I wake up in a sweat from the night full of nightmares, dreaming continuously of Yuki's death and Kayaba's horrifying speech. I look at the bottom left of my visual field, I can see the local time showing 2:14 AM. I sit on my bed, trying to hold the rage and sadness of past events. Without success, tears come out of my eyes blurring my vision. I let myself fall on the bed and trying to calm down, I suddenly get out of bed and stretch, I approach the mirror to see myself. Already fully equip, I decide to let out my rage on the creatures outside of the town.
I arrive at the ark, but there was not much of a scenery, since its still dark. I start walking in the direction of a sleeping boar illuminated by moonlight, a free hit awaits me, and I squat to maximize my stealth. I rise my sword above my head and seconds after the face of the creature bathes in the light of my blade, I swing down my sword and the life of the boar goes directly to red. I slash him before he stands up and blue particles fly through the air.
[ Congratulation ]
+Boar's skin.
+15 XP.
+20 one-handed sword skill XP.
+15 Vertical slash skill XP.
+10 Cor.
I look around me and notice that a little smile shows on my face, making the rage stored in me evaporate in the air little by little. Unfortunately, I woke up all the near boars, but only two of them charge at me. I escape the first one and block the other, his charge was so strong, it project me 10 ft. back. Lying on my back, I hear the roar of the best, I jump on my feet ready to put his head in the dirt with my shield, but I realize my shield has turned around my arm. I plant my sword in the ground and place my leg and hip on the side to protect myself from the upcoming hit while I replace my shield.
- I will surely need to have a gauntlet or something in this style to attach the shield.
CLINK !!
The boar charge made my sword and my body vibrate and resound, making my head hurt a little bit. Luckily my vision rapidly re-clear, I take out my sword and rotate my body trying to knot down the beast with my shield. Successfully hit, I rise my sword to activate my skill Vertical slash.
SHLUK!
My body is projected toward the boar in front of me, at this moment I know I made a big mistake. I was only concentrating on one of the two creatures and it cost me a quarter of my life. I rapidly stand up and finish the first one.
[ Congratulation ]
+15 XP.
+15 one-handed sword skill XP.
+15 shield XP.
+10 Cor.
I take a defencing stance and wait for an opening strike. The last standing boa_r charge at me, I slide to the left and rotate the weight of my body, resulting in piercing through his flesh. I decide to take the initiative and charge toward the half-dead beast, sword in front of me pointing directly to hit his forehead. Suprisly he jumps to the side and jumps again grabbing my arm, which is welding my sword, in his mouth and completely immobilize it. Fear and rage pass through all my body, looking at the beast trying to remove my arm from the rest of my body and dropping my life at a fast pace, made me re-seen Yuki's death.
- I don't want to die, not here, not before I finish this stupid game.
This phrase transforms my fear into rage and adrenaline, and a loud raging cry goes out of my mouth
- AAAAAAARRR.
I back my left arm and hit him with my shield.
FSHWIK!
I repeat and repeat until it dies.
FSHWIK! FSHWIK! FSHWIK! FSHWIK!
[ Congratulation ]
+Boar's skin
+15 XP.
+15 one-handed sword skill XP.
+20 shield XP.
+10 Cor.
Blues particles appear letting a line of red on my forearm. I look at the top-left of my view and I notice something horrifying, my life continuously going down, it's now at 47 of 250. I stand up in a hurry and start to run toward the town since it's a safe zone my life will regain its total bar. I arrive at the entrance to focus to notice, I tripped over a rock that make me roll directly into the town. I find myself sitting on the ground in front of the rising sun, I look at my HP bar fulling itself and the red mark on my body disappear.
- Ah~, the sun is beautiful... Wait, the sun.
I look at the clock in my vision and it shows 6:16 am, I've been out since 2:30 and the only thing I have done is kill three boars. Discourage by this fact, I stand up and tap on my clothes to remove the dust I accumulated during my fall and fights. I decide to return to the Silver Deer in order to eat breakfast. I arrive at the place and the owner was already wiping a glass.
