Chapter 02: Ren.
The silence was torn apart.
Kayaba's words were stuck in the throats of every player present.
They looked at each other with eyes full of confusion. Then, they turned their gaze back to the god-like figure floating above them, fear filling their retinas.
Emotions swelled, pressing into their chests before exploding into the air.
"B...beat the game?"
"What the hell is he talking about?"
"There's no way this is real."
"Defeat the boss on the 100th floor?"
"This... This is impossible."
"Even the beta testers... couldn't make it that far."
Questions,one after another, shot toward Kayaba like bullets. But all of them were ignored. The robed figure simply continued speaking:
"And finally, I have a gift for all of you. It's in your inventory. Check it for yourselves."
The players, caught off guard by this unexpected announcement, hastily opened their inventories.
Ren did the same.
He glanced around at those near him before his gaze landed on his two new acquaintances. They, too, were focused on the so-called gift.
Seeing Kirito skillfully open his inventory, Ren mimicked his actions.
He flicked his left hand lightly. A simple gesture....but for Ren, and for everyone else present, his hand felt as if it were glued to the air itself.
A deep unease welled up inside him. Swiping downward, he pressed the inventory icon.
There wasn't much inside. Like any other beginner, Ren's inventory was practically empty.
He had checked it just minutes ago when Kirito explained the game's basics to him and Klein.
But now...
To his surprise, an unfamiliar item had appeared. With trembling fingers, Ren reached toward it.
His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. The closer his finger got, the stronger the unease became.
Item:
{Silver Mirror}
Durability: 1/1
Description: "One who is strong enough to face themselves shall find the path to the light."
Ren read the description curiously, then tapped the mirror to reveal more options. He selected {Equip}.
In the blink of an eye, a silver antique mirror appeared in Ren's hand. The reflection staring back at him was the unsettling face of the avatar he had chosen.
"AAAAA!"
A bloodcurdling scream snapped Ren back to reality.
A blinding light swallowed everything within his vision just like when he had been transported here from the hunting grounds.
"Ren! Klein!" Kirito's voice rang in his ears, but the overwhelming noise drowned it out.
The brilliant light surged then vanished. Ren slowly regained his sight. The surroundings were unchanged. But...
Who were these unfamiliar faces?
"Are you alright, Kirito?" A familiar voice Klein's spoke nearby.
Ren turned his head, only to find that the owner of the voice was not the Klein he knew.
Instead, standing there was a rugged man with spiky, unkempt red hair. A deep crimson bandana wrapped around his forehead. A rough jawline with stubbly, half-shaved facial hair.
He looked like a wandering samurai or maybe a bandit.
The samurai-like man gripped the shoulders of the person opposite him, a young boy with delicate features and long, jet-black hair that fell over his face.
If one didn't look closely, he could easily be mistaken for a girl.
The two stared at each other, their faces frozen in confusion.
"Uhh... who are you?" the black-haired boy asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
Ren's breath caught in his throat. He instinctively turned to the mirror in his hand.
The face from before was completely gone.
Reflected in the silver surface was a new face a boy's face, one that was...
Cute?
Messy raven-black hair covered half of his face, wild and untamed like a wolf's mane. Large, bright blue eyes shone vividly. His pale skin, almost marble-like, contrasted sharply against the dark circles beneath his eyes.
This is... me?
The people around them had begun noticing the changes. Murmurs of shock spread through the crowd.
"I thought you said you were a girl?"
"And you....you said you were 17?"
"So that means..."
"You two are... Kirito and Ren?" Klein's booming voice drowned out the others.
"W...why?" Ren mumbled in fear.
"It's the scanners." Kirito's voice was firm. "The NerveGear completely encases a player's head and uses an extremely high-density scanning system. It can reconstruct a person's face with 99% accuracy as data. What about height and weight?"
Klein suddenly interjected, his voice tinged with worry.
"When setting up the game, we had to touch different parts of our body for calibration, right?"
Kirito seemed to realize something. He nodded, his previous skepticism fading.
"I see... It must have gathered data at that time."
Ren trembled, his breathing growing unsteady.
"What... What is going on?"
Klein ran a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling slightly. Kirito, still composed, pointed toward the Game Master floating in the sky. As if to say the answer lies there.
"He'll explain everything."
And then, the voice of the god-like figure echoed once more.
"Right now, you may be asking yourselves, 'Why?'
Why am I, Kayaba Akihiko....the creator of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear...doing this?
I sincerely apologize. This is my selfish desire.
Everything I have done is for my own purpose.
This world: Sword Art Online is the answer. The fulfillment of my dream.
And now... everything has fallen into place.
The welcoming ceremony ends here.
To all players....good luck."
The cloaked Game Master deflated like a balloon losing air. His colossal form shrank as dark light dissolved into the sky.
The crimson glow faded.
What remained was an eerie, unmoving golden sky.
Silence.
Unlike the peaceful quiet from before, this silence was suffocating.
A crushing weight pressed on Ren's shoulders. His body trembled uncontrollably.
His mind drifted into a vast, gray abyss.
Time seemed to stop.
He could no longer hear his own heartbeat.
Even the sensation of breathing was it still there?
Anxiety, fear, helplessness.
It consumed him.
The entire plaza sank beneath an invisible tide of terror.
