Episode 2 - Chains of Fate
Episode 2 - Chains of Fate
Sixth day of the Month of Cypress (November 6) in the Year of the Hawk
Sunset didn’t need to equip anything, but she hadn’t set any skills. She made the swiping movement with her right hand, which pulled up her menu. She opened the skills list. It was impressive, but currently, it was short. As they gained levels and higher stats, as well as the other floors were unlocked, more would become available. What she saw was just the starting skills. The rumor said that there was an unlimited number of skills, but while that was obviously over exaggeration for hype, the message was clear: SAO would be the most realistic when it came to trainable skills. Sunset chose One-handed Sword for her first skill, but that left her with an open slot since she wasn't going to be using a shield. She would need an armor skill, but for now, she couldn't afford armor, so there was no point in setting one.
She settled on Search for her second Skill. Search would allow her to see enemies further out and identify objects, monster facts, and other things as she leveled it. That would be valuable not just to her, but the group as a whole.
She would have to raise her One-handed Sword high enough to unlock the Two-handed sword. Pinkie Pie would have to do the same for her axe, since she wanted to wield a giant two-handed one. Rainbow Dash would also need to develop One-handed sword for a while, but she didn’t want a big sword. She wanted to be the fastest fighter, wielding a lightning quick rapier. Natsuki was holding a short spear. She wanted a longer two-handed spear, but that also needed to be developed through the one-handed skill first.
“A quick review,” Natsuki said. “There are four types of damage you can deal: Slash, Thrust, Blunt, and Piercing. Every weapon in Aincrad falls into one of those categories. Your one-handed swords are slash, the mace and hammer are blunt, and my spear is thrust. Not all swords are slash. Rapiers are thrusting weapons. Some spears, like a Naginata, are slashing weapons because of the curved head. Daggers will fall into either slashing or thrusting.
“Just because it deals one type of damage doesn’t mean that weapon can’t deal another. It just will have reduced effectiveness to varying degrees. Sword Skills for a one-handed sword will be both slash and thrust attacks. A katana will provide better slash and weaker stab, while a rapier will provide superior thrust and low slash. A blunt weapon only deals blunt damage, but might also do bonus piercing if it has spikes, like a kanabou or morning star. For the throwing weapons available, they all fall into either slash, thrust, or pierce.”
“What separates pierce from thrust?” Rarity asked. “I think I missed that lesson.”
“The DOT effect,” Natsuki explained. “Damage over time. A piercing weapon inflicts continued damage upon the target for a specified length of time. Typically, it stops once the weapon is pulled out and it is always significantly lower than the initial strike. A thrusting weapon deals the damage with the strike and usually is a harder hit than what a piercing weapon will inflict upon impact.
“Each type of damage category has its strengths and weaknesses. I won’t say any is better than another, because that depends on the enemy’s weakness. A hard enemy with strong armor will make slash weapons less effective, but blunt weapons will inflict heavy damage on them. Not all enemies are strong in one area and weak in others. Plenty are balanced and can take damage from all types without a difference. So, don’t get too caught up in the type of damage you deal. Focus on how to capitalize on your damage dealt for your weapon against a variety of enemy types. And if you are a shield user, focus on using that shield to protect the others when your damage type is not effective against that enemy. That’s the advantage of being in a group with a variety of weapons. We will overcome any challenge because we’re versatile in the damage we can deal. We will have plenty of slash, thrust, and blunt damage. We probably won't have much piercing damage, which is fine.”
Sunset’s mind was triggered by the word versatility. That was a key point for the art of the sword that Shinmi Sensei had taught her. She hadn’t doubted his wisdom was going to be applicable in SAO, but it was already looking like it would be very applicable to it and life. Their group had all their bases covered for types of damage and playing styles, and it would make playing very fun.
“Another thing to remember is range,” Natsuki continued. “You have three types of range. Long, Mid, and Short. That is pretty self-explanatory, but it does matter for more than the actual distance you can strike something. A dagger is short range and has low attack stats. It requires the fighter to be up close and personal. That risk and the stats is offset by higher attack combos and faster attack speed, while also having lower delay periods after a Sword Skill has been executed. The bigger, heavier weapons will hit harder, but have lower attack combos and longer delays. My spear…well this starter one is mid-range, but the long-range ones give me a reach that if applied properly can be the determining factor in a battle, yet it is significantly slower for me to thrust my spear over that long distance than for a dagger to be slashed or stabbed at an enemy. It’s a balancing system between them. They all have their uses, but what we choose now will most likely be our primary combat style. Remember, choosing another type of combat skill, any skill, by removing what you already have, will wipe the skill and reset any progress. It’s not something to be done lightly. Of course, once you level up and gain more skill slots, you can try another without wiping a skill. Having a backup combat skill isn't bad.
