[Sword Art Online: Powerless]

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Sword Art Online, nor am I attempting to profit off this work of art.

Chapter 2: It's a Sausage-Fest

-2022 November 6th 13:56-

-Floor 01 - Starting City-

I wish I could admit to having explored the entirety of the [Starting City], but after double-checking my map more than a few times, I was certain that only a quarter of the metropolis remained discovered. Although I hadn't located any kind of fire or even any hints to an alternative method, I finally found my first object of desire. In front of me resided the clothing store, [Aaro's Tailoring] and I wasted no time in springing right up the counter and engaging the [NPC] in hearty conversation. "Yo! What do you have to offer?"

The stunning, brunette salesperson ceased her counter-cleaning and turned to me before speaking jovially, "Here, take a look!"

Immediately the screen's colors faded and I was brought to a large menu of sorts, listing and showing everything the [NPC] had for sale. After getting a good view of her wares however, I realized the selection was actually basic, and by that I mean unbelievably basic. Would you believe they had even more color options for the starting armor? Well, believe it. The only thing I found noteworthy among her stock was a selection of [Cloaks] to conceal practically anything you could think of.

As I reached out to grab a gray one, a [Confirmation Window] popped up, issuing to me the price of the [Cloak]; [200 Col]. Above it also listed the statistics of the outfit, showing that it only offered a tiny amount of [Defense] and boasted some pathetic [Durability] as well. Well, it's not like I was planning on keeping it forever, so I decided to purchase it using my available funds and cancelled the [Shop Menu], bringing the color of my surroundings back into existence. The [NPC] wasted no time in speaking, "Thanks! Make sure to come back sometime."

'Basic dialogue but overall the [NPCs] are well-done. Good job, Kayaba!' Nodding towards the lady, I exited the shop and with a flourish of my hand, opened the [Main Menu]. Clicking the [Inventory/Equipment] brought up another three categories, [Equipment], [Items], and [Skills]. After clicking [Equipment], I was once again brought to another selection, [Weapons], [Armor], and [Accessory], where I thought for a second. Not sure which of the two it belonged in, I clicked [Armor] first.

Scrolling down, all I found were my [Starter Vest], [Starter Shirt], [Starter Pants], [Starter Gloves], and [Starter Boots]. Cancelling back to my previous selection, I clicked [Accessories] this time and found my [Cloak]. Clicking it prompted another selection, between [Equip] and [Make Into Object] which I chose the first and upon feeling something drape across my shoulders, I cancelled out the [Menu]. Looking down, I noted that it was definitely catered to my size, so I wouldn't have to worry about it dragging behind me whatsoever. The hood was also a nice touch, which I immediately dropped over my head.

Now with my hideous starting gear sufficiently covered, I started to wrack my mind for any place to cook. I could always just attempt to start a fire, but I wasn't even sure if this game would allow such a thing. Hell, I wasn't really all that sure how the [Skills] worked in the first place, so once again opening up my [Main Menu], I accessed the [Skills] section through [Inventory/Equipment] and was brought to a long list of [Skills] along with two slots on the left. 'So I can only have two skills equipped then? I better choose wisely then.'

I noticed that [One-Handed Straight Sword] was already occupying one of the slots (and was already [Level 2]), but after figuring that it would be best to always keep it equipped, I instead verified options for my second slot. Many of them were just [Trade Skills], like [Metal Refining], [Tailoring], and [Cooking], but there were a few others that I noted could be useful. [Blade Throwing] definitely had its perks as creating some long-range offensive for my character would undoubtedly be a boon.

Upon skimming all the available [Skills], I managed to narrow my choice down between [Sprinting], [Detecting], [Hiding], [Blocking], and [Parrying]. [Blocking] and [Parrying] were both excellent [Combat Skills] and I could see both of them as being extremely useful, though I couldn't just immediately rule out the others. [Detecting] on the other hand, could also help immensely just by assisting me in watching out for any [Ambushes], as well as allowing the ability to check the [Level] of certain [Monsters].

