Chapter 8: Problems
[3rd POV]
{Host has been cut off by the system} Alexa said in a mechanical and stoic voice.
[Attempting connection restoration]
[...]
[Failed]
[Attempting again]
[...]
[Failed]
.
.
.
As this continued some of Eric's spirits noticed some change, and two quickly appeared in the lobby to question Alexa.
Two figures emerged in sight. It was a large brown Mecha that had a scythe and a large mechanical dragon.
Ursarctic Grand Chariot: ALEXA! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KID?
He said worriedly
{It seems that, because of the application 'Brain Burst', the host has been cut off by the system. Everything that has been restricted and hidden in the system has been freed, thus everything in the system is overworking trying to stabilize the host's brain, it is currently making the host brain processing more than he can take, making the host stay in a coma-like state until he is either released or forcefully taken out} She again says in a mechanical voice.
Drytron Meteonis Draconids: How do we do that? And can't you stop it?
She said, as she didn't want Eric to be in a coma.
{As I have said, the host has been cut off from the main system but not entirely. We have to attempt to reconnect with the host} she only said.
After contemplating for a while Grand Chariot began to speak
Ursarctic Grand Chariot: Hey Alexa, what is making Eric's mind like this?
{Host has a hidden title. The sudden influx of information, in the form of memories, may cause damage. If this was done in the appropriate way, the host would have received memories little by little until the system deemed it to be safe for him to receive.} Alexa told them. {The skill 'Protagonist' has also activated, it is the only thing keeping him alive right now, along with his immense luck. After proper procedures, it will be sealed again. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the host memories, if we try to rip off the memories of host again then it may cause permanent damage to his brain}
Ursarctic Grand Chariot:…
Drytron Meteonis Draconids:...
Both were only silent after hearing Alexa. Eric, they're friend- No, Family is on the brink of death, and they can't do anything about it.
Drytron Meteonis Draconids: Then, Are there any alternatives?
She began to say after being silent for a while.
[Processing Alternative Solutions]
[...]
[Alternative Found: Find something compatible that can be integrated with the host brain to help the host with the burden of overdrive, reconnecting once again.
Drawback: Permanent integration]
Ursarctic Grand Chariot: What's that supposed to mean?
Grand Chariot asked confused
{Well, it helps host process more information in his brain, an extra processing unit if you will}
[Searching…]
.
.
.
[Found: Fluctlight remains found; Consciousness fragments found: Object ID: WLSS703; 53% Compatible]
[Notice: Needs Fluctlight full permission for complete integration]
___________________________________________________________________________
Remembering the day he saved me, his cute face, his nice personality, and strong aura made me attracted to him.
He saved me when I was being bullied and said words that nobody has ever said to me. His warm smile, and his warm look in his eyes. He felt…
Genuine.
'If I ever get to meet you again.' I thought. 'I'll have to thank you for helping me.' As I was excitedly thinking of ways to thank him back.
As I was in a daze. I didn't notice a pop-up suddenly appear, making me shriek and accidentally pressing a button.
I looked over to see a loading bar. I got worried, as I didn't check what the content of it was.
Was it a virus? Was it something bad? Was it just normal mail? Or maybe even someone trying to hack my neurolinker?
Suddenly, flames began to appear as the loading bar reached 100%
[Brain Burst]
[Welcome to the accelerated world]
____________________________________________________________________________
We see a skinny boy under a bridge, he wears tatters for clothes. He looked malnourished, and weak. His eyes were weak, he was on the verge of death.
'What's this?' the boy thought
He was looking at something that caused him to think.
[Brain Burst]
[Welcome to the accelerated world]
"Brain…" He starts to question "Burst?" As he completely closes his eyes.
.
.
.
After a few moments of silence, the boy's eyes once again opened, full of life. Gone were once the dead eyes that he wore. He looks around confused.
There was only one question that was on his mind.
"Where am I?"
____________________________________________________________________________
[1st POV]
[Eric]
I open my eyes. I was no longer in that dark space, I looked around to see my surroundings.
"Where am I?"
I was in a forest of some kind.
As I was in awe looking at the forest that surrounds me. Suddenly, memories of my past started flowing in. My head ached, my mind hurt, and I felt myself being torn into many pieces.
I fell on my knees, sobbing with sorrow in my tears.
I felt my whole world end, and it basically did. I died and left them.
Alexa…
She was the one I heard before, waking up…
Clouds of doubt filled my mind, questioning myself further and further. I'm descending in a pit of despair and madness, hoping for a sliver of hope…
Never finding one.
I was alone, no one to save me.
I was breaking down.
'Where is she?' I question finding the person who supported me, cared for me, and looked after me, after being thrusted in another world.
The one who I shared memories with, the one who I cared for, the one that I…
The one that I loved and treated as my family.
Where was she? Did she abandon me as well? Was all our memories a lie?
I felt myself sinking more and more in that deep abyss of despair, with no more light. The vibrant colors of my surroundings seemed to get sucked dry. The colorful blue sky, the tall colorful trees, and the grass that seemed to be full of life turned gray and dull. The song of the birds got filtered out, making me hear nothing but my own thoughts.
I was broken…
.
.
.
I am broken…
.
.
.
*Thump*
What was that?
*Thump*
As I was thinking this I heard a loud thumping sound.
