Disclaimer: Sword Art Online is owned by Reki Kawahara.

«Nov 5, 2022 - 9:00 PM - L/N's Residence»

My name is (F/N) (L/N), 15 years old and.. Actually, there wasn't anything special worth mentioning about me, and you probably already know a lot about me so lets just skip the introductions cause really, Im just your typical middle schooler living a normal life..

Ok ill take that back. I actually can't call myself 'normal' for some reasons, but we'll get into that later.

It's already dark outside and thankfully, my day is finally almost over and It's already 9 pm in the evening. I just finished a warm and refreshing bath right now just what i needed after a very tiring day.

I walked up upstairs to get back to my own room and I turned my computer on. While my PC is booting up, I decided to take a quick look at the very reason on why am I so very exhausted today; The copy of the very first VRMMORPG has ever created, the «Sword Art Online» or also known as «SAO».

I lined up all day in order to get myself a copy of this game. I heard that only a total of 10,000 copies has been made on the first batch for the first launch so I am really praising myself from being patient and getting this game.

«SAO» runs on a hardware called «NerveGear», this machine which started seling half a year ago, is capable of rendering a complete world of «Virtual Reality», and the actual act of linking to this world is called «FullDive». NerveGear is not only a device for gaming, in fact SAO is the very first 'complete gaming software' gamers can call that came out for this hardware. NerveGear had realized the future setting for gaming with FullDive, however, due to the innovation of the actual machine, only unremarkable titles came forth. They were all educational type or environmental type of games, calling forth discontent for so many gamers in the gaming community, until the announcement for the «Sword Art Online» came just in time.

My father actually already bought a NerveGear before for his job purposes, and he said that he didn't need it already so i asked him if he can lend it to me.

My computer finished booting up as I noticed that I currently have a 56 unread messages; and it's all from our in-game guild's group chat.

It's a guild from an online multiplayer FPS game for PC that i'm currently hooked on, the «Counter Mercenaries» or «CTM», which is also owned by «Argus»; The company behind the NerveGear and SAO itself.

Our guild only consists of a total of 6 members, all males. Small numbers but all of us are all experienced and you definitely can call a 'pro' when it comes to this game. Our leader «Hiro», named our guild with a very cliche name of «SkySoldiers».

I still haven't met any one of them in the real world so all of them are basically my 'online friends', atleast for now. But despite that, I consider every one of them as a good friends, especially «Hiro». Weve been friends online for almost 3 years now and he's also the one who introduced me to CTM to help ease my personal problems before. So I can confidently call Hiro as my 'online best friend'.

I opened our group chat and I noticed that all 5 of them are online right now.

[Jasper: Hiro did you managed to get a copy?

[Hiro: Yeah somehow, i just got home now

[Lowein-sama: Oi hiro r you srious? its already 9 in d evning..

[Jasper: Hahaha

[Hiro: Lucky for you guys, you didn't have to go through all this

[Hayamaster: You said that, im still grateful that Argus reserved a full copy for us..

[TheHulk: Any news on P/N? Did he got a copy?

That's me, my 'in game name' «P/N».

[Lowein-sama: i dun know, hes not ol yet

[P/N: I'm here..

[TheHulk: Yo P/N, did you managed to get a copy? SAO?

[P/N: Yeah, i'm looking at it right now

[Hayamaster: Pretty excited huh hahha

[Hiro: Of course we are, unlike the four of you P/N and i still haven't experienced any of it

[P/N: Beta testers.. Just burn in hell. Seriously, im still bitter

[Lowein-sama: (o)(o)(o)(o)(o)

[Jasper: Hahahaha

That's right, all of us applied in Argus for «Beta Testing» for SAO last two months ago. Luckily, 4 out of 6 of us managed to get picked but unfortunately for me and Hiro, that luck wasn't on our side. That was also the reason why our guild had become slightly innactive this last few weeks, all 4 of them are so busy, spending their time on SAO.

[TheHulk: Good thing for you guys, both of your luck didn't betray you this time hahaha

[Hiro: You said that. But just like P/N, i'm also still bitter on you guys

[Jasper: Don't be like that, all items and exps that we grinded for two months will be erased and reset for good tomorrow, that avtually sucks you know!!

[P/N: Now that i remembered, what's the exact time of the launch tomorrow??

[Lowein-sama: 1 pm

[TheHulk: It's 1:00 in the afternoon..

[Hayamaster: Is the meet up place didn't change?

[Jasper: Yeah «Pililla Village», it's a small village outside of the «Town of Beginnings», first floor

[TheHulk: There's a small inn on that village, the 4 of us used that as our 'base' during beta testing

[P/N: Even if you said that, Hiro and i doesn't even know this "Town of Beginnings", it's going to be our first dive remember? How are we supposed to find that inn?

