This is the five minute version, I will update this soon with the full chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.
You have to had either watched the anime or read the light novel else you won't get it.
All the skills will be shown like this: Skill Name Here
"Onii-Chan! I'm going for my Kendo practice!" my sister Suguha shouted.
I ignored Suguha and put on my NerveGear, the invention of my idol and a genius, Akihiko Kayaba.
As I said "Link Start", I remembered all the fun I had while Beta Testing the game I was going to play, Sword Art Online, the very first VRMMO(Virtual Reality MMO). When I was playing it, I felt invincible, partly because I was the strongest player in the entire game, nearly beating the game, however, when I was at the ninety-third level, the beta testing period was over.
Now, it was his turn to shine once again, his goal? To beat the game.
"Enter Credentials:"
Kirito
"Enter Password"
"Login Successful." A mechanical voice said.
A screen suddenly popped up greeting me, I just swiped it away and ran off towards the first farming area that he found the most effective when he was beta testing.
While on my way there, a guy named Klein, ran up to me.
"Hey, you seem pretty familiar with this place, mind showing me the basics?" Klein asked while panting.
I was in a dilemma, should he help out a noob or go and farm some experience points and col(SAO's Currency).
In the end, I came up with the decision to help out the noob.
After two hours of watching Klein get absolutely demolished by a wild boar, which was equivalent to a slime in other games, he finally decided to intervene.
"Klein, get your lazy ass up, it doesn't even hurt" I commanded Klein.
"Oh yeah, a habit I guess" Klein said sheepishly.
"Just activate your sword skill and let the system do all the work" I taught Klein.
To demonstrate, I activated my Sword Skill Horizontal Square and sliced the Wild Boar, after a few seconds delay, the Wild Boar exploded into digital flakes.
"Now it's your turn to try it." I instructed Klein.
Klein activated his Sword Skill Reaver to slice up the Wild Boar multiple times, after the eighth time, the Wild Boar exploded into digital flakes.
"Whew, that was tough! Was that like a mini-boss or something?" Klein asked, I sweat-dropped and informed Klein that the Boar was the Slime in other games.
"Well see 'ya! Gotta go for my dinner! I ordered Pizza." Klein said, before trying to log out, after searching around, he then informed me about the missing Logout button, I searched and also didn't find it.
AN: This part is copied from another Fanfiction named Alpha, Not Beta. By u/2321309/Kandescent-Shades-13
A bell in the distance was ringing. However, it didn't sound pleasant. At the same time, both Klein and I were enveloped in bright blue light.
When it disappeared, we appeared back in the central plaza along with thousands of other players all with the same expressions of confusion.
"Hey! What gives?" Klein said surprised.
"It must have been a forced teleport," I said reasonably. I knew that much, now I wanted to know why.
Plenty of people around us were muttering things, others exclaiming that they wanted to log out for fear of being late to an appointment and such and such. Soon after, all of our attention was brought to a flashing shape in the sky. A red hexagon reading, 'Warning'.
Then it soon multiplied and the entire sky, or so it seemed, was covered in red hexagons reading either 'Warning' or 'System Announcement'. Then something similar to blood dripped down, but it didn't hit the ground, instead it converged like some viscous liquid in mid-air and formed a cloaked figure with no face.
By now everyone was thoroughly perplexed and even slightly shocked at the turn of events. I, however, started to grow suspicious, but even more so anxious. I waited like everyone else, and what I was about to hear changed reality. Or at least this one.
"Welcome players. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. From here on, I am the only one who can control this world."
World? I thought as many exclaimed what he just said out loud.
"I'm sure almost all of you by now have noticed the absence of the log out button. However, I assure you, this is not a defect. It is an actual feature that makes Sword Art Online unique,"he said in an ominous voice.
What? I couldn't comprehend what he just said. No log out... that's insane. Wouldn't that just detriment sales? What was he thinking?
"Also now, there is no way to respawn after you die. You're given only one life, which is the one you have now. Cherish it, for you may not have it for long."
You're asking for it, buddy... I can't believe you're spewing this ridiculous crap... I thought silently. I can't believe this is who my idol actually was.
"Simply put, if you die here, you will die in reality. There is a microwave chip that will activate if you die. And don't hold onto hope for help from the outside, for any attempts to remove the NerveGear or interrupting gameplay will result in the same end. Already, regretfully 213 players have died due to outside interventions by their own families. The government has also been informed as have the public media. I have given 2 hours for all logged into the game to be moved to hospitals and such institutes in order to be taken care of while you are all here. I think it is safe to say now that the danger has been decreased to a minimum and you can focus on the game. There is only one means of escape..." He said this in voice of finality after he displayed the grim news of the recent deaths on large digital monitors.
"In order to log out of the game, you must traverse all 100 floors and beat every last boss. If even one of you manages to do this, I will set you all free. Also, I have a gift for all of you. Please check your inventories now."
We did and there was a peculiar item. An object labelled, «Mirror».
In an instant everyone was surrounded in blue light similar to teleporting. However, we didn't get teleported away, instead, it seemed as though nothing happened. Until-
"Hey, who are you?" Asked a new voice. I turned around where Klein should've been. Instead there was this new person. But then I looked into the mirror.
It was me.
The real me, with the really feminine-looking face and long(for a boy)black hair that fell to chin-length. I was surprised and then I came to realize that Kayaba Akihiko forced us into the open by using our real bodies as avatars.
Talk about invasion of privacy, I thought. I didn't look ugly or anything but I always thought that I looked like such a girl. I might as well have been if I had longer hair, curves, and two X chromosomes...
"You must be asking yourselves this question: Why? Why would I, Kayaba Akihiko, creator of NerveGear and SAO do such a thing? The truth is I have already realized a world in which I have created and can control. I wish you the best of luck players, and this concludes the official tutorial for Sword Art Online," he ended with a dark note.
There was silence for a moment. All of us just barely registering what he just said. If you die here, you actually die in real life.
It sounds stupid, I know, like some contrived idea for a new franchise. It wasn't exactly an original idea, but when it's met with reality, that's different.
Nobody just plays with death and expects a laugh out of it. Unless of course, if you were that sick. However, I still had questions I wanted to ask.
Why?
Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the man that I looked up to and idolized do such a thing?
"We need to get the fuck outta here Klein and go to the next town and fast! Else there'll be too many players there!" I shouted at Klein, Klein shook his head and told me to go without him, and how he needed to create a guild with his friends from other games, he even invited me but I told him I really needed to go, did I feel guilty? Yes, of course, Klein was such a nice guy, if he came we me, his odds of survival was higher, not that I was being arrogant but that was the truth.