SAO: Comatose
The last thing I remember was waiting in line to get this new came that was coming out. Only 10,000 copies were handed out and I was one of the lucky few that managed to get a copy before they were sold out.
I recalled setting up my Nerve system and everything was set I just needed to wait the launch of the game.
But then after that I drew a blank. I don't remember starting the game or even how I ended up here but I just did.
I opened my eyes and I was seeing a blinding white light and all the system links were starting up and before I knew it I was standing in the middle of an open area that was a familiar town square.
More lights erupted around me and before I knew it, I was surrounded by hundreds of other people which I'm guessing where logging onto what was going to be one of the best things to ever happen.
-Link Start-
It was time. The greatest thing to happen in gaming history was upon us.
The streets were filled with players that were having conversations with each other and many were trying to buy from vendors, trading equipment or even trying to party up.
But for one player, he was clad in the same beginner clothes as everyone else. Black shoulder length hair, blue eyes and a sword at his waist. He was rushing through the busy streets and was in a hurry.
"Alright, need to get to the training grounds before I even thing about doing anything else." He said to himself as he dodged players that were getting in the way.
*Beep*
'Message received' A box appeared before him as he turned and ran into an alley way. He clicked over the message and it opened up, "Have to take care of a few things before I log on. Meet you at the usual spot. –Kirito." It read.
The teen just smirked as he closed the box and saw the town's entrance coming up. As he made it to the archway he smiled as he looked out to the open fields, the floating islands in the sky. The overall beauty that was Sword Art Online.
"It's good to be back!" He shouted as he looked towards the nearest fields and saw some wild boar wondering around. There wasn't a single player out yet which meant they were ripe for the picking.
He reached to his waist and pulled out a long thin sword which was a beginner's sword which every player started with unless they bought another sword or another weapon. But for now it was all he had.
He closed his eyes and inhaled taking a moment to collect himself.
But as soon as he released the air in his lungs he broke into a sprint down the dirt path towards the boar which noticed him coming and began to charge him.
He dodged the first one that was coming and did a horizontal slash which cut into the boar's side taking a quarter of its health away while for the next one he gripped the sword with both hands and held it at his side as the blade began to glow red as the boar was about to hit him but he released the sword which let out a small boom as he swung the sword out and it cut right into the boar's body taking over 60% of its health away.
He slide across the ground as he turned around and charged back finishing off the boar will only 40% health left with a few strikes against its body while he blocked the head on attack from the first one that came back for more.
"Too easy." He muttered out as he pushed back against the boar before he arched his sword and slashed downwards cutting into the boars head killing it instantly.
A box appeared with his Exp, Col, and gained items.
"Let's see, 60 Exp, about 50 Col and 4 boar hides. Not bad for my first kills but this is going to take a while. I hope Kirito hurries up before I take them all out." He said as even more boar began to spawn before him as he grinned before charging them.
-2 hours later-
The teen was grinning as he watched a pack of wolves surrounding him before one of them rushed in to attack.
He dodged to the side and slashed at the wolf before another charged in trying to attack him but he just dodged and attacked this one which killed it since he had been doing this for a good minute and the wolfs health had been dropped from all the strikes against it.
"Two down, two to go." He said as a message alert appeared on screen from 'Kirito,' he grinned as he closed the box and turned to the remaining wolves, "Sorry but I'm going to need to finish this fast since an old friend is looking for me.
He pulled his sword to his side as he got into a steady stance as the wolves rushed towards him only to meet their end as the blade cut through the first one ending it before he turned around and embedded the sword into the last wolf getting a critical strike as they both burst into hundreds of pixels.
Another box appeared, "240 Exp, 400 Col, and 3 Wolf pelts and 2 Fangs. Not bad. Not to find Kirito." He said as he went back to the first field that he started to farm on.
It didn't take that long to get there and from over the hill he could see two people standing in the opening. One was a red haired man that wore a bandana and the other was a dark haired man with a sword across his back.
He watched as the as the blacked haired man was showing the other how to use a sword art, which was the very same technique he had been using against the monsters.
He walked over and stopped as the man slashed his short blade across the boar's side killing it and gaining the spoils from it.
