Why do I play games? I play them to get away. Poor grades, no friends, and family who want to live through me.

"What did we tell you?" my father figure asked scolding.

"Keep my head down, and get good grades."

My father never got ever the fact that his best friend betrayed him, and stole the love of his life

"Your grades are dropping. You are getting worse! You will never be a doctor because of those games! My mother raised her voice.

My mother was overly emotional… again. I bring home a C and this is what happens. I never said I wanted to be a doctor, but when she was younger she dropped out of medical school being pregnant with me. I didn't matter what I wanted to do… if I spoke up then I would be punished for being disrespectful.

Mother continued to yell

"you need to see your rightful place in this world! If you refuse to get your act together… you can just leave this house!" she said threatening a fourteen-year-old.

I nodded trying to keep my head down. This was the best way to survive in this household if you didn't want to give in to demands. Just be respectful, follow the rules, and don't talk back. No, in fact, don't talk at all.

I left the room without another word. The house seemed smaller than it used to be. It made me miss the time when I didn't have any responsibilities. When I could play with my all-might action figure without a care in the world.

I entered my room which was cleaner then when I had left it. Someone must have come in and cleaned it while I was away. On my bed pillows laid a package. It was the game I had preordered. It had finally come. I took the package into my hands and started to open it. inside was a wad of bubble wrap and the game Sword Art Online. It was a fantasy game that took place in the floating castle of Aincrad. The game cover hours of enjoyment, and engaging gameplay. I opened the copy. The click of the case sent a shiver down my spine.

I picked up my NerveGear which was neatly placed on my computer desk next to my window. The computer desk was the only thing in the room besides the bed, and the game systems. I put my copy of Sword Art Online into the NerveGear, and put the headset on. With a push of the on button the screen in front of my eyes flickered on. I wasn't fully immersed yet. The machine game me instructions to pat my whole body. This was used to calibrate the NerveGear. Once I had patted everything I followed the instructions, and said

"Next"

Once all the settings and User agreements were signed I was ready. To start any Virtual game you had to vocally activate the system.

"Link Start"

The world disappeared, and was replaced with white. Colors were flooding my mind they were making up my new home.

Settings came up.

Touch ok

Sight ok

Hearing ok

Taste ok

Smell ok

The settings formed a line. They were all good to go. I went on to the next screen.

It asked me what Language I spoke, and I selected Japanese. The language setting disappeared, and what replaced it was the log in screen. Since I was a beta tester, I had an account already. I put in my name and password.

Words appeared, they read Rera Yoake(M) correct? Yes or No

I used my real name for my username. I had no reason not to. No one knew me. I was very unpopular, and pretty much invisible. There was no reason to hide my name, and I didn't want to try and create some stupid name. The M I guessed stood for male

Yes.

The colors came back flooding my mind again and I was in.

When I was in, I was surprised at how far humans have come with technology. The creators created smells and textures for everything. Everything had a feeling, and in a virtual game where you shouldn't be able to feel anything, it was a breath of fresh air.

I was at the starting point in the town of beginnings. A regal white brick court surrounded by a beautiful garden. There was a lot of brief moments were burst of light turn into new players who had just logged on.

They all mad their way down a stone path out into the town. I eventually joined, going down the path into a pre-modern town.

Floods of NPC stands covered a lot of the town. Everyone stand had a crowd of players. Considering the time it would take to buy equipment, I decided to skip out on that. It would be more productive to go out and hunt mobs for experience. Past the market were the homes, then the teleport game, and then the town gate.

Outside the town gate was the first floor's dungeon. This one took shape of a field. Hill tops and grass as far as the eyes can see. Boars and Giant Hornets covered the area. The Hornets were level two while the Boars were level three. Both were weak enough to take out at level one. I started working on a Boar. I plunged my blade into the boar's side and digital blood burst from the wound. The boar took a swing with its tusks, but I made a quick jump back. The Boar started sticking the ground getting ready to charge. The Boar charged. Every stride it let out a grunt. I parried the Boar while stepping to the left. The Boar passed by keeping its speed, U-turning to attack again. The boar couldn't make sharp turns at that speed being quadrupedal. On its next attack I Steeped to the right, and as it was passing I used the weight of my body, and I shoved my shoulder into the Boar's side knocking it over. I flipped my blade around, and took the grip in both hands. I charged a skill. Once ready my body started glowing a digital yellow. I plunged the blade into its heart. The boar's eyes widened, and it laid stiff. I twisted the blade, and the mob burst into code.

On the top right corner of my eyesight I saw the experience given. It was about a then of a level. I got some material for upgrading equipment, but I've never concerned myself with upgrading until higher levels

In a few minutes the field started filing up with players eager to grind.

A rare few wanted to player kill.

"I see that you've been weakened." Said a player with the male one base look, and brown hair.

The player didn't look like he spent a lot of time in the character creator.

"Why fight the mobs and get weakened for little experience? Why not pick off the damaged players for more?" the player smirked readying his blade.

I had two-thirds of my health while he was at full.

"You must not have many friends in real life" I laughed taunting. I was being a little hypocritical, but I didn't want to show fear. I was in a bad spot

"Shut it!" he charged swinging his sword down diagonally. I parried and stabbed. He dodged to his right, and the blade grazed his left shoulder leaving a small trail of code. I saw on the top left corner of my eyesight that my name had turned yellow for damaging a fellow player.

The player killer came at me again. He slashed down again, and I raised my blade to defend, but the attack was a faint, and I took the bait. He lowered his blade, and using his shoulder shoved me into the ground. He stabbed. I rolled charging a skill. His eyes widened as my sword went horizontally through his sword arm cutting it off. He screamed n pain.

"Dow did you do that!?" he growled. It downed on me that he didn't not know how to use skills. I stod and grabbed his sword, but it dissolved and reappeared in his hand. It was still his equipment, and there was no two-handed skill in the game.

"Tell me!" he yelled agitated.

"Go to hell!" I spat

He ran at me. I charged another sword skill. His blade was unsteady in his weak arm. With the skill I knocked away his blade. The next moment felt like time was in slow motion. I straitened my blade, and rammed the tip through the players heart. The player burst into code. I had received half a level worth of experience, and a red highlighted name. I laughed proud and raised my sword arm in victory… but at the time I didn't know that I had committed murder.