"Elementum Online"

"The world where reality is only a fantasy"

BY: DGirlWithWings11

Summary: The world where reality is only a fantasy. There is a person who will break free from the chains of lies they been feed off. And that person is the one who will save them all.

A/N: hello there readers! I'm DGirlWithWings or Tsubaki Nikoru. Just call me, Niko or Tsu-chan.

This is my first fanfic so I hope you'll understand any grammatical errors and wrong spellings I made. I updated very slow, since I'm on my last year in junior high and my schedule is a mess. But don't worry; I'll finish this one since I love kirito so much! And of course, you guys. I already thanking you for reading and I hope you like this one. Arigatou! Ja ne!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online. I own the plot. I don't copy or claim anyone's work. That's not my thing, 'kay?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EON~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One

(In third person's POV)

Tokyo, Japan (November 7, 2022)

In a private apartment in the outskirts of the busy city of Tokyo, live a certain person that will make a decision that will not only change her life, but also the others.

The flowing of water can be heard in the quiet apartment, coming from the bathroom. Inside the bathroom is a certain beauty, standing below the shower, relaxing as the water hit her tense muscles. Her long brownish-orange chestnut hair flow freely around her, reaching her hips. She turned off the shower and proceeds to dry her body with a towel. Quickly putting on her underwear and an oversize white shirt while drying her hair with the towel. She plops down her bed, reaching for the nerve gear on her bedside table. She looks at the clock saying it is already one in the morning. She still has a class tomorrow, but she can always skip a day without worrying about her grades. She is quiet brainy for a girl in her age.

A sigh escape her slightly parted lips. Anyway, it's not like talking to herself will take her anywhere, right? She put on the nerve gear then lay down. There is a moment of hesitation before her close her eyes, completely hiding her perfect pair hazel eyes.

~EON~

Somewhere…

He blinks for a minute. The new arrivals are coming today. It will be a very busy day for the rest of them. But not for him. Never for him. He only watch and watch. There is nothing he could do but watch them. He is been like this for like his whole existence. He didn't even know if he is meant to be here. All he knows is that he is stuck here ever since he first opens his eyes.

Ever since he wake up inside this white virtual room, with only a chair and several holographic screens, he never came in contact with everyone on the outside, may it be a his kind or a player. His time inside the room almost monotone, with him watching everything that's happening in the outside and sleeping. But despise being trap, it seems like his inner clock never fail to remind him when it is day or night time. It also seems like that his body didn't need to supply nutrients like the others.

He snaps out in his current reverie. There is still a work to be done. With that thought in mind, he sets his dark onyx eyes in the screen in front of him. But much to his surprise, the monitors are all long gone. There is left no, not even a single, trace that there are almost a thousand screens hanging in mid-air that he is just watching awhile ago. None, nil, nada.

He looks around the room but there is no single indication what just happen. Inside, he is panicking but outside he is completely calm. What in the world just happen?! Where the world those screens go?! Of course, he can't actually think that there is someone who will answer him, right? Oh, how wrong he is.

"So, this is where you are hiding, huh? Kirito?"

~EON~

Elementum Online

There is a holographic screen and keyboard floating in front of her. She just has to type his username and password. She seems to think for a minute before deciding to just use her true name. She type A-S-U-N-A on the keyboard the type her password after. A circle of five different avatars appear in front of her. There is note above telling her to choose an avatar, besides is a button with a label random. She just hit the button says random. Surprisingly, her avatar turns out to be nice looking one.

The room turns black then the next thing she new is in the middle of what she can akin to a plaza. A very crowded plaza. And that actually means that there are a thousand of players in different races all mixed up in the plaza. Now, isn't she supposed to be sent to whatever-her-race-is home city? And why do all the five races gathering in a plaza?

She swipes her right hand vertically in the space in front of her and the game's main menu appears. She looks inside her inventory to look for the free manual that is installed in the item category. But she immediately stops when she saw that there is an unopened message in her inbox. Out of curiosity, she opens the message and read it.

Dear Player,

All races are sent in the main plaza in the city of Ilgard for an important announcement that will take place at exactly 5 a.m. in real world time. By all means, please don't go wandering off to another town or out of the safe zone. It is also require for all beginners to take the beginners quest that is given by the NPCs. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Game Master

She can't help but think like that the message is too formal for her taste before processing all the information in the letter. She looks at the menu that show her LVL, HP, MP and username, below it are the acronyms STR, AGI, VIT, and INT. In the right of the bar is another bar with two small separated digital clocks. The one above is for the real world and the one below it is for the time inside Elementum. It is already 1:30 a.m. in the real world, she still have three and a half hour before the announcement. It is enough time to finish a quest; all she has to do now is look for a NPC that can give her the quest.

