(AN: Errors may exist since I couldn't correct it in time...)
[[ System notification :
Logging out from Infinite Real…
Disconnecting from the Heavenly System Universal server…
Disconnecting Neurolink…
Awakening process beginning...
Prepare in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 ]]
"Huff...This time was a bit better than the last." Sato blinked as he relaxed his breathing and heart rate.
After the battle with Blood Sword's team, he and Fudo had both returned back to Riverdale Town where they both rented out a hotel room each, before logging out of the game.
5:16 pm Saturday 22 July 21** [1]
Glancing at the projected screen from the cubic display unit beside his bed, Sato sighed. Though only a day had barely gone by, he had experienced a lot of stuffs. From the goblin war to Black Grill's Cave, to the ambush by Blood Sword's team, it was a day filled with action-packed adventures and fun.
'A doubled time rate really was no joke. That ambassador was right' Sato sighed as he felt a slight throbbing sensation on his forehead. It was so small that one wouldn't notice it easily but Sato had a greater grasp over his body than a regular human does.
'If I had gone on for 3 or so more hours, it would have hurt even more.'
After settling down a bit, Sato walked out of the room, not forgetting to leave behind the VR headset he held in his hand.
As he was walking down the stairs, Sati began to plan out the crew for his club.
'Lu Zhen doesn't seem like a bad guy so he could be a part of us. Xue Yan isn't so important but if she's free then she could join us. We need an MT and a healer. Natsuo could pass as a healer and Takehasi could do well for an MT. If we would need anyone else, it would be a Ranger type player.'
As he was lost in his thoughts, Sato's Acad XI vibrated on his arm. Glancing at it to see who called, Sato was surprised to see the ID, Yato, on it. Without thinking, he picked up the call.
"What's up? Don't tell me you're calling for me to change your hospital diapers?"
"...Since when did you have Fudo's terrible sense of humor? No wonder they say 'Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are." Yato responded from the other side of the call.
"...*cough*." Sato coughed awkwardly. "So what did you call for?"
"I broke up with Mia."
"So? Why are you telling me this?" Sato asked.
Yato's lips twitched on the other side but he still continued. "Don't tell me you've forgotten? You said that once I get back to my senses, you could help be richer. So..."
Sato replied, "First of all, I didn't forget and secondly, I don't think 'richer' is the right word but they're pretty much the same. Alright then, meet me at the Piramids[2] in 15 minutes, let's talk."
"Alright. Then later." Before Yato could even cut th call, Sato had already done the 'pleasantries'.
"Still the same as ever." Yato smiled. "But that's good."
Sato went down to the kitchen and took a drink out of the futuristic refrigerator.
'The last energy drink...need to get some when coming back.' Sato thought as he sighed before downing the contents of the bottle into his system, through his mouth.
"Oh? You're done gaming? Are you going anywhere, brother?" Hayami asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"Yeah. Tell Grandpa that I would be back before 7. You guys can have dinner without me." Sato said.
"Alright." Hayami nodded.
Sato left the house and then went over to the Piramids.
The Piramids was a medium class restaurant that served good food and drinks in the Common Area of Shinjuku. A lot of people liked to go there since it had a fabulous layout and an amazing set of meals especially the recipes they served that dated as far back as the Old era. As a result of the retro meals and nice interior, The Piramids never lacked patrons. Back in highschool and also College, Sato usually visited here with Fudo and the rest, since it wasn't so far from his home. As such, it became somewhat like a meeting place for any one of them.
Walking through the light doors[3] of The Piramids, Sato looked around and saw that it was mostly full but not so much. He walked over to a spot by the edge of the walls and sat there. Since it was located at the edge of the walls, it was somewhat isolated and the chairs beside it were too, since few people tend to pick such a spot.
Sato tapped on the table and it displayed a menu which he began mindlessly glanced at. It might seem like he was reading it but in actual fact, Sato was thinking about how to go about developing his club. He wasn't a Chinese MC who happened to reincarnate to the past and so, knew a lot of things about the game. No. Sato was a just a good gamer than had to go with the flow of time and figure how to move about things.
After having waited for almost 5 minutes, a figure passed through the light door and approached him. Sato raised his head to look at the person and was greeted by the handsome face of Yato.
"What took you so long?" Sato asked, though he knew that Yato wasn't even late.
"You say that as if you got here an hour ago." Yato smiled and took a seat opposite Sato.
"So? What's your plan?" Yato asked.
"Gaming." Sato answered plainly before tapping on a meal on the displayed menu.
"I already know that it's gaming. What I meant was do you want to form a guild like Takehasi did? Or do you want to form a simple party?" Yato replied.
"Neither but somehow, both. Just a club but with only 10 or so people." Sato smiled.
Yato wasn't surprised at the numbers called even though a club usually had from between 12-30 people. He already knew that Sato didn't like having too many people and he also didn't have a lot of people to trust in order to make the foundations of a guild. So starting out as a cub wasn't an issue. The only thing was whether Sato would turn it into a guide later but Yato didn't care. So far as Sato was the leader, he would follow him all through.
"Any ideas who would join in?" Yato asked.
"Fudo, you, Takehasi, Natsuo and another guy I met online." Sato replied as he picked up a paper cup from a spot in the table that just opened up. Twirling the cup a bit, he sucked through the straw that was on top of it when praising the taste of the milkshake served here.
"Woah. You met someone?" Yato stared wide eyed.
"...tch." Sato outrightly ignored him.
"Okay okay." Yato chuckled. "But that's just 6, if counting you. We need at least 4 more people."
"Don't worry about that. As we go, we will solve that later on." Sato said as he sipped his drink.
"Here's your order sir." A young teen wallked over to the duo and placed a plate of food atop the table.
In most restaurants, this was usually done by a robot or an android but here in the Piramid, they applied that retro theme of using human servers. But if course due to funding and payment issue, not all servers were human; some were androids. The one who attended to Sato and Yato was a human.
"Thank you." Sato replied before picking up a spoon and glancing at the meal. It wasa simple rice and curry but done in the style as it was in the Old era, together with some of the spices used then. It was 'some' because not all of the ingredients still existed; the Great Reparation caused a lot of harm to plants too.
"What are you waiting for? Dig in." Sato said to Yato.
Yato glanced at his own meal and since Sato had already said so, he did the same.
"Itadakimasu."
The duo enjoyed their meal of rice and curry but not in a hurry [4]. After that, they exited the restaurant and headed elsewhere.
"Where are we going to?" Yato questioned.
"The Gamebox Guide." Sato answered.
"Why?" Yato asked again.
"To go get you a headset." Sato replied. "You don't think you would be playing with a universal do you?"
Though Universal headsets could connect with the right adapter, it would still not give you that perfect experience as with the recommended edition.
"Okay."
AN :
Sorry I haven't been up to date lately. I have both a driver's class and a my work since we it's December so I have been even more busy lately. I know I said I will increase chapter rates but that's looking hard. but no worries though, I will try.. Also, as promised, the top voters will get their names in the next few chapters so get ready people and still keep voting. Thanks