I considered the easiest to knock from the list for now was probably [Sprinting], since the effects were mostly non-combat related. Sure, I could definitely see its perks for whenever I was maneuvering across long distances, but that was about all the usefulness I could perceive from such a [Skill]. The same applied to [Hiding], which had just as many perks as the others, but the necessity of equipping it at this time was negligible. So that just left [Detecting], [Blocking], and [Parrying] then.

Ugh, it was a tough choice. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to do at this point; perhaps I wasn't suited to making such rash decisions. 'When in doubt...' Using my patented Sightless Pick of Fate, my finger happened to land on [Detecting], selecting it as my initial [Skill]. After determining that it was even possible to alternate [Skills], I muttered a quick prayer to my other choices, bidding them farewell until I obtained more [Skill Slots], which I hoped wouldn't take too long. Then again, I could always just find some time to occasionally improve the others, so I cut my condolences short.

Remembering my current dilemma, I exchanged [Detecting] for [Cooking] for now, seeing as the whole point of checking the [Skills] was to find some inkling on how to properly make some food, but now with that route properly closed off, I'd just have to go Cave-man Style. After travelling back out to the [Frenzy Plains], I found two [Oak Twigs] just lying near a tree and immediately after rubbing the two together, an oddly controlled fire burst into existence. 'Well, that's pretty convenient.'

Just the thought of how such a simple action turned into something so extravagant, got me into thinking about how extravagant this [Virtual Reality] was. Even though I had been complaining about a few things here and there, I had to give in to the fact that so many things were taken into account to create such a perfect environment. I mean, different responses to [NPCs] yielded various responses and I'm sure even some inappropriate behavior for a fun example had its own slew of rebuttals. 'I mean, would it be possible to die from an [NPC] assault after a pinch here and there?... Perhaps some things are better left untested.'

Tossing my rampant thoughts aside due to the prevailing of my obnoxious stomach, I set about gathering some more [Oak Twigs] to expand the fire further. Depositing a piece of [Frenzy Boar Meat] from my menu, I used one of the spare [Oak Twigs] as a spit to set the meat above the fire. My attempt failed spectacularly as the [Oak Twig] instead caught aflame much like the others, which of course affected my [Frenzy Boar Meat], causing it to shatter only moments after burning. 'Well... that went well.'

Any further thoughts were brought to a halt as my [Avatar] became engulfed in a blue light, causing me to let out a (manly) shriek. I grabbed for my [Shortsword], whipping it out and swinging blindly at the offending [Magic] to no avail. "What the hell is going on?!" I yelled out. 'No way! I just started playing and I'm already fucking up! What the hell is wrong with this game?!' With the light picking up in magnitude and no hope seemingly left in sight, I shouted one last time with all my might, "Curse you to hell, Kaya-" before being cut-off abruptly and vanishing. (My sole audience, a [Frenzy Boar], snorted in the distance)

-2022 November 6th 15:00-

-Floor 01 - Starting City-

I looked around warily once the glow faded away finally, eager to notice that I was still alive, but now surrounded by various players. It finally clicked in my head that what just occurred was a [Forced Teleport], though I was pretty certain that the only people at the time who might be able to attempt such a thing were the [GMs]. 'So... maybe they were sleeping then. If that's the case, then this whole thing should be fixed in just a short while.' I wasn't too certain why it was necessary to bring everyone to the plaza if they were just fixing the problem, but perhaps they were also making sure to apologize to cover their own asses.

'Oh, look. People are starting to panic now; I wonder what's up.' Perhaps that was going a bit too far in my assumption, but the myriad of emotions decorating plenty of their visages certainly made for a good show. Hell, one such man close-by looked like he was about to stab someone just for the sheer fun of it. 'I'm not volunteering... Oh, look... The sky is bleeding now. Since when did I take some acid?' Well, whether I was hallucinating or not, the sky was indeed bleeding and slowly forming into an upright figure, at least as far as I could tell.

