Chapter 08

"Yea. I guess your right. For Liz." I managed a weak smile.
"Hey u smiled. I knew you were not all doom and gloom." Sugu laughed
I chuckled. "Yea. Yftytytyou don't know how hard it was to ask for help. Thanks you two. Thanks a lot."
"Not a problem. We'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"Sounds good." I wave goodbye as my assistant shows them out.
"Sir, sorry for my asking, but did you know them?"
"Its alright Marie. Kirito I knew from SAO. I just meet his sister a little while ago. The girl Lizbeth I've been telling you about, they're going to help me meet her."
"You sure about this?" She asked.
"Yes. Ever since I meet her in SAO and I spent that entire day with her, I knew she was the one. I'd always go back to see her after a long haul or a brutal beat down. She'd always lecture me on how id need to take care of myself and whatnot and a few times I even fell asleep in her shop." I must have been smiling a broad grin at the memory because Marie started to giggle. "What?"
"I haven't seen u smile this much in ages. She's one lucky girl. So what happened next?"
"Well..." I blush. "When I woke up, she was leaning against me holding my hand."
"I'm guessing a fight broke out?"
I sigh. "Sorta." I really lower my head and barely speak. "I kissed her."
"Oh dear."
"She wasn't too happy. Probably because she really wasn't really awake for it." I shrug. "I don't know. I still don't know women let alone the real world. That's why Kirito is helping me: with my problems."
"Ahh. So he's helping you conquer your fear of going out and he's being nice enough to call that friend of his from rehab to help you. That's a huge step for you."
"Yea. It is. Plus with his sister I'll be able to buy Lizbeth a good present too. Since I have no idea what to buy,let alone what to buy for a girl." I sigh.
Marie hugs me. "It'll be okay. You have great friends and a week ro do it all in."
"Thanks Marie, for everything."
"No problem sweetheart. Anyways you must be hungry. How about some food?"
My stomach rumbles. "Yea. I'm starved."

After eating with Marie, I go back online and clear a floor alone like I used to do. Being solo had its perks and its downfalls. The perks were more loot. The downfalls were you could die easily and quickly if not careful and you didn't have anyone to heal you. That's why I carried as many healing things as I could. Weather it be potions, gems, or items of some sort. As I was running through a forested area I heard a scream. I took off faster as I knew people were in trouble. What stopped my heart was the size of the monster. Here I am about to jump off a cliff to help these strangers and this monster is twice as big as a mountin. No wait. It IS a mountain. A baby mountain. I run and jump off the cliff slicing into the monster on my way down. At the bottom I see the party looking at me.
"Where's the rest of your party?" One guy asks.
"I'm the only one."
"We're all going to die." A girl says.
"Just stay out of my way and you won't,got it?" I quickly equip my scythe and turn to the monster. "You and me buddy. Lets go."

"After an half hour battle, it finally died. It nearly wiped me out a good 3 dozen times but I kept going. When it told me congradulatons I sent the loot to the party. I told them to take it. I had no need for it. I then went to leave and they stopped me.
"What is your name?"
"Reaper" I said as I stood there cloak flowing in the wind. I knew this was going to spread quickly.
"What guild are u from?"
"I'm a solo player. I'm also a beater. If you don't know what that means then don't ask." I turn and leave. As I near the next town I see a group of monsters not even worth fighting but I take them out anyway and go into town. Sighing, I head to the warp gate and head to Lizbeth's shop. When I get there, I see a note.
'Went for supplys be back by 7:00.'
I pull up the clock. Its only 4:45. I figure id go inside and wait.
"I told you to get off of me."
...I rush in and see five guys around Lizbeth. I draw my scyth. "Get out now. Get out before I throw your asses out."
The five of them turn to look at me. Heh. Hey bub, this is none of your concern so why don't you go try playing hero elsewhere."
"Hey boss, what if that's her boyfriend or something?" One of the guys say.
"Non-sense. She don't have one. So hero, we gonna have to teace you a lesson in manners?"
"How about I teach them to you about how its rude to hold a lady luke that." I bolt over to them so quickly that their stunned. I didn't even move my scythe to even engage in an attack, just got closer. What do you say. Go outside the shop or outside city limits? Personally I say city limits so all 5 of you can take me on but I still say it wouldn't be fair. You could have an army. I just took down a baby mountin after all, even though it did nearly kill me 3 dozen times. What about you five? What have you taken down lately besides shop owners?"
"Boss, mabey we should go."
"Yes, mabey you should and never come back. I will have eyes and ears on this place. If you come back, I will find you and I will destry you. Got it?"
As they ran I turned to see Lizbeth in the corner. I put my scythe away and helped her up and hugged her. "Your okay now. Who were they?"
"So called smugglers that needed good merchandise and I wasn't willing to give it to them."
"That's my girl." I chuckle. "I guess I came at the right time. You know I wasn't joking when I said I'd hunt them down."
She hugged me and started to cry. After a little while she settled down enough. "Thank you Reaper for helping me. How did you know to come in?"
"I was actually going to come in and wait for you."
"Another words you were going to take a nap."
"Pretty much." I smiled.
"Your so useless."she lays her head on my chest.
"I heard your birthdays this weekend."
"Yea."
"What would you like for your birthday?"
"To be happy." She said as she falls asleep.
"That I can give you." I smiled.

Later on I wake up and she walks out from the back. "Hi sleepy head. How you doing?"
I streach and yawn. "I'm okay. A little worried about you though." I smile as I get up and give her my equipment like a ritual. "Liz. Can I take you out to dinner?"
She drops my equipment as she's on her way to the back. Beat red she looks at me. "Wh..what for?"
"Just because you do so much for me. I want to repay you your kindness, plus your birthday is coming up. I thought it would be nice for just the two of us to go someplace to eat."
"S...sure. let me fix this up and then change."
"Sounds great." I smiled.
When she came back out she handed me my stuff then went into the back for a minute and then came back out. She was in a nice dress. I raied an eyebrow "very cute." I stated."I didn't even know they made them like that."