Yo, time for chapter 11. There will be an AN to answer some things at the end of the chapter.

January 22nd
Hynafol Expanse

Kirito decided he definitely like the Amarolf better. A huge difference from the fat, stinking Umarus. They didn't sound whiny when they talked, they didn't dilly dally with worthless words, and they didn't look like walking tubs of lard.

No, the Amarolf were badass wolf/human hybrids. They were cool. And as such Kirito easily sided with them over the Umarus. The chance of somehow obtaining a dire wolf as a new mount didn't play into his decisions at all. A giant wolf that was probably faster and stronger then Midnight? Ehh, what could he care right?

So here he was. Dozens of Amarolf around him. As he crept forward in the twilight. The Umarus were apparently also lazy. And had nearly no sentries. So in the failing light, Kirito had been assured their sneak attack would go undetected.

Kirito had told the Amarolf of the Umarus's plan to have him attack and kill them all. So the Amarolf simply turned the planned around and asked Kirito slay the Umarus. Only they were sending a large amount of their young warriors to help see the deed done.

They hadn't immediately trusted him however. And instead he had been running quests for the village for nearly a week. He was getting decent xp and gear drops so he wasn't complaining. He wasn't getting any col, as the Amarolf didn't use coin.

But now they trusted him and it was time to spring the attack against the Umarus.

'Ya know… this is basically genocide… But they are just npcs. So it shouldn't matter.'

A loud howl rang out from the opposite side of the village. The second force was sounding the attack. All around him Kirito heard the blood chilling howls as Amarolf charged forward. None were mounted as only their elite warriors rode dire wolves. So running alongside them Kirito entered the unprotected village.

Many of the Umarus were out lounging by fires in the last rays of the sun. They were eating and smoking pipes. Very strange in Kirito's opinion. And the Amarolf fell upon them with fury. They had always held a weak truce with the Umarus. Never openly fighting. But harsh times were just ahead. And the Amarolf had no time to deal with more Umarus treachery.

Their solution? Complete extermination. Kirito found a large Umarus blocking his way and his sword glowed red in the dying light as he started executed combo attacks on the Umarus. Those not immediately slain started begging for mercy. But Kirito didn't hesitate and struck them down just as the Amarolf around him did.

'Yes.'

He thought.

'They are just npcs. They aren't real.'

But as he laid open a young Umarus from head to toe. He couldn't help but wonder if that was true, as he saw its parents begin sobbing and attempt to kill him in vengeance.

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 9th
Aincrad Plain

It was two days after the second event that Asuna realized that the rest of the KoR might be having a hard time too. It took her another two days to contact and organize a meeting between them all. So here she now stood before 13 of the 17 still alive. The other four members had told her they quit and left it at that.

"Hello everyone. Thank you for coming today. I-I-I…"

She trailed off staring at the ground. She could feel tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

One of the members stepped forward and stood before Asuna. Suddenly their hand struck out and a hard slap cracked across Asuna's cheek. No one said a word or made a movement.

The wind whistled as it gently blew across the western Aincrad plain where the group was situated.

"Asuna. Stop crying."

The words were simple but Asuna thought they sounded beyond complex.

'Stop crying… Just stop crying?'

"I-I can't"

She choked out as a sob escaped her.

"Th-they are dead because of m-me. It's my fault they died!"

WHAP!

Another slap across the cheek. This one stung more.

"You didn't kill anyone. Everyone agreed to that charge. No one said it was a bad idea. Everyone volunteered."

The girl reached her hand out and lifted Asuna's face up.

"Look at all of us. We are still here. We trusted you once. And we are here to try it one more time. Prove to us you have what it takes. I remember the bright determined girl who first invited me to join the KoR. Get over your mistake and become the leader I know you can be."

Asuna stared shocked as everyone smiled at her and nodded in encouragement. She even got a couple thumbs up. She couldn't help the small smile that made its way onto her face. She wiped her face with her sleeve and straightened her shoulders.

"Everyone today is the day the Knights of Ruin officially form. I heard about the new guild npc. I will go and form the guild and from now on I won't ever let you guys down. I will work to earn the trust you feel I already deserve!"

Everyone clapped but then another person in the crowd coughed and said.

"Uhh I don't know about you guys. But can we change the name… It kinda- well it kinds sucks."

Nearly everyone started laughing and they all started agreeing.

"But I thought it was a good name…"

Asuna's depression was easily ignored over her name not being very good. And everyone began shooting out new ideas for their guild name.

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 23rd
Hynafol Expanse

The sun peaked over the horizon and the long reaching rays twinkled off the snow. It might be pretty in a picture but right now Kirito was annoyed by how blinding it was. Blinking he looked ahead to the towering structure planted in the middle of the flat landscape. The ancient fortress Hynafol. The large stone gray castle consisted of an outer curtain wall ringing a wide courtyard which then led to the stout keep in the center.

