XElenea
patreon
MT - 27 Beta Test
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 05:51:08 +0000 UTCKirito had a reason to be somewhat self-conscious—after all, he was only 14 years old in reality. His youthful, boyish face leaned heavily toward the "baby-faced" spectrum. While his original character design leaned into this softness so much that it became androgynous, his in-game appearance managed to retain at least some semblance of masculinity. He looked like a cute boy, but a boy nonetheless.
Still, Kirito wasn't satisfied with his real-world looks, so he deliberately designed a more mature avatar for the game.
"This is the ideal hero." He had confidently declared while creating his character.
To Roy, however, Kirito's design resembled nothing more than a clean-shaven uncle.
"Seriously, your character looks so weird." Roy teased, unable to suppress his laughter.
Kirito dismissed the comment with a scoff. "Who uses their real appearance in a game, anyway? Sure, you look great, Roy, but aren't you worried people might recognize you in real life and cause trouble?"
Roy smiled, shaking his head lightly. "Doesn't bother me. Besides, one day, you might have to show your true face anyway."
Kirito grimaced. He wasn't a fan of his feminine features and shared that dislike with Roy.
"By the way." Kirito asked, changing the topic, "What about the other beta test slot? You had two, right? Who did you give the other one to?"
Roy scanned the area and spotted a girl with chestnut-colored hair bustling clumsily toward them. He waved his hand and called out, "Over here! Over here!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Asuna turned her gaze in his direction. She saw a tall, handsome, and sunny-looking blonde boy and visibly relaxed. Closing the distance, she stopped in front of Roy and spoke, "There you are, Roy!"
Roy smiled. "Asuna!"
Seeing this, Kirito was intrigued. He glanced at the pretty girl standing before him and asked, "Who's this?"
"My student." Roy replied casually.
Asuna turned her attention to Kirito. He was shorter than Roy by half a head, and his avatar gave off the aura of a mature middle-aged man. Despite Kirito's insistence that his character was modeled after a valiant hero, Roy couldn't resist referring to him as Oji-san.
"You're using your real appearance, aren't you, Asuna?" Roy asked, inspecting her with curiosity.
With chestnut hair tied into a braid and eyes clear as spring water, Asuna radiated charm. Her delicate, doll-like features and slender frame hinted at regular exercise, a testament to her disciplined lifestyle. At the moment, she was dressed in a simple white tunic, standing out even amidst the plainness of the outfit.
Kirito was visibly surprised. He turned to Roy for confirmation. "Is this how she looks in real life? I thought she might've adjusted it a little."
It wasn't unusual for players to tweak their avatars—lighter skin, sharper noses, bigger eyes were common modifications. But Asuna's avatar appeared untouched, almost startlingly authentic.
Asuna broke the brief silence with a hesitant question. "So, that customization was for the face? I just clicked confirm."
Kirito couldn't help but laugh. This girl had dived into the game without even customizing her character. It made sense now.
He glanced at her again and realized she was curiously taking in her surroundings like a complete beginner. Then, a thought struck him. "Wait, Asuna." He asked cautiously, "Have you played games like this before?"
Asuna blinked in confusion and looked at Roy. "You didn't tell him?"
Roy shrugged. "Her mom's strict—she rarely gets to play games. She's only here because I dragged her along."
Kirito sighed, a mix of frustration and resignation. "Fine, I was going to challenge you to see who could beat more floors, but I guess that's not happening now."
Roy grinned mischievously. "The challenge stands! I'll train Asuna while you find your own help. Same deal—let's see who clears the most floors in a month."
Kirito hesitated, glancing between Roy and Asuna. Sensing some unspoken connection between them, he decided not to press further and left without another word.
Turning to Asuna, Roy asked, "Do you know what sword skills are?"
Asuna looked blank.
"Alright, let's start with the basics." Without waiting for a reply, Roy grabbed her hand and led her toward the horizon.
Asuna was no longer the shy, reserved Asuna of six years ago. Having spent nearly that long as Roy's private student, she had grown used to his casual mannerisms. Small physical gestures, like him taking her hand, no longer fazed her—they had become second nature.
Of course, Roy wasn't exactly the most upstanding guy when it came to boundaries. Holding hands during lessons? That wasn't too much, was it? Getting a little closer while explaining something? Perfectly reasonable, right? Either way, he had taken every opportunity to indulge in minor liberties over the years.
The area they had spawned in was the game's starter village—Town of Beginnings. Towering at the northernmost part of the zone was a massive structure: a colossal, 300-meter-wide, 100-meter-tall tower marking the first floor's labyrinth.
Further afield, the most bustling town on the floor, Tolbana, lay nestled in a valley not far from the labyrinth's entrance. Surrounding the area were sprawling grasslands teeming with creatures like boars and wolves, as well as insect-like monsters—worms, beetles, and wasp variants—frequently appearing on the plains.
As Roy led Asuna southward, the endless grasslands stretched before them. Level-appropriate wolves prowled the terrain, their eyes gleaming with a predatory glint. While they appeared menacing, the creatures didn't seem to harbor any immediate intent to attack.
Stopping in front of one such wolf, Roy turned to Asuna and said, "Let me explain what sword skills are."
With a swift motion, he unsheathed the iron sword strapped to his side. A string of text appeared in midair.
[Novice Iron Sword]
[Quality: Common]
[Attribute: Sharpness +1]
Interestingly, Roy's system interface displayed equipment stats differently from Kirito's. Though both wielded identical weapons, the way the attributes were presented varied. It was a small discrepancy, but nothing game-breaking.
Roy took a moment to familiarize himself with the sword's mechanics. Thanks to his background in kendo, both from his current self and from the original avatar's memories, it didn't take long for him to adjust to the system.
Sword skills—SAO's defining feature—were a unique form of system-assisted combat. Unlike ordinary attacks, sword skills required players to assume specific stances or movements, which would then trigger the skill. Once activated, the system enhanced the player's speed, power, and precision, allowing them to perform feats that would otherwise be impossible in real life.
While similar moves could be executed manually, their effectiveness paled compared to system-supported skills. The tradeoff, however, was that sword skills were pre-programmed and uninterruptible. Once a skill began, the player couldn't alter or cancel the sequence until it completed. This made predicting and countering an opponent's moves—a technique involving reading their preparatory stances—an essential strategy in duels.
In short, sword skills allowed ordinary players to achieve extraordinary feats.
However, using them came with risks. Skills had a slight startup delay and left players vulnerable for a brief moment after execution. An observant opponent could exploit these windows of vulnerability to turn the tide of a fight.
