The seventh day since the launch of *Sword Art Online*.
Aincrad, First Floor, Town of Origin.
The wide Central Square was bustling with activity, with tens of thousands of players crisscrossing the stone-paved streets.
The ringing of hammers from the corner blacksmith, the hawking of wares from the potion shops, and the shouts of players forming parties to grind mobs in the fields all mingled together, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere.
In the very center of the square stood a ten-meter-tall black crystal monument.
Several large leaderboards scrolled across its surface, but the ones that drew the most attention were the Level Rankings and the Life Skill Rankings.
A player named "Mad Blade" squeezed his way to the front of the crowd.
He was a blacksmith's apprentice in real life, but he had chosen to focus on combat after entering the game. He looked up at the Level Rankings on the left.
The name at the top was still the same.
[First Place: Yak.]
