Chasing Brinley (a story inspired by Sword Art Online)

Zero

"Elspeth, cover me!" "River, stay alert!" "Don't waste your concentration!"

Back and fourth, back and fourth, we shout orders, plans, and announcements at each other.

"Come on, Blaise, you can do this!" Elspeth shouts to me, noticing my preparation for a spell that requires a high concentration level. This attack will drain most, if not all, of my concentration and mana. I'm sure I'll need at least three boaster packs.

I don't mind Elspeth or River calling me by my real name in the game. I'm perfectly fine with it. I guess River didn't mind, either, considering the fact that she used her real name as her username.

Elspeth despises her name for some reason, and she threatens to kill me whenever I say it. Once when I called her by her real name over and over again for a whole day, she actually did kill me. That was before we were trapped in MMO. Now Elspeth won't even point her sword at me. I don't understand why she hates her real name. I think it's cool. Nicolette.

Elspeth reminds me of nature. From her pink baggy pants and bright green belt to her white plain shirt and armor, she looks like a freaking flower. Well, if you don't count her black leather ankle boots.

River's name kind of matches her appearance. She has light sky blue hair and blue eyes. She has almost a soft appearance with her light blue cloak with dark blue shorts and a light blue tank top, but she's as tough as rock. I'm honestly surprised that her feet aren't killing her considering the fact that she doesn't wear shoes, but I guess her thick socks give her some sort of protection.

Elspeth has almost the same haircut as me (except her hair is lavender, mine is not), and I think it's quite funny. It's like she's trying to look like a boy. But River, she's the girl of the world, no question about it. Elspeth's bright green eyes are almost hypnotising, it should be in her skills set. She and River are both average height, same as me, with River having pale skin and Elspeth having tan skin, like me. Sometimes those two amaze me with their appearance and skills.

I swiftly take my leather pouch out of my pocket, dodging the Plantay's spell area just in time. A Plantay is a type of monster. It specializes in magic, but its branches can use combat. A spell area is the area in which the spell is targeted at, and you have time to react and dodge before you're hit. It's almost like Gun Gale Online, just like the accuracy of the spell area depends on your current level of concentration. I notice River shooting the branches. She and I've tried Gun Gale Online, not my cup of tea I guess you could say, but River loved the wide variety of guns, she's even studying them in this game.

My dark blue hair sticks to my face, using my sweat as glue. I think River notices the fear in my purple eyes, but I cover it with a smirk. I reach into the pouch and grab half a handful of magic dust (I crafted the dust myself, so it has different abilities no other normal magic dust would have). The Plantay (specifically a cross between a tree and a flower, level twenty, I'm level nineteen) quickly summons a spell and shoots it in my direction in seconds. I panic. Concentration level one. I need at least a level four for this attack.

"Elspeth!" I shout, while River is currently occupied slashing the continuously growing branches that try to attack us.

"I got it, Zero!" she yells, charging up to the Plantay with her pink pixie sword ready, which is a sword completely made out of pixie dust and magic, both solids and gases.

Elspeth distracts the Plantay, as I begin to go in for the kill. I toss my magic dust into the air, quickly making hand gestures and saying a spell before it falls. The magic dust freezes into the air. I move the clump of dust with my hands, aiming it straight towards the roots of the Plantay. My concentration level rises to two. Three. Four. Finally.