Land of the Fairies

Key Events

Kirito meets Egil in his café Dicey Café. Egil hands him a VRMMORPG called Alfheim. This game is based on player skill, i.e. no levels, using a skill improves it, leaning towards the person’s athletic abilities and PKing is encouraged. Also you’re a fairy so you can fly.

The Asuna picture was taken on this game, in the centre of the world in a castle on top of a huge tree known as the world tree. There are 9 classes and everyone is trying to get to the castle first. Flight doesn’t last forever so no one’s got to the top. However 5 lined up and attempted to reach the top like a rocket but only reached close to the lowest branch where they took the Asuna photo where she is inside a birdcage on a branch. Kirito must find out for himself and goes into the game when he gets home. He chooses the race Spriggan and dives into Alfheim. The date is 20th of January, the wedding ceremony is 26th of January.

He notices that his parameters are similar to SAO and also all his items are ????. But he finds and loads up Yui as a navigation pixie. She tells him that this world is a copy of SAO’s servers, so Kirito’s data from SAO are here, including his sword skills. But his items aren’t and that’s why the ????s appear. He deletes them before the system can target him.

We skip to a midair battle between a group of well organised army people attacking 2 individuals running away. One of them is killed and the other is hurt so drops out of the air. She talks about the death penalty as they gang up on her.

Kirito drops in with a horrible landing. But easily kills one of the army people.

Thoughts:

And we’re straight into a new game. Conveniently non-level based as Kirito needs to reach what’s probably only the top level can reach if it was level based. Since he only has 6 days, it’d be impossible. Minor details, and I’m interested in how this MMO works with no levels.

Although that said, from what I’ve learnt this episode the game isn’t completely level-less. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the skills have levels? Use a skill to level it? If that’s the case it’s the same as normal MMOs, you level yourself to level up or get skills normally, this is just doing it slightly different by levelling the skills up themselves.

Kirito is indeed a plain cheater, carrying over amazing skills from SAO, getting a head start. But who can blame him, if I had those skills available and I’m in a rush, I’d be a fool not to use them. Can only blame Sugou and his people for being lazy and copying SAO’s servers. And who cares about him beating up people easily, we get some good action.

One thing he can’t cheat on is flying though, still needs to master that. Doable in 6 days. Though people who’ve played this game since the start can’t get to Asuna, I’m sure he can’t do it without huge obstacles. Well he’s got the will to beat the machines and programming, if anyone can fly to somewhere where the game has forbid others to fly, it’s him…

The biggest different between this and SAO is the death penalty. If it isn’t as severe as death what could it be? Whatever it is Kirito will fight with less worry, but it should still be ‘big’ otherwise it wouldn’t be a challenge. I have a few ideas, one based on that he has 6 days so perhaps being suspended from the game for a day or two? He doesn’t have the time to waste so can’t afford to die, similarly people who play MMOs get addicted and a day or two loss is a big deal. Others may be losing skill levels? Losing money or items in that you can’t store them, but that seems unrealistic, the no storage part. I’m a little lost, the usual thing is exp or items, but exp is eliminated and item loss isn’t severe. So I’m very interested in what it is. I still think suspension from the game for a number of days is a viable penalty.

Nice to see Yui again, more cheating for Kirito, unofficial navigation help, albeit much needed as he knows nothing and he needs to go from the bottom to the top very quickly.

I have to say, I’d love to play Alfheim. I know I said I didn’t like the looks of it, which I still stand by as the ears still annoy me, but I’d love to fly. I love heights and what I wouldn’t give to enjoy the sensation of soaring through the skies with no aid.

Next step would be to find out more about Alfheim, mainly how to get up the tree. Wonder if anyone’s tried climbing it. Egil and Klein will probably join soon. They can then make their own guild, or whatever it’s called in Alfheim, of his group from SAO. Nice to see Egil in real life and his cafe, I wanna see Klein too.

Last thing I want to mention is why Kirito kept his name. He even thought about it before he used the name, so I thought he’d change his name so as to not alert Sugou who is probably overseeing the game. If he picked any random name it won’t cross anyone’s mind, but he had to go for his name which is surely to cause attention. But perhaps it’s his way of telling Sugou he’s onto him and maybe a warning not to mess with him? But even so, it’s just an invitation for Sugou to prepare a nice welcoming party when Kirito reaches Asuna. So I’m interested in what his reason is for choosing the same name.