"Where have you been?" The dark haired one asked him as he walked up.
He just shrugged, "Doing what I do best." He responded to which the blacked haired player just grinned like he was.
"Good to see you Aster." He said as Aster turned to him and held his hand out.
Aster shook his hand, "Same to you Kirito, but I have to ask. Who's the new guy?" Aster asked as said new guy came over.
"I did it! That's one down." He said as if he had won a boss battle.
Aster just turned to him, "You do realize that killing a boar in this game is similar to the slimes in others meaning they give out nearly no exp. You'd have to kill a large amount of them before you can even level up."
"Kirito? I thought you said you didn't have any friends in SAO?" The man asked.
Kirito just shook his head, "I wouldn't call him my friend-" "We're rivals." Aster said cutting Kirito off.
"We both started in the beta around the same time and since then we've been pitting who could get the farthest in the beta but it ended up in a tie." Aster said while Kirito nodded.
The man just smiled at Aster, "We'll still it's nice to meet another Beta tester. The name's Klein nice to meet you." Klein said to Aster.
Aster just nodded, "Better get started Klein because if you're going to be hanging out with us. Then you better be ready to play seriously." He said as he took out his sword and swung at a boar that was coming at him.
And to Klein's surprise, Aster hit it right in the head which resulted in a critical strike that killed it instantly.
"How did you do that?" Klein asked.
Aster just relaxed, "Just like every other game, monsters or even players have weak points that can cause extra damage when hit. And in this case, when you strike a boar in the head and sometimes the game registers that as a critical strike. But you have to get the timing right and depending on the monster the weak point you have to have a little luck. But that side. Look out." Aster said as another boar came running over just as Klein turned around to be hit right in between the legs.
Both Aster and Kirito sweat dropped, which was easy thanks to the games emotion feature which allowed players to react in various ways.
"Ah! My nuts!" Klein shouted as he rolled around on the ground holding well, his hands between his legs.
Aster just faced palmed while Kirito just sighed, "This is going to take a while. He knows the game doesn't really hurt us right?" Aster asked and Kirito nodded.
"He said the last time it was just a force of habit."
"Heh, well let's get started then. And just a word of advice Kirito," Aster said as he pulled up his menu and showed his stats.
He was already a level 2 going on 3 since he had been defeating monster for the past few hours and since Wolves gave more Exp and attacked in packs. He had accumulated more than enough Exp to level up.
"Already trying to get a head start." Kirito said as he shook his head. He knew that Aster was just as serious as he was but to already be a level three not even a few hours after the game had opened up. It was something to get him motivated to play for real.
"See you later. I just got a quest and I plan on collecting from it." Aster said as he waved to Kirito as he started to walk away not seeing Kirito smile a bit before he turned to fight a boar coming at him.
-1 hour later-
Aster was walking down a dirt path examining a new item he gained from defeating a pack of wolves that had been harassing an NPC family in the wilderness.
"Beast Cloak, +2 strength, +2 defense. 3% Exp Bonus from defeating beast type monsters. I like this." Aster said as he equipped the cloak and around his back was a wolf pelt that was like a cloak but just with fur.
"Not bad for a level 3 one off quest, and I'm almost at level four. Once I hit five I should be able to start hitting Dungeons for Treasure soon, but it's getting late I should probably log off now." He said as the world around him did follow a real time clock and if the sun was setting here that meant it was getting late in the real world.
He brought up his menu and opened the options menu but he noticed that something was off, "Where's the log off button?" He wondered as he looked to see if they had moved it to a different menu but it wasn't there either. "Strange? Is there a bug in the system or something? Better message the GM."
After a moment of calling for the GM nothing. No reply or even a message.
"Kirito." One word that Aster said and he was already messaging him.
'Message received.'
"Same problem here. We think it's a glitch. –Kirito."
"Same with him too huh? Just what is going on here?" Aster said to himself he heard a bell ringing in the distance. "Isn't that the bell from Start City?" He said as a light surrounded him just like a summoning action would only when he appeared on the other side he found himself in Start city. Back in the Central Plaza but he wasn't the only one there.
