Chapter 1:
Across fields of green and yellow, of deep forests and seemingly endless plains of peace and order. The natural way of things. The sight of a large, steel building floating over the landscape. A majestic Castle, guarding the secrets and places of this one unique world.
Aincrad, the structure was called. The world of one hundred floors, all there, ripe for the taking. The land of Argus, of the creators of this world, the first of its design.
The genius who created this world, Akihiko Kayaba. The man who developed the Full-Dive Technology, in years and years of constant study and research, the technology wanted by previous generations was finally achieved, and produced.
Kayaba had also made a Videogame for this specific console, for the NerveGear, the headset required for Full-Dive. Just recently researched, the technology utilizes the electrical nervous signals from a person's brain to the whole body, neutralizing, and subsequently utilizing them so as to use them for the in-game mechanics and gameplay.
To see, smell, taste and feel what it's like to be fully in a virtual world. To be fully immersed in the world of someone else's design, to live in a world in which the only difference between it and the real world, is the amount of information.
Sword Art Online. That was the name of the first VRMMORPG created by Argus Industries, by Akihiko Kayaba.
After being in development for years, the game was finally announced and launched into Beta Test. Japan was the stage of this important step in the history of technology. Japan, where only one thousand players were chosen for the Beta of the game.
It hit the year of 2022, in the month of November, Sunday sixth. The Launch of Sword Art Online.
Castor Orion Vusent, better known as 'Corvus', was one of these players. A middle school teenager, gamer from a young age, and a history and computing genius called by some of his fellows and elders.
With raven black hair, hazel green eyes, and standing at a height of five feet and eight inches, Castor managed to blend in with most of his schoolmates, which he tended to prefer.
Never being much of a people person, Castor always kept to himself, being the most talkative with those older than him, professors and friends of his mother in the majority.
A loner, some could tell. His family always questioned why was it that he spent hours upon hours of his time playing video games, especially those for computers.
He knew they would not understand his reasoning, but it was simply so he could have an escape route out of his family's expectations, and the pains of attending school.
Games were a passion of his, as he started playing them, and working with computers in general as well. His family expected him to have the best of marks, the admiration of his fellow students, and the trust of his teachers and school managers.
To say the least, he hated it.
His family had always been successful in all they did, having industries and businesses under them, some politicians and even military.
His closest family was his mother. His extended one included his uncles, cousins, and grandparents. His father, he had had bad experiences with him, and never wanted to see him again.
A usual pastime of his was his reading, which he did when distressing himself, diving into the universes of some famous writers he knew about. Fantasy and Science Fiction were his favorite genres.
Castor was finishing one of his recently acquired fantasy novels when he stepped into his room.
Said room was simple and tidy enough, he believed, his desk on one corner of it, with his computer, its accessories like the keyboard and mouse, and its large screen on top of the blurred glass top of previously said desk. There was a mirror on the opposite wall along with a closet, which was built into the wall. His bed, a Queen-sized mattress occupied half of the room, his dark blue covers on top of it. With light walls, and a wooden floor, the room was simple indeed.
"Talk to you later, mom! Don't get too bored in your meeting." He almost-yelled as he sat on his bed with a chuckle.
The response came from the other side of the door. "I'll try not to, love! See you when I get back home later!"
Then came the sound of the closing main door of the house, which in itself, was more than enough for two people, if way too comfortable.
"Now what to do…" Castor muttered under his breath as he moved to his desk chair, a sigh escaping him. He picked up one of the technology and gaming magazines that laid on his desk as he read some more about the development process, and the person behind Sword Art Online.
He would have begun to read, if not for a call from his smartphone. Castor smiled as he realized who it was and quickly took a better position and put the phone on speaker. "Hey bud. What's up?"
"Castor! I can't believe it's here! I mean, it's now! I already have it here, in my room, all connected and prepared. Just waiting for the right time." Said a male from the other side of the call, a good friend of Castor's, one of the few. Young like him, a genius with all that came to numbers.
Castor chuckled as he responded, "I'm glad, bud, that you have everything ready. Do remember, we'll meet at the first village after the City. It shouldn't take that long to get there."
"You mean, you shouldn't long! You lucky bastard having played from the Beta, know how it is by now."
With a glance to his NerveGear, and another one to the alarm clock by his bedside, he knew it was time. Twelve in the afternoon, with fifty-five minutes.
Once the computer's screen had turned on, the web browser was set on the MMO Stream, the girl's voice played on Castor's headset as he put it on.
