Sword Art Online Integral Factor - The Demon Lord Of Aincrad - On Hiatus -

Chapter 3 - The Crew

(Note: A New Chapter 4 will be inserted into the story in this arc once I am done with making it. Until then, the chapter after this will be Chapter 4.)

So there I was, walking back into the Town of Beginnings, carrying a girl sleeping soundly on my back. Was I angry then? No. Was I confused? Maybe. The odd thing about it, it felt so peaceful. She was something, all right. I just couldn't figure out what. That's when Crawford interrupted my reverie. "Richard, why is there a girl on your back? And how in the world are you already at Level 10?!"
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I probably should tell you about my friends. As I have already mentioned, there's my best friend, Crawford. He's the "Sherman" to my "Grant", as I like to call it. A energetic volcano of a 5' 5" 17 year old captain of the school football team, he's been by my side throughout the years. Then there's his younger brother, Dalton, who has probably more determination than anyone I have ever met. Of course, Crawford and I's friendship has attracted more than its fair share of people, given that I am the "School Brains" and he's the "School Brawn". Take for instance, Crawford's girlfriend Selena Carter. A senior that does poetry and writing more than sports, you wouldn't think they'd be together. Heck, even I thought it wasn't possible and was proven wrong. Then there's Alexis Carter, Selena's younger sister and school idol. And no, I legit mean school idol, because she's the literal all around perfect sexy smart girl in the flesh. She's in here with her sister as well as a few of her besties, like Nicole Waters, head cheerleader; Isabella Kendall, a sophomore who's also a cheerleader; Clara Becky Anderson, a junior that is a rising star on our school's girls basketball team, and Elizabeth Patterson, the lovely prodigy in the science club. Aside from all of them, the remainder of my group of friends includes Brandon Waters, Nicole's brother and a running back on the football team; Fritz Stein, a immigrant from Germany to the U.S. who is a linebacker on the team; and finally, Kelly Presley, an outspoken but hot brunette and the seniors' student council president. So yeah, you could say my relationship with Crawford has gotten me far, and I wouldn't say your wrong. But, these are the people also from my school that got trapped in Sword Art Online with me, and these are the ones that, I swear, I would probably give my life just to make sure they live.
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After explaining to Crawford and the others about the sword, my new found powers, and the girl on my back, who had woken by that time and revealed her name was Koharu, Crawford looked at me, looking like he was deep in thought. "So, you are saying.."he said to me. "That either by design, luck, or by pure accident, you found a sword that has technically turned into something much more powerful than the other players trapped in the game?" I gave him a nod. "Well, at least we have a fighting chance now" he said after a moment silence. "You know people are going to call that bogus ********, right?" he asked me. "Yeah, I've already thought about that part" I replied. Fritz, Dalton, and Brandon had grins on their faces. The girls looked at me with a mixture of expressions. "So what's the next move, chief?" Crawford asked me, eager to start working his way towards getting out of here. "I think we should start leveling up, especially me, since I've got what amounts to a tank in the open."