As evening came over the first floor of the tower the adventurers began to wrap up, some taking stock of their inventory, some saying goodbye to friends both old and new, some simply staring at the beautiful sunset, unable to believe that the magnificent view was merely a simulation produced by their nerve-gear virtual reality headsets, all of them eager to return the next day. But when the first players finished their goodbyes and began to log out the truth of their situation was revealed. For initiating a logout simply incited an error message, no matter how much futile banging of the button was tried. As the confusion spread and began to reach a fever pitch a bright light flooded the land, and all the players were transported to the central plaza of the floor's hub city.

They were only left to stare at each other in confusion for a few minutes before the air began to shift and a giant form appeared in the sky, resolving itself into the form of a hooded sorcerer. He laughed, and began the monologue he had prepared for so long. "Welcome, players, to the true SAO, the grand experiment I have striven so long to achieve. Each of you will find a mirror in your inventory, gaze into it that you may began to comprehend the fullness of my vision." The sorcerer relished the moment as the confused players slowly began to withdraw the mirrors, activating the magic within which would reconfigure their avatars into their own image. Their own frail, weak, human, green? Muscled image? The assembled crowd had taken on the horrible proportions of the monsters which inhabited the tower's highest levels, even stranger, they did not seem disturbed, some shrugging and throwing the mirrors away, some admiring themselves, a few even let out cheers. This was not going as planned, but the sorcerer would not have this moment taken from him, so he plowed on regardless. "Well, the device appears to have malfunctioned, but nevertheless I shall explain the experiment myself. You see, I have rigged your nerve-gear with a lethal system, which shall activate and fry your brain should you fall in battle or should someone on the outside try to remove it. I have also removed your ability to log out. You see, the only way to escape the game now is to rise to the top of the tower, defeating every boss in the way, and beat the game. Only then, will those few of you left alive be allowed to leave." The sorcerer paused for dramatic effect, ecstatic with anticipation of the panic and fear that would overtake the crowd. But he soon became confused when the fear didn't surface. They seemed, no, it was impossible, they seemed, jovial? A player in the front raised his hand. "Yes?" The sorcerer responded, unsure of what else to do other than field the question, thrown off as he was. But he would not stop, this was his world, his, the one he had spent so long creating, and he would not loose it to a slight flaw in his plan. "What do you wish to ask?"

"I just want to clearify," began the stooped figure, "Are you sayin that you made us a whole tower full of monstas ta krump, an that ya'll even drive us back to da Krooza when we's zogged em all?"

"I, I," the sorcerer stammered, at a loss for words. This was not going as planned at all. "Yes?"

The creature beamed "Thanks mista kaos man, youse da bestest 'ummie evah. None of the ova ones undastand, but youse roight orky. Dis is da best present anyone eva gave us. Aint dat right boyz?"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" came the affirming cry. "Now which way are da 'ardest foes?"

The sorcerer mutely pointed in the direction of the boss room and, as the crowd rushed past with a resounding cry of "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!", The sorcerer slowly floated to the ground and began sobbing in the corner.