"The first thing we both need is a weapon so we're gonna have to head back to the Town of Beginnings," I said as I pointed to the massive settlement over the grassy hills. It was called a town but it was more like a city. According to Kayaba, it was large enough to hold a Tokyo district so that it could accommodate all 10,000 new players along with the non-player characters (NPCs) that already lived there.

"It's a little far..." said Asuna.

"It shouldn't take that long if we run."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kirito, but a 5K isn't really part of my daily routine."

"Maybe not in the real world, but in this one it'll feel like an afternoon jog. Even at Level 1, your base stats allow you to do things you couldn't imagine doing in the real world. Give it a try," I pointed to a tree branch that was about 10 feet off the ground, "try reaching that."

She didn't seem convinced but she played along as she backed up a few steps for a run-up, "I will get you back if you are lying to me."

"Have a little faith."

Asuna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then took two long strides to build up speed, swung her arm back, planted her feet hard on the ground, and took off. Her form was flawless and the force of her jump caused the dirt beneath her feet to be kicked up into the air. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed as she ducked to avoid hitting her head on the tree branch she was aiming to reach. When she landed, she turned to me with a big smile on her face. "I felt like I was flying!"

"Fun, right? The hardest part is knowing what is within your extended capabilities and what isn't, but that'll come with time and it'll eventually become instinctual."

I don't think she listened to me all the way through because she started running and jumping around like a kid that was high on sugar. "Race you to the town!" Before I could even respond, she was already off to the races. By the time we got there, both of us were out of breath and Stamina. We were so tired that we collapsed on the ground as soon as we reached the city gates, drawing many weird looks from the passersby. "I think I can be the star of my track team like this," she said in ragged breaths. "I won, by the way."

"Your track team? You'll be running faster than Usain Bolt in a few levels. Also, that didn't count, you started before me." While we were catching our breaths, the sound of music made its way from up the street and the merry beat got both of us back on our feet. "Come on," I said as I grabbed her hand, "let's go check it out."

We followed the music and arrived at the booming market square where merchants were selling their wares to the new adventurers. The stone-paved streets were filled with a wide array of players, some bartering with the shopkeepers and others partying up with newfound members. It was a chaotic place with all the music and shouting but it was very festival-like. A band of bards drew in a crowd as they sang songs of old heroes and their tales, gods and monsters, and legends and treasures. I was able to catch some of the references made but I was caught completely off-guard when they sang a song called 'The Black Swordsman.'

"He's a slayer of dragons by day,

and a slayer of maidens by night!

Who will take away your breath,

with his long sword's might~"

The people around us laughed but I nearly did a spit-take when I heard that last verse. "Wait a second, what is this game rated?" Asuna asked with a tinge of red coloring her cheeks. I tried to answer but I was too busy choking on my saliva. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, let's just move on." People were cheering for an encore and I didn't think my mental state could handle hearing that song again.

"Aren't we here to buy some weapons?" she asked as she looked to the weapon and armor stands around the marketplace.

"Why pay for something when we can get it for free?"

Eventually, we arrived at the training yard of the guard barracks. It was a lot quieter around these parts compared to where all the fanfare was and apart from the guards, we were the only ones here. They were easy to tell apart from regular players since they all wore their uniform chain shirt and had a spear in one hand and a shield, emblazoned with the city's sigil, in the other. I approached one of them and asked, "Can we train here?"

"Sure thing, just use one of the practice dummies around."

Quest: Learning the Basics

Description: The guard admires your dedication to self-improvement and has allowed you to use their practice dummy for training. If you show signs of talent, you will be rewarded with a set of beginner gear.

Objective: Activate the [Practice Dummy] and complete the tutorial in under 3 minutes.

Reward: You will receive 1 iron weapon of your choice and 1 set of leather armor. Your reputation in the Town of Beginnings will rise slightly.

Failure: Your reputation in the Town of Beginnings will decline slightly.

O Accept / X Decline

After a few seconds, a couple of guards came out with a trolley that held over a dozen different types of iron weapons, from western morning stars to eastern katanas. "How did you know about this?" asked Asuna.

"I was part of the beta testing team a couple of months back so I know a few tricks," I said proudly. "Cor, the in-game currency, is not as easy to obtain as other MMORPGs. We only start with 200 Cor and monsters won't be dropping any so you either get it from quests or dungeons. You don't know how little of it you have until an unpleasant blacksmith runs you dry for an upgrade."

"Should I also start saving up for my virtual retirement now?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"Okay, I see how it is. I give you good advice and you make fun of me for it," I said in a fake upset tone.

"Oh come on, I'm just playing. I'm still following you around, aren't I?" She giggled as she tugged on my crossed arms. "Please, Master Kirito, don't abandon me!"

I tried to keep a straight face but in the end, I couldn't help but smile at her antics. "Pick a weapon first."

"But there are so many to choose from," she said as she examined each one.

"Just pick one you think looks cool. They are all balanced so that each type has its pros and cons."

