Kiran

If nothing else, Kiran was gaining some much needed experience. His filled EXP bar flashed twice and a message appeared in front of his eyes.

"Congratulations! You have earned level 3!"

Kiran's health bar refilled to full and expanded a few more inches. His thrusting skill was advancing as well, which would prove useful when he started taking on the more challenging enemies looking for iron. Still, he had not managed to get any boar skins, or even any meat. Kiran elected to start taking a bit more risk and kill boars consecutively, now that he was a level higher. He might even be able to take two at once. The area he was at was almost empty, but the respawn timers were short and there were still a few boars left.

Battle roll:

1-5: I kill two more boars, one after the other

6-9: I kill three boars, two at once, but taking damage that brings me into the yellow, then one by itself

10: I kill three boars without taking any damage

Loot roll:

1-10: All boars drop 3 corr

11-14: One boar drops meat, the others 3 corr

15-20: One boar drops skin, the others 3 corr

Kiran shrugged off a head butt to the leg before piercing the next boar through the mid-section. It dispersed into a shower of polygons like the first, leaving the same loot as before. Kiran checked his health. It was still in the green zone. Having leveled up earlier had helped. His HP pool was slightly higher, enough to take at least a few more solid hits. He wasted no time in selecting another target. Farming was all about efficiency. The more boars he could kill in a short amount of time, the more successful he would be at getting what he needed, and he still had other materials to farm. At least he was getting good at slaying boars.

His sword glowed a pale purple and he began his next thrust.

Battle roll:

1-5: I have trouble with the next target, only killing one

6-8: I manage to kill two boars in a short time

9-10: I kill three boars

Loot roll:

1-10: All boars drop 3 corr

11-14: One boar drops boar meat, the others drop 3 corr

15-20: One boar drops boar skin, the others drop 3 corr

Kiran shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Kiran clicked on the incoming request on his own HUD and accepted it.

"At least go to town and heal yourself first, then." Kiran replied.

Kiran's own health was still at 100%. He could still hunt at night, but he would have to be much more careful and keep a much higher safety margin than he had been. Embarrassment would be the least of his problems if he were to die not following his own advice.

"Let me know when you have what you need. I'll be out for a while, assuming the hunting goes well."

Kiran sheathed his curved sword and headed off in the direction the other man had cleared. As soon as the sun finished going down, the night spawns would start and repopulated the area.

Kiran's thrust shattered the boar into a veritable array of shining polygons. He checked the loot screen.

Oh goody, chump change.

He restrained himself from sighing. Farming mats was always a tedious task, which was one of the reasons Kiran avoided it, but the necessity was too high. He selected the next boar and raised his kodachi again. Blade shoulder height with the tip aimed towards the target.

Please give me something useful this time.

Battle roll:

1-5: I take damage before killing it

6-10: flawless kill

Loot roll:

1-10: 3 corr

11-13: boar meat

14-20: boar skin

Even though Kiran had preferred to farm gold and just buy all of his items and potions in his previous games, it was unlikely he would get by without having a crafting skill of his own in SAO. The stakes were higher and he couldn't go around without proper equipment like he had in other games. The risk of death was just too great.

Kiran may not have been a craftsman before, but he knew the basics. The first thing any craftsman did was farm materials. Boars may have been low level, but they did drop meat and skin, and the skins Kiran could use to make leather. Leather, in turn, was a material used to bind the armor together and pad it. Since boars were the easiest to deal with, they would be Kiran's first stop.

Kiran chose the most populated field he could and aimed the tip of his kodachi. He engaged the boar immediately, not bothering to sneak up on it.

Battle roll:

1-5: I kill the boar without taking damage

6-10: The boar and I trade blows, I take damage while it dies

Loot roll:

1-10: 3 corr

11-13: boar meat

14-20: boar skin

Kiran shook his head.

"Not necessary." He said. "Just glad I could help, however awkward it turned out. Just be more careful from now on."

Kiran looked around. The man seemed to have cleared out a large portion of the area already. The sun was setting, but night spawns on this level were more challenging and more rewarding than day spawns. It might be worth while to keep hunting.

"Do you have any health potions?" Kiran asked. "Night spawns are a little much for me by myself at my level, but the two of us should have no problem as long if you can restore your health."

