(Gemma)

"You're back! So you did it, huh

Oh, thank you! Thank you!

Those wolves pop back up fast though, so I hope you'll drop by to help again. I could use the assistance!"

(You have leveled up!)

I leveled up. I did level up not once but thrice, he wasn't lying when he offered, it was going to benefit me. Maybe I can grow stronger and just maybe I can return home. I miss them already.

I'm not going to thank him. That cold-blooded monster. I should've been with Lester, Bernhard, Siegbald. I don't need to thank him.

I kept reassuring myself.

Yet I'm not able to deny that he has what it takes to be part of an assault team. Yes, assault team; the members of a hardcore raid party in the frontlines of any MMORPG game. He's still an utter bastard.

How rotten can someone be to give an alias. Morte, that very bastard threatened me to join forces. He didn't leave with any favorable alternative that wouldn't cost me my life. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm a coward, I can't even avenge all of you.

He had the gall to send me an obscene, deranged wall of text; graphically describing if I didn't leave the town by morning itself, he was going to insert his spear past my "urethral sphincter, it's going through one end to the other, my mouth." The rest being personal attacks, his desire of turning me into a bait for other players and mobs. He says not to piss him off else he was going to 'punish' me by making me a lure in order to reap benefits.

I couldn't help but shiver from my fate of being held hostage to his whims as I already had skimmed the barely disguised death threat in the form of a simple 'mail'.

What did I do to deserve encountering this madman? I can't even fall asleep without having his visage in my nightmare. I'm trapped both physically and mentally.

He's insufferable, why did he send mail in the middle of the night to begin with. Did he pull an all-nighter in the wilds? I'm not going to feel bad for him. He must bear the consequences for his actions. His body-clock being outlandish is also plausible and would rather compliment a nutcase like him.

"Aaaagh screw that asshole", I let out an exasperated groan, reassessing my priorities, which were more disadvantageous as it appeared.

(?)

"Haaah." I yawned and stretched my arms wide.

Looking back, sleeping on a tree isn't that bad. I've had worse. Sleeping around on the floors of typical Net Cafés. Asakusa's nightlife. I started working at the age of 16. Look where it led me. I didn't want to be alone but wanted a private space. Those are contradictory feelings. But in the Iwakiya, I could have it both ways. It was a private room so I could be alone. There was no ceiling in the cubicle and I could feel my 'neighbors' right next to me, hear them, most of the time. I haven't felt completely alone. I'd really like to live alone. I had a nice balance there. Solitary but not isolated at the same time. And Could, yes until I wanted to indulge myself in consumerism.

Sword Art Online, the NerveGear provided for the VRMMO uses a revolutionary technology known as "FullDive," which allows users to experience complete immersion in a virtual world. Unlike traditional VR, which relies on external screens and controllers, FullDive directly stimulates the user's brain, bypassing physical senses altogether.

The device intercepts signals from the brain, preventing them from reaching the body, which results in the user's physical body remaining completely still while their consciousness is fully engaged in the virtual world. Equipped with a highly advanced neural interface that can read and manipulate electrical signals in the brain. This interface can detect the user's thoughts, intentions, and sensory input, translating them into actions within the virtual environment.

Conversely, the NerveGear can also send signals back to the brain, creating the sensation of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, thereby making the virtual experience indistinguishable from reality. It was escapism at its peak manifested in an incredible gaming device.

I would be reading several articles, blogs, anything concerning the said device, its capabilities which pushes the boundaries of what is possible with virtual reality, exploring our consciousness, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and simulation. Not sure if I was lucky for this opportunity.

"Escapism my butt. It isn't any different from real life in its essence.", I sighed and sat under the tree. I struck the side of my fist on the tree bark, making a notification pop up.

(Immortal Object)

"...Now it's making fun of me", am I supposed to feel glad upon not being able to witness deforestation? "Death isn't the worst part of this game…" rather hopelessness.

