Sword Art Online: Global Revision

Truth Through Turmoil

Chapter Six: Truth Through Turmoil   

July 27th 2031

Edmond stared down his target: a wild boar. He raised he crude wooden bow towards his eye, which was bloodshot from a lack of sleep and relentless explanations to Thatch and his guild about what he’d experienced with Kayaba.

                As he honed in on his shot, he continued to recount the previous thirty-two hours. Right at the top of this list was a lack of sleep. Aside from the obvious inconvenience that it had offered, he had spent that time walking Thatch through everything that had happened. The guild was skeptical, to say the least, but in time Thatch had convinced them to listen to Edmond.

                As soon as Edmond had let Thatch know what he possessed the ability to use the fruits of any class in the game, Thatch sent him into training. The toll was beginning to make Edmond’s body stiff and tired. Before the pain barrier had been disabled, avatars could spend hours grinding away at enemies without even feeling the least bit tired. Now, however, approaching the sleep barrier had much more real consequences. Most hardcore players could pull about thirty-five hours of gaming before their avatar forced them into an inn. Edmond was testing this theory to the fullest extent.

                “You know, you DO have to let the arrow go…”

                The voice suddenly snapped Edmond back to the reality in front of him. Kitami’s voice. Even as sleep was trying to force it’s way into Edmond’s system, her voice had a sobering effect on him. Thatch had sent Edmond and Kitami (with a team of four other Gunners) to the outer walls of the Town of New Beginnings to teach Edmond to properly use a bow.

                Thatch had developed a plan. He was taking Khale’s threat very seriously, and had sat down with a multitude of guild leaders to discuss plans of action. After a five hour stint of egotistical bickering, the collective of leaders all agreed that the first plan of action should be to secure the Town of New Beginnings. From that point (providing they survived Khale’s new assault) they would work their way through the treacherous floors of Aincrad. It was a bold plan, but it was eons better than some of the other proposed plans which ranged from: “Look, why don’t we just shotgun the floors, and kill ‘em all?” to “We’re all going to die! What’s the point in even trying?”

                Thatch’s plan was to launch a projectile defense against Khale and his assassins. He figured that if they could hit them from a distance, they’d had no chance at harming defenseless players within the walls. The assassin class had the ability to wield a crossbow, as did the engineer class, but it was slow and clunky compared to how quickly the traditional bow could reset an arrow. Edmond, Kitami, and an army of archer classed players would keep a continuous barrage of arrows flying, as the Smoking Gunners Guild would be using smoke bombs and powdered explosives to keep Khale’s assassins confused and vulnerable. All of the other guilds were being directed to hold down key points of the Town. These points hid the weaker players in an attempt to keep the body count light.

                Edmond released the arrow. Bull’s-eye. The boar fell over, dead, blasting into a million tiny shards of glass. Edmond’s avatar glowed slightly and the words “LEVEL UP!” rose above his head. He was now level seventeen. Not too bad for almost a day and a half of straight training.  Still, it probably held no candle to the likes of Khale’s men. He could only hope that the majority of Khale’s men were a comparable level. Regardless of that, Edmond felt much stronger than when he had started.

                “Nice shot, maybe you’ll be as good as me someday…you know, if we survive.”

                Edmond turned around, lowering the bow. Kitami was cracking a weak smile, even following the morbid joke she’d just told. Kitami had been a huge help when Edmond had begun training just twenty or so hours ago. When he first started, he was holding the bow awkwardly, and couldn’t hit a target to save his life (literally). The first ten or so arrows he shot flew clear over his target, agitating it, and causing it to attack. Luckily, Kitami was there to land a, well placed, shot between the eyes. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the Gunners who Thatch had sent as a defense force didn’t laugh hysterically every time it happened.