The midday sun shone through the artificial and lofty "sky" of Aincrad, casting an even glow over the plaza of the Starting Town, draping a warm, pale golden hue over the land that had been explored and bustling with countless new players for hours.
Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie had just finished another simple clearing quest and returned from outside the town, preparing to head to the item shop to sell some junk materials they had scavenged from monsters, and then find a cheap restaurant to taste the "virtual delicacies" of this World.
Ellie was enthusiastically comparing the menu prices at the entrances of two restaurants, muttering to herself: "The steak set meal is 50 currency, while the vegetable soup is only 20 currency... Our money combined is only enough for two steak meals or five soup meals... Master, Miss Minerva, should we save a bit and have the soup first?"
Minerva said gently: "Either is fine, you decide, Ellie."
Artoria, meanwhile, looked at the Teleport Gate monument in the center of the plaza, which was emitting a soft white light, calculating in her mind how many days it would take at the current pace to save enough money to buy some decent equipment and then challenge areas further out. Everything was proceeding according to plan, leisurely and filled with trivial joys.
However, the very next second.
Without any warning, the uniform brightness that covered the entire floating castle to simulate daylight suddenly vanished! No, it didn't vanish; it was replaced by a more intense, more ominous dark red glow! The sky—no, the entire upper field of vision—was stained with a viscous, dark red, like congealed blood!
"What's going on?!" "Why did the sky turn red?!" "Is this a special event? Or a bug?"
In the plaza and on the streets, all the players subconsciously stopped what they were doing, looked up, and stared in astonishment at the "sky" that had turned blood-red. The noise instantly died down, replaced by an uneasy silence.
Immediately after, something even stranger happened. In the lower-left corner of every player's field of vision, the translucent operating interface representing the system menu, map, communication, and other functions flickered and distorted violently like a television screen with a bad connection, and then—it completely disappeared! No matter how they called out in their minds, there was no response at all!
"Where's the menu?!" "I can't open my skill bar?!" "What's happening?! Is the game broken?!"
Panic began to spread among the players like a plague. Losing the system interface meant they couldn't check their status, use items, contact teammates, or even log out of the game!
Just then, the dark red background that covered the entire "sky" began to ripple and gather like the surface of water, finally condensing directly above the Starting Town plaza, at the top of the Teleport Gate monument, into an immensely huge, eerie figure cloaked in dark red that almost obscured half the "sky"!
The figure's head was shrouded in the deep shadow of a hood, its face indistinguishable, with only two points of scarlet light flickering deep within the shadows, like the pupils of a demon. An indescribable pressure, a mix of coldness, indifference, and absolute authority, descended like a physical weight, enveloping the entire plaza and instantly silencing all the noise.
The figure slowly raised an arm made of flowing dark red data, and a low, emotionless male voice, specially processed as if striking directly at the soul, resounded deep within the consciousness of every player:
"Players, welcome to my World."
"My name is Akihiko Kayaba. I am currently the only being capable of controlling this World."
"You have surely noticed that the logout button has disappeared from the main menu screen. However, this is not a problem with the game. I repeat, this is not a game malfunction; this is how 'Sword Art Online' is meant to be played."
The voice paused, as if savoring the shock and fear rapidly freezing on the faces of the countless players below.
"From now on, you will be unable to log out of this game on your own until you reach the top of this castle."
"Furthermore, there is no way for anyone on the outside to stop or remove the NERvGear. If anyone attempts to do so—"
The dark red figure's scarlet gaze seemed to sweep over every player below.
"—the microwaves emitted by the NERvGear's signal unit will destroy your brains, stopping your vital functions."
"Boom—!!!"
It was like a thunderclap exploding in their ears, like ice water poured over their heads! The entire Starting Town, with its tens of thousands of players, was plunged into an absolute, deathly freeze in that instant! All expressions froze on their faces—bewilderment, disbelief, terror, despair... Time seemed to stop flowing at this moment.
Unable to log out? Cannot be removed from the outside? Forced disconnection will... lead to death?!
This is no longer a game! This is... a death game! A true cage where life is the wager!
"Even more regrettably, as of now, many players' families and friends have ignored the warnings and attempted to forcibly remove the NERvGear. So, unfortunately, 213 players have already permanently exited the real World and Aincrad."
