Entering World Online…

Tsekou the Chaoser was after me for fighting back for a few days. I read on the internet it’s called ‘bullying’ or ‘ganking’. No idea why anyone would do that. Don’t you have a code you live up to? When my dad needs my help, I’ve always helped him out, even if it was hard and disgusting. I learned all the machines from top to bottom too, even the ones he doesn’t know. Maintenance is expensive.

I got killed by him a lot, and getting levels was hard. I was running out of money for repairs and got frustrated. I wanted to log out.

“What would a samurai do?”

I thought that and searched the internet. I wasn’t that interested in samurai’s myself. I just saw a few movies and thought it looked cool. Even though it was a search away, having all that information at a think is overwhelming to me.

So I found the bushido code. Up until now, it was an act. From now on, it’ll be another, more serious act. I’ll show them.

“So, here you are. Aren’t you getting tired of playing? You can logout you know, I won’t mind, noob.”

It was Tsekou, and a few Chaosers who were tagging along. Not sure if they were his friends or what. If this is how you guys have fun, I wouldn’t want to be your friend.

“I’ll show you my honor.”

I said, and pointed the sword at him while bending my knees. I had been studying a little online. No way I was good enough to use a real sword, but if its a fake one in my mind I’ll use it just a little bit better than before.

“You’re disgusting, Cowboy. Talking and dressing like a samurai, not even taking up a subclass, I told everyone I’d stop if you did at least that. I just want you to play the game right. Can’t you understand that?”

Somehow, I don’t think you care at all. Just my guess though. His buddies moved in towards my sides. One with a dagger, level 9, I got with a hilt hit. Not enough to kill him, enough for a stun. I lowered my body and stabbed below the shield of the one on the left. Gut hit, perfect shot. He was down.

I moved forward, guessing that the guy behind me would be at my back and took a spear hit to the upper back.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Tsubame Gaeshi!”

I yelled it and cut the one with a dagger in one swift movement. I saw Tsekou moving forward before I turned, so I moved the sword neatly towards my side as if to sheath it but planted the point straight into Tsekou who was at my back. I stepped forward after feeling the sword stab fully into Tsekou to take down the spear wielder in front of me.

He had the range. I had the speed.

“Tsubame Gaeshi!”

I felt the force of the flow spread across the blade as it carved through spear and ribcage. Heart hit, I leveled from that.

As I turned to confront Tsekou, I felt my body fly into the air with a hit from the side. My sword clattered to the ground. Full on charge most likely. His subclass was Warcan, as I learned from the wiki for the game. Charges, stuns, damage absorption, and utility wrapped up in a melee package specific to Chaoser’s like me and him. Poor choice, I thought, no offensive potential at all. I slammed into the ground and slid as he closed in, bringing a stun most likely. It would usually end here.

I had gotten better over the past few days. Not to the point where I could choose to take them all down, it was either his starter buddies or him. I chose them, for leveling.

“Stop right there!”

A light voice shouted out as a catgirl in a trenchcoat swirled in between us from above.

“Let Cowboy stand. He took out three of your friends didn’t he? Make the fight equal at the end at least.”

Thank you, strange lady. Or guy, if you’re a guy I’m thanking you but I just didn’t want to be wrong there.

That gave me the time to get my sword and get up.

“Are you serious? I almost had him..” Tsekou grumbled and shoved the catgirl out of the way.

“You know, I would have dueled you at anytime Tsekou. I have my honor. When I killed you on Vrati Plains it was in self defense,” I said. The samurai said.

“This is a player versus player game, complain to someone else!”

I felt the weight of the full length of the blade. One perfect motion. I’m a samurai.

“Tsubame Gaeshi!”

Tsekou readied a blocking ability, part of his Warcan’s subclass abilities to take damage.

I sliced straight through his axe and body, to my surprise.

I heard a voice.

Subclass: Samurai Unlocked… Skill Learned! Tsubame Gaeshi!

I breathed out feeling my special gauge drop for the first time. It was like pouring water out of a glass.

“Kid, what was that?”, said the catgirl in a trenchcoat.

Entering Reality...

“Hey Dad. After I clean up this cow blood can I go play?”

“Uh, I still need help with that one machine. You’re always so good at fixing them. It’ll be really easy for you when you take over this place in the future, you might not even need to hire maintenance staff.”

“Have you ever thought about selling the farm and moving to the city?”

Dad looked at me as if wondering.

“Well, it was the other way around for me. I sold what I had in the city so I could move out to the farm. Had to figure out what I wanted to do, you know?”

“Like a Cowboy becoming a Samurai?”

“I don’t know why you would do that… just be a samurai why don’t you?”

“I am a samurai.”

Dad laughed.

“Good job, kid.”