- Welcome back, How can I help you today?
I approach the bar and take a sit.
- I would like to have the breakfast of the day.
- Ah! A good choice, today's breakfast is eggs and pancakes! It will be 5 Cor miss.
I give the man the money and wait till he comes back with my meal. It doesn't take too long, the pancake looks fluffy, and the egg cook to perfection and I also have a cup of water. I find the fact of eating in a virtual world weird, but I also feel hungry, and the only solution is to eat and surprise, the food is quite edible, a little too bland but with syrup the taste would be better. I'll take my time to eat and decide to update and check my levels and skill.
Player level: 1
■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□□□□□□□
[90/200]
It sure goes up slowly, but I will surely pass level 1. Considering the fact that 1 boar = 15 XP. I will need to kill 8 more. Time to see my skills.
One-hand sword
Level: 1
■■■■■■■■□□
[80/100]
Shield
Level: 1
■■■■■■■■□□
[80/100]
Vertical Slash
Level: 1
■■■■▪︎□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□
[45/200]
Looking at Vertical Slash makes the rest of my meal taste nothing, it looks like I'll have to grind just to level up my skill.
I try to forget this fact and go around the menu, when I found the Quest window and only one quest is showing " Loot Boar's skin 4/5" I almost finish it! I look at the bottom and something can be read "Reward 100 Cor" Reading this made me smile because it's that style of quest you can do in repeat. Making up my mind I decide that for the next week, I will try to do it the most time I can.
I finally finish my breakfast, but before I continue killing boar, I decide to walk around the town trying to relax a little bit. While walking around I found a potions and crystals store, the curiosity brought me in. There is a lot of shelves in it, some with red-looking bottle and other with blue crystal. I approach the red one and press on it, a description window open in front of it.
[Small Healing Potion]
Restore 100 HP when used.
Cost : 15 Cor each.
I was in shock, why I didn't find this before, it could have been useful like an hour ago. I continue looking around finding different types of potions and crystals, I arrive at the counter where the NPC is.
- Hi, what can I do for you miss?
- Hi, I will take three small healing potions.
The buying screen appears again and I accept.
- Thank you for buying!
I get out of the shop and walk toward the center of the city, where we all start our journey. When I arrive a little group was talking, I pass by the group when one of them shout my name
- Anazthazia! Over here!
I turn my head over the group of people and I perceive a red hair guy waving at me.
I wave back and approach him, when I arrive, Klein presents me to his group.
- This is Dale, Dynamm, Harry One, Issin, and Kunimtzz. We are friends from before Sword Art Online, we wait in cue all together just for this game.
- Nice to meet you !!
this was the shout of the five boys Klein introduce me to.
my curiosity takes the lead at this moment.
- So, Klein what are you and your group was doing?
- We were finalizing our departure to take over the first floor. Do you want to join us, you know it's dangerous outside you will need a man to protect you.
He finishes his phrase with a wink, so I decide to bring back his head on heart.
- Hahaha, a man! Stop joking around and by the way, I prefer when the balls are up there.
I also finish my sentence with a wink and my finger pointing at his chest. Second after all the boys were on the floor with their nose bleeding. I laugh at the view of how perverted they are, but facts are facts.
After they got up from their little coma, they all start laughing at Klein.
- So? Is it a no?
- That's right, I'm going to play solo for the time being.
The face of Klein saddened when he hear my answer.
- But don't worry, you still can be my big bro.
The face that once looks sad is now bright with thousand of light.
- Hehe, you know how to make the heart of a guy warm in one word. The person who gonna have you, will be very lucky Lil sis!
We laugh a good time, but the time arrives when Klein and his group depart.
- Good luck out there!
- Yeah you too!
We wish good luck to each other and I leave. I decide to go check the billboard expecting a supplementary quest, but when I get a look they were the same and only one, the boar's skin one. Discouraged, I return to my room and sat down on the bed. I mind myself finishing this quest today, but before I will take a nap, the evening and combat take all my energies. I lay down on the bed and close my eyes.