Hello hello! Chapter two is here! It's all gonna be in first person! I do not own SAO or any of its characters. I only own my OC, Maya.
November 6th, 2022
FINALLY were home and FINALLY I can log on and get my special prize or whatever it is. UGH it has been too long. Three days too long! I'll write more after I log out.
In Game
As I log on, I find myself in a field of flowers. Wild boar are grazing in packs of about three. Easy beginner and tutorial enemies. Opening up my menu I equip a good dagger to defend myself just in case and an awesome light armor I found while chopping trees down. I start walking towards Starting City when I see two other players. The redheaded one was practicing moves and jumps while the black haired one just watched. 'Hmm…how do I know him?' I thought. 'He looks so familiar.' I make my way toward them. The black haired one turns around.
"Hmm? Oh. Hello." He gives a small wave and a stone wall face. The red haired boy stops jumping and wanders over to us.
"Hi!" He looks me up and down. "Oh. You must be a beta tester too."
That's where I know him from!
"Hey, I thought I recognized you. I remember seeing you about fighting demons and such. Kirito, right?" I stick out my hand to shake his. He takes it.
"Yeah. I've seen you." He lets go of my hand. The red headed boy quickly takes it instead.
"My name is Klein! Well, that's my game name. Best not to give out my real one, lest you come and stalk me. Although I wouldn't mind being stalked by such a lovely lady!"
I blush profusely. "Oh I doubt I'd be able to stalk you. I do not live in Japan." I shake his hand then let it drop to my side.
"WHAT!? Not in Japan? But your Japanese is so good!" I blink in response.
"What? I'm not speaking Japanese. You are mis-OH! During one of my beta runs I put in the suggestion that there be a universal translator for those who do not speak any other language. Other than their own of course."
Kirito nods. "Smart of you."
I can see Klein opening his menu. "Well, I would love to stay and chat but I just ordered a pizza. And pizza always come before virtual reality. This is good bye for now. See yo-woah." His fingers are swiping furiously.
"Is everything okay, Klein?" I ask. I open my own menu. And I see the problem.
"There's no log out button. I can't leave. We can't leave!" Klein starts to get red in the face. Kirito opens his menu to see then closes it quickly. He starts walking towards the main town.
Before I can call out to him, all three of us are transported to the center of the Starting City. There are other players. A lot of players. Possibly…all the players? Varying sizes and hair colours and skin tones, but they all have the same look on their faces. Confusion of what is happening. I turn to Kirito and Klein. Kirito still has that kinda blank look on his face. Klein on the other hand…
"Oh my god what is this? Is it good? Is it bad? Are we getting a prize?" The word prize triggers a memory.
"Wait. I was browsing forums before logging on. There were rumours that something major was going to happen today in game. Maybe this is it. I thought it would be some sort of special item or something." I cross my arms and try not to look scared. Easy for an artificial avatar to do.
Before Kirito or Klein could respond, a hooded figure appears above the plaza square. A giant red circle cuts off any exit of said plaza. I can feel myself panicking. If this was real life my heart would probably almost give out. I equip my dagger to my hand, but Kirito raises an arm in front of me.
"Somethings not right." He says.
"You don't have to say that twice." Klein sarcastically remarks. I put away my dagger and wait for the hooded figure to talk, if it can.
"Attention players. Welcome to my world." The hooded figure says. Its voice booms over all of us. I can hear Kirito say under his breath, 'My world?'
"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world. I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from you main menu. This is not a defect in the game…I repeat…this is not a defect in the game. It is FEATURE of Sword Art Online." It swoops its arms about to make itself look bigger.
"A feature? What is he talking about?" Klein steps closer to me.
"You cannot log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the other side can shut down or remove your NerveGear. Should they be attempted the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."
Many players gasp. Some start crying. Klein turns to Kirito.
"What's that guy talking about? He's gotta be nuts! Right…Kirito?"
"He's right that the transmitter's signals work just like microwaves. If the safety were disabled it could fry a brain."
"Theoretically." I input. "He could just be bluffing."
"Unfortunately," it continues. "Several players' family and friends have ignored this warning and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever. From Aincard…and the real world." Its shoulders shake as if it is laughing. I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. Can you throw up in a video game?
"213…dead." Kirito whispers.