I don't know why, but…
I felt attracted to it, I felt myself hearing and being drawn to it…
*Thump*
I slowly got up, ignoring the state I was in…
*Thump*
I walked to the direction of the sound…
*Thump*
Somehow it gave me enough strength…
*Thump*
I passed many trees and felt getting closer and closer…
*Thump*
I heard the soft chatter of children in the direction of the sound…
*Thump*
I heard childish laughter…
*Thump*
When I finally got there, I saw 2 kids talking to each other while one was chopping a tree. A giant cedar tree that seemed to reach the clouds above.
The boy kept chopping until he noticed me looking at me.
He smiled and waved hello, as I stepped forward.
Seeing him wave at the girl, he was talking and looked at me as well.
As I reach them, after looking at me for a few seconds the boy speaks up.
"Hello. Are you ok?" He said worriedly.
____________________________________________________________________________
It's been a few weeks since I found myself in a new world, it was a mix of medieval with dueling.
Yes dueling in medieval times, how strange is that?
Apparently I was wandering near a village called Rulid.
After telling my story which I just said that I woke up there and not knowing why, they just called me "Lost child of Vecta".
Now I know where I was, I was in the Underworld from the SAO series.
I knew my new world was connected to a bunch of stuff, but I still don't know why I'm in the Underworld.
For several days I tried calling for Alexa and my spirits, but got no answer.
I sat on the side of the Gigas Cedar, watching the sun fall and darkness take over.
I held my lifeless cards in my hands, thinking about the past.
"ERIC!" A voice called to me.
I looked around to see my 2 new friends waving their hands at me. One was a boy with a slender-looking boy with soft-looking, flax-brown, slightly wavy hair, gree] eyes and a cream color skin. He wore an unbleached, rough cotton or flax, short-sleeved, light blue tunic with irregular texture, hand-sewn threads on the cuffs and a V-shape cut on the chest, tied with a light brown cord, and trousers.
The other was a girl with sparkling blue eyes, and long, golden hair that is tied to both sides of her head, and a braid running down from the back of her head, a bow attached at the end of the braid. She also wore a white lace around her forehead.
They were Eugeo and Alice from the anime; Sword Art Online: Alicization, they were the ones that found me and led me to the village
I watched them run to me holding a small picnic basket.
"ERIC!" Eugeo calls out to me with a smile, while waving his hand.
I just wave back at him with a fake smile, trying to hide my sadness. They didn't seem to notice as they reached me.
"What's up guys?" I told them.
"Up?" They were both confused about what I said. They looked up at the sky, finding nothing.
"Ah- Nothing" I forgot slang words like that weren't invented yet. "A-anyway, How are you guys? Anything new?"
This seemed to knock their confusion out as they happily told him about their day.
Yes, despite being welcome to the village, I decided to stay in the forest, building a little hut with the help of the villagers.
I wasn't ready to be around people, being surrounded by families happily living their normal lives, it made me depressed thinking about my own family,
But with Eugeo and Alice, I somehow feel comfortable.
We set up our little picnic blanket, we ate food, talked and after all that, just layed down on our backs.
We looked up to the bright, twinkling stars in the sky, it looked more beautiful than ever.
'I guess humans did mess up somehow, huh.' I thought while looking at the stars above.
Seeing this beautiful scenery made me want to copy and paste it into my own world.
Alas, It was only a dream.
"Eric" Alice calls out to me "Can you teach us about the stars again?" She asks me.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Eugeo excitedly agrees.
I just smile at their excitement.
I pointed out a certain star in the sky.
"Do you see that bright star?" I asked them, and seeing them nod I continued. "That's the north star, or from where I come from, we call it Polaris."
"Now If you follow it like this…, I continue pointing to the other stars that connect the constellation. "it creates a small dipper. It's called the Ursa Minor. Some people say they see an illusion of a small bear if they stare enough"
I saw them trying to imagine a bear in the night sky, I smiled as they showed bright smiles.
"Are they more?" Alice asks excitedly.
I just smiled and pointed to another star. "There's another star right there," I pointed out. "If you follow it again, it again shows a pattern of a bigger dipper." I traced my hand for them to see. "That's the constellation Ursa Major, like Ursa Minor people imagine it to be a big bear in the sky, look at it again. From the head of the dipper you can trace its body and legs" I explained as they tried to follow my hand to see the stars.
I felt a pang in my heart as I tried to explain the constellations.
I just shake my head and look back at Eugeo and Alice, to see them concentrated at the constellations I pointed at.
"And finally in between both those constellations, you can see a tail of another constellation." I pointed at the stars that run through the sky. "If you follow my hand to the head of it, It's called the Draco constellation, people imagined it to be a dragon"
After my explanation I just lay there, remembering the good times I had with my spirits, how we played and how they took care of me.
'I miss them' I thought to myself, some tears fell down my face but I quickly wiped it off.
I looked at both Alice and Eugeo, with sparkles in their eyes.
"Wow." Eugeo said.
I just smiled and closed my eyes, letting sleep take over me.
____________________________________________________________________________
I'm it very good at explaining things so sorry for some confusion
I'm very sorry for this very late update. I was busy for a few weeks, then my laptop wouldn't charge while I was trying to come up with what I wanted this story to be.
Anyway, I feel like rewriting my first chapter, because if I left it there, I think I won't be able to write what was on my mind, so expect a rewrite for the first chapter only.
I'm very sorry for this late update, and thank you for reading