“Let’s head out and try these Sword Skills out. I tried most weapons, so I can get all of you started. Oh, but we need to send friend requests and set up parties of four. I’ll lead one, what about the other?”
“I guess I will,” Sunset said.
They all swiped up their menus and began to send and accept friend requests. After that, Natsuki sent party invites to Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. Sunset took Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight.
Sunset’s health bar was at the top left of her view. The clock was off to the top right. To really see the clock, she had to want to look at the time. It would enlarge it for her to better see it. Her party member’s health bars popped up under hers, although they were smaller and each had their game name above them. Each of them could see the other party members' health bars without looking at the player. It didn’t show level or the actual HP, only a sliding gauge to keep a rough eye on party members.
“I think this is the perfect time to remind you all of perhaps the most important thing for an MMORPG,” Natsuki warned. “I am not Natsuki here. I am Natora. And the players in my party are Thunderborne, Konpeito, and Diemond. Which means Bladescape is leading Malus, Doombunny, and Knightstar. It’s more than just breaking character, especially in a game like SAO. We are new people here. Who we are as players is reflected not just in our attributes and character like in real life, but in our stats and levels. We are players, not people.”
“Okay,” Diemond said. “I sort of understand, especially seeing the other names in my view. But I don’t entirely see the difference.”
“The outside world doesn’t exist,” Natora explained. “At least not while we play. All that exists is us and Aincrad. At times, sure, the real world may spill into here, like when you suddenly have to leave because you have homework to do, but we try to keep them separate. One reason is that it helps foster a realistic feeling to the game. For others it's a security issue, keeping personal information out of online systems so cyber stalkers or hackers have a harder time targeting them. Another is that a lot of people play to escape or get a break from the real world, so we should do our best to not break that out of a basic courtesy. I play for fun, but also to get a break from the twins.”
With the explanations given, they followed Natora out into the fields. Sunset was excited to try combat. As they left the actual gate of the city and walked out into the field, her vision had a warning flash. Tucked away off to the side, she saw OUTSIDE FIELD flash for a moment and then fade to an opaque grey to avoid being a distraction. It was the system telling her she wasn’t in a safe-zone and would lose hit points if she got hurt. When she focused on it, it grew in size so that she wasn’t left guessing. Then it faded away again when Sunset looked back at her HP bar. She had 250 HP at Level 1. That was the base HP everyone had.
They stopped not far away and lined up. Natora began to show them each the Sword Skills. Each attack required the player to put the weapon in the initial motion to tell the game they were using it. Each one had a different start point to differentiate them from each other. For One-handed Sword, they had two to start: Horizontal and Vertical. Horizontal was a slash to the side, vertical was a slash up. The best damage dealt for a weapon was with a Sword Skill. You could swing it without a skill and do some damage, but the game was designed to use the sword skills to do the bulk of that damage.
They all spent a little time learning to start their beginner Sword Skills. Once Natora was satisfied they had it down, they headed further out. Sunset scanned the area and saw boars among the grass. Search highlighted them for her to more easily spot. It was a more passive training skill than a direct training skill like her sword was, but it would still require her to use it to train it. She could use it outside of combat too, at any time. As long as it was active, it would slowly accumulate points. Every Skill started at 0, and maxed at 1000. It didn’t seem that far away, but the higher it got, the harder it became to raise the numbers. It was projected that, even playing daily, it would require a year for a player to max a skill. That was the best projection for Skill mastery by the beta testers.
Their parties split up to focus on different boars. Four on one was lopsided, but it would keep them safe. Even though they could respawn, they didn’t want to while learning. And it wasn’t necessary to take any risks.
Malus, Applejack, and Knightstar, Twilight, both had shields in the party. There were other skills to allow for defense without a shield, but they would require more training with that weapon. Malus charged the boar, war hammer held up high and shield forward while she yelled a war cry.
Sunset ran after her, getting her sword almost in position to slash the boar. It charged at Malus and tusk met the shield in a heavy thud. Malus wasn’t tossed back though. She had spent too many years on the farm doing manual labor to be tossed back, even in a game. The mentality of the person came with the player into SAO. Applejack was a strong-willed person, who could be stubborn and unmovable. Malus would be the same way.
