[i][color=Khaki] - Ritaka - [/color][/i] 12:55... 12:56... 12:57... 12:58... [i]12:59... Ritaka quickly gulps down the rest of his drink, and puts on his NerveGear... 12:59... 12:59...[/i] [b]13:00![/b] [color=Khaki]"Link start!"[/color] [i][color=DarkKhaki]Welcome back to Sword Art Online...[/color][/i] Ritaka smiled with a stretch. He pulled out his default sword and took off for the fields. There were quite a few people there, but still enough boars for everyone. Ritaka played in beta, so he already knew how to fight. He stood stance, held while the boar came towards him, then shot forwards. He skid to a stop, whipped around, and attacked for a second time. The boar broke into pieces of light, and disappeared. Despite having done it before, Ritaka smiled when the pop up came up. It had been a while since the beta test, and Ritaka had all but lost the feeling of a sword in his hand, and the sparkles of a dead enemy. Ritaka trained for a while, almost nonstop until the clock in the corner of his vision said it was about 5:00. He headed back to the village, sold some drops he got from the boar, and began browsing. He had been planning ever since the beta test ended what he wanted to do. First, he bought a new sword. It wasn't all that much better, and it certainly looked just as normal, but hey, all the extra damage you can get. He also bought a message recorder crystal. There weren't really screenshots in this game yet (despite the flood of screenshot-relating suggestions he and a bunch of other beta testers posted on the SAO website), so he decided that he'd use message recorder crystals to record memorable moments. He bought a couple health crystals as well, of course, then headed back to the fields. After killing a couple more boars, he decided that it was time he left and got something to eat. One could starve to death just by playing this game. Eating in game would only satisfy, and make one think they weren't even hungry. Play with caution, all ye little irresponsible children. Just as he was about to open the menu, light began to swirl about him, and he was transported to the Town of Beginnings. [i][color=DarkKhaki]Supper can wait a few more moments, I want to find out what this is...[/color][/i] Ritaka thought. Thinking maybe it was a special event (and they didn't really have "events" in the beta test), he decided to bring out his message recorder crystal to record it. [color=Red]"...as I'm sure most of you already know, the quit button in your menu is missing..."[/color] [i][color=DarkKhaki]Really? What?[/color][/i] Ritaka thought in alarm, and pulled it open. Sure enough, there was no quit button. Good thing Akihiko Kayaba was here, or they would all be in a bit of trouble. [color=Red]"...This is not a bug."[/color] [i][color=DarkKhaki]What, do they have exit points in towns and stuff? As irritating as that would be, it would make sense. It would keep people from logging out in dungeons if they're almost dead, and wait until the monsters are either killed or move off somewhere else...[/color][/i] [color=Red]"...Furthermore, if you die in the game, or someone attempts to forcefully pull the nerve gear off your head while you play, [b]you will die in real life![/b]"[/color] Ritaka's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. These weren't just ordinary changes, this is [i]insanity![/i] After the announcement, Ritaka just stood there dumbfounded for a second, looking into his mirror, with his message recorder crystal just floating beside him, finished recording the announcement. [color=Khaki]"..."[/color] Ritaka got a hold of himself, just to see a girl {[@Caits]Suki} dart off. [i][color=DarkKhaki]Where is she going? She could get herself killed if she goes alone![/color][/i] Ritaka thought, and darted after her. [color=Khaki]"Hey, wait up!"[/color] He called to her. She eventually stopped and turned around. [color=Khaki]"Hi, my name is Ritaka. Um... I think it would be best if we stayed in at least groups of two."[/color] Ritaka said, gripping his sword a bit tighter than normal.