Link Start~

The game will officially start at 1:00 pm and since it was still 12:50, there was still enough time for me to check my own status.

{Status – Kazuto Kirigaya}

Age: 15

Lifespan: ∞

Strength: ∞

Agility: ∞

Dexterity: ∞

Constitution: ∞

Intelligence: ∞

Charm: 20 (∞) (AN: The average stat of a human will be 10 and since Kirito is above average I made it 20.)

>Functions: [Status] [Inventory] [Scan] [Quest]

>Abilities: [Instant Mastery] [Overpowered System] [Infinite Physique] [Fictional Inheritance] [Eternal Life]

>Skills: [Programming] [Hacking] [Disguise] [Stealth] [Acting] [Engineering] [Voice Manipulation] [Parallel Thoughts] [Accelerated Thinking] [Cooking] [Weapon Mastery] [Martial Arts] [Negotiation] [Singing] [Intrumentalist] [Composer] [Dancing] [Writing] [Drawing] [Cleaning] [Management]

--Dracule Mihawk: [Haki] [Teaching] [Hawk Eyes] [Black Blade: Brandish] [Black Blade: Savage Star] [Black Blade: First Day] [Black Blade: Arc Moon] [Black Blade: Wild Slash] [Black Blade: The Void] [Earth-Crawling Slash Attack]

…

I have many skills if I say so myself and all of them are fully mastered by me. I can sing really good and I at least have to sing a song everyday ordered by my aunt or my mom should I call. I was really speechless as I never knew they would be this cute especially Suguha.

At least I know that I am now prepared and I have repaired my relationship with Suguha and with my aunt.

As I saw that it is almost time to start the game. I put on the NerveGear which now had the protective measures I have put on it. I had already told my aunt and Suguha not to remove it and just wait for me to get out of it or not, don't.

Even though I knew that I won't die from it I will still pain and who would in their right mind want to do it?

When the time turned 1:00 pm, I then said the sentence I always wanted to say.

"Link Start!"

And it feels great, never thought that it would be this great to say that, maybe I should have said that more often before.

I then entered my account and password and selected the already created account which was the name, of course, Kirito. I didn't change the name as I also liked it and it is cool got a problem with that?

My vision was then blurred because of the blinding light, moments after that, my vision returned and I was inside the game already. It felt no different from real life aside from the feeling that I am not as strong as I was in the game.

I clenched my hand tightly and formed it into a fist.

--This feels so great!!

No wonder Kirito loved to play this game, it really made my blood boiled with excitement. I then run as I navigated my way out of the town and that is when I heard somebody yelling at me also.

"Hey!! Wait up!" When I turned around, I am sure that I would see Kirito's first friend in the original series. Klein or Tsuboi Ryoutarou in real life. Right now, his appearance is of that of a calm-looking handsome warrior from the Senguko period.

I also can't blame him for that as I looked like a ridiculously handsome protagonist from some fantasy animation, which I really am since I didn't change my real appearance as I look the same as my real one.

He then asked me, "You look like you knew your way here. Are you a beta tester?"

I then answered him yes as I knew that this would have happened already but I won't be training him the same way as Kirito trained him in the original series. I have a different plan for him.

When he heard that I am a beta-tester he was very happy and immediately said, "Please teach me how to play this game. My name's Klein by the way."

I just played along as I can make him stronger so that he can lead his other friends better.

"Okay, then Klein. My name's Kirito."

…

"Ahhhhhh!!! Help me!!! Help!!!!"

On a grassy field, Klein can be seen running away as he is being chased by a [Frenzy Boar] and his curved-sword on the ground not far away from him.

I brought him here to kill some boars to gain some level but when it was time for him to try and kill one he would always run away like a chicken or a sissy cat.

"Don't run away from there. Go get your sword then faced your enemy, then try to gather some energy and then try to feel if the skill start and when it does, you just go BAM and hit the monster with it."

