AN:
So, this is probably one of the most AU stories I've ever written. And this includes the things I haven't published at all.
I know I have a knack for starting stories and never finishing them, so I'm not going to make any promises that this will over be updated anytime soon. However, I felt that if I published the first chapter and it got even a small amount of response, it would encourage me to keep writing because I have an entire storyline for this planned out in my head.
A couple of the things in here WILL be confusing and unexplained. That's on purpose.
And finally, this fic is strongly rooted in the anime/manga "Sword Art Online" (which I have recently become obsessed with), the book "Erebos" and general Greek mythology. So if anything seems similar to any of those things (especially the Greek stuff...that will be very obvious), I'd just like to acknowledge that it was done with those sources in mind.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Chapter 1: Call Me Eliziel
Kurt tore the VirtuTek off his head and threw it down beside his bed. The helmet landed with a soft thud, cushioned by the plush off-white carpet on the ground.
That was the third time he'd died in the past two weeks. At this rate, he'd never make it through The Forest before the release of the next update that was set to come out in a month.
He glanced at his alarm clock. 10:27. He still had over an hour and a half until he could log in again. And even then, he'd be sent all the way back to Aresia, miles from where his party had just left off.
Might as well get something productive done while I wait.
Kurt slid off his bed and picked up the VirtuTek, examining the headgear for any dents. He often tried not to throw the industrial-looking helmet for fear that it would break (it had cost him several months of pay from working at his father's garage), but dying was just so frustrating that sometimes he simply couldn't help himself.
He set the helmet down on the edge of his desk and plugged it into the charger, then sat and opened his Biology textbook and notebook. Only a few questions were assigned that night. He figured he'd be able to finish all of them and get a head start on his Precalculus homework for the next night before he logged back onto CotG. It would really help him out, especially since he would probably need to be on until at least 2:00 AM in order to make up for lost time.
10:31. Kurt set an alarm for 12:00.
Let's just get this done and over with. Only one hour and twenty-nine minutes to go.
The alarm blared just as Kurt circled his last answer. He practically jumped from his desk chair, knocking his notebook to the floor in the process. He grabbed the VirtuTek as a chain smoker would grab free cigarettes and leapt onto his bed. He flicked the switch and watched as the helmet whirred to life, several green lights flashing as it booted up. Once the lights stopped blinking, Kurt laid down and slipped it on his head, first surrounded by darkness before approaching the login screen.
"Username," a familiar electronic voice stated.
"Eliziel," Kurt replied, annunciating his selected name as clearly as possible.
Kurt felt a red laser scan his eyes for character identification. The laser deactivated with a faint click.
"Welcome back to Gaia, Eliziel," the electronic voice said as the login screen slowly faded, revealing the virtual world around him.
He awoke in a simple wood-framed bad with white sheets and covers in a room full of the same beds lining the walls. The Resurrection Room, or the "Res" as most players had come to call it.
Kurt swung his legs over the side of the bed with a sigh. He hated this room. Every second spent in the Res was one more second separated from his party and one more second spent not leveling or training or exploring.
A player appeared on the bed beside Kurt's. He wore nothing but a Beginner's Tunic and carried an Ares Novice Sword. Obviously a newbie. Kurt chuckled, remembering how just under a year ago, he had been exactly the same way. The newbie quickly rose from the bed and dashed out to door.
Kurt rose slowly and made his way to a mirror on the wall, scrutinizing his figure. Tall, slim, brunette. Just like his Real-Life self, except that his hair In-Game was several shades darker and shorter, settling itself in permanent spikes as opposed to Kurt's signature tall coif he usually donned in the real world. He did a quick turn, examining his outfit. He'd just acquired enough Drachmas to buy his clothes the week before, and was extremely happy with his new style. The top was a simple white shirt covered by a crimson Ranger's Jacket, which had pockets littering the sleeves, front and back, allowing for quick access to spare weapons, arrowheads and even arrows, since the back pocket as about the length of a regulation quiver. He had simple black pants as his bottom, which tapered in as skinny jeans would, but they were as flexible as sweatpants would be in the real world. A black belt held his pouches containing potions for easy access, and his feet were clad in black combat boots with a crimson lining.
He smiled at his reflection, then swiped his hand in midair to open his Interface. The menu hovered in the air, and he ran his fingertips along the "Equipment" tab. The menu expanded to the right. Kurt scrolled past "Armor" and selected "Weapons," where he sorted through his many bows and daggers until he found his favorite weapon.
A shining silver bow materialized into Kurt's hand, along with a quiver of the same color, filled with glistening arrows. Kurt had bought the bow several months ago in Hephes from a custom blacksmith. It had cost him all his Drachmas at the time, but it was well worth it. The bow was not only perfectly crafted to allow for quick loading and accurate shooting, but it also had two sharp blades, one on either end, for emergency close combat. Kurt had designed it himself, and as far as he knew, it was one-of-a-kind.
Just as Kurt was leaving the Res, he heard a high "ping!" sound, indicating that he had received an Iris. He reopened his Interface and selected the blinking "Iris Messages" tab. He opened the only Iris in his Inbox.
A light blue three-dimensional image formed in the air, forming the impressions of two familiar faces.
"Hey there Eli! It just hit midnight so we figured you'd have logged back on by now." said one of the figures, a bald man with several piercings and tattoos on his dark-skinned face.
"We made it out of Hellhounds' Lair alive," continued the second figure, a young-looking girl with black hair pulled into a tight ponytail. "Well, most of us, anyway. I can't really speak for Savuro, since he was attacked from behind a few minutes after you died. He can't come on for a few more hours, though, because of the time difference. Foxtale is making an Iris for him as we speak."
"I HEARD MY NAME!" a high-pitched voice in the background chirped.
"FINISH YOUR IRIS, FOXTALE!" the black-haired girl yelled back.
"Augh, Odette, could you possibly yell any louder? If we were IRL, my eardrum would be completely shot by now," said the dark-skinned man to the girl beside him. "Please, Eli, get here ASAP. I don't know how long I can stand these two before I go insane."
"Shut up, Olin. You love us and you know it," Odette smiled as she slapped the large bald man. Kurt could've sworn he saw him blush.
"Yeah. Sure. Okay," Olin replied before addressing Kurt (or the screen, actually, since this had been sent a few minutes ago) once again. "Eli, we're currently in Athens restocking. I'll also be checking The Library for more information on The Forest. Come meet us as soon as you can."
"See you soon, Eli!" Odette waved, then the image dissolved.
Kurt chuckled to himself. The members of his party were always so entertaining. Often times they reminded him of his old friends at McKinley.
No, Kurt. No thinking about the real world anymore. They're not worth it. This is Gaia, not Lima.
You're a whole different person here.
After a quick once-over in the mirror, Eliziel adjusted his jacket and slung his bow over his shoulder, then headed out the door.