LINK START

Kayaba Akihiko, the developer of the nerve gear and Sword Art Online. Renowned a genius creating the first full-dive system using a helmet that utilizes the players' 5 senses via the brain, due to this, people could finally experience a full dive in the virtual world, experiencing it as if they were actually there.

Sword Art Online, the first full-dive VR MMORPG to be released in the world, spread waves throughout the world, making it one of the most desirable things to ever be created. Selling out instantly as soon as it was released online.

10,000 players were lucky enough and were given the chance to play the official version of Sword Art Online. But there were some even more lucky players before them.1,000 people were given a chance to receive the beta weeks before the official release of the game, using this to hype the game before its release. These players were later known as beta testers.

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Takashi Ryu, a devilishly handsome young man being around 14 years old. Ryu had no trouble in school being both popular and smart. Hearing about the release of the new game, he knew he had to get it—he was one of the lucky ones to receive a nerve gear, as well as one to receive the popular game Sword Art Online through his father's connections. His father being an illustrious CEO, being one of the most admired and feared throughout the business world.

But due to this, he was left home alone with maids and butlers, as far as he could remember, barely spending time with his father. Ryu would feel lonely due to this, even with hundreds of workers in the huge house making it feel even lonelier. He played and talked with his mother to ease the absence of his busy father. All just for his light in the void to be gone. His mother began to feel ill when he turned 6 and later died. Ryu felt empty. He could not believe his mother died. Just like that, he began to feel depressed and more isolated.

His father noticed this and would try to spend more time with him, but due to his hectic schedule could only do so much. He would often send extravagant and exotic gifts that would even make a business tycoon burn with envy.

But this did not help Ryu's feeling of isolation and begun to immerse himself in the playboy lifestyle, using his devilishly handsome looks, his silver hair with purple eyes giving him an exotic look and his experience with women made a deadly combo on all women crossing paths with Ryu. Ryu later began to feel bored of this lifestyle, people only talking to him due to his looks, background, or even both. He wanted something genuine.

He later moved into games. He felt alive playing games, especially MMORPGs. Not knowing who the other person on the screen was thrilling to him, not being able to know the other players' looks, background were key factors of his love with the genre.

Rumors began circulating throughout the world of a new type of software being able to finally immerse themselves in a virtual world. When Ryu caught wind of this, he felt a rush of adrenaline and immediately asking his father for a nerve. Gear and the game Sword Art Online.

When receiving the game, he began to fall in love with the game, immediately, spending countless hours engrossing himself in the game and escaping the real-life world. He felt happier and happier each coming day, looking forward to spending another all-nighter in the game.

He began to make friends in the game, enjoying their company as they would have the time of their lives, grinding their levels, exploring the towns, fighting raid bosses.

Due to them being close. They made a guild named "Blood's Oath" later being the game's top guild.

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November 6th, 2022

For Ryu, today was one of the happiest days of his life, as if the world agreed with him the sun gleamed upon him, making him look like an angel due to his looks and his smile that was plastered on his face. The onlookers (Maids) could not help but feel their hearts skip a beat; looking at his genuine smile that has not been seen in years was too fatal to the spectators.

The reason for Ryu's happiness? The game's official release was today. Finally, after all this time waiting for the game, Ryu finally got the game. Ryu used many of his connections from his previous playboy lifestyle, ranging from them being high-ranking politicians or rich business tycoons trying to create a connection to his father. He finally got the game.

Immediately plugging in his nerve gear for the hundredth time, he began to update the software of the game. Finally seeing a green checkmark, he shouted out,

"LINK START!"

Upon entering, he made his new character and entered his name: Ryu.

It might be stupid to use his real name, but he could not care. It was not like anyone was out to get him or something like in the real world,no it was just for pure fun.

Creating his character was easy enough—he made the character have simple, short black hair with a height of 190.5 cm (6'3). He chose this height to match his real height in the real world, to instantly get used to the movement in the game. He had a leather tunic and simple black pants. Overall, he gave off a normal appearance (Besides his height) contrasting his real-world appearance.

Continuing onwards, popups began to appear.

{WOULD YOU LIKE TO UPGRADE YOUR SYSTEM?}

{YES OR NO}

Ryu seeing this was confused looking at these popups but thought of it as it is upgrading his system for the official release since he was a beta tester. Not thinking any further he quickly clicked the yes button.

{CONGRADULATIONS HOST! YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE ORIGIN SYSTEM!}