Chapter 5

The awe-dropping view of the game was unmatched. Since everything looked almost photorealistic, it was nice to see a beautiful view with floating islands and mountain ranges as far as the eye can see.

Looking around I saw multiple players fighting boars, most of them carrying swords around their waist and across their back. Some carried rapiers, daggers, axes, and other weaponry.

"Hey, we should go find one ourselves y'know."

"Huh? Like one of the boars?"

"Yeah, it's how we get EXP and level up."

"Oh, sure then."

Being guided around the plains, I followed Emi as I took some thoughts to myself. How did Emi find me so quickly? What am I supposed to do here? Where do we find a boar? While searching I decided to ask Emi a simple question.

"Emi, how did you find me so quickly?"

"Oh, well at first, I saw your username, Toru, thinking it wasn't you until I got a good look at your character. Why did you use your real face?"

"Oh, don't people usually do that?"

"No, in games like this using a false name and customized character is usually the regular."

"Oh, well I got the username part right then." I chuckled.

Emi chuckled as well as we spotted a section where boars weren't being hunted as often. It was a perfect spot, having a nice view of three floating islands with a vast forest underneath it, the trees going as far as the mountains are on the horizon.

***

"This is a perfect spot to sit down and have a picnic." I awed the view.

"It's a beautiful view, but we're not here for the view Kanao."

We began heading towards a boar, its head turning towards us as it rotated its entire body to face us. Hearing it growl made me a little anxious, hunting is something we must do but I've never done anything to this degree before.

Without hesitation Emi unsheathed her two daggers as she ran at the boar. I watched her as I stood there, seeing my friend who gets bullied at school be so confident in fighting a wild animal essentially.

The boar roared out as it charged at Emi, Emi smiled as she weaved out of its direction swiftly, stabbing and dragging her dagger against the boar's side as they passed each other. The boar swiftly made a U-turn and began running at her again. Emi clenched her twin daggers as they glowed a purple color.

She's taking a kneeling stance...

I observed as Emi stayed in a kneeling cross-guard stance seeing the boar coming ever closer towards her. I thought she was going to get slammed straight into the boar as she just sat there.

"Emi!!"

I shouted as Emi suddenly vanished when the boar tried swinging its head towards her. I blinked as all I heard was a single slash, Emi then appeared behind the boar, standing up as the boar turned a light blue to cyan color and shattered into polygons.

What...What just happened...?

I blinked as I ran over to Emi, worried if she got injured. Emi looked at me with a confident smile, I've never seen Emi this confident before as I hugged her when I got to her.

"Are you okay Emi?!?"

"I'm fine, why didn't you unsheathe your sword and help?"

"Well- I..."

I tried thinking of an excuse as Emi sheathes her twin daggers behind her. I looked at the Odachi sheathed also behind me as I didn't know what to tell her. Emi didn't mind it however, chuckling as she pats my back.

"How about you give it a shot?"

"Wha- Huh?!? Me???" I pointed at myself.

"Yeah Kanao, you have to at least beat one boar."

"I- Well- I'll try..."

I sighed as I walked towards a boar, taking the Odachi sword off its sling and taking it out of its sheath. This...This is a heavy sword... I struggled a little bit, carrying it as the boar came running at me. I flinched a bit as I heard Emi shout from nearby.

"Jump out of the way Kanao!"

Following Emi's instructions, I moved out of the way seeing it run past me, I turned as it also made a U-turn running back towards me. I struggled to raise the odachi up and slashed downwards, causing the boar to force itself to move and get scrapped near its front right leg.

It squealed running off and turning around for another charge, I felt that using this sword was completely useless, feeling how heavy it was.

"How do I change my sword!"

"What?"

"HOW DO I CHANGE MY SWORD!!"

"Oh, open your menu-"

"HOW DO I OPEN IT!!"

I was then smashed in the stomach by the charging boar, my eyes widening feeling the impact as I fell backwards and landing onto the ground. My health dropped a little bit, holding my stomach and curling up a bit from the excruciating pain.

"Swipe down on the air, it'll open your menu!"

Could...Could've told me sooner...

I swiped down with my hands shaky, hearing a chime as I began to get up, getting on my knees as I saw six buttons. I tapped the first one as my Username, Stats, and other attributes came up.

This...This isn't it...

I turned my head as I saw the boar charging at me again, rolling out of the way just in time as I looked and saw the Equip section. Tapping that section on my stats opened a list of items.

I need something close ranged...not too heavy...not too light...

I looked as I heard it charging again, not looking up from my menu I then spotted a style that perfectly fits my needs. Here we go... I tapped the style as Emi realized she wasn't moving from the spot.

"Crap! Kanao!!!"

Emi shouted as she began running, drawing out her daggers when suddenly the boar stopped in its tracks. Emi stopped as well as she saw the boar being lifted and onto its hind legs. I was lifting the boar up by holding onto its front legs, feeling it squirm as I let go of its right leg clenched my hand into a fist, slamming my fist straight onto its underside.

BAM BAM BAM!!!

I continuously punched its underbelly with my right fist, gritting my teeth as its health was beginning to drop. My stamina was dropping as well, landing one more punch straight into it. Adrenaline was rushing through me as I huffed and puffed, pulling my fist out of it as it began glowing cyan, shattering into polygons.

I stood up slightly exhausted as Emi ran over, worried. I looked over at Emi and gave her a thumbs up, smiling at her. Emi smiled as she hugged me this time.

"God, I thought you were going to take another hit from it."

"No, I just had to get the right weapon."

"Your...fists?"

Emi looked down at my hands, seeing that my hands were outfitted with simple fingerless gloves with a hardened material on the knuckles, including my thumb. Emi seemed surprised as she opened her own menu, scrolling through her equipment section, seeing the style itself categorized. Martial Arts / Unarmed Combat.

Just as she looked, she realized the exit button was gone, just then we glanced at each other.

"Hey Emi, are you supposed to be glowing?"

"You're also-"

Just then Emi and I were teleported to the middle of the Town of Beginnings along with almost a couple thousand other players. We looked around as we began to see players being teleported into the middle non-stop. I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.