"Hi there! Time for this week's MMO Stream! You just saw a promo of today's featured game, and this is what last week's launch date looked like." The video turned to show large rows of people, in the edges of boulevards around the city, and at their beginning, a gaming shop.
"Can you guess what's everyone in line for? Sword Art Online!" The camera moved to a sign which contained said game's name, a screenshot on the background, and the release date.
The Stream then showed a group of players who had been waiting for the game in line. Four called Castor's attention, a redheaded guy with a scarf on his head, the other with a bandana, a guy with an afro styled haircut beside him, and one that looked like he was part of a punk band. The chat by the stream had comments typical of gaming channels, as usual.
"The first person in line said they camped for three days. Hey, but if you're a hardcore gamer, that's what you do! On today's episode of the MMO Stream, we'll be covering internationally famous Sword Art Online, aka, SAO. Up to now, none of the NerveGear software was taking advantage of the possibilities of the hardware-"
Some barking from the neighbor's dog caught Castor's attention temporarily, and not before long, he focused again on the stream.
"- Akihiko Kayaba! Hey, this is the VRMMO that me and everyone else have been waiting for! The Beta Testers say it's incredible! I wish I could've gotten one… The first selling only limited to ten thousand copies, those fans in line snatched them up, and online, the game sold out in seconds!" The girl followed with her narration, cheery as usual, as Castor pressed the stream off, shut down his computer, and connected his NerveGear.
Once he laid down on his bed, the headset began its load up, the two lights on top of the visor turning on, the sound of the system becoming more and more noticeable as the circuits and scanners activated one by one.
Then it started to beep, one and two, the time showing twelve and fifty-nine in the afternoon. Castor smirked for a moment, knowing what was coming.
Did he doubt what he was doing? Consider what he had to do later, in the evening? No, he just threw himself into the world he loved.
The NerveGear beeped three more times as Castor closed his eyes and said, "Link Start!"
Suddenly, a wall of white filled his view, only for a rain of colored cylinders to fall on him, the sound of the system activating sounding high-pitched briefly, only for circles to begin to appear in front of his eyes.
One said 'Touch', then switched to OK. The next one had 'sight' and followed as the last one had. They lined in the side only for two more circles to appear. The first said "Hearing", and the other "Taste." The last one had 'Smell' on it. The circles lined to the side again, and turned green before dispersing.
The Language Selection followed, to which Castor selected English. Then the login screen, which he quickly completed. Character Selection was next, where the system said that his previous character data from the Beta was detected, Castor chose to load it.
The screen then turned grey and in big, thin black lettering said, 'Welcome to Sword Art Online!'
What followed, was the last loading screen, the system's sound came again as several shades of blue lighting fell onto Corvus' view, which cleared in seconds, only to reveal an almost mosaic-like sky, polygons flying away.
Heartbeat, was what Corvus heard as he blinked and looked around. He looked down upon himself to notice he had his previous gear on, and for some of his hair to fall on his face as he muttered, "Aincrad, hello again."
A black haired player in front of him fisted his hand for a moment as he said, "Hello world, I'm back."
Another Beta Player then, Corvus realized.
The building in front of the plaza reminded him of a giant temple, with its circular top of darkened glass, it looked majestic. Behind him, an obelisk stood.
Quickly, cheers began to be heard all around as multiple lights appeared around him, which signaled the arrivals of other players, and in less than a second, several of them appeared. Music could be heard around as fireworks began to light up the sky not long after. The game had just begun, he realized.
Running through the streets of the City of Beginnings, Corvus noticed the multitudes of players in the markets and the alleyways.
In one of the nearby markets, some of the old beta testers, who recognized him, offered him one of the 'Guidebooks' they had written for the new players. While they told him he didn't need one, he took one nonetheless.
Once he had bought himself a dagger, and not long after, a long sword, along with a shoulder-pad and new boots, Corvus was ready for the hunting that would occur once outside the walls of the city.
He knew the nearest, less-expensive shop near the Main Plaza, where his favorite trader had brought in a new series of items after the Beta Test. There he had gotten his items, and mentioned it to a few new players in the streets along the way.
Corvus wore the colors of black and blue, the latter as a trim for most of his armor. Luckily, he normally used the same combination.
Panting after running the last few minutes, he stopped at the small plaza at the entrance of the city, and sat down in one of the benches along the grassy area. A tree above him gave a nice enough shade as he observed the players around him.
