodnight, Raziel. I’ll see you in the morning, but if you need anything, just let me know, okay?”
 
Raziel watched Ziv as he slowly relaxed himself, settling more and more as he continued to speak. As he mentioned the players that weren't trying, her mouth tightened lightly in consternation, thinking about the players who simply had resolved to stay in Beginners town. They wouldn't level up, or move to higher floors, they would simply exist here until the game was cleared.

Ziv was right, that wasn't an option for the two of them. they had already proved that they had what it takes to succeed and to progress, and they would continue to be some of the top players. He then mentioned that she was thinking too much, and was right again. She blushed lightly as she laid down, turning away from him, and replied her own goodnight in turn. Then, as she did her best to slow her thoughts, her mind eventually became quiet as she drifted off to sleep.

- - - - - -

It had been two a full week since the start of the game. People were beginning to get more comfortable in the world, and those who'd resolved to stay in the town had started working on upgrading trade skills. Ziv and Raziel had been active enough on the battlefield to be noticed as some of the clearing group. They had even been the ones that managed to locate the boss door, which led to the meeting where the clearing group made plans to launch a raid on the boss.

The meeting was taking place in the amphitheatre in town, with a tall, dark skinned man wearing heavy armor was the primary speaker. Most of the pairs were sitting next to each other, as they had been getting along and learning to fight together. Ziv and Raz were no different, and had found a seat near the front.

The plan had already been detailed. They go in as three squads. One attacks the boss, the other deals with the mobs, and one focuses on supporting and swapping with the primary squad when they need to heal. It was also their job to assess attack patterns and ensure that aggro was being drawn appropriately. They were currently deciding who was going to be placed in which group by where the players felt they would be most useful.

Raziel looked to Ziv, giving her own speculation and assessment. "With my skillset, I think I'm a sure bet on the front line. I can dodge-tank pretty well, and with my gear i have minor passive healing, so I can sustain better than most... But I could also probably the minor enemies faster than the others, so maybe there. What do you think? As for you... I could really see any position, since you have a range not a lot of players have. Damage output isn't as high, so I'd keep you off the minor enemies, but as long as you're careful not to draw aggro, you could have some of the most consistent damage on the boss."
 
The meeting was a bigger turnout than he had expected, inspecting the people who sat in the amphitheater, conversations keeping the room lively despite the nervous aura he felt. As each second passed, it was becoming surreal that they were about to fight their first boss, successful or not.

Ziv was so deep in through that he almost didn't notice Raziel talking, immediately shaking his head to clear the thoughts before giving her his full attention. "Ohhh yes." He drew out the word, nodding in agreement. "You definitely deserve to be the tank, especially with the minor passive healing. It's an awesome combination. I'm sure we'll have plenty of health potions to rejuvenate too." Ziv suggested, his digits twiddling with each other as it become more hard to breathe.

"As for me, well, it's easy to see you overpower me, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous." He smiled, wanting to be a little funny in such a serious conversation. It was life or death for them. "I feel as if I am better off fighting the mobs. I have damage over time spells as well as area of effect, so more than one foe will fall, or have their health depleted a good chunk before we need to finish them off." It felt good that he could at least contribute. "We need to find one more person though..." He mentioned, eyes scanning the area to see if anyone was by themselves or looking for a partner.

In the distance, a lone girl stood by herself, sword in hand, and scanned the area likewise. As soon as Ziv and her eyes met, an unspoken exchange was made, the girl with the username 'Trystal' approached the duo.

"Hey there, I'm Ziv, and this is my friend Raziel, was wondering if you wanted to join us?" Cheerily he asked, giving a welcoming smile before letting his hand drift out to shake hers. Trystal looked at his hand before shaking it once with a firm grip.

"I'm Trystal, it's nice to meet you guys." Slightly she curtsied, clearing her throat before diving into the real talk. "I'm a tank/fighter, so I can switch roles. I figured myself and Raziel can switch places if needed?"
 
Raziel folded her arms over her chest, a habit that took her a bit to get used to in this world due to some bodily changes. She looked over Trystal, as though giving her a brief evaluation in her head. Her approach and formality put Raziel on edge, not that she was one to remain at ease in most situations, but she wasn't immediately put off."That'll work. It's better than my backup plan of finding Trezkin. Can't deny that he's got skill, I've followed up on him since our first meeting..." Raziel stated, moving up to face Trystal.

