SAO: Strawberry Bunny

The following day, Strawberry decided to spend the day wandering through the vibrant streets of Urbus, exploring the sprawling marketplace while she waited for Kaelin to finish her scythe. The sun was shining brightly overhead, casting a warm glow over the bustling crowd of players and merchants. Urbus's marketplace was alive with activity, the air thick with the mingling scents of grilled meat, sweet pastries, and freshly brewed potions.

Strawberry moved through the crowds, keeping Muffin close by. The little horned bunny had spent most of the morning perched comfortably on her shoulder, his tiny nose twitching as he curiously sniffed the various smells of the market. His big, bright eyes darted around, taking in all the sights with the excitement of a creature seeing the world for the first time.

"Alright, Muffin," Strawberry said softly as she absentmindedly browsed a nearby stall, "let's see if we can find something interesting."

As she spoke, Muffin suddenly perked up, his little ears twitching in excitement. Without warning, he leaped from her shoulder and darted off into the crowd, his small form disappearing in the sea of legs and bustling bodies.

"Muffin!" Strawberry called out, startled by the bunny's sudden escape. She immediately gave chase, weaving through the crowd in an attempt to keep up with him. Her heart raced as she followed the trail of the mischievous creature, her eyes scanning the crowded market for any sign of his fluffy white fur.

Players and NPCs alike moved out of her way as she sprinted down the narrow streets, dodging around stalls and carts. Muffin, surprisingly quick for such a small creature, darted around corners with a playful energy, as if he were leading her on a grand adventure.

"Muffin, get back here!" Strawberry called after him, but the bunny showed no sign of slowing down.

After several turns down increasingly narrow alleys, Strawberry found herself entering a part of the marketplace she hadn't seen before. The bustling crowd thinned out, and the stalls became more ragged, with fewer merchants hawking their wares. The air was cooler here, the noise from the main market fading into a distant hum as she ventured deeper into this quieter section.

Muffin finally came to a stop in front of a small, raggedy shop tucked between two larger buildings. The shop looked worn and neglected, its wooden sign barely legible, the door slightly ajar and hanging on rusted hinges. The building was old, its walls cracked and weathered, as though it had been forgotten by time.

Strawberry skidded to a stop just behind Muffin, catching her breath as she eyed the shop with curiosity. "What did you find, little guy?" she muttered, looking down at the bunny, who chirped happily and hopped around the entrance.

It was clear Muffin had been drawn here for a reason, though she couldn't quite guess what. The shop seemed unassuming, almost too quiet, but something about it intrigued her. If Muffin had found it, there was a good chance there was something worth investigating inside.

With a shrug, Strawberry pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside.

The interior of the shop was just as worn and neglected as the exterior. Dimly lit, the only light came from a small window near the back of the room and a few scattered oil lamps placed haphazardly on the shelves. The shelves themselves were cluttered with old, forgotten items—trinkets and tools that looked like they hadn't been touched in years. The air was thick with dust, and the smell of aged leather and faint metal lingered in the room.

At the back of the shop, behind a low counter, sat an old man, hunched over with age. His clothes were threadbare and patched, his tangled gray hair hanging down into his face. He looked like a hobo, with his scruffy beard and weathered skin, but despite his unkempt appearance, his sharp eyes gleamed with awareness as they flicked up to meet Strawberry's.

The man let out a raspy chuckle as he leaned back in his chair, eyeing Muffin, who had now hopped happily onto the counter. "Well, well," the old man rasped, his voice gravelly from years of use. "It seems your little friend has a good nose for treasure. Not many folks find their way to my shop."

Strawberry glanced around the cluttered room. Can't imagine why, she thought sarcastically. Granted, she hadn't expected much, but if Muffin had led her here, there had to be something worth discovering. Her gaze swept over the odd assortment of items lining the shelves—rusted swords, chipped armor, and other tools that seemed far past their prime.

"I'm just looking around," she replied, eyeing Muffin with amusement and skepticism, as the bunny sniffed at the items on the counter. "But I guess you have some unique stuff here?"

The old man nodded, his grin widening, revealing several missing teeth. "Aye, I do. Not the usual swords and shields most adventurers are after. I've got tools for the… more specialized types."

Strawberry raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his choice of words. "Specialized?"

The old man chuckled again and motioned to a small shelf behind him. Resting there, barely visible among the clutter, was a pair of dark leather wristbands. They weren't ordinary—small metal loops were attached to the bands, and thin, nearly invisible wires were threaded through the loops, coiled and ready for use.

Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized what they were. Wires.

"Those," Strawberry said, pointing to the wristbands. "What are they?"

