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Level Real Quest [SAO]

[X] Awakening.

You blinked in confusion.

And then...

You remembered.

Heart pounding fear. You didn't want to die. You refused to die.

You swung your spear and flinched at each returning strike came closer to you.

Of that treasure room with its trap that prevented usage of crystals.

Of the desperate fight.

Of how one by one, the Black Cats, no your friends fell.

Ducker killed by pickaxes where he had fallen.

You heard Tetsuo's name being called out as he fell to a golem.

And of Sasamaru's attempt to avenge Tetsuo's death... his poor futile attempt.

Shattering into polygons of light, each cascade of brilliant polygon a herald of death in Aincrad and the Real World.

You could sense Kirito's rage.

His desperation.

You knew of how much higher level he was... and yet, he was trapped here with you.

Trapped in that crimson lit room filled with monsters.

His roar as he shattered monster after monster with clean slashes to get to you. To come to your help as you fended off a golem.

There was that jerk as you were hit in the back. Just once... but you could only watch helplessly as your health bar slipped into crimson.

You had so much to tell him. So much to say.

And yet, you could see your health falling from its healthy green into yellow, and into crimson.

You were out of time.

All you could say was... "Thank you. Sayonara." before your world flared into brilliance. A pittance of words before the world went black.

All you had was the knowledge that you had left message in your shared inventory for him.

A simple message and a simple song. But it was all you could give him with all your heart. To encourage him.

And now, you were.... here.

In this place.

This city. You had no other words for it. A massive metropolis that spanned the world. Buildings all as tall as skyscrapers. If you didn't know any better, you could swear you were in another virtual reality game world such as Aincrad.

But it wasn't.

It couldn't be.

The least of things; the breeze blowing upon your face, the sensation of cold water on your face, the taste on your lips... the NervGear hadn't come close for such, it came very close.

But this... it felt real.

Shaking your head, you looked about to find an image on the ground where you had woken. A stylized cat face. And a glowing green crystal hanging over it.

It was one that you recognized. Being that which had hung over players in Sword Art Online.

- - -
Level Real /// The Roof
- - -​

What Do?
[X] Drink some of that cold water from the hollow in the moss, it seems clean enough.
[X] Investigate the cat face and crystal? Perhaps tap them?
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
[X] Open the door and go through it.
[X] Write in.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.

It may be best to check now rather than let the knowledge of what it could be nag at you.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
 
[X] Pray you're wrong and try to open the user menu.
- - [X] Investigate the cat face and crystal? Perhaps tap them?


It was a stupid notion.

A desperate thought.

An action done hoping it would fail.

By rote, you moved your hand just so. That motion had been trained into you for over a year to produce your menu, to get at your inventory. At your skills.

This was the action that everyone in Sword Art Online knew and had down to a pat. One timed to the fraction of a second; trusting in that skill to open up one's inventory for that healing crystal or that teleport crystal or even to switch skills and equipment.

This was something you expected to happen.

It didn't.

To your relief.

But also to your horror, for how could a crystal flow in mid air before you save but that of a Virtual Reality?

Reality didn't work that way.

And if you were trapped in a more advanced reality, but had no access to your inventory or skills...

That wasn't a good thing.

Still, if one thing could be said of that devil Kayaba, he was fair. Thus, if you were still in Sword Art Online... then, there had to be something to that floating crystal or perhaps picture where you had woke up.

The image appeared to be carved into the stone tile with some sort of burning tool, perhaps a laser or some sort of exotic cutting tool. You couldn't say.

The crystal appeared to defy all laws of physics which seem to be at work, given the real life resolution you were experiencing, the sensation of wind blowing your hair across your face, and how cold you felt.

Those were VERY good arguments that you were in the 'real' world. But were you? And how would Kayaba even know what your school uniform looked like, that wasn't information that could conceivably be in the servers.

Worrying questions, certainly.

There was also the thought that you were dead and this... this was the after life. An endless empty hell just for you.
- - -
Level Real /// The Menu or Lack There Of
- - -​
What Do?
[X] Experiment with the crystal?
[X] Drink some of that cold water from the hollow in the moss, it seems clean enough.
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
[X] Open the door and go through it.
[X] Write in.

Writer's note -
Every one seemed to have voted for this, I thought to throw in an obvious continuation that some had voted for in SB.
 
[X] Experiment with the crystal?
 
So that thing is a cat?

(also minuseven lmao a cat is the best thing to want to be. XD)
 
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.

Strange things are strange and worrying. It may be best look around and confirm that nothing else is going to bother you before poking at this one in detail.
 
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
 
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.

(unfortunately, I'm still a long way off from feline perfection... nyão~)
 
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
 
Votes Votes

LightMage, Adyen, scope
[X] Experiment with the crystal?
- - [X] Try and touch it, then move it around.
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more, see what happens (If you can grab the Crystal) when you move it near things.

Spectrum
[X] Drink some of that cold water from the hollow in the moss, it seems clean enough.
- - [X] Take a small sip first and wait several minutes. Investigate your surroundings in the meantime. If you feel no adverse effects, drink more later.