He leaned back slightly as he swiped his hair off his face again, the same strands falling onto it as he rested.
The players around him, some in groups, some walking along the streets alone, observing, gave him a good insight of how many new ones there would be outside in the plains. He would need to find a hidden spot to hunt down some boars.
As he walked along the plaza, he realized that it always surprised him how the Town of Beginnings looked like a mix of different cultural architectural styles. Not European, nor Japanese, nor Islamic, or anything in between. All a mix, a mending.
Sitting in the edge of the fountain in the middle of the plaza, Corvus noticed a female player that had just entered by the same alley he had approached. She looked around, in what he assumed was curiosity, before turning to face his way, a bright smile appearing in her face.
She wore a white beginner's dress with leather shoulder pads, and brown boots. With raven-black hair that shimmered in the sunlight, blue-silver round eyes filled with curiosity and excitement, a small button nose and thin eyebrows, the girl's features were fair, and by Corvus' opinion, quite pretty.
The freckles he noticed as she approached made him think that she was around his age, though her skin was a bit paler than his own.
He got back to his Inventory screen, shaking his head so as to focus again on the task at hand, only to hear a "Hi there!"
Corvus curiously looked up, only to see the same player he had observed inches away from him. "Hey. What's up?"
A newbie, or someone who knew him. Either or both she had to be for her to approach him like that, in such a friendly manner.
The smile she had seemed to widen as a soft color painted her cheeks, "I'm sorry for bothering you but I was curious about something… You were in the Beta Test, weren't you? You seem to know your way around."
Corvus blinked for a moment as he looked around, answering as he turned back to her, "I was in the Beta, yes. Why?"
"Could you help me get to know a little more of the game?" She asked sheepishly, the same grin on her face. "I just logged on and still have much to learn. Say when you need a tutorial but the game doesn't have one." The girl giggled underneath her breath as she watched him.
He chuckled for a moment at the mention of a tutorial. Gods knew how much he had needed them every once in a while. Then he considered the ides, helping a newbie get around. While he didn't have much patience for teaching, at least having someone around won't be so lonely.
The help from another player was always welcome as well, as there was only so much a solo player could do on his own.
"Sure thing, though you'll have to keep up with me." Corvus smiled at her after responding.
"Really? Thank you so much!" The player beamed at him, a gleam to her eyes confirming her happiness as she sat down next to him, and spread a small hand towards him, "I'm Anna, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Corvus turned to face her as she sat down, noticing the inches in between them as he spread his hand as well and shook hers firmly, though softly.
"I'm Corvus, the pleasure's mine." He looked up and down at her for a brief moment before saying. "Now there's the first task for the day which would be to level, of course. And the fastest way for such is grinding."
"Careful, that I've played my few MMOs by now as well, Corvus." She seemed to throw a smirk his way before continuing, "I just haven't done a Full-Dive before."
The black haired swordsman returned her brief smirk with one of his own before saying, "Right then, a field I know lays to the east of the city, on a hill. Boars there are enough to get us half a level in thirty minutes if we go slow."
In a quick movement, he stood from the fountain and stretched his arms for a moment, only to watch her stand beside him, realizing she reached to his nose in height at best.
Anna looked up at him, smiling and said, "You lead, I'll follow."
Corvus nodded as he turned towards the gate, and trotted towards it. Looking over his shoulder to see Anna following after him, reaching him after a few seconds.
Once she smiled at him again, he smirked and darted in the direction of the fields.
Along the way, they passed by dozens of players, some waving towards them as they ran to a more distanced plain.
Corvus saw the black haired player from earlier, and a red-haired man with a bandana of the same color. He reminded him of one of the players shown in the MMO Stream from earlier. They were training, Corvus realized, if the Rock Throwing Sword Skill and later the redhead's dagger's Sword Skill was any indication.
Once far enough from the city, enough that they could see the entrance still, but distanced from other players grinding as well, Corvus and Anna stopped their sprinting.
One of the brown boars grazing around the field stopped its idle movement, and turned to face them, huffing and tilting its head downwards, then upwards as its tusks shone with the sunlight.
Anna doubled over while she breathed, her hands on her knees as she panted, "It shouldn't feel this way… Knowing that we're in a virtual world."
Corvus raised a brow curiously as he looked over his shoulder towards her, a slight smile on his features. "Just as like with pain, tiring or exhaustion is something we don't exactly feel. Rather, it is part of our consciousness to feel it, as we always do in real life."
