Katagawa

It took her a bit of searching, but Hokori eventually managed to find herself an Inn she could get herself a drink at. She found herself a table to herself and ordered something rather weak. If she couldn't get drunk like she was at a college party, than may as well not spend all of her cash on fancy drinks. While drinking, she reflected on how she could possibly work her way to the top a little bit faster. It would take time to get to the level that she suspected the front liners to be at. If they were a bit lower, she could probably make it there without an issue. She had considered doing a cost benefit analysis of hunting for game breaking bugs, but decided the risk would be worth it. She hadn't expected this game to carry such a level of polish to it though. In the two years of her searching, there hadn't been a single one to be found. It meant that she was going to be much further back than she had hoped. She hadn't kept up too much with the news, but it seemed the players were going to make a run at the next boss pretty soon.

Once inside the safe zone, Hokori decided it was time she got herself a drink. She knew she couldn't get drunk in the game, but hopefully the tingling sensation of something going down her throat would offer some relief. She had the new skill, and that wasn't nothing. She won the duel she was expecting to lose quite quickly, so that meant that she was a bit more powerful than she thoughts. At least, she picked the right gear. She attributed most of that fight to luck. There was little she had actually done to win that fight, just let her armor do the job for her. Maybe it was just the game pulling a cruel prank on her, but that fight seemed to be much easier than it was built up to be. Perhaps she had found an unintentional expoit, or maybe a bug they hadn't fixed. Now that she though about it, there really wasn't a lot of bugs in this game. It was quite strange, most games nowadays shipped with tons of bugs in them, but she hadn't seen any yet. Of course, she hadn't done much of anything in this game yet besides looking for bugs in the Town of beginnings.

Hokori returned into the safe zone, not wanting to leave herself vulnerable longer than she had to. Though she knew the safe zones weren't perfectly safe, they were still much safer than being outside of one. At least she wouldn't have to worry about people stabbing her in the back. She didn't think anyone in this game would actually become a murderer, though having a new power can make people act much differently than they would otherwise. She had seen it happen a lot with her political science friends. They were always very nice, until they got elected. Then all hat power would just go straight to their heads and they became crude and manipulative. Perhaps it was just that Hokori never noticed that they were manipulating her until they got blatant with it, but the fact remained that power corrupts all no matter how noble the intentions of the person is.

""So be it"

The duplicate tried charging at Hokori again, but she quickly sidestepped the attack. They just kept on going, all the way into the cover of the trees away from the safe zone. It seemed as though she would be stuck there to live her life in shame. It was pitiful really, they would feel they had to live their existence in shame when in reality they could still be fine. All they wished was to test their skill against hers. And though they seemed to underestimate her, it still gave an evaluation of where their skill lay. Though it does seem that wasn't what they were going for, they just wanted an easy target that they could pick on without much backlash. She did look strong, so if she had lost it would've made for a very good ruse.

But I didn't, and thank goodness to. I probably would've died if I had lost that fight.

"Fine, though it's not as much of a skill as you make it out to be." The duplicate of Hokori opened up a menu, typing a few things out before pressing a button. Hokori herself got a notification with some information. It seemed as though the clone gave her some sort of skill called concentration. It was an interesting name for something such a mischievous being would have.

"Thank you." Hokori removed her sword from the clone's throat and let them get up to dust themselves off. The skirt of her armor really wasn't meant to be laying down in.

"Now you'll finish me off won't you?"

"No, you don't need to die today." She meant it to, there was no reason to be vengeful. Though she could enact a small revenge towards Kayaba by taking out one of his creations, it wouldn't really effect him. He would just take notes of it and enjoy that others played his game.

"So, you wanted to humiliate me, expecting for it to be easy?"

"You were weak, this is your first time out of a safe zone. How could defeat anyone that easily."

"When you pick your gear just right, it doesn't seem to take that much to take someone on."

"Cheapskate"

"What was that?"

"I said you were a cheapskate. You're just going to defeat me without even throwing a single swing and then to humiliate me further, you let me live."

"I let you live not so you are humiliated, but so you can learn." She had it on the ground now, still being held at sword point. "Besides, you promised a hidden skill if I did win. Was that all just a lie to get me to fight you?"

"I know a hidden skill, though I have no intention of teaching it to you."

"A deal's a deal, why don't you give the information and we can both be on our merry way."

"Fine then, I'll make this quick" The mirror version of Hokori charged at her, letting out a guttural scream.

Caught off guard, Hokori did her best to draw her sword in defense of the attack. It wasn't much, but she did get it out of the sheathe before sword hit armor. She felt the damage eat through her health bar, but watched as herself reeled back from the blow.

The mirror version breathed heavily. "What do you have on yourself. I just went for a simple hit!"

"You really need to study more then." Hokori pointed her sword at the creature. "Yield, before there is further bloodshed."

""I would never yield to someone like you."

"There is no need for you to die. You can still live. You asked to test your skill and have found yourself weaker than me, is that not enough for you?"