My parents never paid much attention to me. They just let things drift. It took too much time to care for my brothers and sisters. By the time I started working, it was shortly after they figured I'm an adult. I found a job that I wasn't proud of solely due to my looks, which I didn't shy away from taking advantage of later in my depraved course of actions. I also had a fragile life. I wasn't supposed to live long. I wanted to live, to reach twenty. But I'm older than that now, so I felt a bit lost. I don't have a goal anymore. To find a reason to live, I've let life carry me along. Now that I'm in this game…

"Let's find that guy, he might be fun to hang out with…"

(Morte)

Morte, 1450/1450hp, lvl. 6

"Now that i'm healed", I need to stock more potions, I can't keep depending on level up recoveries. Better weapons. Solution to weapon durability? Blacksmiths tend to station themselves in safe zones. Why don't I mold someone into an ideal one? "Hehehehahahahahahahaha...", I'm going to keep it moderate, for now.

.

.

.

"Man… i'm going nuts"

"Who isn't? It's better to leave that town and level up to distract ourselves"

"All work and no play makes Jacques a dull boy…"

"This should be considered working and playing simultaneously, you moron"

"No shit… we work cause our livelihood depend on it",

"By the way… do you want to pick up some vulnerable chicks later?"

"Get your head out of the gutter, focus on staying alive"

"Boring… how does one get laid in VR, in the first place?"

"You're still on about this?"

"HOW DO I STICK MY WEE-WEE INSIDE A CHICK'S VAG?"

"You're annoying. Even if you engage in sexual intercourse… It would be softcore", "Figuratively speaking…"

"Hah, gottem.", "So if i came inside her…"

"It'll be like nightfalls for you and your partner"

"It's voluntary, no…?"

"Jerry you motherfucker, shut the fuck up"

"Why yes… I am."

"..."

"One Sheep, Two Sheep…"

"Who's there?", "Who…?"

.

.

.

"Hello to both of you", I intoned while eyeing my new prey.

"This dude seems dodgy…"

"Oi whatchu want?"

.

.

.

"Just a highwayman. My mount isn't back from running an errand". I started predating around them as I stopped leaning against a tree and stood upright.

I watched their speechless, perplexed expressions in amusement before whispering "Rolling Stakes". My spear materialized in my dominant grasp by the time I was dashing towards that Jerry guy.

Converging Stab! I grinned upon witnessing him getting knocked away, creating some distance between us, his health bar diminishing to red.

"JERRY!"

Edge Fall! I was Quick for a successive strike. Just like his pal, who parried me with an effective Horizontal despite his earlier fumbling. Hmph better than those buffoons whom I culled for assisting natural selection.

But not enough to endanger my being. Who can? When I'm constantly on edge. I'm a danger to myself. Resigned to my role, as despicable as it may be. Problem? Feel free to bite me. My grin turned into a smirk, like my spear turning into a sword. "Money Hands".

Snake Bite! Left to right then followed by a right to left, swift two-hit system assisted swings, despite my distaste, caught the off-guard sheep. Apparently it was the highest art available to me according to my level, sword proficiency and that unique skill bullshit. Yet I can't deny, indeed it was a welcome trick to my growing arsenal of weapon arts. His attempt at a Vertical counter failed probably due to my sudden Change of weapon choice, not giving him much recovery to fix his posture in order to engage upon it. He was another weapon art away from dying, judging by his health bar which was dangerously close to depleting completely.

"WHAT THE… AAAGHHH…", "JACQUES!"

I went behind the stumbling Jacques and positioned my sword's edge near his neck, inwardly reminiscing about my days, hired as a cartel goon, until BRAZIL… ahem… gesturing to slit his throat if his friend Jerry doesn't behave, who himself was about to charge at me, motion which was supposedly going to be a Slant. He stopped in his tracks upon observing Jacques' helpless state.

"Why are you doing this to us?", bumbled Jacques. "UNHAND HIM, YOU PSYCHO!", uttered Jerry. Both were starting to get angry, fearful, microexpressions are useful to determine their likelihood of compliance in what i'm about to demand from them.

