1 Chapter 1: Reincarnation, System, Start

[A/N: Read the Auxiliary Chapter first before you proceed reading.]

"Huh? W-Where am I?"

A young man—who looks to be about 16 years old—muttered. This young man has black hair and light red eyes. He was wearing a red shirt on top of his breastplate, normal black pants, and black shoes.

His name is Hideaki Suzuki, a 12th Grade student. He was an orphan since 6 years old because his parents died in a car accident.

Hideaki was looking around; wondering why he was in this place. The area he was at is a clearing of grass, with many flowers. It was a meadow.

He didn't know why he was here, he remembered that he was just playing Sword Art Online: Integral Factor, grinding levels so he could advance to the next floor—until he fell asleep.

"Where is this? It looks like the 1st Floor of SAO: IF..."

Muttered Hideaki, as he suddenly had a flash of realization.

"Wait! It can't be! Is this SAO: IF? Did I reincarnate? But, I didn't die!"

Exclaimed Hideaki. He realized that he might be in the world of SAO since his surroundings doesn't look real; and it looks just like SAO: IF's First Floor.

He also noticed some monsters like big wasps, boars with different fur colors that have red eyes, and red-colored goblin-like monsters with weapons in hand; all of these are like the monsters in SAO which he clearly remembers since he once farmed here for exp in SAO: IF.

Sighing, he decided to test something first. He brought his index finger up and swiped horizontally in the air; as a holographic blue screen appeared in front of him.

The holographic blue screen had many options starting from; Status, Equipment, Skills, etc. This confirmed his suspicion that he really reincarnated in the world of SAO.

"So, I really reincarnated here, huh? But, how? If I'm going to be reincarnated in the Sword Art Online Universe, it should be in the real world, right?"

As he spoke to himself, memories started to flood his mind. These memories were the memories of the guy who was the original owner of his body.

The content of the memory was; the original owner of the body's name was also Hideaki, but his last name was Ishida.

Like the reincarnated Hideaki, the original owner of the body was an orphan as well. The only family he has are his aunt—who took him in when his parents died, and his cousin who he treated as his own little sister.

He was also a 10th Grade student and a 16-year-old guy who's an addict to RPG games.

One day he saw an ad of SAO outside while he was going back to his home. When he discovered that SAO was a virtual reality RPG game, he started going crazy at the thought of seeing real monsters and fighting them while getting stronger.

So, on the day they released the Nervegear to the public, he quickly spent all of his savings to buy the NerveGear.

And on the day of the official launch of SAO, he logged in for the first time. He was so excited that he went out of the Town of Beginnings to quickly fight some monsters.

After a few moments of finding, he finally found 3 white boars that were named <Slate Boars>.

He was so excited at the thought of fighting these monsters that he forgot that he was only [ Lvl: 1 ], and didn't even worry as he thinks that'll he will just respawn if he ever dies.

So, he fought the 3 <Slate Boars> simultaneously and died. He didn't respawn since he actually died in real life as well because the killing mechanism of the NerveGear was already activated. He didn't notice that the <Log Out> button didn't work as well since he didn't check.

That's how the original owner of the body died and was replaced by Hideaki. He could only guess that he can get out of here when the game finishes and wake up as Ishida Hideaki. But when Hideaki recalled all of the memories of the previous body's owner, he suddenly felt dreaded.

He was now in a death game! A game where if you die in the game, you will also die in real life! The fact that the game also had dangerous monsters and bosses that will kill you without any mercy since their AI, didn't help to alleviate his worry.

"Dammit! If I'm going to be reincarnated then why in a death game!?"

Hideaki shouted to himself, before sighing.

He then thought.

'What's done is done, no point whining about it. Let's just think of what I'll do from now on. It's either I try to fight and use my knowledge of this world to my advantage, or just stay here; on the <First Floor>, wait for the protagonist for 2 whole years to finish the game.

I certainly don't want to stay on the <First Floor> doing nothing and not helping. I don't want to put my life in somebody else's hands. Besides, by helping them, I could also decrease the death of players even just a little.

Even though I'm not a good person, I'm not a bad one either... Okay, maybe a little... But, if I can prevent somebody's death, why not, right?'

As he thought of this, a holographic black screen appeared in front of him.

"Huh?"

Hideaki whispered as he looked at the holographic screen. Then suddenly, he heard a mechanical voice in his mind.

[ Integrating Hacker System... ]

[ Done!]

[ Merging with Sword Art Online's System ]

[ Done! ]

[ Good day, host! I am the Hacker System, an AI sent to you by a higher being to help you on your journey! ]

"A... system? Is it like those in novels?"

[ Yes, host! ]

"I'm not even surprised anymore... I actually anticipated this; that I might get a system... So, can you tell me your functions and their explanation?"

