[OP F1] Dealing With the Death Game

[SFL 0]

Now, I have finished the official tutorial for Sword Art Online. Players--I wish you luck.

Ah, scheisse.

Evening.

Four days after Kayaba's announcement, and all she did was sulk.

She want to move, but she can't. She wanted to fight, but she won't. She hated it.

She was a beta, and she still is, but all she could do was watch boars and players all day long. Boars. Boars. Boars. She could have been grinding at that moment, but she was too overcome by a sense of hopelessness and despair. She sat on the field and gazed at those beautiful yet lethal fields and wondered how things would be in an alternate world that held no Death Game. She looked at the starry night sky.

It was beautiful, but she found herself unable to trace Orion among the not-constellations.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a player burst to pixels of blue. She could have had helped him, but she found herself unable to budge from her seat.

Perhaps, death is preferable to this half-life. She thought, then took out her sword, humming as she walked towards the mobs.

Nothing really matters,

Nothing really matters,

To me...

Anywhere the wind blows...

(OOC: Could someone please shake some sense into her? She's very emotionally unstable right now and I don't want my first account to get herself killed right away.)

[SFL 0]

She spotted a boar just a few feet away, standing innocently under the moonlight.

I see a little silhouetto of a man

Scaramouche, Scaramouche,

She raised her sword in the clumsy awkward manner of a complete newbie, not even bothering to prepare a Sword Skill. The boar took notice of her and charged.

"Will you do the fandango?"

She swung down.

[Macradon 0]

As he walked around the first floor's grass fields once again, he would look for someone out here at the night, not many would take a late stroll after the message, but this is what will happen.

He would seek out for other players, either from health bars or seeing their avatar, which was now shown as the real person they now were. By taking his time looking around the fields, many boars were walking helplessly around.

Yes, Macradon was only level 2, soon 3, but he was strong, being able to overcome the fears of the second floor, he would be determined. With a movement slick enough for no one to really embrace the sound, he took forth his Two-Handed sword, the basic sword he had been using the entire time of his gameplay so far. These two had been together a lot, and they were both great partners, a warrior and his trustworthy companion. With the wind blowing slightly, the grass would wave around the fields and the air would go through Macradon's hair.

With his sword out, he would drag it with his one hand, relaxing in a ready to engage stance as the boars could attack whenever they wanted, early mobs as they were, they would be eager to attack anyone.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki had been out looking for some night mobs. She had heard that the creatures of Aincrad were different at night, if not just a tad more dangerous. A she walked to through the field she noticed a player in the distance burst into pixels and fade away. "damnit" she thought to herself, if only she had been closer, or known someone needed help then maybe she could have done something. Not far away she noticed another player.

The other player had raised her sword to challenge a boar. Normally a single boar was not much of a challenge to players, even a new player could beat one. But this girls stance was off, was she not even taking this seriously? The boar had charged and Nikki's heart jumped into her throat, the girl would be killed if she wasn't careful.

Nikki charged foreword raising her shield as she did. Luckily she had been able to use sprint and managed to get to the other player before the boar. She turned sharply just as the boar got within range and smashed into it with her shield, stopping its attack. It bounced off the shield and backed up preparing to charge again.

"What the hell are you doing!?!? Prepare yerself to fight" She yelled over her shoulder to the other girl.

[SFL 0]

She missed. The mob nearly rammed her, if it were not for the other player bashing it with her shield. She kept on singing, and her voice gained a frustrated edge in it.

Galileo, Galileo

Galileo, Galileo

Galileo Figaro

She charged. Only one thing repeated in her mind.

Damn you Kayaba.

Damn you Kayaba.

Damn you Kayaba.

Damn you Kayaba.

Damn you Kayaba.

Damn you Kayaba.

"Magnifico!"

(OOC: She's nuts.)

[Macradon 0]

With seeing the woman charging without success, as the boar would charge back with a hard ram, another woman jumped in to block out the ramming with her shield.

