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Ashley managed to collect her loot fairly quickly. It did feel like every single person had their eyes on us but there was not a lot I could do about that. My original plan was to follow Kirito to the next town. He was my best shot at learning the early game but with all that was happening, I was unable to find him. I was far too distracted with Ashley fighting the god of this world because he was acting like a bland bitch.

I wanted to search for him but Ashley and I have far too much attention on us. I knew for a fact that there were going to be assholes that wanted to rob Ashley of her new spear. I felt myself hating the thought but I could not deny its possibility. With our levels and skill most of the chumps here would not be able to rob her. The problem is every single like minded twat is around here and while we could take dozens, thousands is a tall ask.

So I gripped Ashley's hand and started to leave the crowd as fast as I could before those assholes could get to us. Fleeing is one of the skills I used the most so I managed to get us far away from the cattle. Once we reached an area that I was fairly certain was safe I checked in on Ashley.

She was giving me an amused look. She was clearly used to someone dragging her away from situations. Why that was I had no idea but it really was none of my business.

"So death game against an asshole who needs to get laid instead of treating everyone as dolls." She spoke out as she looked over her new spear.

"That sounds just about right." I looked over at her to see how she was taking this. The thing is I did not know Ashley well enough to really know her tells but she looked fairly calm about this.

"Well, at least we don't have to get to floor one hundred." She spoke out quietly as she stopped looking at her new spear.

"There is that." Not the greatest silver lining as floor seventy five is where Kirito pulls off his bullshit duel plan but hey what can you do.

"How long do you think this is going to take? It can't be too long right?" At her question, I just grimaced. This is an MMORPG. This kind of game is meant to take years of your life. Beating an MMO is a laughable concept but this one was possible. Even if that victory would be born under the bodies of nerds and weebs alike. 

" A lot longer than you think Ashley." My declaration seemed to sap her of energy. She then looked over at me intensely.

"How long?" She spoke out softly but the weight in her voice could not be missed. I looked back at her and rubbed the back of my head.

"Two years if we are lucky." That statement caused Ashley to pale. This was a girl who could face her own death without flinching but this news hurt her. I understood. She was exactly as I was clinging on desperately to an imaginary person. To not see that life line for years would be devastating. 

It was not healthy but I knew what she was going through. Even as I am now disillusioned with the imaginary Lily I missed her. I hated what she did and I will never truly feel the same way that I did. I knew that I would never see that imaginary girl and it was devastating. She was going through something similar.

"Two years." She spoke that out softly in disbelief. She did not want to accept that but there was nothing we could do about that. I wanted to do something to cheer her up but I was unsure about what I could possibly do. I felt useless. All my talk about protecting her and I could do nothing as she grieves.

More sins on my shoulders and more guilt that will rack me. If she only decided to let Rias come then she would not be feeling this pain. I can't live on regrets as much as it feels like I was constantly doing so. So I walked towards her confused self.

" It is going to be a long time Ashley but you will get out of here. Nothing will change that." I spoke out as I grabbed her shoulders. I locked my gaze with her dull eyes and tried to breathe some life back into her.

I was not what she needed. I was not the life line that has stood by her through her darkest moments. I was only her friend. A creature of similar emptiness. That did not mean I would not be there for her. I may not be that rock but I will show her a world where it was not the only thing that cared. That was all I could do for this broken girl. I knew it was not enough but it was all I could provide.

She must have felt the seriousness of my gaze as she relaxed. The empty look in her eyes started to fill with a small light. 

It was nothing in comparison to the lively teasing girl from before but it was better. Anything was better than that empty doll like look. Apathy is an insidious poison that will strangle you ever so slowly. I wished that I had the capability to give her more but I can't. An empty being was only capable of filling themselves with others I could not be the solace she needed. Despite how much I wished that was not true.

I was still running from my feelings even if now I was using the urgency of all of this to do so.

"So where are you hiding your massive balls?" I cracked a slow awkward smile at her. It was a stupid joke but I was a stupid man.

She looked at me with dull confusion and blinked. She looked back at me and her lips twitched. She then snorted.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The life may not be totally back yet but I relaxed a little. I would just have to draw as many pieces of her as I could get. It would take a long while but eventually, she will recover. I was just going to have to quip and bring up her spirits. That should be an easy task but It felt like a grand endeavor.