[ Yes, host! My functions are the following: <Status>, <Inventory>, <Map>, <Quest>, <Party>, and <Shop>]

[ <Status>: Keeps track of your progress, <Skills>, <Weapon Proficiency>, and displays your current <Stats>.

Note: Your stats and skills that you got from the game will also be brought back with you so you can use them in real life. ]

[ <Inventory>: A different space where you can store things like <Equipments>. This <Inventory> is special as you can bring <Items> or <Equipments> back to your old world from this world. ]

[ <Quests>: Keeps track of your current <Quest>. ]

[ <Shop>: A <Shop> where you can buy things from across the <Omniverse>.

Note: You can only buy things from this <Universe (Including things from the Sword Art Online Virtual World)> until you beat the <100th Floor> or kill the creator of the game. ]

[ <Map>: A <Map> that will display the whole <Floor>. You can also use this to locate <Player> even when they are not a member of your party. ]

[ <Party>: Keeps track of your party members. Once a person becomes a member of your party, you can see their <HP> in the top left corner of your vision. You can also see their position in the <Map>.

Note: The players you in your <Party> will be able to retain their stats and skills in the real world for them to use.

Note: You can invite a person to your <Party> by ordering the <System>. You can also remove players from your <Party> by ordering the <System>. ]

When Hideaki saw the holographic black screen that displayed the system's functions and explanation, he was pleased.

Now that he has a system, his chance of survival went up. He couldn't help but thank that higher being who sent him his system.

When he gets out of the game, he will also retain his stats and skills which is really good for him since he can get so many skills in the game. He might even be able to be a chef in real life if he maxes out his <Cooking Skill>.

But when he thought about it, that higher being must also be the one who sent him here in this death game. He could only sigh at the possibility, he didn't want to complain since he might take back the system.

He was also wondering about something, and he decided to ask the system.

"System, I reincarnated, right?"

[ Affirmative, host. ]

"Then, how did I die?"

[ Apparently, a large meteor crashed in your town. And the place where the meteor was going to crash was at your house. ]

"Oh? So, I died in a cliche wa-"

As Hideaki was about to reply to his system, he was suddenly enveloped in bright blue light.

And in the next second, he found himself on a circular plaza, also known as the central square of the Town of Beginnings—with many people appearing one after another.

Seeing this, he remembered this was the start of the plot of the world of SAO. This is where Kayaba Akihiko, creator of the Nervegear and SAO, was going to announce to the entire world that SAO was a death game.

When Hideaki got teleported, he saw many players enveloped in a blue light appearing as well, as the blue lights covering their bodies gradually diminishes.

Players of different genders could be seen with their weapons. They were all SAO players.

It looks like there are thousands of people getting teleported. No, nearly ten thousand, in fact.

[A/N: You can skip the chapter from here on out. The following dialogues are just copied from the novel. Not really, though. I made minor adjustments. Like rewriting it to 3rd Person POV. I also added small monologues for Hideaki(not really important).]

Many voices of confusion and surprise could be heard in the plaza.

"What just happened?" (Random Mob #1)

"Why did we get forcefully teleported?" (Random Mob #2)

"H-Hey! Look up!" (Random Mob #3)

All the players who heard Mob #3 instinctively raised their eyes, looking up.

What greeted them was the sight of the once clear blue sky turning red. A blob of bloody red slime appeared in mid-air. It started forming a big person 60 feet tall wearing a red cloak with golden linings. The person was headless and the only thing you can see inside the hood was darkness, the only part of the body you could see is his hands.

Mutters of confusion could be heard in the central square.

"Is that the GM? Why doesn't he have a face?" (Random Guy whose character is a girl #1)

"Hmph! Hey! Even if you are GM, do you think your cloak is edgy!? It's still lacking!" (Random Young Master #69)

"What's happening? Can we log out now?

As if to quiet down the noise, the person in the red robe spoke as his metallic voice was heard.

"Welcome to my world, dear players."

"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the only human being alive with control over this world."

The players who heard him couldn't help but gasp.

Kayaba Akihiko.

Many people know that name, how could they have not?

He was a brilliant young game designer and a quantum physicist. Not only was he the executive director of SAO, he also designed the basic foundation of the NerveGear unit itself.

Many help deep reverence for Kayaba, especially hardcore gamers. Not to mention Kirito—aka Kiragaya Kazuto, the protagonist of the novel; Sword Art Online—admires him as well.

But he'd always preferred to stay out of the spotlight, avoiding media attention wherever possible, and he'd certainly never stepped into an active GM role within a game like this. So, the ones who knows him were confused that why was he taking the GM role? And why now?

"You have likely noticed by now that the log-out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug. I repeat, this is not a bug—it is a feature of Sword Art Online."

