Aftermath

I had met the man while taking a shortcut through an alleyway, quite a lucky incident.

What should I do now?

I need to hide for a little while and let everyone calm down after what I did; I doubt seeing me kill someone and "asking for forgiveness" the same day would give me very high chances of success.

So going to hide somewhere would be best, but it's not like I know specific places to take shelter in this world.

It's unclear, but I'll find the way!

First of all, it's not safe here...

I have to light away into the wilderness and get some distance from here first, it's not like I have any better options. I could train my fighting skills while hiding from players filled with a hypocritical fury.

Though, I'll have to use the drunkard's sword. My spear is technically not broken, but using it would be a risk and it would break after a few uses.

Should I take this chance to start learning to use a sword as well? A spear is a mid ranged weapon and a sword is a close ranged weapon, knowing how to use both would be a major boost to my combat capabilities, though a spear would still be my main weapon. While a spear has better range, a sword is a perfectly valid side-arm.

So the last thing I would need to be a fully rounded fighter would be a bow, for long range, but I doubt I'd make a very good archer.

Scratch all that for now, it doesn't matter. I'm thinking about pointless things, all I need to think about is how to escape this town without being caught.

Pulling out the map and remembering my location from before, I saw virtually no path out that wouldn't lead to a populated area. So my best choice would be to run across rooftops? My only other option is sneaking through the populated areas while praying that I wouldn't be caught, but while I appreciate my luck, I'd prefer to not place everything in its hands.

Taking out the cracked and splintered starting spear along with my new sword, I stuck the spear into the wall above me, used it as a handhold to pull myself up, then stuck the sword into the wall higher up, pulled myself up, then repeated the actions until I reached the rooftop.

By the end of this, both were fairly tattered. Ah, well. At least I have a good view from up here.

Making sure to crouch down so I'm not seen by people in the streets, I cursed the Japanese and their land for reducing me to a hiding rat.

Truly, my luck has been horrible since I came here.

Noting that I'd have to jump across some gaps in between buildings to stay on the rooftops, I made sure to inspect the area before I jumped anywhere.

While inspecting the area and looking out for players, I found some and listened to their conversation.

"That duel earlier was… way too brutal! I thought it was just a prank or joke, they'd just talk it over and not get hurt. But the Hegemaniac guy was a straight-up murderer!"

"I hope that guy gets thrown in whatever this place's equivalent of a jail is!"

"Obviously. That's why everyone is looking for him. What if he goes after more people next?"

'If' he goes after more people? I think you mean he will go after more people.

So every player in the city is on the lookout for me?

Great. Just great. Will I even be able to salvage this reputation problem if that's the case?

Though, I could just run away from this town and never return. That'd fix the problem.

Anyways, execute a tactical retreat first, plan later.

Eventually, I reached the edge of town, where I'd have to just sprint out in the open with no cover and hope that no one is around to see me.

Starting to run, my feet crushing the grass and dirt beneath me, I made it out of sight of the town, taking a second to relax and calm my breathing.

Noting a dirt pathway a hundred or so meters away, along with a big rock, there wasn't much decoration in this place.

I expected to end up in the forest nearby or at least some trees, but the only thing all around me was grass.

Truly, the Japanese wilderness is nothing compared to the great mountains and fields of China.

There was little cover here, to hide from players passing by, but there were a few bushes. I made my way between them, and brushed off some insects that leapt onto me. Well, it was an easier fight than the one in the arena, I'll say that much.

Sitting down on the grass, I pulled out my sword and inspected it.

It's a mediocre weapon to be honest, but that's by normal earth standards. This is a fantasy world, who knows what kinds of items are out there?

Compared to a weapon of myth, this sword would be like a hunk of trash in a dumpster.

Having rested enough, I got up, placed the sword in my inventory, and noticed a boar running towards me, its ashy brown hide being quite the contrast against the green fields.

Pulling out my sword yet again, I hoped this weapon would be easy to use. It has even more sharp sides than the spear. How hard could it be?

About to find out, I lowered my body to the ground and started forming my strategy.

To start with forming a battle strategy, one must consider their opponent. Their strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities.

Mine is a boar.

The boar is not a complex opponent. It will rush towards me, try to impale me with its tusks, and try again if that fails in an ever repeating cycle. If I harm it decently, it will run away.

So all I need to do is strike the legs.

Without the full capabilities of its legs, it won't be able to attack me or run away. It will become a sitting duck, incapable of retaliation.

And then there's me.

The next part of forming a proper strategy is to consider oneself. One's own strength, weaknesses, and capabilities.

While most would expect a Chinese male to learn traditional martial arts, even as a patriotic man, I have to admit many of those martial arts moves are impractical. Besides, sparring in those arts is often more of an art display that doesn't teach you practical combat, while boxing is primarily for blacks and therefore will allow for all kinds of savagery and head trauma in comparison.

