Sword Art Online: A New Beginning

[Mega90]

Yamen half-heartedly raised an eyebrow. “Crestfallen is a guild that is composed of some of the strongest players in the guild. Do you really think that we aren’t used to dealing with trouble?” He leaned against one of the nearby stalls, looking over at Hiroku with disinterested eyes. “There are very few who are able to make it to that level of strength without picking up some baggage along the way. Still, far be it from me to try to convince you to do something you don’t want to. All I ask is that you just be honest and tell me you don’t want to join if you aren’t interested. There’s no reason to be so dramatic about it. Grandiosity doesn’t fit you.” His gaze drifted off to a small bit of commotion that was happening at the end of the street.

Even while his gaze was averted, Hiroku could see that there was a keen observance present. Though nearly undetectable, he was still watching Hiroku and Rin out of the corner of his eyes.

A nervous calm fell between the three before Yamen spoke again. The sudden noise startled Rin slightly, and she jumped noticeably. “C’mon, Rin, we should get going. Most of the guild members won’t be on for a little while yet, so it’s a good time to get you settled in.” As he turned his back to Hiroku, he looked over his shoulder at the young man. “If you ever change your mind, just let me know. The offer still stands.”

Rin nodded to Yamen when he told her to follow. “Alright, I’ll be there in just a second.” Yamen accepted this without a word and began to take a few steps away from the two, giving them the privacy they had previously had.

Rin turned her attention back to Hiroku and looked up at him with caring eyes. “Are you sure you won’t join the guild? It’d be nice to see a familiar face, and that way you wouldn’t have to play alone anymore if you didn’t want to. Yamen said that you don’t have to be a part of the group activities if you don’t want to participate. Really, you’d only gain a place to stay by joining, but at least you wouldn’t be losing anything. Plus, if someone is after you, it’d be safer with the rest of the guild around to call on if you need it.”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku smiled, slowly shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be just fine. Besides I have already caused you enough trouble."

Hiroku fell silent for a long moment before continuing, his voice low.

"As things stand now, I'm not even certain if there is someone after me. However if I am correct that someone is hunting me it would be best for everyone of I was alone when they find me."  

[Mega90]

Rin nodded, and while she consented, Hiroku could see there was a bit of disappointment in her ruby eyes.
“Alright.” She paused for a moment and cast a quick glance to Yamen who was once again leaning against something while he waited for her. “I’d better get going. Hopefully I’ll see you again around somewhere.” She turned away and quickly hurried to Yamen’s side. Once she had rejoined him, they both walked back in the direction of the Crestfallen Guild hall.

By this time, more players had begun to log in, and the town was beginning to become more active. Players now walked freely throughout the streets, most of the vendors were open and peddling their wares, and the general commotion of the city had returned. As Hiroku stood, he couldn’t help but overhear a conversation of a group of players that walked closely by him.

“Yeah, they say that there is a player on the 20’th floor that’s killing boss monsters on their own. I don’t know if it’s true or not.” Another member of the group chimed in a cynical remark, stating that it was impossible. This was the only part of the conversation that Hiroku was able to hear as they continued to walk, but it had been enough. Another group of three players happened by a short time later, and their conversation was of a similar nature.

“They say that the game gets really weird when this player is fighting, and that they are way stronger than system perimeters should allow. The forums said that it usually occurs around noon and continues until like two or three in the afternoon.”

“Isn’t that the boss that drops rare Orichalcum ore if you beat it?”

“Yeah, it is.” A third voice joined them at this point.

“I thought the top tier guilds usually killed the bosses. How does this player beat them there if they only come at noon?”

“Beats me.” Again the conversation fell hushed, and after some quick goodbyes, the group broke apart with each member going their separate ways.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku's eyes narrowed as he watched the second party break apart.

"Noon hmm?" He muttered to himself.

"Alright, it's a start at least." With that he pushed away from the wall he had come to rest against since Rin and Yamen's departure. He quickly made his way toward the warp gate, reaching his destination within a few minutes of brisk walking, coming to a stop directly before the large blue orb.

"Teleport, sunshine forest." The teen called out. A moment later light enveloped him and he vanished.

Seconds later he reappeared in a large, ancient looking town. Green grass covered the stone paths and moss hung from the towering columns that lined them. The air was humid but crisp as the morning light bathed the ancient town with soft light. Hiroku let out a soft sigh and started out down one of the paths. He was aware that the boss monster was deep within the forest and that the walk to reach it would take him almost an hour but something about the fresh air caused him to enjoy the walk through the town. As he walked, players were beginning to appear sporadically as more and more logged.

Hiroku sighed softly to himself as he began receiving wide eyed glances from other players and he couldn't help noticing the whispers that seemed to spread through the parties he passed, causing another soft sigh to escape as Hiroku closed his eyes, increasing his pace as he did. Normally he avoided towns unless he needed his gear repaired and the events of the morning and day prior reminded him why.