All around him hundreds of lights appeared before the entire plaza was full of players all with the same thought as him.
Just what was going on here?
'What the hell is going on here?' Aster thought as something one shouted about something in the sky and when Aster looked up there a blinking red box that started to leak out red ooze that flowed down and formed what looked like a giant version of a Game Master.
There was pause as everyone in the plaza watched this giant GM form before opening his arms out.
"Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My Name is Kayaba Akihiko. And as of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world."
There were mummers from the other players around Aster but for him, he knew that name the GM said, "Kayaba Akihiko isn't that the name of the guy that created this game?" He whispered to himself.
"I am sure you all have noticed some changes made to the game. That change being that the logout button is missing from the main menu," The GM waved his hand down and a menu appeared in front of him as he showed what he was talking about, "This is not a defect in the game, I repeat, this is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot log yourselves out of SAO. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear you all are wearing. And should they attempt to remove it, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave that will destroy your brain thus ending your life."
"What?" Aster gasped out as he and the other players around him began to panic.
Some even thought this was a joke and tried to leave but they were stopped by a force field that was surrounding the entire Plaza.
"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove their NerveGears. And as a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from the world of SAO and the real word."
"213 players, that can't be." One of the players said next to Aster as he was trying to take in this information.
Large windows began to spurt around the GM body showing images of news reports with the headlines, "Game kills 213 people and counting."
Everyone was beginning to panic even more now.
"As you can see, news and headlines from around the world are reporting all of this as we speak. Thus, you can assume that the danger of removing a NerveGear to be minimal now which should allow players to go about playing without worry of dying. I hope this will help relax you all in your attempt to clear the game."
Aster was clenching his fist to the point that he hands were turning white.
"Let this be a reminder that there is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. And should your HP drop to zero, your avatar will be forever lost and the NerveGear will destroy your brain."
The image of death played into the many minds of players around the plaza as some of them had witness some players dying before them from the monsters around the city. And even how close they had come to dying.
"And now the only way to leave is to complete the game." A map of the tower and each floor appeared as a red light went from floor one to one hundred. "The only way to beat the game is to reach the very top level and defeat the boss that resides there." The GM said as he paused for a moment.
"Now I have given each of you a present inside your inventory."
Aster opened his menu and looked inside to see that there was something called a 'Mirror' inside. He opened it and in his hands appeared a small mirror. The only irony here was that when he looked at it he saw his reflection, but not of his avatar but his real face.
The next thing he knew was a blinding light surrounding him once more before he could see again. Only now he was looking around to see what had happened and it was something else.
Players around him looked different.
Ones that were very young turned old, ones that were old turned into kids. Some guys into girls, and even some most of the girls around him turned into guys.
"What the hell?" Aster said as he looked into the mirror once more to seem his real face, but how was this possible? This was a game, not real life? His in game hair turned from black to white hair and eyes went from blue to his real eye color. His left one a light green while the right was red. He even lost about 4 to 5 inches since the cap on the height limit in SAO was 6'6, he was 6'1 his real height in the real world.
'But how?' He wondered.
"I am sure you all are wondering why?" The GM took his attention long with the many confused, "Why you look you do in the real world. That is because the NerveGear scans your faces in to register emotions and you have to collaborate the system by placing the NerveGear on certain places on your bodies. That is the reason you all look like you do in the real world. And if you still question why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has already been achieved, I created Sword Art Online for one reason… it was to create a world and intervene in it. And now, that quest is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online launch."
There was a pulse of data before the GM body began to break apart, "Good Luck players." He said before the body burst into pixels leaving everyone silent in the Plaza.
And all it took was one single shriek from a random girl to set everyone off. Panic and mayhem erupted in the plaza as everyone ran for their lives.
Aster stood there stunned as players pushed him out of the way as they ran. But he stood there thinking.
'There's no point in trying to run away. There's nowhere to run too. We're all trapped here. In this game that the only way out is to beat it.' Taking a moment to think, Aster turned around and walked out of the plaza.
If this was all real now, that meant it was really all about survival now. And that meant in order to survive. He would need to get stronger.