Several hundred cracks and craters littered the wall. Signs of a destructive battle that raged here once. The windows were long since shattered and the scorch marks at the gate hinted at a fiery defense. The landscape had long since been smoothed over by the passage of time. But the debris remained.

Kirito rode Midnight up to the gate and left his horse outside to wait for him.

Venturing inside the curtain wall, Kirito found himself in a deserted courtyard. The withering wild remains of a garden flanked both edges and a path led toward the keep on the far side. Cautiously Kirito drew his sword and advanced onward.

He had no quests for exploring Hynafol. Something he found off putting as he almost felt like he was wasting some of his xp grinding time. But the mystery of the fortress called to him and couldn't be ignored.

Besides he wanted to be done with this place and head on his way back to Aincrad. He doubted he would ever come this direction again. He had recently gained a dislike of this arctic expanse.

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 14th
Aincrad Third Tier, Inn

Aincrad was a mess. People were running about and doing all kinds of things. With the advent of new crafting professions. Many people who had spent their days doing nothing were suddenly given something to do. Potioneering was the largest by far. Several guilds had been created with the express objective of gathering low tier potion mats. Hunting grounds were heavily contested. But no player killings had occurred.

Everyone wanted health potions. The little red drinks encased in glass were worth more than col in some cases. People were actively hoarding and trading hp pots. And Argo found herself selling potion mat locations like ice cream on a hot day. She was racking up col, but she knew Derrik would likewise be selling off the locations to anyone willing to pay.

Some construction engineers or as everyone had started calling them Cogneers, were trying to assemble some structure outside Aincrad on the eastern plain.

Which is why Argo currently found herself pretending to be a drunk girl shamelessly flirting with the head of the project. She knew the man frequented a bar in the eastern 3rd tier and was trying to find out exactly what he was building out there. Rumors were abound but selling rumors was worth a lot less then selling real info. She knew Derrik was trying hard to find the blueprints for the building but she figured the man before her would have them in his inventory.

'The things I do to beat Derrik… Heh, if Mother could see me now she would freak. Haha.'

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 19th
Aincrad Third Tier, Inn

Thinker stared out the window of the building he currently rented. The past two weeks had been very eventful in his opinion. The creation of his guild ‹‹Aincrad Liberation Force›› had gone much better than he expected. Many players had been eager to get out and do something after the second event. With more options available for them. Thinker had seen people with naught even a dagger running out northward to go hammer on the old stone road. People were out and about all over Aincrad doing who knows what.

Thinker had participated in the second event. But stayed mostly out of the front lines as his lower level kept him back. But he had met and spoken with dozens of other players during the event. And prior while the players hung about in the first tier. He had walked away that night with his friends list far more filled then previously. Then the next day guilds were a thing.

Since the first day everyone had been looking for guilds. And there had been nothing on them. Not even any of the info brokers had any hard info to sell about guilds. Then suddenly they appeared and were open to creation with several restrictions on who could create one. The change of just officially having guilds to the city was quick and very apparent.

Players were much more organized in their goings on. Even though Aincrad appeared a mess of random activity most of it was being done in groups. Groups of guild members.

Thinker knew a chance when he saw one. He had always meant to create a guild to foster and show the ropes to new players. There was something he enjoyed about it. So when the news reached him, he had quickly gone to the first tier and created his guild. Then he sent out invitations to all the players he met the previous day and asked them to ask around with their own friends. While not a guild being run by Diavel the man who orchestrated the event battles.

ALF was looking to unite the players together to help everyone out. Aincrad was a huge place. It was very realistic in many ways and with the death game, many people found themselves wandering lost and directionless.

His guild had quickly grown. Much to his surprise he had gotten lots of applicants from players who did not want to fight on the front lines. Even though he had requested mostly people from the events. They had gone on to join a combat guild, well the combat guild. There was only really one combat guild, the ‹‹Knights of Unity›› being led by Diavel. The number gap between KoU and smaller combat guilds was immense. Like 500 to five.

So Thinker's guild was an opportunity to find a place for them, and give them something to do each day. And people flocked to this ideal. Thinker quickly found himself overwhelmed by the 500 people now looking to him for guidance. With the guild structure tab he was able to create several dozen vice leaders. And he gave them orders to start sorting the players out by what they wanted to do.

Once sorted the ALF had begun massing on the eastern plain. Fighting mobs on the fringe of the plain and beginning quests from the local hub. The non-combat players were tasked with various things. Mostly crafting. But some were in charge of organizing ALF's supplies and making sure everyone was equipped. Each day a vice leader took a party north to watch over the road builders. Keeping wolves and goblins away was a full time job.