[Lowein-sama: ur so whiny P/N (-_-)

[P/N: Shut up Lowein

[Hayamaster: «Pililla Village» is on the North, outside of the «Town of Beginnings» P/N, and after that, just find a building that has a «ALMA'S INN» written on it, and that's it.

[TheHulk: Don't worry, it's a very small village so i'm sure you can find that inn easily, and Jasper and i will log on immediately once the launch started tommorow to secure that place for us

[P/N: Ahh, Jasper and you Hulk are brothers right?

[Jasper: Yeah

[TheHulk: That's right.

[Hiro: Now that i think about it, this would be the very first time that all of us will meet right?

[Hayamaster: Yeah, even though the only thing that you will see is an avatar made from a bunch of options and a lump of polygons andー

[Jasper: Way to kill our leaders expectation, Hayamaster

[TheHulk: Hahahhahha

[Lowein-sama: dont worry, im going 2 make my avater looked rilly cool for u guys

[P/N: No homo pls. I dont need it

[Hiro: hahaha

[Lowein-sama: (T_T)(T_T)(T_T)

[Hayamaster: I'm going to rest now guys, see you there tomorrow.. (Hayamaster logged out)

[TheHulk: So early huh, well gonna prepare for tomorrow too, bye guys (TheHulk logged out)

[Lowein-sama: Me 3 (Lowein-sama logged out)

[Hiro: I also need some relaxing bath right now..

[P/N: I just finished mine earlier

[Hiro: Really? Gonna go to the bath now (Hiro logged out)

[Jasper: Hahaha.. im gonna log out too P/N see you there tommorow..

[P/N: Okay..

[Jasper: (Jasper logged out)

I decided to log out too after them and i shutted down my PC after that. I'm still itching to play CTM for a bit but I am already exhausted because of todays events so I decided to just call it a day to get some good rest.

As I was preparing my bed, I heared the creeking sound of our gate. I peeked outside in my room's window and I saw Linda-san, our charlady opening our gate for my Dad's car.

I decided to go downstairs to greet my Dad, the NerveGear that i will be using from now on was from him after all.

"Welcome home, Dad" I greeted him

"Yeah im home, did you managed to get what you wanted to get today? F/N?" He asked curiously. I told him about the «SAO» before when im asking him to lend his NerveGear to me, so it's really no surprise if he asked me about that.

"Yeah, somehow.." I simply answered..

"Then that's good. I heard that it's crazy popular now, you're still young so just go and enjoy yourself, but don't let your studies fall behind" He said half jokingly.

"I know Dad haha, don't worry"

Our family is very well known throughout the city, the sole reason for that is actually because of my Dad. He is a Commissioner in the police force in our prefecture, and because of that, he is feared and hated by many at the same time..

And that was also the reason of the incident that happened on us 5 years ago, the incident that gave birth to my greatest fear.. And the one that tooked away my Mom's life.

But I didn't blame nor hate my Dad for that, it's actually the opposite, after that incident, my love and respect for my Dad just went up significantly. And because of that, it became my dream to follow his footsteps and become like him; Protecting everyone's life and risking yourself just for the sake of the others.

But because of that 'fear', I am really not sure right now if i can accomplish that dream of mine or not.

"I think Linda-san had already prepared you a dinner. Ive already eaten earlier so im gonna go back to my room, goodnight Dad"

"Yeah, goodnight F/N." Dad simply replied and he started heading to the dining room.

I turned back and started walking back upstairs to my room. Once inside, i crashed myself heavily to my bed to finally get some good sleep.

«Nov 6, 2022 - 1:00 PM - L/N's Residence»

It's finally the time, «Sword Art Online's» first launch has finally begun just a few moments ago.

Dad is currently on his job right now, so the only people here in our home now is Linda-san, and myself.

I decided to check our guild's group chat first just in case before diving and no one except for me and «Hiro» are currently online.

I saw «Hiro» typing..

[Hiro: Yo P/N, everyone is already in SAO now except for us

[P/N: Yeah, we should follow them too

[Hiro: You're right, im so excited! Did you remember the meet up place?

[P/N: Yep. «ALMA'S INN» - «Pililla Village» - north outside of the «Town of Beginnings»

[Hiro: Okay that's good! I'm gonna start diving now. See you on the other side, P/N..

[P/N: Yeah, see you..

[Hiro: (Hiro logged out)

"See you on the other side, huh" His words gives me some chills for some unexplainable reasons.. Well maybe just my imagination.

I shutted down my PC.

I flipped 'ON' the switch of the «NerveGear's» main console and i inserted the «SAO's» cartridge inside of it.

And for the last part, I put the «NerveGear's» helm on my head and I started laying down on my bed.

The booting up sound of the machine gradually fills up my room..

Finally, this is it.. To the new World..

"LINK START!"