She inspected the woman's gear, noting that it was of good quality, and showed that she was using a similar hunting strategy as Ziv and Raz were. "I'll take primary tank role, you can support. We'll swap out as necessary, but no guarantees given on final blow," she stated matter of factly. It had become a common sight for Ziv to see Raziel negotiate terms in such terse manner. She generally only took a friendly tone with him, it seemed to be all business otherwise.

"A beta tester then, I assume?" Trystal asked with a polite smile towards Raziel. Her pleasant intonations held no informality, "I can agree to that, however. I can't imagine anyone willingly giving up that chance at the last hit bonus. Very well, I've been often a solo player until now, so this is a good chance to make some allies for bosses," she continued, folding her hands together in front of her.

Raziel was rather surprised on hearing the girl was a solo player. She was rather pretty, and seemed like the type of person people would flock to. Perhaps there was something about her that pushed them away? Regardless, it wasn't something Raziel was going to bother herself with unless it became an issue. She certainly wasn't going to put her life in this girl's hands. She looked to Ziv then, saying, "That's our team, then. We're definitely some of the higher levels, so we'll need to do what we can to keep the others safe as well. Don't take needless risks, and I'll try not to either. Keep them safe, but you're MY partner. You're more important," she stated, before turning to go report to the man that had been talking earlier. She looked to Trystal as she passed, giving a smile and saying, "We'll discuss our switching tactics on the way."

It wasn't long before the teams were moving out towards the dungeon, eight groups of three players.
 
Ziv watched Raziel's aura change once the girl approached, never seeing this side from her before since they've mostly been together with no one else around. He could understand, she was new, but he decided to stay out of their discussion. "Alright, looks like we got our team!" Ziv chimed in happily, wanting to break the discomfort in the air that was swirling around him.

The trio walked together alongside the other groups, stepping inside of the dungeons doors before it locked on them, the dimly lit cave portraying shadows in the distance.

"There's a group of Ruin Kobold Sentinel coming our way!" Someone shouted as a trio of the minions charged towards the group. A large portion of its head and body is tightly covered and protected by metal armor, which makes the throat its only weak point. The Sentinel's were armed with huge halberds and maces, carrying the weighted weapon as they stormed their way into the fight. Sentinels aid Illfang the Kobold Lord as minions, adding further struggle for players to defeat the boss when the time came.

“Ziv, watch out!” Trystal hollered at him just as the Ruin Kobold Sentinel slashed its mace towards him. He was too stunned that he was unaware of his surroundings. Just as he turned around to face the beast that was attacking him, its weapon sliced against his chest and caused him to be tossed backwards from the force. Glowing red lacerations showed where he had been stricken, his health that was once 100 now declined to 73.

“You have to be more careful, Ziv.” A nearby comrade nagged at him before tossing a healing pot over to him. It healed his wounds and increased his heath to 89. Luckily the others finished off the beast just before Ziv got back onto his feet.

“Sorry guys… Something caught me off guard.” Trying his best to turn his gaze away from the glaring eyes he would focuse on the remaining dungeon.

“It’s okay, don’t sweat it.” Trystal said as she smiled happily. “Don’t make it a habit though.” She joked, despite having a serious facial expression.
 
As they entered the cave, Raziel ensured that she was in front of her teammates, and was quick to intercept the group of kobolds sentinels that engaged them. As she fell into her usual routine to fight the predictable movements of the creature, she looked back and saw Ziv take a hit from a kobold. She immediately pushed back her kobold, throwing it off balance as she darted towards Ziv. Despite her urgency, others managed to get the situation under control. She hadn't gotten used to having someone other than each other to back them up, and she went back to her designated kobold, finding it now recovered.

She dispatched it relatively quickly, as did the others. Once the wave was clear, she fell back to talk with Ziv. "You alright? It's going to be rough, can't afford to be using pots on the trash mobs," she said, her worry carrying through her words. She knew it was a tense time for everyone, but she didn't want Ziv to be in danger.

