"Go on Rivaille, it's about time for the servers to activate." The doctor smiled. "Now I promised your brother I wouldn't let you miss the grande opening. Go on now." He smiled again.

The visor snapped down over his head, and Rivaille's eye were wide with excitement. "Link start!" He felt a surge in his head, as the game loaded, and he was taken to the avatar menu. He didn't care much for this, picking his own scanned appearance, using his surname 'Tatsumi' as his username. He appeared in the centre of the town of beginnings. He stood tall, making a spin. He could breath, and the air felt good. It was the first time he had been on his feet 'outside' for a month or so. 

The news that the log out button had been removed, trapping them inside this death game, did bring great shock to him. However, he was probably one of the few that stood there in the courtyard laughing. What did he have to lose? At least if he died here, he would die being like everyone else again. 

------------------

He didn't want to die though. He knew what was necessary to survive in this world. Especially with the help of the guide book in his inventory. Tatsumi had carried out some early grinding, to put him ahead of a lot of players straight from the off. It did suddenly hit him though. What was the point of this? They would never win this game, so why try? Why not just live here until his body in the real world failed? He could live a healthy few years here. He laughed to himself, making his way into a nearby inn angry with himself for daring to allow such thoughts to enter his head. He had to get back, if not for himself, to at least say goodbye to his family before he passed on. "Fuck it! I don't give a shit!" He stormed in. "Get me some meed." He paid the inn keeper, and began drinking. He turned around on his stool. "... Can I offer any of you lovely players a drink?" He bowed his head, in a sarcastic manner.