"Lucky for you all—though I doubt that kid will dare climb through windows again after this." Watching the paramedics load up the unlucky high schooler, whose midnight escapade ended with a trip to the hospital, Daniel chuckled to himself. Even if the parents heard the full truth, they wouldn't believe it. And with the matter out of his hands, he confirmed there were no lingering issues before teleporting home.
"Things are mostly wrapped up here. Time to set out." Leaving behind a wood clone to handle any final tasks, Daniel gathered his gear and prepared for his next exploration. The Dark Continent in the Hunter x Hunter world was still inaccessible, and Ada and Robin remained in the One Piece universe.
"I wonder what kind of world awaits this time," he mused, slipping into the quantum space that enabled his inter-dimensional journeys.
"Sword Art Online, developed by Akihiko Kayaba, is now just three hours away from its official launch, with an exclusive first wave of 10,000 players ready to enter this fully immersive virtual world!" The voice blared from a huge screen on a modern city street, where Daniel appeared from the quantum realm.
"Akihiko Kayaba, SAO... so, this is Sword Art Online." The sight of Kayaba, with his black hair and unassuming looks, made it clear. And SAO's iconic structure, Aincrad, glimmered above him on the display.
Daniel was familiar with the main players in this world—particularly Kirito and Asuna, legends of the virtual realm Kayaba had brought to life.
Kayaba's virtual world was remarkably similar to The Oasis from Ready Player One, though Kayaba's creation surpassed it in many ways. SAO needed only a NerveGear headset, which enabled players to fully experience the game while lying comfortably at home, feeling every sensation. In The Oasis, such sensory realism required specialized suits or gaming pods.
But what really set SAO apart was its ability to birth true artificial intelligence. The most notable of these was Yui, an advanced AI who wasn't just a program but an actual artificial being. True AI could be measured by one simple criterion: it was uncopyable. Red Queen, Daniel's own AI system, could be duplicated if needed, though each instance varied depending on the server's specifications. But Yui could never be copied. Her unique personality and consciousness were the outcome of human emotions—despair, fear, and hope generated in SAO's "death game" environment.
While Yui's and Alice's existence in later chapters highlighted the world's potential, all of it began with Kayaba's technological genius. Without him, the world seed—the system that allowed players to create infinite game worlds—would have never existed.
"SAO, a death game... and only three hours left. Looks like I'm too late to stop it." Daniel shook his head. If he had arrived earlier, he might have convinced Kayaba to abandon his death game plan, perhaps even offering to build the real Aincrad with the six Infinity Stones. But there was no point trying to warn the authorities or prevent the launch; Kayaba was a celebrated scientist with a spotless reputation. His sudden transformation into a villain was simply beyond anyone's imagination.
"Since it can't be stopped, I might as well enter the game myself," Daniel thought. To experience SAO firsthand, he would need an identity in this world and a NerveGear device.
The game's launch was limited to only 10,000 players, and all NerveGear units had already been sold. But for Daniel, acquiring one wasn't an issue—nor was bypassing the device's dangerous restrictions, which would be deadly to ordinary players.
"The World Seed... this could help me create virtual worlds for any purpose. In terms of versatility, it's far beyond The Oasis," he reflected, intrigued by the possibilities. In essence, the World Seed was a developer's toolkit that allowed users to build their own virtual worlds—fantasy realms, magic worlds, shooter games, and more. If he got his hands on it, Daniel could potentially create a Naruto-inspired world and hold an all-out ninja war in VR.
In canon, Kirito would later release the World Seed online, which catalyzed the creation of countless virtual games, including GGO. All these worlds, sharing Kayaba's original system, were interconnected, enabling players to freely cross over. With his inherited Kayaba account, Kirito essentially held GM powers across all these games.
"Ah, Sugou Nobuyuki... that guy definitely needs to go." While researching Kayaba, Daniel found data on Sugou, one of Kayaba's old classmates. Despite Sugou's intelligence and skill, he had been easy to locate. Daniel fully intended to kill him outright, especially given Sugou's plans to entrap and exploit Asuna later.
"Out of the country, huh? Lucky," he muttered after realizing Sugou had just left on a business trip.
Kayaba's lab, where Sugou worked, had a roster of other notable researchers, including Kōjiro Rinko and Kikuoka Seijirō. It was no surprise that Sugou was missing, though Daniel wasn't too disappointed. Sugou would meet his end eventually. The lab did yield a few NerveGear devices, typically reserved for internal testing.
With a NerveGear now secured, Daniel wouldn't need to take one from one of the 10,000 early users.
Daniel was also reminded of Kirito's title as a "beater" in SAO's early days, as he'd gained an edge during the game's beta phase, which had limited participants.
"Sorry, Kirito, but I'll be taking this one. And Yui too." The double-wielding skill Kirito famously acquired would likely be Daniel's this time, given his quicker reflexes. And with the chance to interact with Yui—a one-of-a-kind AI entity—Daniel was fully committed to entering SAO. If it weren't for her existence, he might have been content to wait until the inevitable game shutdown, tracking down Kayaba afterward to offer him a job.
Daniel himself had the Mind Stone and could create sentient AI if he wished. But he refrained because such life-forms, once created, would have minds of their own, uncontrolled and potentially dangerous. But Yui's benevolent nature allayed these concerns—her world had truly been fortunate to have benign AIs like her and Alice.
"Limited beta info, huh. SAO is leagues beyond conventional games." To pass the time, Daniel looked up strategy guides for Aincrad but was disappointed with the scarce information available. Beta players had indeed posted details, but the tips were mostly general.
"I wonder if I can log in with a shadow clone." Curious, Daniel created one to attempt logging in. Earlier, he'd already sent another clone to arrange his documentation, knowing he'd need ID for the game.
With money and minor illusions, the clone quickly obtained the necessary credentials.
"Initiating login." After his shadow clone activated the NerveGear, Daniel waited.
"I'm in." The clone soon opened its eyes and confirmed it was in the game, now paused at the login screen.
"Alright, I'll need a couple more 'alts' then." Daniel's expression lightened. After all, it was a game where forming teams would give the edge, and he intended to go in prepared. He immediately sent the clone to arrange two more IDs.
Kayaba had gathered player data to ensure that avatars matched real-life appearances, but that posed no problem for Daniel. With a simple transformation jutsu, he could appear as he pleased.
"Four-man cells like a ninja squad... means three clones," Daniel decided, as his acquisition only netted four NerveGear devices.
Since his power in the real world wouldn't transfer into SAO, he needed to plan carefully. Even the skilled Kirito relied on teamwork in the toughest battles, and Daniel would do the same if needed.
"Initiating connection." As the launch time finally arrived, Daniel settled into a new place, put on his NerveGear, and logged in alongside his three shadow clones.
"Character creation? Useless to waste time on this." Since SAO avatars reflected real appearances, skipping customization was a no-brainer for him.
Aincrad, the first floor's Starting City, buzzed with activity as players materialized in the plaza's safe zone. The wonder of virtual reality was on full display, with many gasps of awe echoing as players looked around. A handful, however, skipped the sightseeing and bolted for the field—likely experienced beta testers.
"Not even close to The Oasis," Daniel noted, clenching his fist and feeling out the weight and sensation of his game avatar. For a VR game, SAO felt incredibly lifelike, a feat far beyond anything other systems had achieved.
"Let's test logging out before Kayaba locks it down." Although the game required registration, Daniel didn't plan on being trapped here for two years if he could avoid it. As for the voltage "kill switch" on the NerveGear, it was of little concern to him.
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]