I assume the figure was made with the shape of a human in mind, but the lack of any body underneath that cloak was certainly ominous, and dare I say cool. The grid of [System Announcement Panels] surrounding it easily pointed out the identity of our guest as a [GM], so worry faded away from the majority of other players' faces when they figured the same thing out. I, on the other hand... 'Wait! I wonder if he has a scythe!' Err... my unrequited affection with scythes aside, I bullied through the crowd to get a bit closer to the figure, because... I really wanted a damn scythe.

There were some people that shouted and others that tried to even pick a fight just from my simple shove, but I paid them no mind. After all, there were far more important things at stake here than the rampant emotions of these children. The leftovers of the crowd tended to pay me no mind and kept their attention on the figure in the sky, so getting to the fore-front of the others wasn't too time-consuming. Before I could even begin to grovel... I mean question the whereabouts of a scythe in a superbly manly fashion, the figure spoke to us.

["Attention players. Welcome to my World."]

My mind instantly surged through any and all information present; [System Announcement Panels], a Specter manifesting from said panels, the [Forced Teleport] a minute ago, and of course claiming this World to be his, were enough to draw the simple conclusion. "Kayaba, huh?" I muttered. Whether he heard me or didn't bother due to the masses coming to the same conclusion, was deemed irrelevant as he continued on.

["My name is Akihiko Kayaba. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this World."]

Struck by an instant chill, I already didn't like where this was going. Quite frankly, the guy was already sounding like he had a severe god-complex. This was only assuring me that my earlier deductions were well on the mark. 'Dammit! Why couldn't he have just been sleeping!' Most of the others didn't seem to deduce the same conclusion, as a good chunk were still ogling their God with eyes shining in pure adoration. That's not to say all of them were still being fanatical though; I could note a decent handful just around my position that were experiencing the same phenomena. Nevertheless, the specter, Kayaba continued his lecture.

["I'm sure you've already noticed that the [Log-Out Button] is missing from the [Main Menu]. This is not a defect of the game."]

And there it was; our sentence. Most were now coming to the realization that something was horribly wrong here. I, myself had gone blank from his declaration. Kayaba spoke more, uncaring for our plight.

["I repeat. This is not a defect of the game. It is a feature of [Sword Art Online]."]

Now even the slower, possibly younger or perhaps mentally ill people in the crowd understood the situation, though probably not entirely. After all, so what if they couldn't use the [Log Out Button] to exit the game; surely, there were still a number of other ways to escape. But Kayaba continued on, perhaps eager to crush their hopes and dreams.

["You cannot log out of [SAO] yourselves, and no one on the outside can shut down or remove the [Nerve Gear]. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the [Nerve Gear] will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and ending your life."]

The others at this point were mostly in various states of disbelief, as if not truly understanding that a machine dealing with somebody's brain could end life on a whim. In normal circumstances, I'm sure any one of them would understand that quickly, but having it thrown in their face in such a manner certainly didn't help to get the point across. Some players I noted actually came to grips with what he just spoke and verified that it was indeed the truth. My visage on the other hand was still vacant, as my mind was currently running through various scenarios; most of which I deemed highly unappealing. The voice of this World's God spoke once more with the same condescending tone.

["Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the [Nerve Gear]. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever from both [Aincrad] and the Real World."]

Instantly surrounding Kayaba, many virtual monitors sprung into existence showing several News Organizations currently reporting the situation. Ambulances, distraught friends and family, and the unconscious bodies of players were all shown, along with some of the families that had actually pulled the plug on some poor players' lives. The volume wasn't incredibly audible, so many players had to struggle to actually hear anything being said, but just a shriek from one such desperate mother had a good percentage of the younger generation struggling with their emotions. Not even with a change in his disgusting tone, Kayaba continued his speech.

["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 [Nerve Gear] being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game."]

My demeanor completely changed thanks to that last declaration and with a sigh, I felt my problems slip away from the forefront of my mind. That was definitely one of the biggest worries for me, as I wasn't certain if our bodies would actually be managed, but with the rampant amount of paramedics whisking bodies away to safe facilities, it was no longer a concern. Considering I had not already died in a manner fitting the other two hundred and thirteen, I was probably safe from any outside interference at this point. Although the certainty of being discovered in my Hotel may seem minimal, I assume they were probably tracking the players through their [Access Points], so I would be in much the same boat as anyone else. Now, the only factors I had to calculate were in this very game.

