Anti-Criminal Code Effect Area



The Anti-Criminal Code Effect Area (アンチクリミナルコード有効圏内), usually referred to as the «AREA» (圏内), is a special anti-criminal protection system within most town areas in Sword Art Online.

Mechanics
The «AREA» ensures that players are absolutely unable to wound other players who are within the radius of the AREA: the slashing of a weapon would be blocked by a purple system barrier and the HP bar of the targeted player would not decrease at all. Moreover, all kinds of poisonous items and damage over time would cease functioning, though the piercing damage on armor and equipment would continue to apply. As a direct act of violence cannot be performed within the AREA, the only way to deal damage to another player within the AREA is by starting a duel or accepting a duel request, which will cause the AREA effect on the players involved to be lifted temporarily.

The system does, however, have some loopholes. One of such loopholes is sending a Total Deplete Mode duel request to a sleeping opponent and then moving their fingers to press the "OK" button (refer to Player Killing) to accept the duel and lift the AREA's protection. Another method is carrying an unconscious body out of the Area with a stretcher item and then attacking them where the AREA effect no longer applies.

Homicide is also impossible within the Anti-Criminal Code Effect Area, though it may be possible to fake one. An example would be killing somebody outside the Area, waiting until their HP ran out and then using the 10 seconds till they die, scattering into polygons, to teleport them into an AREA.

Código Anti-Criminal