Sword Art Online-Encroaching Shadows

Chapter 7

After a month into the live version of Sword Art Online the death toll was nearing the two thousand mark. All perished on the first floor of the virtual world known as Aincrad. In that time, Jemza had never seen another player die. She had typically hunted in areas less travelled not only to avoid competing for creature spawns, but also circumventing the possibility of watching someone succumb to this world.

For a week she remained indoors in the Town of Beginnings. Aincrad's lowest level where everyone currently lived was the largest in terms of land. It spread out in a ten kilometer diameter with each floor above it gradually decreasing in size. The hundredth floor was basically one large castle creating the tip. One of the most awe inspiring sights of Aincrad was standing on the edge of the world from any floor. Open sky as far as you could see stretched beyond the borders of each floor. This was because Aincrad and the entirety of its hundred floors floated high in the clouds.

The Town of Beginnings was near the edge of the first floor and during the first few weeks of imprisonment many people who disbelieved the developer's threats sought to find a different way out. They refused to accept the rules put in place instead choosing to take matters in to their own hands. Others couldn't handle the mental strain of being held prisoner in the game and went insane. Jemza hid in a room so she wouldn't have to watch these people leap from the side of Aincrad in an act of suicide.

When reality settled in and the player base left behind after the beta testers and strong willed individuals left she began her own journey into the wild of Aincrad. She wasn't new to MMO games and found that after the initial fear of combat she could control it and harness it into strength. Aincrad might be a game of death, but so was the real world. Perhaps, living here in Aincrad wasn't so bad after all. She began to enjoy the game for what it was rather than letting the fear of death control her. Unnecessary risks were of course avoided, but controlled steady hunting gave her the confidence to smile.

If she could get stronger, slowly, over time then it was possible that being trapped in this world was a good thing. By now almost a month later she barely thought of the real world. She didn't fight so she could clear the game and escape this prison. No, she fought because in a sense this prison was her freedom. It wasn't like anyone cared if she came back alive.

Growing little by little through safe and controlled hunting. So, why was she leaping high into the air with a dagger pulled back in the beginning motion of a sword skill? Why was she screaming hard enough to make her throat hurt? Most important of all, why did she feel nothing but hate as her body hurtled towards the <<Little Nepenthes>>? Every semblance of rationality evaporated from her mind as blue lights sparkled around the blade of her <<Moonlit Silver Dagger>> reaching down around her hand and forearm.

"Guwaaaaah!" An equally intense roar emitted from the mouth of the creature as she collided with the bell shaped torso slamming her dagger into the soft textured skin. As her feet hit the side she kicked hard propelling her upwards while still shoving the blade of her dagger into its body. With a wet tearing sound, she flew high into the air, her dagger slicing the creature from its midsection all the way to the top of the sprout of leaves on the head. She rolled once in the air landing on her feet in a crouch behind the <<Little Nepenthes>> just in time for it to shatter into fragments.

Ignoring the window that appeared showing her experience gain, col, and items she spun running towards the tree where Jayce landed. Only now did she see his health level stopped near the 10% section. She slid along the dirt on her knees grabbing him by the shoulders and forcefully rolling him over. The <Anti-Harassment System>> would probably give him a window asking to push her away, but as he tipped onto his side nothing appeared, nor was she thrown back.