Over the past two weeks Thinker had come to the realization that there was no form of law within Aincrad. The system stopped players from directly harming one another within Aincrad's walls. However a player with a high enough ‹‹Pick Pocket›› skill could filch anything off an un-aware player. You could touch another player but if you used any kind of force you were teleported to the resurrection room in the central keep and couldn't get out for an hour. The npc guards around Aincrad did nothing unless a player tried ‹‹Pick Pocket›› on them. The guards would start shouting about a thief. Then your cursor turned orange, indicating a player who was wanted by the guards of Aincrad.

So Thinker had been thinking it over and it seemed like Aincrad needed some kind of law enforcement.

'Diavel isn't even in the city, and he is much more focused on beating the events. But while he and his men are off training. Someone needs to maintain order. I have the numbers… This is something I must think over.'

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 23rd
Hynafol Fortress Interior

The inside of the fortress was exactly what Kirito expected it would be. Burnt out hallways. Caved in doors. Smashed windows and broken stones. Littering that halls was debris from a long forgotten battle. And everywhere Kirito looked he could find nothing of interest. Guard rooms? Empty. Living quarters? Barren. Kitchens? Scavenged clean.

So here he was ready to check one of the last two places he hadn't looked. He had decided to save the best for last. The throne room lay before him. A large airy hall that led to a raised dais with the seat carved into the surrounding rock. If he couldn't find anything here he would go check the dungeons.

Kirito stepped into the room and immediately noticed another presence. A figure sat in the throne like it had been waiting. Cautiously Kirito approached. The figure had been invisible until he stepped inside. The figure called out to him with a booming voice.

"Who would dare to disturb my rest? YOU THERE! How dare you enter my domain? Do you come seeking my secret? Another glory hound, a fame seeker, a popularity prince. Leave now before I slay you like the countless other fools who wished for my secret."

The figure stood and was easily eight feet tall. Heavily muscled and bare chested Kirito was slightly intimidated by the numerous scars. At each of the figures sides was a large stone blade strapped to the belt around the figure's waist. Thick scarred arms snatched the blades from where they hung and held them aloft in a fighting position.

"Well then seeker, come and find what it is you seek."

The figure lunged forward with a burst of speed and Kirito barely managed to throw himself to the side. A large stone blade slashed into the floor and left a deep gouge

"Hah at least you have some merit. Most do not survive my first strike. But it matter's little, all fall sooner or later."

"Your taunting is getting boring. It is too repetitive old man."

The banter accomplished little, but Kirito did manage to draw his weapon during the brief moment. At that moment Kirito noticed something strange about his opponent. The figure was-

"You're made of stone!"

He couldn't help but voice his findings. What did this mean?

"Indeed, I am ‹‹Yamato›› Stone Guardian of Hynafol. A golem created centuries ago to defend this keep and its secrets. Never have I been defeated. Never has a secret leaked out. Now die seeker, die like the rest and leave me to my peace."

While the newly titled golem spoke, Kirito noticed numerous cracks spread all over the guardian's body. Old wounds from his countless fights. Not scars as he had previously thought.

'I can use that to my advantage. One strong blow and he might crumble to bits.'

The golem struck out in a horizontal x-strike to separate Kirito's head and body. He ducked and lunged forward. He jabbed the tip of his glowing sword into one of the fissures and was rewarded with a sharp cracking noise as it widened. He had to wrench his sword out and barely brought it up to guard an incoming strike aimed for the top of his head.

He wasn't able to guard the second sword that came down and struck him on the right hip.

"Awww fuck! That hurt."

They both exclaimed as they leaped away to examine their own wounds.

"You can feel pain?"

Again they both spoke at the same time. They both appeared surprised.

"Enough of this mockery. Come human and die. You will never defeat me."

Kirito was really confused by this golem. But he advanced all the same. His adrenaline was really going now and he felt his fledgling battle instincts take hold and guide him in the oncoming fight. A grin crept across his face as Kirito began a series of dodging movements occasionally striking into a fissure on the golem's body.

He managed to avoid taking another hit. And slowly he could see results of his attacks adding up. Chips of the stone golem were flaking to the floor. Each time the golem grunted in pain but otherwise continued fighting.

"Just die you stone bastard!"

"Never, not while I can still move. I will fight to defend the secret within this keep."

"Oh boy, you keep mentioning this secret. I can't wait to learn it. I didn't even know what I would find in this place. But you are making it really interesting for me stony. But now… I WILL FINISH IT!"

With his exclamation Kirito initiated a ‹‹Sonic Leap›› his sword lit up with green energy and he drove the point home into the largest crack in his chest. A huge gust of air threw Kirito backward. When he looked up he saw the scattered remains of his stone opponent. And beyond the throne he saw a door open.

