Disclamer: Sword Art Online is owned by Reki Kawahara.

«Nov 6, 2022 - 1:15 PM»

«L/N's Residence - F/N's Room»

"LINK START!"

As I said those words, the light passing through my eyelids disappeared, the transmissions from my optic nerves was severed and my eyes were enveloped by a total darkness.

Immediately, a rainbow-colored light appeared and it gradually formed into a «Nerve Gear» logo, it's purpose was to confirm the connection to my visual cortex. A line of text appeared below the logo to confirm that the visual connection was OK.

Next, multiple types of sounds resonated, it's purpose was to confirm that the auditary nerve connection is working. A line of text appeared to confirm that the sound connection was OK.

I can feel that the feeling of my bed and weight disappeared, confirming that my feeling of touch and gravity was similarly OK.

As the connection test continued with my various senses, the number of OK's indicated the succesful connection.

At last, the final OK appeared, and the next instant brought me falling through the darkness into the colors of a rainbow.

And after passing through this series of rings, i had arrived in a completely different world.

ーis actually what i wanted to say, but i still have to create my account remember?

A greeting «Welcome to Sword Art Online» suddenly appeared and the «Account Creation Interface» pops out.

Following the instructions given, i began creating my very first account and character, a shiny virtual keyboard appeared and it asked me to enter a «UserID» and a «Password» that i will be using from now on.

Next, i chose the nickname or «IGN» for my character, and i entered the name "«P/N»".

I already decided earlier that i'm gonna use my «CTM's» IGN so I didn't put much though into it, and my selected gender, of course, was a male.

And finally my favorite part, the «Character Creation». This is when the player can choose what their character will look like, and of course, i'm gonna make my avatar looked perfectly handsome as much as possible.

After adjusting a bunch of options and parameters, i finally finished creating my account. A button with a word «Proceed» pops out and right after i pressed it, i was again sent into a vortex of light and a new world slowly emerged.

«1:30 PM»

«Aincrad - 1st Floor - Town of Beginnings»

The light engulfing me slowly faded and i find myself alongside with the countless number of players, surrounded with a number of tall medieval-styled buldings. A large road paved with stone and medieval streets surrounded by street lamps that you can see on any fantasy game or fantasy movies. But this time, i can see it clearly-virtually with my own eyes.

I'm finally here, in the «Aincrad»..

"WOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

I coudn't hold back myself and i shouted out so loud to express what I am feeling right now, loudly enough to get the attentions of the players near around me.

But neither one of them paid no serious attention on my vulgar screaming, they just gave me an 'understanding' glances and smiles proving that all of them, probably feels the same way as me.

On the top-left of my view, i noticed a floating «Green Bar» that indicating my hitpoints or «HP» beside my «IGN», and i can feel the beginners weapon given to all players resting on my back. I excitingly unsheated the «One-Handed Sword» out of it's scabbard and i swing it up and down, left and right repeatedly like an idiot.

I got the urge to scream again out of my excitement but I managed to succesfuly hold myself back this time.

I heard that «SAO» doesn't have any «Magic Skills» and instead, an endless number of skills were added called «Sword Skills». I'm so curious on how those skills works and i can't hardly wait anymore to experience it to myself.

And before i could even forget about it, we, on the «SkySoldiers» guild actually has a meet-up place on this world right now. It's on a village on the north-outside of the «Town of Beginnings». I sheated back my sword and i decided to head straight on that direction to find that place, and to finally meet my 'online friends', well, their virtual self.

I'm literally running like crazy right now. My body feels so weight-less and i think thay i can even run for a whole day without getting tired at all. A 'virtual body' is really awesome in so many ways.

After a few more minutes of more running, I finally reached the destination. But something doesn't seems right, the "«Pililla Village»", the name of the village that was supposed to be our meet up place was replaced by a rural town called "«Celesia Town»". And not only that, this town is clearly different on what my guild mates had described to us, to me and Hiro earlier.

The «Pililla Village» was supposed to be a small, old looking village that only has a few number of «NPC's» residing on it, making it a really perfect place for us to use as our temporary "Base", but this «Celesia Town» is totally different. Just like the first town, it has a number of medieval-looking houses and also, a very large number of «Players» and «NPC's» are already gathering here.