The group made its way through the corridors, only fighting as necessary before finally reaching the large, gilded doors of the boss room. The dark skinned man in the lead moved up to them before looking back, speaking in his deep booming voice to ensure the entire group could hear. "The boss lies beyond this door. We know that Illfang is going to have a consistent attack pattern, so if you're unfamiliar with it, ensure to use caution with your attacks. At our levels we will be able to take roughly three attacks before needing to heal, or else you'll risk death. I need not detail how bad that would be," he finalized before placing his gloved hands upon the door.

Raziel tensed as the doors creaked open, revealing a brightly lit room. Illfang sat upon a throne, surrounded by a group of the Ruin Sentinels, who were clad in full metal armor. As the team walked into the room, Illfang roared and leapt to his feet, removing a large axe and a shield from his belt and wielding both. The sentinels rushed in from behind him but we're quickly intercepted by the mob team. Raziel and Trystal moved almost in unison, taking the initial charge to attack Illfang, moving to dodge past the kobolds. The battle for the first floor had begun.
 
"Yeah, I know..." Ziv responded to Raz, already feeling more guilty about his actions, despite not being scolded by her. Regardless, it warmed his heart to see how worried she grew for him. "I think I learned my lesson and will attempt to stay on my toes." He encouraged not only Raz but himself, mustering the courage to move forward and act as if nothing happened.

Ziv was beginning to become preoccupied with his battle with the kobolds beginning to circulate around him. Everyone else around him had their own fight to deal with, leaving Ziv to try and fend for himself as he tried to think of a quick strategy to defeat the two kobolds at once.

Suddenly, and out of reflex, he used his <<Star Splash>> weapon skill; a high-level-8-hit combo. He begins with three short thrusts, one at each kobolds chest, provoking the targets to raise their guard up. Although the first three thrusts do not deal much damage, the number of hits and speed was overwhelming. Afterwards, the three thrusts are followed by two slashes at the kobolds now undefended legs. Ziv then performs two strong jabs high and low, followed by a final strong stab at each of the kobolds chests. Both of them turned to pixelated mush, the male breathing heavy from his harsh battle, but feeling a sense of empowerment.

He could only hope that he was doing a good job in the other's eyes, trying his best to ensure the kobolds do not interfere with the tanks.
 
The fight was brutal, but the players were functioning very well amidst the chaos as Raziel, along with the rest of the front line, engaged Illfang. Her blade streaked through the air as she drove a blow into the monster, taking off a small bit of the first bar of health. It would take some time to whittle him down to one bar, where he'd switch his weapon, but with everyone attacking it would happen.

The engorged kobold turned towards Raziel, letting out a roar in her face that rendered her unable to attack briefly, but let her know that she held the aggro. A faint smirk fell to her lips as she stepped back to prepare for the axe swing that was going to follow. Sure enough, the programmed attack happened as she remembered before, her dodge flawless as the weapon swing right by. She looked back to Trystal as though to confirm that the data was the same, and she nodded in return.

Raziel darted into the offense then, knowing she had a brief opening to get damage in. She didn't want to risk using a sword skill yet, as if he went into a sweep attack, evading cut would still take a hit. The other members of the front line were doing damage still, so it wasn't wasted time. Illfang went into position with his axe held out sideways, and Raziel leapt back. The sweep was hard to dodge, but had a short range. The attack swung around, and hit one player who didn't react in time, bringing them to half health. Almost as though on instinct, Trystal was between the player and Illfang. Raziel gave her a quick smile to indicate understanding, and that until the situation was remedied neither of them had a switch partner.

Illfangs attention was still on Raziel as he launched into an attack string, her agility and knowledge keeping her only a few inches from impact. Her blade wasn't meant to parry, so blocking wasn't really an option. Finally the beast picked another target from those attacking, giving Raziel some breathing room. She recovered from her winded state, looking quickly to check on her teammates. Trystal was still engaged, and Ziv was killing his targets at a very good pace. She saw him down two kobolds at once, quite a feat at the current level, and she smiled before returning her attention back to Illfang.

He had his attention now on Trystal, and Raziel began an onslaught of attacks, his health now driving into his third bar. It wouldn't be long before the weapon switch, and with the team they had they should be prepared for it. The sentinels we're being held off from the main fight almost completely, and most of the players knew every attack Illfang could do. The fight was going almost uncomfortably well.
 