He wasn't fast enough. The boar turned and spotted Kiran before he could get within range of his thrust. It aggroed onto him and charged in immediately.

Kiran reeled back as the boar's charging attack hit him square in chest. He exhaled instinctively to avoid getting winded, even though attacks in SAO did not translate the pain one would receive in real life. His health bar drained into the red zone. Kiran gritted his teeth and finished his attack movement. His sword pierced the boar right through the head and the tip of his blade exited the boar's backside. It exploded into a shower of glittering geometric shapes. Kiran let out of a sigh of relief.

That was close. I got greedy.

He opened the loot screen and his eyes grew wide.

"Ko... dachi." He said aloud.

The boar had dropped a single-handed curved sword called, "Kodachi". It was similar to Kiran's current blade, only it was longer and heavier. Kiran quickly scrolled to his inventory and clicked on the weapon twice with his index finger, equiping it. His current blade disappeared as the kodachi formed in his hand. Kiran swung it around a few times.

It's heavier than the beginner's sword.

He smiled. It was worth it. He had gotten a new weapon and he still had a feel for it.

Loot roll(previous):

1-10 3 corr dropped

11-15 One piece of leather armor dropped

16-20 One piece of light metal armor dropped

Kiran's EXP flashed twice as it filled to the top. A message appeared above his character screen.

"Congratulations! You have earned level 2!"

One level was good enough for a day's work. Kiran had managed to get some small loot and some decent experience during his first outing in the game. The sun was already nearing its peak and Kiran was starting to get hungry, or at least his brain was. Food in SAO didn't do anything for Kiran's body, but at least it satiated the feeling.

Kiran took one last look around and spotted another wild boar. His health was still in the yellow. He opted to go for one more kill before packing it in. He readied his blade for another thrusting attack and moved in, trying to avoid aggroing it before he could attack.

1-5 The boar notices me and I take damage before killing it

6-10 I kill the boar without taking any damage

Loot roll(current):

1-5 One piece of armor I can't use drops

6-10 A weapon I can not use drops

11-15 One piece of armor I can use drops

16-20 A one-handed curved sword(better than what I have) drops

Neither Kiran nor his ally were going to set any damage records. Both had missed at least one attack, and the boar was almost winning in two versus one battle.

"The boar will only survive one more hit! Let's attack together and maybe we can bring this thing down before a casualty happens!" The other man shouted.

That's assuming we don't continue to whiff. Kiran said inwardly. I feel like I'm in last place at the special Olympics.

Kiran readied his blade at shoulder height and aimed the tip for his target. A thrusting attack wasn't the most accurate, but a hit would surely guarantee a kill. If the boar had another chance to strike, there was a chance the person Kiran had come to aid would die.

Kiran's blade lit a pale purple and his blade surged forward.

1-5 I miss my attack

5-10 I kill the boar with my thrust

Loot roll(if killed)

1-10 3 corr dropped

1-15 4 corr dropped

16-20 5 corr dropped

Boars sounded like a safer bet. The wolf had only been a test anyways to see how well Kiran had remembered using the battle system in Sword Art Online. Now it was time for the grinding. Kiran carefully walked up towards the closest boar, checking his surroundings to be sure there were no other aggressive creatures in range. The last thing he needed was adds when he was solo EXPing. Warp crystals weren't cheap, which would mean something if he actually had any. Right now, Kiran only owned a sword, a sheath, and 3 cor to his name.

Better get to work.

Kiran crept up on the creature slowly, trying to avoid drawing it's attention so he could line up one decisive strike and put it down without further injury. He closed in quietly and held his blade up around shoulder level, tip towards the boar's side. The edge started to glow.

1-4 The boar sees me and I miss completely.

5-10 I kill the boar before it notices me.

A message popped up on Kiran's head's up display, indicating the experience and loot he had gained from the encounter. He checked his health. Yellow was not ideal, but it was to be expected when taking on more challenging enemies. He still had enough to continue hunting and soak up as much EXP as he could. Kiran intended to complete this game, or at the very least, help others complete it, and that required levels and items.

Kiran checked the loot screen. No items had dropped, but the wolf had given him some money.

Why does a wolf have money anyways? What was it doing? Buying a tooth brush.

Loot roll:

1-10 3 cor

11-15 4 cor

16 - 20 5 cor

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Great, now I can buy lunch.