More people start crying. I myself feel a couple tears fall down my cheeks.
"As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is no minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But, I want you to remember this clearly." It pauses for a minute then continues in a somehow louder voice.
"If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be lost forever. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain. There is only one means of escape: complete the game. You are presently on the lowest level of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the boss on Floor 100 and you will clear the game.
"100 levels! 100 floors! That's impossible! Even the beta testers never made it anywhere that high!" Klein puts his hands on his head and crouches into a squat. I want to tell him it will be easy, but I do not know for sure. On the inside I am scared to death of what will happen.
"Finally," it still continues. "I've added a present to your item storage. Please see for yourself."
Everyone immediately takes out the present which seems to be a mirror. One by one, each player poofs into a cloud and emerges looking either very different or not that different at all. Kirito became slightly shorter and his hair is also shorter. Klein looks the same. Others are a different story. Guys are turning into girls, girls are turning into guys, 17 year olds are suddenly becoming 35.
I myself have shrunk in size. I am no longer my confident 5 foot 9. I no longer have pretty long hair and big doll eyes. I'm back to my mousy brown bob and my regular 5 foot 4. My eyes aren't big and doe like. I'm scrawny and pale and ugly. I begin to cry, making lots of noise. Klein puts an arm around my shoulder in attempt to comfort me.
Kirito snaps his fingers in realization. "That scan. The NerveGear covers your entire head with a high-density signaling device. Remember? It can actually see what your face looks like. But for the height and body type…"
I manage to choke out, "Ca-ca-calibration." Sob sob sob.
"Right," Klein says. "When first using the helmet it had us calibrate it, right? You had to touch certain points on your body. But why?"
Kirito points to the hooded figure. "He's gonna tell us I guess."
"Right now, you're probably wondering, 'Why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of SAO and the NerveGear, do all this? Well, my goal has already been achieved. I created SAO and Aincrad for one reason: to create this world and intervene in it." Its shoulders shake again in silent laughter.
"And now, dear players, it is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official Sword Art Online Launch. Oh, and…good luck, players." The hooded figure disappears and so does the barrier circle.
I sink to the ground in shock. I am no longer crying because I think I cried all my tears out. Kirito and Klein are talking, maybe arguing, but I'm not really hearing them. I wipe my tears and think of my family. The last time I saw them I was arguing with my mom about how I'd do the laundry later, after I started my game. Dad said he was gonna rent a movie and we'd watch it tonight. Will mom and dad feed my cat? What about my friends? Are they in this game too? I stand up and see Kirito waving goodbye. I wave back and turn to Klein.
"I'm sorry you had to see that breakdown of mine earlier. I…I'm not too happy to see my actual self again. Especially in a video game where I can look like anything." I shrug my shoulders.
"Hey, you look alright to me. Pretty, in fact." I blush in response. Never has a boy called me pretty.
"I…um…I actually have a hut I built out in the woods. For now, I'm going to head back there. You are welcome to join." He smiles. "If you want, of course!" I quickly add.
"Actually, my friends are somewhere in this plaza. I have to find them. But, if that offer still stands in the future, I will definitely drop in. Cool?" He offers a fist. I guess to bump it? So I do.
"Yes. Cool. Hey, add me as a friend. That way you know where I am. Being a beta tester I kinda know a few tips and tricks. Ever need any advice or something, come find me." I open my main menu and add him. His face and name ping into the window. He is my third friend. Next to my first two friends there is a little skull icon. I tap it and it says, 'Deceased.'
"Hey. It's okay." Klein says as I start to tear up again. "Here." He accepts my friend request. "Now you'll know where I am."
I wipe away yet more tears. "I guess this means I can now stalk you, huh?"
Klein lets out a huge laugh. "HAHAHAHA! Yeah it does. Hey, I needed a good laugh. Cheer up. You look like a fighter."
He turns to leave then saunters back. He extends a hand and says, "Hi. My name is Tsuboi Ryōtarō, Klein in game. I plan on not dying."
I blink a couple times before realizing I never told him OR Kirito my name. I take his hand with both of mine and shake it hard. "My name is Maya Mendoza, May in game. I also plan on not dying!"
Chapter two done! Lots of writing. My grandma kept asking me when I was gonna go to bed, lol. Comment and share. I love getting messages, too!