And how lucky she is because there happens to be a NPC passing in front of her with a quest symbol above its head. Her eyes widen when the NPC suddenly turns to look at her. It is a water element NPC.

"Are you a beginner?"

The NPC ask her in a monotone voice.

"Ah… yes."

Her voice came out like a whisper but it does not seem to be a problem for the NPC. It hears what she says loud and clear.

"Good. I have a quest for you. Just check out your inbox for the details. See you."

Then the NPC quickly left. She stand there for a minute thinking what just happen but then shrug it off and look at her inbox when she heard a light buzzing sound on her ears indicating she receive a message. It's a quest. The quest says that she just need to clear out a small clearing inside the safe zone where level one mobs lurking. It is a very easy quest, if only she has a weapon, which she currently doesn't have. Sure, she can use a spell but it will take out much of her MP in case the mobs are in group. A dagger won't do any good since she's not use too use one, she prefers a sword in any given situation, and if she ever gets lucky, a rapier will do better.

Looks like she don't have a choice, she'll just have to buy a weapon to a NPC. She winces at the thought. A NPC weapon has a very low durability but it will do well for a three level one mob. She sighs and shook her head, it's not like she have any option.

The brown girl slip out of the crowd to the weaponry stores in the side walk of the city. She purchases one long sword and two daggers worth of seven hundred jewels. As much as she wants a rapier, she just can't find one that is suitable for her. Besides, it is only a beginner's quest, no big deal.

The clearing is not that far away from the plaza but it still isolated. And as said in the message there a at least five level one mobs in the clearing that she quickly eliminated with precise and graceful moves that she almost look like she was dancing. Unfortunately, her newly purchase weapons immediately broke off after she finishes the quest. But she can care less; the quest reward is a rapier with seven hundred durability and five hundred PK that immediately level her up to the second level. The rapier can last for one or two encounters with a group of level one mob.

She looks at the time and finds it that it is almost 5 a.m. That is when she saw something on the bar that contains her skills. FLYING. Trying to remember what she read in the manual, she tries to remember if there is a race that has wings. She tries to feel for anything different in her body. There, she can feel another bone between her neck and shoulders. It felt uncomfortable at first but she gets a hang of it. She almost stumbles forward when a white feathery wings bursts out of her back. Feeling for her wings again, she tries to flutter her wings. After a few more tries, she finally get a hang of it. Well, it will take time for her to master flying but it will do.

Brushing off this thought, she quickly flies to the plaza. As soon as she steps inside the plaza, a red barrier surrounds the whole perimeter, completely trapping all the players inside. The barrier is look likes made of thousand red polygons. Some players begin to panic while some are angry for a reason that the girl really don't know. She heard from some players that the log out button in the main menu is missing. That's when she felt a little nervous. She quickly checks the game menu and quickly looks at the bottom where the log out button can be found. There is none. No log out button.

She takes couple of calming breaths even though her avatar does not need to breathe. Panicking won't help her right now. She just needs to stay calm and listen to what the game master has to say. Sure, the announcement has something to do with the missing button right?

With one last calming breath, she settles herself beside the barrier so she can exit the place as soon as the barrier is down. A collective sound of gasps of horror and disbelief echoes in the plaza. Everything went silent as they watch a huge dark shadow materialize above them. The shadow takes form as a cloak man but it seems like that the man has no face. The figure stretch out its both hands in somewhat like a gesture of welcoming.

"Welcome players, to the world of Elementum Online! With no further ado, I am very much sure that all of you are confuse as to why you aren't sent to your home cities and why the log out button is missing. As you can see, Elementum Online is no longer a game. Your ability to resurrect is no longer valid. As soon as your HP hit zero your avatar will turn into a soul crystal. The only way to resurrect the avatar is to use high-level magic and rare items in only one minute. But if it fails to do so, the soul crystal will disappear and the nerve gear will send enough microwaves to your brain to fry it, resulting to a severe brain damage. If in any case that the nerve gear is forcefully taken off in your body, it will also result the same fate to the unfortunate player. Most of the families in the real world that I warn do not listen to my warning causing the amount of players to decrease from 20,000 players to 13,000 players. The only way out of this game is to clear it.

You have to defeat the bosses and elemental entities in the dungeon in Zirwen up to the very top. There you will face the Guardian of the Gates; the one to tell you the final step to clear the game. Every single one of you will send to your home cities after this.