The black haired girl seemed to stop her panting before straightening up again. Corvus tried hard not to notice some bouncing as she did so, and later approached him. "So if I pinch you, you would not feel it then?" She revealed a hidden smirk as she swiped hair off her face.
The swordsman chuckled as he answered, "I would feel it, yes. Though it wouldn't be exactly pain."
She gave him a mischievous smile before unsheathing the longsword she had at her side, and aimed its tip towards the boar. "Now let's see how to swing a sword."
Anna pulled back for a moment, bending slightly as she crouched slightly, the hilt of the sword against her side. With a yell, she charged towards the boar, and moved her arm aside, sword ready for an open slash, and swung.
Only for the boar's tusks to block her strike, and its legs to kick the ground beneath it, pushing her back, and towards the ground.
"Ouch…" Anna groaned as she rubbed her backside, where she had fallen upon. Corvus tried not to laugh as the boar reared, its paw hitting the ground twice.
"So you don't know how to use a Sword Skill then."
The girl turned to stare at him at that.
Corvus laughed for a moment and said, "I'll teach you then. First things first, the pre-motion. The positioning." At this, he thought about using his fellow swordsman technique.
Anna raised a brow curiously as she watched him, eyeing what he did next from her position half laying on the grass.
Corvus picked up a small rock from the ground beneath him, pulling his arm backwards as he turned to face the boar. The rock lighted up in a golden light, the sound of the Skill charging filled one of his ears as he continued.
At seeing such, Anna's brows raised in surprise, muttering under her breath, "Pre-motion…"
"The system will identify what skill you'll attempt, and in a way, you'll need to finish it, to drive it to the end. Watch!" He exclaimed, his eyes towards the backside of the boar.
In a quick movement, he threw the rock towards it, and like a bullet, it hit home. The boar made a wheezing sound as it practically bounced ahead, with a red mark on its dark fur, turning to face Corvus after, and kicking the ground again, challenging the player.
Anna by now, had stood from the ground and unsheathed her longsword, positioning her footing right before moving her arm backwards, ready for an ample slash. Once she stood, the blade began to glow red, and a smile appeared in her face.
"That's it! Now drive it home." Corvus stepped backwards so as to clear the way for his companion.
He watched as Anna stepped forward, and the Sword Skill kicked into action, throwing her ahead as the blade drew a line through the air, and cut through the boar's middle as she yelled a quick battle cry.
Once she went across, the boar exploded into light blue polygons, and the loot menu appeared in front of Anna as she stood, with a wide grin on her face. Corvus noticed the after effect of the Sword Skill didn't take long at all as she brought her arms together and seemed to throw her hands upwards.
"That was awesome!" She whooped as she spun on her heel, a laugh coming from her lips as she began to give a little cheery dance around him.
Corvus smiled at her as he said, "And once you practice enough, it'll become easy for you to fall in with the system. You'll learn the Sword Skills with a bit of time."
Slowing down to a walk moments after, Anna continued to smile towards Corvus, giving a nod to his words before pointing ahead. "Then we have to grind and level up as much as we can."
With a grin, the black haired swordsman unsheathed his blade again, and prepared a Sword Skill, a moment later being thrown against a nearby boar in a bullet-quick speed, a streak of blue being cut through the air as he did so.
Anna followed the attack with one of her own, her blade swinging in a downwards slash across the animal's head. Blue polygons filled their views.
Once they took a breath after, the loot menu appeared in front of them, only for them to do a high-five after.
"So how long have you been a gamer for?" Anna asked Corvus as they both searched through their inventory.
"Honestly I can't remember. I guess I've always been interested in games. Always had an interest in a fun escape from the real world." Corvus slid a hand to slot his new Pierce Sword Skill on his skills.
"Many problems in real life?" Anna's voice sounded curious.
"Many expectations, actually."
She followed with a quick nod before asking, "Siblings?"
"None. Only child so far." He offered her a smile once he closed his menu and glanced around. "What about you?"
Anna swiped a hand as she closed her menu before sitting down on the soft grass beneath them. "I have an older sister, she's in university. I found games to be fun when I was seven." She gave a slight giggle and continued, "I still remember getting beaten up each time I played shooters."
With a smile at her words, Corvus asked next, "So what drove you into SAO?"
Anna hummed for a moment as she leaned backwards, "I believe trying to find something better than the real world. I've always found society to be… How to call it…"
"Distant?"
"There you go." She clicked her fingers as she grinned. "And while I'm a city girl, I'm not a fan of shopping."