Unfortunately, the others weren't as ecstatic as I when it came to hearing such news. Just the fact that were now hospitalized for an indefinite amount of time as well as possibly some of the people they know being one of the currently deceased, caused a bit of alarm and even further grief to spread, if that was even possible. Though as I glanced around, I did notice that some players had looks of grim acceptance, while there were even a few here and there with their eyes practically glittering in pure bliss. 'I guess I'm not the only one then.'

Please, allow me to explain. Unlike the majority of the others, I rationalized this sentence as: No work, no worries; just play. In other words, for an unprecedented amount of time, I would not have to worry about [Real World] issues, such as bills, working, etc. All I would have to do is play the game. Sure, that may seem rather insensitive to my friends and family, and eventually I'd have to return to the [Real World] and be forced to get back into the pace of things, but for now I would deem this a golden opportunity. Ever the bearer of bad news, Kayaba spoke on.

["But I want you remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your [Hitpoints] drop to zero, your [Avatar] will be forever lost, and simultaneously, the [Nerve Gear] will destroy your brain."]

After that was spoken, I don't think it really needs to be said how everyone reacted. Even I, myself had only suspected such a thing, but it was still a definite curve-ball. The existence of [Revival] in games was something that quite frankly was always kept in, no matter what. Whereas before, Kayaba was simply keeping us as prisoners to experience the game, now he was truly trying to create another World that obviously wouldn't be complete without the fear of death. Now, with death clearly on our mind, Kayaba delivered the ultimatum of sorts.

["There is only one means of escape: To clear the game. You are presently on the lowest floor 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 [Final Boss] on [Floor 100] and you will clear the game."]

As Kayaba finished speaking, immediately people started shouting in outrage at the seemingly impossible task set before them. Cries of "That's impossible!", "It took a month just for eight floors to be cleared! We don't have time for this!", "Let me out!", "Give me a scythe!" decorated the courtyard and I was growing frustrated. Did these people plan on playing the game without the thought of ever beating it in the first place? Hell, the majority of them were giving up before even trying. 'Fucking weaklings, I swear. No motivation these days.' Kayaba gave no hint as to even caring about the players' reactions and carried on.

["Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage-"]

"Is it a scythe?!" I shouted with untainted (manly) adoration in my voice. Kayaba continued on, as though uninterrupted.

["Please see for yourselves."]

My fingers blazed through the [Main Menu] as if my life depended on it, quickly reaching my [Inventory]. Unfortunately, what greeted me was not a beautiful, luscious scythe, but a [Hand Mirror]. Turning it into an object verified that it was unbelievably plain and boring, and certainly didn't seem all that great a gift. As I went to shout in outrage at being deceived, I found myself cut-off by a vision of blue, entirely similar to a [Teleport]. 'Where's he teleporting us now?!'

Luckily, the glow faded after just a few seconds and a quick glance determined that we were all still in the same area, although there were some minor changes. By that, I mean the fantasy-esque characters that were previously surrounding my [Avatar] had all been deformed into more realistic versions; although there were many who shared no similarities with their previous counterparts, especially in terms of Beauty. 'Wait, if that happened to them, then what happened to...' A glance in the [Hand Mirror] revealed a different person from before; one that I had grown accustomed to all my life.

"Whoa," I could only mutter as I inspected what I knew was my real body. Simply put, I was in awe. This was a definite improvement from my shoddy [Avatar] and was also precisely what I wanted from the very beginning, unlike the other players if one were to judge their shouts alone. I put a lot of work into making my own body what it was today, spending a nice margin of my time at the gym and having to really watch what I eat, so I held immense pride in my stature.

