The Town of Beginnings was alive with energy, its stone-paved streets winding through a vibrant marketplace filled with colorful stalls. Players hurried through the lanes, engaged in excited conversations about their adventures, while the air buzzed with friendly voices and the clinking of coins. This... was the 1st Floor of Aincrad, the starting point for all players in Sword Art Online.
But then, something changed.
Without warning, a deep sound sliced through the air — a bell, so loud and resonant it seemed to come from the system itself. The ground trembled. A pulsing red glow spread across the sky. A moment later, all players were ripped from where they stood and forcibly gathered at the center of the city, their avatars frozen, eyes fixed on the heavens.
From nothing, a rift opened in the sky. A dense, crimson mist spiraled downward, forming the hooded figure of a man. He hovered above them all, arms spread wide — like a god surveying his creation.
"Attention, players. Welcome to my world." Silence fell like a blade. The familiar city sounds vanished, and the warmth of excitement turned into a chilling unease, as if the air itself had thickened. jij felt the weight of the presence that now dominated the sky.
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba," the figure declared firmly. "From this moment on, I am the sole master and the only person who can control this game." The words echoed against the stone beneath their feet. Confused expressions spread across every face. Some players tried accessing their menus — only to find the logout button had vanished.
"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button has been removed from the main menu. But this is not a defect. I repeat: this is not a defect. It is a feature of Sword Art Online." A chill swept through the crowd. Reality crashed down with brutal clarity.
"You cannot log out of Sword Art Online on your own," the imposing figure continued, "and no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear." Some players widened their eyes. Others instinctively stepped back, though they had no control over their bodies.
Kayaba pressed on, undisturbed. "If someone tries to forcibly remove the headset, the internal transmitter will send a powerful microwave through the brain… destroying it and ending your life." A murmur of panic spread through the crowd. A player to jij’s left dropped to their knees. Another covered their mouth, as if stifling a scream.
"Unfortunately," Kayaba said with artificial sorrow, "the friends and family of some players ignored this warning… and tried to remove the NerveGear by force. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players... are now gone. Forever. From Aincrad — and from the real world."
The number hit like a thunderclap. The silence that followed wasn’t reverent — it was pure terror. This was no longer a game. It was a prison with a death sentence. And then, without warning, dozens of floating windows appeared around them.
"As you can see," he continued, "news outlets and media around the world are covering these events — including the deaths. So, assume the danger is real. The risk of external removal of the NerveGear… is not minimal." Kayaba paused, letting the weight of his words settle into every mind. The windows displayed reports from global news networks.
"I hope you can stay calm… and attempt to complete the game."
But before any flicker of hope could take root, he finished, coldly:
"I want you to remember this clearly: there is no longer any way to revive a player within the game. If your HP reaches zero, your avatar will be lost forever… and simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain." jij felt a sinking sensation in their stomach. The idea of “dying” in a game had always been metaphorical — now it was literal. Life or death would depend on every decision made.
"There is only one way to escape: complete the game." Kayaba opened his arms again, as if unveiling some grand invisible structure. "Right now, you are on the lowest floor of Aincrad: the First Floor. If you manage to clear the dungeon and defeat the floor boss, you will move on to the next level. Defeat the boss of Floor 100… and you will win." A sharp chill crept down everyone's spine. One hundred floors. One hundred life-or-death challenges. It seemed almost impossible.
"Finally," Kayaba said with eerie calm, "I’ve added a gift to each of your item storages. Please check for yourselves." A subtle alert blinked on the menu:
[Item Received: Mirror]
Uncertain of its purpose, many players followed the system’s suggestion. The world shifted again. Soft, warped lights enveloped every avatar. A faint white glow emerged from the mirrors, as if trying to unveil a long-hidden truth. jij's body tingled. A strange warmth ran across their virtual skin — and suddenly, they felt... different.
Players began to stare at each other, stunned. Tall avatars became shorter. Athletic bodies shrank. Fantastical hairstyles disappeared. Voices changed. Genders reversed. The system had replaced their customized appearances with their real-life faces — scanned by the NerveGear at login.
In front of jij, an elderly knight in shining armor now looked like a man in his twenties. To the right, a girl with flowing silver hair had become a middle-aged man.
Chaos followed. Some laughed in disbelief. Others cried in silence. Many looked away, ashamed. The fantasy had crumbled. Only the truth remained. "In this world," Kayaba said one last time, "there are no more masks. You are who you truly are."
The sky began to fade into shades of red and gray. Kayaba’s figure dissolved into floating particles, like mist scattering in the wind. "You must fight for your lives. And this... was the official introduction to the launch of Sword Art Online."
He paused briefly, almost like a teacher ending a lesson.
"Good luck, players."
And vanished.
The Town of Beginnings remained silent. Haunted. Still. From that moment on, everyone there — including jij — understood: the game was over. Now, it was survive... or die.
<details>
<summary>📌 <b>jij's Stats</b></summary>
📍 Location: Town of Beginnings, Circular Plaza (Floor: 1)
📅 Date & Time: Day 1 (06:30 PM)
👤 Unknown-IGN — 🟢
HP: 250/250
ATK: 8
DEF: 5
⚔️ "Rusty Straight-Sword" [ATK: 3] [10/10]
Level: 1 [0/100]
Col: 100
🛡️ Equipments:
\- "Leather Chestguard" [DEF: 2] [15/15]
\- "Fingerless Leather Gloves" [DEF: 1] [10/10]
\- "Toughened Leather Trousers" [DEF: 1] [15/15]
\- "Sturdy Cloth Boots" [DEF: 1] [15/15]
🎒 Inventory:
\- Empty
🔎 Equipped Skills [0/2]:
\- «None»
⚡ Invested Points:
\- STR: 0
\- AGI: 0
Left to Invest: 3
</details>