Sunset yelled and moved her sword into position, the skill triggered and she sliced the side of the boar, carving a large chunk of HP off its bar. It went from green to orange as it slid from right to left. Sunset was left frozen, unable to move. It was the delay from using the Sword Skill. It wasn’t long, and they had felt it when they were learning the skills, but in combat, with the boar turning from Malus towards Sunset, it felt like an eternity.
It never got to charge at Sunset as Malus’ hammer came down on its head. The HP bar slid down further, into the red. Only a tiny bit was left. Knightstar wordlessly came at it from behind and slashed it across the rear. Its HP bar lost all of the pixels and the beast shattered. It sounded a bit like breaking glass. All that was left were colorful polygons floating for a moment before disappearing. That was what made up SAO, those polygons.
Menus popped up in front of them. Parties shared XP, col, and drops. Sunset got a dozen Col, and the boar hide. The XP she got was a decent bump for her to get to level 2, but that was a good way off.
They laughed, enjoying the fight, and went running off after the next boar. They killed it quickly, in a similar fashion.
“Hey, where is Fluttershy?” Malus asked.
Sunset glanced at her party health bars. She had full health, but she didn’t see her. What she did see was the tree on the hill that was burned into her mind.
“I’m right here,” Fluttershy said from behind Sunset. “Sorry girls, I was trying out the Skill called Hide. I guess it worked.”
“Of course you would choose that,” Sunset chuckled.
“Aincrad is a dangerous place,” Fluttershy shrugged. “And a bit scary. If there is a Skill for what I already want to do, why not?”
“It only works against players, not monsters,” Natora said, coming over. “Plenty of beta testers tried to hide from monsters, but it doesn’t work like that. Still, it has its uses, although I never personally tried it. Actually, at higher levels, it might work against monsters if you possess a higher skill level than they do. Anyway, I came over to show you something I forgot. The switch.”
Switching was a tactic used to take the aggression, “aggro”, or focus off of one player, and onto another. Players would tag-team a monster, with one going in, either blocking or striking. Since they were stuck in the delay, they were exposed to taking damage. Often the monster was focused on the last attacker, leaving it vulnerable to the other player. The second one would switch in, usually ordered by calling “switch”, and strike or block. It also was used to help players to be able to back off from a boss or strong enemy and down a health potion to recover some HP in the longer battles.
Switch tactics placed players into three categories. The Tank usually had the big shields and it was their job to soak up a lot of the damage on that shield. They were the defenders. Then there was the Forward. They would sometimes have a shield, but were more fluid than Tanks, switching between offensive and defensive roles, and trying to draw the aggro of the monster. The third was the Damage Dealers. Their entire job was to deal damage. They relied on the Tanks and Forwards to provide them with protection. At the most opportune moment, they would switch in and strike fast and hard, and then they would switch back out to be protected. Their low defense was offset in a party by the Tanks and the damage they dealt made it worthwhile for them all while working in a team. With the three tactics a team could make quick work of an enemy and handle bosses within their skill reach.
Doombunny with her dagger was clearly a Damage Dealer. Malus was naturally protective and already wanted a larger shield. She would make the perfect Tank. Knightstar would make the ideal Forward. Sunset was playing like a Forward, even without a defensive skill. Natora was a Damage Dealer. She liked using her spear’s range to strike out from behind a Tank.
Forward, Tank, and Damage Dealer were combat tactic roles, but Natora explained that they were not always the same as play styles. If a spear user also equipped a shield, they were known as a lancer. Someone with a rapier, like Rainbow Dash wanted, was known as a fencer. A Tank was anyone with high HP who used that and their defensive skills to defend the others in battle. Shield users were typically Forwards, but they were a loose definition that meant anyone who used both a shield and a one-handed weapon other than a spear.
Natora went back to her party after making sure they understood the roles. They were having a tougher time since they only had one shield. Diemond was being used as a Tank, but she was holding up well, and when Pinkie was actually focused, they made quick work of a boar.
“I’ll play Forward, and so will Twilight,” Sunset said. “That way, Fluttershy can stay behind AJ and play Damage Dealer. Sound good?”