His efforts were rewarded with the genuine smile spewing from Raz’s lips, igniting his own smile in response. The way the sweat beaded off from her hairline showed just how hard she was working to fight off Illfang, and he wished he could help her more than just slaying kabolds. It did help, to keep the pesky minions away from the tanks, but he still felt useless to some degree. Regardless, her smile meant the world to him, boosting up his ego enough to grow optimistic.

It was wonderful to witness so many people work together for their lives, fighting in unison with the same determination as the individual next to them. We’ll get through this, we have to… He reassured himself before positioning himself in a stance, waiting for a kobold that was charging in his direction. Tightly he gripped onto his daggers, knuckles turning white from the force. When the time was right, he dug the tip of his foot onto the ground, propelling himself towards the enemy.

With ease he made his blades dance across the body of his foe, red lines scarring its body, a battle cry rupturing from its throat. Ziv’s muscles tensed as his hit grew harsher, harder, and more influential. A final blow to its neck and it evaporated into a magical hue of prisms, vanishing as if it never existed.

“Hey, Raz, are doing okay?” Ziv inquired as he wanted to check up on her, noting how intensive her fighting had become. He wasn’t necessarily asking for a verbal response, even just a nod of her head would be enough for him. All of the kabolds were almost close to being terminated, leaving only the boss left to finish off. Victory was so close, tasting it on his lips as he watched Raz fight with everything she got, inspiring him to be like her.

A strange, red beaming light radiated from his eyes, an uneasy sense of power coming off from Illfang. The kobolds were finally defeated, perhaps causing a sporatic reaction from the loss's. His newfound power resulted in Ziv feeling uneasy, his movements growing less predictable.

"Raz!" Ziv shouted as he violently thrusted his weapon towards her, tricking the team into thinking he was swinging the opposite way when he would actually be swinging from their oncoming direction. Some players managed to get a hit or two in, some meeting the impact of his axe. It grew more real when they instantly dissipated, their once green health bar turning red before vanishing. One... Two... Three members were slayed, the base of his axe hitting Raz harshly, leaving her with less than 7% health. Luckily she didn't get stricken by the blade, but regardless, it was still an awful situation.

Not evening caring about his fate, tears welled up in his misty eyes, quickly rushing towards Raz in the heat of the moment. He tossed his right dagger in the air, attempting to rustle through his storage bag to retrieve a heath pot. Just as the blade danced with the air, it managed to dive into the direction of Illfang, piercing his clavicle before he froze.

Zero health.

It took a moment, but he ruptured, bursting at the seams, a large 'Congratulations' hovering over where Illfang used to stand. Securely taking the health pot in his hand, he knelt to Raz, placing a gentle hand on the nape of her neck to lift up her head enough to allow the warm red liquid to seep into her throat.

"I can't believe it, Ziv!" A member shrieked, catching him off guard as he turned his head around to see what had happened. The boss was no longer there, everyone's face replaced with a cheery smile, some with tears rolling down their faces in awe.

"Ehr?" Stupidly he replied before the group surrounded the two, hollering and raising their fists in victory.
 
Raziel barely heard Ziv as Illfang moved into a new attack pattern, one that hadn't been seen before even in the beta. Raziel had been preparing for the next string of attacks, as had the others around her. She tried to call out the change before Illfang swung his axe viciously, cleaving two teammates instantly and catching Raziel just before she could dive away. She felt the wind knocked out of her as the haft slammed into her stomach, carrying her with the momentum before tossing her aside. Time seemed to slow as she flew like a rag doll to the floor nearby, looking as Illfang took a step forward. She had been overconfident that they knew the patterns, that there was nothing new coming... Clearly, there had been changes. Raziel closed her eyes, hoping that the others could at least finish the monster, even if she died for it.

As Illfang took a step, however, a small flash of light passed into his shoulder, causing him to freeze in place before pixellating. The boss had been defeated, and Ziv rushed over to Raziel, downing a potion into her mouth. She gratefully accepted, moving up to a sitting position and saying, "Good timing, that... Could've been it," with a puff of a relieved sigh, looking over to Trystal who was also on her way over. The pair were surrounded before they could reconvene with her, though, players all congratulating Ziv as Raziel smiled.