"Hmm," she thought for a second before picking up the rapier, "this one then." Maybe the ornate design of the cup guard was what drew her to the weapon or just the simple feel of elegance it has. In either case, it suited her, something like a two-handed battleaxe just wouldn't have looked right.

"The rapier is fast and light, but it has less base damage than the others and doesn't block very well. From what I've heard, it's a hard weapon to use but has really rewarding play when you hit those combos."

She shot me a challenging stare. "It sounds like you've got no faith in me, Kirito."

"Well by all means," I gestured to the dummy, "show me what you've got."

Asuna confidently strolled over to the [Practice Dummy] and just stood there looking at it. I chuckled as she looked back and forth between me and the dummy as if asking, 'Do I, like, hit it?' "Use your menu, there should be a new option called 'Practice Dummy.'"

"I knew that!" I smirked as she quickly turned around and soon the countdown for the tutorial began. When the clock hit zero, the inanimate dummy suddenly started to move and Asuna shrieked in surprise, "Kirito, the dummy just started moving!"

"Yeah, and if you don't keep your eyes on it, it's going to kick your ass!" The second she turned back, the dummy bashed her with its wooden shield and knocked her down to the ground. I would have felt bad for her but since there was no pain in this game, I couldn't help but laugh. She dusted herself off as she got up and was now fully focused on the foe in front of her.

Defeat the [Practice Dummy]

Tip: Different weapons have different [Weapon Attack]. Hold your attack and wait for the skill to activate. Once it is ready, your weapon will begin to glow and at that point, all that's left to do is to drive it home!

Not one to back down, Asuna took the initiative with her attacks. Her rapier glowed jade green and moved so quickly that my eyes could no longer keep up with the tip of her blade. But even with what appeared to be ten blades at her disposal, the dummy mechanically blocked the barrage of blows with its shield until she ran out of Stamina before knocking her down again.

I called out from the sidelines, "Want some help?"

"I got this," she responded without looking back as she got up and waited for her Stamina bar to fill back up. Simply spamming attacks wasn't going to work, the dummy was programmed to neutralize that strategy no matter which weapon the player chose. Against a rapier that has fast skill activation time and low attack power, it would block. Against a warhammer that has slow skill activation and high attack power, it would interrupt.

Luckily, the dummy wasn't without its flaws, its movement was clunky making it easy to dodge its strikes. Rather than fighting back, Asuna focused her attention on dodging, ducking, and weaving her opponent's attacks and with each swing, she got better at cutting away the unnecessary motions. Finally, a wide swing from the dummy exposed its body completely and she pounced on that opportunity. She ducked so that the wooden sword went an inch over her head and thrust her rapier forward.

BAM!

The moment her blade made contact, the dummy's wooden bodice cracked and splintered. It suffered a massive blow that didn't seem possible coming from that skinny rapier and its poise was completely broken allowing Asuna to easily step into her next attack. Her rapier once again glowed jade green, bombarding the dummy with a flurry of blows that sent it tumbling backward.

Cleared! Time – 1 minute, 52.39 seconds

Her cool demeanor made for a striking pose as she sheathed her rapier and slowly exhaled. However, that perception was quickly shattered when she practically skipped towards me in excitement. "Did you see that?! I felt like I was in slow motion when my rapier lasered in on the Vital and when I hit it, it was like I struck the dummy with a warhammer! My heart's beating so fast right now!"

"That was really impressive. You cleared it faster than the average beta tester did the first time around," I said as I gave her a round of applause along with the guards that were watching us.

She smirked, "Maybe I should be the one teaching you."

"Oh? Maybe you would like to bet on it? 20 Cor says I beat it in less than half your time."

"I'm not stupid, you probably know some cheap tricks. I'll just take the fact that I beat your initial time as a victory."

I smiled at the proud look she had and grabbed a long katana off of the weapon rack. "Alright, alright, step aside and let the master show you how it's really done." I slowly unsheathed my sword and naturally fell into my kendo stance. 'Chūdan-no-kamae.' As the clock started counting down, I steadied my breathing and took comfort in the familiar weight of the blade in my hands. 'Flow like water.'

When the timer finished, the [Practice Dummy] got back up and I began charging up my attack. The moment I activated the skill, my Health began to drop and the iron became covered in a red aura. It was a strange feeling, having my life energy sucked out of me, but at the same time, it made me feel powerful. The dummy tried to interrupt my skill by rushing at me like a battering ram but right before it could connect with the hit, I toggled on my Stamina and spun behind it. Having run past me, it tried to bring its shield back to block but it was too late. I brought my sword down hard on its back and the [Practice Dummy] was slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

Cleared! Time - 4.78 seconds

[Learning the Basics] has been completed!

[Iron Katana] (1) has been added to your Inventory!

[Leather Armor] (1) has been added to your Inventory!

[Leather Boots] (1) has been added to your Inventory!

[Leather Bracers] (1) has been added to your Inventory!

[Leather Helmet] (1) has been added to your Inventory!