The merchant's grin grew even wider, his eyes gleaming with a knowing look. "Ah, those are for the assassin types. Wristbands that allow the wearer to manipulate wires—sharp, nearly invisible, and deadly in the right hands. Not many folks know how to use them properly, but if you do, you'll find they're a powerful tool."

Strawberry's pulse quickened. In her old life, she had played the assassin class in various VR MMORPGs, and using wires had been one of her favorite techniques. They had given her control over the battlefield, allowing her to set traps, bind enemies, and strike with precision from a distance. The thought of using them again brought a wave of nostalgia.

She stepped closer, picking up one of the wristbands, feeling the smooth leather under her fingers. "I'll take them," she said without hesitation.

The old man chuckled once more, clearly pleased. "A fine choice, lass. Just be careful with those wires—they're sharper than they look."

After making the purchase, Strawberry slipped the wristbands onto her wrists, flexing her fingers and feeling the wires stretch and snap into place. They felt right, like an extension of her body. As she stepped back out into the quiet alley, Muffin hopped along beside her, chirping happily as though proud of his discovery.

Strawberry looked down at the little bunny, shaking her head with a smile. "You've got a good nose for this stuff, don't you?"

Muffin chirped again, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Oh, don't start getting an ego, mister. It won't look cute on you."

Strawberry swore the stinking bunny rolled his eyes at her!

Leaving the bustling marketplace behind, she made her way to a quiet spot in the dense forest outside of Urbus. The towering trees offered the seclusion she needed, their branches weaving together to create a canopy that filtered the late afternoon sunlight. The air was cooler here, the breeze carrying the scent of pine and earth as she stepped into the clearing.

Strawberry took a deep breath, the quiet around her contrasting with the lively market. She flexed her wrists, feeling the leather bands snug against her skin, the wires coiled and ready for action. They responded with the lightest flick of her fingers, snapping taut with a soft whirr, a sound she had always associated with control—control over her surroundings, her enemies, and the battlefield.

Her first movements were slow, deliberate. Flick. Snap. Pull. The wires shot out toward a nearby tree, the thin, nearly invisible threads wrapping effortlessly around the branch. With a sharp tug, she felt the tension in the wires as they tightened, biting into the wood and leaving a faint line carved into the bark. The precision was perfect.

The wires responded to her like an extension of her body, just as they had before. The sensation was both nostalgic and thrilling—reminding her of the power and control she wielded with these tools.

With her hands still extended, Strawberry pulled herself upward, using the wires to hoist her body into the trees with ease. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ascended, her movements fluid and graceful. As she swung from branch to branch, she began to test the limits of her agility, using the wires to redirect her path midair, propelling herself higher with each flick of her wrists.

The thrill of movement came back to her—the way she could control her body's trajectory with a simple tug, the tension in the wires providing both stability and speed as she soared through the trees like a phantom.

Muffin, perched on a nearby rock, watched her intently, his little nose twitching as he followed her every move. Occasionally, he chirped in excitement, hopping up and down as if cheering her on.

After getting a feel for the wires once again, Strawberry decided it was time to push her abilities further. She set up a series of challenges for herself—obstacles created using the natural terrain around her. Tree branches became targets, rocks became points of leverage, and even the uneven forest floor became part of her training ground.

Her first real test was a series of aerial maneuvers. She flicked her wrist, sending a wire flying toward a high branch. As it looped around the wood, she launched herself into the air, using the tension to swing through the trees like a pendulum. At the peak of her swing, she released the wire and flicked another toward a branch in the opposite direction, catching it with perfect timing and using it to redirect her momentum.

Her body moved like a dancer—each movement precise, each flick of the wrist calculated. The wires responded to her commands as if they were a part of her, cutting through the air with a soft hum before tightening around their targets. She felt the strain in her muscles as she pushed herself harder, flipping through the air and landing in a crouch before springing back into motion.

As her confidence grew, so did the complexity of her maneuvers. Acrobatics became second nature as she incorporated flips, twists, and quick turns into her movements, using the wires to support her weight and guide her through the trees. She climbed higher into the canopy, where the branches were thinner and the terrain more challenging, forcing her to adjust the tension and length of the wires with each flick of her wrist.

One of her more daring moves involved a high leap between two particularly wide branches. Strawberry paused for a moment, gauging the distance, before launching herself into the air. The wire shot out, wrapping around a branch just as she reached the apex of her jump. With a sharp tug, she swung across the gap, her body spinning in midair before landing in a crouch on the opposite side.

DING

System Alert: Skill Unlocked: Wire-Wielding (Unique)

Wire-Wielding Skill (Unique) Unlocked You have mastered the art of manipulating wires for both offense and defense. You are now able to use wires as extensions of your combat abilities, allowing for enhanced mobility, trap setting, and lethal precision. Wires can be used to bind, slice, or control enemies from a distance.

