A/N: Okay, so this is my first ever fanfiction, so please no flames. I'd appreciate some constructive criticism, since I still have grammar mistakes. Feel free to correct me. Also, this is an AU, so things that happened from the light novel/anime will most likely be different in this fanfiction. I hope you like it:)

Chapter 1

Slash

Hack

Thrust

Parry

The look on my family's face was agonizing to see. He trapped us here. He trapped everyone in Japan here.

Slash

Twirl

Dodge

Stab

It was supposed to be the most fantastic day of my life. It was supposed to be a reality better than reality. I didn't expect it to be where I would live for the rest of my life. I didn't expect to be a prisoner of what I thought was my salvation from real life.

Sword Skill: {Vertical}

Eruptions of polygons

More {Wolves} appear.

300 people. That was the rounded amount of players whom died so far. It was only the first day.

Pivot

Slash

Parry

Jump back

People were afraid, including me. We could die in this world. No one would grind monsters to level up. And I know this because I grind every day. Not even the {beta} testers would fight.

Sword Skill: {Vorpal Strike}

Polygons that sound like breaking glass echoes in the dark forest.

Another pack of Wolves appear.

Everyone including my family stays at the inns available. Everyone gave up the will to get out of SAO. After one month passed, everyone became accustomed to this world. Everyone except me.

How long would our bodies in the real world last? If we could die in this world, then obviously the same thing applies to the real world. Don't we need to be alive in the real world to be alive in SAO? Sooner or later, our bodies in the real world would fail us, thus ending our lives.

How long would the government keep our machines (the hospital machines that stables our real life state and the Nerve Gear itself) plugged in? One day, the government might decide to pull the wires, another possibility of ending our lives. Of course, this resort would be only used when many years pass, and no progress was made. At this rate, the possibility of this resort might as well happen now.

My family doesn't know that I became a {Solo} player. Really, the option of being a {Solo} player was practically suicidal in everyone's opinions; the option of being part of a party is not applicable either, since there was no one else to choose from. I, however, was fine being a {Solo} player. No one's life was at risk, only mine. It was easier to gain {EXP} to level up, too. I'm level 15 now. Usually, within a month, a player would range from level 5-8 (if the player chooses to level up), but I'm not a normal player. As darkness emerges from the sky, I would sneak out of my room from the inn I slept in, and grind in the night/early morning. Of course, the monsters would become more aggressive, but {aggressive} types of monsters held more {EXP} if killed.

Slashing at the last {Aggressive Wolf} with my {Anneal Blade+3}, it exploded into glittering polygons that illuminated in the night (or morning, because it was currently 3:00 a.m.). I sighed in relief when a large translucent "Congratulations!" sign popped up in front of my face, signifying that I leveled up to level 16. I was very aware that I would need to be at least level 18 if I were going to {Solo} the first floor boss. {Soloing} the boss was even more suicidal than becoming a {Solo} player, but I obviously had no choice. Okay, I do have a choice, but in the case of wanting, no, needing to beat the game, I really had no choice, and it was obvious that no one would help me.

Letting out a loud sigh, I sheathed my sword behind my back, and trekked back to the {City of Beginnings}. After my latest training session, I had enough materials to upgrade my {Anneal Blade+3} about four more times. However, I was way too tiered at the moment to care. I was exhausted after grinding for the last six hours or so, and all I wanted to do was collapse in my bed at the inn.

Walking through the streets of the {City of Beginnings}, I was not surprised that the streets looked completely deserted. In the very early morning, everyone was asleep, and because of the eerie silence, the city looked like a ghost town.

Yawning tiredly, I walked inside of the {Humble Inn}. The only sound I heard was the creaking of the wooden floor I stepped on, otherwise it was dead quiet. Giving a nod to the {NPC} sitting behind the desk near the front entrance, I walked up the stair case.

Despite the fact that I was now swaying on my feet, I knew I had to check up on something, or rather someone. Walking in front of room 37, I opened the door. Because the player who stayed in the room set an option that I was allowed to enter the room, I was able to walk into the room anytime I wanted to, without having to knock and ask if I could come in.

As I scanned the room, I saw her sleeping peacefully on the bed. I was grateful, because during the past month, she had been getting horrible nightmares, mostly revolving around the death of her loved ones. I was one of them.

This was why I couldn't tell her that I became a {Solo} player, and risked my life every day training and leveling up. She could have looked at my {profile} and realized that I farmed on monsters due to my rather high level and {stats}, but using a trick I learned from after completing an {NPC} quest, I was able to shield my {stats} and level from other players.

"Sugu…" I whispered softly. Ever since Sword Art Online became everyone's new reality, everyone addressed each other using their preferred usernames. However, when talking to family members alone, we were allowed to use their real names.

With a soft smile spreading across my face, I steadily closed the door. As I walked into my room (which was beside Suguha's room), and closed the door, I collapsed on my bed. With just enough energy to change into more comfortable clothes, I curled up in my bed, closing my eyes. With a couple more passing seconds, I slowly slipped into unconsciousness.