Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Mega90]

Rin nodded, unsurprised by the information. She looked down at the ground for a moment, contemplating her next move. While her question had been answered, it wasn’t what she really wanted to know. She had been hoping to coax out whether or not Hiroku was in a guild by getting him to talk about his own. This attempt had proven unsuccessful. Seeing no other discrete way of bringing it up again, she took a deep breath and spoke.

“So…what guild are you in?” After she had voiced her question, the realization that he had known about her guild hit her, and she quickly looked up, adding on her next question immediately after finishing the first. “Also, how did you know what guild I was in?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku glanced over at Rin, his tone serious.

"How did I know hmm? That's simple, I know everything about you. It's rather easy to find information on players when you can access the admin menus. I know your guild, level and even the class and sword skills you currently possess."  

[Mega90]

It was only for a moment, but all the color seemed to drain from her face, and her eyes widened. She soon realized her own foolishness and she looked down, blushing deeply.

“You can see all that information on the UI, can’t you?” Her tone was steeped in embarrassment, and though her face was hidden by her hair, Hiroku could tell that her skin was likely bright red.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

"No don't worry. The only information you can see is another players HP and a guild emblem. If they are in a party with you then you can see their name as well. Everything else is private." He said as he placed a strong and surprisingly warm hand on Rins head.

"I apologize for scaring you."  

[Mega90]

Rin blushed deeper still and continued to look down at the ground.

“You didn’t scare me, I just wasn’t sure what the limits of this game were.” She kicked a small rock with the toe of her boot before looking up at Hiroku. “So, because there’s no guild tag by your name, that means you aren’t in a guild?”  

[Zarkon90]

The young man nodded.

"Correct. I have never been a guild style player and doubt I ever will be. Like you I far prefer being a solo player. Though in a world like Aincrad and especially ailfhiem being a solo player has a fair amount of danger to it. That being said I can't help but wonder how it is you managed to become a member of your current guild. They have a reputation for only accepting the very best and while I mean no disrespect, you don't currently fit into their typical criteria for recruiting."

Hiroku's voice was soft and held a tone of genuine musing and curosity as he spoke.  

[Mega90]

Rin looked up to the dark sky above with a sigh.

“That is a bit of a long story, actually. All I know is that it has something to do with this dress. Apparently, this item was one that was created for an even that the guild did in collaboration with the developers of the game. Because I have it, I can join the guild, regardless of my level or skill. I’m not sure how I feel about the whole thing, to be honest.” Her voice trailed off at the end, almost as though she was talking to herself more than her companion.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku glanced down at Rin.

"Do you not want to be in the guild?" He asked.

"As I said, they have a good reputation and for a new player like you, having a guild of strong members to aid you in quests and leveling will be invaluable. That and other players will be far less likely to attack you with your current affiliation and equipment." The teen mused thoughtfully to as much himself as Rin.  

[Mega90]

“That’s kind of what I figured when I joined the guild, but I’m not sure. I’m not really a guild kind of person. I just don’t like big groups like that.” She paused for a moment, continuing to walk the dark road. At length, she looked up to the tall man beside her. “Is there any merit to the rumors? I mean, have you ever fought any of their members?”  

[Zarkon90]

Tall man remained silent for a long moment before nodding.

"They have more then mere rumors to their strength. I have faced a few members before as well as joined some on raids in the past. Those that are members deserve the reputation they have."  

[Mega90]

RIn nodded, a wave of relief washing over her as she saw the lights of the city growing as they came nearer to the gate.

“So, what’s the best way to get stronger in this game? If I’m going to be a member of Crestfallen, I should at least get strong enough to hold my own when compared to the other members. I can’t say for certain, but you seem like you are pretty strong. Got any tips for a noob?”  

[Zarkon90]

"Best thing that a new player can do is focus on grinding mobs to earn experience and level up both their characters as well a sword skills. Normally you would want to focus on earning some cor for better gear but with the outfit you have I can't imagine you will need anything new for some time. That being said, you will need a sword or other weapon. Whatever you choose for a desired weapon, that is what you will want to purchase and start using as each weapon has its own individual skills associated with it. In regards to training, that is something you likely will want to do in a group." Hiroki paused for a moment, listening to the silence that now sounded them before continuing.

"That is something your new guild will be more then able to assist you with I'm sure." He finished after a long moment.  

[Mega90]

Rin thought for a moment.

“What weapon do you think I should go with? What would you recommend?” Hrioku could see that she was unfamiliar with what the different specs for the weapons were, and which one would suit her play style best. “I played a game once where all the weapon attributes were messed up. Swords were used for casting magic, staves were used as melee weapons, and knives were only for ranged combat. Is this kind of like that, or are the classes normally balanced?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku chuckled softly as he shook his head.

"You needn't worry. The weapons in this game are fairly basic. Each requires specific stats to utilize but nothing you likely haven't dealt with in past games."

The teen looked down thoughtfully.

"As for the weapon you should choose, that depends on your play style as well as what role you intend to fill. I wish I could tell you what is the beat weapon but it truly is up to you."  

[Mega90]

Rin nodded thoughtfully, presumably pondering the issue for a moment. A few seconds later, she looked up at Hiroku.

“So, besides combat and doing things like hosting shops, what else is there to do in this game? I mean, what do people do to have fun?”

As they walked along, a gentle breeze blew through the tall grass, forming a light rustling noise that added to the sonorous sound of the crickets chirping, some in harmony, some in contrast to each other. There was a warm glow cast over the field as they neared the town, each fire-lit window of the many buildings casting their gentle radiance about the surrounding area. The distant cries of monsters could be heard, though it seemed to add more to the rhythmic sounds of nature than to detract from the cacophony by inspiring fear in low leveled players.

Just a game though it was, the scene that played out around them was profoundly beautiful. It was almost like walking through a painting, two new acquaintances moving slowly along a fire lit path, while the world beyond them played out in hidden wonder.

As they walked, Hiroku couldn’t help but notice that there was a certain attractive quality to Rin’s avatar. She stood several inches shorter than the black haired teen, and this gave him a perspective on her that one wouldn’t have if they were staring at her straight on. Her features were gentle, not so defined as to stand out in any real way, but they also didn’t seem slighted. They looked to be perfectly balanced, appearing attractive regardless of the direction that one approached her from.

Her ruby eyes danced in the approaching fire light, and there was a gentle smile on her lips, not so dramatic as to be easily noticeable, but just present enough to cause the sides of her mouth to curve faintly upwards.

Though her question had been posed to Hiroku, she no longer looked at him, choosing instead to focus her gaze on the road before them while she awaited his answer.