Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku stared in silence for a long moment at his new companion, unable to keep from appreciating the time she had obviously spent creating her character. He shook his head slightly before answering.

"This game is alot like the real world. It is what you make it. Players are aiming to clear all one hundred floors of aincrad and reach the top of the world tree in the world below but that is just one of thousands of goals. Some players aim to have their race conquer all the others for instance."

He paused for a moment, taking the time to glance around for what felt like the hundredth time. Something felt off to him but he was unable to determine what.

"I'm sure you noticed that you had to choose a race when you created your character. Each race is divided into a different faction. Alo was a pvp focused game until a year or so ago and skirmishes between factions was a common occurrence. However things have changed recently. More and more factions seem to be working together. Though there are still those that seek to claim the territory of the other factions. In Aincrad it is more an occurrence of guilds going against each other as they compete for resources and loot drops. There are also PK guilds that have been popping up alot recently. I have heard that they have been making life hard for alot of new players which is actually why I came back to floor one."

Hiroku fell silent, listening to the crickets amd wind as he enjoyed world around them, silently appreciating the work the devs had put in. To his surprise, he found himself staring at Rin again. The realization shocked him and he quickly returned his attention to the dark path.

"The biggest thing to remember here is to never let anyone tell you how you are supposed to play this game. Who you are and what you do here is your choice and yours alone. Do whatever you feel is fun and enjoy." He said after a solid minute of silence.  

[Mega90]

Rin listed carefully as Hiroku spoke, glancing occasionally at him with her eyes, though she never fully turned her head to look at him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something felt off about the strange man beside her. He had given her no reason to mistrust him, and yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow different. The strangest thing was that she felt surprisingly safe around him. It wasn’t a feeling of trepidation, merely a lingering, nagging sense that everything wasn’t as it seemed.

She shook her head, pushing these thoughts from her mind, and once again turned her eyes towards the black haired man. To her surprise, she saw him staring down at her. She immediately turned her eyes to the ground again, and a deep blush came over her. She could hear the wind as Hiroku also turned his head away from her.

When she next spoke, her voice was slightly shaky. The deep blush was fading, though it was still clearly present, and she appeared a bit unnerved by her new companion. It was a good feeling, but one that left her strangely off guard.

“So, what would you recommend as the best way to avoid getting killed by a PK guild? I mean…obviously getting strong enough to beat them is going to be the best defense, but for a low level on their own, are there any suggestions that you have for increasing my odds of survival?”  

[Zarkon90]

"The easiest way is to play with a strong player or at the very least a group. There are levels in this game but it is also skill based. Just because you are a lower level doesn't guarantee that you will lose a fight. It only means that you have a large disparity between your stats and your opponents and deal far different amounts of damage and have lower health regen, resistance, ECT."

The teen waved his hand and shook his head. He couldn't help feeling like a boring guide program. Hiroku let out a soft sigh, hoping he wasn't boring the girl before continuing.

"Unfortunately for you, with that outfit you are both less and more likely to be targeted. Your guild name should protect you some but if a pker is able to take you down, the bragging rights he or she would have for killing a member of the infamous crestfallen guild would be substantial. He said softly.

For now just focus on deciding what weapon you want to use mainly. Once you have that decided, I recommend finding a guild member or one of your friends to train with. You said you were referred to the game by your friends, correct? Hiroku asked, again glancing back at Rin.

It would be a good idea to have one or more of them meet you in the town of beginnins. In terms of activly being hunted, Pkers can't be to active or guilds group up and hunt them down so that helps you little. Unfortunately that means attacks are random in terms of location and time so you will want to stay near towns until you get stronger. The reason for this is because all towns and villages are safe zones where you can't be pked and Pkers tend to avoid striking to close to towns as the risk of a player getting aid is far higher."  

[Mega90]

As they had walked, they had come closer and closer to the town, and Hiroku’s explanation saw them enter the Town of Beginnings. Rin looked up once he had finished speaking and smiled warmly at him.

“I see. Thank you for the advice, and thank you for getting me back to town safely. Are you sure I can’t pay you back somehow for your kindness?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku smiled and shook his head.

"Just focus on staying alive, that will be enough of a repayment." The dark haired teen looked down, glancing back out at the open field.

"Just remember, dying isn't something to be ashamed of. This is just a game so if you get killed, don't get discouraged." As he spoke his voice was serious, almost seeming distant. As though he was convincing himself as much as informing Rin.

Hiroku sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you know how to use your map? You will want to get something to eat and find an inn before logging out. Like real life your character has needs, just like your real body."  

[Mega90]

“O…okay….well, thank you again. Hopefully I’ll see you around sometime.” Rin seemed slightly shaken by his response, expecting him to instead ask for money as almost any other player would have done. Turning to leave she gave one final wave before rushing off in the direction of the nearest Inn.

Hiroku was left standing alone on the street, though he did not remain without company for more than a few seconds. Only moments after Rin had left him, while she was still even close enough to see, he heard a raspy, snide voice behind him.

“Well, well, Hiroku. It’s been a while. Got yourself a new pet, did ya? Good on ya, man. I means she’s not half bad looking. From the stories I’ve heard, I always thought you’d go for someone a little…”, the voice stopped to consider for a moment before continuing. “…darker. But, I suppose to each their own.”