Kiran checked the fields around him. They were still ripe with monsters to kill. All he had to do was select a target.

Battle roll:

1-5 I elect to kill a boar next to be safe

6-10 More wolves. The faster the EXP, the better

Wolves also had stronger attacks than the lowest level monsters. Its fangs tore into Kiran's avatar to reveal red and orange strands of his own. His health immediately dropped into the yellow zone.

Crap.

He would have to finish this quickly now, lest this trip end up being shorter than he had planned. He still had other monsters we wanted to kill before heading back to town, and having to warp crystal out from a wolf would just be embarrassing. Kiran prepared another sweeping attack, giving himself the largest possible chance for victory.

1-4 I miss my sweep

5-10 I connect and kill the wolf

The wolf's health flashed red as Kiran's sword slashed across its torso. Strands of red and orange could be seen where the surface image had been penetrated, indicating damage. Even if it was real life or death, SAO was still family friendly. There was no blood to speak of.

Only one hit more.

Kiran had almost finished it.

Now it was the wolf's turn again. It lunged at Kiran again with its fangs, this time going for center of mass, his chest. Saliva filled teeth closed is as the wolf leaped at him.

1-5 The wolf successfully bites me

5-10 I evade it again

This time the wolf seemed more prepared. It jumped to the side and evaded him. The tip of Kiran's blade only managed to pierce the air. Wolves more nimble than some of the easier monsters.

Guess it's more agile when it's ready for an attack. I'll have to use something more consistent.

One advantage to using a one-handed sword was the attack speed. Kiran could get off two attacks in the time it took the wolf to make one. Kiran lowered his sword down to his waist level on his left side. He lunged forward, this time the preparing a sweeping attack that would go out in an arc. Sweeping attacks covered more area than thrusts, so the chance to connect was higher, but their potential for damage was lower.

1-4 I miss my attack

5-10 My sweep connects, bringing the wolf into the red

The wolf's lunge flew wide and its fangs missed Kiran's leg by a wide margin. He easily moved to the side to keep his body safe from harm. His HP was still shining green, filled to the brim.

Kiran smiled. The few months off between the end of the beta test and the release of the game had not dulled him in the slightest. If anything, it had given his proficiency in the game's mechanics more time to sink in. Actions felt more natural than ever.

Time to finish this.

He raised his sword shoulder height again and prepared another thrust. The blade lit aglow and Kiran thrust straight for the wolf's head.

1-5 I miss my thrust

6-8 I connect with my attack and bring the wolf into the red

9-10 I finish the wolf with this next strike

"Hah." Kiran whispered to himself as his blade sailed through his target.

It's even easier than I remember.

Connecting with a strike in SAO was easier than it was in the real world. The system guided the attack towards it target and a complex number system based on the attacker's hit chance and the defender's evasion, along with some other variables, determined if it hit. Form and technique were all moot points. One only needed to execute the proper starting motions to make an attack work.

The blade Kiran was using was light, much lighter than he was used to, but it was easy to adapt to. The wolf's health immediately dipped into the yellow zone. Thrusts were harder to land than slashing attacks, that was simple surface area. The tip of a blade was much smaller than its edge, but thrusts could penetrate deeper than a hack or slash, giving them higher potential for damage. Even with a direct hit, however, wolves were tougher than boars.

It will take at least one more hit to finish, likely two more.

The wolf immediately aggroed Kiran after taking damage and lunged forward in an attack of its own. Now it was time test how well he remembered dodging.

1-5: I take damage from the wolf's bite

6-10: I successfully evade it

Kiran gazed at the sun over the fields of seemingly endless green and suspended platforms that made up floor 1. Aincrad certainly was a world to behold, even if it was a virtual one. Kiran had always admired accomplishments in gaming, and Sword Art Online was in a class of it's own, but he had never imagined living in one. Gaming was a simple escape for him to quench his thirst for duty and battle, not his entire life. Well, it was now.

Kiran had always held a fascination for curved blades, having been raised in Japan. The sword he had chosen to start with was similar to a katana, though it was shorter in length. As long as the back was curved and the blade remained the same width until the tip, it suited Kiran just fine. He also preferred to fight with only one hand on the blade. He raised his weapon up and stared at it.

"So this is it." He said allowed. "Everything I own in this world."