No one laughed. No one moved.
Everyone stood still, frozen like statues.
Eyes filled with confusion and fear stared skyward, where Kayaba had just vanished—like a ruthless god.
No one spoke.
No one reacted.
Then, the frozen players started to move.
It began with a single scream.
"No... No, no, no, no, no..."
Panic spread like wildfire, turning the square into a broken ant nest.
"What kind of sick joke is this?"
"I want out!"
"Right now!"
"I can't stay here!"
"Does he want us all dead?!"
Some collapsed to the ground, their shoulders trembling violently as if their world had crumbled.
Others staggered backward, their eyes wide with terror, muttering incoherent words.
Some reached instinctively for the swords at their waists desperate for any sense of security.
The suffocating tension thickened.
Panicked whispers filled the air, only to be swallowed by an overwhelming, deafening silence.
"No, no, this is just a joke, right? It can't be real!"
"How do we get out? I can't die here!"
"Who does he think he is? Playing with our lives?!"
Among the chaos, a few were already acting....especially the beta testers.
"Come with me, Ren, Klein." Kirito called them quietly.
Ren's breath was heavy. His heart pounded. His hands trembled.
But still....he forced himself to follow.
They weaved through the crowd of Fear, Panic, and Despair, diving into a narrow alley gradually being swallowed by darkness.
"Listen. I'm leaving this place and heading to the next town right away. You two should come with me," Kirito said, his face and voice serious as he looked at both of them.
"Huh?" Ren and Klein were still bewildered by Kirito's sudden decision.
Kirito didn't explain much and simply said:
"If what he said is true, then surviving in this world means getting stronger. Resources in an MMORPG world are limited.
In other words, money and experience are restricted to each floor. The monster spawn areas around the starting town will soon be taken over. So the best way is to move to the next town.
I know a way to get there safely. Even at Level 1, we'll be fine."
Klein's face showed hesitation. He took a deep breath and said:
"But… you know. My friends and I stayed up all night just to get a copy of Sword Art Online. Right now, they're probably still in the plaza. I can't just leave them behind."
Kirito hesitated upon hearing that.
'If it were just Ren and Klein, I could manage. But adding a few more people… no, even just one more person…'
"Sorry. I don't have the right to ask you for anything anymore. So don't worry about me. You and Ren should go."
"I may not look like it, but I'm pretty good, you know. And with what you taught me, it should be enough," Klein said, forcing a smile.
"I see… Well then, goodbye. If anything happens, message me. Let's go, Ren… Ren?" Kirito nodded silently and turned to head deeper into the alley.
He looked back at Ren.
Ren stood still with his head lowered, as if entranced. He clenched his spear tightly before letting out a sigh.
"Maybe… I'll stay here too, Kirito. I don't want to be a burden. As you can see, I haven't even learned how to use a skill yet.
I'll stay here, in the starting town. And wait until someone clears the game," Ren said, his body trembling.
Ren looked down at the ground, his legs feeling shackled. The fear from facing that monster still haunted him, each breath coming in ragged gasps. 'If I'll just be a burden to Kirito and Klein, should I really go?' The thought repeated itself, stabbing into his mind like a sharp needle.
"Are you sure, Ren?" Kirito turned to look at Ren, his gaze firm yet filled with concern. "If you come with me, your chances of survival will be much higher. Don't stay here and weaken yourself."
Ren took a deep breath, but his grip on the spear remained tight. 'He's right. But… I can't.' He could only nod, his smile strained with regret.
"Sorry."
Kirito looked at Ren one last time, hesitating before turning away. His figure gradually faded into the distance. A wave of hesitation and regret washed over him, but he said nothing more.
"Well… see you." His words carried a vague feeling, as if he wanted to say something else but couldn't.
The air grew heavy in an instant, as if everything had come to a standstill. The faint sunlight flickered, fading into the silence of the alley.
Ren stood there, his chest tightening. He wanted to call out, to run after Kirito, but all he felt was a lump in his throat. He wondered if he really was just a burden to others.
'I'd only hold them back…'
"Hey, Kirito…" Klein's voice suddenly broke the silence. He grinned mischievously, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "You… you've got a pretty cute face, you know? Kinda my type."
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Ren took a step back, then another putting as much distance between himself and Klein as possible to avoid any unwanted attention.
"Hey now, I was just trying to lighten the mood," Klein hurriedly explained, his face turning red. "Ren, you're pretty cute too, you know?"
Ren stared at Klein, his eyes sharp and wary. "Thanks… but stay where you are."
"Ah… got it." Klein let out a nervous laugh.
Then Kirito suddenly spoke, making the situation even more tense.
"Honestly, that scruffy face of yours suits you, Klein," he added with a smirk before turning to Ren. "And you, Ren, if only you were a girl, that'd be even better."
The three of them stood there, the awkward tension lingering, unable to fully shake off the strange atmosphere surrounding them.
Feeling like he had lightened the mood, Klein gave Ren a friendly pat on the shoulder. But Ren's expression remained unchanged.
"Alright, if you ever need anything, just message me. My friends and I will always be around," Klein said before turning away, flashing a reassuring smile. "See you later."
Ren watched Klein's figure disappear, saying nothing more. Once again, he was left in silence, lost in thoughts he couldn't yet resolve.