"From this point onward, you will be unable to freely log out of the game until the summit of this castle is conquered."

Players who heard him got confused. They are all asking in their mind 'Was there a castle in the Town of Beginnings?'. But their momentary confusion was instantly swiped away by his next statement.

"Furthermore, the NerveGear cannot be removed or shut down via external means. If forceful means of exit are attempted…"

A palpably heavy silence filled the air, ten thousand breaths held in apprehension. The next words came with a slow, awful finality.

"…the high-powered microwaves emitted by the NerveGear will scramble your brain and shut down your vital processes."

Murmurs resounded through the plaza, but no one screamed or raged. It seems their brains failed or refused to process what they just heard and the implications of his declaration.

"Ha-ha…what's he talking about? Is he crazy? That's not possible. The NerveGear's just a game system. It can't possibly, like…destroy our brains or whatever. Right, Kirito?"

A person behind the calm and collected Hideaki raspily said, as Hideaki tilted his head and saw a man with pinkish hair wearing a red and yellow bandana. He was also wearing a white long sleeve with a leather breastplate, leather belt, brown pants, and light brown boots. He also had a short sword sheathed dangling in the side of his waist.

The guy was talking to another person who has black hair, wearing a blue shirt with a gray breastplate, he wore black pants and boots for his lower half, a sword that was sheathed in his back.

He is Kirigaya Kazuto, also known as Kirito in the game. He is the protagonist of the story; Sword Art Online.

When Hideaki watched the first season of SAO, he liked Kirito because he was badass, especially with his dual-wielding. But in the next season, he couldn't help but get annoyed at him. In season 2 of SAO which is GGO, Kirito turned into a damn emo out of nowhere, spouting bullshit about killing people—that should really be killed—when he wasn't even shown that he was affected before the game was finished; he didn't even look affected when he was playing ALO.

"…In principle, it's not impossible…but he has to be bluffing. I mean, if you just pull the plug on the NerveGear, how can it produce enough juice to do that? Unless it's packing some massive…batteries…" (Emo)

"But…it is. I heard that a third of the unit's weight is battery cells. But still, this is ridiculous! What if there's a blackout?"

As though he heard Klein's roar, Kayaba continued his proclamation.

"To be more specific, the brain-frying sequence will commence upon any of the following circumstances: ten minutes of no external power; two hours of network disconnection; removal, dismantling, or destruction of the NerveGear. The authorities and media in the outside world have already announced the details of these conditions to the general public. At present, the friends and family of several players have already ignored these warnings and attempted to forcefully remove their NerveGears, the result being…"

The echoing, metallic voice paused for a breath.

"…that sadly, two hundred and thirteen players have already been permanently retired from both Aincrad and the real world."

A single shrill scream rang out from somewhere in the crowd. But the majority of players were motionless, either unable or refusing to believe, their faces displaying absentminded smiles.

Looking back, Hideaki saw Mr. Emo quivering. His wobbly legs took steps back, trying not to fall. Kirito's friend, Klein simply fell straight onto his rear, his face sporting an empty expression.

"I won't believe it…I refuse to believe it."

Klein muttered from the paving stones, his voice hoarse as he continued.

"It's just a threat. He can't do this. Quit dicking us around and let us out already. I've got better things to do than sit around while your little stunt plays out. That's all this is, right? A stunt. A bit of excitement to juice up the game's grand opening, yeah?"

"There is no need to worry about your physical bodies back in the real world. The current state of the game and today's fatalities have been covered far and wide on television, radio, and the Internet. The danger that someone will forcefully remove your NerveGear is already much diminished. The two-hour offline leeway period should provide enough time for your physical body to be transported to hospitals and other long-term care facilities with proper security, eliminating concerns over your physical well-being. You may rest assured…and focus on conquering the game." (Kayaba)

"Wha—?"

Hideaki heard a scream from behind him. It was Kirito who just shouted.

"What do you mean? Conquer the game? You expect us to just sit back and enjoy the game when we can't even log out?"

Kirito glared at the headless crimson robe stretching up to nearly the upper floor and continued bellowing.

"This isn't even a game anymore!"

As though Kayaba heard Kirito's voice, he continued.

"However, please proceed with caution. As of this moment, Sword Art Online is no longer a game to you. It is another reality. The standard means of player resurrection will no longer function as they did previously. When your hit points dwindle to zero, your avatar will be permanently deleted…"

He paused for a bit, then continued.

"…and the NerveGear will destroy your brain."

Some people who immediately believed Kayaba and thought that what he was saying was real were speechless.

They were terrified, if their health bar—which is shown in the top left corner of their vision—goes down... they will die. The game console will fry their brain with microwaves, killing them on the spot.

