The first of the three DLCs, the Explorer of Illusory Mists ( 幻霧の探求者, Genmu no Tankyūsha ?), is focused on uncovering the mystery behind a Masked NPC just one Floor below the Stalvatos Ruins, in the Vulcanus Citadel. After the free update, the story is further developed with a paid DLC questline, named Maiden of the abyss ( 深淵の巫女, Shin'en no Miko ?) in Japan and Abyss of the Shrine Maiden in the West, that features a three chapter-long redemption arc for Tia. The conclusion of the main story leads to a free Downloadable Content (DLC) story, named Warriors of the Sky ( 蒼空の闘士, Sōkū no Tōshi ?), in a brand new area called Stalvatos Ruins, located in the incomplete Aincrad. The main campaign follows the events of Lost Song. However, they must also contend with so-called Blue Cursor players now hunting NPCs whom cannot respawn after death, similar to the victims of Aincrad. Kirito and friends vow to protect Premiere while uncovering the truth about her null coding.
In the land known as Ainground, Kirito meets Premiere, a mysterious Non-Player Character (NPC) who has not been coded into the game.