'Fantastic reflexes and vast speed!' he thought as he would sprint into the combat as the woman would charge in again, without even trying to attack, this would just get her killed if not someone interfered. The shielding woman would maybe be fast enough, but here, he had to act fast and not rely on anyone, he learned it himself a long time ago. With his pace getting at the side of the striking woman, he would use Avalanche sword art to slam down his sword onto her's to make it deflect away from the boar. Another sword art, Cyclone, would be used to swing around and chop onto the boar. Both of his attacks was glowing green as the sword art database has been opened upon those sword arts.

''Get her away! We can't let her fight like this!'' Macradon would yell as he would keep his guards up against the boar.

His breath was getting heavier from his sprinting and his two sword arts chained together. With the energy he had used, a level 2 character would not be able to handle much more, but if he could get crazy woman away from here, that would be great.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki looked up to see the girl approach the boar in the same foolhardy manner. This time though another player interfered, parrying her strike and then attacking the boar himself. In doing so he had managed to pull agro and save the woman from another attack. Nikki smiled at the thought of another player actually helping too, it was proof that not everyone here was a all for themselves.

She had no time to dwell on this though as the male had issued an order. "What about you?" She shouted back as she made a grab for the girl to pull her away.

[SFL 0]

She scowled as the female player grabbed her away. The song in her head looped to the very beginning. The maddening cries of "Damn you Kayaba." quieted.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality.

Reality is selfish.

She did not understand.

She had seen players run away from the crowds to gain a head start. She had seen players abandon their friends at the slightest sign of danger. She had seen players stand idle as others died around them. She was of the third category. She was selfish. She deserved this.

Why do they do such acts for a stranger? Why such acts of altruism?

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

She did not understand.

She stood very still and watched, waiting for what may happen next.

[Macradon 0]

''I can handle a single boar, at least it isn't a horde'' he would say, smirking as he would face the boar with a faithful forward strike towards the boar. He trike would hit as he would concentrate again. Getting the boar's health down a little.

''Wow, my damage has fallen since I last had a battle against he mobs'' he muttered for himself, ashamed for himself.

His health was as it should be and his battle healing would help him survive attacks after attacks, but this was no problem, only the first floor was easy for Macradon to take on a mobs, he should just relax again and strike with another sword art whenever he would see an opening in the boar's attacks.

''Keep her away from the mob aggro and keep her safe, I can handle it, trust me ...'' he would say, having difficult trusting others, but this was no time to distrust others.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki stayed close to the girl, making sure that she made no further attempts to get herself killed. She held her shield up incase another MoB appeared somewhere, but kept a lot of focus on the male player. He seemed competent in his skill, and confident as well. This was good, it meant She could keep an eye on the girl better. "Alright... Be careful" She shouted back to his statement of trust me. Normally she wouldn't have, but that was in other games, games that didn't kill you. This was different and she would have to learn to trust people to stay alive.

"What are you doing?... these things will kill you" Nikki half shouted at the girl, trying to get her to understand. This was dangerous and if she wasn't careful she would be dead. Nikki was unsure how to make this point stick.

[SFL 0]

She looked up at the stars and made her conclusion.

This is a world of fantasy. A world above reality. Reality's rules do not work here. People of this world are no longer part of reality. The people here have to comply to this world's rules. Wear different masks. Interact in different manners in order to maintain peace and order.

The selfishness was a holdover from the old reality, the one on the other side of the NerveGear.

So is altruism and kindness the norm, then?

She gazed at the pair and their frustrated expressions, then smiled a cheery smile.

"I see." She said and properly hefted her sword in preparation for a <>.

Then, she lunged at the boar.

[Macradon 0]

With another Avalanche strike and Cyclone combo, he would be able to deal tons of damage to the boar. His both fast downwards strike would leave a glow behind and so did his turn around strike. His Avalanche was maybe the strongest of his sword arts that he knew at this time, maybe something big waited for him in the future, unless he died ...

With a quick side step as he would notice someone coming from the behind, he would think the other woman with the shield would come and team up, but no. The crazy woman would with a straight diagonal sword slash. Nothing particular, at least she knew how to use sword arts, but this was no time to be smiling at what had happened, her style was still off and her normal attack movements were not as good as they could have been, maybe her mental stage had taken over.