The jubilation was short lived, however, as the stairwell to the next floor had a figure appear on it, a thick build with a blood-red cloak. It was the game master, Kayaba. No body could be seen within the hood, and it raised its arms upwards as it began to speak. "Congratulations to the clearing group, you have taken the first of many steps to returning to your own world. Know that you are making good progress, and for that, I have one more gift for you. It has been placed within your items, please inspect it, and then, once you have all recovered, proceed to the next floor. This is the final announcement, and I wish you all the best of luck in clearing this game."

The room flashed white, leaving the figure missing from his position as the players all seemed to stare in confusion. Raziel, along with many other players, went through her inventory, plucking out the new item received... It was a <Small Mirror> that was no bigger than the palm of your hand. Raziel took it out, looking at it and seeing... Herself. Her avatar. It was a strange thing to see in a mirror, but she couldn't help but wonder why he would-

Another flash of light. The players were all changing. Clothes remained the same, but heights were changing, faces were changing, even genders... Raziel saw in the mirror a familiar face, one she hadn't seen in weeks. One she didn't expect to see for quite some time. It was his true face. He yelped only slightly, taken aback from this change, before he turned to his teammates, beginning to stammer out an explanation before he paused, realizing that they also had changed.
 
The cloaked figure covered the ceiling of the boss's room, its appearance leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He listened carefully to his words before he left their sight. Running his fingers in front of his he would pull up his items list, noticing a <Small Mirror> Placed within one of the slots. Cocking his head to the side, he equipped it, only for the mirror to resemble an image of his character.

"Odd..." He spoke softly before Raziel's form flashed a heavenly white light, Ziv's own form also being consumed by the radiance. He didn't feel anything different until his chest grew heavy from before, glancing down to see covered breasts instead of a flat bulky chest. Peering into the small mirror, her real appearance was revealed, showing off her feminine features. Quickly, she dropped the mirror, not even shattering on the ground before she gazed up to see that Raziel... was a he!

"Raz...?" She muttered before covering her mouth in surprise, but could only imagine what went on through his mind too. Everyone in the room glowed white before showcasing their true selves, everyone taken aback by the sudden change, some screaming, some lightly weeping in astonishment. Now Raz would know why she sucked so badly, she jokingly thought to herself, but it still didn't calm the mood. "W-what made you decide to play a female?" She asked, but realized he could ask her the same about her choice of character.

Trystal wasn't a she either, instead a he. It brought a sense of surreal that you truly didn't know the other person on the opposite side. She staggered backwards, legs quivering before she collapsed to the floor, knees dirty from the dusty dungeon. "Why?"
 
Ziv's true form was a female, which caught Raz by distinct surprise. He inadvertently blushed and looked away then, realizing the too had slept in the same room when he thought it to simply be too guys. He wondered how she'd feel about finding out his own true identity.

The reveal had caused Ziv to collapse to her knees, Raziel couldn't help but feel multiple pangs of regret for not having revealed the truth sooner. He'd had his reasons, thinking that it wouldn't actually matter anyway, but now that he discovered the truth he felt that he'd betrayed her trust. She'd simply thought she were playing with another girl, that may be a part of why she'd been so willing to work with him. He opened his mouth, attempting to stammer out an apology, saying, "Ziv... I... I didn't know, I just... It was a mistake, but I couldn't log out to change it... It felt... Like it'd be easier than explaining it," he said as an attempted justification.

He looked briefly to Trystal, as though trying to take solace in the fact that he'd been in the same situation, but the fact was Trystal had decided to play alone. He hadn't lied to someone the entirety of the time on the first floor, like Raziel had. He let out a small sigh as he spoke once more."This... Well, this world started so quickly, and with the pairings... I figured it would make things... Well, complicated, to explain."

Ziv was... rather pretty, a thought that caused Raziel to become even more awkward about their time shared. His memory of Zivs male form still was more familiar, and he was doing his best to connect the two as the same person. Quickly, he realized he was staring at her then, and quickly averted his gaze. He almost started to speak again before a small voice resonated throughout the room.

