In the year 2022, some six thousand gamers excitedly explore the new Sword Art Online, which manipulates users' brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience, but soon learn it lacks a log-out button and to escape they must conquer all one hundred floors--or die trying.

Read the novel that ignited the phenomenon! In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online - a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other - debuts, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG - a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, "game over" means certain death - both virtual and real...

"This might be a game, but it's not something you play." -- Akihiko Kayaba, Sword Art Online programmer After Kirito and Eugeo's brush with death in their fight against the goblins, it's back to the Gigas Cedar, the massive tree that Eugeo's destined to hack away at for the rest of his days. But Kirito feels a lot stronger now--even the Blue Rose Sword feels lighter in his hands. As he approaches the fearsome Gigas Cedar with a new "ax" in hand, he realizes that felling the giant just might be within the realm of possibility...

"Without any memory of his first stint in the underworld, Kirito has no idea what to expect now that he's back inside. In his absence much has happened in the lives of his former companions: Eugeo hasn't been the same ever since Alice has been taken by an Integrity Knight, and to make matters worse, Alice's sister, Selka, has gone to follow in her footsteps, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead..."--Pg. 4 of cover.

In Underworld, a virtual land from which there seems no escape, Kiritomeets Eugeo, an NPC destined to follow his Calling-his life's goal that must beachieved before he can follow his own path. What awaits Kirito in this new land?

After their death-defying battle with the goblins, Kirito and Eugeo return to the Gigas Cedar with the Blue Rose Sword and a new determination to topple the giant.

Back in Underworld, Kirito's world is turned upside down as he learns what has happened to his former companions in his absence. After Alice was taken by the Integrity Knight, Eugeo hasn't been the same. But when Alice's sister Selka starts following in Alice's footsteps, Kirito and Eugeo must embark on a dangerous mission to find her.

v. 1: In the year 2022, some six thousand gamers excitedly explore the new Sword Art Online, which manipulates users' brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience, but soon learn it lacks a log-out button and to escape they must conquer all one hundred floors--or die trying.v. 2: "Linked up and logged into the deadly VMMORPG "Sword Art Online" in both the real and virtual worlds, Kirito is stuck in a hell of one man's making, and like everyone else, unable to escape until the game is beaten" --

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online - a VRMMORPG (virtual reality massively multiplayer online role playing game) like no other - opens its virtual doors, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG - a log-out button.

Im Jahr 2022 startet das virtuelle Rollenspiel "Sword Art Online", bei dem die Spieler vollends in die Fantasywelt Aincrad eintauchen kn?nen. ber ein technisches Hilfsmittel namens NerveGear, das die Sinneswahrnehmungen beeinflussen kann, empfinden die Gamer das Spiel als Realitt?. Einer der 10.000 auserwh?lten Spieler ist Kirigaya. Nachdem er die ersten Km?pfe erfolgreich bestanden hat, kann er sich plt?zlich nicht mehr aus dem Spiel ausloggen! Kurz darauf verk nden die Entwickler des Systems, dass die Spieler die Welt erst dann verlassen kn?nen, wenn sie alle Endgegner der 100 Ebenen des Spiels besiegt haben. Damit beginnt die actiongeladene Reise ...