Corvus feigned a relieved expression as he brushed invisible sweat off his forehead.
Anna rolled her eyes for a moment, and looked back at him. "How far along did you get in the Beta?"
He gave her a slight smile and he said, "I was playing it more casually than I should have. Floor 7 is as far as I got within the Beta month."
She gave a tilt of her head while she muttered, "It shouldn't be hard to move up some levels with a large group of players, if you did it only with the other Beta Testers."
Corvus said nothing at that, but motioned with a hand, before offering the same hand for her to take and rise.
Once she did, and brushed the back of her dress off any grass it may have had, she pointed ahead to a group of wolves a bit to the distance.
They began sprinting, and quickly, two lines of blue could've been seen soaring through the air towards the monsters.
Dusk was a beautiful sight in the virtual world, they realized, a couple of hours after they had started their grind for Experience Points.
The way the colors managed to blend in together, the orange, yellow, and even darker blue mixed in to make a light, tranquil sky as the sun set slowly into the horizon. The floating islands around, some with trees or small towns atop them, the large birds lazily gliding in the currents of air above them. The small lights, orbs of them, began to light up every few hundred feet along the roads or interesting spots gave the landscape a feeling of ease, of relaxation.
Corvus and Anna were laying down on the grass, one across from the other, lifted upon their elbows as they conversed. The girl had her legs crossed at her ankles, Corvus merely rested them on the ground as he looked around them, enjoying the breeze that ruffled his hair every once in a while.
"Homework, now there's one thing I hate."
Anna scoffed at that, the lazy smile on her face seeming nothing but purely relaxed, "I find it to be invigorating, gives me new things to do."
Corvus rolled his eyes at her words, and gave her a smirk as he responded, "You do like school though, and studying. Which is for nerds, perhaps?"
The death stare she gave him was enough to make him laugh as he returned to laying down completely.
"Guess I should call you lazy then, for not wanting to do your homework!"
"Hey!" He suddenly lifted again, returning the death stare she had given him.
Anna only giggled, and then smiled at him as she said, "Do consider that you played every day during the Beta, with the NerveGear all the time. While this is my first time using it." She paused for a moment and said, awe in her voice, "Still can't believe that we're on a game either… Feels almost like real life but even way better. Kayaba is a genius."
Corvus hummed as he asked, "So is it your First Full Dive today then?"
"Yup! I got very lucky though. I rushed out to get all the hardware required for the NerveGear, and to play SAO as soon as my parents granted me the money. Stood in line and got one of the ten thousand copies." She grinned at him as the teen beside her stood, and stretched his back, "If I was lucky, then you were ten times as lucky, I mean, considering only one thousand got to Beta Test it."
Corvus leaned his head backwards, before rolling it as he said, "I guess I was lucky, yes."
"You did say you had gotten to Floor 7 as well, so in the two months of Beta, did you actually play almost non-stop?"
The young man smirked at that, "Yes, but now I can get there in a month easily."
Anna laughed beside him as she commented, "Someone seems like he's stuck in the game."
He unsheathed his blade for a moment, and swung it twice as he said, "Perhaps. I was focused in the game during the Beta, non-stop." He breathed out as he stared at the blade's edge as he continued, "As I said, an escape. No limitations, no expectations, especially when considering that in this world, one blade can take you anywhere you wish to go." He moved the blade so it lay against his shoulder, "In this virtual world, somehow, I feel more alive than I ever do in the real one, motivated, with more reason." Corvus smiled at recognizing the feeling before giving a slight shrug and sheathing his blade across his back again.
"I know what you mean…" Anna seemed like she would say something else, though retracted, shaking her head as she then said, "But as much as I'd like to continue talking… I have a homework due for today at five thirty."
"And I've been feeling hungry for a while now, though food here can only satisfy that virtually."
The girl giggled as she stood again, and watched him, "Do you normally feel hungry, Corvus?"
"At times."
"Well then, I believe I should be logging off before someone in my family disconnects something."
At that moment, Corvus' stomach chose to betray him as it grumbled, which caused Anna to release a short, surprised laugh.
"And I'm lucky that I normally get an afternoon snack right about now."
"Then we're both fortunate that the game can wait until we return."
Corvus hummed at that as he glanced towards the Town of Beginnings in the distance.
"Hey, Corvus." The girl stepped towards him, getting his focus again, "I promised some friends of mine that I'd meet up with them after this. I'm not sure if you'll be busy later, but maybe you can come with us, and, if you want, you can friend them and be with us."