With a quick movement to strike once again with an Avalanche he would be able to deal incredible damage upon the boar, he just wanted it to disappear from now so they could all three talk about what happened.

''Let's finish this quick'' he would say as he did the Avalanche strike.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki was dumbfound as the girl took another attempt at the boar. At least this time she was activating her abilities, doing it properly as it were. Perhaps they had gotten through to her? maybe the point had come across? Nikki shook her head as she turned to watch everything unfold. The male was using his own abilities very well, though she was unsure if he could beet her in a fight. This was just a silly thing Nikki had started doing in recent weeks, trying figure out who could beat her or not. It helped her trust people to say the least. She made a mental note to friend him after all was done as he seemed to be a very like minded person. Nikki watched now, pulling her spear from her inventory as she waited to see what would happen.

[SFL 0]

"Aye." She said to the young man.

She placed her sword in her left hand, her dominant hand, and adjusted her weight. (The game was kind enough to consider lefties like herself.)

They have saved her life and made her realize the truth of her current world, so it only made sense that she repay her debts. She would start off by helping them.

She shifted her weight and activated a <>.

Damn you Kayaba. The tiny, traitorous voice in her mind whispered to her. But I should thank you too. Unlike in the other reality, in your world of Monsters, Swords and Death, it seems that kindness is not gone after all.

[Macradon 0]

With another strike of hers really helped with getting the boar down, with even another cyclone to get to another position, he would then get behind the boar to get the rear facing the woman so he would be able to draw the aggro to a safe spot for her. And his battle healing would be able to survive the attacks he would let in so the woman would get a better position, he would let a single ram hit in as he saw the entire opening for both parts, him laying down so she would be able to get a good hit upon it and then it would turn aggro, he would then get up and smack it with once another avalanche.

''This is going great! Keep working!''

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki could see the boars health dropping. Between the two of them it would be defeated in no time. For a second she contemplated helping them with the kill, but decided against it. At her level she would just end up killing it in one strike and end up taking all the xp and loot. Instead she decided it was best to keep a close eye on the situation and jump in if they needed help. She held her spear and shield tightly ready to go at a moments notice.

A smile crossed her lips as she watched the woman activate her sword skills. She was going to be ok after all Nikki thought pleasantly. "C'mon guys, you got this..."She called out to them.

[SFL 0]

From the corner of her eye, she saw the boar's HP gauge go down even further. Green. Yellow. Red. However, this did not matter to her. What mattered was that she helped.

Yes, that was all that mattered now. She helped, and she will help. This is now her purpose. Her reason.

One last strike. She activated <> one last time. Yes, one last strike.

The next thing she saw was a shower of pixels.

[Macradon 0]

With a last horizontal strike, the woman would finish of the boar, gaining the experience and ending in the third level.

''Congratulations with the killing blow and experience!'' Macradon would say as she leveled up and gained the loot as he didn't need it anyways, as he would finally notice that it was really dark now, he would go back to the city.

''Last time I were out here in the dark, I nearly died, so I'll be heading back t the city, hopefully we will see each other again!'' he would say as he sent them both a friend request.

With him leaving the area alone, he would sprint back to the city, getting a good spot to sleep to wake up again in the morning.

[Nikki Styx 0]

Nikki smiled as the boar pixelated and shattered. It had been defeated with no casualties, not that she would have let that happen anyways. She began walking towards the pair before she got a friends request. It seemed that Macradon, as his friend request ID'd him as was in a hurry to get back. While it was a shame he was leaving Nikki knew better than to stop people so she simply called out after him. "My Name is Nikki... see you around Mac"

She now turned to look at the other girl. "Perhaps we should head back to town. May I buy you a drink?"

[SFL 0]

She considered it for a moment, then smiled. "That would be nice."

With her new companion in tow, she returned to town, humming Ode to Joy under her breath.

(OOC: We could end this here, right?)