What does it mean to be strong? I had put on the Nervegear that day to see for myself. I was one of the lucky ten thousand to get the game on the release date. What I discovered was way beyond what I thought was possible in a VRMMO. My name is Zycron, and this is my story.

On the day I signed into Sword Art Online, I chose my first weapon from a shopkeep in the Town of Beginnings. It was a common blade, with a low skill requirement. A person in red ran by me, away from the tunnel out of town. He seemed pretty common for a player, his avatar clean shaven and tall. Then after I practiced my sword skills and won my first duel, a strange fire enveloped me and I was transported to the center of the Town of Begginings. A lot of people were confused, many starting to wonder what was happening. That's when He appeared; the DM, Akihiko Kayaba. Kayaba told everyone that he had created this world as his personal playpen, that we wouldn't be able to log out until someone beat the game. He then told us how two hundred of the ten thousand people playing have already died, and what would happen if we die in the game. When he got to the part where he stated if we die in the game we die in real life, you could feel the fear in the air. It hung over the town like a fog. Before he left, he gave everything one thing. A mirror. As soon as one curious person in black clothing looked at it, everyone's avatars changed, one at a time. Everybody looked as they did in real life. This caused some confusion, as a few players made files as the opposite gender. A girl about my age collapsed next to me, overcome with fear. I went over to her to see if she was okay, and put a comforting arm around her.

That's when I asked her name. "Hey, you okay? What's your name?"

The girl looked at me and calmed down a bit. "I'm f-fine, but your a stranger."

"Everyone here is a stranger," I said, "but if we are to survive we have to work together. My name is Zycron, may I ask yours again?"

The girl looked at me with a slight interest. "Your Zycron? My names Lillian, it's nice to meet you."

I smiled and helped her to her feet. "Lillian is a nice name, and I see your a spear wielder. Would you like to make a party? It will be easier to survive that way."

"Sure, if it really will help," Lillian said, accepting the party request.