I yelled at Klein to which he followed my order, with my skill [Teaching] and Mihawks experience, I am able to teach even a stupid goblin to become the demon lord if I am given the chance.

Klein then picked up the sword which was lying on the ground, he then lowered his stance and raised his sword as if he was going to shoulder it. This time, the system sensed the pose correctly.

The [Frenzy Boar] was now near him but I just let him be, then his arcing sword started to glow orange.

"Ha!"

With his low yell, he jumped off the ground with a movement that was completely different from the ones before.

*Swish-~* With this crisp sound, the sword drew it's flame red trajectory through the air. The [Reaver], a basic skill of the one-handed curved sword, struck the boar right in its neck as it was about to charge and got rid of the rest of its HP, which (Like Klein's) was about half full.

"Guekk-" it gave a pitiful cry and it's large body shattered like glass and purple numbers appeared, showing how many virtual points I gained since we are in a party. Although he will get most of it since he was the one who dealt the last blow to it.

"Ye~~a~~h!"

Klein struck an over-blown pose of victory with a huge smile on his face and raised his left hand.

"Congrats on your first victory... but that boar—it's about as hard as slimes from other games."

"Eh, really? I thought it was some sort of semi-boss or something!"

"Not a chance."

My smile became a little forced as I sheathed my sword on my back.

The two of us then continued to hunt monsters, Klein was improving gradually as he got the hang of it. We only stopped when I saw that it was already 5:00 pm as I knew what would happen at 5:30 pm.

"But really... however many times I look around like this, I still can't believe that this is «inside the game»."

"Well even if you say 'inside' it's not like our souls were sucked in or anything. Our brain is just seeing and hearing instead of our eyes and ears... with the signals that the «Nerve Gear» is sending," I said with a shrug.

Klein pouted like a kid.

"You might be used to it now, but for me, it's the first time doing a «FullDive»! Isn't it awesome? Really... it's a relief that I was born in this era!"

"You're exaggerating."

Klein was staring at the wind passing through the plains and the castle walls off in the distance with actual tears in his eyes.

"So, SAO is the first game for the Nerve Gear that you've played?" I asked.

"Yeah."

Klein continued in his low vigorous voice, which (of course) was different from his real voice as well.

"Well, to be exact, I sorta bought the hardware in a rush after I managed to get my hands on SAO. There were only ten thousand in the first batch, so I suppose I was really lucky... Well, if I think about it, you were ten times luckier when you got picked for beta testing. They only picked a thousand!"

"Ah, yeah... I suppose."

Klein smiled and took another look at the clock.

"...Well, I'll log off for a bit. Thanks a lot, Kirito. Be seein' ya."

With that, he put his hand forward. I just shook his hand also as I knew that he won't be able to leave the game.

"Yeah, see you around."

I moved a bit and lay on the grassy field comfortably. I am just waiting for Kayaba Akihiko to summon us to the central plaza.

Then...

"Eh?" Klein said in a strange tone. "What's this...? There's no log out button."

"You sure?" I asked him, acting a bit confused as to not to be found suspicious.

Klein then looked around it again and again and said.

"It's really not there. You take a look Kirito."

"Okay..." I then swiped my right index finger downwards as I look for the <Log Out> button only to found the box where it used to be where blank.

"It's really not there."

"I told you."

--I knew from the start

I added inside my head, as Klein was starting to panic, I didn't do anything to calm him down as I enjoy looking at him as he looked like a duck quaking around. Hehe

*Ding, ding*... A chiming noise like a bell —or perhaps a warning chime— sounded loud, making Klein and me jump in surprise.

"What's this!?"

Klein shouted as he looked at me as both of us were immersed in a clear blue pillar of light. The grassy field in front of my eyes blurred steadily.

As my vision returned what I saw was not the grassy field anymore but a large road paved with stone. Medieval streets surrounded by street-lamps and the huge palace radiating a dark light a fair distance away up ahead.

This was the starting point, the central plaza of the Town of Beginning.

And I knew that the real game has finally begun.