The first day in Sword Art Online was supposed to be a dream come true for Kirito. As one of the thousand selected beta testers, he was already familiar with most of the game's mechanics, monster locations, and hidden quests.
But a bitter reality struck when Kayaba Akihiko announced that they were all trapped in this virtual world.
"The only way out is to clear all 100 floors of Aincrad." Kayaba's voice still echoed in his ears.
After parting with Klein—a newbie he'd mentored on the first day—Kirito decided to head to the next village. He knew of a hidden quest there that could grant him a better sword than the fragile starter one.
However, something unexpected happened. Something that would alter his entire journey in Aincrad.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
A gentle breeze rustled through the dense trees on the hill. Kirito walked slowly, his sharp eyes scanning for his target—Little Nepenthes.
"There."
Kirito drew his sword slowly, his black eyes locked on the monster's movements. The Little Nepenthes hadn't noticed him yet.
"Now!"
With swift motion, Kirito lunged forward. His sword glinted under the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
The Little Nepenthes reacted quickly, its green body springing aside to dodge the first strike.
*SWISH!*
Kirito's attack narrowly missed. The monster retaliated, lashing out with its whip-like tentacles.
*CRACK!*
Kirito parried with his sword, sparks flying from the clash. His HP dipped slightly from the impact.
"GYAAA…"
The Little Nepenthes gave no pause, launching a second attack with two tentacles at once. Kirito dodged with a roll to the right, tumbling nimbly across the grass.
Springing up, he countered. This time, his movements were precise—a straight thrust aimed at the Little Nepenthes' core.
*PU-CHI!*
The sword hit its mark. The monster's HP plummeted, with only a quarter remaining.
"Almost done." Kirito readied for the final blow.
The Little Nepenthes seemed panicked, retreating while emitting a shrill whistle. Its tentacles flailed wildly, trying to intimidate Kirito.
But Kirito knew this monster's attack patterns too well. He advanced calmly, sword raised high, poised for the finishing blow.
"Goodbye."
Kirito unleashed his final attack—a diagonal slash certain to end the Little Nepenthes.
But just before his sword struck—
*SWOOSH!*
*CRUSH-BANG!*
Another blade suddenly appeared from the side, cleaving the Little Nepenthes into shimmering light fragments that vanished.
"Have I ever provoked or angered you? Why are you doing this to me? Because of you, my level's lagging behind so many other players!"
With his personality ill-suited for socializing with strangers, Kirito couldn't contain his anger.
His usually calm eyes now radiated frustration at the white-robed figure before him.
"Yeah, I did it on purpose. So what? If you don't like it, beat me, loser." The figure replied, his tone mocking.
That figure was none other than another Savior who'd come to this world, Miguel Antonio.
Since day one, Miguel had repeatedly harassed Kirito.
From sabotaging Kirito's quests, to stealing the final blow on monsters Kirito fought, to announcing to every village and town that Kirito was a beta tester, turning other players against him.
Miguel's infuriating antics were relentless.
"None of this would've happened if I could beat you."
Clenching his fists tightly, Kirito was deeply frustrated by his misfortune.
He'd once fought Miguel—only to be pitifully defeated, his HP bar nearly depleted. Since then, he hadn't dared challenge him again, fearing death.
What baffled Kirito most was the absence of a name or cursor above Miguel's head. He couldn't tell if Miguel was a player or an NPC.
It's worth noting that cursor colors are part of the game's visual interface. A cursor appears above players, NPCs, and monsters when a player focuses on them or if a monster is within detection range.
"Can you stop harassing me? If this keeps up, my strength will be at the bottom!" Kirito pleaded, his tone laced with desperation.
"That's your problem, not mine. You know, seeing your frustrated face is pretty entertaining. Especially after all those anime characters with faces and hair like yours popped up." Miguel said with a mocking smile.
Kirito sighed, trying to calm himself. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to clear this game and return to the real world."
"Oh, sure. Everyone says that. But look at you, 'hero.' You'll always lag behind because of me." Miguel sneered.
Kirito drew his old sword. "I won't let you block my path!"
"Looks like you forgot last time's lesson. Come on, Beater! Show me how far you can run from the fate I've set for you!" Miguel laughed.
The fight broke out again. Kirito attacked furiously, his Sword Skill [Vertical Square] flashing swiftly. But Miguel dodged effortlessly, barely moving.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
Miguel's movements were like a dance, evading each of Kirito's swings with terrifying precision. Not a single attack grazed his black robe.
"That's it?" Miguel taunted, leaping back as Kirito attempted a thrust.
"Are you a hero or a snail? Even a rabbit's faster than you."
"Shut up!" Kirito shouted, activating [Slant], slashing diagonally.
*SWISH!*
Miguel tilted his head slightly, Kirito's blade missing by less than an inch.
"I told you, don't be so predictable." Miguel said, shaking his head.
Kirito felt his blood boil. He knew Miguel was far stronger, but every taunt and provocation felt like a slap.
"What do you even want?"
"What I want? I just want to have fun. And for me, fun is watching pathetic heroes like you struggle."
Miguel gave a faint, infuriating smile in Kirito's eyes.
"…"
Ignoring the taunts, Kirito focused on finding an opening. He tried a combo attack, leaping and swinging vertically, followed by a horizontal slash.
*BAM!*
But Miguel had read his moves. With a light flick, Miguel appeared behind Kirito, nudging his back and making him stumble.
"Careful, Kirito. You've got a long road ahead." Miguel whispered in Kirito's ear before stepping back several paces.
"Damn it!"
Kirito spun around, but Miguel was already far off.
Frustration piled up. He knew he had to get stronger, but Miguel never gave him a chance.
Every time Kirito found a strong monster that could yield hefty EXP, Miguel would appear out of nowhere and steal the final blow.
Every time Kirito attempted a lucrative quest, Miguel would "accidentally" provoke a boss monster to chase him or spread word that Kirito was a greedy beta tester, turning other players against him.
Kirito had even tried hiding. He went to a remote grinding area, hoping to level up undisturbed.
After hours of fighting monsters alone, Kirito felt satisfied seeing his EXP bar nearly full.
But just as he prepared to defeat the final monster that would level him up, Miguel appeared from nowhere, killing it with a single, unseen strike. Kirito could only stare at his unmoving EXP bar.
"…"
Kirito knew fighting Miguel was pointless. Miguel's strength was leagues above his. It felt like trying to hit a shadow. Every attack was dodged.
Every success was crushed. Kirito felt trapped in a vicious cycle crafted by this black-robed man.
(Ah, bullying the protagonist is so much fun,) Miguel thought deviously, toying with Kirito in the palm of his hand.