So I took boxing. A good foundation for fighting, good for strengthening the mind and will, good for improvising moves.

Boxing is a simple fighting form popular among a simple race.

Beat up your opponent until they are knocked out, dodge and block what you can, don't get taken out.

That is boxing.

A simple and brutal fighting style that fits me more than the martial arts of my homeland, despite their history and representation of Chinese greatness.

However, boxing does not translate to weapon skill, so all of my moves with these weapons are pure improv.

But even with that fact, I can easily beat a mindless beast that can't come up with strategies at all.

As the beast rushed me, feeling deja vu from the last fight I had with one of these, I sidestepped its attack, crouched down, and swiped for its legs. I swung as hard as possible, but it turns out that this doesn't matter if the sword's edge doesn't align properly with the target.

I managed to nip one of the back legs, but didn't deal much damage because of the thing's speed and durability. It rushed me again, and I did the same thing, but this time, I sidestepped quicker while swinging more carefully as possible, and this time, I felt the sword trying its best to shear bone and muscle off the beast's leg.

Dealing some good damage this time on a back leg, the creature now had a limp, but it decided to attack once more. Blitzing me yet again, I remembered that saying about the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Can a boar be insane? I once heard a great Chinese national leader speaking about 'insane Western pigdogs,' I wonder if this boar is of a similar kind?

After going through the movements twice already, I had it down, and executed the strategy while being even more efficient.

This time, I sliced off one of the front legs.

That's the match. Even one leg gone is death for a four legged animal, it needs all legs for maximum capability.

It tries to get up, but the lack of two front legs to stand on topples it, and I see two good ways to kill it: going for either the gut, slicing its innards open, or the face, blinding it, breaking its skull, and splattering its brains all over the grass.

Choosing to go for the option that won't dull my blade as much, I kick the thing's hide, tipping the creature on its side, and quickly stabbing the stomach before it can right itself up.

It was a simple, unpretentious method. The creature had less need for protection on its lower side, because it is facing the ground and is rarely bared to assault. The upper side and skull are vulnerable to injury from any direction, and so they are more firm. I took the simpler option, and that has made all the difference.

[CONGRATULATIONS.

Experience Points Gained: 50

Cor Gained: 10

Item Gained: Boar's Bones]

Throwing the item into my inventory and seeing that my EXP bar had only gone up by a small increment, I simply thought about how easy that was.

Sidestep, crouch, slash, repeat.

Shows how easy warfare can be when you are fighting a simplistic creature like this. A pig is only slightly higher a being than a Japanese person.

But, is this my life now? Running around like a rat while killing some weak monsters?

No. I can think of a way to do what I want - and need - to do and perhaps have some fun while being a convict, or I can solve my problem by clearing my name… somehow.

Walking with no clear destination is a stupid idea, so it's a good thing that there's a pathway near where I rested; it should lead to some civilization.

Starting to walk along it, I put the sword in my inventory and hoped for the best.

POV Switch - 1st (Kirito)

I… I just saw a man get killed. I just saw my FRIEND get killed.

It was just a duel. I got a notification asking me if I wanted to watch it, and I accepted because my friend Daisuki was a participant, who I had met during the beta test. We sparred together a lot and fought hard in duels too.

He said he was going to buy a NerveGear for his wife and take her on adventures.

We agreed that he would introduce her to me when we met up, after he took her on a few adventures.

But I never got the chance to see her.

Who killed him!?

…Why am I asking, I know who did it.

I ground my teeth.

Hegemaniac is the player.

Although I only knew him for a few months, I will avenge Daisuki. What if Hegemaniac goes after more people?

But, he was able to beat Daisuki, I can't just stroll up to him and try taking him out, so I should train and level up more.

Starting to run through the town, my equipment still mere starting gear, I made it to the edge of town and walked - slightly dazed, sure - through the fields, eventually finding a wolf.

Well, not a normal wolf.

It had horns growing out of its face and was colored blue, the paws colored white in contrast.

Pulling out my sword, I rushed the thing.

Maybe I'm being hasty and immature by rushing into battle so quickly after my friend's death.

But I don't care. Slicing this thing up is all that matters right now.

Slashing towards its face, my level four body not being quick enough, it dodged.

Going for an alternate approach, I rushed it again, then effortlessly sidestepped at the last moment to strike towards its side, trying to penetrate the side's hide since it couldn't dodge so easily there.

Rather than slicing through the monster, my sword stuck itself in flesh after going a few inches.

The wolf turned around.

Unable to feasibly pull my sword out without getting clawed to death, I had to let the sword go, and it fell out of the wolf's hide after a few seconds.