Now, players, I wish you all good luck and enjoy staying here. And I have a little gift to all of you."

The barrier banish as soon as the figure banish too. The girl stand still taking in what the figure said. She does not even realize that she has been teleport to an unknown city. Her legs felt like jelly, and then her knees crumble down. Her head is down as she looks at the puddle of water in the ground. She can't believe this. Either it's true or her eyes are playing with her.

She lowers her head to get a perfect view of her face. All she can think is how impossible the thing she's seeing now. Her avatar looks like her, in the real life! The only differences are that her hair color is much lighter and her eyes are much brighter. But her features, it is like she is staring at her own reflection instead of her avatar's reflection.

Slowly, she became aware of her surroundings. Everything that surrounds her seems like glowing with light. The strange thing is, there is no one there. She's the only one inside the city. There is nothing but an endless meadow and a small white castle in the distance.

She frantically checks her location in the game menu. Her eyes widen as she read the name of the place. LEOCHT. That is an unfamiliar name. She can't remember ever reading something like that in the game manual. Then suddenly, the words glow blue. She unconsciously touches the word. A description about the place pops up.

'LEOCHT- it is the home city of the light elements. Can be found in one of the hidden floating islands near the city of Fiera, the home city of fire elements. The light elements are the only one who can enter and exit the city. But because it is very rare to have a light element, it is almost impossible to find the place.'

Her eyes almost pop out of their sockets when she read the text. Oh my god! Her race is a light element and she didn't even know it? Given that she only hit that random button, but, is it even possible for her to choose a very rare race?

She thinks for a while, sitting on the soft grass. The city is in a hidden floating island. That explains the wings. If her race is a light element then she can use light magic, holy magic, resurrection magic and healing magic. That is quiet a handful of magic. And of course, flying. She could fly.

With her mind made up, she stands up and summons her wings. Her wings are huge, soft, white and feathery, just like an angle's wings. She test flying upwards, and when her feet lift off the ground she flaps her wings harder, making her soar through the sky. She stops for awhile and looks around. There, in the middle of the sky is something looks like a portal. She flies through the portal. Different colors and lights pass through her as she flies in the portal then it cut short when she reaches the other end.

The city of Fiera. She is just above the city of Fiera. It will be a good idea to stop by somewhere to buy something but she doesn't think Fiera is a very good location. With that in mind, she heads to west. To the home city of the water elements, Hyndra.

Flying is fun. Yes. But also have limitations, since there is a time limit and she still doesn't master flying. So after ten minutes of flying, she lands in the middle of a forest in Hyndra's territory. She's already exhausted from all the events of this day but she didn't think she can sleep in the open, especially now. There is no doubt that there will be players who will attack other players to steal items that they can use. She really has a big disadvantage being a soloist. There is no friend of her that is also into playing MMO so she can't get any help.

She climbs a tree that she can sleep at. It is better sleeping in a tree instead of the forest floor where she can be found easily. And she swears, she's in no mood to deal with any of those bandits. Her eyes are gazing up in the night sky as she lay on her back in one of the wide sturdy branches of the tree. The leaves of the tree hide her very well in this position.

The moon and stars are looks so real but there is something missing in them. Even if the tree sways as the strong cold night breeze blow there is something that is out of place. She felt wrong. But what did she expect? The game master may be right that they are stuck here and there is nothing they could do. Even though they have to live inside this death game for a long time, it is still different from living in the real world. They may have their real features, or the world they're in just looks like the real one, but this world… it is nothing but a bunch of pixels and computer programs. In this world, the only thing that's real is their lives. No more, no less…

But still, she can't help but feel like… like something like this happens to her, a long time ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EON~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: okay, this is the first chapter. This story is mainly focusing to asuna. But don't worry, the other characters will be having an appearance sooner than you expects. I'm very sure that you all are wondering what the heck is happening, right? You see, Elementum Online or EON is a fictional game I made up; there are few similarities of this game and the other two games, SAO and ALO. That is no mere coincidence. Besides that is use both games as references, there is also another reason is decide to use another game instead of the original game. And that reason will be explains in the next chapters. Oh! And is there something that catches your attention in this first chapter. I'm very sure that you all know what I'm talking about. You can ask but I can't give you a definite answer.

About the races, there are five races here: the Fire, lightning, earth, water and wind elements. There is also a very rare race, the light elements. I hope there are no other confusions, except about Zirwen and how to clear the game. That will be explains in the next chapters.

So, anyway, did you guys like it? Just drop some review if you like, it will be greatly appreciates.

I really hope this story catch your interest.