~S10MC2015~

Being chronically ill has taken it's toll along with lack of inspiration, sorry.

Very, very late merry christmas XD Hopefully you're doing well with everything going on lately ^-^

~a54321~

Thanks, I've been working on it for a long time XD

~IvystormRandomness~

Nooo! Don't die! XD

~Darkmonger127~

Soon yees, right now though? No. I'm waiting for the release of the new progressive novel and the anime. Because when that happens I'll likely read all of the books and watch everything again, which usually leads to instant inspiration.


Series Title: Alf-Heim Swords

Summary:What if SAO was modern? With GGO and ALO elements too? Well, delve into the world of ALS. A world of magic, guns, swords, and above all, a world where ten-thousand people fight to return to their families but learn to live their own lives along the way. Join Kirito and Asuna through their adventures through this hectic world with their family, friends, and a family of their own.

Welcome to the world of Alf-Heim Swords reader.

As a reads up, this is only a "sneak peek." I have no intentions to write anything else regarding SAO until roughly June when the new progressive novel and second season of Alicization will be released, where knowing myself, I'll write a bunch of stuff for little moments. (But bear with me, I have A LOT of fandoms to update XD)

Still, meet my modified world of SAO, a game that bridges SAO, ALO, and GGO together.


Prologue

Like a Shooting Star


Patter, Patter!

Zzzing!

The crackle of gunfire broke the silence reigning in the deep labyrinth around him. Affectively announcing the other player's presence and causing the hair at the back of Kirito's neck prickle.

The roar from the nearby monster muffled his and his sister's footsteps, the sound increasing in volume the longer they walked down the winding tunnel.

Kirito was used to hearing the pattering of small handgun bullets, light submachine guns, and if someone was lucky, the sharp crack of a sniper bullet while mapping out the regional barriers. He was even more used to the flash of sword skills activating and or the very, very rare usage of a magic spell.

Magic skills were hard to come by and were only available for those who chose elven or fairy type characters. Not humans or really hybrids like Kirito was, those two could really use melee weapons or guns. Which was recommended to have both types of weapons on them with the game's wacky attack cycle system. So, Kirito was also used to seeing swords swing between cracks of a bullet. Glowing sword skills activating before using a bullet to finish a monster off during a skill delay.

However, he was not used to finding a player this far into the ten levels of the first regional barrier and glowing like a shooting star. He had seen many virtual shooting stars in the past month here in Alfheim. From meteor showers on the opening day to the occasional star streaking the beautiful night sky. Here in a dim lit winding set of branching paths with only magically lit torches for light sources at the entrance however? Never.

Or at least that was what Kirito had thought would happen here in the Region of Creation. An aerial region built on the side of Alfheim with modern technology that served as the starting place for all ALS players.

"What's that?" His sister's voice was quiet and a little shaky as she approached behind him, her footsteps even but hesitant with fear. After all, bright flashes of light lightning up a barrier floor wasn't normal.

"Sshh," Kirito urged her to keep it down as he crept closer, silently putting out the torch in his hands. Effectively bathing them both in darkness. "Stay there," he whispered and moved even closer, able to now hear metal striking metal.

Sparks were flying at a frequent rhythm, the polygons of light bursting into existence at the clash of what seems like an enemy's armor and a player's sword.

"Hiya!" The cry echoed around the hallway.

The sound was hoarse and strained as if the owner of the voice had nearly yelled themselves hoarse throughout the fights. It held a strong determination deep inside the tones, a longing to escape and so they would fight tooth and nail if it took to one day reach that point.

Widening his eyes to get as much light into his eyes as possible between batches of sparks helped a little, especially when his -barely leveled enough to be useful- night vision skill activated. Just barely highlighting the figures in front of him in thin outline of bright green.

Zzzing!

Clang!

A slender form came into view as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A cloak swung around her calves and their entire form was hidden beneath the dark cloak besides their arms. They held their sword in a casual fencing stance, the stance was slightly off as if they were out of practice.

But Kirito could see the skill in the way they held their weapon and positioned their feet.

Who are they?

The player's virtual breathing was rough, puffs of warn air made up of polygonal elements drifting up into the air and away from their mouth and nose.

The player had paused while fighting the monster, a Ruin Kobold Trooper with a heavy shield and armor, was within the melee distance cap of twenty feet. Forcing the player to use a sword or melee attack instead of possibly their gun or spell. And they were doing well, with the monster's HP hovering as just under one fourth on their fourth strike.

Then, with a forceful jab, of which Kirito only saw the player's arm flash forward, their thin sword erupted into a pinkish white light. Enough light to temporarily fill the hallway and make Kirito see spots, a blinking icon appearing next to his health bar.