"No, no it isn't"

"If you want to fight, then I suggest you come at me"

"I thought you knew me. I'm not going to start a fight with an opponent I don't know. You're just trying to bait me into attacking while you still have the higher ground."

"If you don't know me, then why don't I tell you a few things. I am but a simple duplicator. I can copy someone. I hold no name and no way of recognizing me. I exist only to be your bane now. If you truly choose not to fight me now, perhaps we can find an agreement elsewhere."

"No, we can fight now. Though let's hope for the loser's sake we don't build up an audience."

"Than an audience there shall be. I wouldn't want to make you feel shameless for your loss."

"For someone trying to duplicate me, you really don't know me that well."

If that's what it wants, then so be it. I can fight on the turf of the mind, that's where all strength is equal.

"If you know so much about me, why bother copying me. If you know me so well, you should know I'm not the strongest of players." Hokori stood as still as she could in the clearing, trying to keep the air of confidence about her. It was hard to do though, as she was slowly faltering in knowing that this opponent would be able to see right through any facade she had.

"You of all people should have already figured out this is not a battle of physical strength."

She knew how right they were, and hoped that they weren't directly linked into her mind. It would be a terrifying thought if this were brought into a fight and they could see every move she would make. She would need to be careful before proceeding.

Hokori went towards the arena, feeling herself exiting the safe zone before reaching it. Once she was there a voice echoed out.

"I see you didn't take long to take me up on my little challenge." The voice sounded familiar, but Hokori couldn't place it.

"I sense some hesitation from you, are you a little scared of the fight?"

How could it tell what she was thinking? "I don't come here to mess around. If we're going to fight, then let us fight honorably, face to face."

"So be it."

Out of the trees came someone who looked almost exactly like Hokori, just with different colors. Instead of blonde hair, they had brown, and their armor's cloth was dyed a red instead of blue. Hokori became a little worried, it seemed that this thing knew just about everything about her. If it did, this fight might become more a battle of wits then strength.

Hokori made her way towards the safe zone's edge. It was an odd feeling. She figured that when she did leave the safe zone for the first time it would be on the first or maybe the second floor. The monsters here would be much more difficult for her to face, and likely more aggressive than others on lower floors. Hopefully, the hooded figure would keep to their promise and only be just outside it.  As she neared the edge, she spotted a sizable clearing. She wasn't sure if it was actually outside of the safe zone itself or just inside of it, but wondered if she would be fighting the hooded figure in there. She realized that this fight could mean her death, though hopefully she could be spared from it if she did lose. They had mistaken her for being strong, so that probably meant that were quite powerful themselves.

I guess we'll get to find out. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry if I fail you. I will do everything I can to succeed, though I do not wish that I fail in the end.

"And what does that have to do with anything." Hokori was feeling a bit irritated by the vague responses of the NPC. At least, she thought it was an NPC as there was no marker above its head. It was just beating around the bush, with no real weight to its statements.

"I'm looking to test my skills. If you beat me, I'll teach you a hidden skill, what do you say?"

"Sounds like a deal, where would you like to hold this duel?"

"Just outside of the safe zone, I'll meet you there."

With that, the hooded figure vanished. Hokori was a little confused why it couldn't just initiate the duel here. Maybe it wanted slightly more open ground, or perhaps the rules just worked a little bit differently for NPCs. Though a bit nervous to finally leave a safe zone, she decided it would be better to see them there rather than have them wait for all of eternity.

Hokori walked out of the place, not wanting to be there for any longer than it took to realize she shouldn't be there. As she walked out though, she felt a strange presence behind her. She didn't acknowledge it until she was a little ways out. Turning around, she noticed it was one of the many hooded figures that were around the place right now. She had noticed several in the Inn but didn't think any would bother to follow.

"Do you want something?"

"You look pretty strong."

Hokori was a little surprised. It seemed as though her ruse had worked a little too well. She had just come up here to see the sights as a low level player and was already being complimented for her strength. Maybe there was something a little different about them, or perhaps it was just some pre-scripted dialogue. Either way, HOkori was flattered by it.

Hokori continued to look around the city, she was about to give up looking for anything of note when she thought she saw a girl with pink hair. She turned around to try and focus on it and didn't see it again. Going over to where she thought she had seen the girl, Hokori found herself a little disappointed. Even if it was just an NPC, seeing that outlandish of a color would be interesting to learn about. She knew that there were cosmetics to change one's hair color, but she didn't think anyone would spend the time and col to do it.

Probably just an NPC that despawned.

Hokori made her way to a nearby inn. Letting herself in, she noticed that it wasn't the most reputable of places. She stood out a bit more than she liked, and decided it would be best to not stay. Though she didn't see it, one of the many hooded figures got up as she left the place.

As Hokori continued to go through the tropic town, she found that there were multiple hooded figures around the place. They were doing their best to remain concealed, but there was little they could do to hide when people were already weaving through the branches to get around. She did have to give them credit though, it wasn't a terrible idea. She knew it was a safe zone, so all she had to worry about were pick pockets.