Without my sword, I can't fight this beast's claws, teeth and strength.

Without my sword, I am nothing.

If I can't beat this random wolf, how do I expect to beat Hegemaniac!?

I waited for the wolf to attack me. As soon as it did, and lunged towards my position, I was no longer there and had dodged to its right. I sprinted towards my sword, and picked it up.

Turning back towards it, I noticed my cut was having minor effects on the monster. It was turning around slowly.

I ran towards it with my sword raised, and as it reared to challenge me, I shifted to its side. As it turned once again towards me, still moving slowly, I cut harshly across its forehead, causing blood to flow into its eyes so that it didn't know where to attack. As it flinched back, I reversed my blade and slashed it across the creature's eyes for good measure.

Blinded in both eyes, the creature howled, and I took the chance to finish it off.

Bringing my blade above my head like an executioner, I brought it down and sliced into the monster's head, feeling my sword split the skull and cut through brain matter.

Getting my "congratulations" screen and rewards, I saw that I had reached level five.

Hegemaniac can't have a higher level than this, right? He didn't look like a beta tester, he didn't even look that experienced...

No matter his level, I will bring him to justice.

POV Switch - 3rd

"I'm so glad I have players like these!"

In a pure black space that had a few screens showing events and players in Japan, a black haired little girl was cheering for a black haired boy on one of those screens.

"Maybe he'll even be able to defeat… the killer!"

Looking at another screen, a muscular, pale man was walking along a pathway, hoping to find a town or something of that sort.

"Good thing I gave the invitation to his duel across all of Japan, rather than just his local area. Now everyone will know to watch out for him," saying that last part with a smug smirk.

'...Although the Leader did say to show no bias, I can't just do nothing! If I gave him the skills and achievements he was supposed to get and he used them to kill more people, who would be the real murderer?'

Standing up from her chair with a satisfied expression, "So my logic is flawless! No one could fault me for it!"

Sitting back down, "So what other players have potential or strength right now?"

Seeing a caramel haired girl cutting up a boar, she nodded in approval.

Seeing a few others fighting monsters, including a blonde haired, green eyed girl with a cloak, she had the same satisfied expression as before.

"I bet I have the goodest players out of all the admi-"

"What was that?"

"AAHH!"

Jumping up from her seat, there was a blonde haired, blue eyed girl who was around the same height as Yui, looking at the screens in front of her.

"I- I didn't tell you to come in! You wouldn't like it if I came to your region and invaded your space either, would you!"

"If you did so, you wouldn't leave with all your body parts. So these are your players?" the girl wondered out loud. "Some of them look to be good, but the majority are a waste of resources. Going by my personal experience and various recruitment theories, if they haven't displayed any value yet, they're like worthless soldiers that are, and forever will be, grunts. Well, maybe not all of them would be grunts, but they wouldn't be at the top, that's for sure. At least right now they are grunts, they can become more, but any of the valuable ones would have shown a semblance of worth by now."

"..."

"There's the one from the 'staff meeting' we had," said the girl, pointing to the muscular black haired man. "He's probably the strongest one in the batch, and would be even better if you gave him his skills."

That got Yui's attention. "Ho-how do you know about THAT!?"

The blonde turned to the girl next to her with a face that seemed to be saying, 'Are you an idiot?' "He has no skills, despite being the first player to win a death duel, as well as being the first one to hit double-digit levels, and a few other achievements. Anyone who doesn't realize that there's a problem is most likely braindead, and it seems you are one of those people."

She contemplated that list of accomplishments further.

"Say, would you like to transfer him to my region? I wouldn't want you dealing with such a brute by yourself, after all."

Taking advantage of their acquaintanceship and Yui's childishness, the girl tried to poach another admin's player.

"You would do that for me?" said Yui with starry eyes and a grateful expression. "I've been trying to get him out of here, but the Leader said I can't until he does more bad stuff."

The blonde was incredulous at Yui's attitude, though she kept her thoughts to herself. 'Obviously he did so. What was his crime, killing a guardsman and his horse, along with stealing some replaceable produce from people who haven't even been bestowed with life yet? It's a tame action compared to what I predict some will be doing down the line.'

"Sure. Although, Xing took an interest in him, so we'll see what happens. I'm going now."

'If she can be scammed so easily out of her most valuable resource, then what will happen if she meets a Nigerian Prince? I must find one and get him to email her.'

"Thank you so much!" said Yui while trying to hug the girl before she left.

The black haired girl tried to catch the blonde haired girl, literally flying through the space trying to reach her fellow admin.

However, she only fell on her face after hugging thin air, because the girl was already gone.

"...Back to admin-ing."

(A/N: Was going to post these (along with another chapter) on Monday, but decided to do it now instead... Bombs away, I guess. All is in its place.)