Hi! I just woke up, so forgive me if Chapter 4 is a little bland.
Chapter 4: A New Life
Katsuya had finished creating his character and registering it within the World. It looked a lot like Balmung, save for the wings, the armor, and his hair was now black. The character, he named Katsuhiro, after his father.
Katsuhito was a sort of samurai character. Katsuya had attempted to make him look that way anyway. He had a skin-tight long sleeved black shirt covering all of his upper body except his hands, head, and neck. On his right hand was a firm-grip gauntlet, allowing him to keep a very good grip on his sword in case a monster attempted a disarming attack. Tied loosely around his waist was a black belt with silver studs that also held his katana sheathe. Katsuhiro was wearing slightly baggy white pants with a black dragon running down the right pants leg, and to finish his apparel he had black boots with many silver buckles running down the side.
"The recent upgrade to the character design sure has modernized a bit," Katsuhiro said, observing himself and getting a few grossed out looks by the players for doing so.
He stood at the warp gate a moment, trying to figure out how he should unravel the mystery behind Orca's death.
Katsuhiro couldn't think long, as a young girl walked up to him, and he recognized her as Kera, the girl he saved from the bar.
"H-Hi," Kera said a little timidly, and Katsuhiro found he kind of liked her shy attitude. He could not converse with her much though, as he had work to do, but he didn't want to start off in the World as seeming rude to players.
"Hi there, are you new to this game too?" Katsuhiro said, and he nearly laughed at himself. It was so strange to add that "too" to the end of the sentence, and yet it was exciting.
Kera nodded, and replied, "I've been playing for a few days, but..." She trailed off, sighing a bit in dismay.
Katsuhiro walked a bit closer to her, which caused her to tense up a bit. He wondered why she did that. Maybe she was still afraid of being close to other players because of those idiots that were harassing her the other day.
"But what?" He said softly, trying to sooth her a bit to make her not so jumpy or stutter when she talked. He did not mind, but quite the contrary, he found it...cute.
"Well, no one will party with me, because I am...a bit scared of the monsters," She said, and Katsuhiro knew when she said a bit, she was lying. He could always tell when someone was lying, and that's why he was such a successful Server Operator.
Katsuhiro smiled down at her warmly, and she looked away, cheeks flushing red, and he responded, "Come on. You can party with me."
The wastelands area he was planning on exploring, but it was a high level area. As long as they avoided monsters they would be ok. He might as well level up a bit though with his new character. He smiled at the thought of leveling up again and actually having difficulty with the monsters.
He was so spaced out; he didn't even notice Kera grab his arm, looking up at him with the happiest face anyone has ever given him.
"R-Really!?" She exclaimed, a wide smile crossing her lips as her eyes shined a bit.
"Erm, yeah," Katsuhiro responded and pried her arms from around his. He thought a moment and said again, "I have to stop by somewhere first to meet a friend," He lied, and he prided himself on his conversational skills and convincing tones, but he never enjoyed lying.
Kera nodded, "Oh wait! Let me get my friend! He's a Wave Master. We'll...need his healing powers right?" Kera said, hoping she was right so as not to embarrass herself.
Katsuhiro smiled, as if just realizing this, "Yeah! That's a great idea! You can be our party leader," He said, and Kera looked very proud, and invited Katsuhiro to her party. He accepted and Kera contacted her friend.
A young, male Wave Master appeared. He was dressed in dark purple rubes with black symbols covering them, and his staff was a dark cyan color. His hair was black, and his eyes were a dark green as well.
"Hi Judias!" Kera said cheerfully, and the Wave Master Judias smiled at her.
"Hi, Kera. How are you?" Judias said, giving her a soft hug. She smiled, blushing a bit but returned the hug.
"I'm fine! Hey guess what, this guy wanted to join my party!" Kera said proudly and pointed at Katsuhiro.
Judias quirked a slender black eyebrow and walked over to Katsuhiro, "Hi, I'm Judias, and you are?" He said, extending his hand to Katsuhiro.
Katsuhiro smiled warmly and took his hand, "The name's Katsuhiro. I hope you don't mind if we warp to a high level area first to meet one of my friends? He is a high level so he can protect us," He said, hoping Judias would buy it like Kera did.
Judias shook his head as Kera invited him to join the party. He accepted and smiled at Katsuhiro, "Nah, I don't mind. Let's make it quick though, ok? I wanna level up!" He said and Kera agreed with a loud and cheerful, "YEAH!"
Katsuhiro obliged and the three players warped to Delta: Deserted, Abandoned, Wasteland.
The three suddenly appeared back at the town and a message came up across their screens.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but that area is protected and has been shut down for maintenance.
"What happened?" Kera said, a little alarmed and Judias looked just as confused.
"It seems the area has been shut down for some reason," Katsuhiro said to himself more than his two companions.
Why would they shut down the area? There had to be something they were trying to hide, but what? These thoughts raced through Katsuhiro's mind as he started pacing back and forth in front of the Warp Gate like he always does when a problem arises.
"Um, Katsuhiro? Are you ok?" He heard Judias say and he blinked, coming out of his thinking state.
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go to a low level area now, I'll contact my friend later," Katsuhiro responded and the two nodded.
"I know of a place!" Kera said and smiled when the two agreed.
She typed in the keywords Beta: Forgotten, Beautiful, Forest, and the three players warped to experience their first adventure!
I'm planning on making this story long, so I'm not getting to the main wave of the story. I want you to get used to Balmung being Katsuhiro. There will be some surprises next chapter! Hehe. I'll just say they're involved with Kera, nothing more.