"There is only one condition through which you can be freed from this game. Simply reach the hundredth floor at the pinnacle of Aincrad and defeat the final boss who awaits you there. In that instant, all surviving players will be able to safely log out once again." (Kayaba)

"Clear the hundredth floor?"

Klein shouted abruptly. He clambered to his feet and shook his fist in the air as he continued.

"W-we can't possibly do that! I heard the entire group of beta testers barely got through the very start of the game!"

As Klein said this low mumbles could be heard in the plaza. Most likely, the majority of players here couldn't make up their minds whether this was true danger or simply a flashy opening ceremony held in poor taste. Kayaba's statements were so bizarre and dreadful to comprehend that the story lacked credibility.

"Finally, let me prove to you that this world is now your one and only reality. I've prepared a gift for all of you. You may find it in your item storage." (Kayaba)

Hearing him, Hideaki swiped his two fingers in the air. Others around him made the same action, the square filling with electronic chiming sounds.

[A/N: Hideaki can still use SAO's Main Menu even though it was merged with the system. What the merge meant before was it was only connected with the system.]

He clicked his <Inventory> and found an item named <Hand Mirror>. Pressing the <Materialize> button from the list of options. With a sparkling sound effect, a small square mirror popped into being.

'This should be the item that will make our characters look like our real body...'

Hideaki thought as, in the next moment, a brilliant white light enveloped Hideaki—blinding him—and the players nearby.

A few seconds later, the light dissipated returning Hideaki's sight. He looked around and saw people enveloped by the light that was starting to dissipate, revealing people with different looks from before they were covered by the light.

He glanced at the mirror that was on his hand, he saw that nothing really changed much from his appearance since the previous owner of the body used his real-life appearance for his virtual avatar/character.

People were also getting confused, many asking questions.

"Who are you?"

"Wait! You're a boy!? I thought you're a girl!"

As they were confused, Kayaba continued talking.

"You are likely asking yourselves, why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of SAO and the NerveGear unit, do such a thing? Is it an act of terrorism? An elaborate kidnapping to extract ransom money?"

And for the first time, Kayaba's emotionless voice began to take on the faintest signs of color. Despite the situation, there was a hint of longing in his voice

"What I seek is neither of these things. I have no goals or justifications at this moment. In fact, this very situation was my ultimate goal. I created the NerveGear and SAO precisely in order to build this world and observe it. I have now achieved that aim."

After a short pause, Kayaba's voice was back to its usual monotone.

"This concludes the tutorial phase of Sword Art Online. I wish you the best of luck, dear players."

His last word echoed briefly before dying out.

The crimson robe silently ascended, the tip of the hood melting into the system warnings still displayed in midair. The shoulders, chest, arms, and legs followed into the bloodred surface, leaving a single outward ripple behind. The next instant, the giant wall of messages plastered across the sky disappeared as abruptly as it came.

The wind blew over the top of the square, and the BGM from a band of NPC musicians slowly approached from afar, bringing life back to my ears. The game had returned to its original state. The only difference lay in a few very crucial rules.

Finally, at long last, the throng of players exhibited the proper reaction.

The square exploded into noise, convulsing with the sound of ten thousand voices all at once.

"This can't be happening…You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Screw this! Let me out! I want out of here!"

"You can't do this to me! I'm supposed to meet someone tonight!"

"No! Let me leave, let me leave!"

Screams. Rage. Shrieks. Insults. Pleading. And roars.

In the span of several minutes, the players have been turned into prisoners. People held their heads, sunk to their knees, shook fists in the air, grabbed others, and turned on one another.

Seeing all of this, Hideaki just sighed and was about to leave, but something or someone caught his attention, He saw Kirito and Klein going somewhere but that wasn't what caught his interest, it was a petite girl with shoulder-length black hair and a small mole right under the corner of her right eye. She wore a light blue tunic with a leather breastplate, a knee-length short skirt, and grayish boots. It was Sachi, a supporting character in SAO.

[A/N: She doesn't have the blue breastplate yet because it's just the start]

—————

A/N: I'm not satisfied with this chapter, it has more than 3700 words without the A/Ns, but the dialogues are copied from the novel; Kayaba's dialogues to be exact, and there was Klein's and Kirito's too.

If I guess how many words I wrote, it would be between 1700~2200 words. I don't know, but the majority of those are also copied, I just rewrote them in 3rd Person POV since the novel is written in 1st Person POV.

Rest assured though, the next chapter will not be copied from the novel anymore since the MC will not be following Kirito.

The next chapter will also be similar to the old chapter(the chapters before the rewrite) where MC will meet Sachi, but she will not be part of his <Party>. Not yet at least. His 1st party member will be...

The next chapter might be next week or this week.