"Link start!"
White, like snow surrounded his vision. No, not like snow. Snow was not as unforgiving as the blank emptiness that was the world around him, as he began to travel through the bounds of the physical world, and into the madness that was digital world.
Color, streams of color bolted towards him as they beamed past him into his vision. Closing his eyes, he let the Nervegear take over his mind and put him into this new world. It was called Lord of the Rings, he had never heard of it. Apparently it was a book that was made a century ago and now it was turned into software so the people can experience it. It was not a MMO, just a single player game. He wanted a change from all of the deaths he experienced in Sword Art Online.
Still, who is to say this game will also not have deaths? The NPCs were said to have been programmed like players so if you asked them a irrelevant question, they could still answer. Then if they died…would it still feel the same? "No!" he told himself, "they won't actually die this time, this is not a real death here."
As the red beamed past him, it reminded him of Asuna. The girl he had met in Sword Art Online. White and red, they suited her with her fiery orange hair and warm brown eyes. He remembered how happy they were towards the end of the game, of their daughter Yui, and how the log cabin by the lake that they bought and got married in.
Happy memories got replaced by heartbreak soon after though, when he finally defeated Heathcliff to end the game, he met Asuna in the real world. He did not meet her expectations and she left him. Sad and alone, he started going back towards the Nervegear.
"What do I have to lose?" he thought, never once did his sister cross his mind, she hated him now. Or so he thought, but still, he had no friends and the virtual world was ever leering over him. After descending into the dips of madness, buying a game, and installing it. He was back in the virtual world. Where he truly belongs.
White faded to black as he opened his eyes, blinking several times to get them used to this world. He looked down at his hands and fisted his hands. He saw his feet and lifted one up. "Everything seems to be working." He thought. He pulled down the system menu, and scrolled over to the logout button. The button appeared just below the interface button.
"No, I'm not going to get out of where I belong." Sighing he took a look of what he was wearing and his inventory. Everything was the same. "Was my weapons and items stored within the Nervegear?" he thought. It was the only explanation for keeping all of his gear and items. Quickly equipping everything that he had back in Sword Art Online, he smirked as he felt the familiar warm black coat envelop him and the weight of his two swords; Elucidator and Dark Repulser. He smirked at the sky as in a challenge. Now he felt ready.
Looking around he saw Trees and overgrown vines and shrubs littering the gound. A thin path was under his feet and was laid out in one direction. Forward. Turning around, he was met with more vines and trees, but there was no path behind him, it was set out before him. "Where am I?" he murmered, "no NPCs around here… some starting zone this is. Well, only one thing to do then."
Taking a deep breath, he smiled and steeled himself for the things that were to come. His feet picked up and he began running down the path. The trees turned into blurs as he picked up speed, he laughed. Not a small chuckle, or the usual half smile that he did. It was a full out laugh, even surprising himself that he did it though he couldn't deny that he was happy. "I belong here."
The dirt dusted up as his feet hit the path quickly then jumped back up again. It was a sprint, he couldn't wait to start seeing the NPCs, the man must have been a genius to have thought this up, the unlimited amount of questions you could have asked and the NPCs all answer. It must have taken him years and lots of people. A small campfire glowed in the darkening forest as the sun began to set.
"Wow good timing, I wonder if that was programmed." He thought, but then stopped his feet suddenly. "I haven't fought any monsters yet, will they be friendly?" he stopped and remembered his time with Asuna and Yui and how they went to go save Thinker. "Better to trust and regret, then doubt and regret…even if I am only level 1." He looked up at his name and health bar to confirm it but saw his old level, 108. He grunted in surprise and then shook away all doubt until only confidence was left.
Walking up toward the ruins that held the campfire at the top, he passed a sign that said: Watchtower of Amon Sul. He shrugged at the name, it gave off an uncomfortable ring and he silently drew Elucidator, The black sword gleamed in the dark night, giving off its own dark light if such a thing even existed.
Climbing up to the top where the campfire was, he peered at them from a large rock which easily hid him from their sight. "This Mister Frodo, is some nice, crispy, bacon!" one of the things said, it looked and sounded like a human but it was much too small. There were four of them, they weren't being quiet and they had small daggers but were more like swords to them tossed to the side.
They were easy prey and could be killed easily if he wished. He was drawn out from his thoughts by one of them yelling at the others. "Put it out you fools! Put it out!" and stomping on the campfire while the others hollered their protests. A loud and cold shriek split the air and chilled all of them to the very core. He looked back at the four who all looked very pale and were scrambling for their weapons.
The four were clumsy and unorganized, they made a wall to protect the dark haired one. "Was he their leader?" he asked himself. They didn't look very confident and had the expression of players seeing their health bars at zero back in SAO.
Five cloaked figures with gleaming two-handed swords slowly walked towards the four and aimed their swords at the terrorized things. They were stilled with fear and the first two were just thrown aside with ease landing on the opposite wall and one right on the other side of his rock, but didn't take note of his presence.
"Back you devils!" The blonde one shouted and tried to hit one of the figures with a frying pan but was just pushed aside like the others. The last one was the dark haired leader, who dropped his sword and scrambled back, tripping over the uneven cracks and landing on the ground with a plop.
His face, pale and fear-stricken was showed to him at the perfect angle to see the terror in his eyes. It was too close. Behind the rock, he couldn't take it anymore, it was too much like the Moonlit Black Cats. It would not be his fault again, he would not let another person die. Party member or not, he was going to save them. Memories of their deaths plagued his vision and with a cry he leaped out from behind his rock and charged towards the blade that was going toward the person's chest.
A/N
Wow, that was really short, but first chapters always are right?
Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I want to get feedback somehow right? Please tell me if I should keep going or if you think the characters are getting OOC because what I want is to get this story the best it can be so please review and tell me what you think!
Haters are not welcome but constructive criticism is always appreciated! Thanks!
