[OP-F1] Onward and Upward

[Ashrah 0]

His travels took him, as always, to the central areas of whatever floor he visited. Arc quietly reflected on his first moments in the game when he saw the forum. In silence he wondered if anyone he knew had missed him by minutes. He wondered if anyone else had died without his knowledge. While it meant the start of an adventure for most people, the Town of Beginnings meant the end of an era for so many who now climbed eagerly toward freedom.

In their first breaths on Aincrad, those trapped in the castle that floated in the sky left behind another life. They stepped into the façade of their character and traded pen and ink for sword and shield. It occurred to Arc that this alone was a freedom so many others would never experience. At the same time, it was a prison he would wish on no one. 

When he finished turning in the quest that brought him back down to floor one, Arc decided to relax a little. The opportunity to rest between jobs and quests was vital, he had learned. Once, he might have forced himself to continue against the strain of exhaustion. It would have gotten him killed.

"Let's see..." he browsed the shops idly, certain there would be nothing to interest him. Still, it provided a distraction from the still harsh news that his friend had died.

[Ssendom 0]

Ssendom found himself frequenting the first floor more often now as the next Front Lines Floor Boss fight was impending upon him and also the new news about an event boss en route. He thought of each time he visited the town of beginnings, back to when he lazed about and did nothing for months hiding in one of the broken down buildings high up above the roads as to avoid people.

Everytime he thought about when he was lazily doing nothing letting others risk their life before deciding to take action and begin his new life, he would become enraged with himself knowing he could the strongest ever to stand in Aincrad.

Ultimately he realized that coming to the Town of Beginnings, he wanted to encounter those who hid from this world and help them realize what a beauty and a wonder it was to be apart of this game. He learned that it wasn't about thinking that this game was a Death Game but instead it was a new chapter in their life, with that thought his rage turned to a sincere happiness.

He was walking around in his casual attire, but his Dragon Head Shaped Stained Glass Shoulder Pads had become a staple to his look, it was his claim to fame in this world with the slaying of the eleventh floor boss. He noticed a man strolling about, he didn't know whether or not the man had put time forth in experiencing this world or not. All Ssendom knew was he wished to greet the man and help the guy realize what this world truly had to offer.

Ssendom then began to approach the unfamiliar person, "Hey, you look like you got a bit on your mind." He said in a genuinely calm tone through his powerful and booming deep voice, "Sorry to ambush you technically, the name is Ssendom, and I noticed you walking about the Town." He held his hand out as a form of greeting, hoping not to cause the man to jump back.