The black cloaked teen soon reached the entrance made his way through the east gate and into the towering forest before him glad to leave the town behind him.

Thick trees soon obscured the town from view as he made his way along one of the seemingly endless dirt paths that wound through the unmarked forest. As he walked his mind wandered to the first time he had stepped foot in this forest. An almost sad smile crossed his lips as the shimmering rays of light created small golden rings on the dirt path. Things were so much simpler now then they had been then. The teen shook his head, bringing his mind back to the present and why he was here. He soon reached the small clearing that the boss would spawn at. After a few moments he choose a secluded spot to take cover, kneeling down behind the thick bushes that surrounded the clearing.

"Now, I wait." Hiroku thought to himself.  

[Mega90]

Hiroku waited for several hours, and nothing, save for the passing of an occasional monster, seemed to happen. There was nothing out of place, and as far as he could tell, there were no anomalies of any sort.

The noon hour approached, and as the in game clock read 12:00, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. It was light and mixed with the rustling of the leaves, but there was a distinct crunching that betrayed its steps. Surprisingly, however, there were two sets of steps. Whoever it was that was approaching was not alone. A growing unease fell over the area, and it wasn’t long before Hiroku heard a voice speaking. The distance served to obscure it slightly, but it was still clear enough to make out a large majority of what was being said.

“Just a few more feet this way, and we should be right on top of the spawning grounds.” There was a certain tone to the voice that was difficult to describe. It was not particularly high, but there was a slimy, eerie quality to it that made the hairs on the back of Hiroku’s neck stand on end. Peering through the bushes revealed a group of two individuals, as he had first suspected. One was a tall man with long green hair that waved haphazardly in the breeze, tamed only by the restrictive hood that attached to a long black cloak that he wore. The garb almost appeared to be designed for magic users, though he carried a long polearm, the design of which was extremely rare. It was a long black staff with onyx metal twisting around the hilt starting near the middle of the shaft and stretching to the tip where it transformed into a sharp blade.

Beneath the man’s black cloak he wore a type of tan upper robe with a high collar. Below this, he wore yet another shirt, and the open nature of the previously described garments allowed Hiroku to see a black and white checkerboard pattern.

A silver chain hung loosely around his body, stretching across his chest. From this chain, an ornate cross hung, the center of which was composed of a blood red gem. It was teardrop shaped, and the face of the stone was smooth and reflective.

A few steps behind him, a young girl with white hair trailed. She wore a blue dress that almost appeared to be similar to a maid’s uniform, though there were some distinctions that set it apart. Her hair was roughly shoulder length, and there were two braids that extended from either side of her face, stretching down further than the rest of her hair and coming to rest on the upper part of her chest. These were tied off with teal ribbons, which matched the tie that closed the top of her shirt.

A devilish smirk was plastered across her face, and her lilac eyes shimmered with a devious glint.

The two stopped right where the Boss usually spawned, and the man of the group quickly swiped his fingers down, opening a menu. He typed out a quick message and sent it.

“Best step back now, Misery. I wouldn’t want you getting caught up in all this.” The young girl rolled her eyes and took a few steps back, crossing her arms impatiently. A darkness overcame the man’s countenance, and as he repositioned himself, Hiroku was able to see his face for the first time. Each eye bore a different color, the right being red, and the left being green. It was uncommon for players to add heterochromia to their characters, and though it didn’t denote any sort of added perk, it was a bit unsettling to see.
Moments later black lighting began to erupt from the ground and a massive earth elemental clawed its way out of the ground. To Hiroku’s surprise, it was already nearly dead. At most, it would take an average leveled player two or three hits to defeat. The man smiled and raised his weapon to the beats. It charged forward, delivering a heavy blow to the ground. The man easily stepped out of the way, driving his blade into the elementals side. The last bits of health disappeared, and the creature vanished into shards of light. The loot drop for defeating the creature clanged to the ground, and the young girl wasted no time in swooping in and picking it up.

The man looked down at her with a smirk. “My, my, such a greedy girl.” He cast a quick glance to the bushes where Hiroku was crouching before turning his attention back to his companion. “Enough of that for now, Misery. It seems we have an audience.” Her head immediately snapped in Hiroku’s direction, and the smile on her face grew still larger. “Come on out now. We won’t hurt you.” The man called, his slippery tone snaking through the air.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku slowly rose to his feet and made his way into the clearing, a small, friendly smile on his face.

"That's quite the interesting spell you have there. I haven't ever seen anything like it in this game before. Mind telling me where you managed to get it?" Hiroku asked calmly, his tone light despite his gaze switching from the man to his young counterpart and back.  

[Mega90]

A dark, amused laugh burst forth from the man as he leaned back slightly. “Why yes, I do mind telling you where I got it. In fact, it’s absolutely none of your concern.” His tone was relatively good natured, and there was a smile on his face while he spoke. “So, why were you hiding in the bushes? Have you perhaps heard the rumors about this place? Could you not help yourself from coming to check it out?” He leaned in inquisitively, tucking his hands and his weapon behind his back.  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku gave a casual nod, the same smile still playing on his lips.

