Her deep emerald eyes blinked once, twice, adjusting to the brightness of the sunlight.
Where am I…
She found herself in lush greenery where large vines covered the ruins of what looked like an abandoned town. She peered around to see others just as confused as she was. They were in weird, extremely colorful clothes that almost looked fake.
Maybe they're going to a comic-con or something?
Out of habit, she brushed her bangs out of her face.
Black hair…? Black hair?!
Her mind reeled as thoughts raced through her brain.
What's going on? Where am I?
She looked around in disorientation, confused and scared. She found herself next to an old, large, broken down building. Numerous cracks and holes decorated the tall, stoned structure, allowing wild life and plant life alike to inhabit all of its nooks and crannies.
I've been here before…
She narrowed her eyes, taking in her surroundings before willing her body to move to a lake she already knew the location of.
I was making Mittens his breakfast this morning and then…I don't remember what happened after that.
Her initial shock was brushed off as she clumsily tripped over her lanky legs, pausing to glare down at her feet. Her feet were…much larger than she'd remembered them to be. Her eyebrows furrowed together in concern as she patted around the sides of her biceps to note that they were noticeably bigger than her thin arms were and her jawline was wider and defined. Her fingertips ended up in her short, black hair, a bizarre sensation enveloping her like a sea of bewilderment. What the fuck was going on? For the sake of hesitant completion, she reached her hand down between her legs.
OH MY GOD.
She hurried her pace to her desired location, trying desperately to walk like a normal person- something the unfamiliar length of legs weren't having. The peaceful atmosphere of the lake was ruined as she unceremoniously fell onto her knees at the lake underneath the base of the Silverleaf Tree. A familiar handsome face stared back at her with a straight tall nose, soft lips paired with mysterious green eyes and spiked, jet black hair that was gently slicked back with a few bangs escaping down the sides of his cheekbones, framing his face.
Yasu…but how?
She tapped his cheek with the palms of his large hands before pinching his arm.
Ow! Pain…? Then this definitely isn't a dream…
"Hey, Shiro!" A friendly voice bellowed.
Across the lake, she looked up to see a man with spiked, light brown hair waving at another dark haired man running towards him. His armor clunked loudly as he stood up to greet his friend. They seemed to be exchanging pleasantries- it seemed as though they had not seen each other in a long time. She squinted her character's emerald eyes at the pair. The Paladin had broad shoulders, probably because of his heavy metal-gray armor. His grin was just as broad as he spoke with his friend. The Mage wore a white cloak with light green khakis and a dark grey shirt that she couldn't really make the details of.
A Paladin with decent gear and...The Villain in Glasses…?
The shocked look on the Paladin's face confirmed her suspicions- she wasn't the only one who was crazy to think she was trapped in a game.
It seems I'm not the only one stuck here. I can't let anyone see me like this.
She'd seen enough- she turned on his heels, turning his back to walk the other way.
"You, across the lake."
She stopped, back turned to the voice. She turned his face toward him, only exposing a part of her character's face. She saw his eyes widen behind his round spectacles as he opened his mouth to form words. She abruptly turned back, reached into her inventory, unconsciously knowing how to do so and covered Yasu with her favorite black cloak before continuing her stride. She felt his gaze digging into her back as she disappeared down the path as he continued to call out towards her.
He's already seen too much.
Night had fallen in Akihabara as she found a small area uninhabited area where no one seemed to have ventured. She easily sat down on a large crate with her feet firmly planted on the ground- an unfamiliar feeling as in the real world, she was quite short.
"Hmm." She sighed before her eyes flew open at the sound of her voice, "My real voice? What?"
Her eyes shifted back and forth, wracking her brain for answers.
I used my real voice to relay information to my colleagues…was it then? …Either way, I need a transformation potion.
She waved her hand in front of her to pull up her inventory.
I should have one lying around here somewhere…
She moved hastily, eager to get her normal height back, if not to make her more comfortable but definitely to have her body suit her voice. She clicked the item, interestedly watching it pixelated in her hands. Gingerly prying the cap off, she tipped the liquid into her mouth, an unfamiliar but not all unpleasant flavor permeating through her taste buds. The bottle disappeared as she was done with the drink. She stood up and took a few steps backward, eyebrows furrowing together in impatience.
Nothing is happ-
She groaned loudly in surprise as the reconstruction of her bones began to occur. The originally male character's short black hair grew out much longer as her stature shrank from a 6'1 to a mere 5'3. Large, deep forest eyes stayed as his features became much more feminine and the welcoming feeling of her breasts grew in. Her body contorted into uncomfortable positions, shortening and lengthening her body at the same time before the changing effects wore off. She stopped to catch her breath, much smaller hands on her much smaller knees before observing the world around her. Indeed, her view became much shorter, it felt more right. Curiously, she moved her hands down her body, feeling her curves whilst making sure the unwelcome bulge between her legs wasn't there anymore. For her short stature, her chest was supple. With the addition of her butt, her body made a lovely 'S' shape. Sharp green eyes scanned the area to make sure nobody had heard her before she ran her fingers through her long black hair, just to make sure it was at the length her real hair was- right above her butt.
At least I some-what resemble my real self now. Now I need to get some clothes that actually fit me.
She stared at herself in the reflection as she lifted her arms in amusement to see how long the sleeves drooped- nearly 1.5x longer than the length of her arm now.
