Alright guys, you know the drill. I'll be explaining the game's mechanic in this chapter. After this one you can submit your OCs. I honestly need more antagonists because I've got enough protagonists in this story planned out (I don't have any saber OCs). You can use your own original items, skills, gear and noble phantasms. Disclaimer: I only own Akuro in this story. All the other characters belong to my friends.
Chapter 2: Welcome to Throne of Heroes Online
Jacob, inside the body of his avatar named Akuro, casually strolled through the market, looking for a weaponsmith. He started off with only a small amount of yen, the currency in Japan. "I can't spend this needlessly. The sooner I start doing missions the sooner I can start making money." He kept looking through the market, observing players and NPCs alike as he looked for a blacksmith or other weapon shop.
The environment around him was a mixture of different eras of Japan, but it still looked like the Meiji restoration hadn't started yet. The pointed thatch and wood roofs and the many colored and patterned kimonos made him feel self conscious, wearing only basic peasant clothes like pants and a shirt.
Luckily for him he quickly found a store with a picture of two katana's over the name. The name was in Japanese, but when he focused on it the system translated it. "Blade's weapon shop, eh? Well, this is close to the starting area. I suppose this is cheap enough for me to buy from." He entered opened the door and entered the shop.
"Welcome to Blade's weapon shop! How my I help you?" The shopkeeper had very short hair, almost bald. He was well muscled and looked like he could do some serious damage if need be. He had tanned skin and was wearing a sleeveless black shirt as well.
Akuro waved back to him. "Hello," he greeted politely. Even if this was a game, he was still nice out of habit. "I'd like to look for something cheap and simple."
The shopkeeper pointed to a rack near the entrance to the shop. "The cheapest weapons in the store." Jacob approached the shelf and looked observed at the weapons there. There were basic katanas, ninjatos, odachis, kurasigamas, shurikens, kunai, wakizashis and more. All of them were of low quality and had no special effects on them.
Akuro looked over each weapon carefully. He couldn't help but smile at the rack of ancient dealers of death. Even as he tried to act professional his inner weeb was starting to show, along with an inner lust for battle emerging with the gleam in his eye. "These weapons look so awesome! I've rarely ever held real swords before!" He visibly took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. It didn't do too much. "Okay Jacob, control yourself. You need to pay attention and pick one that suits your fighting style." He looked at each of the blades carefully, gently caressing each one that caught his eye. "These things feel so real. I can't believe actually be able to use them!"
"The katana would be the obvious pick, but it's too revealing and takes too long to draw compared to a ninjato. I'm trying to avoid direct combat. I could go with that, but I'll be at a disadvantage at range. The odachi is out of the question for me. So is the kanabo. But the kurasigama... Easily consealable and able to attack from mid-range. I think this might be a good fit for me." He picked up the kama from the rack and brought it to the front desk. "I'll take this one," he said to the shopkeeper. He paid for the weapon and headed out the shop.
Jacob then headed for a training dojo. He practiced with the weapon for a little bit, learning how to parry attacks at close range before going in for quick kills. He also tried utilizing the chain at range, which was much easier said than done. When he was done practicing he decided to test it out for real. "I'll start off small and make some easy money, then work my way up the ladder to much stronger opponents. The sooner I level up the sooner I become powerful, and the easier it is to survive."
He exited the city and headed some nearby farmlands. The enemies there would be fairly easy this close to the city, and he could also get some money early on. When he got there he found a few farmers picking up some small scraps of remaining crops. The field looked really torn up. Akuro searched for someone who was in charge, but when he couldn't identify anyone who seemed to be in a position of power he approached a random farmer. "Excuse me sir, I want to ask you something."
The farmer immediately looked up and bowed to him in greeting. "You like a fighter. Sir, can you help us?" He had a desperate look in his eyes.
Jacob thought about it for a second before replying, "I would be honored to assist you. What do you require of me?" He did his best to act formal.
"The boars have been devouring our crops," the farmer replied. "All of us have been suffering. We have no food and can not make money. Kill the boars and we will do what we can to pay you for your help."
A smile graced Jacob's lips. He bowed before the peasant farmer. "It would be my pleasure." A pop up appeared on his screen that said, "Hunt: kill the boars. 0/5. Do you accept? Yes No." Akuro clicked Yes, and with that he turned around and headed off into the woods. It didn't take long to track the boars considering the tracks and animal trails they left. He followed the boar tracks through the marshlands, and in less than an hour he heard a snort. He crouched down and leaped off the trail. His breath caught in his throat as he waited for is target to show itself.
The boar was all black and had a stocky build. It had two-inch cutters inside of its mouth. Akuro made sure to wait until the boar wandered past his position. It was heading towards the fields. He waited a few more seconds before making his move, slowly slipping out of the bushes and tiptoeing up behind it. He waited until he was almost a meter behind the boar and tensed up his muscles.