[X] Experiment with the crystal?
(QQ) - Malcolmo, Happerry

[X] You're thirsty. Drink some water.
(QQ) - Vindictus

[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
(QQ) - Merior, Jans, minuseven, Redon
 
[X] Investigate your surroundings some more.
Sachi Event / Environment - 1d100=74
Sachi Survival - 4d10 → [8,3,6,2] = (19)

A year of living in a death game. A year of surviving Aincrad, even if it was with your friends, meant that you had certain instincts ingrained into you.

One of which was, if you're not in a safe zone, you MADE sure you were safe and that there was no <<mobs>> or unknown players near you when you did things.

Common sense, really.

Which was why you looked about before touching anything.

The floor of the roof was simple tiles that you would see in Tokyo. The plants... not so much different than what you expected, brown bark, green leaves, flowers, and was that? Those were fruits on the small plant growing there. Limes.

And... you examined the plants on the roof that you were on more carefully.

There were a few limes from one bush, but the tree was what you were surprised by. It had apples. Small miserable green apples. You wouldn't buy them in a store, no.

But as you plucked on from the tree and examined it carefully, you had to say that either you were in a VR system generations beyond what was possible with the NervGear, or this was... reality. The texture of the feel of the apple in your hand, the slight scent there, those couldn't be quite achieved with the NervGear. At least, not yet.

Which meant something odd was going on.

It was possible you were hallucinating while dying, you really hoped this wasn't the case.

Or you were caught in some nightmarish scifi story.

You had to catch a hysterical laugh from escaping your lips. You could see that title now; Sachi in the lost world.

Shaking your head, you rinsed the apple and bite into it.

Sour.

That was your impression.

Sour and bitter with a hint of sweetness.

You slowly chew it and swallowed.

It was the most horrible apple you had ever eaten.

It was the best apple you had ever eaten.

It was... [REAL].

I̕ ̷́͟s͏e̷̶̕e̸̷ ̀y͜҉́o҉ù͜͞. ̧I̧ ̶̴̢ḩ͜͠é̵̡ar̷͡ ̴҉̕yo͢͞u̧.̡͞ ̴͝I҉ ̵̢͜t̸͠a̕s̴̷te y̴o̴͜u͞҉. ͘Y̵ò̷͟u͢'̶̡r̵͘͞e̕͜ ͏͘h͟èr̛͘e̛.̶ ͟͞H̀e͡͞ŕ͡e̛͡.̛ ̴̶͟H͠É̸RÈ͞.̷̶̨ ͟HÈ͜R̷̵É͡͞.̕҉ ͞H̵̢E̵͝R̸E.͞ ̕ W̛͢i̸̧͢t̸́h̡ ̡̛́me.̡̀͘ ͢

Was there something in the breeze? You could have sworn you heard whisperings. You shook your head and returned your attention to the apple.

You sighed and slowly enjoyed the apple.

You tested the water next. A small sip to see if there was any reaction first. You vaguely remembered those survival; scifi stories that you little brother enjoyed. Of people exploding because they ate or drank the wrong thing. Ludicrous, of course. But there was something about making sure water was clean.

The water tasted cold, plain and pure.

Walking about the 'small' roof, you looked out at the other buildings. They appeared abandoned. But here and there, there were worrying signs.

Graffiti.

Normally, you would shrug at such. But a good number of them were placed too high, were too big. To be able to do them, one would need to take stupid risks and be harnessed and even then... for some of them? It would take far too much work.

Still, it appeared to simply be random symbols and a mishmash of words like "I was here!" or "For good time, call XXX-XXX-XXXX"... normal graffiti.

Still, if the other buildings were like yours, there likely were plants with fruits, and small places where pure water had collected.

The only problem was... getting down your building and up the other ones. The buildings did appear rather tall.

- - -
Level Real /// Fruit of Knowledge and Sweet Water.
- - -


What Do?
[X] Examine the Crystal?
[X] Collect as many ripe fruits as you can?
[X] Open door and step through?
[X] Write In
 
Immediate safety assured, time to examine the plot hook.

[X] Examine the Crystal?
 
[X] Collect as many ripe fruits as you can?
 
[X] Collect as many ripe fruits as you can?

Am I the only one who keeps pronouncing the title as Level Ray-ahl? As in, Real Madrid? Just me? Okay then.
 
Tally Tally

[X] Examine/Experimen/Something the Crystal?
(QQ) - Redon, Nekraa, Pipeman, Carrnage, Bloodshifter, Killian_Darkwater, Jans
(SB) - Spectrum

[X] Collect as many ripe fruits as you can?
(QQ)- Happerry, Inara Seraph

[X] Suddenly become a Planeswalker and WALK!
(SB) - Malbutorius

(SB) - scope, kestrel404
[X] Inventory is gone... do we have a bag or pouch of some sort on us? Better have a poison purging crystal on hand, just in case. Then...
- - [X] Examine the Crystal.
- - - - [X] Keep an eye on your surroundings, especially the door.
 
Do a little something something to that [X] Crystal.
 

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