Strawberry froze in mid-motion, suspended between two branches as the notification hung before her. A grin spread across her face. She had done it—unlocked the wire-wielding skill, officially integrating the wires into her combat style. It wasn't just muscle memory anymore; she had mastered the skill in Aincrad's system, and the world itself acknowledged her achievement.

She couldn't help but laugh softly, her heart racing with excitement. This was exactly what she had needed. The wires were no longer just tools—they were an integral part of her combat abilities, enhancing her agility and control over the battlefield.

Muffin chirped from below, clearly sensing her excitement, his little head tilting as he watched her swing down from the tree. Strawberry landed lightly on her feet, her body buzzing with energy. She flexed her fingers, feeling the tension in the wires, testing the new limits of her control.

"Alright, let's see what else we can do," she murmured, glancing down at Muffin with a playful grin.

She grinned to herself, feeling the rush of adrenaline as her heart raced in her chest. The wristbands were working perfectly, and her body was adapting quickly to their use. Each maneuver felt more natural than the last, her control over the wires growing sharper with every practice swing.

But she wasn't finished yet.

Strawberry moved on to setting traps—another skill she had once mastered. She found a cluster of trees spaced closely together and began weaving the wires between the trunks, creating an intricate web of nearly invisible threads. These traps, while simple in design, were deadly for anyone who stumbled into them. She made sure the tension was perfect, ensuring that the wires would slice cleanly through anything that crossed their path.

She practiced setting the traps quickly, using her agility and the precision of the wristbands to her advantage. With a flick of her wrist, the wires shot out, threading through the trees in an intricate pattern. In a matter of seconds, she had created a deadly web of wires—anyone unaware of their presence would be caught before they even had time to react.

Satisfied with her work, Strawberry turned her attention to combat training. She found a nearby tree, its bark thick and sturdy, and imagined it as an opponent. Flicking her wrist, she sent the wires flying toward the tree's trunk. The wires wrapped around it tightly, and with a sharp pull, she felt the resistance of the bark against the wires as they cut deep into the wood.

Her movements became more aggressive as she attacked the imaginary target, using the wires to slice through the bark, pull herself toward it, and land quick, precise strikes with her fists and feet. She integrated her combat style with the wires seamlessly, using them to control the distance between herself and her "opponent," pulling herself in for close-quarters combat before flicking away to regain distance.

Strawberry's body felt alive with the thrill of movement, her muscles burning from the effort, but the satisfaction of regaining control over the wires outweighed the fatigue. She was pushing herself, testing her limits, and the wristbands responded perfectly.

The afternoon faded into evening as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the trees. Sweat dripped down her brow, her breaths coming in steady pants as she finally slowed her movements, feeling the familiar ache of sore muscles setting in. Despite the fatigue, a sense of accomplishment washed over her. She had spent hours refining her skills, and now, she felt more in tune with the wristbands than ever before.

Muffin, who had watched the entire session with wide eyes, hopped over to her, chirping in approval as he nuzzled against her leg. Strawberry chuckled, reaching down to scratch behind his ears.

"Not bad, huh?" she said softly, looking down at the little bunny. "We're getting there."

Muffin chirped again, his little horns glinting in the fading light.

And then, another system notification appeared.

System Alert: Skill Unlocked – Dual-Wielding

Dual-Wielding Skill (Unique) Unlocked: You have unlocked the ability to effectively wield two weapons in combat, allowing for seamless transitions between offense and defense. Your proficiency with both weapons enhances your agility, precision, and control on the battlefield. Use this skill to outmaneuver enemies and gain the upper hand in combat.

Strawberry grinned as the notification faded. She had done it—unlocked the dual-wielding skill. With this, she had officially combined the precision of the wires with the lethality of her sword, creating a combat style that would set her apart from other players.

Her heart raced with excitement. This was what she had been working toward—an evolution in her abilities, a combination of skills that would make her a true force to be reckoned with. The wires gave her control over the battlefield, while the sword allowed her to strike with lethal force. Together, they made her unstoppable.

Strawberry glanced up at the trees around her, the traps she had set still glinting faintly in the dim light. The forest had become her training ground, a place where she could test her skills without holding back. With the wristbands now fully integrated into her combat style, she felt more prepared than ever to face the challenges that lay ahead.

Tomorrow, her scythe would be ready, and with her assassin's tools back in her arsenal, she knew she would be ready for Gaindogrig, the Demon of the Mountains.

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If I made any mistakes, please put them in the comments. I would appreciate it. I was writing this on 10 hours of no sleep.

No poll today. I'm tired.