The Hidden Player

Chapter 4: Hunter And Prey

No POV:
After the raid on of the first floor boss word got out about two players who where worse than any beta tester they not only where testers they where also cheaters those two where Kirito and Shi. Other players called them beaters others called them friends. We now find Y/N or Shi on floor 10 completing a quest it was April 3rd the year 2023.

Y/N POV:
For the past few days I've been running around floor 10 and 11 looking for this NPC I was supposed to take out and now I was on the trail. You see after the floor 11 boss was defeated I ran into a quest asking me to stop an evil NPC who has been terrorizing a village and if I did it I'd be rewarded with free housing in the village plus 150,000 cor and a rare piece of armor. I expected the quest and was looking for the NPC apparently he hides out in the forest on 10th floor in miniature fort after some tracking I found the place it was heavily guarded before I entered a screen popped up "silent kill quest: break in without triggering any alarms get an extra 150,000 cor and receive a red health crystal" I looked at it "damn red crystals are priceless" I said. I ran along the roof top taking out guards with my bow the I jumped into the bushes I threw my rope dart and pulled a guard into them and took them out then I climbed up high onto a rafter and hung a guard with a rope dart. I decided to use my new tool I pulled out a blow gun it was crafted from an iron tree and bound metal and with silk from a wither spider I used herbs I found and made three types of darts poison, sleep and rage with them I caused a distraction next to an area with no cover I shot a guard with a rage dart and made him fight his buddies I threw a smoke bomb between them then jumped in and took them out with my knife when the smoke cleared all you could see was pile of polygons. They where running out of guards and I was getting closer to my target I managed to enter a building he was hiding in I could hear is frustration with men because they couldn't find anyone outside. I checked each room then I found the one he was in I looked through the keyhole there where five guards by him I needed to get them out so I could get to him I looked around to see if I could find anything I spotted some bookcases. I hid behind a corner and used my rope dart to pull them down creating a loud noise. three of the five guards came out when the last one went the corner where I was at I grabbed him and covered his mouth and slit his throat when he dissapered the other two heard it I grabbed two throwing knives and threw them and hit the guards in their hearts killing them. I went out a window and climb to the top one floor above the room where the target was I readied three arrows then jumped off the building and fired them the target turned around and saw me falling but was to late to do anything the arrows shattered the glass and hit him and his two guards killing all three of them. With the first part of the quest over and with no alarms being triggered I received 150,000 cor and a red healing crystal the other part was returning to the village and telling the quest giver the news of the mission.

Small Time Skip

Y/N POV:
The way back to the teleporter so I could get to floor 11 was long I managed to make it to a small town next to the teleport gate. There I walked around and saw other players looking at me and whispering things like "it's one of the beaters" or "it's the dark player" I never got that last one I guess it was because red players where afraid of me, and if I had to kill it would only be red players so guilds like Laughing Coffin avoided me. The thing about being called a beater never really bothered me I knew Kirito and I where doing it to protect other beta testers from being discriminated against and plus with us playing solo we never really needed to join a party or join a guild. I hadn't heard much from Miko all I knew was that she was doing well for herself becoming stronger apparently she had joined a guild with Asuna and they where very strong it was good for them occasionally I stopped by and hung out with Lisbeth and played with Nilo but that was different from joining a party they weren't frontline players I was.

Time Skip

Y/N POV:
After a long night I made it to the village on the 11th floor and when I found the NPC who gave me the quest I was rewarded everything but the armor that confused me I was waiting for the armor and the quest complete signal but didn't get that instead a warning screen popped up I was confused wasn't I just supposed to kill the NPC and come back. I heard loud footsteps outside so the NPC and I went outside to find the NPC I had killed he looked beaten up and behind him where two large Minotaurs one was red and had a large sword and the other was black and had large axe. "I can't be stopped I will burn this village down" the NPC said I looked behind me and saw all the villagers afraid a screen popped up it said "final stand don't let any villagers die: win and recieve remaining items" "great" I said I pulled out my sword "my day keeps getting better and better" I said. The NPC yelled "kill him, kill them all" the Minotaurs roared and charged at me I ran forward and it felt like I could tell what they where going to do the black Minotaur jumped in the air I dodged then pushed it into the ground it had gotten stuck and couldn't move the red Minotaur attacked one way I dodged and cut it then it swung another way I could practically read all of it's moves I jumped back the Minotaur lowered it's head and charged at me I ran and said under it using my sword to cut it down the middle when it died the NPC was mad the black Minotaur roared and broke out of the ground and charged at me I focused myslef I could see the way it's muscles moved I read it right then hacked the head off. With both Minotaurs where dead the NPC had nothing left he looked at the villagers now scared of them he got up fast and ran I quipped my bow and fired a shot killing him. With that the quest was over I received the remaining items and my free inn status for this floor I took a breath "I did it finally" I said. With that the villagers threw a celebration and partied all night with food and drinks there was music and dancing all the works I left the village and went out looking for my next quest hoping it wouldn't be ridiculously long like that one.