It was also everything he would need, at least for the time being. Kiran selected a target from the field monsters in his vicinity. Boars were always easy prey for low level players, but Kiran preferred a bit more of a challenge. There was nothing to be gained by only slaying enemies he knew he could beat. Sooner or later he'd have to take risks, and he wanted to be sharp when that time came.

"If I'm going to survive in this world, I'm going to have to get good at this."

Kiran chose a wolf and assumed an offensive stance, holding his blade on his right side at shoulder height, the tip aimed towards his target. A pale purple hue engulfed the metal and Kiran thrust his weapon forward.

1-5: I miss target

6-10: My stab connects

Kiran normally stayed on his own. He wasn't a solo player per say, but he was picky about his group and guild mates. His tolerance for infighting and dissent was limited, and the people he kept around him had to aspire to a certain standard of discipline. However, there were a few things that brought him to the side of strangers: the sound of peril and players in the red zone.

The person up ahead seemed to have been yelling at something or someone, but Kiran had not seen what. He had only seen the player take a hit from a boar before dropping from yellow to red. Kiran drew his sword and readied an attack. He was charging in head first without fully grasping the situation, but he could do that on the fly. He knew he could take a simple boar, and the worst the player could do was gripe at Kiran for stealing his EXP.

Kiran readied his one-handed, curved sword at his sight and it glowed a pale purple as he lunged in.

1-4 I miss my attack

5-10 i connect with my strike

Chaotic good. Good with a touch of anti-hero.

«Kiran» The Wind Walker

Profile:

» Username: Kiran

» Real name: Kiran

» Age: 22

» Gender: Male

» Height: 5'11â€

» About:

Kiran is a name of Sanskrit origin meaning, “ray of lightâ€.

As a boy, Kiran had a normal childhood. He was raised in a military household and spent a lot of time on the move. His father spent a lot of time on the Naval base in Japan where he met Kiran's mother, Kaede. The two were married and Kiran was born in the states. He spent a lot of time over seas in Europe and Asia, but his parents love of Japan caused him to spend most of his upbringing there. It was in Japan that Kiran developed his sense of loyalty and the military taught him honor and duty. In high school, Kiran spent every waking minute training for when he would follow in his father's footsteps.

When Kiran was 18, he enlisted in the Navy and stayed in for six years in a combat role. Realizing the modern world was not in need of true warriors, Kiran left the Navy and went back to Japan. He spent a lot of time losing himself in video games in order to quench his sense of duty and thirst for battle. His drive to rush through levels and clear the most challenging end game content won him a lot of friends online. Though he spent a lot of time guild hopping, Kiran kept a small group of real life friends around so that he always had reliable group mates to fall back on.

When he was invited to beta test a full-dive game, Kiran jumped at the chance. He entered in the middle of the SAO beta and made it to the fourth level before the game came down for launch. Having found a new calling, Kiran prepared to dedicate himself to Sword Art Online. He was plugged in at launch and started his journey. Even upon learning of the game's true intentions and the fact that he could be killed in the real world, Kiran's resolve did not waver. He now had a real duty and real people to protect. Even if they were just data bits in a virtual world, they were connected to real bodies in real danger. Now that his real world and virtual world callings were one and the same, Kiran headed to the front lines to clear the game and liberate its remaining player base.

» Virtues: 

Intelligence.  Kiran's largest strength is his ability to adapt to situations quickly. He learns and understands on the fly, adjusting his fighting style accordingly.

Reliability.  Kiran is loyal to a fault. He'll perform any task he sets out to accomplish to the best of his ability, or die tyring.

Devotion.  The few that Kiran does end up trusting he trusts fully. He'd surrender his life if it meant saving a friend's.

» Flaws: 

Unforgiving.  Kiran takes loyalty very seriously. He expects as much as he gives, and he gives it all. Those who break that bond are subject to consequence.

Suspicious.  Kiran's ability to trust is limited, and he looks for key aspects in any person before even considering allowing them to be close to him.

Over-Confident.  Kiran throws himself at every problem full steam, even problems outside of his ability to overcome. This often leads him into situations which place him in danger, even mortal danger.

Profession: Blacksmith

Skills

Non-combat:

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Passive: 

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Combat: 

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Weapon skills : 

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Inventory

Weapons/Tools: 

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Roleplays

» None so far

Relationships (optional)

» N/A

Story Thus Far (optional)

» N/A