213 people... already dead?
The cold number struck every person's heart like a heavy hammer. Some players with weaker psychological fortitude had already begun to collapse to the ground, letting out irrepressible sobs or screams.
The dark red figure—Akihiko Kayaba, or rather, the "creator" and "ruler" of this World—seemed completely indifferent to the despair and chaos spreading below, continuing to announce in that calm to the point of cruelty voice:
"There is no need for any of you to worry about your bodies in the real World. Right now, all television, radio, and online media are repeatedly reporting this situation, as well as the large number of NERvGear units discarded on the streets and the multiple casualties. Therefore, your bodies should have already been carefully taken into custody by the Police or hospitals and transferred to safe places for proper care. I hope you can rest assured... and simply focus your energy on clearing the game."
"However, I hope everyone pays special attention. From now on, all revival methods within the game will be ineffective. Once your HP hits zero, your characters will disappear forever, and at the same time—" His voice turned abruptly cold, carrying the weight of a death sentence, "—your brains will be destroyed by the high-power microwaves emitted by the NERvGear, meeting true death."
Death... true death...
Players who had just been harboring a glimmer of wishful thinking that "this might be a prank or a special plot" had that last hope completely extinguished. A massive fear, like an invisible giant hand, gripped everyone's throat, leaving only ragged breathing and sporadic, broken cries in the plaza.
"There is only one condition that can liberate you from this game." Akihiko Kayaba's voice rang out again, forcibly pulling everyone's attention back, "Just clear this game."
"Right now, you are on the lowest level of Aincrad, the First Floor. As long as you can pass through all the levels in the castle, reach the 100th floor, and defeat the final boss of that floor, the clearing will be considered complete, and at that time, all surviving players will be able to log out of the game."
"Additionally, a piece of advice for you all. Within this game, there exists a so-called 'inventory limit.' When you obtain rare items or large amounts of money while clearing the game, it is best to deposit them into the bank warehouse in the main city of the First Floor, the 'Starting Town.' Otherwise, once you die, all the items and money you are holding will disappear. Of course, items already equipped on your person will not be dropped."
"Finally, in your inventory, there is a gift I have prepared. Please take a look."
A gift? At a time like this?
Countless players, almost numbly and subconsciously, tried calling up the system menu again. This time, the menu interface actually appeared; although it still flickered unsteadily, at least it could be opened.
Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie also subconsciously opened their [Inventory] tabs.
Sure enough, next to the 999 [Safe Teleport Crystals] and [Kanna's Virtual Candy] from before, there was a new, shimmering item—a palm-sized, exquisitely crafted [Hand Mirror] with strange patterns inlaid on its frame.
The item description was eerily simple: [Gift · Mirror. Upon use, it can reflect the 'truth.' Can only be used at this moment.]
Almost all players, the second they read the mirror's description, subconsciously chose to "Use" it.
Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie exchanged glances and also clicked use.
The mirror in her hand glowed, and the surface rippled like water. Then, Artoria saw that reflected in the mirror was the "ordinary young man" with a ponytail and delicate features that she had fine-tuned when creating her character, only now it was a real face that was more mature, calm, and carried a hint of clear-eyed temperament after experiencing the trials of life! Even the rough novice cloth clothes on her body seemed to blur in the mirror, and one could faintly see the outline of the silver-gray work clothes beneath.
It was the "true" appearance. In this death game, forcing everyone to reveal their true faces completely erased the last shred of virtual disguise, laying bare the cruelty of "reality" before everyone's eyes.
In the plaza, an even greater commotion erupted. Exclamations, sobs, and angry curses rose one after another. As people looked at the strange "selves" in the mirror or the "truth" that was familiar yet particularly jarring at this moment, their last fortress of evasion was shattered.
Akihiko Kayaba's huge dark red figure, having finished all his announcements, began to slowly fade and rise.
"You must all be wondering right now, why? Why would the developer of SAO, the quantum physicist and game designer Akihiko Kayaba, do this? Why on earth?"
His voice carried a strange, almost fanatical calmness:
My goal has been achieved. I only created Sword Art Online to create this World and witness its operation with my own eyes. Now, everything has been realized.
