«Nov 20, 2022 - 2:00 PM» «Aincrad - 1st Floor»
«Town of Beginnings - Tavion Inn»
It has been two weeks since that day.
Three weeks since the world I once knew shattered before my eyes.
That day, that declared that Sword Art Online was no longer just a game—but a 'death game', where death here meant death in the real world.
It sounded ridiculous. Impossible.
And yet, in just two weeks, nearly 2,000 of the 10,000 trapped players have already died—both in Aincrad and the real world.
The worst part? Some of them chose death themselves.
When the initial panic faded, it was replaced by something worse—despair. As the days passed and no immediate outside help arrived, hope slowly withered away.
After Kayaba's 'tutorial' on the first day, all players have slowly splitted into four categories:
First, The Army – 20% of Players (roughly 2,000 players)
This group organized early—sharing resources, gathering intel, and working together to explore the Labyrinth Area, where the stairs to the next floor were rumored to be. Their leaders recently stablished a base inside the Black Iron Palace, the heart of the Town of Beginnings.
Though still without an official name, many members have begun wearing matching uniforms, earning them the nickname: «The Army»
Second, the Desperate – 10% of Players (roughly 1,000 players)
These were the ones who ran out of money. In SAO, there are two fundamental needs: Fatigue and Hunger.
«Fatigue» made sense—our brains treated virtual exhaustion the same as real exhaustion. Inns and rented rooms provided rest, and with enough money, players could even buy houses.
«Hunger», however, was different.
Despite our real bodies being kept alive by forced nutrients, our minds still experienced the illusion of emptiness. It didn't matter that our real stomachs weren't empty—if we didn't eat here, the sensation of hunger would never disappear.
The desperate players—those who gambled away their starting money—couldn't afford food or shelter. Many were forced to join The Army just for daily rations.
But those who refused to follow orders?
They turned to thievery.
Even though player-versus-player combat was disabled in safe zones, theft was not. Some formed gangs, ambushing weaker players outside the city—taking their Col, their items, and their hope.
They hadn't murdered anyone... yet. But it was only a matter of time.
Third, the Fighters – 30% of Players (roughly ~3,000 players)
These were the "true gamers"—the ones who chose to fight.
This group split into two subcategories:
Category A, are the «Guilds» (roughly 2,500 players) – Small, independent teams working together to grow stronger. Some focused on combat, others on trade and crafting, forming their own economy.
Category B, are the «Solo Players» (roughly 500 players) – The ones who trusted only themselves.
Solo Players had the highest death rate.
But if they survived? They gained the most power.
Rumors spread that many Beta Testers had gone solo, using their knowledge to gain an advantage—leveling up faster than anyone else.
Because SAO had no magic, combat relied solely on skill and reflexes. A player could fight alone, and if they were skilled enough, they'd earn more EXP and «Col» than any party.
But one mistake meant death.
Fourth, the Hopeless – 40% of Players (~roughly 4,000 people)
And finally—there were the ones who did nothing.
The waiters.
The players who refused to accept the situation. The ones who clung to the hope that the outside world would save them.
They never left the city. They spent as little Col as possible, barely scraping by with cheap inns and plain food.
They were waiting—for the government, for the developers, for their families.
And I... was one of them.
I sat in my rented room at Tavion Inn, staring out the small window.
Below me, players and NPCs walked side by side, indistinguishable from each other—except for one thing.
The «Green Cursor» above every player's head.
The proof that we were alive. The proof that somewhere, out there in the real world, our real bodies were still breathing.
I knew this was reality now. I knew that everything Kayaba Akihiko said was true.
But I couldn't accept it. Why?
Because I was scared.
I was afraid to die. It was that simple.
Our real bodies are lying in beds, hooked to machines.
That is reality.
This situation—this prison—is a fake.
And if there's even the smallest chance that something was overlooked—some flaw in the game's code, some intervention from the real world—then there's hope that we can wake up.
I refuse to believe that this is permanent.
Of course, the «Log Out» button is gone, but maybe... just maybe... the company that runs this game, Argus, is working to save us.
If we just wait, we'll eventually wake up.
We'll have a teary reunion with our families.
We'll return to school, to work, to life.
And this nightmare will become just a story—a bizarre memory, a conversation piece.
And so, I wait.
Because waiting is safe.
Waiting means I won't lose my «HP».
Waiting means I won't risk my life.
Waiting means I'll survive.
The sheer weight of my cowardice. I know what I've done.
I abandoned my friends—Hiro and the others—who are still trapped somewhere in this world.
I abandoned Asuna, the first person I met here, the first person I fought alongside.
I pushed them all away.
Because I was afraid.
I am the worst kind of person. I know that, but I don't care.
When I first entered SAO, I was amazed.
I thought I could play god. I thought this world would be my escape—a place where I had control.
But Kayaba slapped that delusion out of my hands.
He reminded me of something I had refused to accept—that I am powerless.
And I am not alone in that.
All of us—every player who first saw SAO as a fantasy paradise—are now prisoners of a waking nightmare.
A nightmare I desperately want to escape.
But despite all of that, I still want to live.
I need to live.
And that is why I will wait.
No matter how long it takes. No matter what happens to the others.
No matter what price I have to pay.
I will wait for someone to set us free.
Even if, deep down, I know...
...that this is the worst thing I have ever done, in my life.