I'm so confused now. I noticed that there is a nearby «Floor Map» currently displayed on the town's entrance so i decided to check it.

After looking and cheking the map over and over again, I finally came into a conclusion.. There's no mistake, I am in the right direction and the right place, but the «Pililla Village» didn't exist anywhere here anymore, not atleast on this floor. Maybe the devs probably just changed the whole village's name and appearance before the official release, and maybe the "«ALMA'S INN»" that my guild mates were talking about is still actually here?

There's only one way to confirm so I decided to finally walk inside the town to explore and to find out if that 'inn' is still actually here, and if it is, all of my guild mates are probably waiting patiently for me, so i have to find it faster.

«2:30 PM»

«Aincrad - 1st Floor - North Hunting Grounds»

After wasting almost an hour of searching and exploring, I can't find any «ALMA'S INN» let alone any kind of 'inns' inside the whole town and I already reached the town's exit without finding anything.

Feeling slightly dejected, I continued to walk directly outside of the town hoping for some information until I noticed that I am already on the hunting grounds. I looked around to see that I'm currently surrounded by an endless grassy plains, there should be numerous players fighting monsters around here but because of the enormous size, none of them were visible.

"Okay, what to do now.."

I mumbled tiredly as I sat beside a giant stone outside of the paved road near me to take some 'rest'.

Okay I'm actually gonna take back what I said earlier. Even if I run for almost a day on this world, my real body on the other world is completely not moving, but the feeling of weariness and fatigue still stayed so in any sense, you can still actually feel 'tired'.

While I was taking my short break, I saw a lone player standing still in the middle of the plains. I stand up to look closely and I noticed that this «Player» is actually a girl. I continued to observe her from afar but she is literally not moving at all for almost 10 minutes now.

Maybe she's lagging? Disconnected? Slightly curious, I decide to move closer to her in order to see what's going on.

When I got near her back, I noticed that except for her 'chestnut' colored hair that goes all the way down on her middle back, the overall looks of her avatar looks exactly like the «Default Appearance» given for the female players, and unlike me, she didn't even bother customizing her avatar aside from her hair.

"Hello?" I decided to say a word to her as a gretting, but no response.

"Um, Hello??" She continued to stare off blankly into the space.

I thought for a second that this girl is maybe an «NPC», but there is a «Green Cursor» floating over her head, indicating that she's a player just like me.

I called her out once again but there's still no response from her. I'm really getting curious if she is really a player or not, so I moved forward a bit to her left side, and decided to touch the left side of her face in order to see what is going to happen.

She jolted out and let out a small 'kya' when my hand touches her left cheek. Startled, she immediately stepped back and turned to face me. Her expression shows that I really surprised her, that gesture proves that she is really a player just like me.

"Finally, a response.." I said with a feeling of accomplishment. This may be a virtual world but for some people, what I did just right now is exactly what they called, you know, "sexual harrasment".

Maybe after realizing that the one who 'touched' her was actually a male stranger, she gritted her teeth and balled her right fist tightly.

But it's already too late after when noticed that, and she sucessfully landed her fist right on my face, sending me flying for almost 5 meters.

What a ridiculous strength.

"Ow- that hurts!! ..Oh wait- it's not! IT'S NOT !! Awesome!! Hahaha!!"

Out of a human's natural instinct, I slowly rubbed my face to ease some pain, only to realized that i didn't feel any pain from it. I lost some of my «HP» but her punch didn't actually hurt me in any ways. So i'm gonna say this once again, a 'virtual body' is really AWESOME!

I nearly forgot the threat that I'm currently facing and i saw the girl walking towards my position slowly, still with a furious expression painted on her face.

"Wait wait!! It's a misunderstanding!!" I said while frantically waving both of my hands.

Still no change on her behaviour and for the worst part, she began to draw the sword that were sheated on the left side of her body (it's a «One-Handed Sword just like mine) and she pointed it straight on my face.

"Explain." She ordered, coldly.