'The next town. I need to get out of Starting City. I need to get to the next town. Too many players will be in panic here for me to do anything.' Aster thought as he brought up his map from his menu and found a path to the nearest town. It was going to be a good ways out and it was starting to get dark out which meant the monsters were going to get stronger. But he needed to get away.
He wasn't trying to run away, but just to think. He wasn't able to return home. He couldn't go back now. He was trapped here with over 9,000 other players until they completed the game, all 100 floors of it.
Aster dropped the menu and started to run, he ran so far away that Starting City was just a blimp in the distance now.
The moon had appeared high above him in the digital sky and before him a pair of red eyes appeared.
Not even caring what it was, Aster held his hand over the handle of his sword as he pulled it out of the sheath as the blade began to glow a deep red before he swung it out clashing against the side of the Wolf that jumped at him before he brought it back down for another strike that stunned the Wolf long enough for him to stab it in the head ending it.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Aster shouted letting out his frustration as more red eyes appeared around him.
He lowered his head against the hilt of his blade as he looked up past it to see a wolf coming for him.
At the last moment he lifted the blade up to block as another wolf slammed into his side taking a quarter of his health away from him.
"Grrr…" Aster growled out as he lifted his blade up and get into a stance he was used to as the blade glowed red before one of the wolves charged him but instead of striking the one in front of him he sliced behind him which gained a howl from the wolf that was trying to do a sneak attack at him.
"Dire Wolves. I remember how you attacked. You use one of your friends as a distraction so another can attack from the side. But that would probably work against other players but IAM NOT OTHER PLAYER!" He shouted as he used his Sword Skills he had learned from earlier.
He used 'Slant' to slash against the same Dire Wolf which lowered it to nearly 10% health but another wolf came up and attack Aster from the side, and since he was in the middle of attacking he wasn't able to block the attack.
"Shit. 48% left." Aster said to himself as he lifted his sword and got ready for another attack which came from the third wolf that came in for the kill but Aster dug his feet in and held the blade up waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Now!" In one fluid motion Aster stabbed his sword into the wolf's head before activating 'Slant' to cut through the wolves body killing it with a double damage hit.
The second one came and tried to attack followed by the third but Aster dodged to the side while slashing out against the wolves body killing it while he turned around and lifted the sword above his head and brought it down cutting the last wolf's head clean off as it was tried to bite him.
'Bonus Exp Gain!' A box appeared before him, "548 Exp, 500 Col, 6 fangs and 3 Dire Pelts."
"Level Up!" Another box appeared as Aster watched his health bar restore itself and his fatigue was taken from him as he felt rejuvenated.
"I need to be more careful. I nearly died there." He muttered to himself as he noticed his sword crack across the middle. His weapons durability was at 27%. That meant he needed to repair it or get a new one. And since to would of cost more to fix and it was a beginner weapon. He decided to hurry to the next town before he found himself in another fight.
It was going to be a long road, one which could lead to any possible result. But Aster knew one thing. He was going to survive this. Or die trying.
-System Error-
Greeting people, so as you can see, I had been meaning to watch Sword Art Online ever since it came out. I even watched it when it was released but I never watched any other episode and just thinking of being trapped in an RPG game was my dream as a kid. Play games from the 'Tales Of' Series which plays roles in my some of my Fanfictions. A cookie to those that have read my other stories and noticed that. But anyway, I watched the first episode and this was the outcome.
OC – Aster Lowell, normal teenager about to graduate high school and go to college. Normal Build, lightly tanned skin about 6'1' and two different eye colors. The left eye a light green while the right is red, his hair color is white. And if have trouble picturing him a picture to in vision him, just picture "Alexander "Sasha" Nikolaevich Hell" From the "Qwaser of Stigmata" Anime only taller and older.
Due to his many years of being treated as a foreigner, Aster has gained somewhat stubborn and rude personality but at the same time he tends to hide his true feelings from others he doesn't know, or doesn't want to know. He hates annoying or arrogant, power hungry people. And at times hates himself for the things he does but he learns from them and moves on.
So as always, thanks for reading and if you liked it leave a review telling me what you think of it, and throw some ideas my way. So until next time! -3ndless out.