The others definitely had some hilarious reactions. The former handsome avatars were now screaming in desperation at having to use their real forms. Hell, there were even a few males now dressed in feminine clothing, proving that this game's female-to-male ratio just went down the drain; although with the traps now gone, I suppose that was an improvement. After briefly chuckling, I swept my gaze around a couple more times and was pleased to note that all hope had not been lost yet, considering some of the more attractive players actually previously utilized more bland forms, possibly to keep a good deal of attention away from them. I suppose that much made sense.

Even then, I was slightly disappointed to find that my tattoos and contacts were nonexistent in this realm, but I suppose it was nice to gaze upon my bare skin after such a long while. I suppose a run-down would be adequate for the time-being. I am 6'2, 185lbs comprised mostly of muscle. Curly, brown hair adorned my head which had been a nuisance all my life, which was why I was grateful the cloak hid the majority of it. Blue-green, condescending eyes finished off my image. If one were to consider my age of 31 as well as my height, it was rather obvious as to why I stood above the others.

After noticing movement at the corner of my eyes, I realized I had completely forgotten Kayaba was even there. In his same disinterested manner of speech, Kayaba finished up his speech.

["Right now, you're probably all wondering, 'Why?' Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of [Sword Art Online] and the [Nerve Gear], do all this? My goal has already been achieved. For me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because... this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this World is the only reason I have created the [Nerve Gear] and [SAO]. And now, everything has been realized. Now, I have finished the official tutorial for [Sword Art Online]. Players- I wish you luck."]

After that delicious speech of succulent tragedies wrapped itself up, the specter known as Kayaba dissolved?... I'm not sure if that's an adequate way to describe it, but he certainly decomposed in an illustrious manner, vanishing back into the [System Announcement Panels] of which he was spawned from. The crimson sky immediately vanished from our views as well, reverting back to the luscious bright, cloudy overcast, although I was sure that the attention of many couldn't be swayed at the moment by just a beautiful image.

-Chapter Two: Clear-

A.N.: I suppose it's best if I explain a bit about Skills in my story. The Skill Tree will be present, in such a case that advancing certain Skills, will allow further Skills to be equipped and improved. As for Skill Selection, I decided to go with the ability to actually change Skills without penalty, besides of course expending time by accessing the menu and manually changing them. I figured such a penalty was unnecessary, considering my story features a completely different method of actually improving Skills. To actually improve them, one cannot just simply spam a whole slew of things and get a fixed amount of experience, but instead must gain a further understanding of the skill, much like how the word "Experience" is actually defined. Sure, it's just a game and this may seem horribly preposterous, but it's more like an Alternate World in such a story. This is why any penalty is unnecessary, seeing as Mastering Skills could take... an insane amount of time, quite frankly. My Experience Curve for actual Leveling Characters is going to be horrific enough, so expect some insane grinding. Also, I'll attempt to throw in some Original Skills, although nothing that would put my Character ahead of the rest; especially nothing of the Unique Skill status.

A.N.: Yes, I completely altered the time of the Forced Teleport and made it many hours earlier. Why? That's simple. Kayaba releases all these players and wants them to only hunt for a few hours before the more savage monsters featured at night appear? Sounds like a recipe to kill everyone off quickly, so I decided this was a no-go. I will have a different view of Kayaba in this story, but hopefully not using such an elementary approach. Now, the dialogue I used for Kayaba's speech was generally from the Anime, although the last line was taken directly from the Visual Novel, seeing as I didn't like the whole "Create and Intervene" thing. That pretty much just gives away his intentions from the start, at least as far as I was concerned.

A.N.: Yes, this story starts off slow; extremely slow at that. This is obviously going to be an Epic of Epics in length. I expect there to be well over two-thousand pages, and possibly several hundred chapters, so if you are not one for extremely-descriptive stories in which I'll write out and discuss many irrelevant activities, the door is right there. I enjoy stories exactly for the reason that I love to read, and nothing annoys me more than when I can't continue reading; sure, the ride was great and all that, but it sure would've been that much better if there a gazillion more chapters, bruh. My thoughts exactly. This is why I won't subject others to that which I wouldn't wish to be subjected to, and thus patience shall reward you with a life-time of my divine creation. Hold the applause, please.