Chapter 56: SAO part 11: Puzzle.
A few grains of dust started falling in a semi-dark room filled with different kinds of statues.
The room was wide with three stands on the sides and has a circular design while all the statues were separated in many places on the stands and the only exit was a gate in the far end of the room.
The only light in the room was the giant crystal in the high ceiling that shined the light on a fountain in the middle of the room while some orbs of light were falling from the crystal and filling most of the room.
Once in a while, light rays were falling from the crystal and illuminating a small place before disappearing.
All the statues were holding different instruments and weapons while a bunch of complicated symbols were around them.
In the middle of the room next to the fountain, there was a giant statue with six hands holding different weapons and even without eyes, it was looking at the only person in the room without moving.
Akashi(DIO) that entered the room stopped his abilities before raising his head towards the giant statue.
Akashi(DIO) watched the giant statue for a while before he started to observe the room and especially the lights that were moving around.
<This boss isn't something the players could beat now... There has to be a secret to this room> Akashi(DIO) started moving around the room while looking at the light orbs that were getting attracted to him when he got closer.
<From the boss name and the fact he doesn't have eyes means these lights are some sort of a sensor or a trap> Akashi(DIO) thought while looking at lights around the room.
Observing the crystal for a while, Akashi(DIO) moved his sight towards statues scattered around the room.
<Each holding an instrument... Mostly bells> Akashi(DIO) got closer to one of the statues and touched it before it started playing music.
Looking back, Akashi(DIO) noticed the giant didn't care about the sound before looking at the symbols around the statue.
<Bunch of scrabble...Hm?> Akashi(DIO) looked at the symbols before noticing the statues weapons.
<Pointing?...> Akashi(DIO) looked at the weapon before moving his sight with its direction and spotting a symbol of the ground.
Tilting his head, Akashi(DIO) understood the symbol that was supposed to be confusing before turning towards all the statues and checking all the surrounding symbols.
<25 statues...> Akashi(DIO) counted the number of statues before smiling.
<7 days... Forcing the players to listen to a story about a hero... Bells... Symbols... Got it> Akashi(DIO) smiled while looking at the only gate in the room.
<There two ways to clear this... But the first one isn't very effective while the second one is risky> Akashi(DIO) looked at the giant weapons before moving away from a light beam.
<I don't know what these beams do... It seems I need to have some help> Akashi(DIO) frowned before activating his <<Hiding>> skill and moving behind a statue.
A bunch of blue light started to shine in the room before some players appeared.
"Everyone here?" one of the players said while the others nodded.
"Good, it seems nobody entered this room... That means the boss might meet that guy in the other gates> the player frowned before looking at the room.
"We need to hurry... " the player said before looking at the boss and all the light around.
"Don't touch the light and keep a distance away from that boss" the player recovered quickly before giving orders.
<They split huh...> Akashi(DIO)was hiding in the shadows and observing the players making their way to the gate before taking a knife.
The players kept dodging the lights while a player in the back was moving to the side to avoid a light beam, but before he stepped to the side a knife flew from the shadows and hit the place before his foot, which made him trip before falling on the beam.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" The leader player screamed, but before he finished his words, the orbs in the surrounding rushed towards the fallen player before sticking on him.
The player that was filled with light orbs stood up in a hurry and tried to shake the orbs, but they won't fall off until he felt something rushing behind him. The player didn't even look back before a giant stone blade hit him while pushing the surrounding players away.
The other players that saw their friend died instantly felt fear, but before they moved, they noticed two of them had orbs sticking on their backs.
The giant waved his other arm that was holding a hammer and swept the two players directly before they hit the wall and turned into fragments.
After killing those players, the giant stopped in his place while turning his head to the players without doing anything.
"Tch... Keep moving and focus this time" the leader saw three of his men died before ordering the team to keep moving.
<Blade then a hummer...> Akashi(DIO) watched the players dying before moving silently in the room.
The players kept moving until they reached the other end of the room, but they found the door closed.
"Closed... Can't we open it by force?" one of the players tried to strike the gate, but it was an immortal object.
"No, we can't... It must be a riddle of some sort" the leader said before one of the players noticed the bells on the statues.
"Leader, do you remember the story about that hero in the quest?" the player said while the leader flinched before smiling.
"I see..." the leader turned to look at the giant and the bells before looking at his men.
"This's like the story. The blind gain and the gate that opens to lord sound and what the closest sound for the lord now?" the leader said before the player next to him smiled.