Seriously, whats up with this killing intent? I didn't do anything harmful to her didn't i?

"W-wait! Im just trying to talk to you earlier but you're not responding at all so i thought you're an NPC or maybe lagging or d-disconnected or something! I didn't mean any vile from it!" I frantically spurted some excuses as I explained myself.

"Really now? If that was really the case, was that 'sexual harassment' of yours necessary?" She asked back still in intimidating tone while pointing the left side of her face that I touched earlier.

"Sexual harassment? It's not like I touched your real body, it's only a virtual body and more importantly, I only touched you! What's the harm on that?" I retorted back

"What did you say?" She suddenly pressed her left foot forward and then she immediately raising her sword, letting it rest on the top of her right shoulder while still aiming straight for my direction; After that, the sword suddenly emmits a glowing blue light, furious expression still on her face.

But wait a minute.. What is that!? A «Sword Skill»!?

"Alright! ALRIGHT! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!!" Realizing her hostile actions, I grovelled on my knees while begging for my life. Seriously?

She only stared down at me, still aiming her blade on my direction.

Well even if i died, i'm just gonna get «Respawned» at the «Town of Beginnings», but I can't afford to do that now.

Why? This girl in front of me just did a «Sword Skill» right? And since I still can't find where the heck are all my guild mates are, (the people who were supposed to teach me these things) why not ask this girl instead of wasting my time now?

But first, I need to cool her down.

"Hey.."

"What?"

"The thing that you did earlier, that's a Sword Skill right"? I asked earnestly.

"Yeah, so what of it?" Based on her tone, she's still angry.

"Can you teach me how to do those skills please!"

"Huh.. Why do i have to do that?"

"Pretty Please!!!" I'm literally begging her right now. That's jus how desperate I am to learn on how those awesome skills works, I just wan't to experience it for myself.

She lowered her blade down while still silently observing me.

"Actually, there is some people that were supposed to teach me all of that, they're my friends and they're also playing this game right now.."

And just like that, I started to explain my current dilemma to her.

"All of us were supposed to meet up on that town right behind us, but I already wasted an hour and I still can't find any single one of them! And I can't hardly wait anymore to experience those skills to myself.. Aaaand you looked like you already know some of it so can you please teach me how to do it!! Please!!"

She let out a sigh and at last, she finally sheated back the sword that she was holding back on it's scabbard.

"It's not like i don't want to teach you.."

"I just happen to know a bit of it, but just like you, I also don't know how to fully use those skills." She continued.

"What? But that was a sword skill right? The thing that you did earlier?" I confusedly asked.

"Yeah it is but I only tried to mimic what I saw from the other players earlier out of anger, it's not like I have some advance knowledge about it."

"Uhhg..." It looks like it's a mission failed.

"Wait. I heard earlier that there's a tutorial book or something for sword skills on the player's personal shop. I still haven't checked it though.."

"A Sword Skill Tutorial Book?"

I put my right index finger and thumb together and pulled downwards, this was the action that was done to call the «Main Menu Window». Straight afterwards, there was a ringing sound and a shining white rectangle appeared.

I clicked the «Shop» button and browsed through the available items, and here it is, the «Sword Skill Handbook» with the cheap price of 'free'.

I pressed the 'buy' button and a small handbook materializes on my hand out of nowhere. I opened the book and It contains some basic tutorials about using some sword skills.

"I feel so dumb all of the sudden. I didn't know this thing exists" I mumbled loudly.

"So that's it, you don't actually need someone to teach those things to you, you can just learn them by yourself" She said back.

"Yeah, sorry for disturbing you, and again, that thing earlier.."

"Me too. You just startled me and I just hate it when people suddenly surprises, startles me.. Sorry for hitting you."

'So she's the kind of person who punches anyone just by surprising her.. Scary woman.'

Of course i didn't said that out loud, she finally calmed down and I kinda don't want to make her furious again.

"Can I ask your name?"

There's still something that I wanted to ask to her but it would be rude to just adress her as "hey" or "you" -so I decided to ask for her name.

She seemed a bit hesitant about my question at first, but after a few moments, she answered.

"Asuna."

Next: World of Swords