Sword Art Online Progressive Books in Order

One month into Sword Art Online's deadly confinement, Kirito and Asuna prefer to fight alone. Mounting deaths and desperate fellow players force them toward an uneasy partnership as they begin clearing Aincrad's earliest floors and learning to trust.

Kirito and Asuna reach Aincrad's third floor and form an alliance with the elven knight Kizmel. Her unexpectedly sophisticated behavior complicates their understanding of NPCs, while divisions among elves and a mysterious challenger's duel introduce new dangers.

Kirito and Asuna discover that Aincrad's fourth floor has become a world of rivers and gondolas. To travel through it, they need their own boat, but acquiring one means confronting the enormous fiery beast Magnaterium.

Kirito and Asuna explore the treasure-filled ruins of Aincrad's fifth floor two months after becoming trapped. Returning to the fourth floor brings another assignment from Elf Lord Yofilis and an encounter with a monster Asuna particularly dislikes.

Kirito and Asuna enter Aincrad’s puzzle-filled sixth floor amid rivalry between major guilds over the Flag of Valor. A murderous player group adds danger, leaving their progress vulnerable to a trap they have not yet recognized.

Kirito and Asuna reunite with dark elf Kizmel while working to clear Aincrad’s sixth floor. Collecting keys, pursuing a secret quest, and encountering unusually lifelike artificial intelligence complicate their efforts to survive the next stage together.

Aincrad’s seventh floor offers a vast casino where Kirito once lost everything during beta testing. Argo’s information draws him and Asuna into its hidden dangers, while new crises threaten the dark elves and their ongoing quest.

Kirito and Asuna intervene in the feud between two families controlling Aincrad’s seventh-floor casino. Trapped while investigating wrongdoing, Kirito has only two days to expose a conspiracy, solve its mystery, and prepare for the floor boss.