Chapter 4: A New Life
Katsuya had finished creating his character and registering it within the World. It looked a lot like Balmung, save for the wings, the armor, and his hair was now black. The character, he named Katsuhiro, after his father.
Katsuhito was a sort of samurai character. Katsuya had attempted to make him look that way anyway. He had a skin-tight long sleeved black shirt covering all of his upper body except his hands, head, and neck. On his right hand was a firm-grip gauntlet, allowing him to keep a very good grip on his sword in case a monster attempted a disarming attack. Tied loosely around his waist was a black belt with silver studs that also held his katana sheathe. Katsuhiro was wearing slightly baggy white pants with a black dragon running down the right pants leg, and to finish his apparel he had black boots with many silver buckles running down the side.
"The recent upgrade to the character design sure has modernized a bit," Katsuhiro said, observing himself and getting a few grossed out looks by the players for doing so.
He stood at the warp gate a moment, trying to figure out how he should unravel the mystery behind Orca's death.
Katsuhiro couldn't think long, as a young girl walked up to him, and he recognized her as Kera, the girl he saved from the bar.
"H-Hi," Kera said a little timidly, and Katsuhiro found he kind of liked her shy attitude. He could not converse with her much though, as he had work to do, but he didn't want to start off in the World as seeming rude to players.
"Hi there, are you new to this game too?" Katsuhiro said, and he nearly laughed at himself. It was so strange to add that "too" to the end of the sentence, and yet it was exciting.
Kera nodded, and replied, "I've been playing for a few days, but..." She trailed off, sighing a bit in dismay.
Katsuhiro walked a bit closer to her, which caused her to tense up a bit. He wondered why she did that. Maybe she was still afraid of being close to other players because of those idiots that were harassing her the other day.
"But what?" He said softly, trying to sooth her a bit to make her not so jumpy or stutter when she talked. He did not mind, but quite the contrary, he found it...cute.
"Well, no one will party with me, because I am...a bit scared of the monsters," She said, and Katsuhiro knew when she said a bit, she was lying. He could always tell when someone was lying, and that's why he was such a successful Server Operator.
Katsuhiro smiled down at her warmly, and she looked away, cheeks flushing red, and he responded, "Come on. You can party with me."
The wastelands area he was planning on exploring, but it was a high level area. As long as they avoided monsters they would be ok. He might as well level up a bit though with his new character. He smiled at the thought of leveling up again and actually having difficulty with the monsters.
He was so spaced out; he didn't even notice Kera grab his arm, looking up at him with the happiest face anyone has ever given him.
"R-Really!?" She exclaimed, a wide smile crossing her lips as her eyes shined a bit.
"Erm, yeah," Katsuhiro responded and pried her arms from around his. He thought a moment and said again, "I have to stop by somewhere first to meet a friend," He lied, and he prided himself on his conversational skills and convincing tones, but he never enjoyed lying.
Kera nodded, "Oh wait! Let me get my friend! He's a Wave Master. We'll...need his healing powers right?" Kera said, hoping she was right so as not to embarrass herself.
Katsuhiro smiled, as if just realizing this, "Yeah! That's a great idea! You can be our party leader," He said, and Kera looked very proud, and invited Katsuhiro to her party. He accepted and Kera contacted her friend.
A young, male Wave Master appeared. He was dressed in dark purple rubes with black symbols covering them, and his staff was a dark cyan color. His hair was black, and his eyes were a dark green as well.
"Hi Judias!" Kera said cheerfully, and the Wave Master Judias smiled at her.
"Hi, Kera. How are you?" Judias said, giving her a soft hug. She smiled, blushing a bit but returned the hug.
"I'm fine! Hey guess what, this guy wanted to join my party!" Kera said proudly and pointed at Katsuhiro.
Judias quirked a slender black eyebrow and walked over to Katsuhiro, "Hi, I'm Judias, and you are?" He said, extending his hand to Katsuhiro.
Katsuhiro smiled warmly and took his hand, "The name's Katsuhiro. I hope you don't mind if we warp to a high level area first to meet one of my friends? He is a high level so he can protect us," He said, hoping Judias would buy it like Kera did.
Judias shook his head as Kera invited him to join the party. He accepted and smiled at Katsuhiro, "Nah, I don't mind. Let's make it quick though, ok? I wanna level up!" He said and Kera agreed with a loud and cheerful, "YEAH!"
Katsuhiro obliged and the three players warped to Delta: Deserted, Abandoned, Wasteland.
The three suddenly appeared back at the town and a message came up across their screens.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but that area is protected and has been shut down for maintenance.
"What happened?" Kera said, a little alarmed and Judias looked just as confused.
"It seems the area has been shut down for some reason," Katsuhiro said to himself more than his two companions.
Why would they shut down the area? There had to be something they were trying to hide, but what? These thoughts raced through Katsuhiro's mind as he started pacing back and forth in front of the Warp Gate like he always does when a problem arises.
"Um, Katsuhiro? Are you ok?" He heard Judias say and he blinked, coming out of his thinking state.
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go to a low level area now, I'll contact my friend later," Katsuhiro responded and the two nodded.
"I know of a place!" Kera said and smiled when the two agreed.
She typed in the keywords Beta: Forgotten, Beautiful, Forest, and the three players warped to experience their first adventure!
I'm planning on making this story long, so I'm not getting to the main wave of the story. I want you to get used to Balmung being Katsuhiro. There will be some surprises next chapter! Hehe. I'll just say they're involved with Kera, nothing more.