"Seriously Ashley when you threw that spear. I felt my heart stop. You must got a pair of balls the size of Mount Fuji." That was not too much right? I was not overstepping, right? This was awful. You could ask me to blow up Europe and I would have it done in a day. Yet if you asked me to keep up the mood of a fragile girl and I was lost.

Talking was never one of my strong points. With Lily it was always me just silently pining after her while being a stoic fool. In my other life, I manipulated others to get my way but even that felt like too much effort. I was more comfortable with my own thoughts. So while I could fake it I had no experience genuinely caring for someone. 

She looked back at me with a bit more light in her eyes. She then rolled her eyes and fondled her chest.

"Well, I do have a nice pair of balls right here." She then winked at me and I felt my self freeze. I was certainly not expecting that. When I was low I wallowed for far longer. I was either better or moody there was no in between. Seeing my frozen state Ashley snorted once more and let go of her breasts.

"You are a riot Prince, really." She said softly and I too relaxed. This is good I was just going to have to keep this up for two years. With that thought, I wondered if my murder of Kayaba would count as clearing the seventy fifth floor. He was the god of this world so his elimination should count right? Despite how much I wanted it to be true I knew that it was not. I did ask Fortuna to fuck with him as he earned the suffering. He too shall find out what happens when you meet never ending ducks.

"I should have seen that coming." I let out as I coughed awkwardly. I really should have. From what I have seen of her Ashley operated off of doing what ever she wanted. She also did not mind using her beauty as a weapon. The various teasing she put me through before could attest to that.

"You really should have." She said lightly as a small smile bloomed on her face. Maybe I was better at this than I thought.

"So I kind of dragged you away from the plaza rather quickly. What did the asshole give you?" I was rather curious about that. I knew that he gave Kirito dual wielding when he thought he earned it. So Kayaba could treat his heroes rather well. Ashley may not be the Hero just yet but Kayba certainly had his eyes on her.

"Interested in the shinnies are ya? Can't really blame you everyone else was certainly eying my little 'gift'." Ashley joked lightly then she brought up the screen for her weapon and showed me.

[Blood Soaked Spear (?)]

This spear was soaked in the blood of the God Radius. The divine blood that soaks this blade seems to be constantly changing the spear but there is far too little energy left in the blood. If one were to soak the blade in more and more blood perhaps something special would happen.

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The stats on the item were nothing too special to look at as they were only slightly better than my own Fine Blade. That was to be expected I never thought Kayaba would give her something that would make defeating him too easy. No, what he gave Ashley was effectively an ever evolving spear. A weapon that would eventually be top tier equipment. 

I looked through more menus and saw what blood this thing needed to evolve. If it was just regular blood then we just needed to grind mobs over and over again. The only blood that would evolve the blade was the Floor One guardian or a Player's blood.

I saw the trick here. If Ashley was truly the hero Kayaba thought she was then the weapons would grow more and more powerful with every boss she fought. That was the only way for this weapon to reach its peak she would have to struggle and fight tooth and nail on every floor or the potential of this weapon would be lost. Floor guardians did not respawn so if she was not a front liner it would be useless. The other condition that could evolve the blade was a trap. If she was tempted by the easy path of evolving the spear she would become another villainous pawn for him. There was no way there were enough players to kill to fully evolve the blade. It did not fit with the world Kayaba wanted to make.

So while Kayaba clearly thought highly of Ashley he was also testing her. What would she choose? Depending on what she did how Kayaba treated her would change.

It was a laughable concept. Kayaba misread Ashley completely. She was not the altruistic hero that he wanted nor was she the charismatic leader this world needed. She would slaughter wontonly if she wanted to not because she was tempted by the power of the blade. No, she would slaughter because that was what she wanted to do. I suppose that him miss reading her was to be expected. The actions she took were rather heroic. It took a certain amount of bravery to fight against such odds. The problem with his analysis was that Ashley was impulsive. She did what she wanted to do and did not think about the consequences.

I would have to make sure Ashley did not go on a murder spree with this spear as it would lock it out on further growth. I should also make sure she had no reason to kill some dumbasses. Even if I had to bloody my own hands. Kayaba wanted a hero well what better than a Demi-god?

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One more chapter than time skip. Sao the world where time skips are the norm.