Finally, let me add to the game clearing conditions I mentioned earlier. The condition to clear the game is to defeat the final boss on the 100th Floor. However, players do not need to defeat the floor boss of every level. As long as someone can defeat the final boss, the game is cleared, and all surviving players will be able to log out.
However, please note that during the clearing process, a player's 'death' is absolute and irreversible.
I wish you all... good luck.
As the voice faded, the huge dark red figure completely dissipated into the blood-red'sky'. The dark red light that enveloped the entire World also began to slowly recede, restoring the false yet bright 'normal' daylight from before.
However, the World was already different.
The disappearance of the logout button, the death threat, the real faces, the 213 victims, clearing one hundred floors... each piece of cold information acted like chains, firmly locking tens of thousands of players within this floating castle. Despair, fear, confusion, anger... all sorts of negative emotions, like thick ink, permeated and fermented in the plaza.
Some people broke down in tears, some cursed angrily at the sky, some sat paralyzed on the ground with ashen faces, while others tried to stay calm and began attempting to organize the people around them. The entire Starting Town had fallen into a chaotic scene that felt like the apocalypse.
Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie stood at the edge of the crowd, speechless. There was no extreme fear or breakdown on their faces like the surrounding players. There was surprise, and a chill toward Akihiko Kayaba's crazy actions, but more of it was a... complex understanding, and a hint of an absurd 'as expected' feeling.
'Death game... the real Sword Art Online...' Ellie muttered, her small hand unconsciously gripping Artoria's sleeve. Although she knew she was an android and the death threat was not absolute for her original body, being in such an atmosphere and feeling the real despair around her, she still felt a palpitation. 'What... what should we do?'
Minerva gently patted Ellie's shoulder, her gaze sweeping calmly over the chaotic plaza, and whispered: 'It seems our "normal" vacation is going to have some extra... "excitement" added to it. However, for us, the core hasn't changed.'
Artoria nodded. Yes, the core hadn't changed. They were still "vacationing" travelers, possessing 999 chances for a "safe return to town," with their lives secure. Akihiko Kayaba's death threat, to them, felt more like being told during an originally relaxing and pleasant trip that their destination had suddenly turned into a dangerous war zone—although unexpected, it wasn't a desperate situation; instead, it added a completely different color and experience to this "vacation."
'Let's leave here first and find a quiet place,' Artoria said in a low voice, pulling Minerva and Ellie against the panicked crowd, walking toward a relatively secluded alley on the edge of the plaza.
Just as they stepped into the shadows of the alley, the system notification sounds for all three of them rang out again almost simultaneously—not the cold announcement from Akihiko Kayaba, but the familiar, soft, neutral notification sound belonging to the'system':
[Ding!]
[New email has arrived, please check it.]
Email? Artoria immediately opened the system menu and sure enough, found a flashing new email icon marked with the "system" emblem in the corner. She clicked it open.
The email content was concise:
Sender: [Inter-Universe Vacation Affairs Coordination Office (Temporary)]
Subject: Supplementary Explanation Regarding Sudden Rule Changes in the Sword Art Online Mapped Universe and Specialized Support for travelers
Content:
Respected travelers Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie:
To ensure your vacation experience and basic safety, we are now providing the following specialized support:
Safety Guarantee Enhancement: It is confirmed that the 999 [Safe Teleport Crystals] held by you will remain effective, and their priority is higher than the "death rules" of this Universe. They will automatically be used before HP hits zero, ensuring a safe escape. However, please note that this rule is invalid for native players of this Universe; do not disclose this information casually to avoid triggering unpredictable rule conflicts or interference from the Observer.
Basic Resource Support: To facilitate your better adaptation to the new environment and enjoyment of the vacation, 100,000 currency has been injected into your in-game accounts as initial funds. These funds have been entered through rationalized channels such as "unexpected inheritance from a distant relative" or "lucky draw," and comply with the economic system rules of this Universe, so they can be used normally.
Cognitive Coordination Measures: To avoid unnecessary attention or suspicion caused by significant differences in behavior patterns, consumption concepts, combat styles, etc., compared to "ordinary trapped players," a passive [Cognitive Coordination Field], commonly known as "cognitive impairment magic," has been loaded for you. This field will automatically soften the "unreasonable" parts of your behavior, causing native NPCs and other players in this Universe to subconsciously "rationalize" your actions. For example, large-scale spending will be understood as "good luck/having savings," abnormal performance in combat will be understood as "gifted talent/special skills," and an overly relaxed attitude will be understood as "open-minded/putting on a brave face," etc. The field's effect lasts until you leave this Universe.