“It’s Doombunny,” Doombunny said. “We should use the names we chose in here. It’s more than just etiquette, but about mentality. I don’t have to be meek Fluttershy in here. Aincrad and all of the players and NPCs, they don’t know Fluttershy. I get to make myself who I want to be in Aincrad. I can be more assertive here. The same for you three and everyone else. You, Bladescape, talked about the art of the sword. Sunset is just learning that and she doesn’t own a sword, but Bladescape can paint the battlefield with her sword, stamping her new identity on it. I doubt you want that identity to include a stroke about breaking game etiquette.”
It was a sharp, and unexpected, cut from her friend, but Sunset just nodded. She had to stop thinking about herself as Sunset and become Bladescape. There was no other game that allowed you to actually become your character. SAO did though, and Sunset was going to capitalize on that and become Bladescape better than any other player took on their own identity. Sunset had once become a monster, literally, bent on taking over an entire school and then Equestria. Bladescape had made none of those mistakes.
It was almost 5:30 when the four of them hit Level 2. They wouldn’t get another Skill Slot unlocked until Level 6.
“For all the learnin we’ve done, I am satisfied,” Malus said as she thrust her hammer in between her belt and hip. “And none of us died and had to respawn. That saved time.”
“Let’s rally at the tree,” Bladescape said. She walked off towards the tree that had been burned into her memory. Even with it only being a slight height advantage, the others could see them and headed over to join them.
“Level Two?” Natora asked.
“Level Two,” Bladescape said, flashing a thumbs up. “And we are gaining experience in our skills well enough.”
“Good,” Natura nodded. “Then-”
A bell rang out across the field. It came from the city. Bladescape’s vision turned blue. It cleared up and she was standing back in the square of the Town of Beginnings where she had first logged in. She glanced around. Her friends were in the same relation to her as they had been on the hilltop. All around them was a sea of players. All ten thousand players who were logged in were packed into the square. Their group made sure to gather back together before they got split up.
“Someone forced a teleport,” Natora said. “It had to be a GM to have that much power in the game. I am guessing we are about to have some sort of opening ceremony. The game is high profile enough, I expected something. That is why I wanted us to get to Level Two. This will spur the others to start combat, instead of exploring the city. After all, Aincrad was designed to be conquered.”
Bladescape looked up to the sky as the lighting turned red, which was actually the bottom of the Second Floor above them. It was now checkered with red, glass-like panes which had English Text on them: "WARNING" and "SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT."
"Here we go," Natora chuckled. “I wonder what they have in store for the opening ceremony?”
The center began to shift and then sagged. It morphed into a giant drop of blood which began to slowly move downward, but not breaking from the ceiling to drop onto their heads. Suddenly it changed shape to a more familiar figure. Although it wasn't that familiar. It was a man about sixty feet tall, swathed in a crimson robe with the hood up.
"This ain't right, y'all," Malus gulped.
"Where is his face?" Doombunny squeaked. Her squeak became barely a whisper. "I'm terrified now."
From where they all stood, they should have been able to see under the hood. But under it was nothing but the inside stitching. There was no face, no head, and probably no actual body wearing that robe.
"That's the robe of Argus GMs from the beta," Natora said loud enough for their group to hear. It was no longer a confident voice having fun. "But the males had white beards, looking like gentle, but skilled magicians. And the women were beautiful and radiant beings. That is nothing but the robe and gloves."
"Maybe something is wrong?" Diemond asked. "Like a bug? I read about those types of things for new games."
A white glove peaked out from the robe as the right sleeve moved. By the time it stopped, there was a clear break between the glove and the sleeve. Both were empty, filled with a void of space to keep them puffed out. The other sleeve moved, so that both swept over the entire crowd, emphasizing them as the players.
Bladescape felt the pit that had been forming in her stomach drop. She lost her concern and was now certain that something was wrong. SAO was an MMORPG that took a unique risk by not having any magic skills. But this magic, or trickery, whatever it actually was, it felt like dark magic from Equestria and her heart rate shifted as her mind prepared itself for a fight. A fight she could never win as a player against a GM, especially without her Equestrian Magic, but she felt ready to fight. For whatever good that would do here.
A voice, calm and deep, soothing even, came out of the ghost robe. "Welcome to my world, dear players."