Not that I have much anything of value on me. Unless they can pick pocket from my account, which would not be the fairest thing to do. I don't think I impose much of a juicy target anyways. Hopefully I can keep an air of confidence to make sure that no one is tempted to steal from me.

With this in mind, Hokori began to walk with her back a bit more straight, trying to keep almost a sense of nobility around her. One she had practiced ever since she had told her parents she would make sure they could live in comfort one day. And though it was back to being a dream, she would not give up on it yet.

Hokori kept going through the town, not seeing much of interest. She found the architecture interesting. Many of the structures were in the trees, but the walkways were made such that she could get around without much struggle. The multiple layer design also allowed for buildings to be packed in much tighter than normal. If it wasn't all virtual, She would be quite impressed. But, she knew that this could all just be faked by the designers of the game. Maybe she would suggest the idea to one of her architect friends. She was one of the few girls she knew at that college and was always talking about helping people in the tropics. This could be a good idea if it was actually viable in the real world. It meant that the villages could still keep their general style while not worrying too much about running out of room to expand. Maybe she was just overthinking this. She wouldn't be out of this game for quite some time, best not to already start taking notes on what she would need to remember.

Hokori wanted to explore some of the towns before properly heading out to do some questing. She felt it would be better to know why they were fighting besides to get out of the game. If she could find some insight into the creator, it might mean she could discern what they would tend towards in their creative process.

Of course, a game isn't made by just one person. At least, not one of this scale. He may have had the final say in things, but many people would be involved in the creative process. Perhaps there will be patterns that I can find in each persons creations, though I don't know who worked on what. I would enjoy this much more if I could research things properly.

Hokori found herself on the sixth floor. She didn't have a particular destination in mind, just wanted to have a look around. There were the general curiosity shops and some NPC run places, though nothing that really pulled her interest.

Perhaps there will be more further into the town. I suppose I've already wasted two years, what's a few more hours.

Having realized there was no point trying to find a shortcut anymore, Hokori decided she should try and get some gear before heading out into the game at large. She came across a nice looking shop located on the first floor. It was offering a discount to new players. "None of us are exactly new, though I guess the sentiment is what counts," Hokori mused to herself. She walked in, and after seeing what the smith had to offer she decided to ask for some custom pieces. She didn't have much, only what the game had given her initially, but it seemed that it would be enough to get a couple of pieces from the generous craftsmen. Once the smith would show, she would hand him an order form and confirm the price. "I'd like two custom pieces please. With your beginner's discount, that should be 7 materials. Or 8 if you round each one individually."

Appearance:

Profile:

• Username: Katagawa
• Real name: Hokori Seigi
• Age: 24 -> 26
• Height: 5'4"

History:

    Hokori Seigi had never been one to have a lot of wealth. Her parents were low end workers, only affording a little more than the essentials. She still took pride in what little she had though. Going to a simple school, Hokori began to find whatever she could to recycle and reuse to learn more about the world. She wanted to learn to become a worker for some high-end company and let her parents live in comfort after all their strenuous years of work to provide for her. Finding the most fun in a scrapyard, her teachers recommended that she learn to become an engineer.

    And become an engineer she did. She had gone to Europe to study nanotech engineering and had just received her bachelor's degree. She wanted to pursue further education, but decided to come home for a year or two to enjoy the company of the loving parents she missed so much. While at college, she had become quite the gamer and tomboy in an attempt to fit in more with all the boys in the engineering program. Seeing that there was the first ever VRMMO coming out in Japan while she was at her parents, Hokori decided to get a head start on her friends and get the game now before it released overseas.

    She ended up stuck in the game like everyone else, and slowly grew bitter for having her life taken away from her. She wanted her parents to  live in comfort and now she couldn't provide for them. She was back to being a little girl who her loving parents had to pay for the mistakes. After trying to find ways to break out of the game the unintended way, Hokori decided to pursue making her way to the end as efficient as possible. She let her engineering mind take over and go towards the front lines. Though it may take some extra distance, getting more for her effort was what may be necessary to finally get to the end of this death game.

Virutes:

• Hokori is very strong willed. Even in the face of impossible odds, she will do everything she can to see things out to the end. This often places her in situations that aren't as desirable, but she makes the best out of them regardless.
• Hokori is very trusting. She knows that to work well, a team needs to built on trust. Without it, everyone is quite useless. She knows that not everyone is trustworthy, but doesn't let that affect her decisions until they show that to her personally.
• Hokori is very creative. She is used to coming up with out of the box solutions to problems. If she can't think of a solution, she will do her best to try new approaches until one is found.

Flaws:

• Hokori is over-ambitious. She will commit to ideas before fully realizing their scope, and doesn't abandon them until there is no possible way for it to be seen through. This often leads to her stuck alone on a project people long abandoned themselves
• Hokori is proud. She will often glance over her mistakes to make herself feel better about her work. She is also prone to a bit of hyperbole to make her projects seem more important
• Hokori is vengeful. Having spent time in the game now, she seeks revenge for what has happened to her. Though she doesn't usually hold a grudge, those that find they are the exceptions will bear her wrath.

Equipment:

Skills:

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