"Bells... Like the start of SAO" the player said while the leader smiled.
The leader nodded before hitting a statue with a bell next to him as it started to sing.
"Bring what you have from throwing weapons or any item you can throw and hit all the statues with bells" the leader said before his men took some items and thrown them at the statues.
The players hit all the statues with bells before the gate started to open slowly with the sound of music.
Akashi(DIO) in the dark saw the players figuring the first solution before taking a knife but before he trowed the knife something happened when the gate was almost opened.
A giant light beam flew from the crystal and hit all the players before the stone giant started running towards them.
"SH*T. Take a battle stance... Sheild user covers the front" the leader said while three of his six men took their shields and blocked the front.
"Leader they wo-" one of the six players with a sword tried to talk, but the leader put his sword at his neck while giving him a look of shutting up.
The player lowered his head silently before moving quietly to the gate behind him with the leader and two other players.
"Prepare for impact... Rest in peace" the leader that was next to the gate said to the shield player before whispering quietly as the stone giant swung his blade.
The three players weren't a match or the stone giant and got killed instantly before the giant swung his hammer at the other player but they already entered the gate and disappeared.
The players opened their eyes to see a different room but before they understood anything they heard a familiar angry screams.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE!!!??? DUCK!!!" the bearded man that was hiding behind a pillar screamed at the players, but before they did anything a golden light flashed and two of them killed by a golden arrow.
"Wh-" the leader tried to rush towards a pillar, but before he walked forward the arrow did a curve in the air and hit his head.
The giant stood in his place for a moment before he rushed back to his place near the fountain because Akashi(DIO) was there sitting on top of the fountain while taking a deep breath.
Taking 8 knives from his inventory, Akashi(DIO) started to throw them toward some statues in order while the stone giant was almost near him.
Akashi(DIO) watched the giant almost reaching him before jumping into the air and taking another 4 knives and shooting four more statues in order while the giant reached him and raised his blade.
Akashi(DIO) took his knife and used mid-air skill to launch towards the ceiling while the blade hit the fountain and broke it completely.
<Now or never...> Akashi(DIO) twisted his body mid-air before putting the knife in his belt and putting a <<Fierce punch>> Skill with his hands.
The giant looked at Akashi(DIO) that was in the air before jumping towards him and swinging his hummer.
Akashi(DIO) launched his skill at the same moment and hit the hummer, but he got hit like a rocket towards the ceiling.
[HP 34%]
"Ugh..." Akashi(DIO) that was flying in the air felt his hands were numb, but he forced his body to twist in the air before looking at the crystal getting closer to him.
<23 statues and this is...> Akashi(DIO) foot flashed with a red glow before kicking the crystal and breaking it, but instead of crashing sound... A music started to play from the crystal because there was a statue hidden inside of it.
The moment the last statue being hit, all other statues started playing music while the floor in the room started to open up like a gate.
The stone giant that was in the air started falling towards the dark hole while Akashi(DIO) did the same.
<Really, what a god complex... Kayaba> Akashi(DIO) looked at the last statue that resemble Kayaba GM avatar before looking at the giant under him.
There were two ways to pass this test. The first one according to the story of the hero and opening the gate, but that gate leads to another trial of the arrow.
However, that can't be fair for players choosing this gate, so there was another way and that to spell the name of this game creator... Kayaba Akihiko.
All the statues in the room had letters of English in the middle of all of those scrabbles and the weapons were pointing at them. 23 statues filling the whole alphabet except the letter O which was hidden in the crystal.
<Now...> Akashi(DIO) looked at the giant that fall into the darkness and started to break to fragment before using his skills and rushing towards it.
<Almost...> the giant started to disappear while a book appeared in the middle of his chest and started to vanish as while, but Akashi(DIO) rushed before it vanished and took it inside his inventory.
The moment Akashi(DIO) took the book, a blue light flashed on him before disappearing from this place.
Opening his eyes, Akashi(DIO) saw himself in a huge corridor with a bright golden light at the front.
But the moment Akashi(DIO) appeared in this place, monsters started spawning in the corridor before rushing towards him.
[Stone guardian LVL 8]
Akashi(DIO) watched the mob rushing while taking his knife, but before he attacked, a blue light flashed before a blond player with almost all his clothes seemed to be burned appeared in the room.
The two looked at each other before a message appeared next to them.
[Free PK zone].
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone