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Chapter 380: Chapter 376 ~ A Beautiful World

A blinding light…

Then a warm, gentle breeze.

Yuuji opened his eyes to a new world.

He stood on cobblestone streets at the center of a vast circular plaza. Before him rose a slightly elevated platform, marked by four small pillars at its corners. Oil lamps lined the area, their metal frames catching the sunlight, while a tall clock tower loomed at the heart of it all. Surrounding the plaza were towering stone columns and curved walls, enclosing the space like a grand arena.

He was standing at its exact center.

To the north, beyond the clock tower, a wide main street stretched outward into the town. To the south, behind him, another road mirrored it, leading deeper into the settlement.

Yuuji tilted his head up.

A clear blue sky greeted him, dotted with soft, drifting clouds. The sunlight was warm but not harsh, carried by a refreshing spring breeze that brushed gently against his skin.

He could feel it.

”This is… impressive…”

The thought came unbidden, laced with genuine admiration. The level of immersion was staggering. If not for the faint glow of the HUD hovering at the edge of his vision—and the subtle absence of ”life” he could normally sense—he might have believed this was reality.

His gaze shifted to the upper-left corner of his vision.

A light green bar hovered there, accompanied by the name he had chosen: Yuuji. Beneath it, cleanly displayed, were his stats—HP: 250/250. Level: 1.

Simple, sleek, and unobtrusive.

But just as he began to familiarize himself with the interface, a pillar of light appeared nearby.

Then another, and another.

Within moments, dozens—hundreds—of luminous pillars erupted across the plaza. One by one, they faded, revealing players where the light had stood.

”Finally! Iʼm here!”

”Whoa… this is insane! It feels so real!”

”I can feel the wind… even the heat from the sun! Damn, Kayaba really is a genius!”

”Alright! Time to grind!”

Excited voices filled the air, overlapping into a chaotic symphony of awe and anticipation. Players moved about, testing their bodies, marveling at their surroundings.

The plaza quickly became crowded with avatars, many of them extremely beautiful, like idols or celebrities brought to life.

Of course, there were exceptions.

A few chose more rugged appearances, perhaps to look tougher than they were in reality. Others had likely randomized their looks, ending up slightly above average, though almost plain compared to those who had meticulously optimized their features. He was a part of the later group. 

Yuuji watched them in silence.

Their smiles. Their excitement. Their carefree wonder.

A faint trace of pity crossed his eyes.

They have no idea… They didnʼt know they had just stepped into a death game.

”…I should get moving.”

He exhaled softly and shook his head.

There would be time later to reflect, to marvel, and to pity. Right now, he needed information.

He needed to understand this world as quickly as possible.

After a few experimental gestures, Yuuji successfully opened the game menu. With practiced efficiency, he navigated through the interface, committing everything to memory.

Then, he checked his equipment and inventory.

He had a basic sword and basic leather armor. And in his inventory was a small pouch of Col—the gameʼs currency.

Starting funds, he assumed. Likely enough for a few potions, but nothing more.

”…First, a map.”

He quickly located it and opened the layout of the Town of Beginnings.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

”…This is a town?”

The scale was enormous, far closer to a full-fledged city than any ”starting area.”

Still, it only took him a moment to memorize the entire layout.

Without hesitation, he turned and slipped into a quieter alleyway.

”…Ai. Are you there?”

”Yes, Master! Iʼm here!”

Her voice echoed directly within his mind, bright and energetic.

”Iʼve entered the game through your NerveGear and fully integrated with your system. No one will notice a thing!”

A small smile tugged at Yuujiʼs lips.

”Good. Then scan the city. I want a full list of quests and their requirements and rewards.”

”On it! Just a moment!”

Within seconds, a neatly organized list appeared in the form of a screen before him.

Yuuji reviewed it rapidly, filtering out the most profitable quests first, followed by limited-time ones, then everything else.

”Alright…”

He stepped out of the alley and broke into a run.

Before long, he felt it—fatigue.

His breathing grew heavier.

”Hah… Itʼs been a while since I felt this…”

The limitations of his level 1 character… It would take a while for him to get use to this when he was used to his unlimited stamina.

He slowed to a walk, adjusting his pace. Even with Ai guiding him along the most efficient routes, it took nearly an hour to collect all the quests he wanted.

The city was simply that large.

”…That should do it.”

He turned his gaze toward the massive gates in the distance.

”Time to leave the safe zone.”

The Town of Beginnings was protected—no monsters, no danger.

But beyond those gates…

That was where the real game began.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

The moment Yuuji stepped outside, the world opened up.

Rolling fields of green stretched endlessly before him, dotted with gentle hills and clusters of trees in the distance. The wind rippled through the grass like waves across an ocean.

For a brief moment, he simply stood there.

”Itʼs beautiful...”

Digital or not, the scenery was breathtaking.

No wonder Sword Art Online had drawn so much anticipation.

”Alright. Letʼs begin.”

He moved forward, scanning the area.

It didnʼt take long before he found a large black boar before him.

Above its head floated its name: Frenzy Boar, along with a red crystal marker.

Yuujiʼs lips curled slightly.

”Youʼll do.”

The boar noticed him immediately.

With a loud snort, it lowered its head and charged.

With a simple sidestep, Yuuji avoided the attack effortlessly.

”Good. My senses and reaction speed are intact.”

Even if his physical stats were reduced to those of a level 1 player, his perception more than compensated. To him, the boarʼs charge felt slow, predictable. 

”Now then.”

He raised his sword casually, pointing it toward the beast as it turned to face him again.

The boar charged once more.

This time, Yuuji moved.

*SLASH*

In a blink, he passed it.

A single slash. Or at least, it seemed to be a single slash. 

On the boarʼs body, three clean slashes carved across it, each leaving behind trails of red digital particles.

The creature stumbled.

Yuuji glanced at its HP bar.

”Only one-third, huh...”

He exhaled lightly.

”Hm, much slower, but still usable.” 

Yuuji murmured, a bit disappointed. 

Dealing three slashes to a massive, slow-moving target like that was much less than he expected, even though his physical capabilities were restricted to a level 1 character in this world. 

”Now, letʼs test this.”

Sword Skills. System-assisted attacks.

He had studied them beforehand, through his scouring of the internet, from forums and message boards written by beta testers that Ai helped compile.

At level 1, he had access to a single skill:

Strike.

”Letʼs see… I just have to do the preparation motion of the skill, and let the system take over…” 

He raised his blade over his shoulder.

Then, a faint red glow began to envelop it.

”There it is.”

The boar charged again.

Yuuji waited, then released control.

In an instant, the system took over.

His body lunged forward, driving straight through the boar in a precise, guided strike.

The hit landed. 

Behind him, the Frenzy Boar shattered into fragments of light.

A notification appeared, displaying his rewards.

”Hm…”

He dismissed it, studying his sword thoughtfully.

”The damage is higher… but the speed is worse.”

His movement during the sword skill activation was much slower than his regular strike. 

And more importantly, there was a delay.

A brief but critical moment after the skill ended, where his body refused to move.

”Thatʼs dangerous.”

Predictable motions. Activation delay. Post-skill vulnerability.

If his enemies were knowledgeable about sword skills, they would be able to identify what skill heʼs going to use by looking at his pre-motion, allowing them to adjust their defense using the brief moment while his sword skill activates. 

And after they dodge or defend against his attack, theyʼd be able to counter attack while his body couldnʼt move. 

A fatal, glaring weakness. 

But in exchange—

”It dealt higher damage than regular attacks.”

High enough to make it worth it to use.

Yuujiʼs eyes narrowed slightly.

”Hm… Iʼll need to find a rhythm to maximize the benefits of using these sword skills.” 

Combining his regular attack and using sword skills during combat, finding a rhythm that would maximize his DPS. Or perhaps even using faints of activating a sword skill, only to attack faster or later than what his enemy was used to and surprise them. 

”Interesting. This could be fun.”

For someone accustomed to overwhelming power, these limitations were… refreshing.

They forced creativity in optimizing his actions within the limitations imposed to him. 

SNORT—GRRR-OINK!

Another Frenzy Boar approached, its red eyes locked onto him.

Yuuji turned, raising his sword once more.

His smile deepened.

”Perfect.”Iʼve still got a lot to test.”

The frenzied boar charged, and he calmly met its dash head on. 

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

The clear blue skies of Aincradʼs first floor gradually deepened into hues of orange and crimson as the sun dipped toward the distant horizon.

Of course, it was no actual sun, but the day-night cycle of the digital skies within the Virtual Reality game meant to mimic the actual day-night cycle.

Yuuji stood alone in a forest clearing, surrounded by towering trees and dense undergrowth. The air was thick with the scent of earth and greenery, the fading sunlight filtering through the canopy in scattered beams.

Around him, five massive plant-like creatures lay motionless.

They were known as Large Nepenthes, monsters that lurked deep within the forests of Aincradʼs first floor. Each stood over three meters tall, their grotesque forms rooted in a writhing mass of thick, tangled roots that served as their means of movement. From their upper bodies extended two vine-like appendages, tipped with sharp, blade-like leaves. At the center of their bulbous heads gaped a wide, crimson maw, slick with viscous fluid that dripped steadily as it opened and closed in slow, unsettling motions.

