Hey guys Naintarlow here.

I know I should be posting literally anything besides this. I know. But I did a thing. Hershey made me do it (not really)

Anyway happy SAO launch day to everyone, even if it was posted a bit later than the canonical start of the game. Sue me. All of this was pretty last minute for me. Anyway check out the other members of our SAO fanfiction server, who also did their own link start in honor of nov 6 2022.I will go back and try to actually work on the fics I am supposed to.

See you guys soon, and don't forget. In some alternative universe we are already trapped in a Death Game and either died already or having the time of our lives.

I blearily opened my eyes, cursing myself at having dozed off in the middle of the day. Blindly I reached out and picked up my phone, trying to focus on the screen.

12:56

For a moment there was no realization to me. I just blankly looked at it, not recognizing the significance of it. Yet as I watched the number 6 change to 7, I felt dread pooling in my gut as my entire body felt like it got hit by an electric shock.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…." I mumbled as I practically jumped out of my bed, my legs tangling up in the sheet and unceremoniously ending up face first on the ground.

SAO is starting in a few minutes and I will miss out because I just had to take a nap, I grumbled as I pulled myself up, not caring about my aching face. I practically leaped over my console, booting up the NerveGear as I furiously checked I had everything.

12:58

I practically read every article about the game, the reviews from beta testers and every official post from the game developers. I spent a whole day with my buddies camping out to get a copy and I almost had to fight a bunch of preschoolers for it but the important thing was that I got it. And I was not missing the launch,

I took a quick look at my computer, checking any messages last minute, before I was lost to the virtual world for the remainder of the day. As expected our server was lit up with comments, everyone just as excited as me, promising to meet up and form a guild as soon as possible.

12:59
My smile felt like a permanent fixture of my face as I held the NerveGear in my hands and tried to calm my racing heart. It will be fine, I told myself. It wasn't my first time using the NerveGear, I already tried out a few rudimentary games on it, though understandably, SAO was supposed to be the real draw of the console.

30 seconds left to go.

I laid down, the heavy helmet still feeling a bit unfamiliar but not uncomfortable. My eyes were fixated on the clock at the edge of my vision, finding myself tapping the side of my bed to somehow calm myself. I was not very successful.

10 seconds left to go.

"This is the best day of my life." I said, unable to stop the giddy laugh escaping me.

This was it. The moment I had been waiting for. My story starts here right here and now. This is the start of epic adventures, of beautiful friendship and the most memorable memories to be made.

This was my time.

13:00

"LINK START!"