The blinking near blindness debuff blinked back at him. The player's sword skill actually gave him a blindness debuff in the deep dark of the barrier's labyrinth.

For an instant Kirito was reminded of the shooting star he had seen once as a child, the flash of brief light appearing almost exactly like that shooting star had done many years ago.

Hardly a second later however, the light was gone. Leaving the player standing still. Pinned in the skill delay while the armored creature gave a near deafening roar, stumbled backward, and exploded in glowing crystal like polygons. Splattering the walls and floor with red pixel like shards that after a second, sunk into the walls and floor and disappeared.

Kirito blinked, forcing himself to blink more than a few times to clear his vision as a row of torches hanging from the ceiling erupted into blue flames.

Moments later about ten feet back toward Sugu's direction another set of torches burst into flame and after a mere thirty seconds the hall was bathed in eery blue light. Lighting up the entirety of the labyrinth-like regional barrier that separated the players from the rest of Alfheim and its ground, water, and air layers.

The sound of a gong also went off, ringing three times.

The sound of the activation of a boss room becoming active.

Kirito's eyes quickly focused on the player ahead of him. Staring at the player's cloaked back as they stumbled to one side and braced themselves with one arm against the wall before they carefully lowered themselves to the floor. The loud claaanngg, of their sword clattering against the ground echoing throughout the deep corridor.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

Click.

Kirito hastened to pull Sugu back as the younger teen moved past him. Yanking her back by one of the leather straps of the back of her chest plate as the lightning fast cocking of a pistol was heard. The player raising their long rang weapon in suspicion, their hooded face still hidden by the deep shadows of their hood.

"Easy, easy," Kirito spoke to the other player as he held Sugu back and instinctively pushed her back behind him to protect her. "We're not here to hurt you Fencer-san." He may not know the player's name, but he knew a rapier and a skilled user when he saw one.

The player careful put the gun down beside them and propped up one arm on their knees, saying nothing. Instead, choosing to rest there for a few moments.

Kirito took the action as non-violent and carefully approached closer, keeping an eye on the other player.

The other player was wearing a deep burgundy cloak with the hood pulled low over the face and casting a dark shadow on their face. Traces of caramel colored hair could be seen poking out of the hood in the form a few longer locks. Paired with their red cloak was a plain but neat dark pink jacket with darker sleeve cuffs. Most of the front was hidden by the shadow the fencer produced and they jacket was paired with worn standard spawn in blue jeans and dark knee-high boots with no heel. Their sword was the thin flimsy standard iron rapier you could get at the first weapon store clerk in spawn and the pistol was a cheap handgun with poor range and jammed constantly.

Both were the cheapest weapons around. Making Kirito wonder who exactly this player was and why they were carrying gear that was as cheap and inefficient as you could get in the Region of Creation's first block when their presence at the bottom of the labyrinth barrier meant they likely could've upgraded it at least a few times by now.

"What do you want?"

The words were spoken in a croaky tone, as if their voice was heavily strained by the virtual lack of water in their system.

In ALS players wouldn't die to dehydration or starvation, but it left it's toll on the ailing player. It caused doubts of dizziness, a feeling of mild hunger pains in the body, general achiness, and if it goes far and long enough players would collapse. With the only remedy being high price medical potions and rest, ALS' version of getting sick.

However, something in the player's voice made Kirito clam up.

Sitting on the floor in front of Kirito was one of the rare female players. Even rarer as she was a female player exploring the labyrinthian barrier.

Due to the character reveal that forced players into their IRL genders and appearances, the male to female ratio in ALS was extremely skewed, with about an eighty-five-percent male to fifteen-percent female player ratio.

She wasn't the first female player he had met, having been with his sister Sugu since the very beginning of the game. However, she was certainly the first female "front-liner" as the rest of the player base had begun to call players working toward the boss rooms.

"I'm sorry," Kirito couldn't help but blurt out, finding the familiar sense of awkwardness that came to him when talking to a girl besides his sister. I really am as unsocial as Sugu says aren't I? He couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind but pushed forward, "we're clearing the barrier too, had no idea you were here."

The female player said nothing, rather her hooded head dipped forward a little, bobbing about an inch as if she was too tired to stay awake much longer.

"E-Excuse me…" Sugu's voice reminded Kirito of who he was supposed to be protecting even as she quietly brushed past him, green eyes wavering with concern. "If you're tired I can use an energy spell or give you a potion if you'd like," she explained as she got closer. "How long have you been down here?"

Kirito wisely kept his mouth shut, carefully observing the difference in the other player's body language as Sugu spoke to her.

"Four days," The player replied, her voice still cracking and strained but less icy than before. "And no thank you, I don't need any help."

Four days?!

