Chapter One – New Game...

Every functionality of the Full Dive System checked itself to see if everything was working. It appeared scanned on the top left corner, little I knew what they were doing... I selected male gender, a hair style kind of close to mine and hair kept the hair the same colour of mine in real life. They asked my player name in the end... I never chose a different name than mine, so I selected my real name as usual: Mew. I confirmed my name and everything turned black... I opened my eyes...and then... I was in...

Mew- Finally... i'm back!

Aincrad, the world within Sword Art Online...my world... I looked at the right corner to the players online counter and there was only one player inside:

Mew- Well, it's actually my world, i'm the only one playing! I'm the best player already!

Suddenly, the number increased by seven, and then it started increasing massively:

Mew- ...god sake! Alright, I couldn't be this easy!

I didn't actually wanted it to be easy...it was the difficulty that that got me hocked in the first place, so I didn't mind... I ran throughout the starting village, getting a beginners book, which was written by all the beta testers that actually tested the game, not the scummy youtubers who only played it for views. Most of the advice you get from book was actually good advice, so its plausible to assume all the advices the Beta Tester made went under evaluation before making it to book. The thing is that the Beta Testers had their ID anonymous, only they would knew the advices they sent...

I saw like 7 advices from the 10 I submitted, and 2 others that I submitted but were with another Beta ID, probably because that player submitted it first. So basically I had 9 advices on the beginner's book out of the whole 50 in the entire book. My Beta ID had has much advices in the beginner's book has this other ID, so basically this other ID was my in game equal from the start... I was not letting him get ahead, I was gonna get to that castle first!

I ran through all the shops checking if there was any item that wasn't on the Beta, but there was no new items around... I still was able to get my first equipment set with all the 1000 col (Aincrad's coin) I got from the start:

Head: None

Torso: Red Coat (White Sprites) (250 Col)

Arms: Red Gloves [Basic Set]

Legs: Red Leggings [Basic Set]

Feet: Red Boots [Basic Set]

Weapon: Fireveil Sword +1 (600+150 Col)

Shield: None

Neck: None

Rings: None

I knew a long time ago what I was getting before I got on the grind, the majority of the armoury I could buy either wasn't worth the money for the upgrades I would get or it was too expensive for the upgrades it gave. I kept the majority of the base set I got in the beginning of the game, got a coat which would upgrade my physical defence and that gave me a bit more resistance especially to slashing attacks. I'll come in handy for what I want to do... I still got a better sword and even upgraded it on the local blacksmith, so I could deal more damage pre hit, standard stuff in an MMORPG...

At the starting point I knew right away the first thing I wanted to do, and no it was not get to the 1st floor's boss room. There was a certain temple that was on the starting town that had a boss on the last room, the enemies are kind of challenging for the first rooms of the dungeon but the last two rooms and the boss rooms would probably take a player around 10 to 15 levels to defeat on his own, and it would still be recommendable for that player to bring company...unless that player was me...

I went to the temple right away, no one had entered yet since the guards in the entrance would not let anyone pass...but I know that they don't enter the dungeon once you got in there... I entered the temple and made quick work of the first 4 rooms, and then the problem started...loads of kobolds similar to the ones I fought in the other rooms appeared at the same time, but with higher level than the ones before. I levelled up twice until this point, so them being around level 10 to 12 might be a little bit of a problem...unless I am playing...

They gave me a bit of trouble, but I still manage to kill most of them and get to the final room. The boss was summoned right after I entered the room...

Mew- ... (Fatal Scythe Lv20). This one would be very hard...if it wasn't for...

Mew grabs his sword like a spear and throws it, hitting Fatal Scythe's head and trespassing it, getting stuck on the floor of the room. Right after Mew's Sword gets stuck, Fatal Scythe is killed and vanishes, making a CONGRATULATIONS! notification appear in from of Mew.

I had done this before on the Beta, so he really didn't stand a chance... unless I missed which could have happened, glad that I didn't...the boss would be ridiculously hard with me in my at the level I was, if it didn't have an handicap against himself. You can only do damage if you hit his Scythe, which is as hard as it can get because its the only way you can hit him...unless you hit his mask, if you do you kill him instantly...

CONGRATULATIONS!

Time of Battle- 00:00:08

Nº of Hits- 1

Damage- 10000 HP

Highest Combo- 1

EXP Earned- 2500

MVP- Mew

Last Hit Reward- Reaper's Ring (reduces damage done by any slash attacks by 3%)

I mean, the room 4/5 Kobolds were the most challenging threat... I would have a nightmare with the boss if I didn't knew about the mask but it would still be worth the risk for the rings boost.

