Wang Yang had never encountered a Frenzied Boar, but from anime he knew that Frenzied Boars were the lowest-level monsters in Sword Art Online. Even so, despite being the weakest monsters in the game, they were still troublesome for new players experiencing Sword Art Online for the first time.
There was only one reason: the combat system in Sword Art Online!
Could this unremarkable short-haired player in front of him be a Beta Tester?
Wang Yang hadn't realized that tens of thousands of players had already spent around four hours leveling up. Those four hours had been precious to them, giving them enough time to learn how to perform the correct motions for the system to recognize. So, naturally, Frenzied Boars were no big deal to them.
Unfortunately, Wang Yang hadn't had that experience, nor had he had the chance to get used to it. At the moment, any encounter with a monster came with a threat to his life.
Seeing Wang Yang's surprised expression, the short-haired player smiled without a care. "You're still level one, right?"
"How did you know?" Wang Yang blurted out, his eyes narrowing.
The short-haired player touched his head and nodded toward Wang Yang's body, making his meaning clear.
Wang Yang looked down at his chest and immediately understood. He wasn't wearing a single piece of equipment, and he'd been standing in front of the counter, hesitating. Those two things had convinced the short-haired player that he was level one, which was why he'd kindly suggested the Bronze Thin Armor, the piece with the highest defense bonus.
"Trust me, you can't go wrong with my advice. And you haven't bought a weapon yet, have you?"
"..."
Wang Yang wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it. He'd gone to the Equipment Shop first, and while thinking about what gear to buy, he'd completely forgotten that he needed a weapon too.
This was a common failing among online game players: when buying equipment, they'd often purchase it without a second thought, simply to boost their stats.
Wang Yang broke out in a cold sweat, silently cursing himself for even thinking of spending all his Kael on equipment. Fortunately, the short-haired player had shown up in time. Without a weapon he could handle, even the best armor wouldn't help.
"Thanks for the reminder and the advice," Wang Yang said quickly, still shaken.
The short-haired player nudged the strip of cloth tied around his forehead and flashed a hearty smile. "No problem. I don't know why you're still level one, but if you don't mind, I can take you leveling with me. Oh, my in-game name is He Gu. Nice to meet you."
There really were good people in this world!
Wang Yang couldn't help shouting the thought in his heart. He quickly nodded and introduced himself by his in-game name.
With someone by his side, he wouldn't have to worry so much about getting used to the combat system. But first, Wang Yang needed to buy his equipment.
Soon, Wang Yang bought the Bronze Thin Armor, which gave him 68 points of defense. Then he opened his inventory and eagerly tapped the armor's name with his index finger. When a window popped up, he selected the option to equip it.
A faint white light flashed across him, and a thin, bronze-colored suit of armor appeared on his body. At the same time, Wang Yang felt its slight weight. Rather than bothering him, that weight made him feel considerably safer.
After that, He Gu took Wang Yang to the Weapon Shop, where he bought the only weapon for sale: a short sword.
He Gu explained that the items and materials dropped by Frenzied Boars could sell for a decent price. So Wang Yang spent his remaining Kael on a Small Round Shield.
"All set. Let's go!"
Once they were ready, He Gu raised his arm and called out, looking excited.
Seeing him like that, Wang Yang almost wondered if this really was the world of Sword Art Online. Why wasn't He Gu afraid of fighting monsters? It was as if death were a distant concept to him.
Perhaps He Gu didn't know that many people had died on the game's first day. Or perhaps he didn't fully understand what Kayaba Akihiko had said about death. Either way, he could still feel excited about going out to level up.
Wang Yang didn't know, but he couldn't help admiring He Gu. Not everyone could be so openhearted. At least in Sword Art Online, he dared say that on the first day of the game's official launch, the number of people with that kind of attitude could be counted on one hand.
Perhaps He Gu's enthusiasm had rubbed off on him. Wang Yang realized he wasn't afraid at all. He was glad, and grateful to have met He Gu; otherwise, a day from now, he might have found himself in a very difficult situation.
"Let's add each other as friends," Wang Yang said as they headed for the East Gate.
"I almost forgot." He Gu paused, then laughed cheerfully. His hands moved quickly, and within seconds he'd sent Wang Yang a request. He was so practiced at it that Wang Yang couldn't help being impressed.
He Gu sent you a Friend Request.
A virtual window appeared in front of Wang Yang. He tapped accept, then opened his friends list. Two names were lit up there: Arthurslin and He Gu.
"Huh?" Seeing Arthurslin still in his friends list, Wang Yang furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected her to leave him there. Most people would have deleted him without a second thought after his outrageous claim, yet that girl hadn't removed him.
"What's wrong?" He Gu asked when he heard Wang Yang's surprised sound.
"Nothing." Wang Yang closed the friends list and smiled. By then, the two of them had just left the city gates.
Beyond the Starting Town stretched an endless plain, though that was only the terrain in the immediate area. Beyond it were plenty of forests, marshes, mountains, and other terrain. As the First Floor, it was the largest of all one hundred floors, and it had the most resources as well.
Every player started on the First Floor. If they gained enough from it, that would set off a chain reaction, steadily improving their stats and strength. Of course, that was assuming they didn't die.
Once they left the town and reached the wilderness, players were everywhere. Most had formed small groups to level up, and they were mainly targeting Frenzied Boars. Judging by the average player level, continuing to hunt Frenzied Boars wasn't the best choice, since the experience they gave decreased as players leveled up. But the players had only recently gotten used to the game and were generally cautious. The rewards were lower, but so were the risks.
"He Gu, are you a Beta Tester?" Wang Yang finally asked the question he'd been wanting to ask, watching He Gu lead the way with such confidence and remembering how practiced he'd been at adding friends.
"A Beta Tester? Nope." He Gu shook his head.
"Then why are you so familiar with the system? Like sending friend requests, for example."
"Haha." He Gu laughed. "It's because I've done it so many times."
"Huh?" Wang Yang looked puzzled.
"Hehe, I added more than twenty friends while leveling up yesterday." He Gu glanced back with a grin.
Wang Yang's mouth twitched. So He Gu was the friendly-with-everyone type...
The Frenzied Boars wandering the plains usually traveled in groups of two or three. It was hard to find one on its own. To help Wang Yang get used to the combat system, they had to start with a single Frenzied Boar. That meant they needed a Spawn Point where only one Frenzied Boar appeared.
As luck would have it, He Gu knew just such a Spawn Point. He led Wang Yang over a small hill to a Lowland Terrain. Down the sloping hillside, a Frenzied Boar ambled back and forth across the grass. A few stones the size of small carts lay scattered around it, and there was nothing else nearby.
"This is the place."
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