For a moment, the clearing was silent.

Then, all five monsters shattered at once, their bodies breaking apart into fragments of glowing light that scattered into the air like embers before fading completely.

Yuuji lowered his sword with a controlled motion and exhaled softly.

A series of notifications flickered across his vision, experience gained, Col acquired, items obtained. He dismissed them one by one without much thought.

Then a final message appeared.

Level Up. Level 7.

”Not bad.”

The monsters before him were only the latest in a long chain of battles.

At some point, while testing his abilities and growing accustomed to the gameʼs combat mechanics, Yuuji had cleared out every monster in his immediate surroundings. Unsatisfied, he pushed farther and farther from the Town of Beginnings, until he found himself deep within this forest, where stronger, higher-level enemies roamed.

Enemies that, under normal circumstances, a player at his level should never challenge.

And yet, he did.

Relying on his refined [Swordsmanship Proficiency], coupled with his extraordinary perception and lightning-fast reflexes, Yuuji fought well beyond the limits of his level.

The result was obvious. Rapid growth. 

Higher experience gains. Increased Col. And a steady stream of item drops—among them several Little Nepenthes Ovules, a material that appeared to be quite rare.

His skills had progressed as well.

[One-Handed Sword] had reached level 7. [Sprint] was now level 5. And [Searching] had climbed to level 4.

Until level 5, he had only two available skill slots—the default granted to all players. But upon reaching level 6, a third slot had unlocked, which he immediately allocated to [Searching].

A crucial ability. For now, it allowed him to locate monsters more efficiently.

Later, it would be indispensable for tracking his true targets to complete his mission.

”Ai… any enemies nearby?”

Yuuji glanced around as he spoke.

Despite activating his [Searching] skill, he sensed nothing. But at its current level, the detection range was limited, barely extending beyond what his natural vision could already cover.

”Hm~ Nope, Master! No enemies in this area!”

”I see.”

He had been grinding for hours. Too long. And he had gone too far from the Town of Beginnings. 

He still had quests to turn in, rewards waiting to be claimed.

”Time to head back.”

He turned toward the direction of the town.

”Hm?”

A faint light began to shimmer around his body.

Before he could react, it intensified.

And in the next instant, light filled his vision.

The forest vanished.

Yuuji reappeared in the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings.

Just like before, pillars of light erupted across the square as players were teleported in one after another.

But this time, the atmosphere was completely different.

There was no excitement. No laughter.

Only confusion. Shock. And a creeping, suffocating fear.

For a few brief seconds, silence hung over the plaza like a heavy veil.

Then—

”What… whatʼs going on?”

”I… I donʼt like this…”

”H-Hey, letʼs log out! Somethingʼs wrong!”

”Wait—thereʼs no logout button!”

”…What?”

”No way… Itʼs really gone!”

”Hey! GM! Is this a bug?!”

”What kind of game is this?!”

”Are we stuck here?! I—I promised Iʼd be home for dinner…”

The murmurs spread quickly, growing louder, sharper—panic bleeding into anger.

Voices rose. Demands were shouted.

The fragile excitement from earlier shattered completely, replaced by unrest and fear.

Then, a shrill scream cut through the chaos.

”Hey… look up!”

Yuuji lifted his gaze.

High above, the underside of the second floor, floating hundreds of meters overhead, began to shift.

A crimson pattern spread across it.

Like a vast checkerboard of blood.

System messages.

Warnings.

An announcement—written in an ominous, glowing red.

ʼSo it begins.ʼ

Yuuji exhaled slowly.

For a fleeting moment, pity stirred within him as he looked at the terrified players around him.

Then as quickly as it emerged, Yuuji suppressed it and replaced it with cold, focused clarity.

Above them, the crimson sky warped.

At its center, the pattern sagged inward, as though something heavy pressed against it from beyond. It bulged, stretched—like a massive drop of blood suspended in the air.

The ”drop” elongated, descending slowly.

But instead of falling, it changed. Twisting. Expanding. Taking form.

What emerged was a colossal humanoid figure—at least twenty meters tall—draped in a dark robe with a deep crimson hood.

Yuujiʼs eyes narrowed slightly as he observed it.

Then, the figure spoke.

Its voice was calm, deep, and eerily composed.

A normal human voice speaking in a neutral, utterly at odds with its monstrous, inhuman presence and the situation.

”Dear players… Welcome to my world.”

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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!! 

Also, if youʼd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at ~! 

Thank you~!