The swordsman seemed to consider it for a moment, releasing a low sigh as he looked down momentarily.
"I mean!" Anna continued as she noticed his motion, "It's alright if you don't wanna, no problem. I can always introduce them to you at some point later or something."
Corvus looked up again at her, expression neutral as he thanked her, "Sorry though. Thanks anyway, for the invitation."
"Don't you! No sorries. I'm the one thankful to you." She smiled and patted his arm, "One day of these, I promise I'll pay you back for all this, virtually, of course."
The black haired teenager smiled at her and nodded slightly, "Anytime."
"Thank you, Corvus, for everything." She laid her hand on his arm guard. "I'll see you around the game then."
The swordsman grasped her arm in return, and shook it gently, "If you have any questions or just need a bit of help around, message me, alright?"
"Alright!" She grinned up at him, "I will."
She moved to walk away, turning her back to him as she waved goodbye, and proceeded to open her menu to logout, after which Corvus began to step away, only for her to say, "Wait, what? Where did it go?"
"The button should be where it was placed earlier, if that's what you're wondering."
"Nope, not there."
"Bottom of the Main Menu, you sure?" He said as he stepped back to her, his hand swiping downwards as his Menu opened, yet showed only the symbol to log off, and not the word, the button seeming to be untouchable, blocked.
"See? I told you, it's not there." Anna fell into an insisting tone for a moment.
"You're right, it's not. Strange." Corvus narrowed his eyes for a moment.
The girl gave a shrug of her shoulders as she said, "Considering it's first day out of Beta, there's probably more than a few bugs. Can you imagine the development team's reactions by now?" She gave a soft giggle at that.
"I can imagine yours as well, you know."
"What do you mean?"
He pointed at the time in his menu, "See this, it's five twenty-five."
Anna's eyes widened for a brief moment before squealing, "Oh no, the mathematics homework! The teacher will be so mad at me for not sending it at the assigned time!"
"Did you try contacting the Gamemaster by now?" Corvus said as he turned fully to her.
"I did, thrice." She motioned at her menu, where the call to the Gamemaster was still trying to connect, "But it's not working. But is there any other way to log out?"
The swordsman tilted his head for a moment, considering his options as his eyes narrowed. "No. The only way for a player to log off is by doing so by the Menu."
"You're joking? There's got to be some way other than that." So she crossed her arms and grumbled before raising a hand and yelling, "Logout!"
When nothing happened, and the sun was blocked by a passing cloud, Corvus said, "I did tell you. And if you read the manual-"
"There's no emergency log out… Damn. And with no way to move ourselves in the real world, we can't remove the NerveGear off our heads."
"It does intercept the signals sent by the brain thanks to an interface built into the rig." He patted the back of his neck with a slight frown.
"So… We just wait until Argus fixes the bug?"
Corvus motioned with a hand as he responded, "Yes. Or until someone in the real word removes the headset from our heads."
"I'm sure my father will notice that I keep myself logged on for too long… I hope." Anna muttered. "What about you?"
"I live with my mother, she will notice that I'm still on by when she gets home, I think."
The girl hummed for a moment, only to hiss as something seemed to bite at her neck, she slapped away whatever bug it had been, then rubbed the spot and suddenly stopped. "Have to remember, this world doesn't hurt as much."
"Come on, back to focus. What's going on is weird."
"I know, and yes it is. You'd think they'd have noticed by now, or made an announcement…"
Corvus seemed to groan as he muttered, "Damn first day launch, something always happens… This means that there will be problems for the game. And I do wonder if the devs even know what's going on. As they can log everyone out and shutdown the server with a simple command."
It was Anna's turn for her gaze to narrow for a brief second, only for both to turn at the sound of the ringing bells coming from the city. "The hell…"
Light blinded them for a few moments, only for them to be teleported to the middle of the Main Plaza, the bells kept ringing as they looked around and saw hundreds of players continue to be teleported in. The noise was near deafening after seconds.
The other players kept wondering what was going on, most of them looking alarmed.
Corvus realized what was going on, the forced teleportation.
The sound of the ringing bells stopped as a system message appeared above the main dome of the central building. "What in…"
'Warning', said the message, and hundreds of the same and some that said "System Announcement' flooded the sky above them, until the skybox was completely covered in red, the system messages all over the place.
Blood began to flow down from the spaces in between the messages, the streams combining as a mass formed, hanging from the sky. Suddenly, it began to inflate, something like electricity lighting it up momentarily as it formed into a shape.