"Wow," said Asuna with admiration in her voice, "how come you made it look so easy?"

"I knew beforehand that the dummy will always rush the moment you start charging your attack. Knowing that, all I had to do was time my side-step and counter," I explained. "A difference in experience, my young apprentice."

"I see." Her tone then took an angry turn. "Well then, real classy of you to laugh when I got knocked down in my first fight ever."

I put my hands up to defend myself as she leaned in. "Oh come on, it was like getting hit by a giant pillow right?"

"No, it felt like being bashed in by a wooden shield. It shook me how real it felt, that's why I was so scared of looking away again."

"There's no way they would turn up the pain sensitivity. Even if it's virtual, people can get traumatized by the experience so it would never be something that would be approved. If you actually did get hurt, you should probably stop and get another copy of the game or a different NerveGear."

"Oh, that sucks…" She looked a little disappointed that her play session had to end prematurely and if I was being honest with myself, so was I.

"Umm, tell you what, instead of fighting monsters, how about I show you around town a bit more? Won't be getting hurt here as long as we stay away from those dummies." It felt a little irresponsible but the smile on her face made me feel like it was the right choice.

"Lead the way."

Before leaving, we decided to put on our new armor first. "They did something pretty special with the equipment system that I think you'll like," I said as I navigated to my Character Sheet which showed a model of my avatar. "If you don't like the way a set looks, you can change its skin. You can also hide your helmet and still keep its stats." Then, with a click of a button, my boiled leather armor transformed into a brown kimono that complemented the katana at my waist.

Meanwhile, Asuna fiddled around with a few different options before finally settling on a corset version of the leather armor. "What do you think?" she asked as she did a cute little twirl. The form-fitting corset and pants gave me the butterflies, and I was barely able to stammer out a 'looks good' before having to look away in embarrassment.

I decided to take us to the city center first where the Black Iron Palace was. The palace was assembled with black glossy pillars and metal boards, and it was by far the largest facility within the city. At the front of the palace was a wide circular plaza surrounded by castle walls with a teleport gate acting as the centerpiece.

"This place is very reminiscent of St. Mark's Square," Asuna commented excitedly. "The palace kinda acts like the basilica."

"Where?" I asked, not quite getting the reference.

"St. Mark's Square," she repeated as if I was supposed to get it the second time, "in Venice, Italy?"

I shook my head, "Sorry, my peasant family and I don't take vacations in fancy European countries like Italy." The statement sounded bitter coming out of my mouth as the realization hit me. 'Would they have taken those vacations if they didn't raise me as their child?'

Fortunately, Asuna didn't seem to have noticed. "It's called being cultured, Kirito. You don't have to have visited it to know of its existence."

"But you have visited it before."

"That's not the point!"

I chuckled at her reaction before asking, "Is it beautiful there? Italy."

"Stunningly beautiful. If you ever get the chance, you should go see it." I nodded and promised myself that I would take Suguha there once I was all set up on my own.

Inside the palace, the air was cooler, and it was significantly darker than the outside. Our footsteps echoed off the iron floor up to the abnormally high ceiling where the only source of light was spilling in through the painted glass. "This is the Chamber of Resurrection, it's where players re-spawn if they die." At the end of the room was the altar where players respawned on, but when I tried to approach it, an invisible barrier prevented me from going further.

You cannot go beyond this point

'That's weird, in the beta, this was never here before. Maybe they implemented this so that players that just re-spawned wouldn't get griefed?' "Looks like this is a view-only exhibition now." Suddenly, the bells within the palace began ringing and the noise was so loud that I could feel the vibration within my body. DING! DONG! DING! DONG!

"Gah, it hurts!" screamed Asuna and it wasn't just her, I felt the pain just as sharply within my bones. This wasn't just an issue with her game or NerveGear but I didn't have time to think about it at that moment.

"C'mon, let's get out of here!"

When we ran outside, we found the plaza jam-packed with players with more appearing out of thin air with each passing second. "What's happening?"

"I-I don't know," I answered honestly. Once all the players were assembled, the bell finally stopped tolling. The late afternoon sky that was once a rich blend of warm orange and pink became tainted in a dark crimson. Drops of what looked like blood started falling from the sky before conglomerating into a giant figure cloaked in the same color. A cold feeling ran down my spine as this faceless apparition appraised us. Suddenly, a very unpleasant thought clicked in my mind. If there was no way Kayaba would overlook that pain sensitivity bug, then that means it was intentional. 'But why would he do that?' Nobody ever thinks bad things will happen to them until they own words resonated in my head until the cloaked figure in the sky finally spoke.

"I am Kayaba Akihiko...and I welcome you...to my world."

Behind the Page:

1. Chūdan-no-kamae translates to middle-level posture and is one of the five stances in kendo. The left foot is slightly behind the right with the left heel slightly raised, both feet are parallel, the hips are straight forward, shoulders are relaxed, spine is perpendicular to the floor at all times. This stance is also associated with water according to the five elements philosophy.