But the boar suddenly froze. It lifted its head and sniffed the air. A second later it spun around and squealed, fully revealing its tusks. Akuro's fight or flight instincts kicked in and he jumped away while slashing at the boar. The boar charged him and he sidestepped it, letting it run past. He could feel his heart rate jump as his emotions ran wild. This was his first real battle to the death, or at least the closest thing to it.
He tried to lunge at its back, but it spun around to face him and he missed. It then charged him again and he tried to block the attack, but the boar overwhelmed him and he was still knocked back a few feet. He watched his health bar shrink by about 10%. His heart leaped into his throat. He regained his footing and watched the boar paw the ground, readying for another attack. He slowly stalked around the boar, watching it pivot to keep facing him. The boar charged him again and he waiting until the last moment to dodge it and slashed at its side. The boars squealed and pivoted around to charge again, but Akuro was already at its side. He slashed at it, but then received a bit to his side. More health was lost. He grunted before jumping back.
Akuro knew he had to end this fight quickly. He waited again until the boar charged and sidestepped again, then lunged at it to land another blow on its side. Another squeal. Then he dashed past it as it spun around again, leaving a massive gash across it flank. He watched as the boar spun to face him, but he also spun around... and charged first. He leaped over the boar's head and landed behind it, going for another slash. The boar squealed again before running off into the woods. Akuro tried to follow it, but the brush was too thick and the boar too fast. He lost it in less than a minute.
Only then did he realize his errors. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment and he looked at the area around him. He hoped no-one was watching. Then he placed his hand on his knee and snarled at himself. "Damn, I was way too stupid and reckless! I should have known it would smell me if I got too close. Then I tried to fight it head on. That was a mistake at this level. I should have run away and hid before making another attack. I also tried to take its attack head on. I shouldn't have done that with this kind of weapon."
Akuro shook his head and regained his poster. "Shit, I forgot that presence concealment drops when you're about to attack! I can't hesitate next time. I'll have to be quicker." He followed the direction the boar went and sheathed his kama.
He followed the boar's tracks, the blood trail making it much easier. However, when he came upon a mash the tracks ended. "It must have run through the water. Now I've lost it!" He slumped against a nearby tree in frustration. "I need to be quicker and stealthier. I'm an assassin. I need to focus and not hesitate." He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts before deciding to follow it in.
As he travelled he kept his head low and stayed as silent as possible. It was a good thing too, because he heard the low growl right before the boar launched a surprise attack. This was the same boar from earlier. He could tell because is HP as was only a quarter of what it should be. Akuro was at a disadvantage, the marsh heavily limiting his mobility. He was forced to knock away the boar's head when it tried to ram him again, and the blow knocked him off his feet. The boar sailed past and Akuro moved to attack it from behind, but the marsh slowed his movements down to the point where the boar turned around before he caught up to it. He leaped to the side right before the boar charged, avoiding another attack.
Akuro decided to utilize the kurasigama's chain this time. He grabbed the chain in both hands and threw it out, catching the boar with its blade. The satisfying squeal rejuvenated him. The boar charged again, but he sidestepped the attack and let it sail past him before launching another attack. The kama's blade sank into the boar's back. This time it squealed and toppled over. It didn't get up. A pop up appeared on Akuro's screen. "So I got experience, huh? I can't believe that I had to go through all that effort with the boar and this is all I got. Then again, I'm supposed to be sneaky." He pulled up his status screen and went through everything on it. The five slots showing equip able items on his person, one for his hands, feet, legs, chest and head. Then the five passive or active skills he could acquire. The were the quick slot items that he could put on his person and not have to pull from his inventory. And finally, three possible noble phantasms. "I can fantasize about my powers later. Now to complete this quest and get some rewards." He began opening his inventory and was focusing on the boar, ready to store it away so he could use its materials later.
"ROOOOAAAAARRR!" But before he could do that he was interrupted by the massive beast behind him. A bear with black fur and a white crescent mark on its fur. "Ussuri Black Bear" is what it's name tag said.
Akuro dodged to his left to avoid the bear. If he had trouble with a boar, then a bear would absolutely destroy him! He easily escaped the marsh and sprinted as fast as he could, leaping into the nearby bushes. The bear was directly on his heels, its heavy breaths quickly closing in on him. He jumped onto a nearby log and tried to leap into the trees. The bear ran past him before quickly turning around. Akuro thought he could run into the trees like he had seen some of the higher leveled beta testers do, but he instead slipped and fell on his back less than three meters up the log.
Fortunately the game dulled any pain he felt. Unfortunately he was at the mercy of a bear. He raised his weapons in a pitiful attempt to defend himself. "Dammit first death already?! And I just got this boar!" The bear rose up on its hind legs to crush him.
Then he were suddenly surrounded by a white flash. When his vision returned he was standing in front of a large palace in the starter area, surrounded by thousands of confused players.