Sunset Shimmer gulped, losing the Bladescape complex she had been building all afternoon. That was exactly what an evil demon or magic user from Equestria would say, but Akihiko Kayaba was just a producer and designer of the NerveGear and SAO. He was a genius and an artist. Japan was too far away from the portal for him to be influenced by Equestrian Magic. Besides, SAO and the NerveGear had been in the works for years, well before she had come through the portal. Also, this was in a game, not real life. A demon in the game was a coded enemy, just like the boars outside the town, or even the player's avatar. There was no magic to any of this.
The arms lowered, done with their current dramatic purpose, and the figure continued to speak. "My name is Akihiko Kayaba. As of this moment, I am the only human being alive with control over this world."
Sunset was confused. That certainly wasn't the Equestrian Magic, "bow to me you mortals," language. They were at least safe from that.
"You have likely noticed by now that the log-out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug. I repeat, this is not a bug - It is a feature of Sword Art Online."
Sunset’s heart stopped. Something was very wrong. They had been too busy having fun and learning combat. It was only 5:30pm. They were planning to play for a while longer before they logged out to get food and go to bed. No logging out meant they were trapped. That didn’t make any sense. Why create a game that no one could leave?
Kayaba continued. "From this point onward, you will be unable to freely log out of the game until the summit of this castle is conquered. Furthermore, the NerveGear cannot be removed or shut down via external means. If forceful means of exit are attempted..."
The ghostly robe from Akihiko Kayaba paused, most likely from dramatic effect. But it gave Sunset the moment to think. Aincrad was 100 Floors. It was a game designed to be slowly conquered. A challenge as each floor unlocked more. But each floor got slightly smaller, which was an advantage. She couldn’t even imagine the eight of them making it to the top of the castle. The Second Floor was even out of their sights for the time being. They had school and lives to live.
The pause ended and Kayaba continued. "The high-powered microwaves emitted by the NerveGear will scramble your brain and shut down your vital processes."
Sunset had dived with her geode on, but it didn’t work in the virtual world. In the real world, she and her friends had power they could use to shut down Akihiko Kayaba. But he wasn't some possessed person or banished Equestrian demon. They couldn't just barge in and take him down, if they could even find him. He would have prepared himself for that ahead of time. The Japanese self-defense force and police could handle him. If what he said was true, she had to handle her friends and their survival.
"Technically speaking," Twilight started before hesitating. "Well by the specifications and design of the NerveGear, what he said is entirely possible. He isn't lying."
"Why would he lie?" Applejack snapped. "That would only hurt his brand pulling a stunt like this, not grow it. It's simpler to believe that he is a maniac intentionally doing this. But what're we supposed to do?"
The demon king of this virtual world, Akihiko Kayaba, spoke again. "To be more specific, the brain frying sequences will commence upon any of the following circumstances: Ten minutes of no external power; two hours of network disconnection; removal, dismantling, or destruction of the NerveGear. The Authorities and media in the outside world have already announced the details of these conditions to the general public. At present, the friends and family of several players have already ignored these warnings and attempted to forcefully remove their NerveGear, the result being..."
The voice had to pause for breath. It had been the longest it had talked since he started.
"...that sadly, two hundred and thirteen players have already been permanently retired from both Aincrad and the real world."
Conquering the castle didn't seem like a good idea to Sunset. But what else could she do? What else would she want to do? Was there any way for a rescue party? It didn't sound like it. He was prepared.
At the core of this avatar called Bladescape was Sunset Shimmer. Sunset Shimmer didn't lose. Sunset Shimmer didn't fail. Sunset Shimmer didn't back down because something was hard. She always found a way. And six of those ways were with her in this nightmare.
None of them were prepared for this, and under this pressure, any of them could crack. They all had the same starting stats, meaning it was going to be a mind game to survive. Sunset had to make sure her friends didn't crack and that they learned they could do this. She had to learn it as well. They had Natsuki, but she hadn’t gotten above the first Floor. It was their only leg up in what was now a trap.
That now volatile voice continued, breaking Sunset's protective isolation before she was ready. "There is no need to worry about your physical bodies back in the real world. The current state of the game and today's fatalities have been covered far and wide on television, radio, and the internet. The danger that someone will forcefully remove your NerveGear is already much diminished. The two-hour offline leeway period should provide enough time for your physical bodies to be transported to hospitals and other long-term care facilities with proper security, eliminating concerns over your physical well-being. You may rest assured... and focus on conquering the game."
They could not go back. They could not stop themselves from joining. They had come to Aincrad and they were here to stay. They could not fix their situation. Their only way out was to fight and, no matter what, they would be stronger and safer together.