Plot Participation Advice: The core plot of this Universe [revolving around key characters like Kirito and Asuna] has fluctuated due to the intervention of a large number of "traveler" variables. You are free to choose your level of participation, from complete observation to deep intervention. However, please note that excessively changing the core plot line may trigger reactions from the "Observer" or the Universe's underlying correction mechanism, so please act with caution.
We wish you all can still find your own fun in this "enhanced" version of your vacation.
-- Your loyal Inter-Universe Vacation Affairs Coordination Office
At the end of the email, it was also accompanied by the "system" authentication emblem.
Meanwhile, in the [Items] column of Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie, the money item instantly changed from a few dozen currency to 100,000 currency! A huge sum that could be called astronomical for players at the current stage!
'100,000 currency...' Ellie opened her mouth wide, then looked at the explanation about the "Cognitive Coordination Field" in the email, her eyes lighting up. 'That is to say, even if we run to the most expensive restaurant now to order the most expensive dishes, or buy the best equipment at the weapon shop, others will only think that we "might have had some strange encounter" or "have a good mindset and dare to spend money," and they won't suspect that we are "cheating" or "GMs"?'
'It seems so.' Minerva had also finished reading the email carefully, her eyes thoughtful. 'The "system" and that "Observing Great Expert" have prepared very thoroughly. They have given us trump cards to deal with danger (teleport crystals), provided us with resources to enjoy the game, and also considered the "sense of incongruity" our behavior patterns might bring, using the Cognitive Coordination Field to cover it up. This ensures that we can deeply experience this "death game" World without overly destroying the operating logic of this World because of our particularity, or inviting unnecessary trouble.'
Artoria closed the email and cast her gaze toward the still chaotic and noisy plaza outside the alley. The blood-colored announcement had dissipated, but the dark clouds of fear and despair remaining in the players' hearts were far from dispersing. However, for the three of them, a beam of "sunlight," carefully designed and shining only on them, shone through the dark clouds overhead.
With an absolutely safe retreat, sufficient funds, and a "rational halo" that could cover up their special nature... the nature of this sudden "death game" had completely changed for them.
It was no longer a desperate cage, but a... time-limited, exclusively customized "immersive role-playing adventure vacation" with a more exciting background setting, more hardcore gameplay, and a more immersive experience.
The danger was real, but they had a get-out-of-death-free card; resources were tight, but they had startup capital; behavior needed to be cautious, but they had a "rational halo."
'Feeling...' the corners of Artoria's mouth slowly curled into a peculiar arc, mixed with emotion, absurdity, and a hint of faint excitement, 'our vacation has suddenly become... more "challenging" and also more "interesting."'
Minerva looked at her and also showed a gentle, knowing smile: 'Yes, a long vacation set in a "death game," absolutely safe, wealthy, and free to explore.'
Ellie clenched her small fists, the light in her eyes reigniting, the previous slight fear replaced by novelty and anticipation: 'Then where are we going next? Should we go to the best weapon and armor shop first and refresh our equipment? Or go to the most expensive restaurant first to taste what the top-tier food in the death game is like? Or... should we find an inn first, get the best room, and discuss the next "vacation strategy"?'
Outside the alley was a cage of ten thousand people trapped in panic and struggle.
Inside the alley were three extraordinary travelers holding "cheats," with relaxed mindsets, starting to seriously plan how to enjoy a "luxury vacation" in this "hell-difficulty" dungeon.
The fog of cognition had already shrouded, and everything unreasonable would become reasonable.
The "death game" of Aincrad, for them, had just pulled back the curtain on a unique, privately customized adventure vacation.
'Let's go,' Artoria walked out of the alley first, her gaze sweeping over the players who were either crying or numb, looking toward the shop signs in the distance that were flashing with alluring light, her tone light and cheerful:
'Let's go turn our money into equipment and food first.'
'Then, let's plan our... special "Sword Art Online vacation" well.'
------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the fanfiction has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 or more chapters in advance over on my patreon: patreon.com/FTLGenBen
Also every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone, Thanks