"What in hell is that?" Anna muttered loud enough for Corvus to hear.
A form now floated above the plaza, gigantic in size, larger than even the main building. The Gamemaster's red robe covered it, and its hooded features were completely obscured.
Muttering and noise began to fill the silence of the plaza again, only for the figure to lifts its massive hands, and say, "Attention players! I welcome you to my world."
"What does that mean though?" Corvus whispered, glancing to the side where the same black haired player from earlier now stood.
"I am Akihiko Kayaba, and as of this moment I am in control of this world." The Gamemaster said, much to the shock of some players.
The swordsman's eyes widened at that, remembering the man he had studied, and learned about as he heard and read reports from the NerveGear.
Muttering began again around him, the players conversing in low voices.
"I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your Main Menus, the logout button." The giant man lifted a hand slowly, then swiped it down to reveal a large menu, where even his logout button didn't show. "Let me assure you, this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be."
"He's got to be joking, right?" Anna glanced at him briefly, Corvus still viewing Kayaba above them.
"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO. And no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the NerveGear from your head. If anyone attempts to do so, a transmitter inside the NerveGear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain and ending your life."
Several gasps were heard around them, a soft one coming from Anna, muttering filled around them again.
He noticed some players trying to walk out, only to be stopped by an invisible wall around the plaza.
"It can't be..." The girl beside Corvus looked at him, her being upset was clear in her features. "Are you listening to this? Can it be, Corvus?" Anna turned to him after questioning.
"Yes it can, and it is… The transmitter's signals in the headset are practically microwaves. If the safety is disabled, it can outright fry your brain."
Anna seemed to remember something as she gulped and muttered, "And the internal battery doesn't help the situation if the NerveGear is disconnected."
"Exactly." Came Corvus' answer as Kayaba spoke again.
"Despite my warning. The families and friends of some of the players have attempted removing the NerveGear. An unfortunate decision to say the least. As a result, the game now has two hundred and thirteen less players than when it began. They've been deleted from both Aincrad and the real world."
Corvus' eyes widened a he muttered, "So many already?"
Anna beside him shook her head quickly.
Around Kayaba, various windows showing the news channels and several news reports in the web began to slowly spin around him. "As you can see, International media outlets around the globe cover everything, including the deaths."
'Online Game Incident Claims Numerous Victims', Corvus could see upon one of the windows. "At this point, it's safe to assume the likelihood of the NerveGear being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game."
Corvus blinked at that, his gaze then widening as realization hit him.
"It's important to remember the following. There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your Avatar will be deleted from the system, forever." Kayaba stopped for a moment before saying, "And the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain."
All those deaths Corvus had taken during the Beta, all those mistakes, he needed to make sure they never happened again. His hand curled up into a fist beside him. The players around him, quiet and still, shocked.
"There's only one way for a player to escape now. You must clear the game." Kayaba swiped his hand down to reveal the map of the floors of Aincrad. "Right now you are gathered on Floor One, the lowest level of Aincrad. If you can get to the Dungeon and defeat the Boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the Boss on Floor One Hundred and you will clear the game."
Muttering around him started again as players began to talk. Some still unbelieving, not trusting Kayaba's words.
Anna beside him whispered, "To clear all of them will be nearly impossible… Even the Beta Testers never made it that high."
Kayaba's hand lowered as he continued, "Last but not least. I've placed a little present in the item storage of every player. Please, have a look."
Corvus opened his Inventory only to see one new item called 'Mirror.' Which resulted to be a small mirror, and he stared down at it to see his avatar's reflection.
Suddenly lights began to appear around him, covering players in blinding blue beams, the girl beside him as first, "Anna!"
In a moment, Corvus himself was covered completely, most players around him now looking different as he then opened his eyes again.
"You alright, Corvus?" A raven black-haired girl with bright blue eyes stared at him, hair style the same as Anna's.
"Yeah… Wait. Who are you?"
"I'm me. Who are you though?"
Corvus lifted the mirror again, only to stare at his real face and features, just a younger face than his avatar's, almost the same hair, his real one covered his ears almost completely, his eyes back to their normal hazel green.
Talking erupted around them again as players began to point at each other.
"Wait a second!" Corvus suddenly said.
"Is that you, Anna?!"
"Is that you, Corvus?! But… How?"