"Everyone! We need to move on to the next floor. This is... A lot to deal with, but the boss might respawn if we don't..." There was a young girl with dark skin, no older than fifteen, making this announcement. She was the one who had been leading this expedition. Her name, Excel, was the same.

Raziel moved to Ziv, his tone remaining rather cautious as though he wasn't sure of how to speak with her, offered her a hand to help her up as he spoke once more."...She's right. We need to move, we can... Figure out what we're going to do at the starting town of the next done," he offered.
 
“Raz, you don’t need to explain anything. I am just as much as fault as you are.” She admitted, head peering downwards in defeat, feeling guilty for not telling him the truth. “It’s a touchy subject, especially when you think no one is going to see the real you… Besides, we never really discussed each other in real life.” Standing up, she extended a friendly hand to Raziel, wanting to start their encounter over again until Excel interrupted the commotion.

After exciting the dungeon, the group decided to enter onto the second level, the changed minor but noticeable than the first level. Standing besides Raz, she would retry her greeting, shaking his hand firmly if he would allow her to. “My name is Zira, hence why I picked Ziv. I’m twenty, and that’s all I know what to think of to tell you.” She giggled nervously, trying to grow accustomed to his new image. She felt like such a hypocrite, but her feelings couldn’t be deceived,

“What about you?” She would ask, cocking her head to the side sincerely to await for his response.
 
Raziel smiled to Ziv as she shook his hand. Her grip was firm and friendly, and it put him at ease that she wanted to reintroduce themselves. They couldn't necessarily start over, since they had to trust each other to work together, but it was a good way to re-establish their familiarity. Ziv then introduced herself as her real name, causing Raziel to pause briefly.

"Zira... I like it. Do you want me to use that now, or continue with Ziv?" he asked curiously. She giggled after introducing herself. It was as though now that she was truly herself, her personality held a slight shift. It was enough to make Raziel smile softly as he continued, "My name is Trevor, twenty two years old. You can call me what you like when we're alone, but... Let's stick with Raziel around others," he said with a grin.

It was nice talking to Zira like this, most of their interaction had been related to the game. Now, she was still the knife throwing ninja she had been, but... Raziel saw her differently. Her long hair, her slender form, her soft hand... Raziel suddenly froze up. He realized he hadn't yet released her hand, quickly letting go as soon as he noticed, his hand moving to rub anxiously at his shoulder as he looked away, giving a small nervous chuckle.

'S... Sorry about that," he said as he moved to walk ahead, taking his usual place as the scouting position in the group. The city was only a short distance from the tunnel leading from the first floor, a large castle sitting in the middle of the various shops and inn. "Let's go find a roo-... A couple rooms for the night, get acquainted with the new town..." Raziel said, his voice still holding a small nervous tone to it. His usual confident and vigilant demeanor seemed rather shaken.
 
“Feel free to use the name when we are alone, and I will do the same for you, Trevor.” She tasted the name, savoring the taste in her palate that it left in her mouth. It wasn’t noticed that their hands stayed locked momentarily until he quickly took his hand away. It was evident the awkwardness stirred in the aura between them, and Ziv would ponder on a way to make things easier for him.

“Hey… Tre- I mean, Raz.” Eyes looked down nervously, before gazing back into his like she used to, no hesitation or second thoughts. “Please, just because I look different, I am the same Ziv you’ve known. You’re the same Raziel I know, so let’s try not to let this change take control of our feelings, okay?” Reassuringly she patted his shoulder, noticing his masculine structure differing from the feminine features before. He was handsome, his jet-black hair and pale blue eyes causing a slight thump to erupt in her heart.

The castle stood high in the skies, overtaking the sight of the town. “I’m guessing you feel stubborn now and do not want to share a room with me?” Ziv joked before lightly nudging his side with her elbow. “C’mon, we’ll unpack and talk more about everything if you want to, or even a plan for the future.” Taking the lead, she walked forward, gazing at the new scenery around her. “On second thought… You know this better than I do. Anywhere that’s decent yet not pricy?” She asked, popping up her menu as she inspected the map.

“How about ‘The Happy Mace Inn’? It seems fairly reasonable in price and the rooms look decent from what I can see."
 
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