"Are you sure?" Sugu asked curiously, pausing her approach as the other girl stood up using her rapier as a way to haul her visibly exhausted body to her feet. The metal instantly bowing beneath her weight as if it would shatter into glistening pixels any moment. "I have plenty of the potions."

"potions...?" The female player muttered half under her breath, low enough that Kirito barely caught the words. "It's fine, I need to get going anyway."

Potions? She said it as if the idea is unfamiliar to her… Kirito mused and chose to speak up, mentally wincing at the possibility that she could very well shoot or stab him. "Excuse me, but Mrs. Fencer-san, have you played an MMO before?"

"Kirito!" Sugu hissed, "that's rude to ask Oni-chan!"

Sugu didn't have to say anything for kirito to know that he should've worded it a little better. Not when the sharp weight of the other female player's intense glare settled on him.

"Does it matter?" She said stiffly, her voice dripping with an icy chill that sent the hair on the back of Kirito's neck standing up on end. "We're all going to die here anyway, so who cares if we made a mistake and ended up here. My lack of experience means nothing."

"If you think that then why are you here?" Kirito asked, feeling anger at the player's attitude welling up in his stomach, "if you just want to end it and die then why have you been down here for four days without any potions? It's straight up reckless!"

The other player's eyes contacted his and Kirito saw hints of irises the color of soft caramel hardened by fear and resolution before she looked away. "Because swordsman," she stated before she turned around with a soft flap of her cloak and started walking away. The soft thumps of her boots against the dark stone echoing around the walls around the group of three players. "If I'm going to die here, I'm dying on my own terms. Kayaba will regret trapping me here."


ALS INFORMATION

"ALS" Alf-Heim Swords – ALS is a VRMMO that replaces SAO, ALO, and GGO as a mix of all three. It features guns, swords, magic, takes place in a modern and modified Alf-Heim. The game features 100 regions that the players have to clear through the Labyrinthian Barriers and take down all the bosses. PvP is acceptable until the game turns to reality, where it retains a similar criminal system to SAO with a more refined Anti-Harassment Code that goes off of each player's mind and mental state.

The game features a special attack system that forces a player to wield both a melee and long range weapon unless they're a healer.

After floor 5 there are no NPC crafters, potion makers, etc. Only NPCs that run stalls with player made items, NPC workers directed by players, and quest NPCs. (Including the rare near perfectly human NPCs such as Kizmel.)

Hybrids – Half-human half-fairy elf player blessed with minor magic skills who's abilities unlock at level 25+ in increments of fifteen. The only spells a hybrid can use at first is a minor healing spell and one other minor spell or skill that pertains to their class. Hybrids are unable to fly until lvl 50, and require more rest periods than a full fairy.

ALS Attack Cycle System – ALS features a special attack cycle system that prevents a player from spamming enemies with bullets or slicing through them all. Every twenty seconds once engaged with a monster; a player's weapon will switch unless used simultaneously in quick succession.

If a player uses short range weapons for a full twenty-five seconds the game will forcibly switch their equipped weapon to a long-range weapon from their inventory for at least fifteen seconds. If there's no long-range weapon in the player's inventory and is unable to use magic to fight, an enemy will sustain zero damage and the player will be forcibly teleported to a safe zone. (Implemented by Caylee after 100 deaths due to the issue) This also happens with long range weapons.

The only way to escape the cycle is through a special 1% drop skill book called "Master of The Attack Cycle" which only drops at lvl 25+ and has a major set of requirements to receive as a long range crit-hit monster drop. Certain weapons and armor can change the duration however, allowing characters to be long range for longer. (Implemented for Sinon ;) )

Sword skill delays also don't affect the player's other arm and hand, allowing them to use a long-range weapon while pinned in the delay. Long range skill delays don't pin the player, rather it forcibly swaps their weapons to their short-range melee for the allotted time.

Labyrinthian Barrier – ALS version of the Labyrinth. Rather than the player field having 100 floors, there are 100 regions with large, 100 meter wide barriers standing 100 meters above the ground and 100 meters below ground with sprawling pathways, at least ten floors, hundreds of rooms, traps, and other various challenges from puzzles to strategy courses that require more than one player to defeat. The boss rooms are always located on the ground level floor and require the completion of all the puzzles in the barrier and increasing amounts of enemies, along with the killing of each field boss in the region in undisclosed places.

The first barrier is ten floors, contains 25 puzzles, killing of 25,000 normal enemies, 3 mini bosses, and 2 field bosses.

Region of Creation – ALS version of Aincrad's first floor with only the main town "Jeweled Beginnings" and minor towns scattered around containing quests from the game's few NPCs. ALS is a almost purely player based game.

Barrier Gong – due to the boss room being in a fixed position, the barrier gong will ring once the room itself is unlocked, and will ring across the entirety of the region the barrier is in.