"Whew, that stone bastard Yamato sure could fight. If he had been any faster I would have been in serious trouble. Hehe time to see what kind of cool loot this guy was protecting all this time."

Kirito stood up and flourished his sword diagonally before sheathing it. Then he made to enter the new room. He didn't notice a figure hidden in the shadows by the door he came through.

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 20th
Aincrad Second Tier, Merchant District

Liz was happy. Truly she felt content with her current life. Something she thought was odd. Back before the death game she had been bored a lot. School was tiresome and her friends were great but she found them to be easy to predict as they seemed to always want to do the same things over and over. When she heard about SAO it had drawn her in like a moth to flame.

Now each day was interesting. She woke up and attended her shop. When no one was in, she spent her time grinding her skill level up or scanning the merchant market to buy rare mats for cheaper than usual.

The blacksmith guild had given her some direction in her craft. Where before she had reached ‹‹Journeyman›› rank and was left unsure what to do. Now with the guild she knew how to advance to ‹‹Expert››. It required a vast knowledge of recipes and experience in forging many different items.

So she was waiting for recipes to filter in from different places. A journeyman was supposed to go on a journey to collect new recipes and learn more about their craft. But no way in hell was she going to wander around outside Aincrad. Combat was not her thing. She had tried fighting some of the boars outside, but that had been pretty boring.

'Pun intended.'

She thought. Maybe combat in one of the outer questing areas was better. But her only experience with fighting had been the obnoxiously easy boars and the frighteningly powerful mobs of the first and second event. She had seen some players dueling outside the city. But she didn't intend to fight any other players. The chance of accidental death or killing really put her off.

But beyond slowly trying to cultivate a wide range of recipes. Liz was working on her standing within the Blacksmiths guild. The rank of Journeyman was her actual smith rank and skill level. But within the guild players were assigned an additional and separate rank. She was now ranked as a ‹‹Novice›› which was the second rank, just about ‹‹Initiate››.

She had been asked to craft a level 20 set of armor. After the guild master appraised her work, he complemented her and upgraded her guild rank. He then gifted to her several new recipes. He told her they were all different hammers that she could successively work her way through the get better blacksmithing gear. The better the hammer, the better the gear she produced, and the better her upgrade chance was.

Yes life was good for Liz as she walked through the street of Aincrad. She had gone out to pick up some food. Her supply was running low. On her way out of the agriculture district she heard raised voices.

"What do you mean the crops aren't coming? They should be here by now. No I can't let it go. I expected them yesterday. I need them to sell. I am going to lose my house if the shipment doesn't arrive soon. No they have to be coming. Wait... No! No, no, it can't be. They destroyed what!?"

Liz turned the corner and saw two merchants arguing. One was very adamantly yelling about something. She wasn't certain but he seemed to have lost an important shipment.

'Oh well. Not my problem.'

She thought before turning back around the corner and heading home.

-[S]-[A]-[O]-

January 25th
Zastria, Arena

Breathing hard, he glanced at his hp bar. Sweat made his shirt stick to his back.

'60%. Shit I can't get hit again.'

A woosh alerted him to the movement of his opponent. A huge two handed sword, a claymore he believed, slashed into the ground where he had been standing. His opponent was momentarily jarred from missing.

A golden light surrounded the katana he held and moving forward he slashed his opponent twice, leave a glowing x-shape. Then he stabbed forward right into the middle of the x. This struck his opponent with a huge ton of damage. Hitting dead center in the x was a guaranteed critical strike.

A grimy red bandana hung down blocking his vision, but he didn't move it. He withdrew his katana from his opponent and listened. His opponent let out a scream at the pain he just endured and fell to his knees. Thankfully he didn't hear the sound of shattering and pixels in the wind.

A screen popped up in front of the man, and he read.

Congratulations, you are victorious. The agreed upon winnings are now within your inventory.

Overhead the two fighters, hung a huge window. It read.

Duel winner: Klein! Loser: Kuradeel. Time: 1 minute 27 seconds.

The watching crowd cheered. And Klein allowed himself to straighten to his full height, before he sheathed his katana at his waist.

'Another win. I hope I can keep this up.'

Holy hell. That's a new chapter.

As always, feel free to leave a review, or write me a pm. I take all questions and comments. Flames? Why the hell not. I try my best to respond to everyone. Although I tend not to respond to flames and instead just admire them from afar. I am not a fire fighter

If you are interested I have much more in depth answers for some of your questions answered on a forum I have been using to post story updates/tracking. You can find a link for it on my profile or find it on this sites forums section. Go to anime Sword Art Online SAO Fandom Nexus [story] Onslaught. You can find news on how this story is progressing and when the next chapter should be there. I also tried to keep my notes together about how I edited the story and the new changes made.

Like why I haven't updated in the last 6 months? Go check there.