Sunset, Bladescape, turned to Natsuki. She grabbed her avatar by the shirt and pulled them in face to face. She wasn’t angry with her exactly, but it probably looked that way.
Sunset never got to speak as Akihiko Kayaba spoke again. "However, please proceed with caution. As of this moment, Sword Art Online is no longer a game to you. It is another reality. The standard means of player resurrection will no longer function as they did previously. When your hit points dwindle to zero, your avatar will be permanently deleted and the NerveGear will destroy your brain."
Sunset's heart stopped and she felt her senses being choked out from the outside world. She started to lose her grip on Natsuki’s shirt. She was left with just her thoughts and what she saw in her mind. And it wasn't good.
"There is only one condition through which you can be freed from this game. Simply reach the hundredth floor at the pinnacle of Aincrad and defeat the final boss who awaits you there in the Ruby Palace. In that instant, all surviving players will be able to safely log out once again."
MMORPGs, any game really, required you to die so that you learned how not to play. There was always the risk that a single error could mess up a perfect game. They had gotten lucky outside the city and not died. Sunset had never played a "perfect game,” but that was what Kayaba was requiring of them now in order to free themselves.
Bladescape looked at the players around her. She heard one shout abruptly, "Clear the hundredth floor? W-we can't possibly do that! I heard the entire group of beta testers barely got through the very start of the game!"
That was not good. Sunset was beginning to see exactly how badly the odds were stacked against them. Odds or not? What could they do? The die had been cast. So, what was their move?
Maybe a group could dive in to specifically try and clear the game, but it was a huge risk and they would be without backup. They would be on a suicide mission. It would be hard to authorize that mission. Sure, if it was authorized, it would be military or police with combat training and who had sworn to protect lives, but they had veteran gamers among their ranks in Aincrad. They understood games better than a strike team focused on real world combat would. Besides, it was a game of swords. The only thing the others could bring was a mentality about combat, one that the players currently trapped could learn and would have to.
Sunset realized she still had Natsuki pulled in close. She still wasn’t angry with her, despite what it looked like. It wasn’t her fault at all. Sunset realized she had to make a decision.
“Grab your party,” Sunset ordered her. “Grab them and we meet back at the west gate to plan. Got it?”
“Yeah,” the male head nodded back at her. “Got it.”
“Don’t lose Pinkie,” Sunset growled. Her tone lightened up. “Seriously, she is a slippery one. You probably need to actually hold her shirt.”
“Right,” Natsuki nodded.
Another declaration was made, which stopped them from acting. "Finally, let me prove to you that this world is now your one and only reality. I've prepared a gift for all of you. You may find it in your item storage."
Sunset let go of Natsuki. All of them opened their menu and found it: HAND MIRROR. They all tapped it and selected the option to materialize it into their hands.
Sunset looked at the face she had crafted. It had taken the better part of two hours to get her hair perfect and the face to work with the strong jawline she had chosen. The light, rosy skin was alien to her eyes, but what she had chosen.
Sunset Shimmer's mirror shattered, blinding her in the process.
BLADESCAPE: Level 2 — One-Handed Sword — Searching
NATORA: Level 2 — One-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 2 — One-Handed Sword — Shield
MALUS: Level 2 — One-Handed War Hammer — Shield
THUNDERBORNE: Level 2 — One-Handed Sword — Sprint
KONPEITO: Level 2 — One-Handed Axe — Cooking
DIEMOND: Level 2 — Mace — Shield
DOOMBUNNY: Level 2 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide
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Not to mention she'll need it for what's coming their way...
If I were in a game like that I'd proud struggle for a while, dealing with change is not my thing.
Wait, I'm confused how the sword skill made her freeze!?
Even 4 years later since I became a sao fan, it's still hard to believe this all happened as what Kayaba did was just downright wrong, especially for a video game creator!
They're in their own now!
storage."*
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Each skill puts the user in a delay, where they are frozen and unable to move depending on the number of hits, complexity, etc. They are not too long, but long enough you have to be smart. You will see it detailed more later.
Pretty fun to discuss a few basics of MMORPG like the types of damage and switch tactics with everyone deciding what role to play. But now the nightmare begins.
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It was also important to get them to level two. Lol.
Good thing this was in Japan. If it was America, they would all have been shut down immediately by the government while politicians decried Kayaba and discussed what a tragedy the loss of 10k people was and how they would get reparations from Japan for it.