"Yes, that's exactly it. I heard a rumor of a player with strange abilities that frequented this place and, as I had nothing better to do today, I thought I would come and see if the rumors were indeed true or not. From what I have seen it would appear that they are."

Hiroku said, calmly watched the pair as he spoke.  

[Mega90]

“Hmm, what a busybody you are.” He paused for a moment and rose again to his full height. “Well, what do you plan to do with this information now that you have confirmed it?”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not much to do with it. I came to confirm a rumor and have done that. Aside from potentially that spell I see nothing out of the ordinary with you two."

Hiroku closed his eyes for a moment and smiled.

"Though I will certainty be doing some research on that little spell of yours. I have been playing this game for a long time and I have never seen it or heard of it before."  

[Mega90]

The man spread his arms wide in welcoming. “By all means. Please, look into it as much as you like. Although, I do caution you. I’m sure you’ve seen what curiosity can do to people.”  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku gave a good natured chuckle and nodded.

"True enough I suppose, but I'm not to concerned. This is only a game after all. Though I haven't seen that spell or heard of it before, it would take a lot of skill to hack this game." Hiroku paused for a moment, locking eyes with the toon that stood before him.

"I'm not saying that it is impossible but it would take work." He said calmly.  

[Mega90]

The man gave a halfhearted shrug and turned his back to Hiroku. “Well, you have nothing to worry about. I believe in playing within the rules of the system. You look long enough, you can find whatever you want. So don’t lose heart.” He began to walk away, taking slow even footsteps back in the direction that he had come from. The young girl remained a few moments longer before she too turned and began to walk away, leaving Hiroku in the center of the area alone.

It didn’t take long for the two to vanish from sight, and in almost the same moment that they did, Hiroku received an alert that a new post had been made to a thread that he was following on the in game message boards. The alert read, “A new message has been posted to one of your followed threads (Ripley’s Rumor Mill). Read now: Yes? No?  

[Zarkon90]

Hiroku frowned slightly as he watched the pair walk away. The teen stared at the forest for a long moment before his attention was brought back as the small message appeared in his view.

"A new post? No one has posted in almost a month to this thread." Hiroku muttered softly, reaching up and lightly tapping the yes option.  

[Mega90]

The message popped up, displaying the thread. The interface of the thread was one that Hiroku always found slightly amusing. It was bordered by four green corners, with dozens of mythical and imaginary creatures forming the top, bottom, and sides.

“Rumor has it that there are anomalies that have been taking place throughout the game. The details of these rumors are sketchy at best, but there have been several theories that have been put forth. We’ve compiled a list of the most compelling here, and while some of them may be false, it’s likely that at least a few of them are accurate, at least in part. That being said, let’s get started.

The first sighting of these anomalies was on floor twenty, in the boss room where the defeat of the earth elemental that spawns there is likely to drop a rare orichalcum ore. This item is extremely rare and valuable, and is used in the creation of magical and enchanted weapons. It was rumored that whatever was causing this glitch was being exploited by a group of players that were amassing the ore. The boss was rumored to spawn repeatedly from noon until two o’clock every day. We do not have enough information at this time to speculate any further on this particular matter.

The second rumor comes to us from the field in the opening area of the game. There is rumored to be a world boss that is traveling around there at a level much greater than should be possible in that area. It usually takes the form of a Death Chameleon, and has been known to kill new players if they let their guard down. There have been no confirmed sightings of this creature anywhere else besides the starting field, and the dungeon in which it is intended to appear.

The third glitch that is rumored to have been found was one that allows a player to break a box in the Town of Beginnings behind “Chelora’s Potion Shop” which will grant 10,000 COR. The box respawns on a ten minutes basis. The dev’s have apparently patched this glitch, though it is rumored to have reappeared since then. Sources state that it has reappeared and been patched four times already. We have tested this myth, and it was apparently patched at the time of our investigation. -donations to help repay Chelora for the damaged container of her wares would be appreciated. Please send donations to Ripley@rumormill.com

The fourth and final rumor to report on at this time is one that states that if you press on the west wall of the 15th floor dungeon, right after you pass the subterranean waterfall, you can sometimes access a “Black Zone”. A “Black Zone” is described as an area within the graphics of the game. There is nothing but black abyss all around you .The rumors report that you can sometimes hear the whispers of a young maiden while inside the “Black Zone”. This area is apparently not always accessible, and even when players can get in, the whispers are not always present. There has been one report of a player being instantly killed after entering this area. The cause of this player's death is unknown at this time.

As a final note, the anomalies as a whole have come to be known as an “Emia” event. The origin of this term is unknown at this time.

For more mind boggling rumors, keep it locked on Ripley's Rumor Mill. (We were serious about the donations thing.)"