In Sword Art Online, once Akihiko Kayaba locked the game, logging out became impossible for ordinary players. But Daniel wasn't exactly ordinary. While his physical lifespan now stretched into the millennia, he was still mortal—nothing close to Asgardian levels, who could easily live five millennia. But he was hardly hindered by such limitations. As long as he could stabilize the mental connection, he could log out while keeping his game character active without triggering the game's "death" mechanisms.
"If only I'd studied The Oasis in more depth…" Daniel regretted not having focused more on The Oasis's framework. In SAO, he had to experiment until he found a method that allowed him to maintain his mental link with the game while his actual consciousness logged out.
Finally, after a series of tests, he mastered it.
"Looks like there are still a lot of players logging in," he thought, aware that the slower players fussing over their avatars were buying him more time. Had they all logged in faster, Kayaba's lockdown would already have started.
Daniel tested his in-game abilities, feeling the limitations imposed by the game. Despite Kayaba's ambition to allow players' real abilities to influence gameplay, the system capped parameters to what it considered reasonable even for top athletes. For someone like Daniel, the restrictions felt laughable.
"It's clear now—Kirito won't get dual-wielding this time around." Kirito's famously fast reflexes might be remarkable for the average person, but they were no match for Daniel's. In real life, Kirito practiced kendo, which gave him a head start. But compared to Daniel, the disparity was vast.
Lacking a tutorial, SAO was a challenge for newcomers. Unlike other games where skills could be accessed with a simple button, SAO required real motions for skill activation. Players unfamiliar with VR might not even know how to trigger moves.
With time to spare before the lockdown, Daniel headed to the outskirts to test out the game mechanics.
"This skill system is interesting. Skills are executed by the system controlling a player's movements. Kayaba clearly didn't intend to alienate casuals," he thought, watching a defeated boar dissipate into pixels. The game offered two main methods for skill execution: system-controlled moves and player-executed skills. The first catered to beginners, but the second—a fully manual approach—was for high-level players.
In standard gaming, the gulf between average and expert players was enormous. VR only heightened that gap, making SAO's manual skill execution vital for seasoned players.
Mastering manual skill execution also granted an advantage outside the game, letting players carry habits over to the real world. Kirito, upon leaving SAO, would inadvertently use his in-game techniques in kendo practice. This "muscle memory" from the game could improve real-world reactions.
For Daniel, SAO's combat system was a good training ground, though the game's stat limits hampered his usual techniques. Where most players would struggle to defeat monsters, Daniel breezed through them, though he still relied on skill moves for additional effects like stun or paralysis. Such effects would prove useful against bosses.
"Thankfully, I sent in shadow clones. The game's restrictions require coordination for boss fights, and no partner is better than myself." As Daniel contemplated further leveling up, a sudden pull transported him back to the main plaza.
In Aincrad's starting city square, nearly ten thousand avatars gathered, transported there by Kayaba's game mechanics. Though the plaza was massive, the players were packed tightly, each barely given half a meter of space.
"What's going on? Is this a launch event?" someone speculated aloud.
Before long, each player received a mirror. As light flashed, everyone's avatar reverted to their real-world appearance. Apart from Daniel and his clones, nearly everyone looked slightly or vastly different from their game avatars—much to the dismay of certain "players."
"Wait, you're a guy?"
As the mirrors revealed hidden identities, particularly among those posing as different genders, tension bubbled. Cursing broke out, with people calling each other out for creating false appearances. But before the commotion escalated, the sky above the plaza turned crimson, and a giant, blood-red figure formed above them. Its eerie silence drew the crowd's attention.
"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for participating." The figure's words sent a chill across the square as players slowly realized they were trapped in a death game.
At first, some thought it was a hoax, maybe a quirky PR stunt. But panic ensued as players confirmed they couldn't log out. The giant then displayed news reports from the real world, silencing any remaining doubt.
People crumbled, some screaming, others crying. But a few, understanding the only way out was to clear all 100 floors, steeled themselves and began strategizing.
"Thank goodness for the friend-adding feature," Daniel muttered, using it to locate his three shadow clones—Nagato, Itachi, and Sasuke.
"Your mission is to gather intel and power-level," he instructed. His clones wouldn't need to log out, and thus could continually train, building skills and leveling up while he managed things outside.
For now, Daniel refrained from adding Asuna as a friend. He had no legitimate way to explain knowing her real name without raising suspicions.
Outside the game, Daniel logged back into the real world, where the media frenzy was in full swing. News outlets flooded screens with the SAO disaster, speculating on Kayaba's motives and broadcasting pleas from loved ones of the trapped players. Hundreds had already perished, despite warnings against forcibly removing the NerveGear.
The government had stepped in, moving all trapped players to hospitals, and SAO quickly became a nationwide scandal. The responsibility to keep players alive now fell on the authorities, as any further deaths would end political careers and force resignations. Every effort was being made to keep SAO players safe in the real world.
Attempts to hack SAO's servers had failed; the game's security was ironclad, as Daniel and Red Queen had already tested to no avail.
"Sugou Nobuyuki's coming back, huh?" The government, hoping to rescue the players, had also summoned Kayaba's colleagues, including Nobuyuki. This opened up an opportunity for Daniel.
The scandal surrounding Kayaba's game had forced his company into bankruptcy, a perfect chance for Daniel to acquire it. He planned to take over not only the company but its upcoming VR projects like ALO and GGO. Although he couldn't interfere with the government-backed Underworld project, his acquisition would mean many other issues would never come to pass.
As soon as he acquired the World Seed, Daniel planned to test it in this world by launching a Naruto-themed VR game, eventually bringing it to the Naruto universe itself. First, though, he'd need to establish a proper identity, not just the temporary ID he'd set up for SAO. A shadow clone was already en route to the US to create a lasting cover for him.
"Nobuyuki, there'll be no easy escape for you—you'll pay with your reputation and your life." Within two days, Sugou was back in Japan, and Daniel was ready to set his plan into motion.
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