Chapter 1: New Begginings

I've been a gamer for as long as I can remember. I used to have one of those old Nintendo DS's… Obsolete now, of course. In fact most technology is with the introduction of the "future" of gaming: VRMMO's. These kinds of games are every gamer's wet dream. Just imagine: you don't need a mouse or a keyboard. You can feel the wind, taste the food. It's not just first person, it's you. It's Virtual Reality.

Ring ring. My alarm beeped and I drifted out of my thoughts and into reality. I was staring into my reflection in my NerveGear VR helmet's visor. My short red hair stood out in the black of the screen, and my brown eyes fit in. I combed my hair with my fingers, spiking it up until I was satisfied.

Ring ring. I looked at my clock. It was nearly time! The first VRMMO game server was going to launch in a few minutes. It was the most anticipated game of 2022, this year. Sword Art Online. Only ten thousand copies were released, and it sold out in seconds. I was one of the lucky ones that got it. I sat on my bed and lay on my back. I put on the Virtual Reality helmet and allowed it to scan my face and gather data. This was it. The server was about to launch.

Ring ring. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

"Link Start!" I said, barely able to contain my excitement.

My vision was blurred and a flash of white replaced the view of my ceiling. For a second there was nothing. Nothing to hear, nothing to see, nothing to feel. Nothing. Then, I was falling. I could feel the wind rushing by and hear the whistling of it rush by my ears. It was like one of those dreams where you think you fell off a cliff or something, and your leg has one of those weird spasm attacks. Except this time, I didn't wake up. Colors were flying by, and I saw that my senses were getting synched up. A small menu popped up in front of me, asking about my information. My name is Ryuzo. I am 16. I am male.

"Enter game?" Said a clear female voice in my head. "Start!" I yelled, barely able to hear myself.

Then the falling slowed and I was set gently on my feet. The white that dominated my vision faded and I regained my vision. I was in a town plaza, and people were appearing all around. I was finally here… in the world of Sword Art Online!

I walked down the busy street, the players buying from the shops and talking to each other. Conversations and laughter could be heard everywhere, it was a bustling city. I stopped at a street vendor that was advertising weapons.

"Um… hi. I'd like to buy a sword please." I said.

The street vendor looked up and smiled. He was black and friendly looking, and completely bald. "Sure thing, friend! What will it be?" I looked at his weapon rack and a certain one caught my eye.

The blade was a deep crimson, and the hilt was black. It had a ruby encrusted on the bottom. My eyes widened a bit and I looked at the vendor with a look of determination.

"How much is this sword?" I asked. "50 col!" He replied.

"I'll take it." I said, and tapped the ok button floating in front of me with my finger. I accessed my inventory through the floating screen and equipped the sword. Suddenly there was a small red flash and my sword appeared in front of me. I caught it and waved it through the air with a grin.

"Careful with that thing!" The vendor exclaimed, ducking under his stand. "Oh, sorry about that. Thanks!" I replied, and started running toward the city exit. The vendor frowned and crossed his arms.

At the end of the street, I could see a huge archway leading out of the city. I could hear the birds chirping and water rushing. I ran even faster, my smile broadening as I got closer to the beauty outside. Suddenly a player stepped back from a stand, right in front of me. I ran right into him, knocking us to the ground.

"Ow…" He groaned, rubbing his head. He had black hair and green eyes, and wore a pair of thin, rimless glasses. "Hey, I'm really sorry about that." I said, getting back up and brushing myself off. "No, it's fine." He replied, picking up his glasses and putting them back on. I reached out my hand and helped him up. "I really am. I just got excited about seeing the whole game that I forgot to pay attention."

He smiled and reached out his arm for a handshake. "My name's Kai."

I smiled back and shook his hand. "I'm Ryuzo."

"Hey, I was about to head outside the city and gain experience from monsters. Maybe we can work together?" Kai said.

"Sure, " I replied.

He slid his finger through the air and his menu popped up. After poking the screen a few times, a message appeared in front of me.

Kai Azusa has requested to be your friend. Do you accept?

I looked at Kai, and he grinned good naturedly. I hit accept and the window closed. We nodded and headed out of the city.