Arc 1 - Hollow
With only 25 floors remaining in the floating castle of Aincrad, Wilhelm, also known as Will, suddenly finds himself in an unknown area normally sealed off to players known as the Hollow Area. In doing so, he meets a girl named Philia...
I appeared in what looked like a deep forest. The canopy meant that there was little light coming in, but I was still able to get a feel for my surroundings.
Me - Hello? Anyone here?
My call was only met with silence. I figured I check my menu to see where I might be in Aincrad. However, that didn't really help since it just said "unknown."
Me - (Well, thank you game!)
I also ensured that my stats and items were in order since I had no idea whether or not I'd encounter any monsters here. Luckily for me, it was relatively quiet; only the sound of birds to be heard here.
Me - Welp... I guess it's just me, my sword, and my handsome looks.
At least, it would have been if it weren't for one little detail. Soon after I said this, I heard some footsteps from off in the distance.
Me - (Hm... Looks like I'm not alone)
I looked over in the direction of the sound and noticed a blonde girl with a blue hood running straight toward me. Before I could think of anything else, she bumped into me, knocking the both of us back. I was knocked onto my back but managed to recover quite quickly. The girl made a swift recovery and immediately charged at me with her dagger. She slashed at me, but I was able to dodge it.
Me - HEY!
She slashed again, with me ducking to avoid it. I quickly pulled out my sword to block her blows, and once you knew it, the two of us were engaged in combat. Definitely not something I was expecting to do today...
Me - We can resolve this diplomatically, you know!
As soon as I said that, I caught a glimpse of her cursor, and I was shocked to see that it was orange instead of the usual green.
Me - (What? A red player?)
As a bit of an explanation, an orange cursor is typically found on players that have committed murder or any other heinous crime. These players are often referred to as "red players," and PKers and their guilds are among the most infamous. You can do a karma restoration quest for the first few offences, but I do know that 5 or more offences can leave this cursor permanent.
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Anywho, we eventually crossed swords and were now and a state of deadlock, the girl staring deep into my eyes. If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by now.
??? - Who... are you?
Me - That's what I should be asking!
*BANG*
We were interrupted by a bang to our left, and we quickly broke the clash to see what it was. My eyes widened when I realized what it was.
Me - (A skull reaper?! I remember this guy from the 75th floor, and it did a number on the assault team. But what's it doing here?)