Mew- Risk... who am I kidding, as if I could die inside a game...

Little did I knew... it was already 17:30 once I got out of the temple, the bell on the starting town started ringing. Suddenly, every single player online teleported themselves or was teleported automatically to the main square...no one had an idea about what was going on...then a WARNING notification appeared in the sky, which then multiplied and ended up covering the owl sky. A liquid looking like blood started dripping from the sky, jointing together in mid air and turned into a cloak covered humanoid creature...there was no way to know if it was a human or simply a monster within the game...

?- Attention, players!

Mew- What is going on...[approaches the centre of the main square, going in the cloaked creature's direction]

Kayaba- My name is Kayaba Akihiko. And as of this moment, I am in control of this world.

Mew- [everyone starts commenting about Kayaba's reveal] The developer, huh? Hmm, I should be thanking this guy for making this game, I probably wouldn't be doing anything of interest in my room if it wasn't for him...

Kayaba- I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus – the log out button.

Mew- Huh? What does he mean by missing? [Mew checked his main menu to find an empty option right where the log off option was on the Beta] Hey, where has it gone to...is this a glitch?

Kayaba- Let me assure you, this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, his is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be.

Suddenly, everyone either started checking their menus or started going mental:

Mew- Wait...what?! What do you mean?! I can't log out?!

Kayaba- You cannot log yourselves out of SAO, and no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the "NerveGear" from your head. If anyone attempts to do so, a transmitter inside the NerveGear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain and ending your life.

Mew- (So we simply can't get out? The Nerve Gear has an alternative battery in itself, so not even the power being cut off would work...) [Mew looked around and almost every one either was begging to get out or was trying to leave the main square] ...we're stuck...

Kayaba- Despite my warning, the families and friends of some of the players have attempted removing the NerveGear, an unfortunate decision, to say the least.
As a result, the game now has two hundred thirteen less players than when it began.
They've been deleted from both Aincrad and the real world.

Mew- Two hundred and thirteen already dead... (Iris will be seeing this... Iris please don't touch the NerveGear...I disappointed my grandparents once again...and now i'm stuck here...)

Kayaba- As you can see, international media outlets have round-the-clock coverage of everything, including the deaths. At this point, it's safe to assume the likelihood of a NerveGear being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game. It's important to remember the following: There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system... forever.
And the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain. There is only one way for a player to escape now... you must clear the game. Right now, you're gathered on Floor One, the lowest level of Aincrad. If you can get through the dungeon and defeat the boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game.

Mew- We have to clear the game to get out? (that's it...that's what I have to do is what I came here to do...no failing, no deaths, clear the game...)

Kayaba- Last but not least, I've placed a little present in the item storage of every player.
Please have a look.

Everyone, including myself, opened their inventories and the item was a mirror, that activated automatically after opening the inventory. Suddenly all players changed appearance

Mew- Wait...what?

I didn't change appearance, but has people were finding out, the mirror revealed and changed them to their real appearance:

Random Guy- How does he know what we look like?

Mew- (...he is right, how does he...wait! That's what the Nerve Gear was scanning, physical data! I didn't change because my character was pretty much exactly what I look like in real life...)

Kayaba- Right now, you are probably wondering why. Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and NerveGear, do this? Ultimately, my goal was a simple one. The reason I created Sword Art Online was to control the fate of a world of my design.

Mew- (...you got us stuck in here so you could simply have a world of your own...you simply ruined the one game that didn't want ruined. This game was perfect...and now it's simply a trap...)

Kayaba- As you can see, I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the tutorial and the official launch of Sword Art Online.
Players, I wish you the best of luck.

And just has sudden has he appeared, Kayaba turned into the blood looking fluid again and disappeared from where he came from, and then the sky turned normal again, as practically every player went mental, screams, shouts, cries for help, every negative emotion was in that moment...players tried throwing themselves out of Aincrad, others just stood in the main square or around the main town... I simply walked to the exit.

As I arrived at the town exit, I could only think what I had done. How I got stuck, how concerned my sister would be, how disappointed and disbelieved my grandparents would be... there wasn't much I cared for in the real world...but my world had changed... and i'm not accepting this

And here I am, walking towards the exit, towards the 100th floor, i'm done disappointing people, i'm done failing and i'm done losing...it doesn't matter how long it takes, it doesn't matter how much it costs... i'm gonna beat this game...and if I find Kayaba along the way...I'm gonna kill him...