Corvus' gaze narrowed, "The high skin density scan device in the NerveGear… It can see what our faces look like, but how would it know how tall I am and my body type…"
"You remember that the NerveGear asked you to pat all over your body when you first put it on? This… Calibration thing." The blue eyed girl began to tap her shoulders and slim arms.
"That's where it got our physical data then."
"But… What's the idea of all this?" Anna moved a hand to her forehead, only for Corvus to point at Kayaba.
"He will most likely tell us. He'd be gone by now if not."
"Right now," Kayaba's deep voice resounded across the plaza again. "You're probably wondering why. Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of Sword Art Online and NerveGear, do this? Ultimately, my goal was a simple one. The reason I created Sword Art Online was to control the fate of a world of my design."
Corvus let out a low growl at that as he stared at the man.
"As you can see, I have achieved my goal." Kayaba paused for a second, then continued. "This marks the end of the tutorial, and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck."
With that, a sound of interference began to fill the void of Kayaba's silence as his body began to dissipate, smoke rolling back into the sky. Only for dusk to cover them, the normal yellows and oranges of the sky showing again.
The silence was absolute, and the shock was was written in players' faces.
Corvus realized the changes that had just been announced. He knew it was no longer a simple game anymore, it was now real instead. Kayaba had created a world, he had designed the NerveGear and knew the man was a genius. He knew that everything he said was true. He could not risk his life, knowing he'd die in real life as well.
A mirror shattering somewhere around them, a girl's yell following it was what broke the crowd into gasping, sobbing, and yelling, some on their knees, or still standing there, in shock.
"Come on, Anna!" Corvus took her hand in his as he darted into the now empty streets of the city.
"Wait, but-!"
"Alright, I'm going straight to the next village from here. I suggest you come with me so we manage to get as much EXP as we can." The swordsman spoke quickly, with an edge to his voice.
"I wish I could, Corvus, but…" She glanced over her shoulder for a moment. "I told you about my friends earlier, remember? Right now, they're in the Plaza, most likely terrified and still on shock from earlier… I can't just leave them here and move along without them."
The hazel eyed player nodded his head slowly, understanding as he instead opened his menu, and quickly sent her a friend invite, which she accepted.
Corvus opened his map to point the way towards the next village, for Anna to see the route as well. "You know RPGMMOs, there's only some of all the money and EXP you can get to go around. The fields around the Town of Beginnings will be hunted clear by the other players. But if we head to the village now, we will get Col and EXP much easier and faster. Make sure to avoid the large group of enemies, and look twice into caves before entering them, you can get there easy even if you're still level one."
He seemed to consider taking Anna and her group of friends along, joining them, but he knew that would slow them down too much.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't ask you to risk your life for a group of strangers, not when I've just met you." Anna said with a small smile, her blue eyes slightly shimmering. "Don't worry about me, but get to the next village quickly. I was a Guild Officer in the last game I played so I'm more than ready for this." Her smile became a grin as she announced, "And with your teachings this will be even easier!"
Corvus, quiet and seeming remorseful, said, "If that's what you want, Anna, I'll get a move on. But if you have any problems or just need help, I'm merely a message away, alright?"
"Of course!"
He nodded and began to step away, head slightly down as thoughts started to flood into his mind.
"Wait! Corvus… You know you're even more handsome like this. Way more than your avatar."
The swordsman smiled as he turned to look at Anna as he returned. "And I think your blue eyes just compliment your features perfectly!" The blush on her face made him grin as he turned to trot away, glancing over his shoulder to see the street empty.
And so he sprinted across the city, all the way to the exit, across the marketplace and the gates as he moved out of the Town of Beginnings, seeing a shape against the horizon way ahead of him in the road, noticing the light blue polygons of something dying ahead. Knowing it was someone, he kept running, not wanting to stop until he got to the next village.
He spun and slashed and stabbed through most wolves that spawned on his way, his blade leaving only traces of blue and golden light as he attacked, clearing his way.
The game was real now, and he needed to do his best to survive, no option otherwise, he would not die because of a game.
Corvus would not let the game beat him, as he was beating it first.
I guess I forgot to say something earlier! Hello everyone, and thank you for reading this long introduction for the story! I know, it seems too familiar to the original first episode of the series, but I do need a starting point! From here on, it starts differing, excepting the first floor Boss Battle. But after that, all free, limited only by the lore of SAO! I'd like to get some reviews, of anyone who'd like to send some, and encouraging always helps as well!
RL tends to be busy, so I'll try and update as often as I can, most likely in smaller chapters, though not so small! Just, this was an exception!
