“I agree with Suto, it would not be wise to split up now,” Kenshin began, “we are stronger together and we can take on larger and stronger enemies worth more experience, Col, and items.” This last bit was directed at Luna in the hope that it would appeal to her goal-oriented view on their exploits. “Also, our numbers would allow us to attack larger bands of enemies. In smaller groups, we would be more vulnerable, able to take on nothing but weak, standard animals, dropping only a few col at a time and giving little EXP per kill. Also, I don’t very much like this idea of working in pairs because, at last count, there were five of us. I’m getting far better at fighting, but I greatly dislike the idea of going out there alone and getting myself killed because I don’t have any coramned cover!” Kenshin was yelling by now. He didn’t quite know why. He was just sick of these people leaving him out to dry. “I know exactly how this is going to end up. Fitch and Yari are going to go off and work together, bringing in more money than the rest of us by pure dint of his being a beta tester. Suto and Luna are going to pair up because both would prefer to work with anyone but me, even if they’re both DPS.” Now even Kenshin was aware that he was making a fool of himself. Oh, well, he had too much momentum to stop now. “I know strategy. Not necessarily the strategy of this game in particular, but I have made a bit of a study of general battle tactics back home in the real world - the sane world. A weakening of our forces is exactly what our enemies would want and I, for one am not ready to die! I hunted alone earlier today, but I did it with caution in mind. I went into an open area with a clear line of sight in all directions and ran from anything I knew I couldn’t handle.” 

Shamed, Kenshin turned his back on the team and drew his sword. Smashing the blade against the side of a nearby tree, he watched the purple hexagon bearing the words ‘IMMORTAL OBJECT’ spring into existence on the trunk. In that moment, Kenshin envied the tree. “I will not run or cower in some safe town, but I will not throw my life away needlessly either. We have to play this smart. We can’t just run around aimlessly and fight for fun. If we do that, WE. WILL. DIE. No matter what prior experience we have with the game.” Finally turning to regard his companions, he was surprised to see that their forms were blurred with his own tears. “I will not watch any more friends die. We all saw enough of that on the first couple of days.” Images of that time sprang, unbidden, into Kenshin’s mind. The outskirts of the beginning town on the first floor became a bloodbath. PKing was rampant as people went crazy, striking out in fear and desperation for a pittance in money and items. It was living hell. “Let’s stay alive and work together. As a team, like we are supposed to be.” Kenshin sat heavily, resting his sword, point first in the dirt and offal of the jungle floor. Leaning his forehead against the pommel of the sword, he spoke softly, “I apologize for my outburst. I will not overreact in such a manner again. I am usually in better control of my faculties than I have let show today. I was just tired and worked up. I am prepared to go into combat now, though I hope to the gods above that we are going to do it smart and all together. It’s up to the rest of you to decide what we do now.”