The Crimson Hunter. SAO X Reader. [DRAFT].

Reboot: Preview.

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12 October 2023.

10:46 PM.

Floor 44.

The Still Forest.
35.2 km from the city of Vest...
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The sky was dark, as how it always was when the sun went down...or at least what counted as the sun, it was more that the intricate symbol that provided light in the day had merely gone darker, making the sky dark to simulate the night, the symbol simply glowing a faint white, a proxy moon if you will...

A proxy moon, surrounded by proxy stars, in a proxy sky...in a proxy world...

A fake world...a faux...an illusion...

....But a very REAL illusion nonetheless.

The Still Forest was, well, still as the calm wind passed through the tall, towering pine trees. The forest was vast and expanded a fair amount of Floor 44 outside of the Safe Zone, so much so that there were even villages designed to be made in between the trees, standing high the air as though replicating a true fantasy world.

Which of course is what Sword Art Online was centered on, and so it was an extensively explored floor, gathering many players...

And with that...many opportunities...

But for now, all was quiet....all...was still..

Criii-Criii...Criii-Criii...

Hoo-Hoooo...Hooooooo...

CRUNCH!!!

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Hah...Hah...hah..."

"Move! Move! Move!"

"SHIT...SHIT!!!"

"What the fuck!? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!!???"

"I don't know!!! I don't know!!! Just keep running!!!"

CRUNCH!!! THUMP-THUMP!!! CRUNCH!!!

But alas, within the quiet silence, a new opportunity...had arisen.

The group ran, they ran and ran and ran, crunching leaves and twigs, scaring the small wildlife that littered the ground and floor-level vegetation they ran past, a squirrel scurried up its tree and into its nest, a hare hopped out of the way of their metal boots, the small sparrows flew back up and away from the armored players, flying into the trees and their nests made into the branches high in the sky.

They ran, and ran, and ran...

The man was starting to tire, he felt his lungs burn and the muscles in his legs sing in agony. The cold sheen of sweat on his temple and forehead began to drip down, sliding down his cheeks and slipping past the corners of his mouth, some of it even getting in, the salty taste spreading across his tongue, it also began to drip down his brow, getting into his eyes and blurring his vision as he continued to run through the dark forest. He wiped his eyes as he continued to run, his sight now clear as he narrowly avoids a pine tree he almost it.

His plated armour began to feel heavy and hot inside, clanging and scraping together as he sprinted.

His panting sounded hoarse and dry as he pushed himself, the sound of labored breathing and the crunch of dried grass filling his ears alongside the pounding of his heart, fueled by adrenaline...and by fear.