Several weeks had passed since "The Apocalypse," as people were referring it as. Yasu had done well to keep her identity hidden. During this time, she gathered some important information: A) the level cap had been raised to 100. This could prove problematic to her in the immediate future. B) Most of her specialty items still worked. Though she did not have access to all the privileges she had before, it was not too much of a burden. C) This would be her temporary reality. If she used attacks through the attack menu, it left her open to many more attacks because of the amount of time it took to select the attack. Instead of this, it became a necessity to physically move your body and "cast" the skill as though you were role-playing to get it to work. D) Death was not an issue. Players who died still revived at the cathedral (much to her relief). E) She took it upon herself to make sure to get these people out of here as safely as she could but before that could happen, some type of government had to be established to stop all the player-kills and chaos running through the town of Akihabara. She gripped her short sword tightly; she hated to admit it but she needed help. There were too many players stuck here and without her colleagues she was unable to do much. She sat on a low branch of a strong, sturdy tree, her legs dangling over the edge of the wide branch that she was sitting on as looking over the town.
Why am I here...? I didn't even log in that day. It was supposed to be Jizen's turn to be online…
Either way, she was stuck there and she would make the most of the situation. Yasu chewed on the side of her mouth in contemplation- the area she occupied was too vast for her to be in multiple places at once…but perhaps she could. Uncertain if this would work, she slowed her breathing, focusing on the unfamiliar inner pool of energy that swirled within her core. Clasping her hands together, she forwarded the aura to the palms of her hands, causing them to emit a soft blue glow. It took her several attempts to get a constant output of mana at a steady rate but once she did, her creation grew, expanding between her palms and pushing out into her skin. Her actions formed into a gentle ball of light that she cradled in her hands; within it, she could feel the soft flutter of wings barely pushing against the spherical walls. Almost like a bubble bursting, her mana sphere delicately burst into a gentle display of sparkles, giving birth to four, identical glowing light blue butterflies. They flew around her head and hands, almost stretching out their wings and experimenting with what they could do. Her eyes glimmered in a small spark of pride at her work, having one land on her dainty fingertip. A slight tug at her mana pool told her that these familiars would sap her MP as long as they were alive.
"Travel North, East, South and West, each of you." She murmured, sending them off into the world of Elder Tale.
They were small and benign enough that nobody, Adventurers, People of the Land and Monsters alike, would bother looking over them twice. She was snapped out of her thoughts as a familiar mage walked beneath her. Accompanying him were two unfamiliar women. The first was blonde with bright brown eyes and a bubbly attitude about her. Her earthy green dressed was paired well with the dark brown leggings and tank-top she wore. The second was about the same height as the first, maybe a little taller. Her orange hair was neatly tied up into a bun with a clip. She was dressed professionally in the real world in a dusty violet long sleeved blouse with a pencil skirt- black accents helped to liven up the attire.
I wonder what they're up to out here…
"Hey Shiro-bo, are you sure this is going to work?" She sounded nervous.
"Just make sure you do exactly what we practiced beforehand and Henrietta-san will handle the rest. You can do this, Marielle-san." He reassured her kindly.
The blond nodded in determination.
"We will make this work!" Her attitude took a completely different mood.
"Alright, this is where we part ways. I have other matters to attend to. Good luck." The mage waved a hand in goodbye as he turned to walk away.
The orange haired woman winked. "We'll have them eating out of our hands by the time we're done, don't you worry."
The Villain smiled sheepishly. "I am looking forward to it."
Are they trying to put together some semblance of a government..? Knowing him, he probably has a plan to make one, forcibly if he had to. Maybe I should talk to him…
He proceeded to walk away as she nibbled on her tongue about the next course of action. She gracefully jumped down, making sure her cloak was covering her name. What else did she have to lose?
"Hey, Villain." She called out.
The Mage looked back at her, dark beady eyes analyzing her quietly as he smiled politely.
"I believe you have me at a disadvantage."
She smiled back. "I know. I can see what you're doing, Shiroe-san."
He stared back at her with dead eyes, his expression giving nothing away.
"You're trying to use those merchants to establish some type of government." She motioned down the path the two were walking.
"You are very astute to have figured that out. I do not believe we have met." His gaze travelled over to her information.
"You are already level 100? You must be quite the warrior." He praised.
"I want in on your little scheme." She went straight to the point.
Her bold statement made him narrow his eyes, "Why?"
She took a step forward, "This game needs order to it, at least before we figure out a way to leave. Player-killing is unacceptable and at the rate we're going, the players are going to become barbarians unfit for society- the real society."
He studied her, she looked very plain- the black cloak she had covering her face and most of her body showed nothing except for her black boots.
"Why should I let you in? We have enough people to execute this," He seemed to be testing her.
She scoffed at him, putting on a false bravado, "I am probably the highest level person in this game right now. Don't try to play dumb with the assets that I may bring. I have travelled these lands and know much more of what the new Novasphere Pioneer Expansion has to offer."
He faltered at her brazen response. What she said was very true.
"How can I trust you?" He glanced over her information box again. "I don't even know your name."
She blinked. He did have a point. What should she do?
"You can call me Sayu." How unoriginal.
She sneered at herself. The name would just have to do.
"I just want what's best for everyone. I only have a few conditions for my joining." She paused, letting him interject if need be. After she was met with silence, she continued. "Firstly, I will not join any parties. My information is mine alone, I do not particularly enjoy others knowing what is not theirs to know. Secondly, I will not join any guilds for the same reason stated before. Third, I want to know everything that you are up to, Villain in Glasses of the Debauchery Tea Party. I know of you and your capabilities, I do not want to be kept out of the loop for anything. In exchange, I offer you my services and knowledge. Lastly, everything we speak of or share is to be kept in confidentiality unless we both agree it may be made public."
He took a pregnant pause, his fingers resting on his chin in a contemplative manner, "That sounds reasonable. May I at least know what class you are so that you may be better utilized?"
She hesitated. "I am a Sorceress."
He pushed his glasses up in a way that made them gleam, "I hope we will be able to work together well, Sayu-san." A devious look passed his eyes. "This is what I intend to do…."