When Hiroku turned to look in the direction of the voice, a strange man stood before him. He had long bleach blonde hair, a dark complexion, and a piercing gold left eye. His right eye was covered by a simple black eyepatch. His dress was rather loose and sloppy, consisting of a long black jacket which was left open, a black vest which was also left open, and a white undershirt that ended in a deep cut V around the neck. A large gold belt and baggy black pants adorned his waist, and he wore fingerless gloves with grey-plaid bandanas tied around his wrists. A dark smirk covered his face, and though he had addressed Hiroku personally, the black haired teen could not recall ever meeting this strange man before.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku's brow furrowed slightly. He stared at the man that stood before him, trying in vain for a few moments to recall who he was or where they may had met. When he failed to do so he surrendered the pointless task and instead turned to fully face the teen.

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" He asked. His voice and tone calm all be it a bit curious.  

[Mega90]

The man laughed and shook his head.

“I should hope not. I mean, I wouldn’t have done my job very well if you did. That would mean that you’ve caught me one of the many times that I’ve been following you. Good job with that elite monster in the field by the way.”

Hiroku felt the air chill as the man spoke, and though his disposition was outwardly happy, Hiroku could sense the threat that he presented.

“But look at me, I already know your name, and here I am ramblin’ away and I haven’t even introduced myself yet. Ah well, etiquette never was my strong point. If ya ever need to get ahold of me, just ask for Kaiyaga Namura. Word will get out to me, I’m sure, and we’ll set something up. Maybe we’ll go for ice cream or something.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“Maybe we can even get your pretty little friend to come along. Add some class.” The dark sneer grew more evil, and though their voices were low enough to not be heard by passersby, it was clear that other players were giving them an ample amount of space.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku's eyes grew dark as he listened to the man.

"So, you have been following me hmm? I knew it wasn't just my imagination. I thought something was tracking us on the way to town, though I didn't expect it to be another player."

Hiroku leaned back on his heel, folding his arms.

"I will congratulate you on your stealth skill. There aren't many that avoid my detection skill these days. That being said, I would like to know why it is you were following me." His tone was friendly enough as he spoke, but the serious undertone and unwavering glint in his eye showed his distrust of the other player.  

[Mega90]

“C’mon now, man. I’ve already given you a pretty big bone by telling you that I was following you and giving you my name. You want me to give up all my secrets on the first meeting. What’s the fun in that?”

His eye narrowed and he looked directly at Hiroku. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, obviously savoring the next words that he was going to say.

“Let’s talk about you for a second. How have you been getting on? Keeping up with any old friends? From what I’ve heard, you and the gang were pretty crazy back in the original SAO. You keep in contact with any of them at all anymore? I mean, whether they were PK’s or not, you can’t take that many lives together and then just walk away from each other, right?”

A dark shadow feel over the man as a convenient cloud passed in front of the moon.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroki closed his eyes, a small smile forming on his lips.

"I hate to disappoint you friend but I am and have always been a solo player. Never really been very good at making friends. As for when SAO first came out, your two for two unfortunately. I wasn't in the beta or even the game launch. Don't know who it is that you think I am or who you intended to be following but afraid its not me." Hirokus body was relaxed as he spoke. The thin, friendly smile still playing in his lips.  

[Mega90]

The man shrugged nonchalantly.

“M’kay. If you say so, bro. If you don’t want to admit it, I’m not gonna try to force it. I was just asked to deliver a message, so here you go.”

He turned his back and placed his hands in his pockets. He looked back over his shoulders and nodded to the black haired teen.

“I might be paraphrasing here, but Shiro sends his love.” With that, he began to walk away, whistling softly to himself.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku froze as he heard the name. The color draining from his face. His body shuddering and his gaze falling to the ground. His mind began to race.

"No...that.. that's not possible. He can't.. he can't be back. Why? Why now?" He thought.

Hiroku staggered to a nearby wall, falling against it before sinking to the ground, his hair falling in front of his eyes, masking his face.

Hiroku sat for almost an hour, his mind racing as memories that had been long since buried came flooding back. After a full hour passed, he finally sighed, leaning his head back against the wall, forcing his memories and racing mind to slow as he sat staring up at the night sky. Another five minutes passed before he rose slowly to his feet. In one smooth motion he moved his left hand straight down, causing his menu to pop open. He navigated down to the map icon and gently pressed it. It took him only a few seconds of scanning the map before he succeeded in locating the closest inn. He brushed himself off and quickly began walking toward the inn. Fortunately the closest inn was fairly expensive as it was one of the nicer inns in the town of beginnings as it included not only a bath but a meal with a room purchase. This meant that Rin likely had not purchased a room yet unless she intended to spend all the Cor she had for a single nights stay.

Hiroku made his way through the still busy streets noting that even though it was almost 10 pm the town was still bustling with both new and old players that had taken refuge for the evening. It only took him a few minutes to reach the inn, his pace slowing as he neared the building's large front door. He paused at the enterance for a moment before pushing the door open and walking in, glancing around for the young white haired girl that had been his companion earlier that day.  

[Mega90]

As Hiroku entered the inn, he saw the familiar figure of Rin sitting at a table alone in the corner. She held a small cup of steaming liquid which she was holding hear her tired eyes. She took a small sip of the liquid before her eyes caught the black haired man standing in the doorway. Her expression brightened noticeably and she waved to him.

“Hey, Hiroku. What are you doing here?” Her tone, though tired, was happy, and she seemed generally pleased to see him. The awkwardness that had fallen between them previously seemed to have disappeared, and she cordially invited him to her table.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku offered a small smile and made his way to join Rin at the table.

"Decided not to get a room here hmm? He asked softly. The small smile still on his lips. He glanced around the inn, causally noticing the other patrons as they milled about. Rather then taking a seat at the table, he opted to lean against the wall, his eyes drifting to the door as he waited for Rin's response.