"Let's keep it simple. Discard your belongings. Yes this is a broad daylight robbery. Weapons, Armors, Items. Unequip everything. Do not make me repeat myself.", I threatened, maintaining a jovial smile.

"..."

"Dude ain't no shot we are giving up our stuff right? RIGHT?"

My smile grew, watching the scene unfold as Jacques, with a series of inputs unequipped his set of belongings.

"Bruh…"

"I value my life more than this nonsense."

"Shit… what could be riskier than leaving the starter town"

"My patience is running thin", I drawled, also feeling annoyed, I moved the blade closer to Jacques' throat.

" His cursor is red. He is serious Jerry."

"…fine, terrible fate to get mugged by a PKer on the second day, it couldn't get worse."

Jerry repeated his friend's set of inputs and tossed his belongings over to us, one by one. ONE BY ONE.

"Can't have shit in SAO", Jerry lamented. "Can you unhand my buddy now… YOU PSYCHOOOO!"

"AAAGHHHHHH" *Shatters*

"Oops my blade slipped, must be the new magic update". Yeah I'm only fooling toddlers, there wasn't any magic system granted for the playerbase. Actually I've overestimated their tactfulness. What made them assume that I would be leaving loose ends? Must've been my handsome smile. Well, Gemma is special. I'll turn her into a weapon. My weapon. And it's not the first time. Nor will it be last but let's not digress… shall we?.

Rage Spike! Trajectory aimed at my face, Jerry practically hollered the name of his attack at the loss of his best friend, charged towards me. Not even bothering to heal himself. Re-equipping his only remaining sword next to him, blinded by anger, forgetting his fear and self-preservation momentarily. Too bad for him.

"Not bad, Pork Barrel", I muttered. My sword was replaced by the only mace and shield in my Equipment box, Small Rod and a Combat Shield materialized, the shield buckled on my non-dominant hand. I deflected his sword art at a critical moment with the said shield.

Thanks to Quick Change, I was able to replace my weapon sets in the blink of an eye by my recorded, subtle voice commands. Since I haven't equipped 1H Mace and Shield in my limited skill slot, I won't be able to use those system assisted weapon arts. At best imitate them lowering my damage rolls, which was enough for dweebs like the person in front of me.

"Cease your defiance and DIE" Pseudo- Brave Impulse!

An overhead mace strike, a variation of my Spear's Edge Fall with an obvious shift in posture, rhythm and tempo, and lack of ethereal glow during the hit which connected with Jerry's head.

"NOT LIKE THIS FUC-" *Shatters*

.

.

.

Winners Win. Having pillaged more of such opportunistic losers in a span of several hours, most were those filthy japs. I must say that I'm adapting 'fairly' well.

(6x Bronze Sword obtained!)

(3x Bronze Axe obtained!)

(2x Bronze Rapier obtained!)

(2x Defensive Buckler obtained!)

(Combat Shield obtained)

(Bronze Mace obtained!)

(Bronze Dagger obtained!)

(3x Bronze Armor obtained!)

(3x Bronze Greaves obtained!)

(Mixed Clothes obtained!)

(Mixed Leggings obtained!)

(11x Emergency Potion obtained!)

(7x Healing Potion obtained!)

(2x Emergency Crystal obtained!)

.

.

.

I'm being tailed. Since I've already turned off BGM in the audio design settings. I'm left with SFX and Voiceover. SFX is a blend of Player actions, Environmental sounds, User interface sounds and Special effects of weapon arts. This shouldn't make me complacent… in hearing footsteps.

"COME OUT, I WON'T EAT YOU", I popped my neck and waited for someone to come out, who, to my surprise…

"Seek for the devil and a typical Bitch appears or something along the lines?"

"How rude. I like it."

"...", well she licked her lips, subtle as it may be. I was right off the bat in my first impression of her. Bitches are meant to be devoured. Only moment when I would be giving props to the Asian community. I mused.

"Well… speechless? I'm Rosalia. What's your name hun?"